The Eye Beach, Village + Urban Living in Oaxaca July 2021 Issue 109 FREE

The Environmental Issue

Spanish Classes online

Ask for the 20 hours pack – “Basics of Spanish” "We look and listen to the mortally wounded nature ... where the worst is yet to come.” Zapatista Manifesto Attend the first class with no compromise, if you like it: welcome on board! e have been waiting in sweltering humid days for drops from the sky to give us a Send me an e-mail or WhatsApp for more information: respite. We move through the world [email protected] masked-up, struggling to breathe and 55-2109-4869 wondering when relief will come. Grey skiesW that yield not a drop and thunderous sounds seem to taunt us. May and June on the Oaxacan coast are months filled with longing and anticipation. The landscape is brown and thirsty, its hunger mirrored by the people, who after an anemic tourist season, are also in limbo.

This month our writers explore the environment. To most of us, this means nature but it is also a state of being. We accept in nature the cycle of life which inevitably leads to death; dry tree branches or a fish that ends up on our plate. That which once danced through Salt Available the fantastic blue depths of the ocean eventually stops at Café Juanita swimming, whether by having fulfilled its allotted time or by being prematurely snatched up in a net.

For the past year we have lived in a collective environment, whether you are in Calgary or Delhi, we have all been moving towards a common purpose and defeating a common enemy. Humanity has become a school of fish that moves in sync like some other worldly dance. Yes, there are still so many things that we disagree about, but we are like the great network of trees Editor: Jane Bauer that communicate through root systems; united by our Copy Editor: Deborah Van Hoewyk fears and worries. Writers: Verity Brink, Jan Chaiken, Marcia I have never felt greater reverence for nature than I have Chaiken, Julie Etra, Randy Jackson, Carole this past year. The symphony of birds is like the voice of god, whichever one you believe in, majestic trees have Reedy, Alvin Starkman, Deborah Van Hoewyk been reminders of our own individual insignificance. How can we ever improve our environment more than a Cover Image: gurzart tree does? Photography/Art: Various Artists

The world is slowly unfolding into its previous normalcy. People say it will never be the same but I believe they are Distribution: Renee Biernacki, Maggie Winter wrong. We will slip back into our minutiae of concerns; Layout: Jane Bauer getting more stuff, more power, just more for the sake of more. Will this time have been in vain? I hope we will Opinions and words are those of the authors remember the importance of nature when contrasted and do not necessarily reflect with the human experience and revere the one that has the greatest importance. the opinion of The Eye.

Then the sky opened, rain fell and suddenly everything is We welcome submissions and input. green. To get involved send us an email. [email protected] See you next month, Visit Us Online Jane www.TheEyeHuatulco.com

The Eye 3 In This Issue

Huatusco Showcases Bamboo at Its Best By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. Page 5

Mexico's Reckoning with NAFTA and GMO Corn By Julie Etra Page 6

Sembrando Vida – Seeding Life? By Julie Etra Page 8

Mexico's Green Energy - Potential, Promise, Problems By Randy Jackson Page 10

Novels That Inform And Entertain By Carole Reedy Page 12

Mexico's Natural Wonders By Deborah Van Hoewyk Page 14

Ten Simple Steps to Help Preserve Mexico's Ecology By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken Page 16

Poem By Verity Brink Page 17

Mercadito del Mar Page 18

EDITORIAL PAGE 3

The Eye 4 Huatusco Showcases Bamboo at Its Best

By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.

