A Similarity Between Economy & Ecology

It's a curious fact that getting rich in money markets and living off the land both involve taking a small cut of many many transactions. Successfully living within one's local ecology involves taking small portions of food and water from a larger whole that is flowing along around you. 

How small is small enough? That depends on how good you are at helping things keep flowing.

Kevin or Heather?

Last Tuesday night, a KCRA reporter asked me if I intended to recommend either Kevin or Heather as the choice in November for those who voted for me. Having had time to think it over, I recommend that those who would like a sustainable Sacramento ask each candidate whatever questions they need to ask to determine which of them is most likely to take effective steps toward this goal.

I fear that neither has a clear vision of sustainability, in part because they are both using the solutions of the past in an attempt to address the problems of the future. And I suspect that neither understands that it's not about the money.

So no matter who is elected, I urge Sacramentans to continue to focus on the issue of sustainability, and lobby their elected representatives to implement policies of sustainability. But I would also recommend that individuals and groups make their own arrangements for their own sustainable futures, rather than depending on any government to do it.

After Tomorrow

No matter who wins the vote, we will still face the same issues of achieving both ecological and social sustainability in the face of accelerating global climate change. Whatever we do, we must do it from the heart, if we are to have a prayer of success.

Amazing Earth, how sweet the air

Her children breathe each day

Blest be Her blue inspiring care

May we be worthy we pray

Amazing Earth with water clear

That washes every sin

Blest be Thy blood O Mother dear

Through Thee our lives we win

Amazing Earth we greet Thy Son

Who shines on all each day

His fire can burn at highest noon 

For forest shade we pray

Amazing Earth how good Thy food

In garden, grove and field

So full of thanks for Thee we would

Bless each and every meal

Amazing Earth whose every race

And bug and bird not least

Are called by Her Amazing Grace

In kinship with each beast

Amazing Earth we count Thy blessings

Many more than we deserve

A sin to think we own such things

Forgetting Whom we serve

(Now go to youtube.com/watch?v=5OuP6sPiViQ and pretend you are hearing Leann sing the poem above.)

The Incredible Shrinking Newspaper

The Bee has been shrinking ever since I moved to Sacramento 20 years ago, but lately the trend has been accelerating. The Real Estate section long ago converted to advertising, and more recently the Car section. Awhile back the ratio of text to white space was reduced. Yesterday I read that the width will be reduced again, and another merger of sections is coming, Metro & Business this time. Only the Sports section seems to be immune. (I think the Bee should just put news about Iraq and the primaries in the Sports section, so there would be more room for actual news, in the sense of something you couldn't have predicted.)

But my biggest concern is about local news. State, national, and world news can be found elsewhere. Yes, we do have other local sources such as the News & Review, and neighborhood association newsletters, but nothing as frequent or complete as the Bee has been. And TV news isn't really news, it's just breathless.

How can Sacramento be a community unless Sacramentans know what's going on in their city? I think the city council should consider using eminent domain to take over the Bee. We could have a nonprofit community-owned newspaper, and make our own news.