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| Burtynsky / oil project |
I had this post ready, and figured I would wait Orr was behind us before shacking it again...Like most of us here, we love learning and sharing with colleagues. But communication is not always just that simple since we all have these great ideas -we think- and get excited with brainstorms for some. We, beings all strongly dedicated to environmental education, debated a lot on whether Orr would have talked seen fundamental the link to make between warming winters, virus, contaminated water, the possible links with the deers, and the links with the mines, as something to really put up front for the actual water issue (or should I say I tried defending a dissonant point of view ) That was my understanding of Orr through his education paper, and his book, Down the wire (scanning through it sideways but quite some pages). Orr was not us, so it didn't imply our own perceptions but his of course, through the understanding we each had, and the choices we made in reflecting his vision. It was decided that those -links- were secondary, we would acknowledge them, but they we're not the focus for the present campaign. Education, water, and hope were. Now that I solely can speak on my behalf, knowing my pals won't hold it against me :-) (well I hope) the assignment having been reviewed, the debate being over, I now feel I can share my voice of the different perspective my understanding of the choices Orr would have made in that matter, -with my care to my dear team members- and the decisions we took for the well-being of an assignment where there is no time for an everlasting debate I know, (which I can sometimes master as a stubbornness I guess), and they've heard it all anyhow ...
So, finding a consensus and keeping group harmony was far more important for us here, then feeling we were going to change anything, the world or our own perspectives in one day. I struggled, I was most likely a pain, but in real life, would I have chosen to agree? No way!! :-) Knowing how I tend to insist in discussions now and then, I would have fought the idea that what -Orr would say- needed to be said was that he would have used those rumors as an opportunity to bring about the climate change links that the community members we're consciously or unconsciously making, in order to bring deep awareness and let the community take long-term decisions based on their own ability to comprehend, a dimension Orr trusts people have.
I sincerely thought those would have been Orr's decision and it is hard to let go assumptions, (I am adding today: which could be scary thinking of the thesis.) But perhaps he also would have chosen not to insist on the importance of these links, and was I indeed projecting my own vision. We still won't know unless he would tell us or someone has another different understanding of Orr. Just like my colleagues did and like Orr, I believe there is nothing but Environmental education. But to me that means he would have been the happiest to encourage the population to see those links were -most likely- part of the water issue they we're facing, a climate change issue, no denial to have here, and that problem could come back if the solutions were simply short term repairing (+ a gain in water awareness) or at least the link in rumors meant they we're aware of risks, and my feeling was that he would never have hesitated showing strong images of polluted rivers, such as Yann Arthus Bertrand or Burtynsky's work.
I know I would have insisted that we discuss furthermore these various views in real life, my home friends would say...Still, I wonder what Orr would have thought ...;-)
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