tanding in the midst of a massive 3. A processing factory where the bamboo is grove of bamboo is a sensuous treated and then fabricated for home and experience. The beauty and power c o m m e r c i a l / i n d u s t r i a l u s e . T h e of the fastest growing plant in the natural/renewable resource can be world is breathtaking – literally. substituted for other building materials, to TheS genus Bambusa regulates the balance of the extent that entire homes are now being oxygen and carbon dioxide, and so one feels built using bamboo rather than reinforced a sense of rejuvenation simply being steel and other manmade construction amongst the vast expanses of bamboo. A products. simple grove of bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees. In the course of a tour of Bambuver, one inevitably begins to appreciate and consider Bambuver the use of bamboo in construction, given that it is available in a variety of thicknesses, A visit to the nonprofit (or A.C., Asociación strengths, textures and colors (natural and Civile) Plantación Bambuver in the tropical dyed). It is used for building frames and town of Huatusco, Veracruz (only 4 ½ hours beams, roofs, flooring, walls, windows, from the city of Oaxaca), teaches about not decorative interior panels, home bars, only the environmental importance of the furniture, craft products, and much more. 1,200 or so species of bamboo (the most common being Bambusa vulgaris), but also Interesting Stops En Route to Huatusco the multiplicity of diverse uses and Starting from Oaxaca (or perhaps the applications: from commercial/industrial to Puebla-Cordóba-Acayucan route to artistic/aesthetic, from domestic/home to, of course, Huatulco), consider a 2 – 3 day driving trip. The route north horticultural. Within the context of a three-hour tour of its and east on the toll road from Oaxaca passes through several installations, one cannot help but be impressed, through appealing towns and regions, some steeped in history learning of the plant's remarkable versatility and its (Córdoba), others producing crafts using materials native to environmental and ecological value as a sustainable industry. the particular area (San Antonio Texcala for onyx and marble), still others showcasing environmental attractions (the water Bambuver works in collaboration with the state of Veracruz, museum near Tehuacán, the biosphere near Cuicatlán, and the national forestry commission, the national science and the thoroughly impressive snow-capped Pico de Orizaba). And technology advisory board, and other national as well as state for the home garden aficionado, you'll be passing through and local government branches. Its mission centers on the Fortín de las Flores, noted for cacti, succulents and ongoing development and promotion of an integrated bamboo anthuriums, to name just a few. industry. The Drive The Bambuver facilities are spread over three main locations in Take the toll road north from Oaxaca until reaching the and around Huatusco, all easily visited in an afternoon. junction of 135D and 150D. Exit to the right, towards Orizaba / Córdoba, and continue along 150D. Leave the toll road when 1. The green area consists of expansive forests comprising you see the Fortín / Huatusco sign. After paying a toll, keep several species of bamboo, and includes a science and research right, and then left at the Huatusco sign, then left again at the center in addition to greenhouses for propagation. There is also next Huatusco sign. This takes you to Mexico 125, on which a sales component so visitors can purchase small plants in there will be clearly marked signage to downtown Huatusco. plastic sleeves, and three-meter lengths of mature bamboo also suitable for growing back home. One can also buy large sacks Lodging and Bambuver Contact Info of compost, with or without lombrices (earthworms). Lombrices Hotel Huatusco has underground parking, a restaurant, and create the compost from feeding off the exterior casings of even a conference center. It's clean, with reasonably priced coffee beans. Nearby coffee plantations (which can also be rooms (including a floor fan for the asking): Av. 1 Ote 399, visited) provide Bambuver with the outer bean casings, Centro Huatusco 94108 (tel: 273 734 3852). otherwise waste, to use as feed for the lombrices. You'll learn of the symbiotic relationship between the bamboo industry in Bambuver A.C. is located a few blocks from the hotel: Av. 4 Ote Huatusco and the current as well as historical presence of the 336 (tel: 273 734 0680 – both their website page list other region's coffee plantations; each and every bamboo forest at numbers); you can learn more at www.bambuver.com. Bambuver has been nurtured with the aid of this natural fertilizer. You can even buy a bag of lombrices enabling you to Tours are available for 6 – 20 people, but smaller group / kick-start or enrich a compost bin! private tours can be arranged with sufficient notice, in either case at a nominal charge. 2. A showroom in downtown Huatusco displaying examples of the plethora of uses for bamboo for domestic/home The one three-meter length of mature bamboo Alvin applications. Starkman purchased at Bambuver several years ago is now a small forest. Alvin operates Mezcal Educational Excursions of Oaxaca (www.mezcaleducationaltours.com).

The Eye 5 Mexico's Reckoning with NAFTA and GMO Corn

By Julie Etra

ndrés Manuel López Obrador (aka AMLO), president of Mexico, recently called on Mexican farmers to stop using the herbicide glyphosate by 2024. By his final executive order of 2020, AMLO made a surprising decree to phase out both gAenetically engineered corn (GE, maíz transgénico), often referred to as GMO, or genetically modified, corn, and the use of the herbicide glyphosate.

Glyphosate, commercially known as Roundup, is a non- selective herbicide in that it kills all herbaceous (non-woody) vegetation to which it is applied. GMO corn, however, has been genetically modified to tolerate glyphosate. This creates a market cornered by the multinational agro-chemical giant Monsanto (bought out by Bayer in 2016), as they produce both the genetically modified corn (among other crops) and the herbicide. The national campaign, known as “Without Corn There is No Country” (Sin Maíz, No Hay País), and Greenpeace Mexico support the initiative that opens a path to eventually eliminate the use of glyphosate in Mexico by 2024. They urged AMLO to sign and publish the decree in the government's Official Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación), which occurred on December 31, 2020.

According to Reuters (May 24, 2021), the decree has held up: “A Mexican federal judge ruled against a request by the National Farm Council to freeze a government plan to ban genetically modified (GMO) corn and the widely used herbicide glyphosate by 2024, the national science council said on Monday. Judge Martin Adolfo Santos Perez's ruling allows the executive order issued by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador late last year that outlines the planned ban to proceed.”

This is a huge economic issue. Since the passing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during the Clinton administration (1992), there has been a catastrophic decrease in domestic production, particularly of what we would call heirloom corn (maíz criollo) by small farmers who could not compete with the industrially-produced U.S. corn that poured into Mexico after passage of NAFTa. (An essential read on the subject is Eating NAFTA: Trade, Food Policies, and the Destruction of Mexico, by Alyshia Gálvez [Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2018]).

The Eye 6 On the Mexican side, President Carlos Salinas de Gortari signed NAFTA betting that privatizing the economy and relying on market forces would modernize and grow the country, so to speak. This has not quite worked out as planned. Of the 20.4 million metric tons of corn imported by Mexico from the United States during from 2018 through March 2020 – 95% of it yellow corn, and 78% of it (16 million tons) in 2020 alone. According to Mexico's national feed association (CONAFAB, Consejo Nacional de Fabricantes de Alimentos Balanceados y de la Nutrición Animal), Mexican feed companies used about 11.1 million tons of imported corn in 2020, the vast majority of it sourced from U.S. farmers; U.S. corn represented nearly 70% of the sector's total corn purchases for the year.

What remains unclear as of this writing is that, although the ban would eliminate GMO corn for human consumption, the decree did not clarify what products would be included and it appears that feed corn would be exempt from the decree.

