This blog feature amusing and heartwarming stories about our late Leonberger dog Bronco, as well as other Leonbergers. It also has a lot of information about the Leonberger breed, the history, care, training, Leonberger organizations, etc. I also wrote a Leonberger book, which I am featuring in the sidebar.
Author: thomasstigwikman
My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.
Today we got a portrait of our late Leonberger Bronco framed. We received the portrait a few days ago. We got it framed at Fast Frame here in Dallas today. We got the conservation glass so that the portrait will last a very long time. The portrait was drawn by Veniceme at Etsy (Natasha Dall’Ara) and it is based on one of our photos. Below is a photo of Bronco’s Grey Muzzle Award on the right and the portrait is on the left.
Left : Hand painted portrait of Bronco by Veniceme / Natasha Dall’Ara at Etsy. Right Bronco’s Grey-Muzzle Award from LHFI.
da-AL was gracious enough to host me via a guest post. It features the story of why I wrote my Leonberger book as well as the story about our Leonberger Bronco’s hamster rescue operation. I would like to direct all comments to her post. See da-AL’s post below.
Today is the two-year anniversary of my blog and this is the 215th post.
Shutterstock-ID: 959582 by Ingvald Kaldhussater
My blog is primarily about Leonbergers, an unusual and fascinating dog breed that is known for its size, affectionate nature, and intelligence. We were lucky enough to live with one for thirteen years. His name was Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle—but we called him “Bronco” for short. I also wrote a book about Leonbergers and about Bronco’s many adventures : The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. If you are on a desktop computer you’ll see the book in the sidebar on the right, and if you are on a phone you have to scroll to the bottom of the page. If you still cannot see the book, you can click here.
Leonbergers love to swim and so did our Bronco. This post features 25 photos of Leonbergers in the water, which is why the title of the post is 25 Waterberger photos. Most of the photos are of our Leonberger Bronco in White Rock Lake in Dallas. He loved to chase ducks and egrets, but catching is difficult. In the end he had no egrets. One of the photos is from a friend and there are a few stock photos. If you want to see Leonberger puppy photos click here, and if you want to see another set of 25 Leonbergers click here, and here is yet another set of 25 Leonbergers.
Our Leonberger Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake.Bronco is standing in the water in White Rock Lake.Our Leonberger Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake.Our Leonberger Bronco in shallow water. Still White Rock Lake.Digory a Leonberger in the water. Photo by Jen O’Keefe.Young Bronco (maybe one years old) standing in a kiddie pool.Young Bronco standing in a kiddie pool.Bronco standing in White Rock Lake.Leonberger swimming with a ball. Stock Photo ID: 720242263 by Christian MuellerLeonberger on the beach. Stock Photo ID: 1110805445 by LolostockTwo Leonbergers swimming. Stock Photo ID: 1989806678 by Taibomaus.Leonberger standing in river. Photo by Stephanie Lucero on Unsplash.Our Bronco in a kiddie pool.Another photo of our Bronco in a kiddie poolBronco swimming in White Rock Lake, Texas.Another photo of Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake, Texas.Bronco standing in White Rock Lake, nearby Dallas, Texas.Bronco againBronco coming out of White Rock LakeBronco walking into White Rock LakeBronco coming back out of White Rock LakeBronco coming out of White Rock Lake on a different day.Bronco coming out of White Rock LakeBronco in White Rock Lake
The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. This is another one of those. I read Survival of the Fittest (Book 1 of Crossroads trilogy) the Paperback version – March 2, 2019, by Jacqui Murray. It is another of Jacqui Murray’s wonderful prehistoric novels and I loved it. It exists in three formats on Amazon.
