Back To Basics

This Blog Has Moved

2010-08-03T12:59:52Z

Please go to the new and improved blog via this link.

Endangered Forest

2010-07-30T15:08:00Z

Large-scale energy development has come to some of my favorite woodlands.

You may have heard about unconventional natural-gas drilling from the movie "Gasland" -- a documentary recently aired at select venues and on HBO. (I've not seen the movie, but I don't need to...I'm already distraught over the issue.)

Last week, the editor of the Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal printed my commentary piece for his audience of business owners in the Lehigh Valley (PA). I am grateful to him for agreeing to further the conversation about this issue effecting anyone who loves the woods, parks, open spaces, gamelands and streams that cover the Marcellus Shale.

Read the Article Here

I don't deny that our society needs gas and money, but more importantly, we simply cannot survive without clean water and healthy natural places.

Getting Connected

2010-07-19T15:03:19Z

When you first meet someone, they tell you their name. Afterward you can say that you know them, you have met them, and they stand out from the other strangers that come and go. Curiosity leads you to then ask questions about someone you would have otherwise ignored. A connection is made.

The same is true when you walk through the woods or open field. It is the plants whose name I know that catch my attention. I now pat the large beech tree as I pass after my friend David taught me to recognize it's elephant-like bark I bend down to examine the little Rue-anemone flower after Val acquainted us years ago. The chipmunks and squirrels are many, but they are not strangers because I know their name.

Now my skill for name recall is weak, so while I may not remember every name or pinpoint how I met each one, the ones to which I've been acquainted stand out just the same.

This is not a chore; there will not be a test. It's just a reminder that the first step in developing a connection is learning someone's name. To know the community is to go out and learn who lives there. You can look them up in the book or have someone personally introduce you. Only then will you have crossed the threshold from being a stranger to becoming a friend.

The Dying Art of Quiet Contemplation

2010-07-12T14:11:30Z

In the comical movie, "Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian" historical museum exhibits come to life during the overnight hours. Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams) and Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabat) wake up and move as night watchman Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) and Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) try to protect legendary characters from being boxed up and replaced by new, hologram exhibits.

During their quest to keep the figures alive, the couple receives a riddle that must be solved. They immediately run to the "Thinker" (no actor name; just animated stone) to see if the famous statue -- sitting on a rock in deep thought, resting his chin in his hand -- could think through to the solution.

When I watched this part of the movie, my mind wandered: who sits and thinks anymore?

The artist Auguste Rodin created The Thinker (a.k.a., The Poet) during a time when people had to rely more on their own intellect and meditation to solve problems. The Internet didn't tell them what to do, global information wasn't instantly available, and a device for every problem didn't exist.

Contemplation is not extinct, but it is getting rare, and its scarcity only hurts our quality of life. The Internet is not always right nor is the information pertinent or devices useful. In the museum, the Thinker was of no help; he was stuck in thinking mode. But in life, taking the time to ponder can be the difference between finding a meaningful path and one that is a whirl of senseless activity.

No man-made hologram can replace the beauty and wonderment that is our own experience, but we will never see that unless we take the time to sit on a rock and think about it.

Not All Frogs are Green

2010-06-14T17:43:59Z

Today the famous puppet, Kermit the Frog, might sing, "it's a little easier being green." Or would he?

Kermit was born in 1955, and he grew up green during a time when there were no green products, green designs, green houses or green people. The only green jobs were those performed by folks like landscapers, nurserymen, arborists and farmers who had to work with nature to grow healthy plants.

When Kermit reached 18, people were talking a lot about the environment. Powered by a shortage of oil and a nuclear catastrophe, their conversations carried on for a few years, but it didn't last. Earth-assault practices prevailed.

In the 1990s, the group called the U.S. Green Building Council began using his skin color to describe shelter construction that was friendlier to the environment then the typical building. Green meant the man-made habitat was healthier for inhabitants and operated in better synergy with nature. In and beyond the construction industry, green became a powerful, smart word.

Imagine. Kermit's color was suddenly powerful, smart and hip. He wasn't really sure how to act after 40 years living as an outcast.

He found shelves filled with more products wearing green costumes every time he hopped to the store. Instinct helped him recognize the imposters.

Today, thanks to more oil and energy production catastrophes, he hears humans talking about the environment once again. His worries about his friends and family members who are suffering in oil-slicked swamps.

