Earth Hour

A lot has already been said about the upcoming Earth Hour initiative but let me throw my lot in and show my support for this event which is coming up in only a few short days.

In South Africa for Earth Hour we will be turning off our lights from 20h30-21h30 local-time on Saturday 28th March 2009. Your should check out http://www.earthhour.org for the latest news and when your city or town will be taking part and what role you can play.  Whilst it is not expected that earth’s carbon footprint will be dramatically reduced during Earth Hour it is more the symbolic significance that will raise awareness about climate change and how our planet is being affected regardless of what many climate change doubters may say.

Climate change is unfortunately something that is happening now and if it’s not already affecting you in some way it most certainly will affect your or your children in the near future.  The potential for climate change to have huge catastrophic consequences is not to be under-estimated.  Although books like Six Degrees – Our Future on a Hotter Planet may be deemed to be sensationalist they give a clear insight as to the significance of just a mere 2°C climate change.  Some scientists are predicting that we have already reached the tipping point that indicates a 2°C change is on the horizon and there is little that can be done about it right now.  One must remember that the global climate has taken a long while to respond to increased atmospheric carbon and will consequently take a long while to respond to any corresponding decrease before equilibrium is re-established.

Where exactly those decreases will come from still remains to be seen?  Developing economies such as China, India and even South Africa are already consuming huge quantities of coal and will continue to do so in an escalating fashion as they attempt to grow their economies in staggering proportions.  Therefore you might ask what is the significance of little old me switching my lights off for one hour on Saturday evening?  Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth. Simply leaving your lights on is a vote for Global Warming and an a show of apathy for the well-being of your children and grand-children. The outcome of Earth Hour will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009 and will hopefully make some global leaders sit up and take action against global warming. By standing together and voting we can show intent and resolve. As always your vote does count.

The Earth Hour initiative has certainly sparked the interest of many citizens and governments worldwide and it should be really interesting to see if they reach their target of 1 billion people in more than 1000 cities around the world. More importantly for me however is the involvement of government, business and NGO’s as it is through their actions and policy that we can hope to turn around the phenomenon of global warming.  Without significant policy changes and legislation our rampant raping of the planet will continue on.   China produces more than 35% of the worlds coal in huge quantities to fuel their growing economy.  South Africa has plans to start up 4 new coal powered power-plants in 2009 onwards in an attempt to resolve our energy crises.  While it is difficult to rationalise the desire to grow economies and improve the livelihood of all it must be balanced with a healthy reality check as to where this incessant fossil-fuel use is taking us in the future?

But don’t let it stop there. I know that Earth Hour is a simple gesture and you will experience a sense of camaraderie which will hopefully instill a desire to do more.  Spend the hour with some candle-light and a glass of wine and make a check-list as to how you personally can reduce your energy consumption?  Is your geyser fitted with a timer switch?  Do you have a warming blanket on your geyser to reduce heat-loss?  Have you perhaps considered fitting  solar panels instead?  What about your electrical appliances – do they stay on all day every day.  TV’s and Microwaves consume small but gradually significant power even when switched off – pull the plug out.  Teach your children about energy and how to conserve it’s use as they will utlimately become the biggest sufferers in a warming climate.  Consider your water use as well especially for us in South Africa where it is predicted we will face significant drought during global warming.  Check for leaking taps, avoid over irrigation and general water wastage.

Stand up and be counted. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business and every community.  Are you doing your part?

The Full Circle – Dave Varty

The Full Circle - Dave Varty

I recently purchased the book, The Full Circle by Dave Varty and now after having completed it in a couple of evenings I’m in a position to pass comment on it. In truth I found the book interesting enough to have completed it in a single sitting being only 336 pages of fairly easy reading, however a busy day and mandatory sleep intervened.  The second nights reading however demanded it be completed, that’s how interesting I found it.

I know very little of the Varty story and had only heard rumours and hearsay via the media regarding John Varty, Gillian van Houten, Londolozi and the Tiger project (JVBigCats). I know that the Varty’s have been controversial in the past with rumour regarding their breeding for hunting programme (untrue) and their perhaps inappropiate use of funds given to them.  However it was with an empty frame of mind that I approached this book hoping to hear some adventure stories about growing up in the bush and other fascinating wildlife experiences.  What I got by and large was a very interesting exposé on the formation of CCAfrica (now andBeyond) by Dave Varty, their numerous lodges besides Londolozi and Dave’s business involvement therein. This didn’t disappoint me but in truth it wasn’t what I had expected from the book.

