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Alan talking about awesome stuff
Source: Proctor Academy Flickr |
Eaarth Day was an interesting day at Proctor Academy. There were no lessons - no classes, yet I still learned more about our planet than a normal day at school. I began Eaarth day with an activity in Shirley Hall with Ian Hamlet. Ian explained to us how diesel automobile engines can still power vehicles with various oils, including cooking oil. We learned that the first diesel engine was powered from vegetable oils, but the use of fossil fuels replaced the idea of utilizing vegetables as the outbreak of WWI occurred, and various nations scrambling for war could extract fossil fuels at a relatively inexpensive, and faster rate. The idea of this activity was to create a fuel that could power vehicles that would be completely harmless to human beings. The interesting part though, is that we were to create a fuel with ingredients that would be harmful on their ow
n. My partner and I proceeded to add various chemicals, oils, and other ingredients in a systematic order, and mix these items with a magnetic spinner. We watched in awe as the oily mixture changed in viscosity, slowly turned into violet color, then quickly reverted back into a thick, yellow substance. All done, we were happy that we concocted a fuel source that was entirely harmless to humans. It made me think - a substance like this could theoretically alter human fuel consumption. A harmless oil that humanity could use to replace fossil fuels appears to be an incredible idea. The only problem with this fuel source is that not enough of it could be produced to fulfil civilization's demand for oil. There would not be enough available farmland on Earth to grow enough vegetables to create the desired amount of oil. Though this method is an excellent idea, it appears incredibly unrealistic. Hopefully not for long though.
My second activity was with Phil Goodnow. A bunch of students and I were delegated the task to collect rubbish along the highway next to Proctor Academy. We travelled on a bus to a parking lot away from the school and proceeded to walk in the direction of Proctor Academy and collect as much discarded waste as we possibly could before we reached campus. I wasn't expecting to pick up much trash, yet we found out quickly that our group simply did not have enough plastic bags to collect everything we could. I was astounded to find beer cans, papers, broken plastic, incandescent lights, and disposable coffee cups among other things littered around the road. As we walked towards Proctor Academy, I became increasingly annoyed with the sheer amount of litter. It angered me that there was just so much of it everywhere - why didn't it occur to some individuals that discarding trash like this was wrong? We left our almost overflowing garbage bags on the side of the road for it to be collected by garbage crews and proceeded to attend lunch.
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The one and only David Rothenberg
Source: The Globe and Mail |
My last activity was a music jam with an experimental jazz musician named David Rothenberg. A professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rothenberg studies the relationship between animal sounds and music. I spent the last hour and a half of Eaarth day playing with him. We began our jam with the sounds of a whale played with a speaker, and Rothenberg proceeded to play a string of notes on his clarinet with these noises. Surprised, I then attempted to replicate a similar scale and rhythm on my guitar to play with Rothenberg and his whales, as did the remaining students in the group. Finding it difficult to pinpoint the proper scale and rhythm due to the erratic noises of the whale and Rothenberg, we soon came to realize that there was no music theory involved, and our musical guest was simply playing to his emotions on a whim. Taking note of his abstract style, we proceeded to play our instruments and we pleased, adding to this unique concoction of sounds. I found Rothenberg's style of music unlike anything I had ever heard before. Though I saw his musical tastes as unique and different, I occasionally felt that the music produced was too challenging to listen to be enjoyed. As an admirer of rock, jazz, alternative and experimental music, I believed that this new genre went beyond anything that I believed was musically challenging. Sitting on the precipice between cacophony and euphony, Rothenberg's animal music was certainly interesting - it just wasn't the right fit for me. Before attending my final activity with Rothenberg, I actually had the chance to hear him speak about his music. In a 90 minute assembly, I heard his thoughts regarding this music - how he made music with birds, whales, and how his friends and him would travel to the ocean on a boat, proceed to remove all their clothing, and play music through an underwater speaker to various humpback whales. This assembly was unlike anything I had seen before. He also described methods of creating musical notation for animal noises, notably whales and transcribed them on paper. Like a concert A note or a musical triplet, he notated the pitch and rhythm of a sound into a single note, something that is almost unheard of in the musical world. Though this unusual technique would not be effective in a western concert musical sense, it seemed perfect for what Rothenberg was attempting to accomplish. It was hard to find words to describe his presentation.
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The wonderful Tita Evertsz
Source: Lemonade International |
Our last speaker was the fabulous Tita Evertsz, a woman who spearheads Lemonade International, an organization in Guatemala that aims to facilitate community development and benefit the lives of the Guatemalan people. Located in a destitute locale in Guatemala City named La Limonada, Lemonade International educates, rehabilitates and provides service to children and young adults in an attempt to give them the tools they need to acquire an honorable occupation and a sustainable future, and deter many youth from joining violent gangs in the area. Because of Tita Evertsz's work, La Limonada is gradually being nursed back to health. Watching her speak and describe her experiences made me feel happy that there are people who truly care about others, and will stop at nothing to benefit the lives of many. Her documentary and her story had me look at my own life, and realize that I feel obligated to follow in her footsteps and help the lives of those that are in need. I was very glad to hear Tita Evertsz speak, and I hope that she succeeds in her honorable endeavors.
