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.

Tom Schum

non-affiliated (electronics technician)

Today's Date: Jan 14, 2007

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

I recall walking in Oakland in 1976, no job, no idea what would come next. Then I saw a chicken yard. I watched about 100 chickens for at least an hour, completely fascinated.

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

My brothers and I used to go to Mount San Luis in San Luis Obispo, CA (I grew up there). Later, I went on my own a number of times, and ate a lemon or two from a lemon grove at the highest foothill clearing.

Now? I like to get out on my bicycle and just go anywhere nearby.

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

I have always liked monkeys, but I think my favorite animal is the regular kitty cat (one of the few "companion animals" of humans).

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?

I think global warming is the greatest environmental challenge. I think repairing it will be the greatest challenge of the future. We could repair it now, but so few people have died from global warming that nobody is really interested in doing any repairs. The situation will become far more dire, then people and nations will think more about fixing it.

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

Live gently.