A Deeper Green

Columbine in Alpine (Wyo)

Lisa Chong — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 18:11:01 +0000

Garnet Canyon (GTNP) – June 2012

Lisa Chong — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:42:16 +0000

Indian Creek 2012

Landon Wiedenman — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:34:04 +0000

A Magical Place

Landon Wiedenman — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:13:30 +0000

No, it isn’t Disneyland…It’s right here in Jackson Hole, just 40 or so minutes south of town: a completely natural, rejuvenating, amazing hot spring. And it surpasses any spa treatment in Jackson. I know I am posting it (believe me, I deliberated), but if you are reading this you are now part of a–i’m not kidding–highly special, privileged cadre of people, mostly locals.

Granite Hot Springs, to the outward eye, doesn’t really look like a secret, per se. There is a parking lot, a pool, a campground, for all I know there’s a gift shop– but I’ve never really been in the “touristy” area, I park in their parking lot and hike over (you can also wade, if you have either waders or high tolerance for ice-cold water up to your knees) to the…

REAL magic. There is a beautiful huge wall of waterfall and at the right end of it, a semi-tucked away corner of amazing steaming-hot bubblyness… There is only room for maybe you and 3 other friends (if they’re skinny-ish) so choose your companions wisely. Also, since some [unworthy] members of our special cadre carelessly knock down the neat boundary of rocks circling and containing the hot spring that others have braved ice-cold water to install by hand (can you tell this is a pet peeve?) –well, let’s just re-state: Choose your hot spring companions wisely!

My knowledge of hot spring magic goes like this, briefly: the warm water is heated by the heat of the actual geothermal heat of the Earth’s core. Since we are in a volcanic zone here, near Yellowstone National Park, this water is heated by the percolating heat of magma! Can any commercial spa provide you with natural magma-heated mineral-rich water?

Instead of attempting to dig up proof, explanation for the good feeling sitting in the [magical] hot springs produces (uhh..the negative ions produced by the minerals in the spring cause a surge of…uhhh endorphins–yeah that’s it!–which

scientifically causes you to feel awesome..)I will just assure you that no spa in the world can reproduce this. I feel like the warmth of the water and the beautiful, awe-inspiring miracle of the surroundings just heals you, the way only nature could. I have read about medicinal value of hot springs, and though scientific data is perhaps unavailable, I don’t doubt the restorative claims– it’s easy to see how the hot water dissolves and aerates calcium, lithium and other good-for-you minerals. Not “natural”, but actual NATURE! Just for you special Profile Massage visitors: I urge you to experience this wonderf

ul healing place.An exclusive spa experience, sans spa prices. There is no “entrance” or admission fee as of yet, or “Rules of Conduct” –just guard the secret well and leave the spring as beautiful as when you arrived (or hopefully better–put some rocks up around the spring for your fellow man!). If it’s too hot for you just pull out a few rocks on the upstream side of the pool; if it’s too cold you can just put the rocks back to block this little canal and it will warm up again in about 10 minutes.

Granite Hot Springs is located in the Gros Ventre Mountains, east of Hoback Junction. From Jackson, take Broadway, get on 89/191 South, and take it to Hoback Junction. From Hoback turn East on 189, drive 11.4 miles and then take a left on a gravel road next to Granite Creek. Drive North on the gravel road until you come to a sign for Granite Falls. From the parking lot edge, you can see the beautiful 40-foot waterfall! (ENJOY!)

Note: In the winter the hot springs are accessible only by snowmobile or ski.

The Ruthlessness of the Human Spirit

Landon Wiedenman — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:01:58 +0000

I will begin this article with an aspirational statement of hope. And so I ask you to please amend the title in your mind to read, “The [Heretofore] Ruthlessness of the Human Spirit.”

Competition–the self-interested drive of one man to stand above another–was a foundational base upon which civilization evolved. Indeed, civilization would not have taken root without it. The original constructs of civilization and economic philosophy were built as an answer for how to live a better life, for oneself and for society as a whole. In this case, “better” means better than your predecessors or your peers. This underlying ‘action potential’ inherent in man’s psychosocial makeup quickly became an ever-present influence, affecting almost every aspect of daily life. Competition drove the basic hierarchical structures of civilization: caste systems, aristocracy, meritocracy, as well as personal hierarchies, e.g. the desire to be prettier than your counterparts, the drive to attend the most prestigious school. Competition is most obviously demonstrated, of course, in the marketplace–as in, creating a better product, acquisition of cheap labor (or even human slavery), ponzi schemes, corruption for self-interest, and the business of war. Adam Smith wrote extensively on this subject in both his Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations: though he believed it was inborn in man to be geared by his own self-interest, he also believed that man derived his moral and ethical standardsfrom the awareness that arose in observation of his own self-interested behavior and that of his peers. He did not see any contradiction or conflict; to him, competition and ethics were not mutually exclusive–rather, they were entwined.

