Fire Fire Fire!

FIRE DESTROYS BURMESE REFUGEE CAMP

Posted on February 23, 2012 by umphiemfirerelief

(I just copied this from all text and images taken from http://umphiemfirerelief.wordpress.com/, none of the text or images are mine. This is so sad and scary- sending good thoughts and prayers to all involved!)

At noon on February 23, a fire in a single home in Umphiem Refugee Camp erupted and began to spread to surrounding homes.  Because permanent structures are not allowed to be built within the camps, all houses are constructed from bamboo, wood and leaves, making it extremely susceptible to fire, especially in the dry season.  Within ten minutes, dozens of homes were on fire and in less than an hour, the fire had engulfed one third of the camp, turning houses, mosques, nurseries and schools to ashes.  Umphiem is Thailand’s second largest refugee camp and is home to approximately 20,000 refugees from Burma.
Currently organizations on the Thai-Burma border are meeting to discuss immediate needs and how donations can best be utilized.  We hope to begin collecting donations immediately so that funds will be available as soon as the needs are assessed.  Donations will directly benefit the individuals who have been affected – purchasing building materials, food, water, clothes & blankets and other necessary materials.
We are requesting that donations be made as soon as possible to the Umphiem Fire Relief PayPal Account, in order to meet the immediate need.  If you would like to support relief efforts, but prefer to donate to a larger Non-Governmental Organization, please visit www.tbbc.org or stay tuned for a list of projects that are accepting donations.
For more information please contact us at umphiemfirerelief@gmail.com

Umphiem Fire (2/23/12) from Trish Becker on Vimeo.

Climate Change Video

Plenty of Fish in the Sea?

One more issue I have been learning about in the realm of the oceans is something we have all hear about over light dinner conversations and maybe read a article about in the New York Times but don't give much thought to- overfishing. Overfishing is a huge issue, in fact if we continue to consume fish at the rate we are now there will be no fish in the sea by 2048. That isn't as far off as it seems and the numbers keep going up. The truth is we don't always think about where our food comes from and our fish is no exception. Maybe because the ocean is so vast or maybe because less people are directly dependent on it we assume that the sea is an endless resource. It's not. If you want to learn more about it and what kinds of fish you should and shouldn't eat please please watch End Of The Line. My roommate actually know one of the guys who helped make it and it is a well done film that explains a complicated situation well.



If you want to look at a more case specific film check out The Cove. This film is also mind blowing, it's about the dolphin meat industry and where that meat ends up. Check out these videos and think about where your fish and really all your food comes from. We vote with our dollar and our dollar buys us dinner so vote wisely!

Plastics in the Sea

One of the many things I have been learning about over the last few weeks is the state of our oceans. Being from a land locked state I have always held a a sort of fearful awe for the ocean but had never really made an attempt to understand it or it's environmental threats.

One of the largest threats, and one that you may have heard of, is the huge amount of plastic in the oceans. Plastic never becomes organic material- it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, even microscopic pieces, but it remains unnatural and a treat to marine life even in its smallest states. The Northern Gyre is a central meeting point of currents in the Pacific ocean where tides carry the plastic trash that make it into the ocean through ether dumping or littering. The plastic will eventually break down into smaller pieces and is often eaten by marine life that will assume it is food. Because tides carry not just trash but many objects in the sea, especially food, the Norther Gyre was previously a rich food source and many animals continue to feed there.

Animals who eat or get stuck in debris and nets are often injured, disabled, or killed. Even if they are able to stay alive the plastic moves through the food chain reaching seals, birds, turtles, wales, and believe it or not, humans!

Other issues with plastic in our oceans include the amount of plastic that has sunk to the base of the ocean ruining natural habitat and the transport of invasive species across vast bodies of water. Maybe the most daunting issue is how to fix it tough. Because plastic is broken down into such small pieces if we cleared it it would remove all other small forms of life, the bases for the entire marine food chain, leaving larger creatures with nothing to eat. Clearing the sea floor could potentially totally ruin the ecosystem. Even if there there was a way to clear the plastic it does not go away. If it is burnt it goes into the atmosphere and moving it it is only a temporary fix. This means the only real way to stop this is by cutting out the production of plastic and re-cycling what we already have made because there is no getting rid of it.

Plastics are like diamonds- they are forever.

up to date!

