Entertaiment

What is cosmopolitan life all about? Entertainment! (Well, that's not true, but sometimes it seems like it.) And an entertaining week I had. Last Saturday I went to a Christian festival, Flevofestival, with Sonja, a friend from Nunspeet, to do hair extensions to raise money for the Solis Foundation. I also got to see some performances by the Violet Burning, Susanna Fields and Benjamin Winter. Although the first two are very famous - I was told -, I only knew the latter.
Later this week, my friend Alex, asked me to go to a concert by the Violet Burning in Utrecht on Wednesday. They were not my favourite band at the Flevofestival, but in Utrecht they did - I think - a much better show, in a smaller setting.
As if the entertainment was not enough, my mother got some free tickets for Rembrandt the Musical, but she couldn't go. While I'm not a'great musical lover, I went for this free show. This Dutch-Flemish production has some great projections of 17th century Amsterdam on several background panels and live depictions of Rembrandt's paintings and drawings. The story revolves around Rembrandt and the three women in his life (Saskia, Geertje and Hendrickje). As I said, I don't love musicals a lot, and I wouldn't say that Rembrandt the Musical is a must see, but still entertaining enough.
And we still need to be entertained... This weekend is Amsterdam's opening of the cultural season (Uitmarkt), with many performances throughout the city.

Rembrandt,musical,The Violet Burning,Flevofestival,Amsterdam,Uitmarkt

Prayer for Todd

Our friend Todd will go on a study and work visit in Kenya. He will visit some Village Enterprise Foundation and Solis Foundation projects, to see how Zolder50 can be involved in helping the poor, equiping them with means for living.
Please pray for Todd, for a fruitful visit, for him to be a blessing to many people, and for a fun and safe trip.

Keep healthy Todd and save some Immodium/Norit!

Kenya,Zolder50,social justice,prayer

Guilin/Yangshou Impressions

The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is the centerpiece of any trip to northeastern Guangxi Province. Gorgeous Karst peaks give you surprises at each bend of the limpid river under the blue sky. Water buffalo patrol the fields, peasants reap rice paddies, school kids and fisherman float by on bamboo rafts. With its breathtaking scenery and taste of a life far removed from the concrete metropolis, the scenery along the Li River become one of China's top tourist destinations. (Information from: travelchinaguide.com)







Guilin,China,travel,photography

Hangzhou Impressions

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province and its political, economic and cultural center. With its famous natural beauty and cultural heritages, Hangzhou is one of China's most important tourist venues.
The West Lake is undoubtedly the most renowned feature of Hangzhou, noted for the scenic beauty that blends naturally with many famous historical and cultural sites. In this scenic area, Solitary Hill, the Mausoleum of General Yue Fei, the Six Harmonies Pagoda and the Ling Yin Temple are probably the most frequently visited attractions. The "Ten West Lake Prospects" have been specially selected to give the visitor outstanding views of the lake, mountains and monuments. (retrieved from: travelchinaguide.com)






Hangzhou,China,travel,photography

Suzhou Impressions

Also known as "Gusu city", having the fame of "Oriental Venice", Suzhou was set up in BC 514; being a city with history of more than 2500 years, it was named Suzhou in A.D.581, Sui dynasty.







Suzhou,China,travel,photography

Shanghai Impressions

I'm well behind publishing photos. I'm just back from the Côte d'Azur and the Alps, but I still got some China photos to publish. More you'll (soon) find on my Flickr account.




China,travel,Shanghai,Bund

To the Riviera

Since the weather is so bad in Holland, I and two of my room mates are on our way to Southern France. I will not be blogging for the next couple of days, since I'm camping this weekend. I also downloaded some photos from China on my Flickr account, click on the photo matrix in the left column to see them.

Flickr,France,blogging,photos

The Silent Sufferer 4 - Environmental Causes of War

This is the fourth in a series on the relation between war and the environment. Human suffering is an obvious consequence of violent conflict. However, the environment is a silent sufferer. Even long after the end of a conflict, people still suffer because of the destruction of the natural environment and the depletion of natural resources. However, the relation between war and environment also works the other way around, a destroyed environment and depletion of natural capital can also cause war.

