Comments on: Dispatch from Niger http://eco-chick.com/2007/01/30/dispatch-from-niger/ Because Mother Earth Is A Woman Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:48:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Brian http://eco-chick.com/2007/01/30/dispatch-from-niger/#comment-35880 Brian Thu, 01 Feb 2007 17:49:56 +0000 http://eco-chick.com/?p=719#comment-35880 Great post, Brianne! I assume Jennifer is Lynn Margulis (the world-famous scientist, and ex of Carl Sagan)'s daughter? The post makes it especially depressing that north-central Africa is suffering such a rapid desertification, threatening the way of life for such gracious, kind people. Should be yet another call to take a common sense approach to planning for the future, and hedging our bets against the climate change that threatens to upend so much. Great post, Brianne! I assume Jennifer is Lynn Margulis (the world-famous scientist, and ex of Carl Sagan)’s daughter? The post makes it especially depressing that north-central Africa is suffering such a rapid desertification, threatening the way of life for such gracious, kind people. Should be yet another call to take a common sense approach to planning for the future, and hedging our bets against the climate change that threatens to upend so much.

]]> By: Starre http://eco-chick.com/2007/01/30/dispatch-from-niger/#comment-35776 Starre Wed, 31 Jan 2007 15:21:18 +0000 http://eco-chick.com/?p=719#comment-35776 Not only is travel absolutely excellent for children's minds, I have a pretty strong feeling that it is really good for building up kids' immune systems. My parents travelled on extended stays to all sorts of places like Fiji, New Calendonia, and the Phillippenes, all before I was 3. I actually remember some of it, if you can believe it. It is so bizarre to me that Americans are so fearful of travel, but especially travel with children. Go for it! The benefits far outweigh the risks. My favorite passage: "In Niger, my kids attend a French-speaking school; in 10 months they'll speak the language fluently and most likely without the accent I've always had. They've glided in a pirogue down the Niger River and seen a hippo, its wide nostrils floating just above the surface of the murky water. They've bumped through the bush on lanky camels and eaten tuwo da mia (pounded millet balls with sauce). They've met gracious, hospitable and kind people, the people who cause the least environmental damage in the world, who recycle everything -- even though there are no plastic buckets to leave out for garbage collectors." Not only is travel absolutely excellent for children’s minds, I have a pretty strong feeling that it is really good for building up kids’ immune systems. My parents travelled on extended stays to all sorts of places like Fiji, New Calendonia, and the Phillippenes, all before I was 3. I actually remember some of it, if you can believe it. It is so bizarre to me that Americans are so fearful of travel, but especially travel with children. Go for it! The benefits far outweigh the risks. My favorite passage:

“In Niger, my kids attend a French-speaking school; in 10 months they’ll speak the language fluently and most likely without the accent I’ve always had. They’ve glided in a pirogue down the Niger River and seen a hippo, its wide nostrils floating just above the surface of the murky water. They’ve bumped through the bush on lanky camels and eaten tuwo da mia (pounded millet balls with sauce). They’ve met gracious, hospitable and kind people, the people who cause the least environmental damage in the world, who recycle everything — even though there are no plastic buckets to leave out for garbage collectors.”

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