On the other hand, and as the wagons circle, the executive decree of course has its detractors. Mexico's national association for Crop Protection, Science and Technology (PROCCYT, Protección de Cultivos, Ciencia y Tecnología), among others, rejected the order. PROCCYT warned that "the greatest economic and social blow will be dealt against Mexican farm workers, by promoting the publication of the Decree by which any possibility of import and use of glyphosate to protect food crops, despite the fact that it is scientifically proven that this herbicide does not harm health or the environment.”

But supporters of the decree have vowed to "defend our corn, since Mexico is considered the center of origin, domestication and diversification of at least 64 breeds of corn, and more than a thousand other species, including chili, beans, squash, vanilla, cotton, avocado, cocoa and amaranth.” The origin of corn is indeed Mexico, and more specifically the state of Oaxaca, where it was cultivated from its ancestor, the wild plant known as teosinte. Corn has achieved its current robust form over 8,000 years of plant breeding (my three-part article on the history of corn in Mexico appeared in The Eye in 2012).

Although there are few valid studies that link glyphosate to human health problems, the selective breeding of corn just for the ease of industrial production and the associated resistance to herbicides (and maximum profit) is anathema to Mexican culture, and has resulted in loss of nutrition and exhaustion of the soil as a natural, living resource. This depleted soil now relies on huge inputs of commercially produced, high nitrogen fertilizer, accompanied by its own suite of environmental problems. And the summer sweet corn we are accustomed to eating in the USA is mostly water and sugar and tastes nothing like the street corn – esquites y elotes – we find locally.

From this writer's perspective Mexico has taken a big, progressive step forward.

The Eye 7 Sembrando Vida – Seeding Life?

By Julie Etra

Sembrando Vida in Mexico The U.S. would pay for the expansion from Mexico into . On October 8, 2018, President Andrés Reuters reported that AMLO also Manual López Obrador (AMLO) kicked suggested that the “U.S. government off a new program, Sembrando Vida could offer those who participate in this program that after sowing their lands for (Sowing Life), in the hope that it would three consecutive years, they would have achieve two parallel purposes. The the possibility to obtain a temporary program encourages sustainable work visa” to the U.S., followed by U.S. communities through cultivating trees residency or citizenship. with commercial value – fruit-producing (mango, cinnamon, soursop) and timber (mahogany, cedar, rubber, cocoa) trees. Most analysts consider the Sembrando It also combats rural poverty and Vida program to be naïve, simplistic and environmental degradation; planting unlikely to substantially curb the t r e e s c o m b a t s e n v i r o n m e n t a l violence and poverty that has fueled degradation because they uptake immigration from Central America. carbon, a greenhouse gas, thus fighting According to the Mexican newspaper climate change. Reforma, the U.S. responded a little more clearly: “The United States is not interested in President Andrés Manuel By paying residents of rural areas to López Obrador's proposal to link an plant the trees, along with garden crops extension of the Sembrando Vida for their own use, the government hopes program to Central America with a plan to “rescue” rural areas, reactivate local that offers work visas to Central economies and regenerate the social Americans.” fabric in communities. The program works by turning communal land into a strategic tool for developing the If you check out the official government webpage for countryside, increasing the productivity of rural areas, and Sembrando Vida, it makes no mention of Central America thus reducing the economic and social vulnerability of farm (www.gob.mx/bienestar/acciones-y-programas/programa- families in remote areas. Inaugurated in 2019, Sembrando sembrando-vida). It's been suggested by Carolina Herrera, a Vida has been adopted in 20 of Mexico's 32 states. writer for the U.S. nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), that AMLO was “attempting to distract from Sembrando Vida will end up costing the Mexican government Mexico's failure to advance a clean energy transition.” between 12 and 15 billion pesos; growers receive 4,500 pesos a month in addition to the value of what they grow. Many of In his presentation at the Leaders Summit, AMLO offered two these people participated in a program fielded by the previous other proposals – first, Mexico would limit crude oil production administration, through which communities were paid to to domestic use and refine it locally, and second, Mexico would protect and maintain the jungle and its ecosystems. modernize existing hydroelectric plants to displace the use of Sembrando Vida replaces that program, with the unfortunate fossil fuels. Given that Mexico has made few efforts on the federal level to curb greenhouse gases and encourage result that, in order to provide land to qualify for Sembrando renewable resources, the first proposal demonstrates AMLO's Vida, farmers have chopped down or burned the same jungles intention to support PEMEX, the state-owned petroleum they had been protecting. This is not encouraged by company, over working on renewable energy options. Sembrando Vida, of course, which intended to reforest/replant Modernizing hydro plants supports the state-owned electric “degraded land.” company CFE at the expense of solar and wind.

Sembrando Vida and the World AMLO's proposals, Herrera argues, will “essentially ensure that Mexico will not meet its international climate commitments and clean energy targets” for the international But this unintended consequence (among others) is not why Sustainable Development Goals set for 2030. Sembrando Vida is in the news in 2021. In April, at U.S. President Biden's virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, AMLO promoted Sembrando Vida as a tool to resolve the dual continuing crises of Central American migration north to the United States through Mexico, and climate change. AMLO claimed that planting three billion trees in southern Mexico and Central America would create 1.2 million jobs, which in turn would cut down on northward migration to the U.S.

The Eye 8 Thank you so much for attending – via YouTube – Bacaanda's Dream Festival this year to celebrate our work with the rural schools around Huatulco.

