Amsterdam Impressive!

Why not follow a cycling blog with another cycling blog entry? I am a rather casual cyclist compared to others I know, but I do enjoy the option of riding to work and making the trip along the water is such a pleasure. During our first two months in Belleville we have managed to function quite well with one vehicle because both of us cycle when possible.

I am fascinated by communities and countries which have made a significant shift away from a car culture. In Greece and Spain it has been economic necessity which has mounted ten of thousands onto bicycles again. In Denmark and the Netherlands significant efforts have been made to provide the infrastructure for safe and efficient bike travel. It is great exercise, it offers a different perspective on surroundings, and it reduces greenhouse gases. These all seem to be worthy aspirations for those of us Christians whose desire is to "live with respect in Creation," as the United Church creed states.

I truly believe that the lack of effective transportation options to the automobile in this country comes from a failure of imagination and outdated ideology, not cost or even climate. Toronto is an example of a city where the mayor uses terms such as "war on the car" to curtail development of cycling as an option within the city. Recently he tried to kill a bicycle parking facility under construction in the downtown.

The portion of an article I have included below names the rather remarkable problem in Amsterdam -- bicycle traffic jams. Bicycles outnumbering people? More bike riders than car drivers in around the city?

While cities like New York struggle to get people onto bikes, Amsterdam is trying to keep its hordes of bikes under control. In a city of 800,000, there are 880,000 bicycles, the government estimates, four times the number of cars. In the past two decades, travel by bike has grown 40 percent so that now about 32 per cent of all trips within the city are by bike, compared with 22 per cent by car.
Applauding this accomplishment, a Danish urban planning consultancy, Copenhagenize Design, which publishes an annual list of the 20 most bike-friendly cities, placed Amsterdam in first place this year, as it has frequently in the past. (The list consists mostly of European cities, although Tokyo; Nagoya, Japan; and Rio de Janeiro made the cut. Montreal is the only North American city included.)

Smit’s problem is largely what keeps Thomas Koorn, of Amsterdam’s Transport and Traffic Department, awake at night. “We have a real parking issue,” he said in a conference room overlooking the IJ. Over the next two decades, Koorn said, the city will invest $135 million to improve the biking infrastructure, including the creation of 38,000 bike parking racks “in the hot spots.”

What do you think about transportation alternatives? Do you ever take the bus or GO transit? Is your bicycle gathering dust, or do you use it for Point A to Point B travel? Do you encourage your kids to cycle?

Positive Cycles

This lovely morning I rode my bicycle to Bridge St. United Church for what was probably the last time before we move into our new home at the other end of Belleville. Sunday is actually my last day of work before we leave town to finish packing and making the move.  We have been living just beyond the western-most dotted line on the map above.

I have enjoyed the brief, ten-minute, ride which takes me along the edge of the Bay of Quinte by Zwick's Park, then across and up the Moira River to Bridge St. In two months I have seen the trees come into leaf and the water lilies and cattails emerge. The rainy Spring has meant that the level and flow of the Moira has remained high. I have seen carp roiling at the shore's edge as they mated, and innumerable painted and snapping turtles, some on the trail as they headed up to lay eggs. The osprey pair in Zwick's Park have established their nest on the platform. There are so many other birds as well.

Those few minutes of the ride remind me that my life is not just my work, and the world God has created is glorious -- if I am willing to experience it.

Thoughts?

Lament for the Songbirds

God sees the little sparrow fall,
It meets His tender view;
If God so loves the little birds,
I know He loves me, too.
Refrain

He loves me, too, He loves me, too,
I know He loves me, too;
Because He loves the little things,
I know He loves me, too.

Last evening I drove along the street adjacent to the Waterfront Trail to pick up Ruth, my wife, from rowing. I looked over at one point and saw a Baltimore Oriole perched on a fence, between two Red-Winged Blackbirds. The sun illuminated the startling orange of the oriole, and the red and yellow epaulettes of the blackbirds. It was breath-takingly simple and beautiful.

Yesterday I saw a scroll on a news feed announcing that new research indicates one in eight bird species is endangered. The loss of habitat through human encroachment is affecting the creatures of the air we once took for granted. The sparrows seem to be doing okay, but there is no doubt that the songbird population is declining everywhere. In Europe they are hunted relentlessly for no reason other than sport. Take a look at this National Geographic piece by famed novelist Jonathan Franzen http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/07/songbird-migration/franzen-text

Jane Hilderman, a tweeter, commented that when she asked her 100-year-old grandmother what change had affected her most profoundly over a long lifetime her unexpected answer was the loss of songbirds.

