It’s enough to turn you green - part 2

The tipping point for melting of the Greenland ice sheet will probably be met during the next 20 to 50 years. The latest research indicates that glacier speed has almost doubled in the last decade. Complete melting might take millennia, but research suggests that once it begins to contract it may not expand again, even if atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations were reduced back to pre-industrial levels.
Although debate continues, the growing body of evidence on greenhouse gases suggests that significant climate change is inevitable. Even if we stopped producing greenhouse gas emissions immediately, we would still experience rising temperatures for decades to come and sea temperatures will continue to rise for many centuries, due to inertia in the climate system.
We might hope that extreme ‘tipping points’, the point beyond which change cannot be reversed can be avoided. However, evidence so far must lead us to conclude that some level of change has already occurred and that it will continue to occur, perhaps at a higher level than previously thought.
How we are experiencing global warming today & what can we expect in the future?
Polar bears are starving near the Arctic Circle. The U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed to list the polar bear as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. Polar bears hunt their prey from sea ice, which has been declining steadily as the climate warms.
Since 1978, the late summer Arctic sea ice area has been shrinking by 7 percent per decade, while perennial sea ice has dropped by 9.8 percent in that time, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s satellite measurements.
If shrinking ice caps lead to rising sea levels in excess of four metres, almost every coastal city in the world would be under water. Even small rises in sea levels are likely to create severe economic and demographic problems, since large populations are concentrated near present sea level. Should glaciers decline rapidly, this could also have a significant negative impact because one sixth of the earth’s population currently rely on glaciers for their water supply. For example, rapid melt could have the effect of slowing major rivers, such as the Rhine, to a trickle.
The harmful effects of global warming on daily life are already showing up, and within a couple of decades hundreds of millions of people will not have enough water, according to many top scientists. An acute water crisis is looming. China, for example, is set to use up to 89 percent of its available water resources by 2030. Hundreds of millions of Africans and tens of millions of Latin Americans who now have water will be short of it in less than 20 years. By 2050, more than one billion people in Asia could face water shortages. By 2080, water shortages could threaten 1.1 billion to 3.2 billion people, depending on the level of greenhouse gases that cars and industry spew into the air.
At the same time, tens of millions of others will be flooded out of their homes each year as the Earth reels from rising temperatures and sea levels, according to a draft of an international scientific report. About 100 million people a year could be flooded by 2080 by rising seas.
The overriding view from the scientists is that soon global warming will “affect everyone’s life,” with the poor being particularly affected. Death rates for the world’s poor from global-warming-related illnesses, like malnutrition and diarrhoea, will rise by 2030. Malaria and dengue fever, as well as illnesses from eating contaminated shellfish, are likely to grow. Europe’s small glaciers will disappear, with many of its large glaciers shrinking dramatically by 2050. And half of Europe’s plant species could be vulnerable, endangered or extinct by 2100.
Are companies changing their business models
in anticipation of changing consumer behaviour, due to global warming?
“Shopping is politics and consumers can change the world with their wallets,” a statement coined by U2’s Bono. Whilst this slogan has generally been the rallying cry in the fight against at AIDS, it is no less relevant when referring to global warming. The argument is that by opting to buy products that add an ethical or eco dimension to style, as opposed to products without one, consumers will drive the behaviour of big brands. It’s simply spending power.
Green is now fashionable, companies are burnishing their environmental credentials and becoming “carbon neutral” with almost as much passion as they have for profits.
James and Rupert Murdoch, Sir Richard Branson, Lee Scott of Wal-Mart, Terry Leahy of Tesco and Jeff Immelt of GE are among the converts.
The surprising thing is the number of US companies that paint themselves green, despite the Bush administration’s opposition to the Kyoto treaty and the capping of carbon dioxide emissions. Sir Richard Branson managed to make the Virgin Group’s investment of $3bn over 10 years in renewable energy, such as biofuels, sound as much as a virtuous gesture, as that of a smart financial gamble. But so what? Corporate self-interest can be a force for good.
When “Whole Foods Markets” announced in January this year that it would buy all of its electricity from wind farms, making itself the corporate world’s largest consumer of renewable energy, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman called them “the most patriotic company in America.” That’s the kind of publicity you can take to the bank.
Indeed, Sustainability Advantage author Willard cites polls that show more than a fifth of potential job candidates are drawn to such companies. His research also shows more concrete benefits from the adoption of eco-friendly corporate policies; reduced manufacturing expenses, increased market share, a better talent pool and higher productivity. All of this, according to Willard, can lead to a 66% increase in profit on average for small and medium-sized companies that adopt environment minded practices.
To be continued…

