Book Review: Eye of the Whale

There is something about whales. These magnificent creatures of the deep are at once vulnerable, and mighty. Completely alien, but remarkably ‘human’. Even now, when there doesn’t seem a lot left to discover, much about the lives of whales remains a mystery.

We have driven them almost to extinction by hunting. What could be more cruel than whaling? And, in this day and age, more pointless and stupid? And we continue to threaten their existence - and our own - through our careless, toxic, throw-away lifestyles.

Douglas Carlton Abrams, author of The Lost Diary of Don Juan, has written a riveting ecological thriller, Eye of the Whale.

Eye of the Whale is a mix of heart-wrenching facts and captivating fiction. Its not a lecture, but most definitely a story. And a great one at that! It’s a page-turning adventure that had me dying to know how it would all end.

Eye of the Whale is the story of Elizabeth McKay - a marine biologist working to crack the code of humpback whale communication. She discovers new words while recording whale song off the island of Bequia and as she tries to make sense of her discovery she manages to ruffle the feathers of people in academia, medicine and business - all of whom have a vested interest in keeping her from discovering the truth and telling the world.

You can sneak a read of the first 32 pages at Douglas Abrams website.

Moving Forward from Sustainability

Image by `◄ccdoh1► via Flickr

Most thinking people have embraced the principles of sustainability. We agree that we need to live lightly on the earth and make careful use of resources to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Personally, I've always felt this was a little soulless - so I was really excited to come across the concept of Thrivability recently.

Thrivability is sustainability taken to the next level. Its not just about ensuring we don't squander the planet's precious resources, but also about taking care to see that they are fairly distributed.

Thrivability takes into account the importance of social justice, real democracy and economic stewardship.

To find out more take a look at the evolving definition at Appropedia and follow @nurturegirl on Twitter.

Does Personal Change Bring About Political Change?

Image by Lulu Vision via Flickr

In an earlier post I asked the question "Can you really make a difference?". Most readers agreed that the little things we do can all add up and become big things. It would seem that Derrick Jensen doesn't necessarily share this opinion:

WOULD ANY SANE PERSON think dumpster diving would have stopped Hitler, or that composting would have ended slavery or brought about the eight-hour workday, or that chopping wood and carrying water would have gotten people out of Tsarist prisons, or that dancing naked around a fire would have helped put in place the Voting Rights Act of 1957 or the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

Then why now, with all the world at stake, do so many people retreat into these entirely personal “solutions”?

uncompromise.wordpress.com, Forget Shorter Showers – why personal change does not equal political change

I have to say I agree. It doesn't feel that just making changes in your own lifestyle is enough. We ALL need to be agitating for change at a higher level.

What do you think?