High waves of toxic
water drown the land
Dead eyes,
the earth cries,
man deceives and lies
The sun colors the morning
in the hues of dead trees
on the banks of greed
How high may become
the price the future
will have to pay?
Today I received a newsletter from Waterbear that began like this:
" What if we stopped waiting for disaster to strike, creating a global safety net to protect those hit hardest?
During COP29, we asked our community: What if everyone gave just 1% of their income to accelerate climate action? An incredible 88% said they would. "
This is what I wrote to them:
" Yes, we are good at that: buying off our bad behavior. Then we can just continue our destructive way of living with a ‘clean' conscience.
What if everyone would just reduce their consumption and destructive polluting behavior to within the limits of 1 earth?
How many people would respond positively to that?
Besides, can we buy off an ecological footprint of 4-5 earths with just one procent of our income?
Those are the really interesting questions. "
Not entirely needless to add that “the community” of the newsletter sender, is very involved in the environment. Not so surprising then that the score of people responding positively is so high...
But alas, it is only an answer to a hypothetical question from a very concerned little group.... The world's leaders are struggling to agree on 300 billion a year for the countries already hardest hit by the climate crisis. A pittance compared to what is really needed. And that's just talking about fighting the direct effects of global warming alone.... Unfortunately, we have a few more problems like rapid species extinction, a polluted and poisoned ocean, resource depletion, soil depletion, fresh water and food scarcity...
They haven’t reacted on my email, yet...
Quantum computing
I also came across an article that Google has taken a “big” step in developing a chip for quantum computing. Read what that is here.
Google announced, with much trumpeting, the construction of a small quantum computer chip that can calculate in minutes what an ordinary computer would take 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years to do. We may be, the article explains, only five years away from an era when quantum computing transforms society.
Quantum computing should be used primarily to boost Artificial Intelligence, enabling AI to generate solutions to the major problems humanity is struggling with within seconds.
My first thought when I read that was: but how can you solve those problems when you feed the tool for that purpose (AI) with all the shit humanity has invented and caused so far, and the tool itself to generate the solution uses more resources (energy and water) and spews out more dirt than all other existing tools combined??
Two more interesting articles on AI:
And if you were hoping that at least bottled mineral water is still clean: No....
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/12/forever-chemical-europe-mineral-water
General info on this artwork
The artwork 'Earth Cries (3)' is a digital transformation of a photograph. Printed on order with high-quality ink on museum-quality, acid-free cotton/rag paper (Hahnemühle Photo Rag® 308gsm). The work comes in a limited edition of 10, signed and with a certificate of authenticity.
But of course, it is also available as Open Edition print, without signature and not numbered. Available in any size you desire !
Maximum size is 150x150H cm / 60Wx60H inches, any size available up to that maximum. So please let me know the size you would prefer.
I start with one or more photographs made by myself to create these artworks. Then I use digital painting, color adjusting and adding and transforming multiple artistic textures and effects. I do this until there is a surreal atmosphere that touches me and tells the story I want to tell you.
And prints are available, contact me for a quote including shipping costs. Also available in my portfolio at the Saatchi Art artwork page and at Fine Art America.
And of course available in any size you desire ! The work comes in a Limited Edition of 10, signed and with a certificate of authenticity. But of course, it is also available as Open Edition print, without signature and not numbered. Prices starting at €55 / US$60.
ALL WE NEED IS LESS CONSUMING
Through my artworks I ask you to reflect for a moment on the nature around you, on the beautiful feeling that nature can evoke. Thus to think about your actions to support the wellbeing of the earth and everything that lives on it. And on what humanity loses when many of us continue on the destructive path of ever more greed and consuming. And please, reflect on how you can survive in this rapidly changing world…
So do you want to know your ecological footprint?
Then visit this website: https://www.footprintcalculator.org/home/en
And do you want to reduce your ecological footprint?
Then ask me, I will help you. For free. Or simply visit my website and choose in the menu for Your Footprint.
And if you appreciate my writings and art and want to support me, you can buy me a piece of fruit here: https://ko-fi.com/jacobberghoef, thank you 🍏 !
So are you interested in more? Then read what I wrote about System Change, Man's impact on the earth, Organic Change, Regenerative Agriculture, Regeneration
What if…. so many problems in the world, we forget the main one that is the climate change which has already impacts on our daily life. Thanks for this text and beautiful photo Jacob!! Have a nice day
Indeed Laurence, so many problems. And we let ourselves be led by politicians who have an ear for capitalism, who only think short term and who do not dare to take bold decisions…. Big problems are not solved by compromise.
Thank you very much for your comment, have a wonderful day too
Herzlichen Dank lieber Jacob für Dein bewundernswertes Engagement in tief berührender Lyrik über Tatsachen und traumhaft schöner künstlerischer Darstellung der Vision und so vieler Hinweise auf all die globalen Verbrechen, die unsre ach so moderne Zivilisation
kennzeichnen. Unfassbar wie umfangreich alles unendlich diskutiert wird und Notmaßnahmen zur Rettung der Natur von allen zuständigen Top-Institutionen fast
totgeschwiegen werden und mehr oder weniger privaten Kämpfern überlassen werden .
Natürlich muss jeder einzelne beitragen, aber mir scheint, dass da inzwischen schon
Resignation herrscht . . . . . .
Trotz allem wünsche ich Euch erfreuliches Wochenende .
Danke, liebe Ute, für deine ausführliche Antwort. Ja, Resignation, nirgends basierende Zuversicht, dass die Menschheit so genial ist, dass irgendwann eine Lösung gefunden wird…. Solange kein Luxus aufgegeben werden muss, wollen wir vor allem nicht weniger bekommen, als wir schon haben. Nein, im Gegenteil, wir träumen von mehr, wir fordern mehr. Von regelmäßigen Gehaltserhöhungen bis hin zur Entschädigung für jede noch so kleine Unannehmlichkeit.
Wir wünschen dir ein schönes Wochenende!
Gerne lieber Jacob, natürlich stimme ich Dir zu und bin bestürzt über die zunehmende Tendenz nach MEHR in jeder erdenklichen Art und Weise, um die innere Stimme zu unterdrücken und mit der Masse zu schwimmen trotz verseuchter Gewässer .
Wundert mich gar nicht, geringe, bzw. kurze Resonanz auf Beiträge wie Deine zu beobachten, aber ich weiß selbst, das wir mit Negativem überschüttet werden und nach Betäubung gesucht wird.
Bleiben wir standhaft und verbreiten wir Licht !
Ich persönlich sehe das als Realismus, nicht als negativ. Wir sind keine Schwarzmaler, aber wir haben die Phase hinter uns gelassen, in der wir so tun, als wäre alles in Ordnung, als würden nur weit entfernte Menschen unter den Folgen unseres Überkonsums leiden. Das ist nicht mehr möglich, denn die Folgen rücken immer näher.
Aber ja, natürlich ist dies Realismus, und ich möchte auch deutlich darauf hinweisen, daß ich auf zunehmend sehr wertvolle Überlegungen, Diskussionen aufmerksam werde, d.h.
für mich, daß die Schere offensichtlich weiter klafft .
Eine Lücke ist definitiv da, liebe Ute, und sie wird nicht kleiner. Die Welt polarisiert, es gibt keinen Mittelweg, keine Nuance zwischen dafür und dagegen.
Ja, Polarisierung ist wohl der zutreffende Begriff. Danke lieber Jacob und angenehmen Sonntag.
Wir wünschen dir auch einen schönen Sonntag(abend), liebe Ute.