What is clear to me from Dave’s writings is that he has a great love for his family, the bush and especially Londolozi – the origin of his passion and the foundation for what he was to become. The Londolozi model when first introduced wasn’t well received apparently and yet it has proven to be succesful countless times over still today in many other high-end safari lodges.  Dave’s honesty comes through however when he highlights the many glaring errors of judgement and decision making that he made as part of CCAfrica in securing funding and managing the unparalled growth of CCAfrica to his ultimate demise when he was asked to leave the company.

Their are certain aspects of the book which I can dearly relate to in particular his frame of reference towards some business decisions that were being made around him wherein his gut tells him to do one thing and yet he is persuaded to do another. This was to his deteriment in terms of personal values as well as to his life goals.  Having experienced some similar events, perhaps not in such a grand scale, the message came clear to me that one should indeed trust your instincts especially when it comes to something you know and love and wish to nuture.

I am under no illusion that Dave Varty was in business to make money and quite frankly I don’t blame him. Money is a necessary evil that can certainly contribute towards a fruitful life and lifestyle. Yet underlying that I don’t doubt his commitment to conservation or his passion for wildlife and the desire to share that with other people. I am quite sure that writing this book was cathartic for Dave and put to bed a few ills in his mind over how he had conducted his life. Overall I am sure that he is still convinced that his successes have outweighed his failures. The clear joy he has taken in meeting all sorts of really interesting people (such as Nelson Mandela and the Getty’s amongst others) and introducing them to the wonder that is African Wildlife in the raw; surely outweighs the doubts and disappointments he has experienced.

I definitely benefited from reading this book and although it didn’t quite live up to my expectations it certainly gave me food for thought in my own life and how I conduct myself as a business person. There are some lovely anecdotes regarding their original trials and tribulations setting up Londolozi as a going concern and some of the old photographs are quiet poignant. The book is not expensive and provides some light reading and so gets a thumbs up from me, not withstanding any pre-conceived notions you may have regarding the Varty family and any prior media coverage (positive or negative) that they may have received.  It is of course a very one sided story and underneath this the truth may in fact be quite different although I’m not sure, the honesty does seem quite genuine. There is very little discussion about John Varty’s (Dave’s brother) activities during this time although some information is given about John’s filming expeditions (with Londolozi productions) and his establishment of the Tiger breeding programme amongst others. I think it is a given that John is the more flamboyant and controversial character so perhaps these omissions were deliberate and in truth possbily not that relevant to Dave’s personal story.

Now we just need to save enough money to afford to get to Londolozi, Phinda, Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania) or any of their other famous resorts. Hope you enjoy the read in the meantime. Oh yes and if you’ve got a spare US$6 million (about R60 million) lying around perhaps you want to invest in your own private lodge at Phinda (African Homesteads) courtesy of the Getty’s?

The Full Circle
Publisher: Penguin
EAN: 9780143025764
Format: Hardback
Release Date: 1st September 2008
Retail Price: R230,00

Ho, Ho, Ho – It’s Christmas

Hang out the tinsel, light up the tree!
Listen to the children laugh,
Count down the days with glee.

Christmas is upon us; it’s present wrapping time.
Santa Claus is on his way,
With reindeer, and elves so fine!

What will he bring you in the middle of the night?
Perhaps peace and happiness,
Or a year of God’s delight?

A lingering kiss under mistletoe?
Singing Christmas carols?
Turkey, pud, pop the cork – let the red wine flow!

May the joy and peace find you
Wherever you may be.
Count down the days to Christmas and into New Year too.

Merry Christmas!
Ian, Wendy, Michelle and Laura-Ashley

The House…

Some things have a way of catching up with you and house maintenance is definitely one of them. It’s amazing how much love and attention a house can demand. You wouldn’t think so. After all they’re just blocks of concrete standing there on a piece of ground. And yet, the provide us with warmth on a cold winters night, comfort when we arrive home from a hard days work and flop into our favourite couch in our favourite room (usually in front of the TV), surround us with the safety of her walls while we watch our children play in the garden, keep us dry and generally provide us with a feeling of familiarity which we tend to thrive on.

