Respect for the Earth

[istanbulin]

Although we-humankind are an inseperable part of the nature, we're destroying nature day by day. Water/soil/air pollution and endangered species are because of us. Thanks to the environmental activists that we recognized some problems, but they're not solved yet.

Once upon a time we had a folk singer "Aşık Veysel". Although he went blind when he was a little child, he used to recognize everything better than healthy people.

By the way, I remembered his song "Kara Toprak - Black Soil/Earth" and I wrote down its translation in English. I know, translating a lyric or a poem may be blank but his lyrics are really impressive. Rest in peace Veysel.

Also there is an interesting video clip of this song.

Türkçe	English
KARA TOPRAK	BLACK SOIL/EARTH
Dost dost diye nicesine sarıldım Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır Beyhude dolandım boşa yoruldum Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır	I expected for many people to be real friends My faithfull beloved is black soil I wandered arround with no end, I got tired for nothing My faithfull beloved is black soil
Nice güzellere bağlandım kaldım Ne bir vefa gördüm ne fayda buldum Her türlü isteğim topraktan aldım Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır	I dedicated myself for such beautiful ones I didnt see any loyalty, I didnt find any use I had everything i want from the soil/earth My faithfull beloved is black soil
Koyun verdi kuzu verdi süt verdi Yemek verdi ekmek verdi et verdi Kazma ile döğmeyince kıt verdi Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır	It gave sheep, it gave lamb, it gave milk It gave food, it gave bread, it gave meat When you didnt peck up the ground, it gave less My faithfull beloved is black soil
Âdem'den bu deme neslim getirdi Bana türlü türlü meyva yedirdi Her gün beni tepesinde götürdü Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır	It let my breed come to today till Adam It feeded me with fruits It carried me on his top everyday My faithfull beloved is black soil
Karnın yardım kazmayınan belinen Yüzün yırttım tırnağınan elinen Yine beni karşıladı gülünen Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır	I cut it open with pickaxe, grubber I tore its face with my hands, nails It again welcomed me with roses My faithfull beloved is black soil
İşkence yaptıkça bana gülerdi Bunda yalan yoktur herkes de gördü Bir çekirdek verdim dört bostan verdi Benim sadık yârim kara topraktır	As I tortured, it used to smile at me There is no lie in this, everyone saw it I gave one seed, it gave me four fields inreturn My faithfull beloved is black soil
Havaya bakarsam hava alırım Toprağa bakarsam dua alırım Topraktan ayrılsam nerde kalırım Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır	If I look up in the sky, I breath If I look down to the earth, I have others prays Where will I stay if I leave it My faithfull beloved is black soil
Dileğin varsa iste Allah'tan Almak için uzak gitme topraktan Cömertlik toprağa verilmiş Hak'tan Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır	If you have a wish ask it from God (pray) Dont go away from the soil to have it (your wish) Generosity is given to the soil by God My faithfull beloved is black soi
Hakikat ararsan açık bir nokta Allah kula yakın kul da Allah'a Hakkın gizli hazinesi toprakta Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır	If you search for truth, here is a clear point God is close to people, people are close to God The secret treasure of the God is in soil My faithfull beloved is black soil
Bütün kusurumuzu toprak gizliyor Merhem çalıp yaralarımı düzlüyor Kolun açmış yollarımı gözlüyor Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır	Soil is recovering all the faults we have It heals my wounds as a medicine It is waiting me with open arms My faithfull beloved is black soil
Her kim ki olursa bu sırra mazhar Dünyaya bırakır ölmez bir eser Gün gelir Veysel'i bağrına basar Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır	Whom ever learns this secret S/he leaves an immortal wonder behind for the world A day comes when it hugs Veysel deeply My faithfull beloved is black soil

And this is the video clip of this song (prepared long after his death but with his own images and voice).

 

[istanbulin]

An arrangement of this song by Argentinian guitarist composer Ricardo Moyano.

Also In 2008, Joe Satriani's album Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock included "Âşık Veysel" and "Andalusia" that were dedicated to Âşık Veysel.

 

[leverhead]

Although we-humankind are an inseperable part of the nature, we're destroying nature day by day. Water/soil/air pollution and endangered species are because of us. Thanks to the environmental activists that we recognized some problems, but they're not solved yet.

It is not a good thing to be able to get through life as easily without being smart and respectful. I'll be the first one to admit that my destructive habits would be very hard to change. An Earth centered universe would be a good thing.

