I'm back in Botswana and I've jumped straight into fieldwork. I've been following 4 troops of mongooses for the last 4 days. In this particular troop there are two individuals that are sick and we are trying to monitor them closely. More to come soon...

I believe that we face a huge challenge in the next few years. It is not insurmountable. I think that the difficulties will not be in discovering technological solutions. I don't think that technology will necessarily solve the issues, though it will play a significant role - and by this, I mean technology in all parts of the spectrum ... from nano-technology to candles. The real difficulty lies in the implementation - i.e. in changing human behaviour.

Think for a moment about how we treat our own bodies. We have all, at some point, mistreated our bodies for the sake of something immediate ... smashing a few too many jugs of beer, or mugs of coffee, or depriving ourselves of sleep for the sake of short-term gains. The list is long and different for each of us. We find it difficult to extend our planning horizons for our own bodies beyond the present.

How will we be able to deny immediate returns and extend our planning when it comes to something that is communal, especially something that is detached from our current experiences? We struggle to do it for own bodies which are as attached and tangible to us as anything can possibly be. This disconnect between behaviour and planning horizon is amplified by our political and socio-economic situations worldwide. Political leaders are typically planning only as far as the next election. Business leaders are planning as far as the next budget release etc.

Planning, diligence and patience are disappearing from society.

What are the solutions then? I don't know. I think it will require two major changes in the way we approach almost every aspect of life:

1. Think about and plan for the present TO the long-term future
2. No man is an island. We are all connected for better or for worse in the ecosystem that is Planet Earth. Our actions affect everyone and everything else.

Al Gore is calling for a change in Law as well as a change in the behaviour of individuals. I agree with this. I don't want to down-play the value of changes in individual behaviour. I do think that it will be difficult without the encouragement of the law however. In a seminal paper in Science in 1968, "The tragedy of the commons", Garrett Hardin discussed these issues. Do humans have the capacity to act unselfishly? The tragedy of the commons suggests not, but I am optimistic that we do have the capacity. As the Kyoto Protocol and the recent difficulties in Bangkok suggest, finding the balance between the stick (law) and the carrot ([usually] intangible environmental good) will be the immediate challenge for our leaders.

I challenge you to start by applying the two changes I mentioned above to your life - not necessarily just to environmental issues, but to any and all issues. And ... let's hold each other accountable for these things in an encouraging manner.

Peace

The workshop was about R, a programming language and environment for statistical analysis. It was taught by Glen Sergeant from the USGS (who was brilliant, just by the way).

R is freeware and is truly a global collaboration. My reason for writing a blog about it is to highlight what is possible when people are selfless and cooperative. R is an incredible collection of free packages designed by people in their own time and made freely available. It is a potential replacement for similar software that costs a substantial amount of money. Simply, it is very GOOD.

Learning about R gave me hope that we can move away from a consumer-society in which large multi-national corporations rule supreme (... Apple and Microsoft etc). R is a software analog for things like farmers' cooperatives, for community development projects, and for charities. Seeing how something of this nature can produce something that is good and of great use to people around the world is an indication that we can overcome other similar problems through global collaboration and selfless acts from individuals.

John 20:6-7

Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.

During the last 40 days of lent, I have focused quite heavily on what Jesus did for us on the cross. But, I think that Easter is more than an acknowledgment and celebration of this free gift. We need to look at our lives and adjust the way that we live - because the grace and salvation we freely receive changes the whole context of life for us.

This verse about Jesus' resurrection makes some important statements about the way forward. Firstly, Jesus arose from the dead. His death saves us from our sin and allows us to relate with God in a new way. His resurrection was victory over the powers and principalities in an intense battle that had been going on since Lucifer turned away from the Lord. And finally the mention of the burial cloth is of major importance if we consider its interpretation in Jewish tradition. Servants waiting on their master's tables would clear the table if the master left a crumpled napkin on the table. However, if the master left his napkin folded, it meant that he was returning and did not want the table cleared yet. Thus, Jesus was sending a clear message to the Jewish people and to us that He was going to return.

As we reflect on what was done for us on the cross, I hope we will consider how this changes the way we should BE, and I hope we will consider what is still to be done.

Easter is about God's grace and mercy shown to us through the sacrifice of His Son. Although He is mighty and pure and we should approach him with trembling and we should fear His wrath, we can be assured that he is first gracious and compassionate and loving.

Matthew 6:31-34

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This is an area that I have difficulty with. Western society is very focused on independence and on providing for oneself - and on the 'can do' attitude. This piece of scripture is not advocating laziness or carelessness (there are many verses admonishing the lazy farmer etc). It does remind us though that God created us and will provide for us in some manner - that may be through the work we have, it may be through friends and family, or any number of channels. What these verses are calling for is an alignment of our hearts first. We need to have our focus on the right thing - then other aspects of our lives will fall into place. There is also a strong call here to live today and not in the future. Again this is not saying that we shouldn't plan (see several verses about farmers doing the necessary planning), but it is telling us to be present in the moment, to not dwell on, and lose ourselves in the future.