Ello Ladies and Gents!
Just wanted to do a little check in. I am settling in here in Byron and just had a amazing bike ride/hike out to Broken Head with one of our teachers and his two kids- what a day eh? Earlier this week we went snorkeling and had a barbi (bbq) and class on the beach after. Needless to say I am very happy here. I am experincing my fair share of culture shock coming here from India (odviously) espeshally when it cones to money and the amount of money travelers here spend. All in all though I am feeling more and more settled and happy about it. Great classmates, house by the beach, hiking, biking, maybe even surfing! Next weekend is our first camping trip (it's actually 4 days) and I am pumped- hiking all day is what I'm about. That is one of the best parts of being here- I am in control of my diet and able to exersise in FUN ways. Getting in shape again is nice and I'm starting to tend toward being veg tough if I go more than 2 weeks I need a little chicken or fish.

Just heads up, I may not be posting a ton because, funny as it is, there isn't a ton of internet here and it's a bit pricey to pay for. I will try to at least update you on what I'm doing for the folks back on the ranch but other posts might be a bit spotty.

Anyways, of to read about permaculture.

g

Android Jones

I had a chance a few days ago to be exposed to some transcendental artist- a scene that I am guessing is pretty big here in Byron. It was interesting to see the art and listen to some of the artists talk but what really blew me away was this guy- Andrew "Android" Jones, or just Android. He is an artist who is from the U.S. and did work with major video game creators and other pretty major gigs. He ended up leaving that world and now does illustration for music festivals but he does it live. He tours with artist and draws as they play and his drawing are projected. He has started doing another thing where he coordinates dancers with his drawing and music to create this amazing new combination of performance arts. This video doesn't really do it justice- seeing him do it live with a woman dancer at the cultural center here was really quite amazing. Check him out- he is very talented and it is amazing how he does so much of his work live. It turns art from a individual experience to a very open space for a community to enjoy. Oh, and he also projected onto the Sydney Opera House earlier this year- amazing.

HB56- Brown and White Don't Mix?

Racism. It's a buzz word, and one that is often associated with ether historical atrocities (i.e. slavery) or small minority groups (i.e. white supremacy groups). This, it must be acknowledged, is not the case. Racism is a very real part of our lives- it is structurally ingrained in many ways and is more socially acceptable than you would expect.

You may remember when Arizona passed the law that would allow police to pull drivers based on skin color and demand their papers. I was in Costa Rica at the time and I did not take kindly to this this news, in fact it outraged me. As I just heard on This American Life, HB56, a law in Alabama was recently passed. This law turns all law enforcers into immigration officers and deems it illegal not only to hire someone who might be illegal but actually refuse to help them in any way if they can't prove their citizenship. The law emphasises the importance of the people insuring that jobs stay where they should, in the hands of Americans. Basically the goal of the bill is to make life so hard for immigrants that they go back to their country without the government having to spend time and money deporting them.

We need jobs, it's true. I get that. The fact of the matter is, however, that though many Latinos have left Alabama for other states or countries because of HB56 jobs haven't increased in the fields that said Latinos worked in. Alabama has seen an increase in jobs, one significantly larger than that of the U.S. as a whole, but the auto industry (where most of the jobs have been created) is not and was not largely employed by the Latino community. Many Republican politicians, including the writer of the bill, are publicizing the bill as a success and using the increase in jobs in Alabama to prove it, suggesting that states across the U.S. impediment similar programs.

So what is the issue if they do? The law is a prime example of ingrained racism. The people in Alabama communities take the bill very seriously, refusing service to people who appear Latin if they can't prove their citizenship. A clerk refused a Costa Rican woman her groceries because she couldn't prove her citizenship on the spot and another Mexican woman couldn't receive her money from Walmart because she couldn't prover hers. (Walmart's money order policy, as Walmart confirmed, does not include proof citizenship).

There have been other changes in the community thanks to HB56, the most horrifying to me (being interested in education) is that 80% of Latino children were absent to school on Monday, October 31 compared to last year's average. 25% of construction workers have left thanks to HB45. People are fleeing the state and/or country because of the racial discrimination. Mothers sign their children over to white legal guardians for their kids safety. They pull their kids out of school, and when they don't their kids suffer endless ridicule for their race. They stop driving and only shop in Latino areas. In some cases they actually do move back to their home countries- countries where drug wars threaten life and life is often fear-filled. The fact of the matter is, however, days in Alabama are lived in just as much fear for many families.


