The Age of Stupid

I've just come home after going out to see the global premiere screening of "The Age of Stupid". And I was pretty speechless afterwards.

Here's the synopsis:
'The Age of Stupid' is the new cinema documentary from the Director of 'McLibel' and the Producer of the Oscar-winning 'One Day in September'. This enormously ambitious drama-documentary-animation hybrid stars Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite as an old man living in the devastated world of 2055, watching 'archive' footage from 2008 and asking: why didn't we stop climate change while we had the chance?



It was the kind of film that you instantly feel like making all your family and friends sit down and watch. Urgently. It also made me feel somewhat smug & relieved about my choices to be vegetarian, ride a bike, live in a tiny compact apartment close to everything, buy from thrift stores, and not own a car...Ah, my smugometer levels rising.

But it also made me feel really really crapola about all the dozens and dozens of flights I've taken over the years, the abundance of electronic gadgetry that we own and have come to rely on (should I have not felt a twinge of guilt for checking the length of the film on my iphone before the film started?), and the fact we chose to have an international wedding earlier this year and spewed forth huge carbon emissions by asking people to fly great distances to be there..

{Now I want to go out and plant a forest full of trees to make a new carbon sink somewhere. Yes I should...and I will. Remind me to join Big Al's next Land Care planting session. And ensure that the 80 native trees that Ben and I earmarked for Wairakei Terraces actually get planted some day soon.}

But seriously, it just served to remind me -- in a VERY compelling way, the kind that slaps you in the face and stings with bleeding obviousness -- that we can't afford to be stupid about climate change. It's goddamn scary stuff.

The film also had the effect of pinching me on the arm as if to say - hey you, don't spend all your time focusing on narrow academic stuff like debating theories of civilian protection, working on edited volumes on human rights violations that take 2 years to produce, and writing policy briefs about democratic consolidation or refugee resettlement that will probably have hardly any impact on anyone....because the Real Story of our times is that Peace and Security desperately needs to be more closely linked to Environment and Climate Change issues. And there are not enough people out there proactively making those links, and bringing those specialists, thinkers and policy-makers together.

Peace AND Sustainability. Now I've just got to figure out how exactly I can make a difference...

I don't suppose the fact that I practically growled at the woman behind the shop register tonight for wrapping my 4 pieces of fruit in 2 plastic bags and then binning them when I told her I didn't need a bag is a particularly good way of starting. No points for peacebuilding there.

For the time being, here's how we can be NOT STUPID.
http://www.notstupid.org

Why don't Japanese people eat bent cucumbers?

Irregularity issues: Vegetable Equality's CEO, Mitsuko Mori, holds a box of "irregular" organic vegetables. MELINDA JOE PHOTO

Why don't we eat bent cucumbers?

By MELINDA JOE

Special to The Japan Times

An aging agricultural workforce, a food self-sufficiency rate below 40 percent and the constant threat of environmental damage: How can tiny vegetable distribution companies in Chiba Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, tackle the issues facing Japan's farming industry?

Finance to farming: Setsuo Nakagoshi, a former financial securities specialist, holds up an organic okra from his Watashi no Hata farm. MELINDA JOE PHOTO

The answer, according to Setsuo Nakagoshi, is one organic tomato at a time. Nakagoshi's company, Watashi no Hata (My Field), is one of several organic grocery delivery services who are trying to make a change. A former financial securities specialist, he spent eight years in the industry before trading in tailored suits for the jeans and rubber boots he wears around his small farm.

Nakagoshi started farming three years ago and currently supplies organic vegetables to restaurants and residents in the Nagareyama area.

Standing among the chest-high stalks of taro root plants in his 2,000-sq.-meter field, Nakagoshi explains that it was the lack of interest in agriculture expressed by young people that initially led him to get involved in farming.

"Young people don't even see farming as an alternative," he says. "They think that working for a big company after college is the only career possible for them."

