CLIMERICKS & NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

AI generated image from Pixabay

Here, once again, on the threshold of the New Year, we will, maybe struggle to decide how to repeat resolutions that didn’t survive the whole of a previous year. Here’s a different approach. New Climericks will be posted at least twice a week and will keep you focused on the need to care for the planet. Among them will be some that suggest specific sustainable ideas. So, you’ll be very welcome if you decide to visit regularly.

I resolve this year, twenty- five,

to help keep the planet alive.

I’ll watch ECO-VERSES,

and, oppose all the curses 

Of C O G S, and each day ECO-STRIVE.

And you can find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE  

Come Women! Come Women, Help Earth

 

Come women! Come women, help Earth.

If you once have, or soon, will give birth,

through the CLIMCUBE* campaign,

give the COGS** CORPS sharp pains,

in their greedy objective, net worth.

 

*COGS = Coal, Oil, Gas, Shale (This acronym is going to be encountered over and over again in further CLIMERICKS which are the outward looking faces of a CLIMCUBE (see below)

 

I write this having given a lot of thought to the possible ways in which anger can be expressed at consistent failures in almost every country, to formulate plans and make policies that will address the undeniable catastrophe our planet is facing. These plans and policies have almost always been made by men. I therefore conclude that what seems to me an instinctive desire for the vulnerable – and our planet is decidedly vulnerable right now makes it more likely that it will be women who save us, as they have done the Anglican church who would simply have run out of men to run it if they had not ordained women 30 years ago. 

 

The *CLIMCUBE displays CLIMERICKs, which, being only five lines long, cannot, of course, encompass every aspect I would have liked. So it appears exclusive of women who cannot or decide not to have offspring, a decision which I imagine might be a painful one, precisely because of this very climate threat. Such a decision can only be made more difficult with the lack of care for our common home being shown by those in power, 

 

No! To the contrary. I have the privilege of knowing single women who care passionately for the Earth and are prepared to take considerable risk to try and raise awareness of just how precarious our situation is right now. I am thankful for them

 

I am thankful, too, for the many Climate-caring men who are also excluded in this short burst of verse.  

 

But in terms of rallying the vast numbers of people who need to make politicians aware that they are failing millions of us, I suspect steering the CLIMERICK  towards women is a sound idea.

 

Women, too might, I guess, be more likely to voice                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       concern that profit is allowed, disgracefully,  to be put way above concern for people (ask many indigenous and poor people). 

 

That is, of course, because it maintains the power imbalances that enable the rich to consistently oppress the poor who are the end-of-the-line victims of Climate injustice.

 

Thus, any five-liner cannot possibly address the immense sweep of all this. 

 

But I hope my plea to women of all situations, to rally to this cause, which just might help save the Earth and us, will speak to many who read it, and prompt the response, 

 

‘I CAN do something: I can protest and teach my children and their children to protest at every opportunity.’

 

I, for one, and possibly unfairly in view of my comments above, am pinning a lot of my hope on you? 

Find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE   

  

CLIMERICK: World leaders you MUST now go green AND delivery of first seasonal gift-climcube

As we approach a New Year with all the apprehensions about the state of our planet, there is only one Climate concern to voice really. 

In the next few days we’ll be exploring how that might be done with CLIMERICKS and CLIMCUBE.

I delivered one as a Christmas Eve gift to a young man at the till in our local garden centre. It will be very interesting to hear, in due course what he made of it: almost certainly his most unusual seasonal gift - ever!

He had, in a previous brief conversation told me he was into Climate change in his studies, so I hope he felt supported by this gift from one of the generation who must bear most of the responsibility of this catastrophe. 

The world needs young people of his generation to be prepared to take on the politicians for whom the CLIMERICK below is intended.

World leaders, you MUST now go green,

for not to go green is obscene,

The health of your land

lies firm in your hand.

You must kill all fossil fuel streams.

HAPPY CLIMERICKS CHRISTMAS!

 The Shepherds’ Message (Poem)

Cathedral Christmas Tree at 

Durham Cathedral 

I remember, oh how I remember,

that night and the following day:

the angels, the singing, the scurrying

and the sweet smell of clean bedding-hay.

A baby with parents bewildered

at our finding the byre where they’d lodged.

Such a very strange place for Messiah

to be born, for the purpose of God.

 

When we left as the new day was breaking

there were people who work at first light,

and we realised we should not keep secret

the wonders we’d witnessed that night.