According to Klaus Toepfer, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, "Many factors" underlie decisions by countries to engage in armed conflict, ... opposing ideologies, ancient enmities and a scramble to plunder natural resources such as timber, minerals and oil." But, he said, "it is the view of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), increasingly shared by others, that environmental degradation and a scarcity of healthy natural capital plays an important role too." (quote from Environmental News Service)

Irregular rainfall and drought as a consequence of global warming, has lead to pressure on scarce water resources. Violent conflicts over control of water might become as common as conflicts over oil resources are today. (more information click here)
Already there are conflicts over water, pasture land, and arable land. If we fail to deal with scarce environmental resources and equitable development, full-scale interstate conflict over water will become reality.

war,environment,politics

Call for Action

OK. Marco's last blog post begs for action. Quote:

I don't know why I stopped exactly, but the only reason that comes to mind is that I just don't feel like it anymore... I know! It's probably a bogus reason, but I don't want it to be a burden, so that means I just don't blog for as long as I feel like it, in spite of many fellow bloggers and critics who have encouraged me to keep going. Sorry guys, you have to do without me. Maybe I'll pick it up again in the future. Maybe...
If however more than 25 people comment on this post and give me a good reason to proceed, I will reconsider. But if not, I will rest my case.

So, keep Marco blogging and comment on his last post, click here!

friends,blogging

The Silent Sufferer 3 - Peace Time Pollution

This is the third in a series on the relation between war and the environment. Another war is going on in Lebanon, Iraq is on the verge of a civil war, Congo, Uganda, Afghanistan... There seems to be no end in human suffering, but there is another sufferer: the environment.

The military (industrial) complex is one of the greatest pollutors.
"According to the Environmental Protection Agency, unexploded ordnance waste can be found on 16,000 military ranges across the U.S. and more than half may contain biological or chemical weapons. In total, the Pentagon is responsible for more than 21,000 potentially contaminated sites and, according to the EPA, the military may have poisoned as much as 40 million acres, a little larger than Florida. That result might be considered an act of war if committed by a foreign power." (taken from speech by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and reported in the Chicago Tribune on May 16th 2003, excerpt from science for peace)

It seems like the building of empire is corelated with environmental degradation. The use and abuse of resources to support military power is enormous, even in peace time.
In 1996, France used Moruroa, an atoll in the Southern Pacific Ocean, for nuclear testing. The surrounding ocean and neighboring atolls are heavily contaminated. In 1968, a US B52 bomber loaded with 4 nuclear weapons crashed in Greenland. High levels of radioactivity still exist on the ground as well as in the fish in the ocean around the crash site.

Science for peace note that "All of the trade agreements which have been or are in the process of being negotiated, specifically exempt the activities important for security and the military of a nation from these rules." This provides military "defense" an easy way to circumvent environmental responsibilities.

war,peace,environment,Moruroa,Lebanon,Politics

Amsterdam Pride - Canal Parade

Not too long ago Amsterdam was the fourth tourist destination in Europe, just behind Paris, London and Rome. Then Amsterdam was surpassed by Dublin. Now Amsterdam faces tough competition with Barcelona and Prague. The remedy? Amsterdam changed it's slogan from "Capital of Inspiration" to "I Amsterdam". Capital of Inspiration referred to arts and culture but of course any Amsterdam goer would think of drugs.
Furthermore, the average Amsterdam visitor was on a low budget, going for the drugs and the sex. In order to get big spending tourists, Amsterdam needed an image change and adopted a philosopical sounding slogan.
But some things don't change. Yesterday was the annual Amsterdam Gay Pride - Canal Parade. Interestingly, some boats were sponsored by big corporations (ABN-AMRO, ING). Apparently, the homosexual community is commercially very interesting, two-income households without children. Perhaps, that's just the big-spending tourists Amsterdam needs. (But it won't rid Amsterdam's image as sex capital.)

canal parade,gay pride,Amsterdam,tourism

The Silent Sufferer 2 - Wars and Change Climate

Obviously, humans are the most obvious victims of war. However, the environment is a silent sufferer in human conflicts.
In the 1991 Gulf War, Saddam set oil wells afire. According to Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resource Institute:

The fires released nearly half a billion tons of carbon dioxide, the leading cause of global warming, emissions greater than all but the eight largest polluting countries for 1991 that will remain in the atmosphere for more than a century.