Kermit understands that wearing green skin requires sacrifice. He can't shed it in the name of convenience nor take it off when everyone else is wearing polka dots. His home is cleanest when he doesn't clutter it with a bunch of stuff no matter how green the label wrapped around the purchases.

Kermit knows who his real friends are -- those who stood up for him when no one else would. Like a rock star who has made it to the top, he has to be careful to remain true to himself and his pond. It may be more popular, but it still isn't easy being green.

Junk the Electricity Hog

2010-06-10T12:54:28Z

You may have read the flyer. You may have seen the signs. Philadelphia's PECO electric company wants your old refrigerator.

PECO Appliance Recycling

Not only will they haul away and recycle your old unit for free, they'll send you $35. And if you have an air conditioner to go with it, that'll bring another $25.

This program is for PECO customers only, but if you live outside that area you should watch for similar programs in your neighborhood. According to PECO, that old fridge could be costing you $150 per year to run. Plus, when you do to get rid of it, proper disposal is a must. It is full of refrigerant, compressor oils, mercury and polyurethane foam. It might also contain PCBs, and the metal, glass and plastic is a valued secondary resource.

Plus, the darn thing is probably in the way.

This program is limited, so don't put it off. Clean out the fridge, clear a path for the movers and schedule your pickup TODAY.

Warning: The Roses are Blooming

2010-05-10T20:54:44Z

During the many years I've been involved in environmental conservation, I've come to realize how delicate diversity is. Just like every big-box shopping center looks the same in the concrete jungle, if left unchecked, every field and wooded space can quickly be taken over by just one or two forms of plant life.

When one plant takes over all the others, it is referred to as an invasive species. Botanical diversity is important because not all wildlife and insects require the same food and habitat. Rogue plants also wipe out the more delicate varieties that make our world beautiful.

King among invasives in the Northeast is multiflora rose. In fact, it is such a significant problem it is labeled as a noxious weed.

Even though the blossoms are fragrant, and the birds love to nest in the thorny brush, the rose must be controlled, or it will be the only thing growing. A big reason why there is now so much multiflora about is because farmers were once encouraged to plant it as a habitat border around their fields. Today those same farmers are ripping it out, and they have the scratches to prove it.

There is much debate about the best way to kill this weed. Even chemical-hating environmentalists will break out the Roundup to get rid of the rose. But the main reason for this post is that I just noticed the multiflora near me is starting to bloom. Since flowers become seed and seed becomes plant, it's time to get chopping.

If you are already battling this monster, you're probably groaning in despair. Just keep in mind that there is no greater enemy to noxious weeds than perseverance. At the very least, put on your armor, grab your weed wacker and snip the buds off. The rest can be left to cut back in the fall when the forbidden Roundup can be painted onto the stumps for the most efficient absorption into the root system.

Don't let your multiflora roses go to seed. And remember, you're fighting for the favorites like Jack-in-the-pulpit and flowering dogwoods as you engage in the war of the roses.

Do You Want to Add to Your Income?

2010-05-03T12:34:23Z

A lovely woman asked me this question recently, and I still laugh to myself when I remember my answer. It was, "no."

It just flew out of my mouth. While I had no interest in the multi-level marketing business that she wanted me join, I of course would like to add to my income. She asked a trick question.

Then I came home to find a writing gig like no other. A Taste of Home Magazine and Ziploc® want to award someone $25,000 for their good idea.

Their Website says, "Do you have a creative way you use Ziploc Brand Bags or Containers? Tell us about your everyday solution in 100 words or less and you could win! Entries submitted via the internet must be received by June 30, 2010...Winners will be notified on August 16."

Do you want to add $25,000 to your income at a rate of $250 per word? Um....yes. However, I don't think they'll want to hear about how I wash out my lightly used bags and containers in an attempt to buy fewer Ziplocs. So, if you've got a clever idea, give it shot:
Contest Website

Who Doesn't Like Butterflies?

2010-04-07T20:32:40Z

A recent project took me to a suburban backyard to learn about monarch butterflies. I was fascinated.

So often we see the monarch's golden wings fluttering around in the summer heat. Their story is a metaphor for the possibilities that come from metamorphosis -- a change -- and it's hard to see a butterfly without smiling. Did you ever wonder where they go or how they survive? If so, here are a few monarch facts that I either never knew or had forgotten:

Monarchs depend on milkweed and thistle to survive, not because the adults eat the nectar, but because the female lays her eggs on the leaves which are then eaten by the emerging caterpillar.

The caterpillar lives only 10 days as voracious eater, devouring two full milkweed leaves each day.