Paperback – Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (March 2, 2019), ISBN-10: 194210135X, ISBN-13: 978-1942101352, 311 pages, Item Weight : 1.01 pounds, Dimensions : 6 x 0.78 x 9 inches, it cost $14.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Hardback – Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (February 28, 2021), ISBN-10: 1942101708, ISBN-13: 978-1942101703, 328 pages, Item Weight : 1.24 pounds, dimensions : 6 x 0.93 x 9 inches, it cost $24.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (March 6, 2019), ASIN: B07NKM58GB, it costs $3.99 on US Amazon, it is free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of Survival of the Fittest. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the book. Picture is scanned from the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
Five tribes. One leader. A treacherous journey across three continents in search of a new home. Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Survival of the Fittest is an unforgettable saga of hardship and determination, conflict and passion. Chased by a ruthless enemy, Xhosa leads her People on a grueling journey through unknown and dangerous lands following a path laid out decades before by her father, to be followed only as a last resort. She is joined by other fleeing tribes from Indonesia, China, South Africa, East Africa, and the Levant, all similarly forced by timeless events to find new lives. As they struggle to overcome treachery, lies, tragedy, secrets, and Nature itself, Xhosa is forced to face the reality that her enemy doesn’t want to ruin her People. It wants to ruin her. The story is set 850,000 years ago, a time in prehistory when man populated most of Eurasia, where ‘survival of the fittest’ was not a slogan. It was a destiny. Xhosa’s People were from a violent species, one fully capable of addressing the many hardships that threatened their lives except for one: future man, a smarter version of themselves, one destined to obliterate all those who came before.
This is my Amazon review of Survival of the Fittest by Jacqui Murray
The Survival Story of Prehistoric Refugees
What does survival of the fittest mean? The most fit are not necessarily the strongest or the fastest but the ones who are the most adaptable to change. The survival of prehistoric man was helped by so many aspects of skills, health, intelligence, making tools, the ability to cooperate and the willingness to change, as well as empathy. In this book we follow a few tribes of Homo Erectus who are forced to relocate due to the encroachment and attacks of the so called “Big Heads”.
Xhosa is a Homo Erectus woman who becomes the leader of her people as well as other tribes who join them on their trip through north Africa and into the Middle East. She is a powerful, resourceful, and ruthless warrior and hunter but at the same time she is kindhearted, intelligent, and open minded. Other important characters are Nightshade, Rainbow, Zvi, Seeker, Pan-Do, Lyta and the Hawk People. These tribes are pre-historic refugees if you will. This is the first book in a series of three about her and her tribe(s).
When I was young, I read the novels written by Jean M. Auel, and I was fascinated by the suspenseful stories and the topic of prehistoric man. I’ve read so many science fiction novels set in the future as well as novels set in the past but during historic times. However, there is not much out there that takes place during pre-historic times, perhaps because we don’t know much about it. Jean M. Auel changed literature history with her novels taking place during prehistoric times.
More recently Jacqui Murray changed literature history once again by continuing this path and by writing suspenseful epic sagas taking place at different time periods. This book and the next two in the series take place 850,000 years ago. Now we know a lot more about prehistoric man and Jacqui Murray has certainly done her research. I can add that the three first books I read by Jacqui Murray was about a homo habilis woman who lived 1.8 million years ago. Her name was Lucy and there are some references to Lucy in this book through Xhosa’s dreams.
It seems like Jacqui loves to incorporate dogs or friendly wolves in her books. There was Lucy with her big dog Ump in the Dawn of Humanity series (Homo Habilis) and in this book we have a tame blue-eyed wolf, Pup later called Spirit and his rescuer and handler Zvi. I love this aspect of these books. The front cover of the paperback (what I read) shows a prehistoric woman and a wolf. The wolf is obviously Spirit, but I am not sure if the woman is Zvi or Xhosa.
The adventures recounted in this book are intense and gritty and feature a lot of violence, suffering, and cruelty but that was the reality back then. There are cannibals, crocodiles eating people, various beasts attacking people, and attacks by other tribes. Prehistoric times were cruel and violent. You had to learn how to survive. This book is filled with action-packed adventures and interesting subplots. You never know what is going to happen next and you just must find out. It is a real page turner. Without giving anything else away I can say that the book ends on a happy note after a long arduous and dangerous journey. In summary, I loved this book. It is enjoyable, fun, and action packed. The stories are creative and fascinating, and the book is very well written. I highly recommend this book.
Back cover of Survival of the Fittest (scanned from book).
About the Author
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, and a contributor to NEA Today.
You can find her resources at Structured Learning. Read Jacqui’s tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days here on Amazon Kindle. Also, read her new series, Man vs. Nature, starting with Born in a Treacherous Time–also on Kindle.
Finally, links to the Dawn of Humanity series. Book on Amazon on the left, and my review on the right.
I read today that Elon Musk said that “memory loss is a thing of the past”. It was an advert for a drug. True or not, in the past I’ve had severe memory loss. At the age of 22 I had Amnesia as a result of a ski accident in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria in Germany. But I remember it as if it was yesterday. So, in my case you can say that “memory loss is a thing of the past”.