So I guess it’s only fair that she demands a little in return. I say ’she’ because houses are high-maintenance much like the fairer sex tend to be. The last couple of days, my house – bless her soul – has decided to get all uppity and let me know in no uncertain terms that she was feeling neglected.

In no particular order here are some issues that her and I have had:

We’ve had topsoil and fertiliser dressing added to our lawns. The lawn was starting to look particularly shabby and bare in places after a very dry summer. Not withstanding an irrigation system that I have in place, the winter has been harsh and we still to date have not had any rain since last summer. So the lawn needed some love and attention. So on Monday morning the guys came around and put lovely stinky smelly dirt all over the grass and now it needs a bit of constant watering to make it flourish which I am sure it will do in due course. It does mean the children are a bit restricted from going outside just yet – it’s a bit too muddy for all of that.

Now as mentioned the lawn needs watering. So what happens? On Sunday, our dearly beloved gardener for the umpteenth time manages to break the irrigation hose in two places at the front of our garden. So now when I run the irrigation it floods the place. Wonderful. So we have the irrigation repair people coming out tomorrow morning early to fix the problem. More money, I think I need to deduct it from his salary at the end of the month – it’s beyond a joke now. Although I do sympathise with him a little as the irrigation pipes really should have been buried deeper and it is difficult to turn the beds over as a result.

I went and bought three pieces of trellis to block openings in our front wall where the local neighbourhood cat had been coming through to use our indoor flower bed as it’s local toilet! So much so that the smell of urine/feces was overwhelming each morning as you stepped out the front door. The cat had also all but killed a plant in that front garden with it’s uric acid. I’m happy to report however that with some more love and attention. some fresh fertilizer and potting soil and a lot of water the plant is recovering and as of this morning has three new bright green leaves on it.  I have also thrown in some geranium and ponsietta seeds into that area so hopefully soon we should see some colour and some better smells in the morning. Good riddance cat!

Electric fences. Yes, I live in South Africa I’m afraid; so an electric fence is mandatory. A working electric fence is however even more mandatory. Unfortunately ours was not. So call in the contractors to come and have a look at it. Unbeknown to me, when I had chopped down part of a banana plant outside my front door when putting up the trellis it had fallen down on the fence and bent some of the wires. That however didn’t turn out to be the real problem. It took the technician the better part of an hour to find a small bobbin that wasn’t seated properly on the fence and was causing a short circuit. At least it’s working again now and we can sleep safely at night.

Whilst the fence technician was there he had to be supervised a little. I don’t like people to have the full run of my property. So during that time silly me decided to rearrange my garage/studio. I move the shelving to the side of the gararage and swept and tidied up the place. Hopefully this will inspire me to get back into the studio and do some more photography. It’s been far too long. At least the place looks tidy again though. For how long, who knows.

Back to security problems though, our burglar alarm had also stopped working. So once again, and more money; we had to call out the technicians. Fortuantely they responded quite smartly to this as being without a burglar alarm would be a real problem for me, not withstanding the fact that my householders insurance would be invalidated. It turned out to be a blown fuse so when that was replaced all was working again. It was a good opportunity to test the alarm and make sure that the panic and siren and call-centre link-up was all working properly though.

Telephones. I have 4 extensions in my house and we recently had a big problem with static/noise on our line. It took our dear telecom service provide Telkom about 3 weeks to decide to come in and fix the problem. After they had fixed that problem however our extensions stopped working. Fortunately they didn’t disrupt our ADSL connection because then all holy hell would have broken loose! However from a security point of view being without a telephone in my bedroom was a bit of an issue for me. Are you sensing a trend in this blog – ’security’. I’m afraid it’s a sign of the times and a clear indication of where I live I’m afraid.