The old chorus you see above is a paraphrase of Jesus' invitation, found in Matthew's gospel to "consider the birds of the air" in our search for wisdom and inner peace. There are many references to birds in the bible.Where will we turn when they are gone?

Are you a Bird Nerd? Does it disturb you that birds may be disappearing?

Prayers for Rain?

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!” So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.  Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea...” And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.  
1 Kings 18

I suppose this blog entry could be considered a "part deux" to yesterday. High temperatures, drought, and forest fires have plagued large areas of the United States and after last year's record-breaking fires in Colorado, this season is even worse.

It is interesting that in some of those regions services have been held to pray for rain. In Oklahoma they have taken the step to make this an interfaith initiative. Some would say that this is magic, a very unscientific approach to the consequences of climate change. While there are biblical stories of invoking God to bestow rain, they come from long ago and far away.

I like that it is Oklahoma Interfaith Prayers for Rain and Water Stewardship. It invites responsibility from humans who have helped create the crisis instead of just saying "God, make it better!" Our prayers need to include humility and a change of heart and habits.

I have visited New Mexico several times for conferences and I know that water is a scarce and precious commodity at the best of times. This year has been terribly dry and Roman Catholic bishops have offered up this simply prayer:

"Look to our dry hills and fields, dear God, and bless them with the living blessing of soft rain. Then the land will rejoice and rivers will sing your praises, and the hearts of all will be made glad. Amen."

The next day set for rain prayers is June 26th, but we can pray for stewardship every day.

After such a wet Spring in Southern Ontario we may be feeling a little smug about water, but what are your thoughts?

Burn it Up

Pastor Mark Driscoll, who ministers in Seattle at one of those whopping big churches, told a Catalyst gathering a few days ago that “I know who made the environment and he’s coming back and going to burn it all up. So yes, I drive an SUV.” Later he claimed his statement was a joke, but if so, it was an idiotic and insensitive one. In parts of the U.S. including California and Colorado, wildfires have consumed hundreds of homes and sent many running for their lives.

This is one of those scary moments where an evangelical Christian leader almost gleefully claims we don't need to worry about the fragile balance of the world God created, nor give any credence to climate change. Jesus is going to return folks, toast up the bad guys, and usher in a new reign for the saved folks. Personally, I'm not interested in this "scorched earth" theology. I happen to love this planet and I'm grateful for the years God has given me to enjoy it. I don't equate salvation in Christ with me being "in" and others "out." I'm just happy that I am the recipient of God's grace and want that for others, even the birds and the bees, and the fishes in the seas. Silly me.

There is a terrible irony that some of the worst fires are around Colorado Springs, home to some of the conservative Christian organizations which have downplayed climate change and criticized faith groups who are involved in Creation Care. I'm tempted to say "God is comin' to getcha" but I just don't believe in that sort of retributive nonsense.

I was grateful to see this comment by Richard Cizik, another evangelical leader who responded to Driscoll:

Christians must take these realities of climate change seriously. The populations most vulnerable to harsh and extreme living conditions — children, the elderly, and the poor — already are suffering the most from climate change. So please, let’s not be joking about the right to be driving our SUV’s — and dismissing our duty to care for the environment — since Jesus is coming back soon.

Any comments fit to print?

Bird Song Interrupted

I'm not much of a birder but I do pay attention to these marvelous creatures as they fly and swim and offer up their songs. I depend on the North American Field Guide to Birds by David Sibley, which has remarkable paintings. I met Sibley a few years ago at an event in Halifax and was surprised that someone so young at the time (not quite forty) had created such a masterpiece.

Our son, Isaac, put me on to the Sibley Birds app, which is a little pricey, but very cool. Along with the paintings and descriptions it offers the song of each bird in several forms. A week ago we heard a bird while at a conservation area in Prince Edward County and it puzzled us. A couple of days later it occurred to me that it might be a Baltimore Oriole. When I checked the app, there it was.

I got a bit of a jolt when I saw an article in the New York Times pondering whether these apps are a form of harassment if used in proximity to the birds. Birds are territorial, especially when they return to North America to mate and raise young. Are these apps stressing the birds who may perceive interlopers in their territory.