Steve

 

[SmokesAhoy]

There are also a lot of things that we as a very egocentric species give ourselves credit for that are outside our realm of control. Moderation in blame is a good thing too.

 

[oldsouth]

I've worked with well meaning an intelligent people on both sides of the issue, ranging from clean water activists to the man who designed the satellites for NASA that measure the earth's radiant energy and a retired EPA official , both of whom argued convincingly against man-caused climate change. After all of that, I would call myself a conservationist but not an environmentalist. Essentially, I believe in being a good steward of the earth and its resources but not forgetting that man is a part of the natural world and at the top of the food chain. I believe nature should serve man but man should never worship nature or be its servant. Man should also care for man - not exploiting or damaging the environment of poorer peoples in service to wealthier peoples. That is my opinion based on my knowledge, experience and theology/doctrine.

 

[Rayshields]

I am pretty certain that in the USA, the water and air have never been cleaner during my lifetime, than they are today.

I am of the strong opinion that global warming has very little to do with the activities of man, and virtually nothing to do with Carbon Dioxide. I believe it is egotistical of us to believe that we can change climate by our activities. I once did a calculation of the volume of 1 inch of the surface of the earth and divided it by the earth's population...there are about 1500 semi loads per person. That amount ignores plants, trees, mountains, and any projections above a smooth sphere earth. What do you think it would take in terms of your activities to heat that much material?

I know that large cities are warmer than rural areas. Dark colored roofs, asphalt paved areas, and concrete get much hotter than grass and other vegetation. Changes to what has developed around weather stations, that are not in accordance with the standards for weather stations, have made it appear that things are getting warmer and skewing the data.

My two pennies.

Ray

 

[Rayshields]

Addendum to prior post especially for Boboro and Chicken...If Global warming is due to CO2, Watch out cause brewing beer creates huge amounts of it...OHH NO.

 

[oldsouth]

 

[Boboro]

Addendum to prior post especially for Boboro and Chicken...If Global warming is due to CO2, Watch out cause brewing beer creates huge amounts of it...OHH NO.

I think it mite be what happensto the beer after we drink it. Add some beef to it and you get bull shirts. To be serious its all about a global tax called carbon credits.

 

[Chicken]

i try ti keep the earth, as lclean as i can,

i am such a small part of a big planet, but when i see bottles, or trash, at a public recreation area, i tidy it up, and have my kids help me,

hopefully teaching them that, WE ARE THE guardians of the earth, and it's each individuals part to keep it clean..

> remember the old 70's SHELL GASOLINE commercial of the indian, looking at all the trash in america, and crying,?

 

[Markw]

I look at the planet as being a perpetual motion machine, It don't pay for it's energy and still keeps working. I try to put back what I have taken out. I also try to recycle as much as possible. I am involved in renewable energy systems. I think that it is more to do with what we have been educated. basically it is just something else they can sell you. remember that innovation can be it's worst enemy

Markw

 

[istanbulin]

I am pretty certain that in the USA, the water and air have never been cleaner during my lifetime, than they are today.

I agree with your opinions about cities but if everything is ok there, why the USA didn't ratify the Kyoto Protocol yet ? I just want to learn your opinions.

 

[johnlee1933]

I guess it's time for my two cents.

Yes I do respect the earth and try in my small way to leave it a cleaner place when I leave than it was when I arrive.

Yes, I do believe in global warming. I look at it this way. The earth has gone thru times of both higher and lower temperatures before. {i.e. the age of dinosaurs vs. the ice age.} Are humans responsible for this warming? It's possible. Here is my line of thought. The earth receives (from the sun)and loses (to space) a certain amount of energy all the time. I'll call receives (+) and I'll call loses (-). I think the amount of + or - is a function of our atmosphere. During the hot age vast amounts of energy were stored by locking carbon and oxygen into the earth, taking it out of the atmosphere. Plants grew, died decayed and were converted into fossil fuels {coal, oil natural gas, etc.. This process took energy. That energy therefore was not lost to space. Now we are unlocking it. I don't believe the amount of energy we are unlocking is significant. But perhaps putting the carbon and oxygen back into the atmosphere is changing it {the so called Greenhouse effect.} Over the years millions of tons of both have been put back. We are still doing so at an increasing rate. If this is changing the balance of + vs. - then the effect will be felt and another hot period may be coming. This may be demonstrated by the shrinking ice caps, rising sea levels and changing weather patterns and it may not. We just don't know.