Our pool. Does she have a leak or doesn’t she. It’s reallly hard to tell. The water level definitely does go down at varying degrees. Could it be due to evaporation? I’m really not sure. We have had some really hot weather recently and my gut tells me that the last couple of days while it hasn’t been that hot the water level hasn’t dropped as much? Some suggestions I have received are to block the return valve with something(?) and then see if I’m still losing water because it doesn’t appear to be leaking from the outlet valves anywhere? Someone else suggested food colouring in the water? I thought that was a really interesting and novel idea to see if there was a leak in the pool itself? Who knows.  In addition to this we’ve upgraded/fixed the solar panels on our pool. We now have five solar panels in a relatively small pool and to my dismay even after all the sunshine and hot weather our pool is still only 22°C. I really felt that it should have been warmer than that by now? Am I asking too much?

Our flat roof in the past has really given us a lot of problems with leaks; as all flat roofs tend to do unfortunately. We spent a lot of money on it fixing the problems and by and large seemed to have solved it. However I am dreading the up coming rainy season (may it come soon); because after a long hiatus who knows where we might encounter problems? The jury is still out on that one I’m afraid but my gut tells me that there may be some issues in places? Hold thumbs that it’s nothing too serious.

We recently had Wendy’s dad stay with us for a week while he was recovering from a hernia operation. Of course he stayed in our guest bedroom and to our dismay we discovered after several hours mind that that the geyser that we had turned on for him while he stayed there was leaking water like a sieve. The idiotic people who installed the geyser and plumbing when they added on that part of the house did a real heath-robinson affair. So once again out came the contractors. We had to replace a faulty thermostat in the geyser which was overheating as well as move the geyser so that they could fit the proper safety shut-off valves etc. To crown it all the outlet for the geyser is a pipe that just runs straight into my garage/studio. So there was a ton of water everywhere in that room.  Fortunately all the equipment and odds and ends are off the floor. There was a bit of water damage so some wood/board but nothing major.

I’m still toying with the idea of putting part of a second storey onto my house. For those of you that know my place I’m contemplating putting a second storey over my second garage, my bar and my study.  I would like to leave the garage area open as a double volume space which would then greatly assist studio photography in there. One of the biggest problems right now is that the ceiling is very low. Lower than normal and this causes problems with light spill and reflection etc. So a double volume space would be ideal and I could also use a boom light from the second level over that area as a hair light for instance. Over the bar area would then become a really nice study/gallery area for me, my computers, my printer and my prints. I was thinking of putting stairs up from inside the bar area (to the left of the fireplace) which take you up to that level. I was also thinking of putting a door in from the garage/studio where the dart board is currently to give direct access from the studio up to the study area.  My currenty study would then become a place for the children possibly  (with their computers and perhaps a homework area for later) or a gym for Wendy. The alternative that I was thinking about was that the room above the current study then becomes Wendy’s gym and it would be lovely as it would have a nice view of the surrounding neighbourhood from up high as well as allow for a nice fresh breeze to blow through that room (as you are above the level of the surrounding walls). Wendy’s gym equipment is currently in the bar area and it is quite big and bulky and doesn’t look that great so a seperate room for it would be ideal. Building is not a task to be taken lightly though and I would dread the disruption, hassle and the fighting that would be necessary to make sure that it got done according to specification. Nevertheless it’s still an idea that is mulling around in my head. I think it would be a lovely add on to a home that we really enjoy living in and certainly cheaper than buying a new place.

So as you see my dear house is giving me a bit of grief lately. Then again I guess she deserves a little attention as she is our carer, our provider and a place that we truly enjoy spending time in. Long may we be happy there.

Excess not Age

Like me right now; this ‘poem’ may sound jarring to the ear and feel thick to the tounge, yet somewhere inside there is ‘promise’.  Sometimes you just have to go looking for it…and not trouble?  I hope you enjoy it?

Excess not Age
by Ian Weatherburn

I’m not geriatric. I know this quite well.
And yet; here it is so late at night
I sit and type this reluctant ode
In the weak yellow light of a beside lamp,
To a stomach that’s not feeling so swell.

It grumbles, gurgles, moans and does mutter.
The red wine, meat and bread felt alright;
Until down my gullet and stomach it rode
Causing my head to spin, my stomach to cramp.
As I lay there restless I could feel my heart flutter.

A birthday had passed, a new age had befell
This old man here, he’d lost some of his might.
The mind was still willing, his body a toad?
What would tomorrow bring, a wheelchair? A ramp?
It was so frustrating; this feeling unwell.

