Funny you should mention soundscapes and war, Colin. It brings to mind
two comments made by American powers that be. The first, by James
Watt, Secretary of the Interior under Reagan, who once said: "Noise is
power. The more noise we make the more powerful we will appear to be
to the rest of the world." This set the stage for the next
philosophical level. I was at a National Park Service soundscape
meeting in DC in late 2001 just before the Bush administration took
office. We were discussing impacts of noise on wildlife when at one
point a biologist from Aberdeen Proving Grounds (US Army, Maryland)
spoke of tests he was running with different types of noise to scare
birds from the runways at the site. During that discussion he
addressed his experience with the impact noise of cannons. "While they
didn't particularly work too well," he began, "one of the women
biologists on the site (echoing Watt) said, "Why, yes. And the sound
of cannons is the sound of freedom." At which point I stood up and
responded, "Indeed. And doesn't it depend on which side of the cannon
one is standing?"
I have plenty of examples of military jet fly-bys over high desert
areas affecting the biophony profoundly and causing predation on
already seriously threatened amphibian (Spadefoot Toad) populations in
the eastern high Sierras.
Bernie
On Nov 6, 2008, at 3:07 PM, colinbox wrote:
> From "the other side of the pond" here in Britain (and all over the
> world I'm sure) there is now a new sense of optimism and hope. Well
> done Americans! I for one am still shedding tears of joy!
> Aside from the obvious, few existing US government policies have
> angered us outside America as much as the desecration of the
> environment and denial of responsibility for the impact of those
> policies. From a recordists perspective the environment is the focus
> of our passion, and the new administration cannot fail to have a more
> sympathetic approach to the natural world we recordists love so much!
>
> Bernie, you asked for ideas on other natural soundscape issues... I
> feel there is one subject which dwarfs every other, though it may be
> deemed too contentious for discussion here. However, I feel we must be
> brave enough to at least raise the subject: Surely no other human
> activity has such an immediate and catastrophic impact on soundscapes
> as war... Does anyone else feel this subject deserves discussion -
> here or elsewhere? I do not wish to to offend anyone (or promote any
> specific cause) so a separate group seems the only sensible route for
> discussion - e-mail me with ideas please (off-group is probably best).
>
> I have no doubt that soundscapes globally will benefit from the next
> US administration. In a very real sense the changes on Capitol Hill
> will inevitably have an impact on the natural world and every
> recording we make - wherever we are. As others have pointed out,
> without subjects, the best equipment in the world will not deliver you
> a recording!
>
> Colin
>
> --- In Volker Widmann <>
> wrote:
> >
> > I still remain somewhat irrationally optimistic.
> > Instead of falling into deep despair I simply act on the maxim,
> that I
> > you want people to follow a certain path there is no other way
> > convincing them but to arouse their hearts with love for the aim
> that
> > you have in mind.
> > And this leads us nature recordists to what we are doing.
> > This is what our commitment to society should be.
> > So we definitely are not a bunch of techno weirdos prowling in the
> > woods, bogs and fens, but we are Arousers of Love for the voices
> of the
> > other beings that are with us on this earth.
> > That is quite some task, but I love it! I can't think of anything
> better
> > to do.
> >
> >
> > Volker
> >
> >
> >
> > Walter Knapp schrieb:
> > >
> > > Posted by: "Bernie Krause"
> > > >
> > > > Just remember ol' bean, now the real work begins. We all gotta
> get
> > > > directly and intimately involved in issues that we hold near and
> dear.
> > > > There's just too much destruction and deconstruction over the
> past
> > > > three decades to overcome and to hold one person responsible
> for.
> > > > For those who wish to address the ArcticNWR, for instance,
> perhaps
> > > > it's time to form a pro-active team, create a protection model
> based
> > > > on our particular area of expertise, and present it and
> ourselves to
> > > > the administration as a responsible group to lead the way. If
> there
> > > > are other issues we wish to address re the natural soundscape
> effort:
> > > > ditto. Anyone got any thoughts?
> > >
> > > Without human population control you are fooling yourself. Any
> minor
> > > improvement you might make will simply be overrun by increasing
> > > population.
> > >
> > > Walt
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
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