Strong photos on planet hazards

[AJHingel]

<p>We are all heading towards a new epoch of human history named after us : the Anthropocene - according to The Independent. </p>

<p>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/humanitys-devastating-effect-on-the-planet-in-19-photos-10225680.html</p>

 

[charleswood]

<p>Anders I thought the Anthropocene was a short epoch that's about at its end?</p>

[thomas_k.]

<p>What photographers through pictures can do about it? </p>

[Norma Desmond]

<blockquote>

<p>What photographers through pictures can do about it?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Check out what Sebastião Salgado is doing, as just one example.</p>

<p><a href="http://time.com/3798068/in-the-beginnings-sebastiao-salgados-genesis/">TIME ARTICLE</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.institutoterra.org/eng/conteudosLinks.php?id=23&tl=V2hhdCB3ZSBkbw==&sb=MTE=#.VUkvfKYij0s">INSTITUTO TERRA</a></p>

[AJHingel]

<p>Charles, the anthropocene period is the epoch of the history of our planet where human activity has been the dominant factor influencing climate and the environment. As you mention, in relative terms, it is indeed a short period of the history of the planet, but it is ongoing. </p>

[Andy Murphy]

<p>Regarding off shore drilling, there is one view that it is best left in the ground for the sake of the earth that may be difficult to advance with one photo or not. Perhaps less is more.</p>

[charleswood]

<p>What I'm doing is to just be nicer to the bugs in my house. Carrying them outside v. crushing, drowning, etc. Those are my 'rescues'. As to ants, I get my bulb air blower to get them off the counter and try to leave things cleaned up. I'm working on a photo series (planning stages) of bugs I've rescue from the sadly sisyphean circumstances [alliteration - I should get extra credit for that] they've found themselves in through no fault of their own. I'm trying to put a different kind of energy out there in the universe and figure I would start with those closest to me.</p>

[tholte]

<p>I don't get too worried about it. When the big bucks people like Al Gore, George Soros, Bill Gates, Ted Turner, Bill and Hillary and all the other billionaire environmentalists start downscaling and getting rid of their jets, mansions, fleets of SUV's, cattle ranches etc., etc. to try and save the world, that's when I will get nervous. </p>

[GerrySiegel]

The photographs of pelicans and sea birds covered in oil slick were iconic for the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Spill. Yet strong hitting in the pocketbook is more powerful than photos, we all know. And will take more droughts and Sandys to make a dent in policy and behavior. Though recall we did get rid of freon, and found we could do without freon. I remember our President Carter in a sweater during the winter on TV. Long time ago and what has changed is the world is getting warmer. Ergo, less sweaters and more AC. Arthur Clarke wondered if advanced civilizations can survive once they discover fission and hydrogen bombs. Still no definite answer even to that biggie. Can an advanced civilization survive its technology is the core question. Does it have the will to do it and the sense to form alliance with others on the same planet. Are we more like the Krell in Forbidden Planet, too smart for our own long term good ?

 

And yet, what about some other pictures to inspire change: I like the rooftop garden pictures in NY. And the ones of solar panels in AZ, so maybe no need to despair....Yet.

 

We eat little meat in our family, a waste of soil and water and energy via fertilizer. And few almonds, as though that matters much. And recycle regularly. And use rechargeable batteries. Anything I missed, we will probably try. Yes, we have mostly rock garden in front. Lawns are a luxury item. National parks are cutting down on roadways in parks. Oahu is building a rail transit system finally against the odds and fights of the road gang to give people a choice over cars. Small stuff but a start. We just completed part of a bikeway downtown, for instance. But not to rest on our assets, that I agree, we need such reminders, Anders.

[AJHingel]

<p>I would suggest that one of you to go through the short series of photos which are shown by The Independent (<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/humanitys-devastating-effect-on-the-planet-in-19-photos-10225680.html">here</a>) and consider what made the mess and what could be done to correct and prevent it to continue. Personal initiatives are surely needed (cutting water and electricity consumption, greener cars, heating, air-conditioning (low carbon), re-cycling, waste management, cycling etc) but local governments and in central government regulation and enforcement are direly needed.</p>

<p>Don't wait for your neighbor or neighboring country/state to take the initiative. (you just have to Google around to find the front-runners).</p>

<p>Learn from others who are advancing faster than yourself or your city, country.</p>

<p>The yellow (paper), green (garden waste), blue (plastic), white (cloths), black (kitchen waste) garbage cans outside your house are giving the message to all - or not ! </p>

