A dream and Marcus Aurelius

I woke up from normal deep slumber this morning and poof! An image of this farmer came to mind. Taking a rest in the shade, he is a member of the Kopa Koton Collective, Central Plateau, Haiti. Why him? Who knows? But I am of the school of:

"Think often of the bond that unites all things in the universe and their dependence upon one another."

I started thinking of him wondering how is doing? What is he doing? Is he surviving the current food crisis in Haiti? So many convergent views came to my mind at this wee hour of the morning. Questions of sustainability. Corporate genetic farming? Food crisis? How is this possible? How is it possible, in this day and age that people do not have food to eat? My colleagues and friends say, "Oh Biofuels" Biofuels are to blame.Okay, but as far as I know, people here are not eating Raps, which is the primary source of biofuels here. The Raps here is utilized for biofuels, cooking oil, soaps and as an alternative to plastics. Scientists at Friends of the Earth created this magnificent Biofuel data bank and you can learn about biofuels - which bio resources are used and upside and downside of each. The table is pretty straightforward. Please go here. As you will read there are many sources for biofuels including Castor Beans, Algae, Sunflower Seeds etc.. Unfortunately Biofules is becoming equated with Palm Oil, which, mind you , is just one of many biofuel options. Slash and burn policies don't help either. This is just poor land management. I think there is a place for biofuels in the Green/or Environmental toolbox, it is not the solution, it's one of many tools necessary. IMHO. But somehow the fossil fuel prices continue to rise and so does the confusion. Despite global warming. And Biofuels are to blame. And people are starving. Hmm... Maybe it's my confusion, maybe its just a dream. But I saw this farmers face today..But maybe it was somewhere in the waters of my subconscious mind reminding me that today the cherished Goldman Environmental Awards were announced today..and just three short years ago this man and his collective were given the same honor - accepted by it's founder Agronomist Chavannes Jean-Baptiste. What a dream! Words/Photo: Ana Elisa Fuentes/AefPix

Mural at the MPP educational center.