Last November, I discovered a caterpillar crawling around on my parsley plants in the backyard. The plants were in pots, so that I could bring them inside to the screened-in porch if I discovered any caterpillars. And there she was … a chubby, happy black swallowtail caterpillar.
The previous year all the caterpillars got eaten and completely disappeared from my garden so this was exciting!
Amelia (yes, I named a caterpillar!) was crawling all over the 3 parsley plants that I brought in… She was “high-flying”, moving from plant to plant, and eating voraciously!
Then one day I could not find her … and looked everywhere. Eventually I discovered a greenish “case” that was suspended by a silver thread from one of the stems of the parsley.  She had created a beautiful chrysalis in which to allow the transformation to a butterfly take place.
A few days later I could not find her green home and discovered it had turned brown… and then a week later I discovered a second chrysalis! … given that it was November by this time and temperatures were dropping I was not sure they would make it over the winter …
So it was exciting last weekend to discover a black swallowtail butterfly sitting on the parsley plant on my back porch!! … resting, getting ready to fly into her new life!
An hour or two later she was on the ground cover right outside the back porch door.
Later I saw a big yellow butterfly flying and twirling through the air in a dance of delight … accompanied by a small black swallowtail butterfly … I couldn’t help thinking it was Amelia and the yellow butterfly had befriended her and was showing her around her new neighborhood!
I was so content and happy seeing her resting in the ground cover until it was time to take flight and dance in the air …
The next day was another sweet surprise: another lovely black swallowtail butterfly on my back porch! My heart soared! How fortunate I was to have watched the magic of Nature’s total transformation of these beautiful creatures.
So my conclusions are these:
·      Life wants to Live!
·      The metamorphosis from a caterpillar, with all feet firmly on the ground, to a butterfly flying gracefully through the air, even “dancing“ with a new friend, is truly miraculous …
One of my favorite quotes that lives on my fridge is by Buckminster Fuller:
“There is nothing about a caterpillar
that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly”.
Hmmmm … A total transformation that is truly magical …
Is there any possibility that humanity could ever have such a miraculous transformation?
·      Moving from Empire to Earth Community…
·      From being stuck in our current reality, like the caterpillar on the parsley plant, to the soaring possibilities of our visions?
·      From a planet whose Beauty is being degraded by the selfishness of over-consumption to honoring Nature …
·      To a world that puts caring and compassion above the addiction to more (aka greed) …
·      To a world that puts inclusion and connection above blaming others …
·      To a world that values living from the heart with compassion rather than from the head finding fault…
·      To an economy that creates “enoughness” for all … and everyone contributes their fair share …
·      To a world of delight and joy, developing connections with our Global Human Family as well as our non-human family … looking for and finding the miraculous in our midst.
May we open to the Grace of possibilities …

These were the words repeatedly spoken by George Floyd, while lying face down on the pavement, his hands handcuffed behind his back, as police officer Derek Chauvin pinned his neck to the pavement with his knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, killing him.  Clearly, he was of no risk to the officer who committed this heinous crime, or any of the other three policemen who were present.  This was a brutal, cowardly and criminal act.

Thankfully someone took a video of this incident… and it went viral.  People around the country and around the world erupted in outrage and fury over this clearly criminal behavior by the police.  People everywhere responded by taking to the streets to support Black Lives, policing reform, justice, and in honor of George.

Last Saturday, I participated in a peaceful march in Chapel Hill to honor George Floyd and the other Black Americans murdered by police.  It was led by the youth of the local NAACP chapter.  In the middle of the march we took a knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds…  Thousands of people knelt together, of all ethnic backgrounds, all ages, all walks of life … participating together in a show of solidarity that this is not acceptable and this has to change.  I was moved to tears…

It is both mind-boggling and glorious to see pictures of thousands of protestors in Portland lying face down on Burnside Bridge to protest the injustice:
Particularly poignant are pictures of thousands of protestors 

around the country and the world, lying face down on the pavement, with their hands behind their backs, for the 8 min, 46 seconds that officer Chauvin kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck.  

This feels like a pivotal point in our history and that now is an inflection point in which real change is possible.  By confronting the violence of the police, we can begin to change the systemic racial inequality that oppresses Blacks and people of color.  Our country was built on the backs of Black people brought from Africa against their will and forced into slavery.  Our economy was built on this free labor that we as a country stole from them, and continue to do so with many low-wage jobs with no benefits.  Our country has never dealt with this fact, much less considered reparations for our Original Sin of slavery.

Right now, there is a window of opportunity opening wider than it ever has before … this is the time to step up, speak up, and participate in bringing forth the shift in culture of what is acceptable in how we treat people.  It is a truly historic time to be alive and to offer your contribution.

Spiritual teachers have been saying for decades that it will take enough hearts breaking open in compassion for the world to “wake up” and create a new culture of inclusiveness, justice, compassion, and peace.  It is what Joanna Macy calls The Great Turning.

And this is a stunningly heart-breaking experience for every human being with a moral compass to see the video of George Floyd being murdered in less than 9 minutes, before our very own eyes… by the knee of the police.

 

The Great Turning has started: be part of it!
The shift that is occurring is one of compassion, 
of leading with the Heart.
 Join the movement in your local community.

 Make your voice heard and your heart felt!

This is a time of extraordinary transformation.  Open your heart and mind to what is possible and do everything you can to help create the world you want to give your children and grandchildren.

With compassion and blessings for our journey onward,

       Betsey 

 

RESOURCES FOR UNDERSTANDING AND ACTION:

One of the clearest and most insightful perspectives I’ve heard about racism by Trevor Noah, on our social contracts.
Trevor Noah Breaks Down Reparations and White Privilege – Between the Scenes/The Daily Show.

Excellent article: 5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence, from SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice)

SUPPORT CHANGE; particularly support Black-led movements:
  • Black Lives Matter is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.
  • Campaign Zeroto end police violence; see their website for specific policy solutions
  • NAACP has a mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
  • Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, helping people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us.
  • SURJ, Showing Up for Racial Justice SURJ’s role as part of a multi-racial movement is to undermine white support for white supremacy and to help build a racially just society.
  • 28 Organizations That Empower Black Communities

Greetings,

Our planet is currently facing an unprecedented climate crisis, which threatens a sustainable world for our children and grandchildren.

Greta Thunberg, the 16-year old Swedish climate activist, sparked an international movement of youth speaking up and fighting for their future. They are calling on world leaders to listen to the scientists, recognize our Climate Emergency, call it the Crisis that it is, and act accordingly. As Greta has said many times, “We cannot solve the crisis without treating it as a crisis”.
Millions of youth and adults around the world will come together on September 20 to Strike for the Climate! Over 500 climate strikes are planned in the U.S., in over 1664 cities around the world, and in 117 countries. New York City’s public school system just announced it would excuse the absences of students who have a parent’s permission to participate in the global climate strike!
The Secretary General Kumi Naidoo of Amnesty International fully supports schools allowing students to participate. He tweeted, “The climate emergency is the defining human rights issue for youth today. It will shape their lives in every way. That’s why I’ve written to more than 30,000 schools around the world urging them to let pupils join the historic climate strikes on the 20th & 27th September.”
So, if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, or in despair, this is the time to effectively channel those feelings into action! It’s time to prioritize what matters most at this pivotal moment in our history, come together, and get in the streets.
Please share this email with anyone and everyone you can think of! Invite them to join you at a climate strike. Here is the link to find an event any where in the U.S. Scroll down to enter a zip code and a map comes up with all the climate strike events in the area.
 
This is an opportunity of a lifetime… to participate in a movement that makes a difference!  That shifts our planet into a new era of caring for all life on earth, recognizing we are truly One Humanity.
This is the time: NOW.
With blessings for awakening to the opportunities before us,
 Betsey
P.S.  Click here for Greta’s recent interview, We are Striking to Disrupt the System. discussing the  reasons for the Climate Strike.
P.S. Click here for a 3 minute talk Greta gave last fall at the Davos Conference on the seriousness of the climate crisis.
 If you wanted a life of meaning and significance … you’ve hit the jack-pot!       

Most of us reading this know that we are in a climate emergency. We’ve read the reports that say the greenhouse gasses we’ve put into the atmosphere are the highest in 400,000 years. Our weather is getting more extreme; we’re faced with severe droughts and wildfires, devastating hurricanes, our biodiversity loss is staggering, the Arctic is melting, income inequality is the greatest it’s been since the 1920’s, our economic system of capitalism promotes unsustainable growth on a finite planet, and still …. our politicians dither!

With all these issues coming to a head at once, this time is history is truly unprecedented.

So now what?

There is an urgent need to switch to renewables as fast as possible, as NC Solutions is doing with the promotion of 100% renewable resolutions around North Carolina. We can also press our representatives to vote for policies that support the shift to renewables, like the Green New Deal.

It is also clear that we have an opportunity for something so big that it is daunting, even overwhelming … we have the possibility of a “civilization re-boot”.

As climate activist and educator Paul Gilding said in his book, The Great Disruption:

“Getting through to the good side of this crisis is going to
require us all to engage …
  
 This crisis presents what may be a ‘once in a civilization’ opportunity
for a step change in human evolution, but one driven consciously rather than biologically.”
 

