To Bear Reality, We Must Cultivate Joy, Connection, Compassion

Posted on July 31, 2009 by zoeweil

T.S. Eliot once wrote, “Humankind cannot bear much reality.” In today’s world, threatened as it is by global climate change, human overpopulation, massive extinctions, fresh water depletion, toxic waste, and replete with escalating worldwide slavery, brutal institutionalized animal cruelty, human starvation and many more problems, it’s no wonder we can’t bear much reality. In our [...]

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No Child Left Unkind: Building Humane Education Competencies

Posted on July 29, 2009 by zoeweil

Teachers are expected to educate their students so that they are competent in certain subjects, and No Child Left Behind and state laws require that students pass tests demonstrating their knowledge and competencies. While it’s important to know that we are succeeding in our goals as teachers, and that our students are actually learning and [...]

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Stories From Newfoundland #3: 50,000 Birds

Posted on July 27, 2009 by zoeweil

Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Preserve lies at the southernmost tip of the southwest peninsula on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland. It is usually shrouded in fog. In fact, the day that we drove there from St. John’s, Newfoundland’s biggest and most colorful city, it was sunny and warm. But as we wound our way down [...]

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Stories From Newfoundland #2: Humpback Whales

Posted on July 24, 2009 by zoeweil

Every summer, humpback whales travel north from their winter homes in the Caribbean where they’ve lost tons of weight (literally). They come to eat capelin, small fish that comprise the majority of their diet. The humpbacks feast for months and then head south to mate or bear their young, having put on the fat they [...]

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Stories From Newfoundland #1: Newfoundlanders

Posted on July 22, 2009 by zoeweil

I spent the past two weeks in Newfoundland on vacation, and although this blog is not normally filled with musings on travel, some of the experiences I had feel compelling enough to write about. I’m not fond of stereotypes and generalizations, but it’s funny how when they are positive they don’t seem problematic to say, [...]

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Look Beyond Either/Or to the Both-And

Posted on July 20, 2009 by zoeweil

I’ve been thinking a lot about the ways in which we humans seem to gravitate towards “either/or” choices. Either we protect Northern Spotted Owls or people’s logging jobs. Either we invade Iraq or not. Either we pull the troops out or stay. There are more. Either we trust our minds or hearts. Either we are [...]

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Valuing Teachers/Valuable Teachers

Posted on July 17, 2009 by zoeweil

Zoe’s on vacation this week, so this is a repost that was originally posted 7/7/08: As an educator, Woody Allen’s famous line in Annie Hall still haunts me. “Those who can’t do, teach, and those who can’t teach, teach gym,” he quipped to big laughs. As a teenager watching the film for the first time, [...]

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Widening Our Criteria for MOGO Food Choices

Posted on July 15, 2009 by zoeweil

Food is in the news, and many people are considering what’s MOGO (Most Good) when they make their food choices. But making MOGO food choices can be complicated. Taking into consideration what’s best for people, animals, the environment, and oneself in a system that is extremely complex isn’t easy. Periodically, a food movement will emerge [...]

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How Do We Change?

Posted on July 13, 2009 by zoeweil

Note: Zoe’s on vacation this week, so this is a repost that was originally posted 6/30/08. Artist and changemaker Chris Jordan asks several questions in his fascinating presentation at the TED conference. Through his powerful photographs of human behavior and mass consumption, Jordan attempts to make our unconscious societal choices conscious so that we can [...]

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The Low-Carbon Diet

Posted on July 10, 2009 by zoeweil

“Full disclosure: I love to eat meat. I was born in Memphis, the barbecue capital of the Milky Way Galaxy. I worship slow-cooked, hickory-smoked pig meat served on a bun with extra sauce and coleslaw spooned on top. “My carnivore’s lust goes beyond the DNA level. It’s in my soul. Even the cruelty of factory [...]

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