A big part of the problem, he insists, is profitability. The work is long and difficult but the margins are slim. Moreover, strict regulations on the size and appearance of vegetables translate into huge losses for farmers.

Nakagoshi claims that standards set by JA Zennoh, the organization responsible for the marketing and quality control of products from 1,173 agricultural cooperatives in Japan, are often based on the size of the box or plastic bags that they provide.

"Take cucumbers for example. They have a special box for them and if your cucumber is too big or too small, it is classified as irregular and priced low. Of course, if it isn't straight enough, it's considered irregular as well," he says.

Some of these "irregular" vegetables are simply thrown away. It's a serious problem, and Nakagoshi has recently teamed up with a new company named Vegetable Equality to spread awareness of agricultural waste.

Vegetable Equality's CEO, Mitsuko Mori, stumbled on the issue in 2008 while visiting potential food suppliers. During a warehouse tour, Mori noticed boxes piled high with broccoli. When she asked the farmer about them, he replied that he'd have to throw them out because of their size: The diameter of each was five centimeters too wide.

"I visited numerous farmers and noticed all of them shared a similar problem," she says. "My immediate goal is to bring irregular vegetables to the market and change industry and consumer habits."

In a June appearance on NHK's "Purofesshonaru Shigoto no Ryugi" ("Professional Job Style"), Hiroichi Kikuchi, head of agricultural business firm Wakyoen, stated that approximately 40 percent of total vegetable production is wasted due to irregular shape or size. This amounts to roughly five million tons of produce.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries recently announced that JA Zennoh was considering easing restrictions on irregular vegetables, but both Mori and Nakagoshi doubt this will have any long-term effect.

"They're only doing it in response to the rising price of fresh produce caused by the typhoons this summer," says Nakagoshi. "The real problem lies in industry and consumer habits. Right now, people are used to the idea that irregular vegetables should be priced low."

Mori works with 50 farmers in Chiba Prefecture. Her company plans to begin a delivery service to central Tokyo this fall, and as part of their educational outreach program they will give lectures on irregular vegetables and organic farming at elementary schools in the capital. L ike Nakagoshi, Mori started out in finance. While working as a foreign-exchange analyst for Deutsche Bank in Tokyo, she took a part-time job at a high-end supermarket to learn about the food business. Though her work schedule was exhausting, Mori finds her new venture much more challenging.

"Compared to what I'm doing now, finance was a cushy job," she laughs.

Starting a new business, particularly in a niche industry such as organic home-delivery, seems risky given the current economic climate. However, it may not be as crazy as it sounds. According to a study conducted by Yano Research, home deliveries increased by 4 percent between 2007 and 2008, with consumers' preference for organic produce increasing in online purchases by 2.6 percent.

Concerns over food safety have fueled the trend. Shigetoshi Suzue, a spokesperson for the popular cooperative Pal System, remarked that the number of consumers opting for domestically produced fruits and vegetables is increasing. The co-op, which provides service to over a million households nationwide, sells both organic and nonorganic produce. With the exception of items like avocados and kiwis, almost all of the fruits and vegetables are from Japan.

A number of today's successful organic delivery services, such as Daichi wo Mamoru Kai (Association to Preserve the Earth) and Radish Boya, started out as small, grassroots organizations. Daichi wo Mamoru Kai began as an NGO in 1975 and established the first organic-food distribution business in 1977.

"Thirty five years ago, no one was selling organic," says Daichi representative Yukie Ohno. "The organic movement now is still small but it's growing. I think we've played a major role in that. These days, even regular people, not only those interested in environmentalism, know about natural foods."

Daichi started with farmers markets in downtown Tokyo. The company now delivers to 91,000 households, 95 percent of which are in the Kanto region, and 80 percent of their produce is completely pesticide-free, with everything but bananas grown domestically.

