Eco-Literacy 2014

Curious George is a series of children’s picture books written by H. A. Rey. I will be writing about the first book of the series, titled, Curious George. The events of the book can be summarized as such: A curious monkey is kidnapped from Africa by a man with a yellow hat and is taken to a big city. Being curious and wanting to imitate the man using the telephone, George unintentionally telephones the fire station, prompting the firefighters’ swift arrival to find no fire, but only a troublesome monkey. They take him to prison, from which George manages to escape, take flight with a bunch of balloons, serendipitously land next to the man with the yellow hat, who then accordingly delivers George to his new home that is the city zoo.

The Story of May by Mordicai Gerstein was always a favorite of mine as a kid. This short and sweet picture book tells the story of a little girl, the month of May, and her journey through the year to meet her father December. She leaves her mother April’s side and meets all of her relatives in an “exuberant story of familial love set in the richness of the passing seasons” (HarperCollins Publishers, inside cover). I choose this book because of the wonderment of earth, nature, and the seasons it helped instill in me as a young girl. I so easily connected with May, and I believe her journey of play and independence helped me ‘access’ a new version of the world, one in which nature and the environment are paramount, and everything flows together calmly with time. The stunning watercolor illustrations came to life in my head; when I see them now, I’m surprised that the pictures end where the page does, and don’t all carry on endlessly.

The Hunger Games is a 2008 science fiction novel written by Suzanne Collins. Set in the future, this story is narrated by 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen. Katniss, her mother, and her sister, Primrose reside in the poor twelfth district of the nation Panem.  Panem consists of twelve districts and the Capitol, which exercises political control over all the districts. In order to maintain its political legitimacy and to punish the twelve districts for a past rebellion, the Capitol hosts the “Hunger Games” each year. At “the Reaping” one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by lottery to participate in this event. In the Hunger Games, the contestants or “tributes” must fight to the death until one remains in an outdoor arena controlled by “Gamemakers” at the Capitol. This event is highly televised so people from all the districts and the Capitol are able to watch everything that goes on in the arena.

 In the 74th annual Hunger Games, Primrose Everdeen is selected to be tribute in the Hunger Games, but Katniss immediately steps up to take the place of her sister. The male tribute from District 12 is Peeta Mallark, a former classmate of Katniss. A past Hunger Games victor from District 12, Haymitch Abernathy, mentors Peeta and Katniss as they prepare for the event. Throughout the Hunger Games, Katniss utilizes her hunting and survival skills and forms an alliance with Rue, a 12 year old from District 11, as well as with Peeta, her fellow District 12 tribute. 

Hi everyone, 

I wasn't able to talk about my art project & artistic response to the Shonibare exhibit in class yesterday, so I'm posting my thoughts here. Like Sarah, I had a harder time thinking of an artistic response to the Shonibare exhibit. I really enjoyed it but was stuck on thinking of an isolated artistic response to it, so I decided to use my reflections & thoughts to build on the project I began thinking of after the trip to Tinicum. I walked away from the class after Tinicum not only as an Eco-Warrior but feeling very good about my project as well as the feedback and suggestions I received. Just a reminder, last week I talked about making a mosaic/collage using the photos I had taken at the wildlife refuge. 

Something that I was really struck by at the Magic Ladders exhibit was the way books were incorporated. I kept thinking about how books informed colonizing leaders, how books and what Shonibare read may have informed the way he designed this exhibit, and how what I've read throughout the different 360 classes is informing how I perceive and experience the different places we've visited. So, that gets me to my next point of continuing to work on my mosaic, adding photographs from the different places I go, but also quotes from different texts that have particularly resonated with me and have shaped my experiences in Camden, at the Wildlife Refuge, and at the Barnes Magic Ladders exhibit. 

So, here are some of the quotes I plan on weaving into my final mosaic project: 

Shonibare's Magic Ladders exhibit at the Barnes Foundation was incredible, interesting, and thought provoking. I was particularly struck by the way books from Albert Barnes' own collection were incorporated in the exhibit--especially how they were used as rungs on the ladder. I was thinking about colonialism and education, and how perhaps the books on the ladder represented the fact that it takes a certain kind (Western/colonial style) of education and specific books for someone to be deemed educated & enlighened. It was also interesting how the books were also on the desks where headless mannequins were sitting. What does this say about the adults who receive the Westernized/colonial education? 