You might be thinking, c'mon, they'll survive. But we humans are amazingly thick when it comes to "living with respect in creation," an important phrase in our United Church statement of faith. We tend to mess up the balance of the natural world, then expend great effort to try to fix our blunders. The article reminds me to "have a care" about the world in which I want to be a respectful participant. God has made me a steward of creation, as well as a creature, and I want to live up to the calling.

Any thoughts about this?

The Spirituality of Food, Field, & Table

Often the ads for educational and retreat events are the most intriguing parts of the journals to which I subscribe. This one at Wake Forest University which begins today makes my soul glad even though I am not actually there! Read the description:

How can we live at home in the world? Most of us have a roof over our heads, but we don’t often think of “home” in terms of our watersheds, fields, and communities. How can we learn to dwell within our local ecosystems in a way that sustains, rather than desecrates, God’s abundant creation? How do we become native to a place so that we can move outward from a center of ecological, emotional, and spiritual rootedness?... Following the 1,500 year old Christian monastic patterns of prayer, work, and study, we will follow a daily rhythm that combines spiritual disciplines and ecological practices, a rhythm that can sustain us for the long haul.

The course will take place on the campus of Warren Wilson College, in the lovely Blue Ridge mountains of western North Carolina. Mornings will feature experiential learning in the campus garden and surrounding area, with classes on biointensive gardening, permaculture, creating a community garden, and wild foods foraging. Afternoons will consist of lectures and discussion, engaging in both theological and scriptural reflection on the practices of field and table. After dinner a brief Vespers service of Psalms will conclude the day. Evenings are free to rest, read, or explore nearby Asheville.

All the presenters sound interesting including the guy who is described as a "philosforager." http://divinity.wfu.edu/events/fft-retreat-13/

Is anyone else intrigued by the description of these few days? So many courses, so little time -- and money!

Cosmic Bob

The heavens are telling the glory of God;
   and the firmament^* proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours forth speech,
   and night to night declares knowledge.
³ There is no speech, nor are there words;
   their voice is not heard;
⁴ yet their voice^* goes out through all the earth,
   and their words to the end of the world.

Beginning of Psalm 19

I love it when a conversation with a congregation member reveals a side of them which opens up new possibilities. After a recent Governance Board meeting member Bob shared with me his passion as an amateur astronomer and photographer of the heavens. I have shared the only image I could find online, but his website has some extraordinary pictures. http://robertbates.zenfolio.com/ We chatted briefly about the Dark Sky area in Lennox & Addington, north of Kingston and the challenges of finding spots to observe the night sky in the light-saturated environs of Southern Ontario.

Bob offered to speak about his photos at church some time and I will take him up on it. We are installing projection equipment so he can show us what "turns his crank." I certainly love the sense of awe and wonder as I look to the "heavens." You might recall me blogging about an enthusiastic young professional astronomer from Montreal we met in Cuba. As we walked to our room he had to point out the differences of the night sky there. We have been fortunate to enjoy the view upward in many places around the world.

Do you have favourite spots to enjoy what the psalmist calls the firmament? Do you find the view of the night sky awe-inspiring?

Circling for an Unwanted Landing

Yesterday many people, including members of the Ontario provincial cabinet, were shocked to hear an announcement by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty that an airport will be built on what are called the Pickering Lands.This is a significant area of farmland and woodland -18,600 acres -in the midst of the urban sprawl at the east end of the Greater Toronto Area. This land was expropriated for an airport 40 years ago and I remember the controversy well because I was in my teens and living in nearby Brooklin. Several farmers in the congregation my father served as minister had their land expropriated, although they continued to work it for decades.

The announcement was that 5,000 acres will be part of the new Rouge Valley National Park, which is an important decision to expand a unique urban park. But many hoped that the remaining land would remain as prime farmland and protected areas. I have written before about the streams flowing out of this area into Lake Ontario and the exceptional water quality compared to other waterways. The "hold" on development has meant the continued existence of an area with an abundance of wildlife and productive, tilled land. Now an airport will be constructed which may not really be needed. I shudder at the thought of the addition of a major airport, the 407 highway extension, and the Clarington incinerator in terms of air quality for the region.

When I was in Oshawa/Clarington Presbytery we heard a presentation from the Lands Over Landings group http://www.landoverlandings.com/ which has persistently resisted development of these lands. We supported their efforts, believing that as Christians it is our responsibility to speak up against the relentless pressure to pave over and build over Southern Ontario. The presentation was at  the United Church in Claremont, the community where the hastily called press conference was held yesterday.