We would have loved to see you in person this year, but hope you enjoyed our video about building rural schools, bringing the internet to far-flung villages, and dancing! All that wonderful dancing by kids and teachers – save the date to see it live in January 2022! Even more thanks for your generous donations (958) 581 0265 to support the rural schools. You can still donate [email protected] by going to https://www.bacaanda.org/eng/ www.bbaguaazul.com Mexico's Green Energy - Potential, Promise, Problems

By Randy Jackson

POTENTIAL

Few countries on earth have such an abundance of green energy potential as Mexico. The geography and geology of Mexico provides three substantial sources of green energy: solar, wind and geothermal.

Solar: Potential energy from solar projects seems obvious, with much of the country bathed in sunlight for a good portion of the year. Also, the lower the latitude, i.e., the lower the distance from the Equator, the higher the energy concentration of the sun. The northwest area of Mexico has the highest average number of days of sunlight in the country. The sunniest spot on earth is just north of Mexico, in Yuma, , and the surrounding areas stretching well into Mexico have a very high average number of days of sunshine. Days of sunshine, concentrated by lower latitudes, end up in a measurement called “insolation.” Insolation is a measurement of kilowatt hour per square meter, essentially a measurement of sunpower at a given location. All this leads to the calculation (using existing solar panel efficiency) that just 25 square kilometers of solar panels, were they located in the Sonoran Desert or the state of Chihuahua, would be sufficient to provide 100% of Mexico's electricity demand.

Wind: Many of us who are familiar with Huatulco and the surrounding area know of the substantial wind energy facilities in the narrower part of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The Eurus Wind Farm in Juchitán de Zaragoza is the largest PROMISE wind farm in . In Mexico overall, the states of Oaxaca, Yucatán and Tamaulipas all have locations with Before hosting the 2010 United Nations Climate Change average wind speeds greater than 28 km/hour – 15 Km/hour is Conference in Cancún, Mexican President Felipe Calderón set the minimum average speed normally required for a wind farm. out goals for Mexico to reach one-third of its energy from Average wind speed is one determining factor for wind farms; renewables by 2024. Some reforms and laws were initiated in the other is air density. Sea level locations, as at the Eurus Calderón's term of office to move towards these renewable Wind Farm, have higher air density when compared to higher energy goals. In Mexico, energy is state owned and controlled. elevations. This means the air has more mass, essentially giving the wind more power to turn a wind turbine. REVE, the Energy resource ownership, particularly oil but also electricity Spanish wind energy magazine, reports that Mexico has wind generation, is a sensitive national concern for Mexico. energy potential of about 70,000 MWH (megawatt hours), However, in 2013, President Enrique Peña Nieto was able to about the total current electrical generating capacity in all of pass a reform that allowed private companies to participate in Mexico. the energy sector, with the control, transmission and distribution of energy remaining exclusively within the control Geothermal: Mexico has 48 active volcanoes, a testament to of the state. This initiative, followed up with specific the high degree of tectonic activity below the earth's surface in regulations, allowed private investments in renewable energy Mexico (has anyone not experienced an earthquake in projects to recover their investments over time, by selling Huatulco?). Geothermal resources are most often found along electricity to the state owned CFE (Comisión Federal de tectonic plates where the earth's magma is closer to the Electricidad) under negotiated contracts. surface. This superheats rock that can be easily drilled into from the surface; water is then injected and the resulting steam These reforms and Mexico's abundant green energy potential drives turbines to create electricity. The world's second largest allowed many Mexican and international companies to step geothermal power station is located in the state of Baja forward to propose and develop green energy projects. To California, near the city of Mexicali. This location, known as facilitate these projects under state control, Mexico held three Cerro Prieto, sits atop of a unique geological fault usually only auctions to purchase renewable electricity under long term found under the oceans. The Mexican ministry of energy contracts; 41 projects were selected under the auction process. envisions 1,670 MWH of electricity from geothermal plants by Solar energy projects accounted for 4,867 MW, wind energy 2030. 2,122 MW and geothermal 25 MW. In 2017 private investment in renewable energy in Mexico was $6.2 billion USD. Mexico seemed to be off to a good start towards its green energy goals. The Eye 10 Do you want the best deals for your next vacation?

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PROBLEMS Let us show you how.. In 2018, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (often Déjanos mostrarte cómo.. referred to as AMLO) was elected. Shortly after taking office, AMLO cancelled any future auctions to purchase green electricity by CFE. Then, in early 2020, under the guise of Tel: 322 230 6836 COVID-19 measures, Mexico changed the rules of how wind and solar projects could access the electrical grid. The new policy imposes a new requirement on developers of wind and solar projects to obtain a generation permit. These permits are subject to further regulations that prioritize CFE electrical generation from oil and gas electricity plants. These changes have raised international concerns regarding regulations that Huatulco Weddings effectively cancel existing legal contracts. The European Union Boutique Weddings and Events sent a letter to Mexico's Energy Minister, Rocío Nahle García, saying the new rules would negatively impact 44 renewable energy projects and jeopardize $6.4 billion (USD) in renewable energy projects from EU companies. Bloomberg News reported March 16 of this year that the Canadian government expressed concern to the Mexican Economy Secretary, Tatiana Clouthier Carrillo, about stranding a potential $4.1 billion (USD) in renewable projects by Canadian companies. These concerns have also been expressed by the US and other countries using diplomatic channels.