We have the possibility to transition to a sustainable and thriving future! This will challenge each of us to bring forth the best within ourselves.

What’s needed?
Courage!
  • Courage … from the root ‘cor’, the Latin word for heart.
  • We need courage to pause and contemplate why we are here on this planet at this remarkable time in history.
  • We need courage to recognize that we’re in a time of major transformation. There is great danger and great opportunity.
  • We need courage  to envision the future we want, not the future our leaders tell us is politically feasible.
  • We need courage to take our power back!
  • We need courage to dream big!
  • We need courage to dream big and know there is no guarantee of success.
  • We need courage to live with uncertainty.
  • We need courage to ask ourselves what gifts we have to offer to this transition.
  • We need courage to serve our children and grandchildren, to ask what’s best for them.
  • We need courage to honor the deep excitement and passion for possibilities.
    • Remember the Moon Shot? When President Kennedy announced in 1961 that we were going to the moon in 10 years, most people thought it was completely impossible!
  • We need courage to be a “possibilitarian”! And be a role model for others.
  • We need courage to speak our vision to others, and risk being called foolish.
  • We need courage to look for and find our tribe of like-minded folks.
  • We need courage to move out of our comfort zone, and into a state of discomfort: only in a state of discomfort can we grow.
  • We need courage to acknowledge our heroic spirit and call forth our inner Heroine/Hero.
  • We need courage to choose an area of participation for 2019 and make a commitment to do it fully and passionately.
  • We need courage to recognize it’s an honor to be alive on the planet at this time and to have the opportunity to participate in a “once in a civilization” transformation.
As Nelson Mandela said, It always seems impossible until it is done.”
 
In 2019, challenge yourself to adopt some new behaviors:
  • Make a commitment to support one organization and donate regularly.
  • Make a commitment to support one local organization with your time and energy.
  • Make a commitment to change one or more of your behaviors to reduce your carbon footprint. Examples include:
    • Eat less meat and dairy. Institute a Meatless Monday to begin lowering your carbon footprint on your food choices. Eat local.
    • Fly less. Drive less. Flying is the most carbon intensive form of transportation. It produces 53 pounds of CO2 per mile. Once carbon is put into the atmosphere it stays there for 100’s to 1,000’s of years.
    • Stop using single-use plastic throw-away items; they are filling the oceans with debris; thousands of seabirds and sea turtles, seals, and other marine mammals are killed each year after ingesting plastic.
  • Make a commitment to be a more engaged citizen. Know what is going on locally and nationally, and regularly call your representatives at the state and federal level to share your opinion.
    • Individual actions are no longer enough. We must engage at the policy level to create bold enough actions to shift our direction toward renewables and away from fossil fuels. As the Citizens Climate Lobby says, “Politicians do not create political will, they respond to it”. We the People have the power to create political will; We the People must use it!
    • For support in civic engagement, join with others in your area, or join your local Indivisible Group.

In the words of Clarissa Pinkola Estes, “… the fact is that we were made for these times. Yes. For years, we have been learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exact plain of engagement”.

Take Heart! This is the year to make our biggest difference!  With blessings for our full and passionate engagement in 2019!

There is a powerful groundswell of energy rising up to address our climate crisis! We have an (undeclared) climate emergency and young people, even children, are recognizing this fact. They see that unresolved climate issues could wreak havoc on their futures. The newest, youngest, and most powerful voice on the global stage demanding the world address a changing climate is Greta Thunberg, a 15- year-old Swedish student.
Greta decided to create ‘Strike 4 Climate Action’ to protest the inaction of leaders to address our climate crisis, and get her voice heard. After several weeks of a full-time strike from school, she now attends school for four days and goes on strike every Friday, sitting in front of the Swedish Parliament building, until Sweden adopts policies that bring them in line with the Paris Accord.   Thousands of students from around the world have joined her in this protest.
Greta addressed the COP 24 UN Climate meeting in Poland last week. Here are the powerful and inspiring 4 minutes of her closing remarks. Amazing! Literally speaking truth to power… I’ve never seen such a clear example of that before!
And her 10-minute Ted talk about the necessity of changing the rules to address our climate crisis.
Greta speaks clearly about the need for civil disobedience. She urges all of us to act … take action, she says, then hope comes. But action first!
There are other groups spontaneously forming as well. They are speaking up and speaking out for action on our climate emergency. Extinction Rebellion, is an international movement using nonviolent resistance to minimize species extinction and avert climate breakdown. Sunrise is “building an army of young people to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process”. They are demanding a Green New Deal to adequately address our climate emergency.
How can we support these young people fighting for their future? How can we support young people whose future is on the line, but they don’t know it yet? How will we choose to engage in this crisis? To participate in the most important issue of our time? What’s happening on our earth that moves your heart (maybe even breaks your heart) and motivates you to act?
We cannot leave it to the “climate professionals”! All of us need to take a stand and raise our voices for a livable future.
You can find out more up-to-the minute details about US climate issues and actions by watching the National Geographic film, Paris to Pittsburg, which just aired Dec. 12.  It’s now available free for one week (Dec. 13-20)  at the National Geographic website or You-Tube Channel.
Greetings!
Reading the headlines about the heat waves and fires enveloping the globe with records being broken for the highest temperatures in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, we are seeing the effects in our weather due to climate change.


Our backs are pushed to the wall, and it’s not looking good for the “Home Team”!

We are faced with unprecedented converging crises: climate change including the Arctic melting at an unprecedented rate, which is projected to be ice free this summer or next; our ability to produce enough food for a global population that keeps growing; decreasing supplies of cheap oil which are expected to drive prices up; our unsustainable industrial agriculture with it’s heavy use of fossil fuel-based pesticides, fertilizers and farm equipment – note: it takes the equivalent of 10 calories of fossil fuel to produce one calorie of food; loss of biodiversity including pollinators upon which agriculture depends; and sea level rise, all against the backdrop of a surreal reality created by repeated lies at the highest levels.

We’re in a David and Goliath story if there ever was one!
 

It’s important not to go numb or distract ourselves with easy and useless activities. It’s also important to acknowledge our deep grief over what’s happening. Everyone awake to the truth of our current reality is going through a grieving process of some kind. It’s a process and you can get through it. Seek out your “tribe” of similarly awake and awakening folks. Remember you are not alone.

Now is the time to reach deep inside ourselves and bring forth our heroic self in order to rise to the challenge of this historic moment.

For this two kinds of courage are needed:

  • Courage to confront the truth: unless we change, we are headed toward an unlivable planet in 10-15 years
  • Courage to take action on this truth


WHERE WE’RE HEADED

For decades scientists have been warning us that burning fossil fuels is warming the planet. James Hansen, then head of Goddard Center at NASA, testified to Congress in 1988 about the dangers of climate change. We have held multiple international conferences on it, numerous IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) reports with dire warnings, and still very little action has been taken to reduce emissions.

Last fall 15,000 scientists signed a “Second Notice” Warning about Climate Change, stating that we are on a collision course with the natural world, and that “soon it will be too late to shift course away from our failing trajectory”.

Climate change is linked to droughts, wild fires, crop failures, depleted ocean fish stocks, and extreme weather events, costing the U.S. billions of dollars just last year alone. We now know that our climate has become destabilized and the jet stream has been weakened. This resulted in last winter’s spilling of cold air from the Arctic that traveled all the way down to Florida.

Current carbon in our atmosphere measures 410 ppm (parts per million), an amount not seen for over 800,000 years!

This is a stunning number as you can see in the graph! The recommended maximum is 350 ppm.

One of the big problems is that carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for 50-300 years, with 20 percent lasting thousands of years. Based on all this, we are at risk of going over the agreed upon 2C (C = Celsius) degree limit set by the Paris Climate Accord. The latest research shows that we may reach that limit in 10 to 15 years, much sooner than projected in previous reports. The 2C degree limit is the line between dangerous and very dangerous climate change.

Another perspective on the limit we are approaching is to look at our carbon budget, the amount of carbon we can put into the atmosphere and still have a reasonable chance of staying under the 2C degree limit. According to Kevin Anderson of the Tyndall Institute in the UK our carbon budget runs out in the mid 2030’s.

We cannot simply continue the status quo, going full blast burning fossil fuels, and come to a screeching halt when the budget runs out. That would crash the economy. The transition from a high-carbon to a zero-carbon energy infrastructure takes decades. It’s necessary to rein in our carbon emissions now so that when the carbon budget runs out we are at or close to net zero emissions.

You can see from the graph above that the longer we wait to begin reducing our emissions, the shorter the amount of time left to stay within our carbon budget, and the steeper the cuts have to be.

Right now renewable energy is increasing exponentially which is great news, but it’s also important to realize that ALL manufacturing plants that make solar panels, wind turbines and electric cars use fossil fuel. Not to mention the hundreds of items that are part of our daily lives that are made from fossil fuel, which includes pharmaceuticals, concrete and asphalt, and plastics that are in practically everything: food packaging, soap and make-up containers, plastic bags and plastic bottles, to name some of the obvious ones.

The transition to finding ways to make all these products out of something other than fossil fuel, and to not use fossil fuel in the manufacturing process, is a colossal challenge… Yet this is what we need to do in order to get to net zero emissions. This undertaking is beyond any challenge that humanity has ever faced. The Climate Mobilization is a committed organization that recognizes this fact and is calling for a WWII-type plan to make this transition as fast as possible.
As mentioned previously:

Our backs are pressed to the wall!

It’s time for thoughtful, caring people to awaken to the challenges ahead, and come to terms with the potentially devastating impacts of climate change before it’s too late.

If you just cannot imagine that this devastation could happen, watch Earth 2100, a gripping ABC documentary about potential consequences of putting off addressing climate change until it’s too late.
Now what? The situation is dire.
We need to educate ourselves and then act.
WHAT WE CAN DO:
Have the courage to confront the truth

and the courage to act on it.

EDUCATE YOURSELF AND SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE!
Please don’t just believe what I say, do your own research. And when you do, first find out who funded the article or the study. There are many so-called “think tanks” that are really lobbying arms of the climate deniers, like the Koch Brothers or the petroleum industry.

Read the links in this article.

Subscribe to a newsletter at EcoWatchClimate News NetworkThe Guardian/Environment or Truthout Climate Disruption Dispatches so you receive climate information from an independent source, not an organization dependent on corporate advertising that promotes the status quo.

Watch videos and documentaries on climate change and our multiple crises. There are hundreds of them! See suggestions here.

Find people you can talk to about what’s happening in our country and our world; find your “tribe” who are similarly awake or in the process of awakening to the truth of the multiple crises we’re facing.

Discuss climate change and related topics often; help others understand and come to terms with what’s happening. Help shift our culture to one of urgency about addressing climate change and moving to a life-affirming culture.

Start a book club with a climate focus. Suggestions include: This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein or any of her other books, and/or Climate Disruption by Paul Gilding.

Follow what’s happening in the courts about climate, e.g., the case of the kids suing the government over not providing a livable planet for their future and the lawsuits claiming that Nature has rights.

GET ENGAGED!

Participate in bringing forth the world you want to live in and the world you want for your kids! Not to mention your grandkids… but notice the urgency here … we are talking about effects on your kids!

 

As grim as these statistics are, change is already happening! Paul Hawken shares that there are hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of people all across the world already involved in solutions to our many crises, mostly running under the radar. This time will be remembered as the Great Unraveling or the Great Turning…. it’s up to us. We can be part of this great movement!

This is an unprecedented shift, as David Korten says in his book, The Great Turning: from Empire to Earth Community.

We can participate in the Great Transition to a life-sustaining culture! This is a once-in-an-epoch opportunity!

Do your part… don’t sit this one out… you want to be able to tell your grandkids what you did to help to help bring our country back from the brink of disaster and what it was like “back in the day!”

Sit down with your family and discuss what you want to do! Involve your whole family, especially the kids, in your projects.

Ideas: reduce your use of plastic, especially single use plastic bottles; figure out how to simplify your life and use less energy by flying less, driving less, biking and walking more; eat less meat and dairy; recycle more actively until your recycling each week is bigger than your trash; plant a garden; consider solar panels on your roof or back yard… prices have come down over 70% in recent years, and there are federal write off’s, plus the monthly savings on your energy bills are tremendous! Batteries are now available so it would be possible to go off grid. Thousands of Germans have already done that!

Divest from fossil fuel.

Fight fracking in your community. Fight all forms of fossil fuel infrastructure, like pipelines and new ports, that locks us in to fossil fuels for decades.

Put your values on the line and demonstrate in local issues. Make it a family affair and invite your neighbors to join you.

Vote for folks who pledge to support policies to protect the earth.

Vote for people who take no money from the fossil fuel industry. Excitingly, this is a growing movement!

Call your representatives … often … even to the point of being a nuisance! Attend town hall meetings and speak up!

This is part of our civic duty and these are necessary actions in order to have a thriving democracy, rather than a system of governance characterized by legalized corruption that works only for the 1% …

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!

Get enough rest, exercise, drink pure water, and eat healthy organic food (organic farming actually sequesters carbon in the soil, so it acts as a “sink” to reduce carbon, compared to industrial farming that increases the amount of carbon in the atmosphere; not to mention avoiding all those pesticides!).

Spend time with family and friends. Spend time in Nature, find the beauty everywhere, laugh, sing, dance, and savor life…

And when you remember the David and Goliath story …
REMEMBER WHO WON!

EARTH DAY 2018 is Sunday, April 22! The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970, nearly 50 years ago … and the response to it was massive! Twenty million Americans showed up to participate in demonstrations, rallies, and educational programs all around the country! That was 10% of the population!

It’s amazing to look back and realize that before 1970 factories could release black clouds of toxic pollution into the air or dump tons of toxic water into our waterways, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. It was legal! At that time there was no EPA, no Clean Air Act, no Clean Water Act. There were no regulatory or legal mechanisms to protect our environment.

Fortunately for us, Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day in order to bring attention to this growing problem. After pressure from millions who showed up to protest this travesty, only months later Congress authorized the creation of a new agency, The Environmental Protection Agency, to tackle our growing environmental issues.

As we have seen the current administration and the head of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, are doing everything they can to dismantle these basic protections of our environment and destroy the beauty of Nature, valued so highly by the vast majority of Americans. 

I find it heart-breaking that a prominent environmental advocate and gay rights lawyer, David Buckel, set himself on fire in New York on April 14, as a  protest suicide against ecological destruction. The New York Times reported that it received an emailed copy of a suicide note that read, “Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result – my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves.”

My dear friend and colleague Marty Adams was so touched by the story that she wrote this moving and eloquent piece about it. It’s re-printed here with her permission:

“Monks immolated themselves in protest to the Vietnam war. 

This man took a serious stand about the tragic destruction of Mother Earth that we are all witnesses to, by ending his life in this dramatic and public way.

Whether we are awake to the ravages of climate catastrophe or not, it is happening. We don’t have to “believe”; this is not about faith or beliefs. 

Observe that your car windshield does not need to be cleaned of insect debris nearly as often as years back: there are hugely reduced numbers of insects. Good, you might say. But insects are many creatures’ food source.

Observe that there are also fewer birds and butterflies. Look around you. 

Don’t believe my observations and reporting, look up the numbers yourself. 

While you are at it, look up Sixth Mass Extinction.

May this man RIP. I am sad for those who knew him and his many talents.

Find a way in your own life to participate in solutions. It can be a small step, but do something.”

One hugely important small step you can take today is to reduce your use of plastic. In fact there is so much plastic pollution in our landfills, oceans, and now even in our bodies that the focus of EARTH DAY this year is on plastic.

Did you know there is a massive dump of floating garbage in the middle of the ocean, thousands of miles from the nearest land? … called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? … bigger than the size of Texas? Did you know that millions of sea birds, fish, and turtles die each year from ingesting plastic? 

There are now 5 Garbage Patches! … they are a testament of our indiscriminate use of plastic. We contribute to them everyday by littering and using non-biodegradable materials. Landfill trash flows out with the rains, moves into rivers and into the ocean, where currents sweep it to the closest patch. 

Did you know?

  • We currently recover only 5% of the plastics we produce.
  • The average American throws away approximately 185 pounds of plastic per year.
  • Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide; more than one million every minute!
  • A plastic bag has an average “working life” of 15 mins.
  • In the last ten years we have produced more plastic than during the entire last century.
  • In the US, 100.7 billion plastic beverage bottles were sold in 2014; 315 bottles per person!
  • 57% of those were plastic water bottles.
  • The process of producing bottled water requires around 6 times as much water per bottle as there is in the container.

In response to our excessive plastic pollution, Earth Day 2018 is dedicated to providing the information and inspiration needed to “fundamentally change human attitude and behavior about plastics.”

Chose any of these steps to get started reducing plastic use:

Here are 10 Ways to “Rise Above Plastic“:

  • Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags and bottled water. Cloth bags and metal or glass reusable bottles are available locally at great prices.
  • Refuse single-serving packaging, excess packaging, straws and other “disposable” plastics. Carry reusable utensils in your purse, backpack or car to use at bbq’s, potlucks or take-out restaurants.
  • Reduce everyday plastics such as sandwich bags and juice cartons by replacing them with a reusable lunch bag/box that includes a thermos.
  • Bring your to-go mug with you to the coffee shop, smoothie shop or restaurants that let you use them, which is a great way to reduce lids, plastic cups and/or plastic-lined cups.
  • Go digital! No need for plastic cds, dvds and jewel cases when you can buy your music and videos online.
  • Seek out alternatives to plastic items that you rely on.
  • If you must use plastic, try to choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE), which are the most commonly recycled plastics. Avoid plastic bags and polystyrene foam as both typically have very low recycling rates.
  • Volunteer at a beach cleanup. 
  • Support plastic bag bans, polystyrene foam bans and bottle recycling bills.
  • Spread the word. Talk to your family and friends about why it is important to reduce plastic in our lives and the nasty impacts of plastic pollution.

How to make a difference?  Stop using single use plastic bottles today!!  And share why with everyone you know!

On Earth Day, show your appreciation for our magnificent Earth, our One and Only Home, by your actions!

With appreciation & love for our magnificent Mother Earth, 

      Betsey

MORE RESOURCES:

EARTH DAY NETWORK

Plastic Pollution Primer and Action Toolkit

Earth Day Network is working to secure a future free of plastic pollution. Sign their petition to world leaders, national governments, and local legislators:

Over 1 billion people worldwide will participate in Earth Day in 2018! Earth Day Network, the global coordinator of Earth Day, is building the world’s largest coalition of people united to ensure a healthy planet.  Click here for more information or to join the Earth Day Network and be part of the largest environmental movement in the world!

As a yoga and meditation teacher since 1973, I am getting many questions about why I’m talking about climate change and civic engagement these days instead of yoga poses and philosophy. To my mind addressing climate and being involved in our collective life is yoga! It’s taking yoga off the mat and into the world, seeing The One in The Many, which is the heart of the non-dual philosophy I’ve studied and taught. This perspective goes to the crux of the crises we are facing: thinking that we are separate beings rather different manifestations of One Spirit. We are in the midst of a tremendous shift in consciousness on the planet ~ from the love of power to the power of love. As Martin Luther King, Jr. says it so eloquently,
“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality.” 
I have loved yoga, and taught classes, workshops, and trainings for decades, and am now expanding to speak about one of the most urgent and serious issues of our time: climate change and how close we are to irreversible tipping points. I fully believe that yoga practitioners and all spiritual practitioners have immense gifts to offer this unfolding emergency: to honor the Earth, to show compassion for all creatures, especially those weakened by climate stress, and to be courageous in living the deep values of our One Humanity.
So, that said, here’s the latest on climate science …
recently published study states that the world must set greenhouse gas emissions on a downward path by 2020, or risk not being able to contain the temperature rise within what is considered the safe limits of 1.5-2.0 degrees Celsius, according to the Paris Agreement.
To get a clearer idea of how much warming we’re talking about, convert the temperature in Celsius to Fahrenheit by multiplying the Celsius temperature by 1.8. So that 1.5-2.0 C becomes 2.7-3.6 F. That’s quite a bit warmer that many people may have realized.
One helpful way to get a handle on our climate situation is to consider our ‘carbon budget’, as reported in the Nature article noted above:
“The magnitude of the challenge can be grasped by computing a budget for CO2 emissions – the maximum amount of the gas that can be released before the temperature limit is breached. After subtracting past emissions, humanity is left with a ‘carbon credit’ of around 600 Gigatons (Gt).”
  • Clearly we cannot continue to burn fossil fuels at the current rate until we spend the 600 Gt budget and then stop on a dime. We must begin as soon as possible to lower our global carbon footprint in order to reach net zero emissions when our budget runs out. See the graph below:

  •   
Clearly we are in a climate emergency of mammoth proportions and this should be an “all hands on deck” moment,
            … but it isn’t.  
This could be a time when the entire country comes together to address an enormous problem, that left unattended will ruin the lives of your children and grandchildren (and my niece and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews and my new grandnephew born less than a week ago),
             … but it isn’t.
Many scientists and researchers point out that we have the tools and the technology to shift from fossil fuels to renewables in time to avoid the worst damage of climate change. Mark Jacobson at Stanford University has a detailed plan for our country to get to net zero emissions that we could be following,
            … be we aren’t. 
This could be a moment that the entire country goes on high alert to address a major risk to the continuation of our civilization as we know it,
            … but it isn’t.  
It’s clear that waiting for the government to act will be too late, working alone will be too little, and the media has failed us by not reporting on the severity of the climate story.
Why aren’t we on high alert to this climate emergency?
  • Lack of political will. Extreme amounts of money are given to members of Congress to ensure their favorable vote, from corporations like the Koch Brothers, Exxon Mobil, Shell Oil, BP, and the auto industry, among many others. They are pros at climate denial. 
  • This “influences” mainstream media, including CNN, CBS, NCB, ABC, the New York Times, and The Washington Post, etc. in what stories they will cover, because of the advertising dollars at risk if they cover stories negatively affecting their advertisers.
  • Check here for independently owned media that do not have the biases of corporate media.
So, it is up to each of us to get engaged in protecting Earth and our future! What can you, as one single person, do to make a difference? Here are some ideas to get you started:
  • Align your actions with your values and lower your carbon footprint. The U.S. uses the equivalent of 5 earths each year, so we all have room to improve! We can simplify and de-clutter our lives and in the process lower our footprint. Compute how many earths you use each year with this Ecological Footprint Calculator. It’s fun, informative and also humbling! However, it’s easy to start with the low-hanging fruit, whatever is easiest to change.
  • Surprisingly one important thing you can do is to talk about climate change!!  Talk with friends, neighbors, family, store clerks, everyone! Share the videos above!  Forward this email to friends and family.
  • Research shows that 70% of people now believe climate change is happening and think that the government should do something about it! However, most people do not hear anyone talking about climate change in a given month. Talk about it! Speak up!! Let’s each do our part to bring the collective awareness of our impending climate catastrophe to the level of the national emergency that it is!Individual actions are important but are not enough! We must work together in groups.
  • Find an organization whose values you like: join and participate with your time or money.  See a list here. 
  • Especially note The Climate Mobilization, which along with many climate scientists, is calling for a WWII-scale mobilization that restores a safe climate by reaching net zero emissions within a decade.
    • “The climate crisis is causing immense human suffering and damage to the natural world. It threatens to destroy civilization and kill billions of people. Overcoming the climate emergency is the great moral imperative of our time.” 
 
  • Increase your civic engagement!  Call your MOC’s (Members of Congress) regularly.  Let them know your opinions.  Repeat!
    • Join Daily Action and get a single action to do daily that focuses your civic activity!
    • One recent report said there were hundreds of thousands of calls to Congress demanding health care, and thousands attending town hall meetings (I was one of them!) Joining together in civic engagement made the difference! …and the healthcare repeal was stopped.    
Finally don’t forget to take care of your most important asset: YOU!
  • Take good care of yourself. Many people are feeling overwhelmed, depressed, sad, angry, and/or grief over what has happened and is happening to our Earth. Accept your feelings. Sit and experience them. Journal or talk with a friend. Get help if you need it. Get moving, breathing, eating well, resting, & sleeping well. Don’t forget to play and have fun!
Hold the most expansive perspective you can …  This is about a deep shift in consciousness, from seeing ourselves as separate individuals to being an integral part of the Web of Life, embracing our One Humanity.
“It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good… We are needed, that is all we can know”.You were made for these times! You would not be here otherwise…
With love & appreciation for our Earth and all her inhabitants,

       Betsey

In 4 days, on December 19, the Electoral College will vote, choosing the next president of the United States.
Clearly President-Elect Donald Trump has broken his campaign promise to “drain the swamp”.  Instead has filled his cabinet with three men from Goldman Sachs and appointed people to head agencies who are on record saying those agencies should not exist.  Most of us are recoiling in horror to realize Trump’s presidency would do tremendous harm to our climate, democracy, economic equality, social and racial justice, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, freedom of speech, our standing in the world, and on and on…  It would be a country that functioned even more to serve the elite 1% and create greater suffering for everyone else.  It would not be a country that we want to live in, nor want to pass on to our next generations.
But there is a glimmer of hope…  The Electoral College makes the final decision … in 4 days.  There is a huge effort underway to convince at least 37 Republican electors to not vote for Trump.  According to Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard University constitutional law professor, there are 20 Republican members of the Electoral College who are considering voting against Donald Trump.  I know it’s a long shot, and it is an unprecedented possibility … however, we are in an unprecedented situation.
You can get involved!
Make Democracy Matter has set up a map of the electors in each state.  Click on any red state to get a list of the Republican electors in that state; click on the elector and you have the option of calling or emailing them to request that they NOT vote for Trump.
Law professor Geoffrey R. Stone argues persuasively that voting against Trump under these circumstances is faithful to our nation’s founding principles: it is the courageous, patriotic thing for electors to do.  Also by the latest count, Trump lost the popular vote by over 2.5 million votes.
If ever there was a time for us to take action, to move out of our comfort zone and make a few calls (or emails, although calls have been shown to be more effective), to take a stand for what in our heart we know is right, to believe in the power of the people, to hope for a miracle and take action on it … THIS IS IT!!  
Let’s tap our Inner Warrior to get active and stay active … to fight for the country and the values that we believe in!
It’s also good to remember, as this great organization Climate Mobilization states:
“Whatever happens on December 19, there is no substitute for building an unprecedented mass movement to protect American democracy, secure fundamental human rights for everyone, and restore a safe climate through a WWII-scale mobilization. We remain firmly committed to that mission, and will keep mobilizing and organizing to build it in the coming weeks, months, and years.”
Go to the Save Democracy website and click on your state to learn about protests in your state capital on December 19.  Sign up and attend!  Make history!
The entire world was stunned last week by the results of the US Presidential election.  How could the wealthiest country in the world, one that professes democracy, have elected a man who runs counter to what the majority holds dear?  How could we elect a climate denier, who used racist, sexist, and xenophobic language throughout his campaign?
How can we make sense of this?  Is there a way we can view the election from a broad perspective that includes not only politics but also the economy and our culture, and thereby see more of the forces shaping the election?
“We have entered a watershed moment not only here in America, but also globally.  It’s a moment that could help us wake up to a deeper level of collective awareness and renewal – or a moment when we could spiral down into chaos, violence, and fascism-like conditions.  Whether it’s one or the other depends on our capacity to become aware of our collective blind spot.”
This is the opening paragraph of an article by Otto Scharmer, co-founder of u.lab at MIT, Senior Lecturer, and Thousand Talents Program Professor at Tsinghua University.
In his article, On The Making of Trump – The Blind Spot That Created Him, Scharmer discusses the Economic Divide, the Political Divide, and the Cultural-Spiritual Divide that resulted in Trump as the President-Elect.  This is the most thoughtful, thorough, uplifting, and helpful response to these questions that I’ve read.
Scharmer also leads an international online program with over 75,000 people worldwide having participated.  His insightful, free course is designed for collaboration and guides participants to create solutions for their specific situations that serve our “Emerging Future”.  There are 29,000 people registered in his current course!  This is a great opportunity to participate in a powerful, uplifting and global training.  If you’re intrigued, consider participating!

Calling all those who know the world is One Humanity!!  All those who know we sink or swim together, whose hearts are filled with courage and resilience, who are willing to step up to what’s now required for our future.

No, no, you protest, you are not ready!!  None of us feels ready when we are called to a task so daunting that we feel on the verge of overwhelment.  Yet this is what Life is now calling us to do: to bring forth our most heroic, warrior spirit and fight for our future.  This is a time for your extraordinary heart to reveal itself in all it’s magnificence and splendor.  This is what you have been waiting for, training for, practicing for … the opportunity of a lifetime to open your heart to All Humanity and join with others to make the most significant difference that’s ever been possible on Earth.  

Below is an article on the terrifying state of our Climate, just published this week.  Due to the hyper attention the media has given to their profits, and therefore their focus on the circus of our elections, few people realize that climate destabilization has increased exponentially, risking irreversible tipping points.  Unfortunately our climate has no pause button when we become distracted by our elections and the media fails to inform us of what really matters.  

Because of it’s significance I’ve printed the entire article here and also given the link if you’d like to go to the website. The Job One for Humanity website includes options for individual and collective action. 

Please share this article with your friends and family.  It is truly a wake up call to the significant crossroads we now face.  

THE TERRIFYING TRUTH ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE…

POSTED BY DAVID PIKE ON JUNE 14, 2016

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An apocalyptic future is materializing that threatens human civilization and all life on the planet…

The truth about climate change is more terrifying than our worst nightmares. We are teetering on the brink of a world that is the stuff of nightmares. This includes starvation, riots, disease, violence, and war.

Climate change augurs a wide range of adverse impacts. These impacts range from the seemingly innocuous, like more potent poisonous plants, to cataclysmic extreme weather events, like continent-sized superstorms. Other serious threats include widespread coastal flooding, storm-surges, heatwavesdroughtwildfiresmass migration, famine, diseaseconflictanoxiaspecies extinction and ultimately human extinction.

Scientists tell us to avert the worst impacts of climate change, we must keep temperatures from rising no more than 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial norms. Given our current trajectory, we are looking at temperature increases that could be as much as four times the upper threshold limit. A temperature increase of 4 degrees would wreak bloody havoc on an unprecedented scale, seven degrees would cause hell on earth. The situation is dire as we are already more than 1 °C above preindustrial norms.

As stated in Seeker:

“More heat is sending the planet spiraling closer to the point where warming’s catastrophic consequences may be all but assured.”

We are on the cusp of a number of tipping points that will irreversibly devastate life on the planet, the same planet we depend on for our survival. This has prompted some scientists to suggest we have entered a new epoch.

The Age of the Anthropocene

Scientists are suggesting that human impacts on the Earth warrant a new geological epoch. This new epoch is being called the age of the Anthropocene. Study after study tells us that human activities are putting life on Earth in jeopardy.

As referenced in the Guardian, there are two recent independent studies that have added to the vast amount of data corroborating the conclusion that we are in the age of the Anthropocene.

Last August, Eric Holthaus wrote a piece published in Rolling Stone in which he cited a number of reasons why we should be nervous. This includes everything from bee mortality to the collapse of the ocean food chain.

Timelines

It is important to understand that climate change is not some distant event, these catastrophic events are already beginning to unfold. Some of the most cataclysmic impacts of climate change are taking shape far faster than scientists had anticipated. Many are concerned that climate change could explode exponentially.

Holthaus explained:

“The worst predicted impacts of climate change are starting to happen and much faster than climate scientists expected.”

Neresearch suggests the climate situation is far worse than initially thought. According to this and other studies, we can expect short-term temperature increases of between 1.6 °C and 2.1 °C above pre-industrial norms. Impacts will be far worse than predicted in most research as these studies commonly focus only on CO2, however, carbon is but one of several greenhouse gasses (methane, nitrous oxide, and others).

A paper from the National Academy of Sciences states that climatic changes could occur within decades or even sooner. The most challenging changes are the abrupt ones, said James White, a professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder and chair of the report committee.

While exact timelines are impossible to know for sure, a paper co-authored by a team of 14 climate-scientists integrated all previous research and came to the conclusion that the truly catastrophic impacts of climate change will hit

the tropics in 2020 and the rest of the earth in 2047.

According to an analysis by Carbon Brief, we have only five years (2021) until we exceed our carbon budget, which the IPCCC defines as the amount of carbon that can be released into the atmosphere while staying within the prescribed 1.5 C upper threshold limit.

Others have suggested that we could see a very rapid onset well before the dates referenced above. Jacquelyn Gill is a paleoecologist at the University of Maine who studies extinction. Her research reveals, “…really compelling evidence that there can be events of abrupt climate change that can happen well within human life spans. We’re talking less than a decade.”

Coastal flooding

New research suggests that climate change is expected to cause coastal flooding of some of the world’s biggest and most populous cities far sooner than many had envisioned. In July 2015, James Hansen, the former NASA climatologist, published research which suggested that mean sea levels could rise 10 times faster than previously predicted.

“We conclude that multi-meter sea level rise would become practically unavoidable. Social disruption and economic consequences of such large sea-level rise could be devastating. It is not difficult to imagine that conflicts arising from forced migrations and economic collapse might make the planet ungovernable, threatening the fabric of civilization.”

Famine

As reviewed in a Robert Scribbler post, half a billion people already suffer from famine and droughts and the situation will only intensify as the planet continues to warm. A study released in April from the European Commission has found that 240 million people across the world are now suffering from food stress. Greenpeace said that 330 million people in India alone are faced with water shortages and the threat of famine. Millions more are under both food and water stress in Vietnam as a record Southeast Asian heatwave ramps up to never-before-seen extreme temperatures.

The death of our children

Children bear the brunt of climate change. As reported by the NRDC, WHO statistics say that children under the age of five suffer more than 80 percent of the illness and mortality attributable to climate change. Further, weather-related disasters will affect as many as 175 million children globally over the next decade.

The death of our oceans

Ocean acidification is a disaster on a planetary scale. It is already too late for vast swaths of the Great Barrier Reef and other coral reefs around the world. Plankton is the basis of the ocean’s food chain. A July 2015 study that shows acidifying oceans are likely to have a “quite traumatic” impact on plankton diversity. Areas with extremely low oxygen keep increasing, causing ever larger ocean dead zones where nothing can survive. The mass die-off of plankton also has implications for terrestrial creatures. Research published in the journal Bulletin of Mathematical Biology from the University of Leicester in the UK, suggests that rising ocean temperatures will lead to declining plankton populations. Since plankton is responsible for two-thirds of atmospheric oxygen, this could cause the Earth’s oxygen levels to fall dramatically, killing massive numbers of people and animals.

Mass extinction

Research suggests that global warming played a role in the world’s largest extinction event known as the Great Dying, 250 million years ago at the end of the Permian Era. This event wiped out more than 90 percent of all species of plants and animals.

As reviewed in the Atlantic, a person alive today is more than five times as likely to die in an extinction event like runaway climate change than in a car crash. This is the conclusion of a new report on the economics of climate change from the U.K. based Global Challenges Foundation. According to the Stern Review, over the course of a century, the average person runs an almost ten percent chance of being annihilated by an extinction event. The report states that the most likely such event is catastrophic climate change. A 2008 Oxford study says that number is even higher.

Biologists have shown that humans are behind the fastest rate of species extinction since the end of the reign of the dinosaurs 250 million years ago. This research also concludes that humanity is also at risk of extinction.

Paul Ehrlich, one of the researchers who contributed to the study said that there is very little doubt that “we are now entering the sixth great mass extinction event. Even worse, the research shows that we triggered the event ourselves.” He added, “We are sawing off the limb that we are sitting on.”

Professor Phil Gibbard, a geologist at the University of Cambridge said:

“The Earth is now on course for a sixth mass extinction which would see 75 percent of species extinct in the next few centuries if current trends continue.”

The current climate trajectory is rushing headlong towards catastrophemoving us ever closer to doomsday. Ours would not be the first civilization to succumb to climate change, as evidenced by the demise of cultures in South America and the Indus valley.

Urgent action

Climate change is one of the most studied phenomena in human history. Thousands of research papers tell us how dire the situation is and how urgently we must act. The fact is that climate action is incredibly urgent, we must acknowledge that even with a consorted global effort it will be difficult to solve. A New York Times headline read “New Dark Age Looms“.

However all is not hopeless, there may be time if we act now. This is the view contained in UNEP’s Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6), their most comprehensive report to date. The title says it all: “Rate of Environmental Damage Increasing Across the Planet but There Is Still Time to Reverse Worst Impacts if Governments Act Now.”

“The obvious truth about global warming is this: barring miracles, humanity is in for some awful shit,” David Roberts said. He also said: “Climate change is simple: We do something or we’re screwed…”

We cannot be sure that our efforts will succeed. Some believe that we will exceed the upper temperature threshold limits even if we stopped spewing GHGs into the atmosphere today. Perhaps the most incisive remark on climate change comes from EPA chief Gina McCarthy who said, “the scary thing is doing nothing.”

By Richard Matthews

Richard Matthews is a consultant, eco-entrepreneur, green investor and author of numerous articles on sustainable positioning, eco-economics and enviro-politics. He is the owner of The Green Market Oracle, a leading sustainable business site and one of the Web’s most comprehensive resources on the business of the environment. Find The Green Market on Facebook and follow The Green Market’s twitter feed.

source: http://globalwarmingisreal.com/

original story HERE

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 To sign a critical petition for declaring a national and international global warming State of Emergency, click here!

I love that Yoga challenges us to take our consciousness practices off the mat and into daily life.  If we both pause and listen to The Call of The Times, we can respond with a contribution for the Good of all.  Clearly we are going through a time of major economic, social, environmental, and political upheaval.  The good news is that there are some very bright lights to guide us through this process.   

One of them is Barbara Marx Hubbard, a futurist, author and workshop leader.  She is a brilliant and resilient spiritual heroine of mine.  Barbara has just published a new website: JOB ONE FOR HUMANITY, which includes a Petition to Declare a Global Warming State of Emergency.

  • I’ve signed the petition and hope you’ll join me! 
  • Clearly to End Global Warming is our number one priority.  If we don’t tackle that successfully – and soon – we risk leaving an uninhabitable Earth for our children and grandchildren.  

Her new website is filled with clear and succinct information, an Ebook you can download, and also a current summary of the climate situation.  There are also options to receive regular updates on the latest climate science plus great ideas for action for yourself and your community. 

  • One of the best antidotes to fear and anxiety is purposeful action. Check the website for great ideas!  

In addition 350.org, one of the major organizations fighting for a livable earth, is sponsoring a worldwide 2-week program starting May 3 to keep coal, oil, and gas in the ground.

  • There will be several major peaceful demonstrations around the world.  If you cannot attend in person there’s the option to watch the events online and still support the effort to break free of fossil fuel.  

As Paul Gilding said in his book, The Great Disruption:

“Getting through to the good side of this crisis 

is going to require us all to engage …   

This crisis presents 

what may be a 

‘once in a civilization’ opportunity 

for a step change in human evolution, 

but one driven consciously rather than biologically.”    

Amen!  

Our Common Home, the Earth, is facing a crisis.       

The basic situation with the climate is this:

  • Enough solar energy reaches Earth every hour to meet the power needs of the entire world for a full year.
  • A Stanford University study has shown the U.S. could convert to 100% renewable energy by 2050, with huge strides by 2030.
  • ExxonMobil knew in 1946 that fossil fuels were warming the planet and deliberately lied to the country about it.  Lawsuits are pending.
  • Despite the Paris agreements we are currently on track for a temperature increase of 3-4 degrees C, which is an unlivable planet.  

The basic economic injustice is this:

  • It produces obscene extremes in wealth: the richest 1% now own more global wealth than the other 99%.

The basic political issue is this:

  • Economic wealth = political power; thus the vast majority of people are controlled by the 1%.

The basic media issue is this:

  • Over 90% of the media is owned by 6 corporations. Corporations, including car and fossil fuel industries, control ads and editorial content. 

The basic situation in our country is this:

  • Our elected leaders are incapable of solving our problems.  Period.
  • They are “owned” by corporations because corporate money buys votes.
  • We no longer have a democracy. 

The basic spiritual challenge is this:

  • Can we recognize that we are One Humanity?  That we sink or swim together?

The only way to change all this is to participate fully!

  • To stand up, to speak out: join organizations whose values we share; and participate!
  • Politicians don’t create political will. They respond to it.
  • It’s up to us to create the life we want on planet Earth.
  • No one is going to save us.

There is no one else.

A significant question to ask ourselves is this:

Are we willing to participate like our children & grandchildren’s lives depended on it?

They do.

 

Democracy is one of the 

deep spiritual challenges of our times“.  

Drew Dellinger

See handouts below for ideas on how to respond to our climate crisis.  See Upcoming Events for classes and workshops to help manage the turbulence of our times.  

Handout: Mitigating & Adapting to Climate Change:What You Can Do  April 2016

For inspiration: We Were Made For These Times by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Detailed Handout with links: Yoga & Climate Change.  April 2016

Also, my friend and colleague, Michelle Johnson, is offering a unique and transformative teacher training program:  

Skill in Action: Yoga and Social Justice Teacher Training

The only such Yoga TT in the country.  Begins September 2016.

“This Changes Everything”

In early November I attended a screening of the documentary film, This Changes Everything, based on the book of the same title by Naomi Klein. She makes the case, so succinctly, dramatically, and clearly that the way our economy runs, promoting profits above all else, increases environmental pollution and the amount of CO2 put into the air, which exacerbate global temperature rise.
Most U.S. manufacturing jobs have been shipped overseas where labor costs are less and environmental controls are lax. This exacerbates climate change as well as taking jobs away from Americans. These actions have hastened the slide of so many out of the middle class, making our economy more fragile, rather than robust. Our economy depends on a vibrant middle class to purchase products and services that drive our economy.
This film is so worth seeing and discussing. In fact, take your family and friends to see it with you, and then have a heartfelt discussion of the issues and solutions. Check here for screenings in your area. If it’s not in your area, it’s available through iTunes. Rental is $4.99; to buy it is $9.99.
 “To change everything we need everyone”!
More US citizens are waking up each day to the urgency of our climate situation and to the power that we have when we act collectively! There have been recent major victories:
  • Exxon has been exposed for deliberately covering up the consequences of burning fossil fuels. They did the research and then funded climate denier groups. New York State is investigating bringing a lawsuit.
  • A Texas utility has so much wind power that it is giving it away (yes, for free!) from 9 pm until 6 am!
  • President Obama rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline.
  • The growth of renewables, especially wind and solar, has exceeded expectations.
  • The price of solar has decreased 80% in the past 10 yrs.
  • Organic food is the fastest growing segment of our food supply. People want food without pesticides! Eating both local & organic decreases our carbon footprint even more!
  • The youth climate movement is gaining steam with a powerful message: “we want an earth worth inheriting”!A 13-year old girl is suing North Carolina for not protecting her generation from climate change.
  • There are thousands of youth groups all around the world. Their power and passion keep growing.
Time to get involved in solutions!
COLLECTIVELY:
  • Join a climate organization and donate your time or money. Numerous options are at the end of this email.
  • Show up for local climate marches happening now through the December Climate Talks in Paris.
  • Educate yourself: Talk it up with family and friends. Talk about the risks of climate change for the price of food, economic stability, and the destruction of our habitat, our Earth, that supports life as we know it.
INDIVIDUALLY:
  • Earth Overreach Day was August 13 this year. That’s the day that we used up all the planet’s sustainable resources for this entire year; we’re now into “resource debt”.
    • The U.S. has 4% of the population but uses 25% of the world’s resources.
    • Continue to do what you can to reduce your carbon footprint; see below.
  • Here’s one issue I haven’t talked about yet: conscious shopping! Ask questions! Find out where the products were made, and whether it was in a sweatshop. Green America.org has great & empowering info to make more conscious choices.
    • It’s tempting to buy the cheapest product, but it feels so much better to make a conscious choice to use our money in service of our values.
    • Note Target received a D+ and Wal-Mart an F on responsibly produced products.
  • Consider buying holiday gifts through a company like Heifer, Inc. Giving a goat, cow, chicks, or clean water to a family in a developing country is a gift that empowers them to change their lives, and is a meaningful gift to give in honor of someone important in your life. This kind of empowerment is the key to ending hunger and poverty. It’s exciting to put our money where our values are, knowing we can make a difference!
Remember we are all in this together!
We are all One Human Family! 
“This is not just about telling people to change their light bulbs or buy a hybrid car.
This disaster has gone beyond choices individuals can make.
It’s now about industries and our governments
around the world taking large scale, decisive action.”
– Leonardo DiCaprio

Sending blessings for our collective future,

Betsey

Notes:
Google “climate change organizations” to find a climate organization that speaks to you. Or go here for more information. Choose one group to join and keep up to date with the latest happenings.

