I did a google news search on global warming. Nearly all of the articles refer to the recent UN climate panel report that details the certainty global warming exists, the 90 to 99 percent likelihood it is due mainly to human burning of fossil fuels, and the likely effects over the next decades, centries and millenia. After reading many articles, this quote struck me:
(Taken from article by Alan Dupont, Wed. Feb 7, 2007, ¨Scorched Earth an Insecure Place¨, Online Opinion, onlineopinion.com, first published in The Australian on February 5, 2007)
¨Although these sobering statistics should be a wake-up call for action, complacency should not be replaced by alarmism or defeatism.

¨If climate change is human-induced, then the solutions can and must be found within our collective resources and wisdom.

¨As a first step, the Government needs to take a more comprehensive approach by developing a national strategy on climate change that considers all the consequences of a rapidly warming planet. For this is an issue that transcends the environment and goes to the heart of national and international security.¨

For complete article, see Scorched Earth an Insecure Place

The main things in this quote that strike me are that the issue is not just an environmental issue, but it transends that and it is fundamentally an issue of international security.

The second thing that strikes me is that we need to neither become alarmists or defeatists, but rather we need to face the issue with creativity and cooperation.

Fiesta de la Candelaria

Estoy en Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, Mexico. Aqui todos los años hay una fiesta grande en que sueltan seis toros en la calle, y las personas tienen que correr para evitar el toro, o cuando el toro para, las personas provocan el toro atacar mas. Tambien hay mucha musica folklorica de los jaraneros, una tradición jarocha (del estado de Veracruz). Además hay muchas presentaciónes, actividades y comida tradicional de la región. Todo el mundo me dijeron que no perder esta fiesta. Por eso, regresé del Catemaco a Tlacotalpan en un dia. Corrí cien kilometros para llegar en el mismo dia para ver los toros en el dia siguiente.
I am in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, Mexico. Every year here there is a great festival in which they set loose six bulls in the streets, and people have to run to avoid the charging bulls, and when the bull stops, people provoke the bull to charge and run again. Also, the festival includes a coming together of hundreds of jaraneros and dicimistas, which are guitar folk bands and people who recite rhyming verses. In addition, throughout the festival, which runs from Jan 31 to Feb 9, there are many cultural presentations, activities and food representative of the region. I came back for the festival from Catemaco, biking 62 miles in one day through the hills of this region to arrive the day before they set loose the bulls.

Friends I met in Santiago Tuxtla--Orlando, Andrea, and I. We had a good time together.

Procession through streets of Tlacotalpan antes de la fiesta de la candelaria.

Cascada Salto de Eyipantla. The waterfall 'Salto de Eyipantla'.

Un chango chamaco, Lago de Catemaco. A little monkey, lake of Catemaco.

Chango, Catemaco. Una vez, el changuito agarró un plátano de mis manos. Otra vez, tiré un plátano a un chago, y el cachó el plátano! Thai monkey, Catemaco. These were placed on this island around thirty years ago by a University in Puerto Rico. Once, a little monkey took a banana from my hands. Another time, I threw a banana to one of the mature monkeys, and he caught it, sitting there on the branch above the water. He proceeded to eat the banana, peel and all.

Changuito, Catemaco. Little monkey, Catemaco.

Las flores lotos, protejadas. The lotus flowers, protected.

Un pajaro común aqui en Catemaco. A common bird here in Catemaco.

Catemaco, Veracruz, MX. Abajo dice 'Escápate a Paraíso'. Below, it says, 'Escape to paradise'.

Estoy en San Andres Tuxtla ahora. Acabéi de jugar fútbol con un grupo de hombres. Supuestamente, San Andres Tuxtla es un lugar turistico. Cerca hay la Salta de Eyipantla. Luego es el lago de Catemaco, la isla de los changos, y los brujos y shamanes.
I am in San Andres Tuxtla now. I just finished playing soccer with some guys. Supposedly, this town is a tourist attraction. Nearby are the waterfalls of Eyipantla. Further on is the lake of Catemaco with an island with monkeys on it, and a group of shamans.

Cabeza olmeca. Olmec head, Santiago Tuxtla.

Plaza en Santiago Tuxtla.

