The glories of Nature and a literary giant may seem an odd combination to help slow climate change, but in fact, they’re a perfect match. Nature provides the encouragement, the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy penned the wisdom: “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”… Read the rest
I have come to accept that politicians can lie as easily as they breath, and the most blatantly ambitious ones do it almost as often. I suspect many people who live in democracies would agree. But when they do it in an international setting, they make all of us liars. And that is not acceptable.… Read the rest
Having delivered lines of brave words, glowing promises and sweeping commitments to curtail climate change, the principal actors have left the stage of COP 26, the ‘last, best chance’ to save the world. Their resumés don’t bode well for the play’s climax, however. We the audience can only hope Shakespeare got it wrong when he wrote: “An overflow of good converts to bad.”… Read the rest
While on an early morning paddle this week I watched a pair of young white-tailed deer lock antlers and shove each other, practising for the upcoming struggle to find a mate. It made me glad I’m not a deer. In the random way that thoughts progress, it also brought to mind the question of whether “boomers” (like me) have had it better than subsequent generations.… Read the rest
Thus far, I’ve used my “perch” to ponder and comment (OK, pontificate) on strife, conflict, suffering and human folly. Now it’s time for a break, to follow the dictum of “Desiderata”, the idealistic poem we ‘boomers’ taped on our bedroom wall: “Go placidly amid the noise and the haste…”.… Read the rest