The above data and research was compiled from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither MBMG International Ltd nor its officers can accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the above article nor bear any responsibility for any losses achieved as a result of any actions taken or not taken as a consequence of reading the above article. For more information please contact Graham Macdonald on [email protected]@mbmg-international.com.com

Snap Shots: by Harry Flashman

Frame your best photographs

I have included three photographs this week. Two I took myself, and one was taken by Australian photo-journalist Gary Stubbs. The subject matter is different in each one – a stupa, a Buddha and Greg Sulis, a well known Pattaya restaurateur. In theory there should be nothing in common with these pictures, but there is. It is the “frame within a frame” technique that has been used to lift the photographs out of the ‘ordinary’ basket.
By including a ‘frame’ in the shot, which frames the subject, adds depth and sometimes a little mystery to the final shot. With the person shot, by bringing Greg inside the frame has given the photograph some dimension. It also has put the subject at ease, leaning on the window jamb. The end result is a much more pleasing portrait than one of him standing stiffly in the middle of nowhere with a confusing background.
The stupa is obviously taken from within another stupa, and you can see three spires inside the frame. There is good depth to this shot, and you can feel you are in an area with numbers of these (Ayutthaya). The observant ones amongst you will also note that there are two figures walking around the base of the ancient building. This gives a sense of scale, so you can see that the buildings are quite large.
The third shot shows a different way to draw your attention to a reclining Buddha. It is always difficult to show a Buddha statue in its entirety, as many like this one are so large, you have to stand too far away to get all the Buddha image in. And by that stage you have an army of Korean tourists descended from their tour bus, standing between you and the statue. On this shot, you can see the Buddha’s hand behind the head, the lighting gives form to the subject, and the inclusion of the decaying brick wall gives an indication of the age of the scene. The image does not seem ‘cut off’ as the frame within the frame has done it for you, all very naturally.

Obviously you should not attempt the frame within a frame technique for every shot you take, but you should be on the lookout for natural frames to use. All part of developing the ‘photographic eye’.
Remember that the reason these shots “work” is because they are a different way of recording a subject, and result in a different and memorable photograph.
Never forget that for other shots, always look for a different viewpoint. As well as the ‘standard’ shots, also try to take some shots not from the non-standard eye-level position. Squat down, lie down, stand in the back of a pick-up, climb a ladder – anything! Just don’t get stuck with standard eye-level views.
The other way to add interest to your photographs is to make sure the subject is one third in from either edge of the viewfinder. Just by placing your subject off-centre immediately drags your shot out of the “ordinary” basket. The technocrats call this the “Rule of Thirds”, but you don’t need to know the name for it – just try putting the subjects off-centre.
While still on the Rule of Thirds, don’t have the horizon slap bang in the centre of the picture either. Put it one third from the top or one third from the bottom. As a rough rule of thumb, if the sky is interesting put more of it in the picture, but if it is featureless blue or grey include less of it. Simple!

