Blue Marble: An Eco-Fable

By Mike Brunt

Blue Marble is a series of books that help children to question modern living, and to think of solutions for getting ever closer to more natural ways of living.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483529783

Book preview

Tree

PART 1

CHAPTER 1

‘BLACK GOLD’

Black rock, or black gold, Kenvyn had heard it called. Why was this stuff so important to people? He pondered. The most important things in his life were the water he drank, the morsels he ate, and the friends and family he enjoyed. Kenvyn, being a kiwi bird, never flew like other birds but pottered around on his home, Denniston Plateau, New Zealand. Often cold, damp and misty, it was still filled with water, life, plants, friends, and food.

Ignacio, on the other wing, or scale (for he was an iguana), had spent some years in Los Angeles, California. During his childhood in Tijuana, the first big city of Mexico which was just over the border from California, he had become enamored by the family tales passed down which told of a time years ago, before his time: the time of the infamous Gold Rush. He was now told that the crossing from Tijuana into the USA is the busiest border crossing in the world, busy at almost all times.

In Tijuana Ignacio grew up amongst the natives, who ate marvelous food amongst the vivid colors of the people’s possessions and buildings, listening to the lively music of the natives. Grandfather, or as they say in Spanish, Abuelo Mauricio hushed the wide-eyed, frozen-with-enchantment children with his storytelling, nay, history telling.

Los Ancheles, Spaneesh for ‘The Anchels,’ was once a part of Mehico, mis hijos. Mauricio was a very wise iguana indeed. In fact, it was he who encouraged Ignacio (with whom he had a special relationship) to travel far and wide to experience the world at this very important time. One of thee nateeve tribes of Mehico, the Maya, indeecated that thees year, 2012 would be an eemportant year, hijos, and eet ees veree importante. The children were all listening very closely now, even more wide-eyed. Eet ees the year that you weell be geeven the task to once again make our beauteeful Earth a world based on the natural bounties geeven to us.

Abuelo! Mauricio looked at Ignacio, who was raising his scaly hand up high. What do we need to do to help? Ignacio asked.

Thank you Ignacio, Mauricio was touched by such caring. All will be revealed to all of us in good time. Ignacio went silent but was unsatisfied with this answer. Patience is something that many have to learn through the years.

On a cold misty day in Denniston, Ignacio told Kenvyn about the Gold Rush of California. They were walking along the edge of the plateau looking out over the land as they milled about.

What is gold exactly Iggy? Kenvyn asked curiously.

Gold is a precious metal often made into jewelry, ese. You know, like bracelets and chains and rings and things. Ignacio replied. Kenvyn, head to one side, recalled the first time he heard Ignacio’s Spanglish street talk from Los Angeles. ‘Ese,’ he recalled, meant ‘good friend’. It’s very shiny and lasts forever, continued Ignacio. The gabachos – eh, sorry man – humans I mean, pay lots of money for it. Money they earn through working hard. So they’re really working for the gold, which I find strange. I think it’s nice, but so are other metals, and I won’t go working my scales off for it, no sir. It gets more interesting too Ken - there was this stuff called ‘Fool’s Gold’, which humans sold pretending it was real gold. What a strange world they lived in - well, still do. Kenvyn had learned much from his friend, as he had never left the plateau, but Ignacio! He had traveled all over the world. He had also found out that humans depended on money which they worked for, to buy things they needed, but in the past this was not the case. They originally just lived off of the land as Ignacio and Kenvyn did now.

Kenvyn wondered aloud, I wonder why they started to use money Ig. Isn’t it better to just grow and hunt what you need at the time rather than go through all that effort to get what you need from others? I mean… we live where there is food and shelter available. Why don’t they just do the same? Ignacio shrugged. He couldn’t think of a legitimate answer. And what’s the difference between gold and black gold anyway? Why is one used to wear and the other used to power things? I mean, I know the heat from burning the black gold is used to power their machines, but why are they named the same thing when they are used in such different ways? Ignacio shrugged again. He had no idea!