I had what is called post traumatic amnesia, which fortunately is temporary. Shutterstock ID: 1685660680 by MattL_Images
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a beautiful Bavarian town, and it is one of the most famous German ski resorts. Zugspitze Germany’s highest mountain is nearby Garmisch-Partenkirchen providing for an impressive scenery. I was there with a large group of Swedish friends, and we stayed at a youth hostel. As is typical for a youth hostel men and women were separated. What was a bit unusual were all the loudspeakers.
Zugspitze Germany’s highest mountain. Photo by op23 on Pexels.com
Achtung! Achtung. Sei jetzt ruhig.
At 10:00PM on our first evening at the youth hostel the loudspeakers came on and someone started shouting “Achtung! Achtung. Sei jetzt ruhig. Alle Gäste müssen gehen und sich die Zähne putzen. Musik ist verboten. Die Lichter beginnen zu dimmen.” We had to be quiet and go brush our teeth. The lights started dimming and women and men had to go to their quarters. The loudspeaker came on every now and then barking orders at us in German and all windows and doors were locked electronically. Being from Sweden we followed orders, but we were laughing about it. Suddenly new voices started shouting in the loudspeaker. It was younger sounding voices. It was still in German but this time we were told to rebel against the hotel management, we were told to refuse to go to bed, and they started singing fighting songs in German. Then, suddenly the loudspeakers went quiet. The hotel management was back. We all had to go to bed. Well, it was budget lodging after all.
The town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Photo by op23 on Pexels.com
The Ski Accident
What happened the next day I do not remember myself, but this is what I have been told. I decided to go down an icy double black diamond slope despite the sign saying that the conditions were dangerous. I fell badly, hit my head (I had no helmet), and I got a severe shoulder displacement. My arm was hanging on my back. I went looking for my skis and tried to put them back on, but some Germans came down to stop me. They were screaming at me and calling me crazy. An ambulance was called, and they sent snowmobiles to pick me up. However, the snowmobiles were unable to get there so they got a pist-machine to get me instead. I had no pain, but I was confused, and I discovered my severe shoulder displacement about 10 times before I got to the hospital. I was equally shocked every time I noticed the condition of my arm. I had no short-term memory, and I had forgotten my friends and most other things.
This is me in the ski slope when I was young. This is not Garmisch-Partenkirchen, it is Breckenridge, Colorado, but I don’t have any photos of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
My memories come back
The next 2-3 days after the accident are essentially gone. However, I remember my friends coming into my room asking me questions such as “what’s my name?”, “do you remember where we are?”. I kind of liked all the attention I got but I understood that something was not right. No one knew whether I would ever get my memory back and going though immigration and customs might be an issue when you are, well out of it. The leader and organizer of the trip was very upset. However, my memories came back very quickly within just a few hours on the second or third day of amnesia. I have to admit I was happier when I couldn’t remember anything. I can add that my left arm was in a cast.
My memories and my brain came back to normal. Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com
A shocking discovery of what’s under my bed
Under my bed I found a thick book on Statistical Mechanics. At first, I did not know what it was, but then I unfortunately remembered. I had a final exam in Statistical Mechanics after our vacation. Statistical mechanics is a mathematical framework that applies statistical methods and probability theory to large assemblies of microscopic entities. More specifically, you do statistical calculations over large sets of atoms and molecules to figure out the macro condition of the corresponding gas or material. For example, temperature corresponds to the average kinetic energy of atoms, entropy is the natural logarithm of the number of real microstates corresponding to the gas’s macrostate, often loosely referred to as the disorder of the system.
In 1905 Albert Einstein proved the existence of molecules and atoms using statistics and an observed phenomenon called Brownian motion. Shutterstock ID: 2334052703
Statistical Mechanics includes classical Statistical Mechanics as well as its Quantum Mechanical counterpart, which is a lot more abstract and complicated. The class I was taking covered both. Some important scientists in the field are James Clerk Maxwell, Ludwig Boltzmann, Paul Ehrenfest, Albert Einstein, and Satyendra Nath Bose. If you love statistics and complicated mathematics, then Statistical Mechanics might be for you but more likely it will just kill your enthusiasm.
The epic opening of the first paragraph in David L. Goodstein’s States of Matter, a textbook on Statistical Mechanics.
