Forest Dump
#1103. Lauantai, 2. huhtikuuta 2005 klo 22.12.44, kirjoittanut Jani. 21
Looks like Greenpeace’s blogging their latest forest adventure (via Phil). Funny the idea hadn’t crossed my mind they would do so, considering the obviosity (it’s publicity for their cause they want and a blog is a very cost-effective way to achieve just that). #
I’m just finding myself resisting reading it, since finding out more facts about the issue would eventually make me form an opinion on it, and that would ruin the fun I’ve had so far reading about this classic set-up; “damn you hippies, it’s our land and we’ll use it just as we damn well please, you go and bite some carrots!” vs. “you evil, faceless corporate suits, we won’t let you make money off the backs of furry creatures or the lichen or the furry creatures eating the lichen”. #
There’s also a somewhat non-traditional twist here for a Lappish issue: Greenpeace and the reindeer herders being on the same side. Well, technically, at least, as the Forest Association propaganda claims “three out of five reindeer herders are against Greenpeace’s activity in the area” (the Finnish version says they’re against “Greenpeace trying to decide their issues for them”). #
That’s actually at the heart of how it is: the people up North, simply out of principle, are against any outsiders meddling with what they think is just their business. Admitting the Greenpeace campaign might actually be for their benefit just goes against that, so the reindeer herders would be damned to admit it when asked about it by a researcher. #
Och samma på suomiska. #
Näköjään Greenpeace blogaa viimeisimmän metsäkeikkansa (via Phil). Hassua, etten ollut tullut ajatelleeksikaan tuollaista mahdollisuutta, niinkin ilmeinen kuin se on (julkisuuttahan he asialleen tässä hakevat ja mikäpä olisi blogia edullisempi ja tehokkaampi tapa sitä hankkia). #
Ei vain tee mieli lukea tuota, kun faktatietojen kasautumisen myötä minulle muodostuisi tuota pikaa ihan oikea mielipide asiasta ja se pilaisi kaiken huvin, mitä tästä klassisesta asetelmasta lukeminen on tähän asti minulle tuottanut (“perkeleen hipit, mehän tehään omilla mailla justiin niinku tykätään, painukaa siitä vaikka heinää syömään” vs. “te senkin pahat, kasvottomien monikansallisten kätyrit, ette saa rahastaa pörröisillä eläimillä tai jäkälällä tai jäkälää syövillä pörröisillä eläimillä”). #
Tässä asetelmassa on vieläpä ollut hieman tavallisesta, lappilaisesta jutusta poikkeava sivujuoni, kun poromiehet ovatkin hoksineet joutuneensa samalle puolelle Greenpeacen kanssa. No, ainakin noin niin kuin teoriassa, kun metsäyhdistyksen propagandakin kertoo, että poromiesten enemmistö ei tykkää, kun “Greenpeace yrittää päättää heidän asioistaan” (englanninkielinen versio sanoo heidän vastustavan “Greenpeacen toimintaa alueella”). #
Siinä oikeastaan onkin asian ydin: pohjoisen ihmiset ovat periaatteesta aina vastaan, kun muualta tulleet sekaantuvat asioihin, jotka heidän mielestään eivät muille kuulu. Kun tutkija kysyy, eivät pienet perkeleetkään saisi poromiestä myöntämään, että Greenpeacen kampanjoinnista voisi olla heille jotain hyötyä. #
Hey - just found you via the referrerer logs (not, not those kinda logs!). Thanks for blogging us - I’ve just read it, rather late in the *ahem* evening, and it’s had me laughing out loud.
Damn you hippies! Oh, hang on, that’s us, isn’t it?
We’ve actually been blogging campaigns for quite some time - see http://weblog.greenpeace.org - everywhere from the middle of the oceans to forests. I’m the web editor on this one - which mean I get landed with the fun of trying to make sense of it all… and then convey it to an international audience.
Dave, Greenpeace anything-but-hippyish webbie in Inari…
Dave Inarista, voisi check spelling,ennen kuin puree poroa,ai niin halaa poroa.(Varsinkin jos on viela “editor”)HUU johan jo pelottaa ihan editor itse.(no ilmeisesti vaatimus taso ei ole ollut kovin korkea.)
Oikeasti jotenkin tajuan alkuperais kansojen mielen tilan,olivathan he toimeen tulevaa kansaa paljon ennen nykyihmista.Lived from the land and took care of the land.Intiaanit,saamelaiset,eskimot monia heita ei enaa ole.Oma kieli,tavat ja toimeentulo,usein metsastys tai kalastus, on muiden “outsiders“paatettavissa.Maa mita ovat kayttaneet,esim.porojen vaellus alueet,ovat olleet ei kenenkaan maata.Kaikkien kaytossa.Kohtuullisesti.Hatun nosto alkuperais kansoille ja heidan oikeuksilleen!
Mita Greenpeace’iin tulee:The best tree hugger is the one who stays in California.Joten Dave oletko eksynyt?
