ZEST - KEEP THE GREEN ALIVE !!!! Pt. 1 info, credits, lyrics, and comments at IndieMusicPeople

ZESTKEEP THE GREEN ALIVE !!!! Pt. 1 World

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Keeping The Green Alive !!

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11 part audio interview which contains music

Words / Spontaneous __; Paul D. Richmond / Greg Allen c 2005

Music; Steven West / SOCAN / ASCAP

Post production; Steven West, engineer, mixing, mastering, musical contribution

KEEP THE GREEN ALIVE !!!!

NOT FOR RESALE
Approved for REBROADCAST and ARCHIVAL purposes only
All rights reserved c 2005

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
by A. E. Matumamboh

*~*KEEP THE GREEN*~ *~*~*~ALIVE !!!!*~*~

Matumamboh Alfred E. is Cameroonian now living in Toronto, Canada. He holds a Masters degree in Literature. His articles have been published in Cameroon, Nigeria, and England.

Review - Part One

In this series of brilliantly orchestrated interviews, Paul Richmond and Greg Allen have adumbrated the ominous state of our god given planet. Stimulating, penetrating and enlightening perceptions are proffered on the condition of the earth and how the human race led by the alpha homo sapien, Western man, has impacted it. Recklessly and thoughtlessly plundered, the natural habitat of man, earth is revealed in these interviews as being in an advanced stage of ruin.

Enticingly laced with musical interludes, a compelling and disturbing view of the state of our planet is offered.

In the first three interviews, some of the causes of the sick state of the earth are exposed. One of them is the consumerism of Western man. He has been hypnotized into a culture of dependency. Tricked into believing that every gadget in the market is a need and not a want, man in the West is plunged into an insane rush to amass every item he sees in the market. But the sad truth or tragedy is that all these things are manufactured at the expense of the depleting natural resources.

Western capitalism, driven by a compulsion to amass profit, exploits the resources of this planet without thinking of creative ways of regenerating them. The resources are ruthlessly raped by Western industries without realizing that we are part of the living earth and as such we need the earth as much as it needs us. We are to cohabit with other creatures rather than dominate and destroy them.

As Paul Richmond rightly observes, it is the element of greed in human nature that is primarily responsible for this absurd and bizarre state of affairs. And this human greed is epitomized by the financial heavy weights who are the pillars of the corporations that massively exploit the resources of the earth to the very detriment of the earth, civilization as we know it and man himself.

One of the arresting features of the interviews is Paul's talent to ask the tough questions; his determination to explore so called taboo topics, i.e. issues which people elect not to discuss in public. His ultimate goal like that of Greg Allen, of course, is to create awareness in the public about the damage. We as a race have collectively inflicted on our natural environment and how this in turn, ironically, will affect not only the present civilization but the very existence of the human race.

Greg Allen comes across as a living encyclopedia not only of the condition of the earth but of other planets as well.

I salute the courage of these two men to spell out in clear and consistent terminology the primary causes of the near dilapidated state of the earth, namely Western consumerism, Western capitalism and Western man's macho desire to conquer and dominate. But as Greg rightly points out the game is over because there is nowhere else left to conquer. The last chapter of Western man's inherent capacity to dominate and destroy is being written and the pen drips with blood.

Greg Allen also highlights the harmonious balance of the universe, how for instance the moon affects not only the water of the earth but our very hormones. Our emotional state is variously affected by the movement of the moon. We may get excited; intense; angry; stimulated by the full moon. And yet tragically, thanks to Western man's insane greed for profit, this harmonious state of the universe is adversely affected.

In point of fact, these interviews are a must listen.

Review - Part Two

In the second part of this series of interviews we are presented with the two sides of the coin as it were. The interlocutors, Paul Richmond and Greg Allen, demonstrate articulately, with substantial facts from recent history, man's relentless capacity to self-destruct and at the same time indications of hope are put in perspective.

On the dark, destructive side, we are made aware of the fact that hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans in the United States, which ostensibly looked like a natural disaster was indeed catalyzed by man's disruptive actions. Even one of the most deadly earthquakes in human history, the Tsunami disaster, which damaged over nine countries in three continents was also indirectly instigated by man's thoughtless impact on the planet.