My Exam
Once I was back in Sweden, I went to see my professor, and I explained the situation to him: “hello professor, I had a ski accident, hit my head, and I lost my memory. My amnesia made me forget statistical mechanics.”. He could also see that my left arm was in a cast. I said, “could I take the exam a little later?” He asked me “are you right-handed or left-handed?” I said, “I am right-handed”. The professor answered, “well then you take the exam on time like everybody else”. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear but I took it and I passed but not with flying colors.
Have you had Amnesia?
If you were a teacher, would you accept amnesia as an excuse for postponing an exam?
This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I love and want to promote. This is another one of those. I bought this book for the children (3 and 5 years old) of friends of ours but first I read it myself to make sure it was right for them, which it was. The book is Neema the Misfit Giraffe (Southern African Safari Adventures) Paperback. I bought the paperback version but there is a kindle version as well.
Paperback – Publisher : South African National Library (November 15, 2023), ISBN-10 : 0796121966, ISBN-13 : 978-0796121967, Reading age 2 – 9 years, 41 pages, Item Weight : 3.21 ounces, dimensions : 6 x 0.1 x 9 inches, it cost $ 10.50 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Robbie and Michael Cheadle (November 15, 2023), ASIN : B0CMCZ7G93, Reading age 2 – 9 years, 41 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of the Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback.
Amazon’s description of the book
Neema is different from her fellow giraffes. Their lack of understanding make her feel unwelcome. Neema sets off on a journey to find a new friends.
Includes illustrations, photographs, and links to video footage of giraffes, as well as fun giraffe facts.
My Amazon Review of Neema the Misfit Giraffe. Click here to visit the actual Amazon review.
A Giraffe Searching for Happiness
Neema is a giraffe with a dark-colored hide, and she is different from the other giraffes. She can’t find a mate and the other giraffes are being mean to her. Therefore, she leaves her home in search of a place where she can find a sense of belonging, somewhere where she can find love and acceptance. Her mother was the only one who would grieve for her leaving.
This book features a beautiful story that tugs on your heartstrings, and it has an important message about not giving up, and about having the courage to move on from what is a hopeless situation. Some giraffes are kind and accepting while others are not. The book is also a great way to teach kids the importance of accepting those that are different.
The story was beautifully written in verse and with rhymes. The book was filled with beautiful photos of giraffes as well as art. There are also six short fun YouTube videos of giraffes in which you can hear the authors talking. For the paperback version you naturally have to type in the path. Towards the end of the book there are a few pages of giraffe facts. I did not know there were four distinct species of giraffe in Africa. I also did not know that they only sleep five to 30 minutes per day.
I bought this book for the children of friends of ours, but I read it first to make sure it was right for them, which it was. I can highly recommend this fun and informative book for all children below the age of 10. Reading this book to your children is also a fun way for adults to learn about giraffes.
If you would like to watch some of the videos, click on the links below.
Left: Robbie Cheadle the author of Neema the Misfit Giraffe
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews.
This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but are books that I want to promote. This is one of those of those books. I want to promote it because it features a lot of important and often misunderstood information regarding the environment. It is based on extensive peer reviewed research and data collection, and it is not controversial among experts, but some content may be surprising to those not entirely familiar with the topic. I recently read Not the End of the World Hardcopy – by Hannah Ritchie as part of climate change book club.
Not the End of the World is a great book on environmental issues written in the optimistic but realistic Hans Rosling style of Factfulness. Environmental issues are very real, and they are very big problems, especially climate change, but we have solved very big environmental issues before (acid rain, ozone) and we are doing it now. Doomism (we are all gonna die) is an unhelpful and not very accurate perspective. This book is based on hundreds of peer reviewed research articles and statistics collected by respected science institutions. The author is a prominent environmental and data scientist.
Hardback – Publisher : Little, Brown Spark (January 9, 2024), ISBN-10 : 031653675X, ISBN-13 : 978-0316536752, 352 pages, Item Weight : 1.21 pounds, dimensions : 6.4 x 1.19 x 9.65 inches, it cost $26.03 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Paperback – Publisher : Chatto Windus (January 11, 2024), ISBN-10 : 1784745014, ISBN-13 : 978-1784745011, Item Weight : 15 ounces, dimensions : 6.02 x 0.98 x 9.21 inches, it cost $21.13 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Little, Brown Spark (January 9, 2024), ASIN : B0C3ZPN6NT, 311 pages. It is currently $14.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Audio Book – Publisher : Audible.com – Release Date: January 09, 2024, ASIN : B0C5JSZ6H9, Listening Length : 9 hours and 26 minutes. It is free on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet Hardcover. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the hardcopy version of the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
This “eye-opening and essential” book (Bill Gates) will transform how you see our biggest environmental problems—and explains how we can solve them.
