Who owns what? Looking after the world … and its bananas. Interesting photos.

 Looking back at history, it is plain to see that many of the problems come from one group of people making a land grab for a piece of territory. As if we actually “own” the earth rather than being sort of tolerated by nature for a while. It’s rather like Neil Young singing about how 

“This old guitar ain't mine to keep 

Just taking care of it now 

It's been around for years and years 

Just waiting in its old case.”

That’s how we should feel,about the earth. Unfortunately there are thise who think orherwise:

“Trump says US should 'take' Gaza and turn it into 'freedom zone'

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he wanted the United States to “take” Gazaand turn it into a “freedom zone”, as the Israel-Hamas war rages on in the Palestinianterritory, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good, make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone,” the US leader said in Qatar, adding:

I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone.”

As well as having their own constitution (which some of them seem to appear unaware of), according to this article, in the United States they also have a genuine, original copy of the Magna Carta. It was sold to Harvard University, as an unofficial copy, for $27 in the post World War II period. Now experts have decided it’s genuinely old and is worth rather a lot more.

I like some of the language used in the article: 

Nicholas Vincent, professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia, said: “It was then passed down through an evil aristocratic family of the 18th century, the Lowthers, who then gave it to Thomas Clarkson, who was the leading slavery abolitionist. And then, through Clarkson’s estate, it went to this fellow, Forster Maynard, who was a first world war flying ace, who ended up as the commander of the airbase on Malta at the start of the second world war. The provenance of this document is extraordinary.”

“An evil aristocratic family”, like characters from a Disney film!

Thinking of how we look after the earth, here is a link to an article about bananas, which are under threat because of the climate crisis. Here are some statistics:

Bananas are the fourth most important food crop globally, after wheat, rice and maize.

Bananas are the world’s most consumed fruit.

80% of bananas grown globally are for local consumption.

More than 400 million people rely on the fruit for 15% to 27% of their daily calories.

I have long maintained that it is possible to survive on a diet of bananas and whole wheat bread. Much as I like bananas however, I might begin to crave some variety after a while. But I would be sorry to see them disappear because of the climate crisis.

Finally for today, here, I hope, purely because it is such an amazing photo, is a photo of a train crash at Montparnasse Station in Paris in 1895, 22nd October to be precise.

The train overran a buffer stop and smashed through a window due to the driver approaching the station at too fast a speed. Surprisingly, there was only 1 death as a result of this disaster, a woman outside the station was killed by falling masonry. Astounding!

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!