The arguments made by the current Mexican administration in defending their change to regulation regarding private investments in the electrical energy grid are numerous. AMLO has suggested that corruption was involved in awarding some of the contracts to purchase electricity. He has also argued that the sporadic nature of renewable energy destabilizes the Specializing in events under 100 people electricity grid. He also said there is just too much bureaucracy Personalized Service overseeing the energy sector in Mexico, and more central Customized events to make your dreams come true control is needed. 12 years of experience planning events in the Huatulco area We have budget-friendly pricing. We have an efficient, organized team. Some of these regulatory changes are currently being We provide stress-free and professional wedding/event planning challenged in Mexican courts, so the final outcome is yet to be English and Spanish spoken determined. However, the substantial green energy potential of Mexico is out there, available, awaiting the right political Get in touch for a free consultation! [email protected] conditions for it to be harvested. www.huatulcoweddings.net We make it easy for you to simply enjoy.

The Eye 11 Novels That Inform And Entertain

By Carole Reedy

“To be a friend of the earth, you have to be an enemy of man.” ― T. Coraghessan Boyle, A Friend of the Earth

he environment, migration, and conservation are A Friend of the Earth not new topics for novelists. For many of us, our first This piece of eco-fiction takes place in 2025, book on change and migration due to a deteriorating which seemed a long way off in 2000 when earth was required reading. The Grapes of Wrath, by Boyle wrote it. It was interesting for me to John Steinbeck, is the landmark 1939 novel in revisit this book in 2021 after reading it 21 whichT the Joad family is forced to leave their homestead in years ago. That which seemed far-fetched in Oklahoma, ravaged by the Dust Bowl, for the promised land of 2000 is more realistic now. Many of his California. premises ring true: the degradation of ecosystems, , change in climate, the building frenzy, shortened life Hindsight is foresight. In 1962 Rachel Carson was accused of expectancy, and overpopulation. exaggeration by the government and big business when she challenged the use of chemical pesticides in her groundbreaking book Silent Spring. The story is told through the eyes of the main character, Tyrone O'Shaughnessy Tierwater (Boyle's character names are as intriguing as his own), a 75-year old disheveled man looking For this column, I've chosen several books from numerous back on his life as an environmental activist. Tierwater's future recent novels exploring these increasingly urgent themes. seems as hopeless as the state of the earth. Boyle does not politicize, but rather tells a compelling story that keeps your mind spinning. Spoiler alert: it ends on a bittersweet but The Overstory by Richard Powers satisfyingly positive note. The individual stories and plots of the nine

US environmental activists who populate the novel play second string to Powers' intensely When the Killing's Done detailed descriptions of the symbiotic A compelling premise for this 2011 novel: An relationship between trees and forests and animal rights activist takes on the National their unique role in the survival of our Park Service, which is removing invasive planet. species (rats and pigs) from the Channel Islands National Park in California. Based on historical fact, here Boyle relates actual Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and shortlisted for the Booker occurrences by shrouding them in a family Prize in 2018, this seminal work is referred to regularly in any story. Other actual events from the islands discussion of the environment and its degradation. make their way into the always engaging story that Boyle tells. Three Novels by T. C. Boyle (Thomas Coraghessan Boyle) I've written about the novels of T. C. Boyle multiple times over The Terranauts the past eleven years, and with good reason. The Tortilla As I review T. C. Boyle's novels I've come to Curtain remains among my top ten reads of all time and has appreciate them more with each passing been lauded as one of the most insightful on migration in year, and this one especially. His books ring Southern California. true in so many ways, especially during these days of Jeff Bezos and his space exploration schemes. Boyle, without fail, entertains while illuminating our grasp on issues that concern him and our planet, and he does it in an amusing style that can prompt readers to chuckle, despair, or In this 2016 novel set in 1994, a group of contemplate simultaneously. eight prepare for possible colonization on Mars by spending months in a biosphere facility called Ecosphere. As always, Boyle's insight and exploration of human reactions, relationships, shortcomings, and strengths are the focus throughout the characters' isolation together.

By the way, T. C. Boyle's favorite novelist is Gabriel García The Eye 12 Márquez. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel The Road by Cormac McCarthy García Márquez Considered by some to be the ultimate in Latin America's favorite son and a Nobel- environmental disaster stories, The Road prize winner from Colombia, García has been made into a film. Don't be tempted Márquez focuses on his country and its – read the book. The book has a power all its larger setting in the vast collection of novels own, with multiple elements including the and short stories he left us. The magical centerpiece father-son relationship. Praised realism woven throughout his novels for its ability to portray the earth's carries the reader through time and the destruction and yet criticized for its minimal lush ambience of the country he loves. plot and characterization, this book is hailed by many as the masterpiece of our climate emergency. The There is no better time to read this 1984 novel, which takes unusual writing style and use (specifically, the nonuse) of place over six decades, during which an intermittent cholera punctuation irritates many readers, me among them, though I epidemic affects not only South America, but also the world. In understand the source and reasoning behind the author's addition, the arrival of the 20th century brings with it severe choice. This short, intense book will transport you. environmental damage from deforestation. For many of my friends who are avid readers and fans of Marquez, this is their favorite. How fortunate to live in a world filled with brilliant minds who can raise our consciousness, stir our emotions, inform, teach and at the same time even entertain us. The Children's Bible by Lydia Millet For me, the outstanding characteristic of t h i s n o v e l i s t h e i n t e l l i g e n c e a n d perceptiveness of the twelve children Su anuncio aquí compared to the naïveté of their clueless parents. After being forced into a supposedly No pierda la oportunidad grand family getaway in a remote mansion, the children rebel when they perceive de hacer crecer su negocio environmental dangers that the party-loving parents ignore. The children escape to a safer location, leaving their parents to their debauchery. Contáctenos: [email protected] Millet has earned well-deserved attention from the New York Times, BBC, and Washington Post. This book was a finalist for the National Book Award for fiction.