I am discouraged by a government which seems to run roughshod over any concerns and does not see fit to consult provincial counterparts. I muttered at the television later in the evening when I saw yet another Economic Action Plan commercials praising the federal government's great environmental record. Do you notice Mr. Flaherty's podium message of "responsible, balanced growth." Are these pathetic attempts to brainwash Canadians? Honestly!

Well, you won't have any trouble figuring out how I feel about this announcement. How do you feel?

Canadian Rivers

Every day I travel across the Moira River in Belleville on my way to work, and back again to our temporary accommodation. When I drive I don't notice in nearly as much as I do when I'm on my bicycle. I am more inclined to see the swans and gulls and other critters when I am cycling, and I smell the river as well. So far it is quite fresh!

A couple of people have joked since we arrived that the Mighty Moira of the Spring becomes an anemic and sometimes odiferous trickle by late Summer, especially if it has been dry. But Belleville is bisected by the river and even the real estate ads say "west of the Moira" or "east of the Moira."

So many Ontario communities have been created around rivers and streams. My former community, Bowmanville, still has the substantial mill building by the creek, and remnants of the water flume which drove the machinery is still visible. This province once depended on waterways as the highways for commerce and the Rideau canal system connecting Kingston and Ottawa was an engineering wonder of the 19th century, developed in large part for military purposes.

Sunday was Canadian Rivers Day (didn't I say that there is a day for everything?) and while the use of rivers has changed, their importance remains. In a moment of Canadian history where the federal government is weakening legislation protecting waterways and we hear from First Nations peoples about the effects of being downstream from toxic sources such as the Oil Sands we really do need to pay attention to the "cricks" and streams and rivers, everything from the tiniest to the mightiest.

Scripture is full of river imagery, even though there aren't many in the Middle East and a fair number of them dry up to nothing in certain seasons. They are equated with beauty, life, abundance, and even justice. As Christians we can enjoy and care for our rivers.

Do you have a favourite river or stream? Would you drink from it? What about different levels of government working to protect and rehabilitate our waterways?

The Celts and Science

Once again son Isaac tipped me through a tweet to an interesting article, this one about the intersection of faith and science in an unusual way. A former Celtic monastic community called Conmacnoise carefully recorded weather over more than a millennium, which is now of benefit to those studying climate change. Take a read:

Researchers have been able to trace the impact of volcanic eruptions on the climate over a 1200 year period by assessing ancient Irish texts. The international team compared entries in these medieval annals with ice core data indicating volcanic eruptions. Of 38 volcanic events, 37 were associated with directly observed cold weather extremes recorded in the chronicles. At monastic centres across the island, scribes recorded significant events such as feast days, obituaries and descriptions of extreme cold and heat. These chronicles are generally known as the Irish Annals and in this report, scientists and historians have looked at 40,000 entries in the texts dating from AD 431 to 1649.

 

There is a great deal in the Celtic Christian tradition which is earth-honouring, a joyful recognition of God the Creator. Here though is evidence of early scientific observation within a faith community which is actually corroborated by modern science. Cool. Or at least cool, then warm, then cool...

 

It strikes me that we have largely disconnected ourselves from observing the world around us, both in our daily trudging about, and in our faith communities. We might grumble about the rain, or crow about a few sunny days, but we now live most of our lives inside our vehicles and our climate-controlled homes. I wonder if it would make a difference to the way we respond to the urgent issues of climate if we became keen observers once again. Simple things like rain gauges and outdoor thermometers and marking weather on a calendar might be part of that reawakening.

 

What do think about the monks of Conmacnoise? Have you ever been involved in scientific observation, even on a small scale? Does it intrigue you?

 

 

 

 

Aquaviva

Pierre Carreau

There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number-- living things both large and small. Psalm 104:25

Please Google the remarkable photographs of Pierre Carreau. He manages to magically capture images of waves as though they are frozen.  They are part of a series called Aquaviva, which should not be confused with Aquavelva. Aquavelva is what you drink...kidding.

Aquaviva means Water of Life in my  translation, and any of you who have spent time near an ocean or other large body of water know about the lively energy of waves. When we lived in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland we would try to get to a beach in the day or two after a big storm in order to enjoy the often spectacular waves. The energy of the storm in deeper water would make its way to shore with impressive effect. There were rocks we climbed at Crystal Crescent Beach outside Halifax which allowed us to be safe but surrounded by all that power.