Then the horrendous catastrophe which man is directly culpable of, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster which occurred in Ukraine is the other thread in man's narrative of destruction which is dealt with in these interviews. The catastrophic effects of that nuclear cataclysm are still being felt today. The amount of radiation that was unleashed on the environment as a result of the tragic event was so powerful and toxic that all of the reindeers in the region were slaughtered apart from the number of people killed.

Then there is the amount of carbon dioxide that is pumped into the atmosphere, virtually choking or suffocating the earth, is another strain of this sad narrative. As Greg Allen explains, mankind's destructive activities disrupt the balance of incoming radiation and outgoing heat. This is tragic because the earth being a living organism in its own right, has its in-built mechanism to heal itself. But the trouble is, we as a race do not only destroy it with the amount of radiation and carbon dioxide we unleash on it, but we prevent it from restoring itself. This restorative propensity of the earth is demonstrated by the directly affected area of the scandalous nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. As Greg Allen reveals, because there are no human beings living in that area , in spite of the massive devastation wrecked on it by man, it has been able to heal itself to almost pristine state. This fact is one of the miraculous mysteries of the earth and an optimistic indication.

All these facts help to put in sharp focus the point that human civilization as we know it, that is if we perceive our earth as a global village, is at war with our environment. Modern civilization is negatively impacting the planet.

The questions that inevitably loom large in the mind are, " Can we as a race reverse this tragic tide of events? Or, "Have we passed the point of no return?".

The answers to these questions bring us to the other side of the picture, the optimistic side. Once again we refer to Greg Allen, he points out that the knowledge of man's destructive effect on the our planet is well documented and that it is not hidden from the men and women who parade the corridors of power. But that those with the political will and financial power are not doing enough to arrest the situation. Though this can be perceived from a negative perspective, I believe there is a positive spectre to it. I think if pressure groups are formed, especially with projects like this one initiated by Paul Richmond to educate the public and galvanize their will and energy to mount pressure on those in positions of power, then there will be hopeful signs in the sky.

That is why this particular project itself is of remarkable urgency and importance.

The other glimmer of hope is corporations like this one Greg Allen is part of, which functions as a partnership of three men and five female employees, whose efforts are geared toward reversing this tragic tide. Though small in number in comparison to the massive devastation that is taking place daily, yet we cannot underestimate their effect. And one also hopes that there are other corporations all over the world like this one which are working relentlessly to halt this collective destruction.

That is where we all as human beings come in, we need to intervene. We cannot afford to stand idly by and squeeze our hands in anguish while juggernauts deplete our natural resources and destroy our planet.

I will conclude this second part of my review by referring to the sixteenth century English poet John Done who once wrote, "no man is an island entire by itself" and as Professor Ali Mazrui rightly contends, "out in the cosmic sea, there is an island called earth, no man may be an island, but every man lives on one." That makes the task of jointly embarking on saving our planet all the more urgent, because the survival of our race depends on it.

Review - Part 3

The main thrust of the last series of interviews which takes place on Amherst Island is essentially about providing solutions to the problems that are brilliantly analyzed in the first parts of the series of interviews.

If the governments of the world are hesitant to take concrete actions that will enable the restoration of our planet then a plethora of creative ideas can be garnered from this last series of interviews to start the process of restoration.

From the interviews, it is clear that for the healing process of our earth to begin, we must alter our thinking pattern. That is, we must acknowledge that our present lifestyle is destructive to our environment hence the need for alternative methods which in reality are superior or healthier.

The second point of departure is that changes can begin at the level of small communities. In other words, people can begin to come together to exchange and harness ideas on how to better treat our planet.

More benefits are derived by listening to the interviews first hand. By so doing, key suggestions on how to adapt our lifestyles to our natural habitat can be borrowed. So, I will only highlight a few of the creative suggestions.

We learn from the interviews that compost toilets are more useful to our environment than the water system which helps to contaminate our drinking water.