It’s become common to tell kids that they’re going to die from climate change. We are constantly bombarded by doomsday headlines that tell us the soil won’t be able to support crops, fish will vanish from our oceans, and that we should reconsider having children.
But in this bold, radically hopeful book, data scientist Hannah Ritchie argues that if we zoom out, a very different picture emerges. In fact, the data shows we’ve made so much progress on these problems that we could be on track to achieve true sustainability for the first time in human history. Did you know that:
Carbon emissions per capita are actually down
Deforestation peaked back in the 1980s
The air we breathe now is vastly improved from centuries ago
And more people died from natural disasters a hundred years ago?
Packed with the latest research, practical guidance, and enlightening graphics, this book will make you rethink almost everything you’ve been told about the environment. Not the End of the World will give you the tools to understand our current crisis and make lifestyle changes that actually have an impact. Hannah cuts through the noise by outlining what works, what doesn’t, and what we urgently need to focus on so we can leave a sustainable planet for future generations.
These problems are big. But they are solvable. We are not doomed. We can build a better future for everyone. Let’s turn that opportunity into reality.
My Amazon Review of Not the End of the World. I expanded my original Amazon review a little bit and added pictures. To see my original Amazon review click here.
A Factful Approach to the Environment
The facts regarding the environment can be confusing. The fossil fuel industry, climate deniers, right-wing pundits and politicians are bombarding us with falsehoods, but poorly informed environmentalists and sensationalist media are misleading us as well. The author takes special issue with doomism, the belief that it’s too late and that we are all going to die. Both denialism and doomism, as well as efforts to minimize the problems lead to inaction. She points out that we need to accept that climate change is happening and secondly that human emissions of greenhouse gases are responsible. We could do better, but we are addressing the problem. What we need is to have the correct information and to be realistic, which will make it possible for us to take the best action.
Climate change is not likely to result in an Armageddon because we are addressing the problem. credit : Marcus Millo, Stock photo ID:1177629542
We have solved big environmental problems before
In the spirit of “Hans Rosling / Factfulness” she tells us about our successes and about our progress by using data. She shows us how things really are and how we can solve our current big problems. She explains that we are reducing malnutrition, eradicating poverty, and extending people’s life span all around the world despite a growing population. She mentions that we successfully tackled pollution in many large cities in the west, as well as the acid rain problem and the ozone layer/hole. Sulphur dioxide, a major cause of acid rain, has fallen by 95% in the US since the 1970’s largely thanks to scrubbers. By 2018 the emissions of ozone-depleting gases had fallen by 99.7%. The list goes on. When we make big environmental problems smaller, we stop talking about them.
Scan of graph on page 44 in the book Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie. Sulphur dioxide (and nitrogen dioxide) pollution causing acid rain has fallen sharply.
Greenhouse gas emissions have fallen in developed countries. It’s a start.
Climate change / global warming is a more difficult problem, but we are having some success here as well. The climate policies we have enacted so far are making a big difference. For example, greenhouse gas emissions in the US have fallen by more than 20% over the last 15 years. From 1990 to 2019 the greenhouse gas emissions fell by 21% despite the economy growing by 55% (in the 1990’s the emissions were still increasing). My native country Sweden is doing even better. Greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden has fallen by 39% over the same period despite the economy also growing by 55%.
Scan of graph on page 83 in the book Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie. Greenhouse gas emissions (mostly CO2) have started to fall in developed countries despite economic growth, and they are starting to flatten out in developing countries. The dashed curve represents the fact that if a consumer buys a product from overseas, he could be said to be responsible for the associated greenhouse gas emissions (trade adjusted).Scan of graph on page 68 in the book Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie. Things would be horrible if we didn’t have policies, but we do.
EV Cars Really Are Really Helping to Save us
The origins of the world’s carbon emissions are: 25% Electricity and Heat, 24% Agriculture and Forestry, Industry 16%, Transport 14%, direct from buildings 6%, and other energy 10%. In the US Transportation is 28% and Agriculture 10%. Agriculture includes the effects of deforestation.
