Hello and welcome to my web page for the winter quarter of
Art,
Environment and the Child.
My name is Marlene
and I am on my second
quarter of A.E.C. I am truly enjoying all of the different aspects of this
program. Working on the Skokomish Reservation at the Peterson garden this fall
was so much more than simply working with the earth. It was a cultural
experience to the foods, art and life of the Skokomish people. I also spent time
observing a classroom of pre-school children and presented a lesson about
planting.
As the new quarter begins and winter has
its grip on us here in the Northwest, I am trying to resist the urge to
hibernate. We are currently on our 26th consecutive day of rain.
My
ray of light is getting back to class with the anticipation of the new
discoveries that are ahead. I am also in another class called Eco-Hero's and this has
turned my attention to the current state of the Earth. Personally I have always
been a vegetarian, composting, save the world, recycling kind of gal, so finding
classes that focus on some of these issues is wonderful.
Our world is in a crises with global warming, pollution, consumerism,
depletion of our forests, over population…etc, etc.
Below
are some thoughts and quotes I would like to share.
Genesis 8:22
“Around the world,
the deep oceans are heating, the tundra is thawing, ice shelves are breaking up,
sea levels are rising, fish, insects, birds and ecosystems are migrating,
violent weather is increasing, and the timing of the seasons has changed -- all
from a 1-degree Fahrenheit temperature increase. The scientific consensus is
that temperatures will rise an additional 2 to 10 degrees by the end of this
century. Nature's message is remarkably simple: Cut carbon emissions quickly,
globally, and dramatically, or prepare for a future of environmental and
economic disintegration.”
Ross
Gelbspan, “The Big Name Game,” Grist Magazine, 31 Jul 2002
Consumerism
is a huge problem for the environment. There
are now more than 30000 self-storage facilities in the U.S. so we can
store more stuff. We are a nation obsessed with materialism. Our
landfills are full, so where will we throw it all away?
How
much longer can our Earth "endure?"
“The
world is consuming goods and services at an unsustainable pace, with serious
consequences for the well being of people and the planet.”
Worldwatch Institute, State of the World 2004.
“This drive to always want more
is based on the misconceptions that having more will make me more happy, more
important, and more secure, but all three ideas are untrue. Possessions only
provide temporary happiness. Because things do not change, we eventually become
bored with them and then want newer, bigger, better versions.”
-Rick
Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, 2002
Aside from the environmental issues,
some of my other interests include: Being a Red Cross Volunteer(11 years), Camping,
Church (Christian), Reading, (Current book is "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn), Art,
School and of
course Family. I have a new grandson that was born on July 17th 2005.
Jahmari
He
is our special little gift from Heaven!
I hope you enjoy your walk through the seasons.