Commonsensical approaches like building houses with windows facing south so that the sunlight directly reflects in our houses providing energy that enables the growth of house plants. Roof top garden is another way of improving our living space because they receive much energy directly from the sun. We can also use devices such as heat exchanges which cost less than $500 can reduce the domestic water load by up to 40%.

We are also advised and encouraged to improve the building envelopes or insulative layers around our houses for energy conservation. Theses are only a few of the many creative ways of living that will drastically reduce our energy consumption, discussed in this last series.

Daine's poem, "To Save or not to Save …" is a poignant plea for collective intervention to save our planet. What gives the poem such emotional power is her evocation of the earth in the image of an ailing woman. This poignant personification of the earth calls for urgent and positive participation in remaking our planet. It is a poetic summon to positive change, a call for immediate action on all and sundry.

While the interviews appeal to the intellect, Maria Daine's poem tugs the strings of the heart. It is a heart rending appeal not to stand by and watch the earth eternally ruined. What Daine is obliquely saying in this poem is that we cannot pretend to be islands of neutrality or symbols of indifference when we know all is bubbling and just about bursting at the seams. We need to be friends and not foes with our environment, for our good and that of our posterity.

What Daines, Richmond and Allen have in common is a passionate love for the earth and an iron will to see it survive the ravages inflicted on it by man.

I doff my hat to Paul Richmond's courage, unflinching determination to unearth and the truth about the state of the earth and his zealous dedication to awaken the slumbering conscience of the world especially that of the high and mighty who lack the political will to make and implement policies that are crucial for the salvation of our planet.

Review - Conclusion

In conclusion it is evident from the foregone that, like physicians, Paul Richmond and Greg Allen have clinically diagnosed and exposed the sick state of the condition of the earth. But, they are not prophets of doom. Even though they have critically analysed the impact the destructive animal called man has had on his own habitat, they have also indicated signs of hope. In other words, the interview has portrayed a balanced picture of the earth's condition, foregrounding the problem as well as proffering valuable solutions.

That, in part, explains the remarkable importance of these interviews. Not only have we been conscientized about the destructive path modern civilization has taken, the interviews are a storehouse of valuable information on how to adopt an alternative lifestyle or culture that will begin the regeneration or restoration process of our only habitant. And the other good thing about these interviews is that we do not need to wait for governments to legislate policies that will enable the earth to breath or restore itself. We can actually begin at the individual level. Communities also can borrow ideas from here and implement them for their own benefit.

It is heart-warming to learn that there are positive forces around the globe that are mobilizing and galvanizing their energies to compel governments around the world to stem this cannibalistic propensity in man. This act of insane callousness to destroy other creatures and our natural habitat for profit. It is the profit motive that shapes the minds of those in high places who turn a blind eye to the devastation that we continue to inflict on our planet. Blinded by the desire for exorbitant profit, these men and women possess a bestial tendency that insults that of the beast of the jungle.

Thank God, with projects like this interview, the alarm bells are ringing and the entire world is forced to take note. It is my strong belief that the forces for positive change will not stop until the whole world embarks on a new lifestyle that is less harmful to our planet.

The ranks of those who strive to halt these destructive cultures keeps on swelling and the march of history will continue until victory is achieved, until the dawn of a new culture emerges out of the ashes of this one.

In a sense, we are called upon to make a choice that will determine the destiny of our planet and our posterity. It is either you lend support in any way possible to those who want to save this planet or you are in favour of those who are heading us for destruction. To bury our heads ostrich-like in the sand and pretend that the problem does not exist is to lend support to the destructive forces.

After listening to these interviews, may our consciences be pricked and may we do the right thing because our planet desperately needs our intervention.

A. E. Matumamboh

Any publication of this material in part or in whole is strictly prohibited unless the author has given his expressed approval for publication in writing.

c 2006
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
x

Song Comments

Musicians For Compassion
A healthy planet means healthy people!

Musicians For Compassion 2
A healthy planet means healthy people!

Keeping The Green Alive !!
This interview is IMPORTANT, please listen to it!

DICARLO´S HOT PICKS
EXCELLENT INTERVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!