A butterfly roosts at night when the temperatures drop. It folds up its wings and blends into its surroundings. It will fly again as soon as the temperature warms.

Birds do not eat butterflies because the milkweed in the butterfly's system is poisonous.
You can touch a butterfly's wings without harming them.

A caterpillar transforms into a pupa, and after just four days, emerges as a full-sized, adult monarch.

There are four generations of butterflies born every year. Ones born early in the season live about two to five weeks; those born in September are considered the migrating generation. They may live up to nine months in which time all the monarchs from the Eastern seaboard travel to central Mexico for the winter. When they return, they lay their eggs. This generation is responsible for the species' survival.

As pollinators, monarchs are important to our food supply.

Severe storms occasionally reduce the population, but more frequent storms, habitat destruction in Mexico, and fewer weeds left to grow in our backyards are cause for concern.

Want to learn more about these beautiful and beneficial insects? Check out: http://www.fs.fed.us/monarchbutterfly/index.shtml

Want to know more about the suburban backyard I visited? Check out http://marvelousmonarchs.wikispaces.com/

Tree-Care Mistakes

2010-03-11T21:09:47Z

I recently talked at length with an experienced arborist to write an article about tree care for commercial property owners. In short there are a lot of property maintenance personnel out there who are doing it wrong -- very wrong -- to the detriment of the trees.

I thought you too might like know the five most common malpractices so that you don't carry them home from work to your own backyard.

Take a look:

http://www.thewritebeat.com/TreeCare.html

Pay particular attention to Number 5 and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Your trees will thank you.

Making Way for the Spring

2010-03-03T18:40:43Z

Winter is almost at its end. With spring comes a desire for fresh air, inside and out. This is the time when household project ideas replace the dusty thoughts of ways to escape the cold.

It's the time of year when you notice just how cluttered the house got since summer ended. The forgotten holiday decoration, the unfinished craft project, the piles of tax preparation paperwork, and all those worn out sweaters begin to crowd your senses. It's funny how an early warm day -- that first occasion to open a window -- can invigorate us to clean out and get a fresh start.

OK, some of us get more motivated than others. In fact parting with possessions can be very difficult regardless of how useless, obsolete or ratty the items are. As an organizational consultant for 10 years, I came up against the issue regularly.

For example, I remember one women who told me about her crowded attic. When I asked her to give me an example of what was up there, she closed her eyes to remember and said, "The first thing is my box of knitting supplies."

I asked, "Do you still knit?"

"No, not anymore," she replied.

"Well then why do you have it?"

"I guess I wish I would have finished the project. I guess I wish I'd pick it up again someday," she said. I could tell by her voice that she never would.

Her sewing box now stood as a trophy commemorating the goal she never met. And since it was the first thing she came to in the attic, it served to punish her for her lack of achievement every time she entered the storage area.

I encouraged her to donate the material and let someone else turn the clutter into a warm blanket or other useful item. I reminded her that, by removing the box, she can make way for a new goal -- one that can be accomplished and can deliver a sense of achievement.

She suddenly seemed as if she couldn't wait to get home to the attic, and I could see in her eyes that she already knew what would take knitting's place. It didn't matter what that replacement was. What mattered is that she turned from downtrodden to motivated.

That's what spring cleaning is all about: taking a deep, strong breath and moving on towards a new season.

It's Snowing. It's Snowing. It's Snowing.

2010-02-25T13:38:04Z

My backyard has been covered with snow measurable in feet for all of February. A recent rainstorm tried to dissolve it without success. Today it is snowing once again.

The storms have added some excitement to an otherwise uneventful month; school kids are out of snow days, and conversations with strangers are friendlier because there is a sense that we are surviving together. But I can't help thinking, "this is just weird."

After the biggest storm so far, a sign appeared in a yard - set atop a five-foot snowbank - that read, "Oh No, Global Warming." The sign was even pictured on the front page of the local paper, with a caption referring to it as a joke. Was it? Or was it a political statement?

I hope it was a friendly joke, because it deserves no credit otherwise. The fact is one cannot look out their window on a single day and contemplate climate change; they must look out their window all year. Grade school science class taught me that weather is about cycles. A hotter sun causes more evaporation (just look at your grass in July). More evaporation means a wetter atmosphere. A wetter atmosphere means more precipitation.