Centro de Lerdo de Tejada, con el ingenio de San Francisco en el fondo. Center of Lerdo de Tejada with the sugar factory in the background.

Muchas mujeres usan estas motocicletas chicas, llenas de niños a menudo. Many women use these scooters, often loaded with kids, too.

Mira la silla para el niño. Witness the wooden seat for the baby/passenger. Very common this side of Veracruz.

Sergio y la escena de la navidad, Lerdo de Tejada. Sergio and the Navidad scene in Lerdo de Tejada.

La plaza en Lerdo de Tejada.


El circo viene al Lerdo de Tejada! Los tigres estan en la calle! The circus is coming to town, the tigers are in the streets!

Bicicletas son muy popular aquí en Lerdo de Tejada. Bicycles are very popular here in Lerdo de Tejada.

Unas de las bicicletas para vender cosas o cargar cosas o gente, muy popular aqui en México. A couple of the bicycles common here to sell goods (fruit, often) or to transport people or goods.


Interestante terreno en la carretera. Interesting terrain near the highway...

El terreno local, cerca de Santiago Tuxtla. Some of the local terrain, near Santiago Tuxtla.

Uno de los pajaros sentado en la vaca. One of those birds that hang out on cows.

Photos from Veracruz, Alvarado, Tlacotalpan, Lerdo de Tejada

La familia hospedándome ahorita en Lerdo de Tejada, Estado de Veracruz. The family I am hanging out with today in Lerdo de Tejada, state of Veracruz, Mexico.

Entrada a Tlacotalpan, patrimonio de la humanidad. At the entrance to Tlacotalpan, patron city of humanity.

Una calle en Tlacotalpan, donde sueltan seis toros en el primero de febrero en la fiesta de la calendaria. A street in Tlacotalpan, where they set loose six bulls in the festival of the Virgin of the Calendar, February first.

Zócalo/plaza principal en Tlacotalpan. Main plaza in Tlacotalpan.

El palacio en Tlacotalpan.

Kiosko en Tlacotalpan.

Calle en Tlacotalpan. Street in Tlacotalpan.

Welcome sign to Tlacotalpan.

The welcome sign to Alvarado, Veracruz, Mexico. On the way to Coatzacoalcos. Stayed here for a day, hung out with some nice folks at a smoothie shop. Conocí a buena gente de un jugoría.

La carretera cerca de Veracruz en la salida a Coazacoalcos/Córdoba. The highway near Veracruz as it heads towards Coazacoalcos/Córdoba.

Cabeza olmeca en la carretera en Veracruz. An olmec head on the highway in Veracruz.

El dolfin-hombre en la playa en Veracruz. The dolphin man on the beach in Veracruz.

Monumento a valores en la playa en Veracruz. A monument to values of love, work, truth and honor on the beach in Veracruz.

El papa en la playa de Veracruz con una isla en el fondo. The pope on the beach in Veracruz with an island in the background.

Monumento en Veracruz sobre la revolución. Monument in Veracruz commemorating the revolution freeing Mexico from Spain.

Estadio de los Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz. The soccer stadium of the Red Sharks of Veracruz.

Estudiantes quienes encontré antes de salir de Veracruz. Platicamos sobre medio ambiente y calentamiento de la tierra. Students I met before heading out of Veracruz. We talked about the environment and global warming.

Fuente afuera del parque ecológico, Veracruz. Fountain outside the ecological park, Veracruz.

El palacio municipal en Veracruz (Plaza de las Armas). The municipal palace in the Plaza de las Armas (main zócalo) in Veracruz.

El zócalo en Veracruz. The main plaza in Veracruz.

Fútbolistas en la playa de Veracruz después de ganar. Soccer players on the beach in Veracruz after we won.

Jugadores de fútbol en la playa de Veracruz. Football (soccer) players on the beach of Veracruz.

Trabajadores del carretera con su trabajo, yo con me trabajo de carretera. (Rail)road workers with their work, me with my road work.

Uno de los busos, en el puerto de Veracruz. A platform worker, port of Veracruz.

En el puerto de Veracruz, estatua de trabajadores del puerto. In the port of Veracruz, a statue of workers of the port.

En el puerto de Veracruz. In the port of Veracruz.

El perro con quien juguéi fútbol en Tampico. The dog I played soccer with in Tampico.