Garden of Eden |
روضه رضوان |
A higher goal of environmentalism - restoring eden in the Middle East. What is the most productive, vibrant natural environment possible given Iran's climate? What management practices could bring this about? Our mythology is filled with references to human failure and punishment by poor land quality. How can we become true environmentalists in this environment? How do we become gardeners that coax out and nurture the best environment here. How do we measure it? Modern environmentalism suffers from the idea that we’re aliens and must keep off the land in order for it to be healthy. In a way, we have expelled ourselves from Eden, feeling we are too sinful/flawed/evil to be there. But in fact, we’re animals, an integral part of this planet, and have to learn how to be with it, in it, gardening it. Perhaps separating ourselves from it is not natural.
Happy Nowruz to all!
Nowruz celebrates the first day of Spring, the change of season, the new year.
Every nowruz, each Iranian household sets their
haft-sin table, complete with a plate of grass (sabzi).
Compare this to the tradition of people in Christian countries who celebrate their seasonal holiday by
cutting down an entire tree.
The major environmental differences between east and west are embodied in these two traditions.
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If you take a look around Iran these days, much of it is badly desertified. You may attribute this to climate change or overgrazing, but the
"holistic resource management" (HRM) model offers an alternative view. How valid is this view? How can it be tested? The great thing about HRM is that it suggests a solution to the problem that shimmers with possibility and validates the nomadic lifestyle. For this reason alone, it bears investigating.
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I have here a letter from my American grandmother, dated 28 years ago. In it, she writes about the birds she saw when she visited Shiraz. Many of these birds still grace the skies, trees and rooftops of Shiraz today.
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Skies are hazy and there's a surreal glow around the city. Why?
A massive dust storm blew through Iraq and over the Persian Gulf on July 1, 2008. A NASA satellite captured
this image the same day. July 2,
the storm continues.. ُ
What causes these dust storms? How do they affect Iran and the region? What measures can be taken to mitigate their damage?
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