The good news is that the price of renewables is dropping, and they are now the cheapest while EV cars have become affordable. In Norway 88% of new car sales in 2022 were electric. In Sweden, my native country, 54% of car sales in 2022 were electric. The author urges people to switch to electric vehicles – they really are more climate friendly, contrary to what many will tell you here in Texas where I live. Even if their electricity comes from a dirty grid, they are cleaner than gasoline cars due to their higher efficiency, and the higher emissions caused by the production of the battery and other components is quickly neutralized by the lower emissions. With respect to minerals, mining, and land use their impact is much smaller than that of the gasoline cars they replace. Contrary to what is often asserted here in Texas where I live, electrical cars are indeed better for the environment and especially for slowing down global warming.
She also suggests that we try to avoid driving big SUV, fly less, try to use or support renewables, eat less red meat, depending on our circumstances (absolutism and judgmentalism is counterproductive). She advocates for carbon prices as an effective means to reduce emissions. Things that don’t matter or are counterproductive are recycling, not using plastic bags when shopping, turning off your laptop when you don’t use it, buying local (often makes emissions worse), buying organic food (often greatly increases land use), etc.
She mentions that landfills in the US and Europe are very well managed and are not a big environmental problem, unlike the developing countries. 1% of the plastic in the Ocean comes from Europe and I read elsewhere that 1% comes from the United States. The plastic in the ocean originates mostly in Asia and Latin America. A fact she mentions that may not sit well with some environmentalists is that nuclear power is a safe and clean source of energy, just like renewables, but without the problem with intermittency.
Landfills in the developed world are well managed largely avoiding the problem with plastic in the ocean. The same is not true for developing nations. Photo by Catherine Sheila on Pexels.com
Death rates from natural disasters have fallen
Another interesting fact is that death rates from natural disasters have fallen since the first half of the 20th century. And not just by a little bit. They have fallen roughly 10-fold. That is even though certain types of natural disasters have become worse and more frequent. The explanation is that science, technology, and economic development has allowed us to better protect ourselves and prevent the famines often associated with natural disasters in the past. The author explains that as nations begin to develop, they pollute more and their populations grow, but as it continues this trend reverses. As desperation subsides the environment and living conditions start to matter more, and the population growth subsides as well. She explains that trying to solve climate change by reducing growth or by trying to control population growth is a bad idea.
Better warning systems, shelters, logistics, modern medicine, prevention of famine, etc., have drastically reduced deaths from natural disasters.. Photo by Ralph W. lambrecht on Pexels.com
The Sixth Extinction is off to a roaring start but is slowing
There is no doubt that we’re destroying biodiversity at record rates. It is often said that extinctions are natural, and that is true, it is part of evolutionary history. In fact, 99% of the estimated 4 billion species that have lived on Earth are now gone. However, the extinction rate matters. Over the last 5-600 million years there’s been five mass extinctions. A mass extinction event is when 75% of all species go extinct in a short period of time, set to 2 million years. During recent human history species have gone extinct at a rate that is thousands of times faster than normal, and many more species are threatened. We are heading towards the sixth extinction very fast. On the other hand, our recent conservation programs have been quite successful, and it looks like we are turning things around. The author also points out that if the panda or the rhino go extinct, we will be OK, but the same cannot be said if certain worms and bacteria go extinct. She admits that is a bit cynical to say, but we also need to consider species that really matter to our survival.
In this review I mentioned a few facts from the book to give a taste of the content. Naturally, there is a whole lot more. All these claims and stats, as well as hundreds of other sometimes surprising claims that she makes she supports by referencing reliable sources and peer reviewed research. The book contains 100+ graphs, 335 references, hundreds if not thousands of interesting facts. I can add that Hannah Ritchie (PhD) is a young Scottish data scientist, senior researcher at the University of Oxford in the Oxford Martin School, deputy editor at Our World in Data, and she is the head of research at Our World in Data. She is quite an impressive young lady. I think this book is one of the most informative books on the topic of the environment that I have ever read. I think most of us will learn something important from this book. If there is a fact from the book that I’ve mentioned in my review that you doubt, why don’t you buy the book and find out the details and where it comes from. Maybe you will see the world with new eyes.
A final note is that the statement in the title “How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet” comes from the fact that using UN’s definition of sustainability we humans have never been sustainable, but with science, technology and good policy we can be sustainable.
Back cover of Not the End of the World. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the kindle version of the book.
The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers and when I do it is books that I want to promote. This is another one of those. I just read The Good Dog: A Novella Paperback – March 30, 2023, by Laura Stamps. It is a book that I loved and therefore I want to promote it.
