The Ash Grove? or Global Warning?

Down yonder green valley, where streamlets meander
Where twilight is fading, I pensively roam

This is actually Hazelwood, and the Ash in the song is referring to trees rather than a volcano, but hey! its a nice photo!

Apparently Irish airspace is still closed, and the ash cloud is heading west with the possibility of being in American airspace by this evening. Its like something from a science fiction novel or film, isn't it?
Dad was in town shopping this morning and got extra groceries for us as Mom is anxious that by the time I remember to do the shopping the shelves may be empty. Already in Kenya many agricultural workers have been laid off and the produce left to rot since it cannot be flown out to Europe.

A volcano spews ash in Iceland and on the other side of the world, in a different hemisphere workers lose their jobs! What sort of behemoth have we made for ourselves? There's been plenty said about Global Warming, Peak Oil, World Poverty, Terrorism, and a lot else over recent years- but did anyone consider the possibility of a Natural Incident?

But if you think about it, or, if we are prepared to think about it, this could be the very wake-up call we need to seriously mend our ways. After Krakatoa erupted there was no spring or summer so crops failed, and a lot of people died from respiratory complications. Wouldn't it be truly ironic if there was to be widespread hunger in Europe because so many people depend upon their food to be grown in Africa (and elsewhere)? Whereas in Africa the food is useless because it cannot be got out of the field and into the Market?

Up until two years ago the Hub's Dad managed farms in East Africa for the Tesco chain. We bought Kenyan green beans in Sligo, north west Ireland, knowing that M had grown them in Nanyuki, Kenya, since he was the supplier to Tesco. How absolutely RIDICULOUS is that? Think of the miles and damage it took to get them to our table?

So perhaps having all the cargo planes grounded and people stranded all over the world is just a gentle reminder to us all, all over the world, that we are living unsustainable lifestyles and that we need to cop on to ourselves. We sit and gaze at a grassy garden and go hungry for veg and fruit- how daft!

No one of us is going to solve the World's problems, its way too late for that, but sure as we do nothing, nothing will be done. Think about it, folks?