Could it be the red meat, the real Woolworths butter?
Dreams and sweet sleep wouldn’t come yet tonight.
So into the arms of an old friend I strode;
My computer, my keyboard, dear old WinAmp.
And just then she decided to spurt and to stutter!

Was this sympathy? Did she too feel unwell?
Or was it a request to perform that gave fright?
Together we may just retire to the comode
And spend the night there; even make camp.
No; a minor glitch in the CMOS, the boot screen did tell.

So now we’re back up; let’s continue the groundswell
Of blogging and rhyme and other computing delight.
Let the cramps and the nausea return to normal mode.
This nonsense we’ll root out, on it we’ll stamp!
Perhaps it was excess not age.  Please don’t tell!

It’s my Birthday!

Ian - Baby

It’s my birthday tomorrow (4th October) and I will be 41. I think I’m in denial about that. Actually, I know I’m in denial. I don’t really want to get old(er) but that’s just the way it is.  Recently it’s been great however to reminisce what it was like to be young.  My Mom has been scanning some old (some very old) slides and sending them to me via email.  I have included a few of them in this blog for you to enjoy as well.  You can refrain from leaving sarcastic comments and poking fun at me.    I’ve heard it all already!  Yes I know I had lots of hair then!  Perhaps I’m biased but personally I think I was the most gorgeous, handsome, sweetest looking, perfect child on the face of the planet?  Don’t you agree? (perhaps not?)

I have refrained from adjusting these photographs that she has emailed me and posted them just as is.  I think they possess a certain charm as they are; old, scratched and discoloured.  Kind of like how I feel!

Wendy and I have taken lots of photographs of our children already but honestly we probably don’t have enough.  I don’t want to spend my life with a camera and capture every moment but sometimes weeks or months go by and I realised I haven’t taken a photograph of them – and that’s a shame really.  I don’t believe you can ever have enough photo’s of your children.  They grow up so quickly it’s truly unbelievable.  Michelle especially, she is nearly 5 now and developing into a real little lady.  Often she will regress into a little baby that just wants to be held and loved and then at times she will behave so adult-like it scares me.

Beverly and Ian - Sliding

I can’t believe how quickly my life has gone by although I must admit that I have been blessed in so many ways.  I have a wonderful wife who loves me very much and we have two very special children that make us laugh, smile, cry, hope and despair on a daily basis.  I really had a wonderful childhood with parents that always tried to do the best for my sister and I and for that I am truly grateful.  They really did set me up in life, providing me with key opportunties early on that has helped establish who and what I am.  They possibly didn’t understand the full ramifications of some of their choices when they were bringing me up (do we ever?), but amazingly so many of those choices were the right ones.  My Mom and Dad also instilled a great value system in me which I still rely on today to make the right decisions in life on a daily basis.

Beverly and Ian

I pity my children in many ways, as I remember a childhood that was fairly care-free.  I remember playing in the street.  I remember walking myself to junior school and not having to worry about the cruelty that seems to live in our world now (although I was secretly a little scared of the Wolf that ‘may’ have lived in the park that I used to walk (run) through).  I remember spending time with my grand-mother and plonking out tunes on her organ.  I know it used to bring a tear to her eye if I haltingly played out ‘Auld Lang Syne’.  I remember taking my skateboard to the local shopping-centre on a Sunday by myself and skate up and down with some friends.  Riding bikes.  Playing cricket in the garden.  Sailing on Midmar dam with my Dad.  Playing soldiers with my friend Stuart.  Dreaming of becoming an archelogist and going to Egypt one day to explore the great pyramids (I would still like to do that one day).  Sliding up and down our steep banks on the bluff with our cardboard boxes.  Going to the Drive-In with my Mom and Dad and falling asleep in the back after struggling to hear what was going on through those small tinny speakers you used to hang on your windows.  Wonderful hikes in the Drakensberg taking in those amazing sights and breathtaking scenery.  Playing frisbee, snooker, computer games.  The list goes on, but there are really many good memories from my childhood.  Thanks Mom and Dad for affording me all those opportunities.

Ian and Koko

The last ten years of my life have been amazing spending it with my wonderful wife Wendy.  It’s a blessing to be with someone that cares about you so much and although the daily grind of living can sometimes get in the way deep down we both know that we have something special together.  Watching my girls grow up is an amazing experience and it certainly is an incentive to make sure that I’m still around for a long time to see them grow up into the little adults that I can already witness inside occassionaly. Now and again they offer me fleeting glimpses of who they might be or what they might become and my throat will close up and my eyes may become a litte damp.

