Monday Ripples: Darwin’s Unanswered Question

Monday Ripples: Darwin’s Unanswered Question


â┚¬Å”What this world needs is a new kind of army â┚¬â€œ the army of the kind.â┚¬Â â┚¬â€œ Cleveland Amory

I've been thinking about garbage a lot lately. More specifically litter strewn here and there around my neighborhood. We recently moved to the Colonialtown and the area we live in is an odd mix of industrial and residential. Because of this hybrid factor, more than any other place I've lived, people seem to be comfortable tossing their trash on the ground.

I found a commercial from my youth online and posted it on my Facebook wall. Whenever I see litter junking up my community, the PSA's strong image of a Native American shedding a tear after someone throws their fast food waste at his feet. In the comments under my post, one of my friends stated that the situation was that different cultures viewed garbage in different ways, he had observed this in his travels, and we are after all a melting pot in this country.

I think there could be some truth his hypothesis, which in a strange way gives me hope. Maybe the situation is creating awareness, so that we can change perception. This is a much more positive way to look at the situation than my initial reaction: some people are selfish jerks.

Evolution of Kind
Where does good come from?
Who knew that the origin of altruism is an ongoing debate when it comes to the theory of evolution? Certainly not the author of this here blog! It makes sense that it would be a debate now that I've read this intriguing piece by Leon Neyfakh for The Boston Globe; being nice to another works against the whole idea of natural selection. Thanks to reader Zac Alfson for sharing this on the SSTW Facebook page.

Cycle Wars
BikeBlogNYC
This past weekend, Brendan and I pedaled over to one of our local restaurants to partake of some Greek food. On our ride back, we got in the left lane to turn toward home and a BMW sped past us, honking its horn, then cut in front of us to turn up the same street we were heading on. We shook our heads at the driver, who seemed to be ignorant of the law which requires you to use the lane as normal, if a bike lane isn't available. Automobile driver ignorance is disheartening â┚¬â€œ not to mention dangerous â┚¬â€œ when it comes to cycling. We need to do more pedaling as the price of gas climbs and our environment becomes polluted from our ridiculous dependence on fossil fuels.

Lest you think the cycling crisis is limited to my still young city, take a look at this blog which chronicles the current conflict between bike riders and the police in New York City.

Cup o' Good
Aspire CoffeeWorks
Some unbelievable things are happening in my home state due to a man who seems hellbent on finding his place in history as our worst governor. Recently he was planning to cut funding to programs that help disabled people, until organizers in that field came to him with solutions. I hate to be cynical, but our governor really isn't interested in anything unless it can make him or his friends money. It's disgusting, but I digress. My point being that we can't rely on politicians to change our world; in fact, when we come together, we are often more affective.

Take Aspire CoffeeWorks as an excellent example. In a partnership with Metropolis Coffee Company in Illinois, Aspire is broadening the horizons of people with disabilities by providing them with work. You can support their work by purchasing their fair trade, organic coffee. It'll be delivered right to your mailbox!

A Million Little Pieces?
â┚¬ËœThree Cups of Tea' Author Defends Book
I'm not sure what to think after reading this piece from the New York Times. You may remember that I read Three Cups of Tea and loved it. Its author Greg Mortenson is dealing accusation that parts of the book may not be true. On the heels of that, CBS did a report trying to expose the schools as ineffective. The need for fact checking when it comes to autobiographical material is a valid point, we all have faulty memories and honest mistakes can be made, but I think Greg is a stand-up guy and I firmly believe in him, his story, and his amazing work. Regardless, I'm putting this out there for you to draw your own conclusions, and as a cautionary lesson on finding out the facts behind organizations we choose to support. It’s worth using one of your 20 free clicks to read this article.

Be sure to enter to win the SSTW contest to win a copy of the coffee table book African Cats: The Story Behind the Film. All you have to do is tell us your favorite Disney flick. A winner will be drawn this Friday, Earth Day.

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