Baraza

Category: Climate change | Date: Mar 09 2008 | By: admin

Yesterday I caught Harry in the act. Actually, after the act to be correct, and too late for the poor bird. It was a young swift that had been nesting in the rafters. Earlier I’d enjoyed the pleasure of him flying around over my head just before dawn (yes, I keep crazy hours), it was too dark for a bird to be flying, but he landed on a roof pole and beneath the awnings and seemed fine. I didn’t give it a second thought. Until I discovered the pile of feathers, and cat’s guilty expression a few hours later.

Forgive me but my first thought was to give the cat a swift kick and send it hurtling down the rift valley. I could just picture him spinning out of control, trying to land feet first …. 200 meters at the bottom of a gorge.

Ok, I agree, it’s a horrible image. I didn’t even reprimand the damn cat. After all, it is my fault, it’s my cat, perhaps I hadn’t fed it enough. Actually it’s not really my cat, I inherited it with the house. By now you can probably tell I’m not much of a cat person. I think they probably do more damage to biodiversity than most house pets or companion animals. I read here that cats kill between 8 and 217 million birds per year in Wisconsin alone! I’m amazed that not everyone think they are a problem . Cats also contribute to the spread of rabies and other nasty parasites and diseases to wildlife . I also know for a fact that in Africa feral domestic cats are diluting the gene pool of indigenous wild cats (did you know that cats came originally from the middle east?).

Anyway, these thoughts were rushing through my brain as I cleared up the feathers and then it hit me, I am the worlds worst hypocrite.

I am morally opposed to the killing of whales, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, elephants and other ‘sentient’ beings and wild animals for food by anyone (or domestic cat). I read some ethics blogs like ethics and animals and I’m not radical, but I’m not consistent and I feel a bit conflicted. I have never dared to ask, but I wonder how many people out there feel the same way?

The honest truth is that I eat meat and that means that I contribute to the deaths of animals, cows, sheep and sea fish (which are indeed wild animals not vegetables as many vegetarians conveniently like to think). They have to die for me! I can’t stand the thought that I’m responsible for this. I’ve tried alternatives, I once fell in love with a vegetarian and was persuaded with the animal welfare argument and became a complete and utter vegetarian zealot! But my son, 6 at the time, was having none of it. I tried to manipulate him and asked while driving around a national park, if he’d eat a giraffe, a zebra, lion (he’s a Leo) to all he said a resounding ‘yes’ and added ‘mum, when you die I’ll ask them if I can have you for breakfast’. He reminded me that humans have always eaten meat

The proof is in cave paintings in South Africa

Long story short, I gave up my quest to convert my son instantly, and gave up vegetarianism angrily after I discovered that my ‘lover’ actually ate prawns.

I subscribe to World watch and recently discovered to my horror just how deadly our global meat eating habits are for the planet and I’m sure Americans were recently served with a dose on how cruel cattle slaughter is.

Not just me but all my friends are big meat eaters…how can you have a barbeque without meat in Kenya? Nobody would come!

African livestock have lots of space…does that make it less bad to eat them?

Now I feel guilty, evil, and responsible not only for the mass slaughter of wild and domestic animals, but for the damage that these animals are wrecking on this beautiful planet – have you seen this picture of the earth in the sunshine?

Forgive me for this but I have another confession that I’m totally ashamed of, I also keep forgetting to carry cotton bags or baskets to the supermarket and keep getting my stuff loaded into disgusting plastic bags. Sometimes I’ll forget the bags in the car and by the time I’m checking things through it’s too late to go get them. As I drive home I shrink at the sight of the plastic bag confetti strewn all over the grass, trees and fences. Those could be my bags my brain screams. My poor memory infuriates me but this blog inspires me.

So the aftermath of my cat’s murdering episode has been a complete rethink of my ecological footprint Conservation International offer some help on how to lower your ecological footprint. This site is packed with useful links and articles especially for Americans. Here’s my personal assessment against their list

1. Walk, bike, and ride-share more. Drive less! Ok, I live miles out of town, my neighbours don’t have cars – I have to drive but I can and do spend a day or more a week working from home. Can’t ride in, just too impractical, and frankly dangerous in Nairobi.
2. Eat lower on the food chain - it’s good for the planet. I do eat organic vegetables and meat as much as possible…. I admit, I can eat less meat. Much less.
3. Make your home energy and water efficient. I score very high here – we have a windmill and solar power, our water is partly rain water and partly from a natural spring half way down the gorge. Ok truth check… its got nothing to do with being eco friendly, there’s just no power grid it this remote area, and if there was power here I bet everyone would switch because it’s much more affordable than the investment in windmills and batteries.
4. Let your lawn go natural for wildlife. Another high score – my garden is 40 acres of pure African bush (though I do allow my neighbours to run their cattle and sheep through from time to time).
5. Save trees by reducing your junk mail and using paper with 100% post-consumer waste content. I don’t even own a printer!
6. Recycle all computer diskettes, CD discs, videos and batteries, and shift to using less hazardous, rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries. In Kenya there’s no such facility. My rubbish dump is one of my greatest embarrassments but I do compost my biological wastes in the expectation that one day I may be inspired to do some cultivation of my own vegetables (seriously!).
7. Drink more water, and use reusable mugs and dining-ware. I’m not sure how drinking more water helps, but surely buying water to drink more is only contributing to the mountain of plastic bottle waste? You can’t drink tap water in Kenya unless you have a stomach of steel. I am guilty of getting coffee take-out on my way into the office from time to time.
8. Recycle your aluminum, glass, and plastic products, as well as newspapers and mixed paper. I really should look into this more seriously. My tin cans are recycled though I have no idea how, and glass bottles are piling up… newspapers are re-used for window cleaning – does that count?
9. Make a contribution to conservation by supporting local, national, and international environmental non-profits! I feel like a volunteer on a daily basis and help out with local non profits though I’m sure I could do much more
10. Take conservation actions in your own community! Ok, I admit, I’m not doing much in this area. I’ll take this up and start a conservation club at a local school.

My windmill is absolutely brilliant but not everyone in Kenya could afford one

So that’s my story and confessions…I’d love to hear how others out there are dealing with their feelings and ecological footprints.

Before I sign off, a quick note for all the horrified cat lovers who didn’t stop reading when I suggested sending the cat on a foot assisted free fall over the cliff , I’ll make another confession. I’m a super softie when it comes to animals. No matter how angry I get with Harry and his friend Tusi for their crying and scratching , fur shedding and wildlife chasing, I can’t help melting when I wake up and find them curled up affectionately beside me in the morning.

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