How much, percentage-wise, is "emissions greater than all but the eight largest polluting countries for 1991"? Does anyone have an idea?
I came across some country emissions stats. Unfortunately I couldn't really trace the year or the source of the stats. I'm sure that it is actually not so hard to come by.
Anyway, without deeper investigation, apparently the USA account for 23% of world emmissions, the EU 15%, China 12%, Russia 6%, India 4%, Canada 2%, Korea 2%. The top eight emitters (taking EU as one) thus accounts for 69% of world emissions.
This would indicate that 31% of the emissions are shared between all other countries, including the Iraq burning wells. However, apparently the burning oil wells emmissions account for more than the rest of countries, thus more than 15,5%.
If we'd count the EU as 12 seperate states (the EU now consists of 25 members but it was 12 in 1991), the figure would be at least 31%.

So Mr. Lash's formulation is very vague. Nevertheless, through conduction of quite bad science, we can still arrive at an indicative conclusion, concerning the high environmental cost of war. Wars can change the climate!

environment,climate change,war,burning oil,statistics

The Silent Sufferer

Of course, the situation in Libanon is a humanitarian disaster in the first place. However, there is another silent sufferer: the environment. That other part of creation suffers with about every human conflict. In the past we have witnessed how mines devastate soil; chemical weapons contamination; nuclear weapons testing; burning oil wells; herbicidal programmes...

Bombardment Unleashes Oil, Killing Fish and Turtles in Lebanon

August 02, 2006 — By Bassem Mroue, Associated Press

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Endangered turtles die shortly after hatching from their eggs. Fish float dead off the coast. Flaming oil sends waves of black smoke toward the city.

In this country of Mediterranean beaches and snowcapped mountains, Israeli bombing that caused an oil spill has created an environmental disaster. And cleanup cannot start until the fighting stops, the U.N. says.
World attention has focused on the hundreds of people who have died in the 3-week-old conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The environmental damage has attracted little attention but experts warn the long-term effects could be devastating. more...

I haven't done an in depth study on how environmental devastation relates to war in the Bible. However, I found the following in Hosea (2:18-21), which speaks of a close relationship between environmental redemption and peace:

"I will make for you a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land...In that day... I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth; and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil."

More on war and the environment:
Learn Peace - a Peace Pledge Union Project
Effects of War and Civil Strife on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitats (abstract)
On the impacts of the 1991 Gulf War on the environment of the region: General observations (abstract)

Lebanon,Israel,Bible,environment,war,peace

Xi'an Impressions

Xian,China,travel,

Expose To Jesus

Things that I should control, control me: work, expectations, what others have and I have not. I flee. I run away and I find shelter in gaming. I run away and I watch TV, surf the internet. I flee in phantasy. I hide myself in company. I drink to forget. Anaesthetised, no more pain... I run away from my cross, I don't want to carry. I flee to save my life; but I'm losing it. I flee, though I should know better.

I look upon Jesus,in spite of tribulation, he is in full control. Willingly, he continues his way to the Cross. Fame and omnipotence,... don't control him, he is in supreme control. Hate and scorn don't affect him. He fights evil with good. He does not avoid the pain, he does not flee. He takes up his Cross, and continues his way, the way to his death. He spreads his arms across the beam, to be nailed to it. People shout and sneer: "save yourself, if you are the son of God", but he stays, nailed to the cross, in full control.

I love photos with a long exposure time of still objects amidst busy crowds. Everything becomes vague, transparent, unreal, except for that still object. I imagine Jesus on the cross among the crowds. Still, and elevated he stands among the crowds that scorn, laugh at him.

Lord, stand still and elevated for me too. I don't want to flee anymore. I want to feel the pain, the pain that teaches me about you. I want to hear your word spoken to me when I'm in pain. Help me when I am tested, and I won't run away. I will carry my cross and feel the pain. And I will recognise that you are the healer. Forgive me, because I need you.

Jesus,fleeing,cross,pain

Great Wall Impressions

Originally uploaded by manschal.