A warmer ocean surface in a given year can also mean bigger storms (called El Niño years). Now there simply is not a computer model that can reliably connect global warming to El Niño frequency, but it does seem that the occurrence has increased from the past average of every four to five years. I also recognize that we've had snowy years in the past. While Pennsylvania has broken daily snowfall records, our annual precipitation totals are not off the charts.

Regardless, a home repair contractor recently told me that he cannot get a gutter to work these days. The storms overflow them. And there are hundreds of I've-never-seen-anything-like-this stories out there, all talking about the weather.

What's my point? We must adapt.

I bet you thought it was going to be whether or not global warming is real. I'll let the scientists and politicians battle that one out. I do not need a label or a study or a tax incentive to tell me that our environment is changing. And if our world is changing, then so too must we.

So how do we adapt? Do we just build bigger gutters?

How about letting our coastlines return to a natural state so they can do the storm-protection job nature designed them to do? How about adjusting our lifestyles so that we can get the companionship, food, supplies and other needs locally to reduce our desire to have every road and airstrip open 365 days a year? How about we start respecting our place in the natural environment instead of trying to figure out how we can win despite it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go play in the snow.

Married to Ideology

2010-02-10T14:02:34Z

I watched Oprah Winfrey's television show yesterday. Her correspondent took us to places the average American NEVER gets to see. One of these was a nun's convent in Michigan. (Show title: Keeping the Faith)

Here, women as young as 18 tiptoe through life in marriage to Jesus Christ. The youngest and oldest among them went on camera to describe the freedom that came from two vows in particular: poverty and chastity. The piece showed how deeply satisfied the nuns are with their choice to follow their calling.

Religious views aside, I could not deny that their poverty vow mirrored a key theme in this Back-to-Basics Blog. We are so inundated with material things that we will likely never be satisfied, no matter how luxuriously we live.

And the vow of chastity is not much different. Due to an obsession with self-image, we will likely never be pretty enough, no matter how perfect we look.

At a convent, these absurdities are shut off, and each women is free. But for those of us who do not have the religious calling to give themselves to a man we've never met (and willingness to share that man with thousands), we are stuck with shutting out the senselessness on our own.

The nun feels peace because she has dedicated herself to a husband whose ideals match her own, and everyone around her shares this dedication. Meanwhile, we must fend for ourselves and often conflict with the aspirations of many of our acquaintances: our housemates, our friends, our family, our coworkers, strangers, and even the television and Internet. We struggle for the nun's freedom without incarceration behind a convent's walls.

It's important to keep in mind that going against the grain of society should not be a dedication. Society is an unpredictable and constantly changing thing. Dedication to peace, harmony, good health, and a light step on the earth leads to a deeper satisfaction than avoidance or rebellion ever could.

Freedom from materialism and self obsession can be achieved. It's not easy, but neither is moving away from your family and loved ones to enter a convent for the rest of your life.

A Saturday Errand That Left Me Thinking.

2010-01-29T20:52:52Z

It was intended be just a brief, personal introduction. Last Saturday, when I took my recyclables to Recycling Services, Inc., I met the center's President, Jim Crater. I found it ironic that the sun blinded me as I talked with this solar power and waste reduction guru.

It soon became clear that Jim was not going to let me off with a quick "hello; I'm a writer; I'll be in touch." He had stuff to say -- words that should be said -- words that I almost couldn't keep up with -- and if I was going to listen, he was going to talk.

After 10 minutes, it was closing time, and I still had items to distribute into one of over 20 different bins. And Jim's volunteers were ready to wrap it up on the 50-degree, winter afternoon, so we agreed to talk again and said goodbye.

Afterward, his words swirled around in my head. Since 1971 he has been building this oldest community recycling center in Pennsylvania, and while he takes more types of material than any other in America, he'd really prefer we stop generating the waste in the first place. He has real solutions to our waste problems. He lives the philosophy, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"...in that order...saving recycling for the last resort.

You'll hear more about Jim from me in the near future. In the meantime, you can learn more about Recycling Services, Inc. by clicking here.

What I've Learned From Playing the Piano - Final Entry

2010-01-22T19:40:58Z

The last entry in my "What I've Learned from Playing the Piano" series is simply a recap.

The end of the series does not indicate the end of learning because as long as I continue to play, I will continue to learn.

Here's what was written over the last few months:

Part I: An Intention to Pay Attention

Part II: The Crippling Power of Vanity.

Part III: Take the Time to Figure it Out.

Part IV: Put Your Heart Into It.

Part V: Take Time to Play.

Part VI: Hobbies are Vital.

Part VII: Remember What is Important.