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy Attention bird lovers: the focus here is on the main character's quest to follow the Arctic terns on what she believes, due to extreme climate changes, to be their final journey from Greenland to Antarctica. The book transports the reader along with its main character, Franny, on a boat from Greenland to the Southern Ocean. While the novel explores her search and the adventure of following the terns, it also delves into her innermost secrets, shortcomings, and personal issues in need of resolution. Franny's outer search echoes her inner one. Formerly the author of young adult fiction, here McConaghy debuts as an adult novelist.

The Eye 13 Mexico's Natural Wonders

By Deborah Van Hoewyk

en major-to-middling mountain ranges, replete with volcanoes and caves. Two oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the Sea of Cortez. Mega-biodiverse, with over 200,000 known species of flora and fauna. A plethora of online lists of 7, 10, 25T “natural wonders you must see in this lifetime!!!” There are many must-see natural destinations spread across Mexico – Copper in Chihuahua, the Rosario sanctuary for Monarch butterflies reserve in Michoacán, Lake Chapala in Jalisco, or Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes covered in fourth-grade geography. You could even argue that the ghastly mummies of Guanajuato are a natural wonder, created by the arid soil in which they were hastily buried (apparently too hastily in multiple cases) during a cholera outbreak in 1833.

But if you're already ensconced in Huatulco, there's no need to : Sumidero Canyon is near the Chiapan capital, wander afar – southeastern Mexico has plenty of natural Tuxtla Gutiérrez (the cañon is the defining feature on the wonders at hand. state's coat of arms). Just north of the town of Chiapa de Corzo, about 35 million years ago, the earth cracked and the Oaxaca: Hierve el Rio Grijalva emerged to start carving out the eight-plus miles of Agua (“the water canyon. In places, the walls are now a thousand meters (about boils”) is located 3,300 feet) high; the canyon ends with the Chicoasén Dam, h i g h i n t h e which has created an artificial lake and raised the water level in mountains about the canyon – the gorge used to be higher. Should you be a an hour from Mitla, geologist, the walls diagram the history of the earth's crust in the archeological this area, with layers of limestone boasting marine fossils. site to the east of O a x a c a C i t y . The canyon is located in the Sumidero Canyon National Park, H i e r v e e l A g u a designated a RAMSAR wetland. (RAMSAR is the Convention on offers a stunning Wetlands of International Importance, Ramsar, Iran, being pair of petrified where the Convention was signed in 1971 – Mexico has 142 travertine waterfalls, cascada chica and cascada grande, RAMSAR sites.) “falling” from high cliffs to the valley below. The falls themselves are twelve and thirty meters (about 40 and 100 feet) You can view the canyon from any one of six miradores respectively. (The only other petrified waterfalls in the world (overlooks), but the best way to “do” the canyon is via boat. are at Pamukkale in Turkey, so ¡Aprovechar!) (There was an EcoPark within the national park, to which the boat would take you, but at last word it had closed for financial The small falls are more accessible and actually offer a better reasons.) understanding of how the cascades were formed. At the top of the falls is a 60-meter-wide (about 200 feet) platform with four Most boat trips leave from Chiapa de Corzo. The round-trip springs that bubble up (“boil”) and flow to small natural pools boat ride takes about 2-3 hours, because it takes a while to get and two large man-made pools where you can swim – the high from Chiapa de Corzo to the actual canyon. You might see mineral content of the water, is supposed to have healing wildlife – the park is home to several endangered species qualities. One of the springs spills over the edge, depositing (spider monkeys, , ocelots, anteaters). The minerals that extend the falls bit by bit, year over year. vegetation in the park is mostly deciduous (Chiapas is much higher than Huatulco, which has mostly selva seca, There are visitor accommodations for changing clothes, getting dry deciduous jungle.) You can see the entrances to a couple of a bite to eat, and souvenir shopping; there's a basic hotel for an cave systems in the walls. overnight. As is common in Oaxaca, you may also experience a bloqueo, a protest blockade, closing the road to Hierve del You can arrange a tour in Tuxtla Gutiérrez or San Cristobal de Agua. You can arrange a tour in Oaxaca City, or take a bus to las Casas (apparently the best prices are in San Cristobal, and Mitla and arrange a local tour or just transportation via a you should make sure your tour includes at least some of the colectivo. miradors and the town itself). You can also just get yourself to Chiapa de Corzo (less than 20 pesos in a colectivo) – if you can get one to drop you off at the embarcadero (boat landing) in Cahuares, great, otherwise find a colectivo in the square going to Cahuares. If you get to Chiapa de Corzo, you will have no The Eye 14 trouble getting to the canyon boats. Manchones Reef The Yucatán, ah the Yucatán! The Yucatán peninsula is all , off Isla Mujeres (Quintana Roo), is nature, all the time – and archaeology, and beaches, and considered a “true paradise” for snorkeling and SCUBA diving. swimming with sharks, and shopping – but mostly nature. The waters of Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel have You could go to the flamingo reserve, visit a biosphere, or canoe great visibility; SCUBA divers can visit the Felipe Xicoténcatl, a through the mangroves in Celestún, in the state of Yucatán. C-53 gunboat sunk by the Mexican Navy to start an artificial You can swim in the hundreds of cenotes, or sinkholes formed reef. Ideal for snorkeling is the section of reef in the Biosphere when underground rivers caused the limestone above them to Reserve of Banco Chinchorro – only 5 feet deep and partly collapse (some say Cenote Ik Kil, near Chichen Itza, also in comprised of wrecked pirate ships. Banco Chinchorro is off Yucatán state, is the most beautiful). You could visit the the coast at Chetumal, Quintana Roo. At the Parque Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Mexico's largest – it also contains the Calakmul archeological site – located in Nacional de Arrecifes de Xcalak, also in Quintana Roo near Campeche state. Or the colored lakes at the Las Coloradas , the “coral heads” of the reef start only a few meters off salt flats, back in Yucatán. Or go kayaking on the brilliant, the beach and are only 2-3 meters below the surface. The main multicolored blue waters of Lake Bacalar in Quintana Roo. reef is 400 meters out – if you swam the 440 in high school, and can still do it, you're good). Xcalak is perhaps the least But the Yucatán peninsula is home to the 700-mile-long Great crowded dive site for the Mesoamerican Reef, and arguably the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the world's second largest, least spoiled by tourism. which runs along the Caribbean coast from the tip of the peninsula down through the shores of Belize, , and The impact of tourism is perhaps the greatest threat to all of Honduras. Sometimes called the Great Mayan Reef, it's been Mexico's natural wonders, but this is particularly true for coral described as an “underwater wilderness,” with, at last count, reefs. You can catch a boat out from the beach at Puerto over 100 species of coral, over 500 species of fish, not to mention multiple species of sharks, sea turtles, and dolphins – Morelos in Quintana Roo to see or snorkel Kan Kanán, a huge and a few sunken ships serving as artificial extensions of the snake-like construction of hollow pyramids made of cement barrier reef. and micro silica. (Kan Kanán is a guardian serpent in Mayan mythology.) Over a mile long, Kan Kanán lies between the You can book dive trips all along the Caribbean coast of the beach and the Mesoamerican Reef; it is the longest artificial peninsula. SCUBA divers might have the most fun, especially reef in the world, intended to protect the coastline from for the wrecks and the Museo Subaquático de Arte (Cancún erosion, kickstart the formation of new natural reefs, and Underwater Museum). Never fear, though, there are two regenerate the marine ecosystem. Hope for the future. galleries in MUSA, and both snorkelers and riders on glass- bottom boats can visit the shallower one to see the sculptures of pH-neutral concrete that explore the human-reef relationship. The Eye 15 Ten Simple Steps to Help Preserve Mexico's Ecology