<p>Visual documentation might be the strongest informer on our moral standards when it comes to the future of the planet.</p>

[Tim_Lookingbill]

<blockquote>

<p>The photographs of pelicans and sea birds covered in oil slick were iconic for the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Spill.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>And yet during and after that terrible disaster as a native Texan all my life I never heard of the "Flower Garden Banks Sanctuary" coral reef about 100 miles off the Texas/Louisiana coast that wasn't affected by that spill as seen in this video I saw several weekends back on KLRN...<br /> http://www.lpb.org/index.php?/site/programs2/window_in_the_waves/window_in_the_waves</p>

<p>As one who prioritizes environment over profits I still want to get all the facts in news reporting on this issue but inconsistencies such as not hearing about a coral reef that's thriving and not dieing due to global warming I feel is not telling the whole story.</p>

<p>Oh, BTW that video was sponsored by Shell Oil...DOH!</p>

[GerrySiegel]

Couple thoughts. Our valuable coral reefs here are in distress. Warming of the ocean or other unknown things are harmful and our state is getting serious about it. Coral is a habitat as part of food chain as we well know. Government has set aside a large Hawaiian Islands Marine Refuge and Sanctuary. Not everyone approved the expansion....

 

http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=12526.

 

I mention a few such actions not to minimize all the habitat we took for granted that now is begging for help. Or the need for aerial and satellite photo survey which gets to the photo info and science part. Before and after views of subjects, like subject areas in Independent piece.

 

Close to home-. Most suburban families seem to have chosen concrete block walls between the units. We happen to enjoy and maintain our 70 foot mock orange hedge,which takes work to keep healthy. But worth it. I saw an egret walk along it one day, funny critter. Never get my camera fast enough to catch those guys. Or the golden plovers, those long range seabird flyers.... . Bottom line is that I trust we all here agree that the topic is not trivial for welfare of Anthropocenes and other animals. Getting late now. In many ways.

[Norma Desmond]

<p>Tim, maybe all it would have taken all these years is for you to have googled "successful Texas sanctuaries". I don't know who is to blame for your not knowing something? I do know that when I feel the news I'm getting is imbalanced, I seek out additional sources. In this day and age, I find it best to be proactive regarding the news and in order to get a more complete picture. The success of isolated intentionally protected land doesn't really change the facts about global climate change and the woefully inadequate response it's getting.</p>

<p>_____________________________________________________</p>

<p>Tim Holte, very interesting to know you base your own personal environmental ethics and actions on what a few rich and powerful Democrats do. Actually, it's astounding.</p>

[thomas_k.]

<p>I will do a section on my webpage on how natural environment was changed in my city/state. I feel some sort of guilt for photographing nature in a way which avoids obvious signs of human intrusion.</p>

[AJHingel]

<p>You are right Thomas. I think many of us are in the same situation. Actually I think I, in general, make more efforts to ignore "human intrusion" than to documenting it. </p>

[Tim_Lookingbill]

<blockquote>

<p>I don't know who is to blame for your not knowing something?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Fred, I take it you didn't watch the video or else you would've heard that that particular marine sanctuary isn't well known by a large majority of the US population except by scientists and scuba divers. It's not necessary for you to know why I didn't find out about it because my main point was to make clear that not all information flows as freely as some others depending on one's view of how the world works.</p>

<p>The photos referenced in this thread topic are new to me as well but I look at it and have to throw up my hands and face the fact I don't have enough of a life time left on this beautiful Earth to do anything about it that would make a dent, mainly because it's happening in other parts of the world. It's there responsibility to clean that crap up. If one thinks they can brow beat them into submission, there isn't enough time in my life to make a difference except talk about it in forums such as this as is everyone else.</p>

<p>I did my volunteer work for mother Earth locally and helped get a can ban put into law to keep tourists from throwing garbage in our beautiful local river, but that's been overturned by a district judge as unconstitutional. The river that was getting littered is now being cleaned up because a certain city manager didn't know how to negotiate a contract with a river clean up crew and didn't bother to check their work. What difference does it make. Law didn't help, but at least the river is free of garbage.</p>

[GerrySiegel]

"As one who prioritizes environment over profits....."

 

I subscribe to that priority as well. It does get complicated fast in specific cases. As I am sure we fully recognize.