There was something about our insignificance which was humbling and exhilarating. We are both a little regretful that this year will be the first in sixteen or seventeen we haven't travelled to salt water somewhere. It was a personal first in 2012 to visit the Atlantic, Pacific and Caribbean in the same calendar year, so I shouldn't be too disappointed.

I do feel the wild, untamed power of the Creator when I am alongside those big bodies of water, although I prefer to be on the shore. It's easy to become addicted to the thrill. I do think surfers are crazy, but I have an inkling of why they do what they do.  I'll settle for some strolls along Lake Ontario this year.

Any wave freaks out there? Do you have similar feelings about the ocean? What is your response to the Carreau photo? Do you feel the presence of God when the waves crash in, or is it the fear of God?

Wonky Vegetable Day

 

Yesterday was World Environment Day and I didn't get the memo. I was aware of the day as it unfolded but I had never heard of it before then. How did I miss out? I'm all over Earth Day! Of course, there is a day for every cause now, even weeks and months. Comedian Mary Walsh wrote a hilarious piece on International Women's Day in which she pointed out that women get a day, but root vegetables are given a month.

Speaking of veggies, a theme yesterday was awareness of our food sources and the call to support the sale of "wonky" or irregular produce in supermarkets. Why would this have any merit as a theme? It is because untold millions of tons of produce are discarded before getting to market because they don't meet our unrealistic demands for perfect fruits and vegetables. They aren't bad, they but they may be irregular or misshapen, so they are ploughed under. Some chains, including Walmart, have been criticized recently for poor management of produce which does make it to the shelves, which results in high wastage. It is argued that we don't have a food shortage in the world. The issues of cosmetics and distribution make it seem that way.

I will not be preaching on the blemished kumquat on Sunday, but perhaps I should. What could be more basic to this life than the food we eat. And God knows the bible is full of stories about eating, including the ultimate food distribution story, Jesus' feeding of the five thousand. Yesterday Pope Francis offered:

"We should all remember, however, that throwing food away is like stealing from the tables of the poor, the hungry! I encourage everyone to reflect on the problem of thrown away and wasted food to identify ways and means that, by seriously addressing this issue, are a vehicle of solidarity and sharing with the needy."

Do you give a fig about World Environment Day? Is the Feeding of the Seven Billion an important faith concern? What can we do as Christians to make sure there is enough on the table for everyone? Have you thought much about your own expectations for perfect fruit and vegetables?

Northern Gateway

During the past few months there has been a steady flow of news (pun sort of intended) about the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from the oil or bitumen sands of Alberta to Texas. The opposition is loud and vociferous with a fair number of celebrity spokespersons naming the concerns for the environment, both in the perceived perils of transmission and the damage resulting from the  processing of this "dirtier" form of crude. Our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, made his way to New York to promote the pipeline and the economic benefits to the United States, no doubt out of concern that the project may fail. The pressure on President Obama's administration to kill the project has been intense.

Underneath all of this attention was the decision of the government of British Columbia not to support what some think is the "Plan B" pipeline called Northern Gateway. It would transport oil to the B.C. coast, with China as one as the significant purchasers of the same bitumen. One media report described it this way:

In its 99-page submission tabled Friday, the province questioned Enbridge's claims that it could mitigate spills in its remote mountain wilderness and off its rugged coastline.                      

Enbridge, the province wrote, "presented little evidence about how it will respond in the event of a spill." The submission said that from the company's evidence, it was not clear that it "will, in fact, be able to respond effectively to spills either from the pipeline itself or from tankers" and added, " 'Trust me' is not good enough in this case."

 

Many groups opposed this pipeline, including the British Columbia Conference of the United Church, and the General Council which met last August. Of course we were criticized for being ill-informed, anti-business, confused about our true purpose as Christ's church -- the list goes on and on. Yet here is a government which would benefit from the pipeline in many respects choosing not to support it because of the environmental risks. Maybe we're not so stupid after all.

 

I don't think we should be embarrassed about being vocal with our concerns about the protection of God's good Earth. I don't think it is anti-business to want to safeguard the land across which the pipeline would travel and the waters the tankers would traverse. We have scores of examples of terrible environmental accidents perpetrated by companies which insisted they would never occur.  

 

I actually think that it is a sin to not demonstrate precaution and prudence when it comes to protecting all the stakeholders in these situations. I applaud the B.C. government for its diligence.

 

Do you know much about Keystone and Northern Gateway? What do you think about the B.C. decision? Are we are just a bunch of earnest tree-huggers in the United Church?