{{As an aside I hate the words prove/proof/proves. I spent most of my professional life in research. Proving something is a bitch and perhaps impossible. Demonstrating a theory and gathering data to support or debunk it is more to my way of thought.}} i.e. It's been absolutely proven atoms can be combined in different ways but CANNOT be changed. YEAH RIGHT ! Consider atomic energy, the sun. Atoms change all the time. We just didn't know it.

This effect is already in motion. We may be able to slow it down but the effort to reverse it (I believe) is beyond our current resources. What's done is done. We may improve it or make it worse but we can't change it

That said two things seem evident:

1. I won't live to to see how it turns out. Neither will you.

2. Mother earth will survive.
Whether or not humans will is the question. Whole classes of life forms have evolved and become extinct. Why should we be different?

Well, there's my two cents. Sorry, I guess it turned out to be a buck and a half.

John

 

[johnlee1933]

I agree with your opinions about cities but if everything is ok there, why the USA didn't ratify the Kyoto Protocol yet ? I just want to learn your opinions.

Because governments in general (yours and mine included) just want to serve themselves. The ones at the top and the bureaucracy don't want anything that changes the status quo or affects their power, prestige, lifestyle, whatever. You have commented on the difficult with government departments. It's just the same here.

The protocol would change the lives of a some of those in power in a way that displeases them so "No Change".

Easy, isn't it?

John

 

[istanbulin]

Because governments in general (yours and mine included) just want to serve themselves. The ones at the top and the bureaucracy don't want anything that changes the status quo or affects their power, prestige, lifestyle, whatever. You have commented on the difficult with government departments. It's just the same here.

The protocol would change the lives of a some of those in power in a way that displeases them so "No Change".

Easy, isn't it?

John

You're right but there are only two countries having problems with the protocol. USA signed it with no intention to ratify and Canada has withdrawn from it.
All other countries signed and ratified the protocol.

 

[istanbulin]

I've worked with well meaning an intelligent people on both sides of the issue, ranging from clean water activists to the man who designed the satellites for NASA.....

I found a satallite image showing deforestrated areas in İstanbul. Have a look at it, very bad.

 

[oldsouth]

Because it is an economic suicide pact in which all developed nations agree to jump of the ledge together, knowing full well China will continue being the biggest polluter in the world, building countless coal burning power plants to fuel their ever-growing population. India, Brazil, Russia (which was the world's largest polluter before the collapse of the Soviet Union and continues to be a much bigger polluter than the US), Mexico, etc may sign it, but won't abide by it. Really, most nations won't abide by it. But, US law says that treaties trump all laws made by congress, so we would be legally bound to follow the treaty, even if nations that don't have our best interests at heart profit by violating the treaty and gain economic and/or military leverage against us. Right now, America has more trees growing within our borders than before Columbus landed. Our air and water is clean and we live in as environmentally friendly manner as is possible for a largely populated, modern nation. Maybe other nations will catch up with us n regard to being good environmental stewards, but Kyoto would merely pull our standard of living and economy downward, without making any difference in the problem - if there is a real problem.

 

[johnlee1933]

I found a satallite image showing deforestrated areas in İstanbul. Have a look at it, very bad.

I agree. Who's cutting the trees?

John

 

[oldsouth]

Maybe other nations will catch up with us in regard to being good environmental stewards, but Kyoto would merely pull our standard of living and economy downward, without making any difference in the problem - if there is a real problem.

I just wanted to clarify that I mean catch up in economic terms - not culturally or in any other way that could be insulting. When you are poor and clear cutting a forest is the only way to survive, you can't be expected to give the environment much consideration. Wealthier nations have the luxury of worrying about such thing.

 

[istanbulin]

I agree. Who's cutting the trees?

John

I just wanted to clarify that I mean catch up in economic terms - not culturally or in any other way that could be insulting. When you are poor and clear cutting a forest is the only way to survive, you can't be expected to give the environment much consideration. Wealthier nations have the luxury of worrying about such thing.

Trees are only cut down for urbanization. Oldsouth we're not selling timber to survive. LOL

Right now, America has more trees growing within our borders than before Columbus landed.

Very interesting ! I think you're talking by heart.

Have a look at this

Because it is an economic suicide pact in which all developed nations agree to jump of the ledge together, knowing full well China will continue being the biggest polluter in the world, building countless coal burning power plants to fuel their ever-growing population. India, Brazil, Russia (which was the world's largest polluter before the collapse of the Soviet Union and continues to be a much bigger polluter than the US), Mexico, etc may sign it, but won't abide by it. Really, most nations won't abide by it.