The organization has also been active in the environmental movement. In 2003, together with environmental group the Sloth Club, they launched Japan's first Candle Night, a two-hour voluntary blackout to highlight energy concerns, held annually on the summer solstice. In 2005, Daichi initiated a food-mileage campaign to shed light on the energy consumption and carbon emissions of imported foods. Their latest project, called Tabemamo (an abbreviation of tabete-mamoru, or "preservation through eating"), seeks to preserve seed diversity by encouraging consumers to eat locally grown produce.

Daichi's founders were in their 20s when they started the business. Likewise, Mitsuko Mori is a young entrepreneur and, at age 25, she has big plans for Vegetable Equality. She hopes that her efforts will eventually reduce agricultural waste in Japan by half.

"I know it's ambitious," she says with a smile, "but I think we can do it."

The Japan Times: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009

(C) All rights reserved

Joh's Handy Baby Links

ECO
Sustainable Baby http://sustainable-baby.blogspot.com
Eco Toys http://www.ecotoys.com.au
Baby Eco Store http://www.babyecostore.com.au
Ecodirect http://www.ecodirect.com.au
Nature Baby http://www.naturebaby.co.nz
Laundry http://www.soapinanutshell.com.au or http://www.greenandnutty.com.au

MODERN CLOTH NAPPIES
Parenting By Nature http://www.parentingbynature.com/cloth_diapering_101.php
Diaper Pin http://www.diaperpin.com
Zappy Nappy http://www.globalstore.com.au/zappynappy.htm
Cleverpants http://www.cleverpants.com.au
Wee Wuns http://www.theweewuns.au.com
Modern cloth nappies http://www.cuddlemonkey.com.au
Cloth Nappies - Baby Beehinds http://www.babybeehinds.com.au/store/pc/Home-d40.htm
The Nappy Network http://www.thenappynetwork.org.nz
Dressmaking pattern for newborn nappies http://www.thenappynetwork.org.nz/images/shars_newborn_fitted.pdf
Green Kids http://www.greenkids.com.au
Bambooty http://www.bambooty.com.au

BABY SHOPS IN SYDNEY
Bubs Baby Shops - Auburn http://www.bubs.com.au
Baby Business http://www.babybusiness.com.au

BREASTFEEDING
My Brest Friend breastfeeding pillow
http://www.aabreastfeeding.com/My%20Breast%20Friend%20Pillow/my-breast-friend-pillow.htm
Australian Breastfeeding Association http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au
La Leche League http://www.llli.org
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding http://store.llli.org/public/profile/201

STROLLERS & SLINGS
Stroller Survey http://babybuggy.com.au
Stroller Blog
Slingmeet http://www.slingmeet.co.uk


CONSUMER SURVEYS & REPORTS
Choice http://www.choice.com.au

HEALTH & BIRTH
RPA Hospital http://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/W&B/default.htm
Natural Parenting in Sydney http://www.npsydney.com.au/pregnancy
Calm Birth http://calmbirth.com.au
Birth Right, Darling St Rozelle http://www.birthright.com.au/home
S.I.D.S. http://ww.sidsandkids.org
Birth.com.au http://www.birth.com.au
National Health and Medical Research Council www.health.gov.au/nhmrc
Hypnobirthing http://www.hypnobirthing.com

BABY GUIDES & BOOKS
Australian Baby guide www.cuddlemonkey.com.au
Baby Centre Australia http://www.babycenter.com.au

PODCASTS
Pregtastic http://www.pregtastic.com
Mommy's Milk and More http://www.mommysmilkandmore.com
Bounty Pregnancy podcast http://www.bounty.com/podcasts/pregnancy

GOVERNMENT SERVICES
Family Assistance Office http://www.familyassist.gov.au
Family Assistance Guide http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/guides_acts/fag/fag-rn.html
Raising Children http://raisingchildren.net.au
Early Childhood Education http://www.deewr.gov.au/EarlyChildhood/Pages/default.aspx
Playgroups http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/families/progserv/pages/parenting-playgroups.aspx
DoCS Parenting http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/parents_carers_and_families/parenting.html
NSW Health Parenting http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/topics/pregnancy_parenting.asp