Although I didn't get the opportunity of going to the Barnes Foundation to experience Shonibare's exibit, watching just the video made me really interested in his work. His collections aren't just about self expressions, they're about melting both, having the priviledges of a white man as well as having the freedom of and right to critique them. As the video played, and I explored a few more images of his work and the more I saw the more I built on the idea of building on our connections. Shonibare, himself identifies as both European and African and freely uses both identities to create what his mind unravels. Like him, I believe that I shouldn't have to choose one identity to identify who I am. I am Mexican- American, which means I am not only moving forward and adapting to the "american life" but keeping the threads that keep me tied to my physical attributes. I can be a part of this modern society and enjoy it but at the same time I can have the freedom of enjoying not having my phone and listening to Have you ever seen the rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival on blast as I lay away in the backcountry. I can be both and enjoy both quite equally, I shouldn't have to feel forced to choose which defines me more. 

Shonibare's work is all about being among the abyss and not feeling stressed or chained to a perspective you must believe and stick to forever. It's about fighting among all the disadvantages and yet managing to stick your head above the current and enjoying the sun's rays as they glisten on your face. 

one of my brother-in-law environmentalists, who monitors ClimateWireNet, forwarded me this news item. i share it with you as a contribution to our conversations about how to have these difficult conversations. how does the religious language of evil work in the context of discussion about climate change? (of course the Church of England is also thinking of using the language of economics, as it discusses pulling the church's investments out of fossil fuel companies...)

Church of England battles 'great demon of our day,' climate change  (Friday, February 14, 2014)

The Church of England has threatened to terminate its investments in companies that aren't making efforts to mitigate climate change and thus disregard the church's moral, social and theological ideals.

Steven Croft, the bishop of Sheffield, referred to climate change as "a giant evil, a great demon of our day," adding: "Its power is fed by greed, blindness and complacency in the present generation, and we know that this giant wreaks havoc though the immense power of the weather systems, which are themselves unpredictable."

While the church's Ethical Investment Advisory Group has refused to pull the church's money from fossil fuel companies, its deputy chairman told the General Synod that it was contemplating "all options" in developing a future investment policy.

Colors, Patterns, Stillness and Liveliness, Wheelchair and Stilts, Conflicts and Companionship. So much is happening simultaneously in the Shonibare’s Magic Ladders exhibit. It is difficult to narrow in on one element of such an intentional, “provocative examination of European colonialism and European and African identities” (Media Preview, scan 6), but I think what struck me most was the representation of children and adults, and the contrasts between the roles they embody. The adult figures are purely embodiments of their roles in society, pre-defined by their profession and achievements. Of the 24 adult figures (including the five men in the aluminum prints), 22 are seated. All of the adult statues are headless. Perhaps this is representative of their fixed roles in life. They have reached their destinations and rather than strive for progress and knowledge, they have relaxed into their roles, unporous to discovery.

In Ed class on Wed., we had a silent discussion in response to quotes from our readings.  As I read over all of our rich, provocative writings (I love the way 'silent discussion' stays in place for a minute!), I started to notice language that seemed related to economics... and decided to highlight these in a post, hoping to prompt more cross-disciplinary talk, including "difficult conversations" within and across our 360 classes!

Here are some quotes from our language ('representation') on the silent discussion poster pages (with my italics added):

Is referring to (certain urban spaces) as "denatured" good - what if they reflect the nature of the community they are located in or hold a certain value to the community?

I'm wondering is these (manufactured playground structures) cost less overall -- less upkeep?  More economically affordable...

...is it necessary that we get the voices of urban kids and adults?  Do they want more access to nature and wildlife?  What spaces are valued and where (for example) could a park go?

But also in the name of money, because the same people who forbid these environmentally harmful activities (restrictions placed on children climbing trees, etc.) allow things like mountaintop removal and fracking...