Modern Medicine: by Dr. Iain Corness, Consultant

Getting up on the top side of the grass

I bumped into a patient in the lift and said “Good morning.” He replied, “Any morning you wake up on the top side of the grass is a good morning.” I thought about it for a while, and had to agree with him. Being ‘alive’ is one of the delights of life. I know that sounds fairly trite, but it happens to be correct. Being alive always beats the alternative in my book.
Now I have been accused of being an incurable optimist, with an endless supply of rose colored glasses, but I have found that it makes life much more enjoyable. Sure, there’s lots of downers and I’ve had my share, but if you don’t have some downers, you won’t appreciate the ‘uppers’ half as much. It takes the same amount of thought and energy to find good points in anything as it does to find bad points, so why dwell on the dark depressing ones? Doesn’t make sense to me, to be honest.
In my time as a doctor, I have also been given many lessons by patients, which have helped mold my ideas on life too, and I shall share one of those with you today. I was doing a surgical term in Gibraltar and this lady appeared at Outpatients, complaining of abdominal pains. A hand on the belly indicated multiple lumps, and my boss, the consultant surgeon, said that undoubtedly this was wide-spread cancer and we would open her up to confirm the diagnosis and close her immediately after as there would be no further treatment as the cancer would have spread too far.
So she came to theatre, and it was just as his experience said it would be. I shall never forget seeing the multiple cancerous lumps adherent to everything throughout her abdomen. There really was nothing that could be done. We closed the wound and sent her back to the ward, to “let nature take its course”.
Over the next few days the cancer became more aggressive, ulcerating through the wall of the bowel and through the wall of her abdomen, making a dirty, smelly wound oozing faeces that could only get worse. The odor was so putrid we had to put her in a private room to contain the smell. I waited for the poor woman to die.
There was only one problem, she was quite convinced she would get better and would be going home for Xmas. “In a wooden box,” I used to think to myself.
Around October, the nurse in charge of the case asked me to come and review the ulcerated abdominal wound because she said it was getting better. “The wound is clean and is closing.” Knowing that this could not be the situation, I grumpily went to see the woman.
I had to overcome my black mood and agree with the nurse, it was getting better! But this was impossible. All collective medical knowledge and experience knew this could not happen. This was a terminal situation. But the exterior wound was closing.
It eventually closed completely and she began to pass faeces normally. The bowel inside had healed as well. In addition, all the lumps we had previously felt had melted away. The woman had made a complete recovery, and went home for Xmas, not in a box, but walking confidently. All the accepted medical expertise was found to be wanting. Some might even like to call it a miracle.
Personally I am not into the concept of miracles, but I have been forced to face the fact that medicine is still a very inexact “science”. There is much in life and living that we do not fully understand. Every day we understand a little more, but we are still a long way off understanding “life”.
So, any morning you wake up on the top side of the grass is a good morning. The gentleman in the lift and the lady in Gibraltar have made sure I understand it, and hopefully you do too. Enjoy your living, it makes “life” just so much more fun.