Ian and Dad (breaks foot)

So here’s to another birthday – roll on 41!  Yes I’m older; some parts of the body don’t work as well as they used to: eyes and ears in particular.  But I’m very grateful for the gifts that I have received so far from all that have touched my life and I’m looking forward to what the next ten years holds.  Thanks for sharing your part of it with me.

Six Degrees – Our Future on a Hotter Planet

Six Degrees - Mark Lynas

Having recently read the book: Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet by Mark Lynas I thought I would share with you some of my thoughts about the book  and discuss some of the global warming issues – real or perceived.

I was in the ‘fortunate’ position to be reading this book during the Hurricane season of the North Atlantic which really brought home to me some of the facts and figures. I could watch on CNN or SkyNews this enormous Category 4 hurricane hurtling towards the Gulf Of Mexico and then read in Lynas’ book about the North Atlantic current and how the warming of those oceans is going to have a dramatic effect on Hurricane activity.  A really interesting example came our way just recently (29th September 2008 in fact) when a rare hurricane made it way past the eastern seaboard of the United States and up into Canada. Admittedly hurricane Kyle had weakened into a tropical storm as it swept across the Canadian Maritimes but was reminiscent of Hurricane Juan, a category 2 storm which caused an estimated $100 million in damage in 2003.  Scientists readily admit that Canada does get hurricanes every couple of years but can we expect to see an increase in this activity?  Time will tell.  Lynas also predicts that we may need to reconsider the current hurricane category scale and introduce a level 6 as storms get more severe.

As an aside I did note how ‘Westernised’ we are as television audiences as there have been an equally large number of destructive Typhoons in the South China Sea which have received far less coverage than their counterparts in the Americas.  These typhoons have caused more damage and loss of life overall.  Quite possibly the reason for this is due to the nature of the third-world construction and residential establishments in that part of the world?  I would anticipate typhoon television coverage to increase however as China enters the first world and the storms become more numerous and violent.

Hurricane Katrina

In his book Mark Lynas has distilled an enormous amount of scientific research (judging by the size of the bibliography at the end of the book) and presented it in a way that is quite readable and understandable by the man in the street – that’s me.  He describes in detail the impact that global warming will have on our planet as the average global temperature rises by a degree at a time with Six Degrees being a practical doomsday scenario.  Make no mistake however that a simple one or two degree change has catastrophic effects world-wide with a global overall average increase of just two degrees seeming to be the tipping point.  The real problem as far as I understand is that the temperature increase effects are cumulative and have an exponential impact as the planet warms up.  To illustrate, as the ice caps or glaciers begin to melt that run-off begins to warm up the oceans, which has an effect of warming overall global temperatures even more which has an effect of increasing the rate of ice melt. So you can appreciate the knock-on effect each degree of temperature increase will have overall.

As Lynas tantalizingly describes each degree of increase it struck home to me as well the socio-economic impact global warming will have.  Countries will undoubtedly close ranks and conflict will arise over scarcer resources.  As populations begin to leave drying areas and move north or south this will put extra pressure on already scarce resources in countries that are barely getting by.  More-over those countries may not allow the influx of this added burden and border conflicts will arise.  It’s hard to imagine whole populations on the move but this is perhaps a future that our children have to look forward to?  From a resource and climate point of view it does appear as though we in Southern Africa are in for a rough ride.  We already live in a very dry part of the African continent and this is only going to get worse as the Kalahari begins to take a firmer grip over the sub-continent.  This does not even take into account the impact that rising sea-levels may have on our ports and harbours and the corresponding negative economic impact.

It is generally acknowledged that climate change is happening on our planet and could result in catasrophe for mankind unless we attempt to reverse the cycle of carbon emmissions by significant levels.  The root cause of those carbon-emmision increases however remain a very debateable point.   As I perceive it however the real trouble is that the biosphere is slow to react to change in real terms and the longer we delay a strategy for change the less likely it will be effective should we pass the 2 degree tipping-point.  It has taken a few hundred years of industrialisation before global warming has gained impetus on our planet.  Conversely if we are able to halve carbon emmissions tomorrow it will still take tens or hundreds of years for green-house gases and carbon to reduce to a level where temperatures begin to stabilise, never mind diminish.