Paperback – Publisher : Prolific Pulse Press LLC (March 30, 2023), ASIN : B0BXK1Y9FB, ISBN-13 : 979-8987520024, 62 pages, Item Weight : 3.03 ounces, Dimensions : 5.83 x 0.14 x 8.27 inches, it cost $10.00 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of The Good Dog. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
Ashley is not a dog person. She’s not. Just ask her. Yet for some reason she’s obsessed with Chihuahuas. And she’s not happy about it. No, not at all. Not when she has other issues to deal with. Like chronic anxiety. And panic attacks. And a crazy ex-husband who can’t stop stalking her. Yeah, the last thing Ashley needs is a dog. Or so she thinks. Until a stranger at PetSmart tells her a dog is better than a husband. Could this be true? Ready or not, Ashley is about to find out! Endearing, empowering, entertaining, and laugh-out-loud funny. “The Good Dog” is all of this and more!
If you’ve ever had even the remotest wish to be wild and crazy, take a twirl with Walter and Ashley in this adorable novella. Find out how one little dog can change someone’s life in big ways just by listening and barking a couple of times. THE GOOD DOG will leave you begging for more!
– Nolcha Fox, Author of Memory is That Raccoon
Anyone who takes guilty pleasure in tiny dog sweaters and pup handbags will enjoy this sweet romp into Chihuahua love. Even if you’re a cat person or a bona fide foe of fuzzy, needy critters, you’ll find yourself falling for Walter. Laura Stamps does warm and funny like no one else.
– Lorette C. Luzajic, Author of Winter in June
Like a Chihuahua, THE GOOD DOG may be small, but it is perfectly formed. And like Walter, the good dog himself, this novella has a big heart. Stamps deftly and delicately creates characters to care and root for, as well as handling complex subjects. Written in her trademark short and snappy style, Stamps’ latest novella is a compelling read – one I finished in a single sitting!
– Laura Besley, Author of 100neHundred
My Amazon Review of The Good Dog
Dogs are better than Husbands
Ashley is not interested in getting a dog, but she is obsessed with Chihuahuas, and she goes to PetSmart just to look at them. After a staff member at the store tells her that dogs are better than husbands and that a Chihuahua named Walter did not get a single like on his Facebook page, she buys Walter. How can you reject someone who has been so tragically rejected? Walter turns out to be a very good dog. A second thread in the story is Earl, her emotionally manipulative hypochondriac ex-husband who is stalking her. He doesn’t like dogs. He also thinks that a little red bump on his skin is cancer and that he is going to die soon.
This book is hilarious, and I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions. The book also managed to pull at my heartstrings quite a bit and it had a serious side to it as well. The book is beautifully written and very entertaining. Above all it tells a great story. It is fast paced, and a real page turner, which is why I read it today in one sitting in less than two hours. I highly recommend this book.
Back cover of The Good Dog.
About the Author
Laura Stamps is a poet and novelist who loves to create experimental forms for her poetry and fiction. Author of over 50 novels, novellas, and poetry books. Winner of the Muses Prize. Recipient of a Pulitzer Prize nomination and 7 Pushcart Prize nominations. Published in more than 2000 literary magazines and anthologies worldwide. Lover of Chihuahuas, Yorkies, and cats.
Today, Tuesday, February 20, 2024, is National Love Your Pet Day. So, I thought I would show some photos of our current dogs and dogs from the past, naturally including our late Leonberger Bronco. I think the photos I am displaying show some of our love for them.
Our Leonberger Bronco when he was a three-month-old puppy.On the left our Labrador Baylor and on the right our German Shepherd Baby. Baby took care of and protected Bronco when he was a pup, just like a good mother.Our young Leonberger Bronco is giving me a hug.Our niece Jessica giving Bronco a kissOur Leonberger Bronco sitting in my wife Claudia’s lap. He was the perfect lap dog.Our Japanese Shin RyuOur mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo as a puppy.Our daughter petting Rollo and our pug DaisyOur pug Daisy’s 15th birthday.Rollo and Daisy own the best furniture.The 2019-2020 Grey Muzzle Awardees. Bronco is on the second row from the top and second from left. Click on the picture to visit the YouTube video. Bronco is at two minutes.
Video showing 32 2019 & 2020 Grey Muzzle Awardees (Leonbergers). Bronco at two minutes in.