#got ground espresso beans and im addicted

[beepbeepmfkr]

Ooooo~~~~~ you need that five dollar espresso machine from the thrift shop so badddddddd

[bopinion]

2021 / 16

Aperçu of the Week:

Mein Freund der Baum ist tot

Er fiel im frühen Morgenrot

(Alexandra)

My friend the tree is dead

He fell in the early morning

Bad News of the Week:

Christmas 2019, my daughter had wished that instead of another gift from her "budget", it was better to plant trees. And I was proud of it. Of her selflessness and of the trees themselves - after all, the fresh green stands for life and sustainability, breaks down man-made carbon dioxide and gives us oxygen in return. It provides habitat for other species and is also beautiful to look at. Every tree is worth so much more than a cell phone tower. So much for that.

It's no wonder, then, that reforestation is seen as a crucial key in the fight against climate-damaging gases. But two aspects are currently shaking this hope to the core: First, the existing forests are in poor condition. The latest "Forest Condition Report" published by the Thünen Institute states that only one fifth of the tree crowns in German forests are still healthy. And more than a third of the ill trees fall into the highest damage category. The main reasons are nitrogen oversaturation, pests, (less robust) monocultures and climate change itself - with storms in winter and drying out in summer.

Trees extract the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the air store carbon in their wood and release oxygen. To grow, they need nitrogen, which acts like a fertilizer. But "a lot helps a lot" does not apply here. The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) observed around 100,000 coniferous and deciduous trees in 23 European countries for 15 years and analyzed their growth. The result: too much nitrogen, if more water and nutrients are not available at the same time, makes for significantly weaker, less resistant trees that also bind less carbon dioxide. This overturns an important factor in all calculations of how humankind still has a chance of sufficiently slowing climate change.

The recipe of quickly planting lots of trees is therefore only partially effective. If only because of the very long cycles involved. It takes 2,000 young trees to replace one adult tree. And they need several decades to grow up. That's why the Bavarian state forests are already relying on so-called climate-tolerant varieties such as serviceberry or weeping cherry, which are supposed to cope better with the much warmer climate in 100 years' time than the currently dominant spruce. It's just too bad that we won't have time to wait for "Forest 2.0." We need to protect the forest of today - today.

In 1968, the pop singer Alexandra sang the hit song "My friend the tree". In the song, she mourns a tree that was cut down to make way for a house. You could almost say that nowadays mankind has more subtle ways of killing trees. Which, in turn, could be interpreted as man's indirect attempt at suicide. Not for nothing is it said to "saw off the branch you're sitting on" when someone endangers themselves out of ignorance. Today is the international "Day of the Tree". But also tomorrow our friend the tree needs our help. Since it benefits ourselves, this should actually not be difficult.

Good News of the Week:

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is one of the most professional politicians ever. The inventor of "controlled democracy" could well be placed in the same row as Julius Gaius Caesar, because both are gifted geostrategists. And, of course, ruthless. Putin gets away with it again and again. The annexation of Crimea in violation of international law? Without any real consequences. The support of the Syrian war criminal Bashar Al-Assad? Without any real consequences. The digital sabotage of free elections abroad? Without any real consequences. The illegitimate condemnation of regime critics? Without any real consequences. Fueling the civil war in Ukraine's Donbas? Without any real consequences. The suppression of liberal media? Without any real consequences.

I could think of many more. After all, Putin disregards democracy seemingly every week. All the more astonishing that I was positively surprised twice in the week that is coming to an end. First, by unexpected participation in Joe Biden's online climate summit. Although that could be taken as a concession to multilateralism. Second, by the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukrainian border. Although that could be understood as a concession to Ukraine's sovereignty.

A rare touch of mild of age? Perhaps even a rethinking away from isolationism? Certainly not. Putin does nothing without self-interest. But he apparently does not automatically put his personal machismo above the raison d'état. Opportunism does not necessarily have to be negative. Perhaps the realization that cooperation does not necessarily mean renouncing sovereignty is beginning to take hold. That would be good news.

Personal happy Moment of the Week:

My twelve-year-old son is definitely addicted to anything with a screen. Whether it's Netflix on the TV or Roblox on the iPad - the main thing is digital. And now he also wants a Switch for his birthday. Of course, the fact that distance learning also takes place on a display doesn't make it any better. So I was all the happier when he now apparently decided to listen to the family predisposition to creativity. Last week I was supposed to tell him one of my favorite musicians. Sting was playing. So all right. Half an hour later, he presents me with a pencil drawing of Gordon Sumner. And his mother's significant other got a portrait for his birthday yesterday that morphs from him to Mr. Spock - because he's a Star Trek fan. Again, in pencil. On paper. So totally analog. Nice...

As I write this...

...I am once again drinking far too much espresso. Freshly ground, of course, from Fair Trade organic Arabica coffee beans. Pleasure apparently often comes with a bouquet of unreason ;-)