In proximity to rivers—
one way or another
As I write this post, I can hear the rain falling through trees outside my window. And on one of my digital windows, I am watching an eagle bathing on the Mississippi River shoreline. I hear geese traveling overhead as sunset nears. I have been keeping the Mississippi River Flyway LIVECAM open this week while I work. It helps me think, and refreshes me as I navigate pages and pages of content on the many topics I track and study.
I grew up during formative years in close relationship to a major river—the Ohio. It was a force to be reckoned with, especially when it would overflow its banks. It was a boundary between two profoundly different states, as well as a source of living history. I am grateful for that time of proximity to such a powerful presence. I have no doubt that the Ohio River helped form me.
In 2021, local authorities in Canada granted legal personhood to the Muteshekau Shipu—the name given to the river by the indigenous Innu people of Ekuanitshit— that winds through Quebec. That personhood status grants the river (also known as the Magpie River) nine rights that include the right to flow, the right to be safe from pollution, and the right to sue. Rivers in other nations have been granted legal personhood as well.
The changes in the legal system deeply affect the psyche. If the law says I’m in relationship with the ocean and the river then it won’t be long before people start behaving as if we are interconnected with the other life forms on the planet.
Mumta Ito, founder of Nature’s Rights, former environmental lawyer, based in Scotland
A few videos I’ve been watching
The folks at The Kid Should See This are awesome curators. For example:
The Silver Swan - a beautiful Bowes Museum automata conservation project
Loved this from Oregon Public Broadcasting and the Oregon Field Guide…from web weaving spiders to engineering robots
David J. Malan, Professor of Computer Science at Harvard speaks with a child, a teen, a college student, a grad student, and an expert. I really appreciated the very interactive conversations David had with each person. I loved the 6-year-old. This is an excellent video to watch with the young people in your life.
So what’s Machine Learning? Another great video in the WIRED 5 Levels Series with Hilary Mason explaining Machine Learning. Back in the day (2007), Hilary Mason was doing some really creative experiential learning work in the immersive world Second Life.
The two WIRED videos are very complementary and extremely relevant.
Take care. Be well.