randomzanderblog

[randomzanderblog]

I’m Bloggin’ it.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. The purpose of this blog is to explore the connections between nature and various aspects of our world, including politics, in an informative and thought-provoking manner. Readers are encouraged to form their own opinions and engage in respectful discussions.

One of my passions or interests is nature. We are animals (believe it or not) and like all other species we share this planet, we are integrated in the food web, we have been an integral component in playing God since our industrial revolution. We have science that explains our world — for those who may have forgotten the scientific method — we observe, question, create a hypothesis, perform experiments, form a conclusion and result to then be peer-reviewed.

It’s a method that is thorough and strives for accuracy. So why do we treat it with disdain and like magic? I am a person who values balance, fairness, and honesty. I want to present the knowledge I have obtained over the years as such. I encourage anyone reading to question; whether you agree in questioning the world or question to debate I only ask you use credible sources.

For nearly 50 years the science has been known — at least to those who had the power to act — of the climate crisis. Yet rather than a graceful transition from the second industrial revolution into the third, petroleum companies feigned ignorance and sought to ensure the scientists went discredited and the public confused on the issue.

This is the greatest issue of our human existence and yet we are paralyzed by inaction and disbelief. From the ozone depletion to acid rain, we have proven we can act when posed with an issue that affects us all. Even industries of the past when faced with imminent change accepted that fate and moved on; specifically thinking of the whaling industry moving into textiles. 

They have PACs, think tanks, and “non-profits” which are a loophole for them to keep their own money without being taxed. With names like Americans for Prosperity on a surface level anyone could be fooled on assuming a guess at their mission. Their target is rural America and if the political maps of the past 20 years are any indicator it proves this. They lean on the third of Americans who are anti-government and perpetuate that rhetoric. Republicans did acknowledge the climate crisis up to a point but then retracted or dismissed the topic altogether. 

If I still have you, thank you so very much, it can be debilitating trying to garner attention on the issue when you point at the culprit. Believe me I struggled reading this book, it is incredibly dense, it’s back and forth with timelines but gets this message across. If you’re not boiling 

Like a child being confronted about a wrongdoing we take the “I did not know about [climate change]” or “that [book] is complete nonsense” as truth. I do not think Jane Mayer put a 450-page investigative report together for fun. Bernie Sanders brought up the Koch brothers when he was running in 2015–16. I’ve met a few people from Kansas and they mentioned the building the Kochs funded on campus that forbids any mention of climate change. They are real and they are dangerously influential in our society.

My blog is about my interests and that is nature. When left alone — as we got a glimpse during Covid — it can heal. If we can learn to cohabitate with wildlife, or even give a damn about something in this world we will soon see how it is ALL connected. That will be my theme: connections. Do I like to talk about politics and business? I’m not an expert by any means but when it affects the world we call home, our home, then I’m interested; I have to learn something about it at least.

I want to be clear, politically I think both sides have issues — you need two wings to fly though — this disparity is a fire being fanned. My blog is more of a call to bridge the divide and turn our attention to the ground below, the life around us, and the corruption from above. We really need to be listening to each other; we need to reconnect within ourselves too. We can make a difference, and it starts with each of us. 

Our culture breeds a rat race and it brings atrocious behavior from us. Our capitalist society demands growth and to what end? Gaya Herrington, who revisited a 1970s MIT research study on societal collapse — predicted to be 2040, and according to her we are on track — she explains in a recent TED talk (2024) of this limit we must set or will be forced on us.

I could make this blog solely focused on nature but it’s hard when we have impeded on it so much; with constant housing development causing habitat destruction and the loss of species homes, for our benefit we take water and put it in plastic bottles which ultimately get thrown away, we have introduced so many non-native species across the world (African grasses on lawns to ornamental trees from Asia and zebra mussels on boats). To not acknowledge these facts is a dishonesty. The world cannot keep up with our pace; can we even?

Thank you so very much for reading all of this. There is so much on my mind. We are so fortunate to call this space rock home and share it with such magnificent creatures. I hope I can inspire you along the way. Follow my blog to see all that my interests have to offer and the connections all around us! 

I have education in graphic design and audio/video production, natural resources and the environment, as well as geographic information systems (GIS). With over two years of experience in each of those disciplines my goal is to combine at least two of these areas; such as museum exhibits, videos for public broadcasting, or maps for parks, and beyond.  I am open to work — connect with me on LinkedIn!