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

1. Sunscreen: wash it off before 4. Paths and trails: stay on the swimming in lakes, lagoons or beaten path. In addition to not ocean bays. Previously, much of trampling or otherwise disturbing coastal Mexico was a natural flora and fauna, staying on the beaten aquarium, teeming with brightly path will help you avoid unpleasant colored fish and exotic sea life feeding encounters with the native life. Many off myriad varieties of coral. Today, forms of plants and animals in Mexico many of the most accessible bays and have developed excellent forms of self- lagoons have a visible oily slick of protection, including sharp spines, sunscreen on the surface, with mainly toxic stingers, pincers and teeth that dead coral and greatly reduced sea can deliver a painful bite. Not all life. Many inland lakes have also been snakes rattle or give a warning before polluted. they spring. So keep on track and keep your eyes where you are about to There are still wondrous places to step. snorkel and dive, mainly accessible by boat. If you are fortunate enough to 5. Drinking water: avoid plastic visit some of these sea or lake homes bottles. In many places in Mexico the to see thousands of aquatic creatures, water is fine to drink. If you are at a please help preserve them by wearing moderately or expensively priced a sun-guard shirt (an inexpensive hotel or restaurant and you are served teeshirt will do) instead of poisoning water from a pitcher, it generally is the waters with sunscreen. filtered and potable. The same is true of ice. If you are at an economy-priced 2. Picnics: if you carry it in, carry it place where you are not sure about out. The beaches, vista points and the hygiene, you can ask for a glass of forests in Mexico are great places for a water from their garafon, the huge picnic. It's tempting after an afternoon jugs of filtered water kept on hand for of eating and drinking to just leave the staff to use. But please, please, your empties and other trash behind. please, help stop the world-wide If you do, you're basically creating an pollution of the earth with billions of unattractive garbage dump and tons of plastic bottles. Until someone providing the animals with materials figures out how to turn plastic back that can choke or otherwise kill them. into its natural components (a future It's so simple to bring and use paper Nobel-Prize-winning discovery), every bags to collect your detritus plastic bottle of water you drink and (recyclables in one bag and trash in discard will contribute to choking off the other) and dispose of them in bins life in Mexico and around the world. for recycling. 6. Restaurants: no plastic straws 3. Flora and fauna: observe but do or one-use plastic anything. Plastic not disturb. Plants and animals, straws are literally killers. They find both on the land and in the water, are their way into the ocean and are fascinating. We can spend hours gobbled up by short-sighted sea watching whales playing in a bay, or turtles. Hundreds of turtles die each geckos scrambling around our patio year from ingesting a plastic straw. walls, or an octopus hiding under a Many fish and sea-birds are also rock and sending out a tentacle to injured. Other plastic utensils also catch a fish or a sea turtle nesting on a contribute to the injury and death of beach. We've also watched in horror marine life. If you must use a straw, at as people use sticks to poke at least use a paper straw. But folks, iguanas and disfigure other animals, who really needs a straw? Every sip or disturb nests of turtle eggs, or from a plastic straw you take surround whales with multiple motor boats, or dig up plants shortens the life of rapidly disappearing species. that support multiple forms of animals. Please remember that you are a guest in their homes and, just as you wouldn't enter a human home and purposely maim or torment your hosts, be a good guest to the animals and plant life here.

