“Park” visitors enjoy coffee in a converted parking spot on Valencia Street, outside Ritual Roasters.
December 2006 | Mindful Living
Culture Jammers put the “Park” in Parking
More than 70 percent of outdoor space in downtown San Francisco is dedicated to motor vehicles. But the local Burning Man one-off arts organization Rebar is changing this, at least for a few days each year. In 2005, Rebar organized the first Park(ing) day, transforming metered parking spaces into temporary public parks, adding (a novel metric of) 24,000 square-foot-minutes of green space to the city that day. Park(ing) day has since grown and spread to cities across the globe including Manhattan, London and Rio de Janeiro.
In September, local businesses joined Rebar and the Trust for Public Land in creating 20 temporary parks in downtown San Francisco, drawing the attention to the city’s need for green, public spaces. Rebar volunteers, Trust for Public Land staffers and employees at architecture, design firms and coffee shops all rolled out sod and trucked or biked potted plants, benches and trees to SOMA curbsides so passersby could stop, relax on a bench, learn about open space and drink coffee. BAR Architects constructed a temporary botanical garden on Howard Street, where employees of the firm fielded questions about the benefits of open spaces and provided complimentary beverages to thirsty park visitors.
The Rebar Group itself traversed SOMA streets, moving one rather impressive park complete with benches, sod, and a tree, from parking space to parking space throughout the afternoon with the help of bicycles and an occasional City CarShare vehicle. Even Mayor Gavin Newsom’s parking spot at Civic Center was transformed into a park for the day.
Inspired by DJ culture, Rebar seeks to “remix elements of the cultural and physical landscape, transforming the everyday into art and activism that challenges notions of culture and environment.” To further this goal, they launched COMMONspace, a mapping project that highlights public spaces downtown. Many of these spaces, they’ve found, often go unrecognized by the public. Rebar’s map locates 14 “privately owned public open spaces” (POPOS) in SF’s downtown area. Their online map, accompanied by descriptions and testimonials, encourages city-dwellers to enjoy spaces that may be hidden from the casual public eye. Last month, Rebar staged “paraformances” (performance actions) in these locations to draw attention to their status as actual public spaces. Visit rebargroup.org for more info and images. — Rose Miller
Alt Medicine in the Mainstream
German Study Says Acupuncture Controls Migranes
“The main finding is that Chinese acupuncture is as effective as drug treatment for the prophylaxis of migraine,” said Hans-Christoph Diener, a neurologist at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany in an article on MSNBC.com.
Migraines are believed caused by an underlying problem in the central nervous system which, when triggered by various stimuli, over-reacts, causing the often-debilitating headaches. These intense attacks cause sensitivity to light, noise and smell, nausea or vomiting, distorted vision, and throbbing on one side of the head. They can last up to three days and render the sufferer incapable of carrying out the normal functions of everyday life. Migraines affect some 6 percent of men and 18 percent of women in the U.S., or 24 percent of the population. Those affected report, on average, 35 attacks a year and employers report annual losses of $13 billion every year due to people who must miss work because of migraines. Prescription drugs are available but very expensive.
The good news is that existing Western therapies are effective, if imperfect and intertwined with side effects. The better news is that German researchers have discovered that acupuncture is as effective as prescription drugs for treating migraines. — Lina Swislocki
Worth Repeating
“When a black child in Oakland winces at the thought of an ancient tree being cut down in Northern California, and when a white lawyer in Northern California winces at the thought of a black teenager being cut down in those streets, then we’ll know we have arrived.” — Environmental entrepreneur Paul Hawken speaking on the fundamental need to merge the environmental and social justice movements, at the Bioneers conference 10.22
“We’re sending $800,000 to some of the most hostile nations on earth. We’re funding both sides in this war on terrorism.” — Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, at an event at the African American Museum, LA 10.27.
“Beware of mothers who have nothing left to lose.” — Amy Goodman, reflecting on parents who join the anti-war movement after losing children in Iraq, to an audience at the Bioneers conference 10.21
“It’s worth thinking about what the Constitution would have looked liked if it had been drafted by the people who weren’t considered people at the time.” — Attorney Thomas Linzey, co-founder of the Democracy Schools and the Community Legal Defense Fund (celdf.org), in a galvanizing Bioneers speech challenging that the Constitution, conceived as it was in a slave state, is fundamentally flawed to protect profit and property over the rights of the individual, at the Bioneers Conference, 10.21
Ed. note: As you can tell, there were a lot of quote-worthy things said at this year’s Bioneers conference, the annual gathering in San Rafael of environmental and social-change leaders. To hear podcasts of what you missed, and to make sure you’re part of the event next year, visit Bioneers.org
Exporting Patients
By Jim Hightower
Good grief. Just when you think that globalization can’t get anymore ludicrous, and that America’s health care policies can’t get anymore ridiculous — along comes corporate profiteers with a cockamamie scheme to globalize our health care.
Already, x-rays and medical tests are being offshored to India, but this scheme goes farther, taking a flying leap into the surreal. Instead of sending your tests to India, they want to send you there. Corporations are now asking workers who need serious operations to fly 7,000 miles away to get their treatments done in low-cost Indian hospitals. I’ve heard of doctors being distant, but this is absurd.
Let’s say you have a heart condition or need a back operation. Your company can get your surgery done in India 80 percent cheaper than your local hospital will do it — but do you really want to be loaded on a plane for a 20-hour flight to Bangalore? What sick person wants to be transported halfway around the globe to cope with a foreign culture?
And, what if something goes wrong? Who is responsible, and what are your rights under Indian laws? Interestingly, companies shipping ill workers there require the patients to sign a release that basically says you are “on your own” when it comes to medical liability problems.
Like it or not, however, corporations are pushing the offshore option. The U.S.-India Business Council exults that sending patients abroad promises to “deliver big advantages for both Indian and U.S. business.” Well, now, isn’t that just dandy for business? But — hello — what the hell about patients!?!
This is Jim Hightower saying... Luckily, the Steelworkers union has geared up to block the exportation of workers to hospitals in India, or elsewhere, calling the scheme a “shocking” abuse. It’s time to fix America’s sick health-care system — not ship our people abroad to get care. To learn more, call the Steelworkers’ office: 205.951.1212.
Recommend this page to a friend
Top Ten pages recommended to friends:
