Fastnet

I grew up not far from the Fastnet Lighthouse.

From its first iteration in 1854, to its current structure completed in 1904, Fastnet has witnessed a significant part of modern history – two world wars and the Irish Civil War. Satellite feeds and meteorology have reaffirmed the Fastnet as an essential beacon and eye upon the merciless North Atlantic Ocean. In 1979, 18 people died in the the Fastnet Race from Plymouth, England. Strict regulations were enacted. In 1985, the lighthouse was struck by a rogue wave measuring 157ft (48m) in height.

In 2015 I purchased a from the Port of Elizabeth in NJ. I installed a skylight unit, a wood stove (later replaced by a pellet stove) and a solar electric system.

I think the container straddles many different environmental and capitalist dilemmas. It has become a symbol of streamlined economic globalization, convenience and disruption. In abstraction, stacked high on a ship, containers look and function like a spreadsheet. The realities of trade are more murky. The container obscures the old world problems – such as the price of fuel, pollution, and the displacement of labor. Nonetheless, for better or for worse, the intermodal container is as ubiquitous as the soup can. We have to learn to live with it.