Kilimanjaro - Glacial Melt

It is important to think critically however and note that not all of what Lynas writes about is accepted wholesale by scientists world-wide.  Some of the evidence seems clear enough to me but I am not a scientist and I don’t have the luxury of having read all of the available literature to make a truly informed opinion.  As an example an issue that I found really interesting was the root cause of glacial melt.  It does seem to be acknowledged that a large proportion of glacial melt (especially that occuring in the Himilayas) is as a result of global warming caused by an increase in carbon emmissions.   However, the iconic example of the receding glacial ice-cap of Mount Kilimanjaro on the border of Tanzania and Kenya seems to be hotly debated.  As can be seen by the attached photograph ice cover has shrunk by 90%.  Photographs of this mountain were used by Al Gore in “An Inconvenient Truth” and Greenpeace activists have in the past staged protests on top of this mountain to highlight the impact of global warming.   However most scientists who study Kilimanjaro’s glaciers have long been uneasy with the volcano’s poster-child status saying that Kilimanjaro just happens to be the worst possible case study for global warming related glacial melt.  Glacial decline is evident on Kilimanjaro for well over a century, long before humans began pumping large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  Therefore it goes without saying that one needs to approach the subject with some scepticism and critical thinking in order to understand all aspects of the problem.

We should all acknowledge that any steps we take to reduce carbon emissions should have a positive impact on our environment and we should undertake to reduce our own carbon footprint.  The trouble is that as an individual it seems difficult to perceive how much of an impact we may have so as a result we tend to leave it up to policy-makers and large corporations in the hope that they ‘will do the right thing‘.  Will they?

Strydoms in the Park

Nearly two weeks ago we went with the Strydom family (Lance, Cathy, Daniel and their new baby boy Ethan) to the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort for a picnic.  The intention was to take some family photographs of them and at the same time have a picnic and catch up a bit as we haven’t seen each other in such a long time.

It’s crazy how time flies and it was a wonderful day to spend in the park under the trees with the birds singing and the children laughing. When we arrived there, there was a bitter wind blowing and I thought we were in for a miserable day but once we had wandered around to the back of the park to the picnic spots on the grass we were very sheltered and it was extremely pleasant.

Ethan Strydom

We had all brought much to much food to eat and while I was too busy taking photographs of the children (both Lance and Cathy’s and my own of course) no-one seemed to eat very much either. Even the children were more interested running around and playing than actually sitting down and eating something. Daniel was playing with his golf club (3-Iron I think?) and balls and showing great skill in swinging the club and whacking the ball off into the distance. Clearly the time spent by Lance at the driving range with Daniel is paying off. I wonder if he will be able to support the family when he gets older as a professional golfer!

My two girls Michelle and Laura-Ashley were having a lovely time as well but were mostly besotted with Ethan, Cathy’s new baby boy. He is a very cute baby and the girls thought he was simply adorable and a doll that just had to be held. I have some lovely photographs of Michelle holding Ethan which I will get to processing at some point (hopefully in the not so distant future).

Daniel Strydom

Anyway, as I say; the primary intention really was to get some group family photo’s of the Strydoms; but unfortunately Lance is a bit of a stick in the mud and declared after a few photo’s that he really didn’t want to be in front of the camera anymore and plonked himself down on the blanket. Can’t say that I blame him though as I hate having my photograph taken as well. Anyway, we at least managed to get one or two nice shots of him before he scuttled off and I was then able to spend the rest of the time focusing on the children and their antics. I did get a nice picture of Lance’s hand with little Ethan – it’s quite sweet.

Michelle Weatherburn

Later on that morning everyone decided that they wanted to go and see the waterfall (except Lance – are you sensing a trend here!). I was also thinking of just sitting and chilling as well as I had been up and down on my knees taking pictures but a moment at the waterfall is definitely a Kodak moment so off we went.  Unfortunately while at the waterfall Michelle deciced that climbing a rock in her dress was a good idea and she promptly slid down the rock onto her hands and knees in the mud.  Now if you know Michelle you know this was a disaster. Mud all on her hands and arms and legs and most importantly her dress. She was devastated! Luckily we had brought a change of clothes for her; into something more practical like shorts and a t-shirt; which was a bit of shame because she looked gorgeous in the dress that my sister Beverly had given us (that she had originally made for her first daughter Elizabeth).  The dress and Michelle’s ego survived (barely).