This is tough for me. Having lived in and fallen in love with Latin America it is hard for me to participate in these debates. As in all situations having known and loved people who are directly impacted by a conflict pulls ones' heartstrings. I do, however, understand the concern across the U.S. for jobs. It is one of my main concerns as I face student debt and an uncertain future. BUT these jobs aren't taken by U.S. citizens. In fact, we need immigrants if we want our low living costs. For example undocumented immigrants have a 860%higher productivity rate in the tomato fields than their replacements. If we want to keep paying cheep prices for food, we need cheep labor. That's what these immigrants provide. I know that I for one won't be looking for a job in a tomato factory fresh out of college, especially if it pays poorly.

All I can say is that though jobs and the lack there of is a major issue bills like HB56 look at it the wrong way. First there are many explorable markets that could provide jobs for unemployed people including alliterative energy investments. Also people would be better off if the wealth was more evenly distributed- don't complain about immigrants who do the dirty work for major corporations until said corporations are not consuming a huge amount of resources and income when the rest of us are experiencing from a lowering quality of life.


The second reason, and one that is sadly more overlooked though I believe more important, is the inhumanity of this kind of bill. True we need jobs and immigrants take jobs. To an extent I do think that immigration control is necessary. The issue with HB56 and other laws like it is that it enforces a racist view on entire communities. It repeatedly drills the idea of us and them into the public's head until it becomes socially acceptable to be outwardly cruel to others based on their skin color. I don't care HOW bad our economy is- if we are willing to make life so miserable for immigrants that they will move back to war-torn, impoverished, and drug-cartel filled countries to get away from our immigration policy something has gone horribly wrong. And we just won't mention the U.S. government's hand in making these countries they way they are.

All I'm saying is take a step back and look at common humanity.

All info from This American Life and Huffington Post article. Click to access.

Monsanto!

In 2009 Obama made Michael Taylor the senior adviser of the FDA. Why is this an issue? Because if you look at Taylor's resume you will see that he was previously the vice president of Monsanto. If you haven't heard of Monsanto they are a multinational corporation that is notorious for their genetically modified seeds. They are heavily criticized in Food Inc. for penalising and even suing farmers who don't use their seeds. Their products greatly decrease biodiversity and poses many environmental issues in and outside of agriculture (though they are obviously connected).

There is a petition going around to try to remove get Obama to cut ties with Monsanto- another step in get corporations out of our government! Check it out here.

Apples in China

Hey everyone, hope you have missed me!
One would think I would get internet access in Australia if I did in Thailand but it is proving to be more tricky than I thought. I am figuring it out though and settling into my new place. I was looking over some emails and was reminded of something I encoutered in Taiwan- the dirty work of Apple.

 

Apple, the company we know and I at least heavily use manufactures their iphones, ipads, and computer parts using a corporation called Foxconn. Foxconn has been brought up on multiple human rights violations including child labor, unfair pay, and unsafe hours and working conditions. This reminded me of Taiwan because when I was there I stumbled on an activist who was interviewed by Aljazeera last September. She went to the factories, got petitions signed, went to CA to meet with Apple and hit a brick wall. I suggest you watch the whole thing here, it's a bit long but very informative. She is great too, so determined and hard working! Oh, here is a quote from a global post article too:

The chemical n-hexane used in the Taiwanese-owned Wintek factory caused dozens to faint, fall ill and complain of headaches and other mild symptoms. But many workers were hit harder, suffering nerve damage in their hands and feet from exposure to the chemical, the use of which is regulated in China. The lasting impact of their exposure to the toxin remains unknown, and Apple has repeatedly ignored requests for comment on the situation. They did mention the case in their 2010 corporate supplier report, but said the matter had been solved.

Interestingly this article is about how much China misses Steve Jobs. You can check that out here. 


I think this is something important to think about in a time when we are (finally) slowly realizing that we vote with our dollar. I am torn, I am even writing this on an apple product, but I think it is really important that we look carefully at where our products come from. If you watch the film and do a little of your own research and feel like this isn't okay (as I do) than you can sign this nice little petition here.

Alright, I'm off to bed, farmers market and class in the morning. LOCAL consumption will be at a max at about 8 am tomorrow- leafy greens here I come!

- g