INFO FOR DADS
Being Dad http://www.beingdad.com.au
Daddy Types http://daddytypes.com

SECOND HAND
Baby & Kids Market http://www.babykidsmarket.com.au
Buy for Baby http://www.buyforbaby.com.au
2nd hand Round & Round http://www.roundnround.com.au/index.php

RENTAL
ABC Nursery Hire http://www.abcnurseryhire.com
Babytime Nursery Hire http://www.babytimenurseryhire.com.au
Hire for Baby http://www.hireforbaby.com

Death

The mother of one of my closest friends here in Japan passed away last week, aged 56. I went to pay my respects to her by visiting the family home 2 days after her passing. Ben & I will attend the Buddhist funeral in a few days time - I think it's to be held at a funeral parlour.

M, the mother of my friend R, was a very courageous and inspiring person. She battled breast cancer for 8 years, defied the odds many times, and spent the last few months of her life making peace with the inevitable. She was amazing in so many ways -- graceful, elegant and classically beautiful. But more importantly, she was such a wonderful mother, role model and confidante to R. Their relationship seemed so intimate and caring, more like sisters than mother and daughter. And everyone loved and admired M very much - she attracted so much positive energy, and was surrounded by loving family and friends whenever I met her. In particular I recall when R invited me to Suntory Hall to see her mother sing in the choir (Faure's Requiem) and the wave of friends that came to congratulate her afterwards.

When my Mum came to visit Japan in 2004, the four of us went on a mother/daughter trip to Hakone and stayed in a traditional ryokan (japanese inn), that M had arranged through one of her friends. I remember it being such a relaxing and fun time, lots of laughs and girly chats especially while plunged in the onsen (hot springs). Even though there was a language barrier between M and my own Mum, and an age gap of 15 years, they got along so well. I recall M's enthusiasm to show my Mum lots of interesting things during her short visit to Japan, including traditional Japanese cuisine, and the ritual of boiling eggs in a natural hot spring. I'll have to dig up those photos and send a copy to R.

Talking with R on Saturday about her mother's passing, and the days and even moments leading up to it and immediately afterwards when trying to process what's just happened...brought back a flood of memories of when Dad died. This month marks 8 years since he died (28 Sep 2001). In some ways, it feels like just a short time ago because the pain of the loss and the profound sense of sadness are etched so sharply in my heart and mind. And yet...it's scary to think that EIGHT full years have already passed, and my memories of that time have become somewhat foggy - even though I never wished them to be.

I realised that seeing M - in her very real state of rigour mortis - lying peacefully in her living room at home that day, surrounded by family, beautiful white flowers and everything familiar, and being visited by all who loved her the ensuing three days, was such a natural thing. She was only the 4th corpse that I've seen in my life...the other 3 were my grandfather (Sep 1999), grandmother (Nov 2007) and father...and obviously only because they are immediate family whom I had intimate contact with.

Why is it that in Australia and many other western countries we're so awfully squeamish about death? It's such a rarity to view, let alone touch, a deceased person up close. There's always such a fuss made about whether the casket will be opened or closed, and whether to look or not. I think it's a great shame that we don't try to embrace death for what it is: an undeniable part of human existence and something completely natural that shouldn't be hidden, gentrified or sanitised.

I know that when I die, I would like for all who will miss me to be able to say goodbye to me in the physical form.

Pacific Tuna and the Deep Blue

Here's an issue that I feel really passionate about: the ecological state of our oceans. Having lived in a seafood supermarket for the past 7 years (ie. Japan), it's so easy to think that there is an abundance of everything from the sea. And that it's our god-given right to eat whatever we want, when we want, and at a cheap price too. The level of consumer awareness about sustainably harvested seafood is still woeful, although organizations like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and their eco-labelling efforts are make tiny inroads into the consciousness of the Suzukis and Satos of this country.

I've been a supporter of Greenpeace for a number of years, and am grateful that they are really consistent when it comes to "defending our oceans." They're no one-cause show. ie. only anti-whaling.