So we, who live mainly in silence,

to detect sounds of lion, wolf or thief,

found our tongues running wild with our message,

of a child bringing goodwill and peace

 

By the time we got back to the hillside,

we'd been stopped any number of times,

for the story had travelled like wildfire,

even faster than tales about crimes!

For some it was just as the prophets

had foretold - of God coming to earth:

to others a nonsense - but useful

to gossip and boost their self-worth

 

It was strange how a group of mere shepherds,

‘outsiders’ in ordinary times,

became sought after, visited, talked-of,

for our witness of Yahweh’s sublime

way of breaking the news of Messiah

throughout Bethlem's valleys and hills.

In no time it was voiced in Jerusalem,

stirring hearts, both for good and for ill.

Trevor Thorn

Normal Climericks posting will resume on Friday 27th

TO THE INTERFERING MR MUSK

 

    Pixabay free image of Musk

I don’t usually post on Sundays, but there are times to work outside self imposed rules - even when they have their roots in  Biblical commandment.  But today, I feel utterly incensed that American mega-bucks are trying to shift this country even further to the right than we are being taken by our own leadership (I use that last word with some reservation, too and am glad we didn’t vote Labour). So I have sent a message to this effect, to the BBC via their website and it will be interesting to see if they find any space for it.

'Re your item relating to Musk’s obsession with Britain and The Observer’s Front Page ’56% of public back political donations gap’ I am part of that majority and I wonder if others among them will warm to my sentiments

ELON MUSK, DON’T YOU INTERFERE,

WE DON’T WANT YOUR MEGA-BUCKS HERE,

DISTORTING OUR SYSTEM,

THROUGH FLAWED POLITICIANS.

GO HOME, WHERE YOUR TRUMP WILL CAUSE FEAR.

CLIMERICK: IF WE WANT A PLANET THAT’S FITTER by Trevor Thorn

       Image free by Pixabay

If we want a planet that’s fitter,

‘fraid it’s out with the baubles* and glitter.*

With paper and patience

retro-style decorations,

can deck any house or bed-sitter.

(*plastics alert!)

Whilst composing this, as I installed a new printer just in time to

print our Christmas Letter, I realised that Climericks can be

brought to bear on EVERY CLIMATE INJUSTICE, every PURCHASING EXCESS and

EVERY BAD CLIMATE DECISION by our Leaders. Oh Wow!

GO VERSIFYERS GO. Identify the issue, write the CLIMERICK and post it on FB, BlueSky

and even on X, formerly Twitter - in the days that it was a benign medium (see what I mean?)

CLIMERICK:A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FOR THE MEGA RICH AND THEIR SPOUSES OR PARTNERS

This literally came to me last night!

😖

You mega rich barons, like Di-Vees,

Need to heed your up coming crises:

If Laz’rus still waits,

Outside your gates,

Your long term future looks dicey.

This becomes a CLIMERICK (Climate concern Limerick) because these guys could do more for CLIMATE JUSTICE in one day than most of us could do in a lifetime.

What about it guys?

If you want some ideas, look further at this blog out it’s companion blog http://eco-verses.com or search this blog further and listen to The Canticle of the Turning

THOUGHT FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW AND THE NEXT DAY AND THE NEXT AND.......ad infinitum

 The world’s greatest leader

Will be the one

Who kills fossil fuel first.

CLIMERICK: WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO BUY CLOTHES

This morning’s Climerick is for any of you about to make a clothing purchase - YOU CAN MAKE A REAL CONTRIBUTION TO CLIMATE IMPROVEMENT

photo from EARTH.ORG site

When you are about to buy clothes

Check the seller is one among those

With a clear E S G*

That will tell you and me

If it’s trading will add to Earth’s woes

ESG = Environmental, Sustainability and Governance Report. You will find an excellent summary of what an ESG has to contain in Wikipedia . If even 1 in 5 purchasers of on-line goods would start to put pressure on clothing sales companies - and then check them to see how those companies perform, those contributing to excess waste, using slave labour, and with other damaging practices would find their sales would diminish and have to reform or die. YOU CAN HELP 

INTRODUCING CLIMCUBE: A TABLEPIECE -A WAY OF SPARKING CLIMATE CARE CONVERSATIONS

COMING SHORTLY (In time for Christmas)

Instructions to make and use your very own 

CLIMCUBE - 

With CLIMERICKS

Visit us again to find out how.

CLIMERICK: Is This Just a Ghastly Nightmare? By Olusola Sophia Anyanwu

  KEEPING CLIMATE CONCERN

CONVERSATIONS ALIVE with... 

 Is this just a ghastly nightmare?

