finger pointing

https://slate.com/technology/2021/05/shell-dutch-court-ruling-engine-no-1-exxonmobile.html

This article is just one of many I could have linked that describe the litigation, protest, and anger aimed at fossil fuel companies. The number of people around the world that are becoming aware of and concerned about global warming grows continuously, but full awareness is sadly lagging.

Oil companies would collapse into bankruptcy if there was no demand for their products. We the consumers are the other partner in this dead end pillage and waste of the planet's resources. Until we acknowledge our own complicity and truly make the changes needed, this era will continue ineffective and misguided confrontation theater.

I fully realize that the changes required are massive and painful, but we live on a finite planet. It's not an if, but a when the party will end. It would be preferable to wind down in an organized, methodical fashion than through chaos.  And I admit how far I have to go to change. All I can do is work on it one step at a time, and not waste time looking for scapegoats.

And while I'm at it, can we all quit fixating on climate change? It's a terrible thing we've wrought, but it's a SYMPTOM. I think I understand why the environmental movement decided to focus on climate change, but now wonder if it was a strategic mistake? There was probably no good way to tell people they have to scale back and live a much less convenient life.

The real issue is overconsumption, and climate is one of the many side effects of our population overshoot and lifestyles. If we somehow figured out how to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere from some Deus ex machina technology, we'd still be screwed by all the other impacts and depletion that are unwinding at the same time.

Won't be that long till they all look like this. What then?

Oil companies have been defensive and even deceitful, but they are protecting their interest as we all have been doing by denying our part in this.  So stop blaming oil companies and look inward.

Ok, end of rant. (too much coffee).

It tastes fine

 The last batch of beer we brewed was in the in ferment for a long time. We were using a yeast that could be either a lager or an ale, depending on ferment temperature and duration in the bucket. Well, it was a bit warmer than ideal for lager, and we kind of forgot about it, so when I finally opened the brew bucket to bottle it, was shocked to see this.

I'm still not a pro at brewing, but this did not look like the other batches I had done, and at first looked like mold, which would have meant an air leak and ruined batch.  A frantic internet search turned up comments that sometimes yeast will form on top of the wort if left longer, and look sort of like this. Most advice said to just taste it, and if it tasted ok, bottle. So a cautious sip confirmed it seemed ok, so we bottled. After the requisite two weeks of carbonation, we cracked a couple, and it is indeed fine. One more lesson learned.

let it rain

 We are in the middle of a moderate drought here. The various government websites ( man, there are a lot of gov't agencies concerned with weather!) says it is a moderate drought. Just yesterday through today, we got half an inch, but are well behind in overall precipitation.

So far, things don't appear stressed, but unless we get a good soaker, yields and health will get impacted.

I've had to water peas continuously since we planted, and the germination has been terrible. Peas may be a dud this year. The cool crops which we transplant are in n ow, and looking ok, but will need to water a lot unless things improve.

I've been watering this year's new apple trees every other day, and will continue as needed. Hopefully this will not be a repeat of the 2012 drought.

http://www.wcwcw.com/feature96.html

Leaving hibernation

 Covid 19 is slowly fading now, at least here in the hinterlands of the upper midwest. Still killing people elsewhere like India, but then, we don't think much about catastrophes in far places all that much anyway.

This has been a weird spring, with an early hot spell, and then a long stretch of cold and dry weather, so the garden is off to a rocky start. The U.S. drought monitor says we are in a moderate drought, and we've been watering the garden much earlier and more than ever.

We actually had friends over for pizza and sat around the fire pit Friday night. We were talking like crazy, all the pent up socializing and gossip was being released at once. Our last batch of hard cider was well received, even though it is on the tart side. 

The whole face mask thing is funny and awkward how etiquette and habit are making for some uncertainty on when and where to stop. Incident rate is so low here now and we're vaccinated, so I'm not too worried.

Will be conducting a folk school class in the barn this coming weekend, building solar dehydrators. So I'm clearing the floor, straightening, and cleaning like I should be doing anyway. Should be fun.