After the Great Quake

SUBHEAD: Living precariously on the surface of a volatile planet is the norm.By Verlyn Klinkenborg on 28 March 2011 in Yale Environment 360 -(http://e360.yale.edu/feature/after_the_great_quake_living_with_earths_uncertainty/2387)Image above: A survivor is given a helping hand getting of a boat on arrivel to Banda Aceh after Indonesian earthquake and tsunami in 2004. From (http://bop.nppa.org/2006

Collapse of the Old Oil Order

SUBHEAD: Consider the recent rise in the price of oil just a faint and early tremor heralding the oilquake to come.By Michael T. Klare on 3 March 2011 in TomDispatch - (http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175362/tomgram%3A_michael_klare%2C_oilquake_in_the_middle_east)Image above: Awbari lakes in Fezzan, Libya. From (http://landsgenre.webs.com/thecosmiclandscape.htm).Whatever the outcome of the

Inflection Point

SUBHEAD: The current political upheavals could come to be recognized as a major turning point in the history of the oil age.By Tom Whippleon 23 February 2011 in Falls Church News-Press -(http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/8586-the-peak-oil-crisis-inflection-point.html)Image above: A fifty-year-old Cadillac rusts away in the snow. From (http://jezzbean.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/20-

Prehistory Wailua Ahupuaa

SOURCE: Kenneth Taylor (taylork021@Hawaii.rr.com)SUBHEAD: "Ancient Kaua'i Mapping Project: The Wailua Ahupua'a" with pre-historian Erik Burton.Image above: The Wailua River near the Kauai Hindu Monestary. Photo by Juan Wilson.WHAT:Wailua-Kapaa Neighborhood Association Presentation"Ancient Kaua'i Mapping Project: The Wailua Ahupua'a"WHEN:Saturday, January 22nd, 2011 - 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.WHERE:Kapaa

The Cancún Butterfly

SUBHEAD: A human-Gaian umbilical is far more reciprocating than imagined.By Albert Bates on 7 January 2011 in The Great Change - (http://peaksurfer.blogspot.com/2011/01/cancun-butterfly.html)Image above: Prismatic patterns swirl on the surface of a soap bubble. From (http://www.flickr.com/photos/knol/2947795925/#/).Combating climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced, and

The Haybox Factor

SUBHEAD: Neanderthals routinely ate cooked vegetables, and cooked meat has been a hominid staple since the days of Homo erectus.By John Michael Greer on 29 December in the Archdruid Report - (http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2010/12/haybox-factor.html)Image above: A fireless cooker circa 1890 branded 'The Chatham Jewel' in an oak case. From (http://www.antiquefever.com/

Kodachrome Fades Away

SUBHEAD: The most durable, color film developed for the consumer discontinues processing after 75 years history.[Publisher's note: My mom began taking Kodachrome slides with a Leica 35mm camera back in the 1950's. I continued taking such slides from the late 60's until about ten years ago. Those family Kodachromes have maintained their quality better than all other image technologies in our

All I Want for Xmas Is the Truth

SUBHEAD: Scholarly research provides us with some important ideas about the holiday season.By Peter M. Nardi on 20 December 2010 in Miller-McCune -(http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture-society/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-the-truth-26260)Image above: Detail of "Adoration of the Shepards" by Anton Raphael Mengs (circa 1750). From (http://www.abcgallery.com/M/mengs/mengs.html).By now, if you hear

And to All a Good Night

SUBHEAD: Merry Christmas everyone, and to all a jolly week of schmoozing, boozing, gifting and grifting.By James Kunstler on 20 December 2010 for Kunstler.com - (http://kunstler.com/blog/2010/12/and-to-all-a-good-night.html)Image above: "Twas the Night BEfore Chrsitmas". Illustration by Eundelom, circa 1953. From (http://www.countrymusicislove.com/2009/12/1-day-till-christmas.html).At this time

Amelia Earhart's Fate?

SUBHEAD: DNA testing on recent bone discovery may confirm suspected fate on Nikumaroro Island, about 1,800 miles south of Hawaii.By Sean Murphy on 18 December 2010 for Huffington Post - (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/18/amelia-earhart-bones-island_n_798607.html)Image above: Amelia and Noonan on their stopover in Brazil on round the world attempt. From (http://library.pittstate.edu/AxeBLOG

John Lennon at 70

SUBHEAD: Imagine there was no shooting. It’s easy if you try. No Mark Chapman. Only John, a bitter old guy.By Mark Beech on 8 December 2010 in Bloomberg News - (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-08/imagine-there-was-no-shooting-grumpy-john-lennon-turns-70-mark-beech.html)Image above: Detail of drawing by Patricia Mitchell of John Lennon at 70. From (http://www.lostateminor.com/tag/

We pass 750,000 hits

SUBHEAD: Since beginning our blogspot format for Island Breath we have had posted over 2000 articles and had 750,000 hits. Mahalo.By Juan Wilson on 5 December 2010 -Image above: Rolling over 750,000 site hits and over 2000 articles.Linda Pascatore and I have been publishing the Island Breath website since January 1st 2004. Until mid 2006 we did not monitor traffic and do not know visitor counts.

Why is the bird a Turkey?

SUBHEAD: It's a similar reason that indigenous Americans were called Indians. Columbus was lost.Image above: Illustration by Stephen Messenger from a related article (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/11/how-an-american-bird-became-known-as-a-turkey.php)By Robert Krulwich on 27 November 2007 for National Public Radio - (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97541602)Here's the

The Sincerest Form of Reverence

SUBHEAD: The key to success is to figure out the way Nature does things, and copy her shamelessly.Image above: Luther Burbank's home. There a bronze sign is inscribed in part; "...Luther Burbank purchased four acres surrounding this site as a place for horticultural experiments... His work led quickly to international fame and thousands of visitors came to see the “Plant Wizard” at work...

Interview with John Michael Greer

SUBHEAD: In America most people have no conception that anything can really change radically.Image above: Photo of John Michael Greer. From (http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2010/07/09/the-information-age-meet-john-michael-greer).By Alexander Ac, on 20 October 2010 for the Energy Bulletin - (http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2010-10-20/