 

My bed, a raft floating up here

the sea's in my room,

Can’t be swept with a broom

So much water – it’s left me in tears!

Find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE 

NEW CLIMERICKS WILL APPEAR ON THIS SITE TWICE WEEKLY - SO KEEP LOOKING TO STAY UP TO DATE.  

A Pile of Shells

I’m not quite sure what drew me to look back at some of my earliest poems, but it was fascinating to be reminded what had motivated me back in 1974/5.

This poem must have been written in late 1975 and I could wish that I had had the platform of a blog then to give it a higher profile than simply inhabiting a now rather elderly exercise book. Still, better late than never! And nothing has changed. Indeed it may be worse.

Pixabay free image.

A Pile of Shells

On a billion golden grains, 

by a dank breakwaters side,

lies a careless heap of shells, 

stranded by an ebbing tide.

 

Intermingled tiny stones,

polished by the seas caress,

cast a dancing light about.

from the sun-rays they possess.

 

Here an incandescent pink, 

hides inside a banded black;

ambers, blues and deep maroons,

sparkle from the glittering stack.

 

Shapes so weird and wonderful,

form those tiny cast off homes;

perfect miniatures which housed.

strange crustacea in their domes.

 

Beauty from the sudden death,

met by creatures of the sea,

and around this cenotaph

lies the junk of you and me.

 

Rusty cans of ‘brown’ and ‘light’, 

plastic drums for multi-grade;

strands of rubber, lumps of tar,

broken glass of every shade.

 

Globs of half congeal-ed oil,

polystyrene, bric-a-brac;

cast off plimsolls, broken bricks,

drums for poisonous this or that.

 

Think! Maybe that host of shells 

would be smaller had not we

scattered wide our worldly waste,

making a trash can of the sea.

A few more earlier poems on similar topics will emerge over the next few weeks as I trawl my collection further.

 

 

 

 

CLIMERICK: Let Florida Batten Down Hatches.

 Modified Pixabay free image of a Dodo

 

Let Florida batten down hatches:

California boost your fire watches.

Dodo Donald don’t care,

what is spewed into air

though it causes gargantuan trashes.

This is a CLIMERICK (Climate Concern Limerick). You will find lots more at 

http://eco-verses.blogspot.com

CLIMERICK: O COP WHERE YOU DIGITALISE

A CLIMERICK for COP 29 Digitalisation Day

KEEPING CLIMATE CONCERN

CONVERSATIONS ALIVE with... 

O COP where you digitalise,

the world needs you all to be wise,

and drive global trends

that will bring to an end

excessive resource use and lies!

And you can find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE  

CLIMERICK: Mr Trump You Are Headed to Be

Here’s my response to yesterday’s election news from the USA.

 

Mr Trump, you are headed to be

THE GREAT FOOL OF WORLD HISTORY.

If you boost coal and oil,

the planet will boil;

then it’s curtains for Earth, YOU and me.

 

Please don’t just like this: SHARE it as widely as you can.

Set it to music, illustrate it, make videos of it,

Can we try to make sure the President Elect sees it and hears it at every turn he takes?

Let’s do all we can to make that happen.

 

This is a CLIMERICK (Climate Concern Limerick). You will find lots more at 

http://eco-verses.blogspot.com

CLIMERICK: The Chant of ‘Drill Baby Drill'

 KEEPING CLIMATE CONCERN

CONVERSATIONS ALIVE with Climericks

                     

             

So - can a UK poet plead with a former US President and be heard?

I doubt it; but it’s worth a try. And maybe some of my US friends .... will want to send this to their friends..... who will.... 

I can but hope.

Here’s the Climerick plea

The chant of ‘Drill Baby Drill’

is one that will totally kill 

any Climate-wise hope: 

Trump, please kill that trope

while there’s time for R-ecovery still.

Trevor Thorn

And you can find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE  

Image credit: Pixabay free image - edited

CLIMERICKS: Encouragement from HM Charles III

 KEEPING CLIMATE CONCERN

CONVERSATIONS ALIVE with... 

My resolve to post Climericks at least twice a week has been maintained, other than a short break recently because we have been away on the beautiful island of Iona where we experienced gales too gusty to walk in safely and cancelled ferries - almost certainly pointing to a future of more similarly adverse weather due to climate change.

And as we return to home to pick up our regular lives, and watch our King and Queen in more exotic locations where climate change threatens island homes, it feels time to remind ourselves of the recognition of the Climericks project, by the King whose Correspondence Secretary, earlier in the year (April) wrote to us from Buckingham Palace:

 

'His Majesty greatly appreciates you sharing your ideas with him on this significant matter, and enjoyed hearing about your creation of climate-themed limericks in order to raise awareness for environmental issues’.