Dave: No problem! Blogging’s my second nature, nature’s my first nature so blogging about a nature-related blog is… uh… wait, forget that. Anyway, nice to hear about this from a(nother) web editor’s perspective.
Satu: I think Dave’s all right.
You think,WHY?
Ok, Satu, I’ll have to get one my colleagues to help me with the Finnish. A couple of things though - none of us are from California - I’m from the countryside, in Ireland. And as far tree-hugging… well… we don’t actually *hug* trees.
Trivia: The Chipko Movement in India were the original treehugger - chipko means ‘to embrace’:
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/contemporary-04.html
So,Dave as you can see that story was about women,who were strong.I’m glad you are NOT from California(like I have anything against anybody who is…?)and don’t hug trees,but whatabout biting reindeer ears?Why are you really in Inari?And what do you want/need to accomplish there?And why?What is the force that is behind you?WHY are you doing this REALLY?What color are your eyes?Hey wait a sec I was NOT supposed to ask that.
Hi Satu - what do you mean by ‘really’ being in Inari? Do you not believe us? There’s no conspiracy… is it so hard to believe that *all* we want to preserve some old forest for reindeer herding? That’s the only force we need to drive us (now I sound like Luke Skywalker)
All of our ambitions are already documented on our weblog - so I’m not going to list them again here, and swamp Jani’s site in the process!
We have a lot of strong women working here in the Forest Rescue Station - from Finland, Italy, Franch, Holland, Germany and Sweden.
Haven’t had the opportunity to nibble any reindeer ears, alive or dead…
Oh, and apparently my eyes are a Green-grey-blue with brown bits, or so I’m told.
Dave,Where else have you been?Saving what?This is a legitimate question.Have you ‚your self made a difference?Evedently you are not a tree hugger,What do you feel is worth hugging in life?If you are so pro nature why don’t you go to Yukon Territory in Canada,lots of nature there.
Actually Dave I already know why you don’t go to Yukon you’ll get lost and nobody will miss you.No headlines there,just trees,that you can hug if you want or make the strong women of the tribe to do that for you.
Jani - I’m just responding to these questions because I’m being asked, and of courtesy - I certainly don’t want to be seen to be ‘clogging’ your comments page - so let me know if you want me stop!
Hi Satu - Your questions and suggestions strike me as a little bit bizarre - and quite personal - for a start, I’m sure my mum will miss me, if, on your instructions, I vanish into the Yukon. :D
Greenpeace in Canada are already working on boreal forest stuff there - maybe check with them for more details:
http://www.greenpeace.ca/e/campaign/boreal/index.php
Me personally? I’ve worked on different kinds of campaigns with Greenpeace - including several months in the Atlantic Ocean and Tasman Sea last year - here’s some new related to that:
http://www.savethehighseas.org/display.cfm?ID=15
Weblogs:
http://weblog.greenpeace.org/northatlantic/
http://weblog.greenpeace.org/deepsea/
http://weblog.greenpeace.org/gmofrance/
So now - if I may be so bold as to ask - what have *you* done to make a difference, Satu? It’s very easy to criticise…
-d
Dave: It’s OK by me, if you really feel like answering. You two just keep it clean now, so no low blows, no headbutts ;)
Oh, and sorry you got stuck in my moderation queue (because of the links in your comment) there for a while.
Surely,did not print your comments and saved paper right there.Last summer drove to Alaska and saw the forests in Yukon,mostly all burnet on the way back.That was sad,drive for two days and all you see is burned forrest,as far as you can see.Did not need loggers there.
Nope. And now Alaska is under threat, not from logging, but from big oil - thanks to votes in the US Senate. Yippee.
Speaking of burned forest - check out earlier ‘rescue station’ in Tasmania.
http://weblog.greenpeace.org/tasmania/
ooooo. Jäkälällä rahastusta. Entäpä kävyillä? Karut elämänkävyt!
Carma.: “Karut elämänkävyt!”
Sinä aiot suorastaan pakottaa minut perustamaan sen lyhyiden sitaattien blogin?
Yes. Se on kaikkien lauseitteni ultimaattinen päämäärä. Olen salainen agentti jolla salainen agenda. Uu - what a mystery!
I got some translations done of these comments… dunno what to say!
Dave: If you’re referring to the absurdities between me and Carmabal, don’t worry - it’s just our bizarre sense of humor and inside jokes. And remember that you’re under no obligation to defend yourself against anything here unless you feel like it’s worth the trouble.
Ah, ok. I’m partial to my own bizarre sense of humour too - check out http://www.blather.net
And thanks - I’m sure I’m able to look after myself here - we’re getting death threats in real life, so a bit of flaming won’t hurt so much!
d
here’s the latest update, what a weird day!
http://weblog.greenpeace.org/forestrescue/archives/2005/04/death_threats_f.html
Dave: “we’re getting death threats in real life”
I’d be surprised if being in Lappland with Greenpeace wouldn’t result in that. Careful now, people from up North can be pretty crazy sometimes. I should know, I’m one of them.