The Road to Paris” is a term climate activists are using to call attention to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) held in Paris this coming December. The intention is to secure a legally binding global climate agreement to dramatically curb carbon emissions and accelerate the planet-wide shift to clean energy.

Diverse groups, organizations, corporations, businesses, and citizens, as well as religious and spiritual groups are joining together to put pressure on world leaders to sign a legally binding agreement in Paris. 

Many climate scientists emphasize the urgency for us to come together this year … finally … as One Humanity/One Planet, to tackle the greatest challenge that we have ever faced: climate change.

Educate others!  The more loudly we all speak up and also show up, the more pressure we put on our world leaders to sign a binding agreement in Paris.

Politicians don’t create political will they respond to it”.

Citizens Climate Lobby  (http://citizensclimatelobby.org/)

Help others wake up from thinking we’re powerless! 

We’re not!!

This is the most important time in the history of the planet.

Encourage others to participate and 

help create the world we all want to live in

Let’s work together, speak up and create some political will.

For the beauty of all we love, especially the earth …

Just choose one thing to get involved in!  Just one!!  You’ll feel so much better, so much more empowered, to be working with others on the solutions.  It makes all the difference in the world … literally.

Many websites make it easy to participate or get more info: 

http://roadtoparis.info

  • Editorially independent, they provide the basic facts on the biggest challenges of the 21st century.

http://350.org

  • 350 is building a global climate movement that is active in over 188 countries.
  • The Road Through Paris fights for a climate agreement that keeps fossil fuels in the ground. 

http://350.org/off-on-live/?akid=7471.769189._TFby7&rd=1&t=3&utm_medium=email

  • 350 Off + On is a great presentation that discusses the future of the climate movement. Inspiring. Informative.

http://350.org/the-time-for-feeling-powerless-in-the-face-of-climate-change-is-over/

  • Uplifting article to release feelings of powerlessness and take actions that make a difference!  

 http://www.earthday.org/climatejusticerally.html

  • Moral Action on Climate Justice: September 24, 2015

 http://peoplesclimate.org/calendar/

  • November 28-29 Climate rallies

http://roadtoparis.info/top-list/20-women-making-waves-climate-change-debate/

  • Background information of the top 20 women making waves in the climate debate.  Awesome!!

http://citizensclimatelobby.org/ 

  • Citizens Climate Lobby works with members of Congress for a bipartisan bill putting a fee on carbon.  

https://www.climaterealityproject.org/initiative/road-paris

  • The Climate Reality Project educates citizen volunteers to speak about Climate Change. I attended in 2013!

https://www.cdp.net/roadtoparis

  • CDP offers companies a platform to act and be recognized in supporting climate change solutions. 

http://www.theclimatemobilization.org/

  • Climate Mobilization is urging President Obama to declare a National Emergency on Climate and move to renewables at the fastest speed possible.  

http://www.interfaithpowerandlight.org

  • Interfaith Power & Light mobilizes a religious response to global warming as faithful stewards of Creation.

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/climate-change-crisis

  • The Episcopal Church is actively involved in addressing the climate crisis.  Many useful materials on their site. 

http://www.wclimate.com/road-to-paris-2015/

  • The Road to Paris is a campaign to help set a Solutions Agenda with business, financiers and governments that will support and complement the COP21 in Paris.

Locals in North Carolina, I’ll be starting a yoga class at Sfeer in Chapel Hill on October 14, plus teaching some local workshops!  Click here for more information or call Betsey at 919-903-9557. 

“Do-Over”

Pope Francis issued his Encyclical on Climate on June 18, a document reserved for only the most pressing of global matters. The Pope said that protecting our planet is a moral and ethical imperative, and that a bold cultural revolution is needed to save the planet from Climate Change and Consumerism.

Vatican Pope

Sometimes people are surprised that as a yoga teacher I am speaking out on Climate Change and they ask what Yoga and Climate Change have to do with each other. Listen to my talk on the topic.

154300_371096299651023_1692205766_n

If we walk our talk that ‘We are All One’, that we are manifestations of the same Spirit, then it follows that we care about all life on this planet. We care about the suffering of others because at some level we are all spiritual sisters and brothers. We care about earth’s animals and plants because they are part of our only home. Yoga and virtually all spiritual and religious traditions teach us to be compassionate toward all living beings and to be of service.

Join me for an opportunity to be with kindred spirits for a one-     of-a-kind Yoga &  The Climate Crisis workshop at Willow Street Yoga Center July 24-25, in which  we’ll look at Climate through the lens of yoga as we reclaim our connection to the  sacred. 

It is remarkable to have the Pope speaking about Climate in such a powerful way.  And to also see so many spiritual groups speaking out, all of them addressing it  as a moral imperative in addition to the environmental necessity:

Interfaith Power & Light, a religious response to global warming, was founded by  Rev. Canon Sally Bingham.  She was one of the first religious leaders to recognize  climate as a critical moral issue. They are building momentum for a binding  agreement in Dec. in Paris for a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030. 

  •  The Episcopal Church, led by Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori, is responding to  the Climate Crisis. Her voice is uniquely powerful, backed by science (she has a  doctorate in Oceanography), and her moral authority as a spiritual leader, when  she says, “We are making war on the integrity of this planet.” 
  •  Also the climate resources the Episcopal Church has put together are  exceptional!

As Pope Francis makes clear, addressing climate change calls for a deep transformation of our social, political, and economic systems. All of us must do our part to care for the world we share.

So what can we do?

  • Participate! Choose one issue related to Climate Change: get educated and get involved! Whether that takes the form of donating to a cause you believe in, talking about climate with your friends and family, calling your members of Congress, or writing letters to Congress and/or the editor of your local paper.  
    • There are many environmental and climate organizations that are making a difference.  Google “climate change organizations” to find one that speaks to you. Choose one!   
    • Talk it up!  Research shows only 3% of the U. S. population regularly talks about the climate situation… let’s increase that number!
  • Support a fee on carbon! Considered by many to be THE most significant action we can take, because it establishes policies that support the result we want: less CO2 in the atmosphere. This is something we have to do together. Join with others to pressure Congress to adopt this needed and sensible legislation.  
    • The organization I like so much that I joined is the Citizens Climate Lobby (and I even went to DC June 21-23 and lobbied Congress with 800 other CCL volunteers! I’m the one in the teal blouse!)
18508348783_032a97f44f_n
    • A basic CCL tenet is: “Politicians don’t create political will, they respond to it”. 
    • If this doesn’t appeal to you Google Carbon Fee and choose another organization promoting a fee on carbon. 
    • Talk it up! Make “carbon fee” part of mainstream conversation.  
  • Reduce your carbon footprint. Consume less. Eat local.
    • Check out Project Draw Down for more inspiring actions you can take. 
      • DRAWDOWN is the point when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere begin to decline.
    • Talk it up! Be the first in your group to mention  ‘climate change’ & ‘carbon fee’, and the importance of reducing CO2 in the atmosphere.
  • Develop your compassion! Choose to look at other peoples around the world, especially poorer coastal countries who contributed very little to global warming but are reaping the destructive forces of it, like the Philippines and the Maldives. Stand up and speak out for climate justice.   
  • Try Meatless Mondays! Research shows that raising livestock is a major contributor to increasing greenhouse gasses and also consumes a huge amount of water, which we all know is a dwindling resource. 
  • Continue or increase your spiritual practices, whatever they are, that bring you peace and a sense of well-being. Take time to be in Nature and appreciate her magnificence! Exercise. Eat well. Nourish yourself daily. Practice soothing yourself naturally, so you are as balanced, centered, and steady as possible during these turbulent times of change.  

We are facing an unprecedented crisis… an emergency of epic proportions! It’s time for all hands on deck! Invoke your Warrior Spirit and get involved!

Consider this: maybe this is why you are living at this historic time! Maybe it is your Life Purpose to wake up now: both to this unprecedented emergency and to the most profound opportunity you will every have to make a difference. We have the opportunity to work with others around the world on a major “Do-Over”. Maybe this is the opportunity of a lifetime: the opportunity to remake the world into the kind of home we want it to be, with compassion, with true freedom, and with liberty and justice for all. 

Solutions Abound, but First …

Solutions abound to respond to the Climate Crisis, but first we need to acknowledge the extent of the problem.

We need to see and accept how dire the climate situation is … I know, people don’t want to read these words, or stop long enough in their busy schedules to take in the severity of the crisis we’re in. Because if we do, we’ll feel compelled to action: for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

By burning gas, oil and coal we’re putting a blanket of CO2 around the earth that warms up the earth too much. These increased temperatures are shifting the climate on Planet Earth. Here are some of the consequences:

*  Increased air temperature
*  Increased ocean temperature
*  Both of these have led to birds, animals, butterflies and other insects (including pests) moving northward. Some species will not be able to migrate fast enough to survive.