And you can find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE  

CLIMERICK: An Eco-Churchyard Climerick (1) In This Little Patch of Creation by Trevor Thorn

 KEEPING CLIMATE CONCERN

CONVERSATIONS ALIVE with... 

A Churchyard:

In this Little Patch of Creation 

With many churches working to promote the biodiversity in their churchyards, here is a novel way to invite people in. Further Climericks will build on this invitation.

 

In this little patch of Creation,

we invite you to find restoration

for your body and soul,

in this place, with its rôle -

to give peace that will last generations.

Find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE  

NEW CLIMERICKS WILL APPEAR ON THIS SITE TWICE WEEKLY - SO KEEP LOOKING TO STAY UP TO DATE.

CLIMERICK: Materials Science is Where You Will Find, by Trevor Thorn

KEEPING CLIMATE CONCERN

CONVERSATIONS ALIVE with... 

Materials Science is where

you will find a great body of care

for sustainability

at scale capability.

Financiers, Go! Invest there.

 

In the September 2024 issue of Materials World are articles on bringing colour to solar panels making them more attractive to architects; recycling of critical metals from spent alkaline batteries, improved recycling of solid state lithium batteries; The next generation of smart offshore windfarms; how precise measurement is vital in the race to net zero and 3D printing of natural material flooring panel (to replace steel) and more

Find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE  

NEW CLIMERICKS WILL APPEAR ON THIS SITE TWICE WEEKLY - SO KEEP LOOKING TO STAY UP TO DATE.

CLIMERICK: When Next You are Eating a Spud by Trevor Thorn

KEEPING CLIMATE CONCERN

CONVERSATIONS ALIVE with CLIMERICKS

 

When next you are eating a spud,

Think! Its flowers, stalks and leaves were just crud.

But research has found

that this garbage abounds

with fibres for fashion – that’s good!

 

Article in The New Scientist 7^th September 2024 reports on the findings by a team at Imperial College London that the fibres from the above-the-ground waste from potatos (estimated to be 150million tonnes a year) can be used as a cotton fibre substitute,with the potential of saving huge crop space and diminishing water usage.

  

Find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE

NEW CLIMERICKS WILL APPEAR ON THIS SITE TWICE WEEKLY - SO KEEP LOOKING TO STAY UP TO DATE.  

Climerick: If Top Level Sport is Your Dream by Trevor Thorn.

KEEPING CLIMATE CONCERN

CONVERSATIONS ALIVE with... 

If top level sport is your dream,

watch out! Who’s financing your team?

If they thrive upon coal,

Gas or foul diesel fuel,

‘Kick ‘em out!’. Raise a real head of steam.

 

BBC Climate news reported on 18.09.24

Fossil fuel companies have invested more than £4bn in sports sponsorship "in an attempt to divert attention from their role in fuelling the climate crisis and harming human health”, according to a new report. 

Find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE  

NEW CLIMERICKS WILL APPEAR ON THIS SITE TWICE WEEKLY - SO KEEP LOOKING TO STAY UP TO DATE.

CLIMERICK: It’s Almost Too Good to be True by Trevor Thorn

KEEPING CLIMATE CONCERN

CONVERSATIONS ALIVE with... 

 

It’s almost too good to be true,

free basalt for farms from Undo*:

when crushed it takes in

CO₂, that’s a win

and makes farmland more fertile too.

Article accessed from BBC Climate section at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg3legn80xo dated 12.09.24 which reports 

'A company called *Undo is now offering basalt free to farmers and sends its own contractors to spread it on the land.

Because it captures carbon, the process is funded by carbon credits which big companies buy to offset their planet warming greenhouse gas emissions.

XinRan Liu, director of science and research with Undo, describes it as a transformative measure in the fight against climate change.

He said: "It's the most scalable technology. We have huge deposits of rock globally ready to go and we have farmlands in every single continent."

"All of that means that we could achieve billions of tons of removal on a very fast timescale for the climate.”

Some comments following the news item focused on the fact that the scheme is being financed to allow some major polluters to purchase carbon credits. Whilst understanding their indignation, the basis of a scheme that has the potential to absorb substantial quantities of Carbon dioxide, seems to me to be one that is worth celebrating. Doesn’t the planet need all the help it can get?

Find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE  

NEW CLIMERICKS WILL APPEAR ON THIS SITE AT LEAST TWICE WEEKLY - SO KEEP LOOKING TO STAY UP TO DATE.