Mr. Jan Hearthstone

Facilitator - ModelEarth.Org

Today's Date: 2007.01.16

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

Too many to really remember a single significant instance--animals tend to be persons to me, many times being, somehow, better "people" than the real article, perhaps for being more honest? When there is a good communicational space, and the animals let me in, as if, - into their life sphere, I am always surprised to see complex social interactions.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

Plenty!
A good place is that I can "grow" with, not always possible, the modern life tends to make it impossible by trying to control every aspect of existence, quite often.
Favorite trees, glades, brooksides, ...

Now? I am still a kid, no matter how deformed by the society-- the above happens still, albeit less and less often.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

A "favorite" animal is one that lets me communicate with it-- I met a lot of those.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

The challenge is growing exponentially--a space in which this positive feedback madness can play itself out has to be found.

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

I think that to recognize and to defend the natural right to sleep of any- everyone would change the society fundamentally for better - just start thinking what would start being different, if this happened. A right to a fundamental home would mean more relaxed people. Having more relaxed people would lead to fewer mistakes being made (inclusive of mishandling most everything) ... I got a few articles on the subject at: http://www.modelearth.org/artics.html, if you got the while.