 

 

I pose this one for consideration, as a broader question. Does it HAVE to be, a matter of profit vs environment? Another way then-- Can we feed our personal needs without ignoring the natural world. Bike to work maybe ? I did not but I do bike or walk to the supermarket. ( 2500 lb machine to go 1/4 mile for a container of milk.)

 

One dented bike stand (see photo). Sign in shopping center reads

: " no skate boarding or bicycling in shopping center." ) I wrote letters and included photos to those with authority in such cases..private property. Private mall managers will only respond if a financial interest is prominent. ( Plainly put,- someone has to be killed or injured for money to flow for such matters. Bikes are dismissed as a nuisance. But a letter from the neighborhood board does get consideration. Persistence makes change easier than stasis.)

 

 

Check out today's New York Times story on water shortage. It shows touching photos of abandoned fox pups, related to water shortages in our West. No, none of us can adopt a kit fox pup. But the photo series does reach me on an emotional level. I want to respond. As best I can and seek ideas as well from others here...have at it.

 

The critical question for all, -and more than a bumper sticker question-, is how much are we all willing to sacrifice of convenience and pleasure for the sake of the 'world community'. For the long term health of the planet. The commonweal.

 

Do we curtail some of our well earned lifestyle pleasures? Like what?<div></div>

[Tim_Lookingbill]

<p>Along the lines of who controls information we get in order to keep us in the dark with regards to what the fracking industry is doing to our environment despite the lovely commercials showing how harmless it is, we get these articles... http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20140701/one-mans-mission-curb-illegal-dumping-texas-frack-waste</p>

<p>Drilling waste? Didn't know that was part of the oil business. My dad worked in the oil business all his life and I never heard of this. Was that mentioned in the commercial? There's over 200 wells in the Eagle Ford Shale area. </p>

<p>And now my state of Texas is creating a law that keeps cities from banning such activity... http://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-seems-on-verge-of-banning-fracking-bans/</p>

<p>Nothing we can do about it.</p>

 

[GerrySiegel]

Here is one idea I read about . Why not specify personal cremation versus memorial park and cement vaults and the whole business. ( Composting bodies may be in the far far future. Not this decade. Mother Nature won't mind though. Your scriptural view re that is another subject of course. )

[GerrySiegel]

NT

[AJHingel]

<p>Tim, maybe Texas, or at least some of its alert citizens, could learn from tiny Denmark when it comes to banning fracking. The first ever fracking test drilling in the Kingdom of Denmark lasted one day (Tuesday!) before being suspended for using an unauthorized chemical ! (see the always well informed <a href="http://rt.com/news/256229-denmark-fracking-chemicals-total/">RT news outlet</a> or from <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/denmark-halts-fracking-total-100332161.html">Yahoo </a>if you prefer). There is hope if you look for the info beyond you own backyard.</p>

[q.g._de_bakker]

And this is photography related?<br>Some people apparently do miss the Off Topic Forum quite a lot, haven't found a political debate forum elsewhere on the net yet.<br>Fracking annoying...

[AJHingel]

<p>Q.G. stop trolling! See the title and the link of the threat. H<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/humanitys-devastating-effect-on-the-planet-in-19-photos-10225680.html">ere </a>it is ... again ! </p>

<p> </p>

[q.g._de_bakker]

A poor excuse for voicing your Off Topic opinions once again, Anders. Show us your photos, instead of letting us know what you know about what people in various countries think about fracking and why you think people in other countries have it wrong. Or at least talk about those photos you link to.<br>But no... Off Topic Forum, with the Usual Suspects, all over again. Yet again.

[Tim_Lookingbill]

<blockquote>

<p>There is hope if you look for the info beyond you own backyard.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Not going to waste my time fighting the oil industry and Texas legislatures, Anders. Not at my age.</p>

<p>My backyard is all I'm going to be concerned about seeing it's a manageable size where I live with other like minded folks with deeper pockets and better connections who moved here for the same reason I did, to live in a garden paradise who have a bigger insensitive to preserve the beauty and water quality of our little town of New Braunfels, TX, a designated Tree City going on 25 years.</p>

<p>The Texas plains, the Eagle Ford Shale covers, is sparsely populated by cow towns and hyper conservatives who are holding out on their land holdings and mineral rights in order to cash out just at the right time before it all turns to crap. If they were more concerned about the environment they would have done something about it by now.</p>

<p>Me? What little time I have left am going to enjoy the beautiful pristine nature of my small town and photograph it as much as I can.</p>

<p> </p><div></div>