Learn to Live to Learn: with Andrew Watson

Third Culture Kids – the Pioneers

Since Drs John and Ruth Useem fashioned the term, “third culture” fifty or so years ago, a period of rampant, unremitting and accelerating socio-economic, educational and political change has been at hand. Useem (in Pollock and Van Reken, 1999) recognised that concepts evolve, reflecting a changing world. In the 21st century world of “disorganised capitalism” (Lash & Urry, 1987 in Morrison, 1998, p2) dominated by the “cult of immediacy” (Morrison, 1998, p2) and fuelled by a global revolution in communications, the Third Culture Kid (hereafter TCK) is a phenomenon whose defining characteristics are consistent with that of the pioneer. Simultaneously the beneficiaries and victims of global nomadism, I propose that TCKs have full ownership of a culture of their own – that of the TCK itself and international schools, I suggest, are their natural habitat.
“A TCK is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCKs life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background”. (Pollock, D.C. and Van Reken, R.E. 1999, p19)
When I first encountered the concept of TCKs, their characteristic traits seemed immediately familiar, for three reasons. Firstly, I recognised my own children as TCKs. Secondly, I think of myself as an adult TCK. Thirdly, my experience of living on a Kibbutz in Israel and being married to a Kibbutznik, alerted me to the similarities between the Kibbutz Halutzim (pioneers) and TCKs, to which I will refer.
Pollock, D.C. and Van Reken, R.E. (1999, p34) were among the first to ask: “What is it about growing up in multiple cultures and with high mobility that creates such instant recognition of each other’s experiences and feelings?” Considering answers to this question is central to understanding the culture of the TCK. Schaetti (1996) writes of a sense of “Cultural Marginality” which can have either a positive or negative effect on the TCK. Either they can feel trapped or “encapsulated”, feeling isolated and perhaps frozen by their sense of uniqueness. Or they can experience “Constructive Marginality” where the TCK has developed a strong sense of personal identity which enables them to create unambiguous boundaries when confronted with “multiple cultural perspectives” (Schaetti, 1996).
I think that constructive marginality is a condition which takes time to evolve, when experience of living in another culture has taught you how to maintain a sense of intuitive distance, whilst you feel able to ‘dip’ into a well of understanding of different cultures as and when appropriate or necessary. It is something to be aspired to and does not entail what Pearce (1998) calls “benevolent polyvalence”. Rather, developing a sense of identity as a TCK might very well involve reflection followed by reassessment of what national identity means. The TCK is likely to experience confusion in loyalties and patriotism in reconciling tolerance and understanding of other cultures with identity of their first culture.
Schaetti (1996) talks about a “multicultural reality” which in my family’s case, means having places in different countries to stay which we call ‘home’ but perhaps, no single place which feels like home. It has manifested itself in many ways, one of which I like to call, ‘baggage skills’. We travel across the world with hand luggage only, knowing that we have appropriate clothing waiting for us in each ‘home’. We take great ‘TCK’ pride in slipping comfortably into the clothes of the country we have entered and in so doing, we also feel that we are adopting the culture and personalities that had been packed away since our last visit.
For TCKs, long-haul travel and impermanence become a way of life and adventure becomes the norm, resulting in expanded world view, increasingly easy acceptance of the sense of transience and the facilitation of acculturation. The acculturation process may be continually repeated and “visually represented as a continuous wave” (Fennes & Hapgood, 1997, in Ezra 2003 p126). I prefer the analogy of a pebble thrown into a pond, the resulting ripples having an ever decreasing impact.
Reverse culture shock is an unkind addition to the burdens carried by the TCK and can be an intensely disappointing experience. “Woe to the TCK who forgets where he or she is” (Pollock, D.C. and Van Reken, R.E. 1999, p45). Even spending a short time back in a first culture previously departed can feel variously like oppression and regression. Common is the sensation that ‘nothing has changed back home’. Short term joy at being back, even for a short period, can quickly become long term loneliness as a TCK realizes a sense of homelessness. “When you leave your home culture for a foreign one, you expect things to be different. When you leave the foreign culture to return home, you expect things to be the same” (Duane Elmer, 2002 p194).
But there’s nothing like to travel to broaden the mind, unless you seek only to recreate your little slice of home in another land. Real adventure begins when you reach out into the unknown. Yet so few people in schools really seem to understand what ‘risk’ really means. But for a few notable exceptions (such as those working for the Esther Benjamins Trust www. ebtrust.org.uk for example) cursory gestures are as far as you get for fear of genuine activity taking up too much leisure time. I mean, if an experienced, energetic, responsible person came to you with a great idea to contribute to a worthwhile, well-established project, you wouldn’t say no, would you? To say ‘no’ you’d have to have either a hidden agenda or just be plain stupid. As Robert Browning wrote in ‘Andrea del Sarto’, (1855, 1, 97) “Ah, but a man’s reach should always exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
Searching for the characteristics of the pioneer brought me back to the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) Primary Years Programme (PYP) leaner profile. The PYP strives towards “developing an international person” (IBO, 2000) and describes such a person as possessing the following attributes and dispositions: Inquirers, Thinkers, Communicators, Risk-takers, Knowledgeable, Principled, Caring, Open-Minded, Well-balanced and Reflective. The PYP also believes in the development of positive attitudes towards people, the environment and learning. The attitudes are: Appreciation, Commitment, Confidence, Cooperation, Creativity, Curiosity, Empathy, Enthusiasm, Independence, Integrity, Respect and Tolerance. (Making the PYP Happen, IBO, 2000). Cross examination of these attributes and attitudes with definitions of a pioneer and TCKs, reveals considerable convergence.
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Next week: “The characteristics of the pioneer”.