However, capitalism today does not reflect this awareness of morality or conscience as defined by society. The consequences of capitalism are appalling. Today, the same paradigm that drives commercial competition has resulted in a widespread mistreatment of human manufacturing workers in the developing world as if they were subhuman.

This reality is manifested entirely through the individual actions of the masses.

Example:

Apple iPhone manufacturing re:treatment of workers:

As consumers and investors who demand profitability as well as low prices, we as individuals

are in effect responsible for these policies. Ask yourself if you own technology made in China,

and ask yourself if you would have bought it at an even lower price if you could?

Again (for continuity of thought): this process manifests entirely through the individual actions of the masses (that means me and you).

In the same way, that paradigm can (and will) change also through the individual actions of the masses. That is without question; actually, it is the only way. The question then, is WHEN this change will happen, and what will the catalyst be?

It is easy to argue that civilization, on average and since it’s inception, has become more stable, less violent, more democratic, more intelligent and generally more liveable. With the technological advances of the past several decades we are better positioned than ever to make a monumental leap as the constructs of how we organize evolves. In light of the way the internet and social platforms have revolutionized daily life, it is hard to believe that they would not also ultimately revolutionize the structure of our government and the direction of our collective actions.

Currently, each of us has unprecedented access to knowledge and communication through technology. Thus we can organize ourselves in ways that were never before possible. There is more potential in the world right now for monumental advancement in every sector than has ever been imagineable. If there could ever be an age of knowledge or of enlightenment, we are on the cusp of it.

Postscipt:

After writing this I gave it to Lisa Chong (a Stanford educated writer) for her critique.

She suggested defining an example, living proof, to support my thesis statement (that we are on the cusp of fundamental change). Coinci

dentally, she was also unaware of the current Apple manufacturing issue . Theory became practice as she quickly clicked the link I provided and informed herself on the subject. After reading, she remarked that she would rather pay an extra $50 for her iPod than subject people to suffering. And with a couple more clicks, she was able to petition Apple to ch

ange their ways. Another couple of minutes and Lisa shared the link to the petition on her Facebook and tweeted it too. So far, this exact chronology of events has led millions of people like her to take similar action and even amass in person at Apple stores

. The Fair Labor Association was prompted to launch an independent investigation into the Foxconn plants, and a mere 3 days later, Apple bowed to the public pressure and announced full cooperation and transparency with the FLA. Case in point.

And so, for 2012 I propose a toast to our ruthlessness (Lisa says “ethically-motivated doggedness”). We owe the darkness a debt of gratitude for having carried us to this point, where we have the tools to organize ourselves by pur

e consensus. We can learn from it and not bear it any resentment, or waste time flagellating ourselves. After all, our very ruthlessness was responsible for giving us the computer technology that will break us free. Humanity is about to crawl out of its dark hole, and not a moment to

o soon.

Going Green…Without Illusions

Lisa Chong — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:36:35 +0000

These days it seems like “going green” is easier than ever: you can buy “organic” at the gas station! Organic products seem to be ubiquitous, with major brands succumbing under the pressure, with the wide availability of “certified organic” produce. Organic choices are not just available at Whole Foods, but seemingly everywhere.

However, when we look closely–when we really let the scales fall from our eyes– it is increasingly apparent that it’s not a time to celebrate quite yet. I was crestfallen to realize that many organic produce items I buy, though reassuringly labeled “organic,” may have traveled such long distances and utilized so much energy in its journey to get to me, that the item was no longer “sustainable”…by any definition. There is no way to rationalize the fuel cost, the emissions produced, for organic tomatoes to travel from a small farm in South America, let’s say, to the Whole Grocer in Jackson, Wyoming.

It is disillusioning, to say the least, but it is one of the myriad challenges one must embrace, it seems, if one really (really) wants to make the sincere effort to be “green.” In the current marketplace, it is easier than ever to live with one’s illusions. I mean, one can probably buy organic Doritos !

On the other hand, the most well-intended consumer can easily be overwhelmed. How to discriminate and wisely, and how to live “green” and also within your wallet? Should I seek out the “green” lightbulbs for my ceiling fixture? Should I get these organic kiwi (even though they’re “Made in New Zealand”) ? It can cause you to feel like going to bed and pulling the covers over your head.

So what’s the middle path?

What do we do? Seriously. Do you know?

Let us find the golden mean of GREEN together… Share facts, offer support; let’s find solutions that (1) make a difference, and (2) we can live with.