I don't use plastic bags. I've given up drinking straws. I recycle just about anything I can think of. I spread the word, courtesy of my blog, plus kind folks who share my articles on social media. But try as I might, it seems to me none of these things change the whole world in a positive way.
The problem is too big, the efforts too small. |
Hurricanes have destroyed the idyllic tropical islands, and parts of the USA that have always been warm Meccas for wintering North Americans and the rest of the world.
Let’s not forget the Covid-19 pandemic. No end to that one.
Earthquakes, new volcano eruptions...this doesn't seem like the dear Mother Nature that so many of us profess to know and love.
Millions of refugees flee the devastation caused by man’s inhumanity to their fellow men, women and children. Reports of endless and horrific cruelty surface daily, bomb attacks, shocking scenes of ultimate pain for no reason except where the unfortunate were born.
Every week seems like a painful one to try and feel optimism, knowing how many millions suffer in other countries. There's some guilt attached, questioning how all we know is the numbers.
What I can imagine though, is the very basic things that must be hell on earth...not having food and clean water for yourself or your children, not having a home, and most basic, how on earth would you handle the business of toileting where there are no toilets, and thousands of people in the same environment?
How can you possibly make sure that those who need help when roads are impassible, communications are cut, the internet is down? It’s a huge problem.
Calling all hams!
Ham radio operators are saving Puerto Rico one transmission at a time
Hams don't depend on any new technology. They've been fiddling around with various wires and antennae rigs for many decades. They talk to each other, nationally, internationally, and even into space.
In emergencies they are incredibly useful and comforting, and as we’ve seen, in chaotic situations like the present in Puerto Rico, they can provide the only life saving and reporting links.
Hams are licensed radio operators. They're not just a bunch of hobbyists, indeed they're considered a valued service by governments. In a situation like the Puerto Rico disaster they work relaying messages from the disaster area to loved ones, and keep on top of events in real time. Their tried and true equipment doesn't get compromised like Wi-Fi connections, and other modern technology.
There are about 100 hams on the Sunshine Coast. One of these heroes, Bob Biggart, used to live right next door to us. The neighborhood totally supported the large antennae he constructed, and it certainly was so comforting to know he, his expertise and his ham colleagues were always ready to go with emergency services, anywhere in the world.
Hams are classified differently, according to their licensing. You get the local and national ones, who are confined to the use of fewer radio channels.
International hams are licensed to use many radio channels in the world. They undergo gruelling exams to earn this privilege. Not everyone is suited to be one of the international guys.
I’ve often thought how interesting it must be to have these conversations as they do, anywhere in the world. But I quickly resist the temptation to learn more about it for the same reason as I resist starting to quilt! They both seem to be quite addictive, and time consuming! Don’t need any more irons in my fire. Yeah, I know. Selfish me.
If you’d like to comment under here, please feel free to do so! Everyone reading loves to hear from others.