They reached Kenvyn’s favorite peak as the sun was setting in the distance, casting a warm glow through the previously misted and blued land. Kenvyn ruffled his feathers as he shuffled down to sit on the hard, damp earth. Ignacio twitched as Kenvyn let out a little squeak in his comfort-getting, breaking the peaceful silence. They continued their gaze. Kenvyn thought about the many conversations he had heard about ‘black gold,’ or coal as it is known. He looked back at the plateau, glancing over the old machinery left there from years ago, when people lived there and would go underground to find the coal. It’s funny to think… well maybe that’s not the best word… it’s sad to think that humans got hurt and even died sometimes trying to get that black gold out of the ground here. Great Aunt Arataki used to tell us that they used to carry the black gold down the side of the plateau on a very steep track, down to the ground below so that they could put it on ships and carry it all over the world. Kenvyn sunk down even further. I just don’t get it. Why did they make things so complicated for themselves? All they have to do is find food, shelter, and water. I mean, Great Aunt Arataki used to think it was interesting that the people living on the plateau used the black gold to heat in their homes to keep them warm when it was cold out, but to ship it all over the place? Why do they have all of these roundabout, complicated, dangerous, and exhausting ways of getting these things? Ignacio did not answer at all this time. He was used to being able to answer questions, but these that Ken were asking were getting progressively more confusing, even to him.

You know, ese, he said as he turned to Kenvyn, one eyebrow raised, I have traveled on big boats all over the world, but Abuelo used to say that the boats used to only be powered by the wind, using these things called, ehh … siles? No, no. Sails. It was this strong material for the wind to push against when they hung it up on these very big… eh… tall posts on the deck.

Yes Ig, I remember Great Aunt saying something about these sails being quite a sight. I remember her saying that it was a slow way to travel, but people did it, and they were able to get to all corners of the globe. It was such ships that brought new people to this land, Ig, said Kenvyn. Humans had been here for many, many years, Kenvyn thought, but it was only in recent times that the new visitors came on ships with sails and who seemed not to care about the land that fed them. There are so many puzzles in all of this.

Well, when Abuelo told us that, I decided to try and find one of these boats with sails and I did find one small one, muy poquito. I remember the sound of the wind and the waves of the ocean, and nothing else. No engine or anything. It was peaceful, man. I fell asleep in the sun, el sol. He sighed. Ignacio loved lying in the sun, as it warmed his sun-loving body. Kenvyn looked over at him, surprised that Iggy could feel that sun from years ago whilst sitting on the Denniston Plateau in the blue shades of day that were returning, darkening as the sun began to dip behind the horizon. Then a thought sparked into his mind.

I remember you telling me about England, Ig. This immediately shattered the feeling of warmth Ignacio had been enjoying and Ignacio looked over at Kenvyn, very perturbed. Why you gotta ruin it like that, ese?

Oh… sorry I didn’t realize. Kenvyn replied, eyebrow, or bird-brow, raised.

Anyway, do you remember telling me about that engine that ran on steam?

The steam engine?

Yes, the steam engine, Kenvyn responded. You said they were able to make things move faster by forcing the steam into small spaces which expand, pushing anything out of its way, even heavy metal. Ignacio nodded, wondering what he was getting at. Kenvyn continued, Well, I’ve seen people staying in tents here on the plateau heating water in kettles over a fire, and the whistle of the steam escaping the spout is a good example of the force of the steam trying to escape. Kenvyn was known for going into tangents. Also, I notice that even though it’s known here for the coal, they still use wood to burn in their fires, which is strange because they should be using the coal since that’s what’s available up here, no? Coal burns a lot longer than wood, too.

Kenvyn had a point. Denniston is known for its large amounts of coal and it did burn quicker, hotter, and for a much longer time, thanks to the immense amount of sun energy stored in it from millions of years ago. This made it much more efficient in warming things,