The Eye 16 7. Shopping: bring your own bags and select ecofriendly packaging. Buy organic. Poem by Verity Brink Fortunately, most Mexican supermarkets are legally prohibited from providing plastic bags for packing your purchases. And there are wonderful colorful cloth or other material shopping bags for sale in gift shops and from vendors all over Mexico. They're not always environmentally friendly but they are easily packed, great souvenirs. But before you even reach the checkout counter, please think 'green' before you place something in your shopping cart. Two or three tomatoes really don't require a thin plastic bag to keep them separate from an avocado; and the avocado comes in its own natural wrapper. By reaching for the fruit and vegetables that are labelled 'organic' you may pay a little more, but you are helping keep toxic pesticides out of drinking water and out of the bodies of many living creatures – including your own.

8. Signs: read them and obey them. Much thought and effort has been spent on placing signs around Mexico to protect wildlife and to protect you. The road signs depicting silhouettes of local fauna are charming – but they are danger signs. Keep your eyes peeled on the road in front of you and to either side and slow down so you can stop in time to avoid an animal that darts out to cross to the other side. The signs on beaches and in parks that have the universal multiple “no” symbol should be studied and heeded. At the very least, they will give you a heads-up about human behavior required to protect life in Mexico. And ultimately, you may be saved from a hefty fine or even drowning.

9. Showers: keep them short. Many places in Mexico, as throughout the world, are suffering from severe water shortages. You are encouraged to shower off before entering pools to save filtration systems; but all that is required is a quick rinse to remove sand and salt. A long hot shower before you dress is as passé as a flip-top cell phone. Remember to save water in other ways too. Turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth. If you have a kitchen, fill that dishwasher before you run it. And although washing your hands frequently is highly recommended, turn off the water while you soap and sing the canonical 'happy birthday' song twice.

10. Prevent COVID: You may be on vacation, but the coronavirus never takes time off from work. Until Mexico vaccinates most of its population and enters a low COVID tier, wear your mask, frequently wash your hands and stay at a safe distance. The life you save could be your own.

The Eye 17 We are moving to Tangolunda (across from Dreams) Huatulco, Mexico

Tuesday - Sunday 8:30am - 4:00pm

Huatulco has a new monthly market dedicated to sustainable and local products. Most of the vendors are creative entrepreneurial women. There are beautifully embroidered clothes, skin care products, jewelry and food items.

The event is held at the park across from Pemex. The next one will be July 17th from 5pm-9pm. Mezcal Educational Excursions of Oaxaca TM/MR While in the state capital, learn about this century's most coveted spirit by spending a day with recognized authority Alvin Starkman. Visit rural artisanal distilleries () using both ancestral clay pot and traditional copper stills. For novices and We also deliver! aficionados alike. Sample throughout your excursion with no obligation to buy. www.mezcaleducationaltours.com Tel: 958 105 1671 [email protected]

The Eye 18 Chiles&Chocolate Cooking Classes Huatulco, Oaxaca The best way to learn about a culture is through its food. www.HuatulcoCookingClasses.com

Morning Activities Evening Activities

TUESDAY- Seafood TUESDAY- Frida’s Favorites- -Ceviche dishes inspired by Frida Kahlo -Seafood Fritter with Chipotle -Huauzontles in Green Sauce -Shrimp Tostadas -Corn Pudding with Chiles in Cream -Jicama Salad -Chicken in Pipian -Baked Fish in Hoja Santa leaf -Zucchini Salad -Paloma Cocktail -Frida Cocktail

WEDNESDAY- Mama’s Kitchen FRIDAY- Village to Table Dinner -Black Mole- This is the most exquisite and complicated Our 8-course dinner using local ingredients is a culinary Mexican sauce. experience not to be missed! -Yellow Mole *This is not a cooking class -served with Rice and Chicken -Handmade Tortillas Chiles&Chocolate Cooking Classes offer -Mezcal Margarita delicious culinary and cultural experiences that explore Mexican cuisine. Our hands-on classes THURSDAY- Pigs and Rum ensure you will leave prepared to recreate the -Cochinita Pibil dishes when you get home. -Corn Cakes -Pickeled Onion and Habanero · Hands-on -Avocado Salsa · Instruction in English -Nopal and Radish Salad · Recipe Manual -Horchata · Free Gift Bag · Food and Drinks Included FRIDAY- Street Food Transportation Included -Red and Green Salsas · Morning pick-up is 9am -Pico de Gallo Evening pick-up is 5pm -Handmade Tortillas and Sopes -2 types of Taco Fillings -Tlayudas Cost: $95 USD per person -Jamaica Margaritas Activities are 3-4 hours Zimatan, Huatulco

Tel. 958 105 1671 Cel. 958 100 7339 [email protected] chileschocolatehuatulco www.HuatulcoCookingClasses.com