It was a wonderful day out in the fresh air and by 13h00 everyone was very tired and the children were getting irritable so we decided to call it a day. The rest of the afternoon wa s quite difficult with not much energy left to do anything else – but what a pleasant time. We really need to do it again.

Lance and Ethan

Click on these photographs here to see the full-size versions that I have just finished processing for Cathy and Lance of Ethan and Daniel. I hope they like them? I think they came out really nicely but I better get cracking with some more!  These are all full-frame shots coming out of my 22 mega-pixel Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III camera so the quality is superb and they should print really nicely.

Looking forward to the next picnic. Until next time.
Ian

Michelle and Laura-Ashley learn…

JumpStart Advanced Preschool World

I had a great little chuckle to myself today. I was in the study working/playing on my computer while my two girls (Michelle and Laura-Ashley) were playing on their computer. They were playing a new JumpStart game that I recently bought them that they absolutely love – JumpStart Advanced Preschool World.

It’s a very cool game with 3D animation, great sound and beautiful animated scenery with butterflies, rainbows, waterfalls and slides. The thing they absolutely love doing best at the moment is dress-up where you can change the clothes your character (avatar) wear, what the colour of your skin is, your hair colour and style, shoes etc. Just this part of the game alone is heaven-sent for two little girls and well worth the money spent. Next best is probably going down the slide into the water – clothes and all! It always evokes a giggle while they are trying to figure out what to do next that their little character does a handstand or something weird.

Normally they would be playing together on their own computer and they have to take turns at it – fairs fair you know. And it’s a little frustrating for Michelle as Laura-Ashley is 14 months younger than her (Michelle is 5 on the 21st October).  So Laura-Ashley naturally struggles a little bit more than Michelle – who is quite sharp I must admit (yes I’m biased). Add to the fact that Laura-Ashley is left-handed and has battled to come to grips with the mouse (pun intended) although it’s clear that having her do little computer classes at Wishing Wells creche has brought her on in leaps and bounds.

Anyway, today as Mommy was being lazy (ok, not feeling so well) and lying on the bed; I said to Michelle why doesn’t she play the game on Mommy’s computer provided she makes me a mega-promise not to touch the very expensive 23″ Apple LCD Display that spoiled Mommy has!  Solemnly she made the promise that she would be very very careful and began to play (to her credit she was very good).

Laura-Ashley

Needless to say every few seconds there would be a cry from Laura-Ashley:
“Michelle! I’m stuck, how do I get to the movies?”
“Michelle! Help, how do I get back to my house?”
“I want to have the same hair as you Michelle”
“Michelle what’s happening here?” (this was usually after she had accidentaly right-clicked the mouse, or minimised all the application and started up Outlook Express or something of that nature – sheesh!)

If it wasn’t the pleas for help getting around the game, there would be squeals of delight:
“Michelle, come see what I’m wearing.”
“Michelle, listen to my song”
“Michelle, look at this kite I just won”
“Michelle…”
“Michelle…”
“Michelle..!.”
I love it! For once they were leaving me alone. Hallelujah. But I could see MIchelle slowly but surely getting irritated having to get off her chair each time, wander over to the other computer, often climb up on the desk next to Laura-Ashley in order to help her out.

So I said to Michelle: “Now do you understand why Daddy gets so frustrated when you’re on the computer and I’m busy doing other stuff and you keep calling me”.
“Arrrgh, I know; it’s so annoying!” says Michelle. “Laura-Ashley, stop bothering me!”
And she’s only four! God help us.

  Kids! Gotta love em! They  are actually very cute it has to be said.  The game is really good for them. It teaches them about friendship, sharing and following directions.  They don’t actually play that much on the computer as they usually need supervision. If it’s not time needed to teach them what to do it’s mostly seperating the two from a full-out fight threatening to throw the computer away unless they behave immediately!  Besides you know how precious time is!  Then again time with them is also precious.

Have a great week everyone.
Ian