Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Archives

I planned to write a light-hearted post for today. But, it’s difficult to spin a frivolous tale on the day you pick up the newspaper and read painful estimates on the loss of life and homes caused by an event you’ve tried hard to deny. I’m not insensitive to disasters, but I’m prone to depression. I slide easily into hopelessness if I stay too long in a story where hope is hard to find.

Still, I couldn’t overlook the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s front page today. In the print version of the paper, a large photo (found online here – it takes a second to upload) from the associated press shows hundreds of people sitting on a cargo plane flying from Port-au-Prince to Orlando.

This morning, I scanned the faces. A young man sits next to a younger boy, and they are held together by a strap. Maybe it’s a seat belt, or a tether so neither get lost in the mass of wandering victims. A mother sits in the front looking down at two young boys. As both boys sleep on her lap, her hand graces the face of one.

I wonder what they dream about.

Hundreds of people crowded into the belly of a cargo plane, fleeing calamity with just the clothes on their back.

On today’s front page of the Local section in the Journal, a column written by Eugene Kane continues the discussion on Haiti. Though not directly related to the hundreds loaded on the cargo plane, Mr. Kane’s words* hone in on another block these refugees face as they wait for aid: US politics. Continue reading “In the Belly of a Cargo Plane”

Today is Blog Action Day, when over 7,000 bloggers unite to post on one single topic: Climate Change.

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When Jessica Atcheson put out a call on SheWrites.com for fellow bloggers to participate in Blog Action Day, I’m not sure what drove me to sign up. I’m a cynic about most things political. I skirt TV campaign ads during critical races. I shy away from protests. I rarely sign petitions. Really, I am not an activist. Still, I clicked, I registered my blog, and I committed. Then, I thought, what do I know about climate change?

I wrote several drafts of a post and tried to come up with one grand idea that would mark the greatest effect on climate change. But, the same thought returned again and again: I am just one person. What effect can I possibly have on such a big issue? Then, I read an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel* about efforts to reseed wild rice beds in northern Wisconsin, and it struck me. I can be an activist even if I don’t pump a protest sign or throw my voice through a bull horn. I can stay on the grid, keep my car, and still affect change little by little.

In the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Meg Jones reports that the Wisconsin Indian Wildlife Commission, Department of Natural Resources, various tribes and private individuals formed an alliance around 15 years ago. The group embarked on a mission to reseed old wild rice beds and restore some of Wisconsin’s natural habitats.

Each year, wild rice seeds are tossed back into beds found in lakes and flowages. Some seeds rise back to the surface and are lost to the cause. But other seeds sink down into the rich, wet soil. They take root, grow, and flourish, providing food and attracting wildlife back into the area.

Reseeding is a quiet and slow process. It involves a canoe and two men. One man guides the canoe, while the other man sinks his hand into a bag, scoops out hundreds of seeds and commits them back into the water. A simple action that, in repetition, will produce a powerful effect on the climate.

I can’t afford to buy a smart car. Nor can I afford solar panels on my home or eco-toilets for my bathrooms. Still, in taking one action at a time, I can become a good steward of the environment.

Here are some ideas (and links to sites) for actions one person can take every day:

I can compost more to reduce the amount of waste I send to the landfill.
I can bring cloth bags – made out of re-purposed material with my own hands – to the grocery store and bypass the plastic bags.
I can reduce the amount of junk mail I receive.
I can turn down the heat this winter.
I can clean with natural solutions instead of harsh chemicals.
I can keep my tires inflated and improve my car’s gas mileage.

In good stewardship, one neighbor near our home refused to cut a dying tree down to its quick. Instead of erasing all evidence of the red oak tree’s existence, the homeowner transformed the remaining trunk into a visual reminder that nature’s spirit surrounds us.

We should pay more attention and do our part to take care of her. How will you be a good steward today?
For more information on ways you can become involved, check out the Partners working with the organizers of Blog Action Day 2009.

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* Jones, Meg. “Reseeding Project Gets to Rice’s Historic Roots.” The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 5 October 2009. Web and print.

Tag: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

In the Belly of a Cargo Plane

Quiet Activism