*  Increased extinction of many species, and at an increasing rate; an article in Science estimates that one in six species may go extinct

  *  Increased ocean acidity, leading to die off of coral reefs and fish; especially problematic is the die off of phytoplankton and zooplankton, the tiny plants and animals that form the base of the marine food chain
*  Increased severe weather events, including hurricanes and typhoons
*  Increased droughts, wildfires, and flooding, decreasing crop yields
*  Increased political unrest around the world, especially in countries who are already poor and are having difficulty feeding their populations
*  Increased humanitarian needs around the world, including a new category of climate refugees
*  Decreased amount of fresh water available, due to melting of glaciers that supply fresh water
*  Sea level rise, affecting coastal cities around the world, especially NYC and Miami in the US.

Why is there not a national emergency declared
over this significant threat to the very survival of the planet
as we know it?

Lack of media attention is one huge reason.
MONEY is the other big reason – we’ll discuss that below!

The Ed Show on msnbc has been running a story on the climate crisis every day this week. If you missed any of it, you can find the stories here.

There are a tremendous number of solutions! Countries around the world, Europe especially, are already involved in implementing solutions. In fact, many countries are switching to renewables at a blistering pace!
*  Solar: Germany led the world in the number of roof top solar installations beginning in 2005, a position it still held at the beginning of 2014, with 1.4 million rooftop units installed. Australia has gone from 8,000 rooftop solar systems in 2007 to over 1 million today. China is also going full-speed ahead on solar and is positioned to soon lead the world in the amount of energy produced from the sun.
*   Wind: Denmark supplied 62% of its energy needs in January 2014 with wind, up from 34% in 2013. Portugal and Spain got over 20% of their electricity from wind in 2013.
*  In the state of South Australia, on September 30, 2014, power generated from wind and solar exceeded the state’s electricity demand!
The U.S. lags behind most of the world, but as prices drop, installations are increasing. 600,000 rooftop units had been installed as of late 2014.
*  I’m excited to be putting solar panels on my roof!
*  Plus the price of solar panels has decreased by 2/3 in recent years!

Lester Brown in his new book, The Great Transition, Shifting from Fossil Fuels to Solar and Wind Energy, states this:

“The sunlight striking the earth’s surface in just one hour delivers enough energy
to power the world economy for one year.”

Why then are we still focusing on fossil fuels for our energy?

MONEY!

One reason for our focus on fossil fuel and the lack of mainstream media attention on climate change is that a core group of very wealthy people benefits from the status quo. They are making decisions to go for short-term profits rather than the long-term security and safety of their children and grandchildren and even the earth.

Therefore the most significant impact we can have is
to get a fee on carbon.
So that those who put CO2 into the atmosphere pay for it.

The good news is that there are bipartisan efforts in Congress working on this!!

I just joined The Citizens Climate Lobby, a bipartisan organization focused on getting a law passed to put an escalating fee on carbon. They lobby members of Congress to let them know what their constituents want. The latest polling shows public opinion supports the government doing something about climate!!

Support this organization or any other organization fighting to place a fee on carbon. Or better yet, join CCL and attend the Annual Conference in Washington, DC, June 22-24. I’m going and would be thrilled to see you there!!. Don’t worry they train us before we go to lobby the members of Congress! And they send experienced members in with us newbies!

So what significant actions can you take?
*  Talk about Climate Change!
o With your neighbors, family, church, friends, and other groups you participate in. It’s the biggest issue facing our country and the world, and your children and grandchildren. Nothing will make more of a difference in their lives than you taking action to promote the solutions!
o As an awakened public we want to put pressure on the White House to sign a binding agreement in Paris in December, as Pope Frances wants to do.

*  Support a fee on carbon.
*  Educate yourself on all the issues around the Climate Crisis. A great place to start is with the book, This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein.
*  Do what you can to lower your carbon footprint.
*  Listen to my presentation on Yoga & the Climate Crisis, given in Austin, TX, in February 2015.

So… here we are!  In the biggest crisis ever to face the earth and significant numbers of people are still asleep!  With deep compassion, talk to everyone… help them wake up to the situation so we can come together in collective action before we create more burdens for our children and grandchildren.

Individually we are not strong enough!  Individually we cannot change enough to make the needed impact.  We need to exert our collective will on our legislators; we need policy changes.  We need to put pressure on our legislators and the White House to sign a binding agreement at the Paris Climate Talks this coming December.

In the words of Drew Dellinger, who says it so eloquently:

“It’s 3:23 in the morning
and I’m awake
because my great great grandchildren
won’t let me sleep
my great great grandchildren
ask me in dreams,
what did you do while the planet was plundered?
what did you do when the earth was unraveling?

surely you did something
when the seasons started failing?

as the mammals, reptiles, and birds were all dying?

did you fill the streets with protest
when democracy was stolen?

what did you do
once
you
knew?

Excerpt from Hieroglyphic Stairway, a poem by Drew Dellinger
Re-printed with permission.

“Houston, We Have a Problem …”

There was no other way I could think of to start this other than with those iconic words we all remember from the early days of space travel …

“Houston, we have a problem…”

And we do have a problem, a significant problem: the Climate Crisis is much more serious than most people realize.

Unless you are reading climate news websites, you may not know that many scientists are now talking about two new potentials:
Civilization itself may not be able to survive the warming trajectory we are on.
We are leaving a legacy of massive suffering for our kids and grandkids if we continue the path we’re on.

All this information is documented in a new book:
UNPRECEDENTED
Can Civilization Survive the CO2 Crisis?
By David Ray Griffin, Ph.D.

This is an extraordinary handbook, with details on everything from the unprecedented threats, such as:
extreme weather, heat waves, droughts, wildfires, sea-level rise, fresh water shortage, food shortages, ocean acidification, etc.
to the unprecedented challenges and failures of our media and political system as well as moral, religious, and economic issues,
and the transition to clean energy, with info about all the options and the exciting progress made so far.

If you feel overwhelmed about this situation, you are not alone! As we all know, the best antidote to feelings of overwhelment, fear, and anxiety is purposeful action. So choose one small thing you could do today to reduce your carbon footprint to care for the earth … and just begin.

There is also some very good news!! Millions of people all over the world have already begun the process of working together in community to adapt to this new paradigm of lowering our CO2 emissions, including Burlington, VT that just became the first U.S. city to run on 100% sustainable energy!

So we know it’s possible… Renewables supplied 30% of Germany’s energy in 2014. In developing countries renewable energy also contributes to alleviating poverty, by providing energy for cooking, space heating, lighting, and also electricity for schools. In fact, Kenya is now the world leader in the number of solar power systems installed per capita. We can care for the earth and in the process improve the lives of millions around the globe. hands holding green heart shaped tree tree arranged in a heart shape love nature save the world heal the world environmental preservation

This new paradigm also requires us to consume less: less energy, use less plastic, switch to cleaner energy sources, eat local food, reuse and recycle everything possible, or don’t buy it in the first place! Check here for more ideas to reduce your carbon footprint and/or take the quiz below:
Ecological Footprint Quiz: http://www.earthday.org/footprint-calculator

Our first goal is not to try to save the world, although we might do that some day, but the first thing is to get our behavior in alignment with our values. If we value the kind of life we are leaving to our kids and grandkids, then we will begin making daily choices to support these values.

An interesting feature about this massive movement is that it’s decentralized and is not headed up by any one person… and is beginning to come together with all the other issues that need to be addressed, such as establishing a living minimum wage, social justice, income equality, democracy, reducing poverty, etc. But the decentralized nature of this movement means it’s still below the radar and the media has not recognized it. That often leaves us feeling alone, not knowing there are millions who are already engaged in important changes.

For a 5-min overview, listen to Paul Hawken on the Biggest
Movement in the World that No One Saw Coming: the reason we have hope for a meaningful transformation in the world.

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to take one purposeful action, no matter how small or large. Just begin!

And don’t forget to spend time in Nature and appreciate the vastness and beauty of our earth!

Raging Grannies & Warrior Spirits Needed!

On February 14 I’ll be engaging in a new endeavor! I’ll be marching with a group called the Raging Grannies in the 9th annual Moral March on Raleigh. The march is to express love for qualities of life that we all hold dear: Justice, Education, Climate, Economic Sustainability, Worker’s rights, Livable Wages, Equal Protection Under the Law, etc. and is led by Reverend William Barber.

I’m quite excited about this new activity and feel it’s a way to take my yoga off the mat and into the world … literally into the streets! Interesting too … it feels like continuing the work of Martin Luther King. It reminds me of the 60’s! People from all around the country are expected to attend, and it’s open to all – join us if you’re close by or want to travel!

As Drew Dellinger has stated: “Democracy is one of the deep spiritual challenge of our times”.

I am also quite excited to be attending the Kindred Spirits Reunion in Austin, TX, a weekend get-together for all previous and current Anusara teachers and students. It’s the brainchild of Desiree Rumbaugh, with Suzie Hurley, Marsha Nieland, and myself helping out.

This year I am greatly looking forward to offering Yoga & The Climate Crisis presentations at yoga studios around the country. It’s an opportunity for us to pause in our busy lives and take a look at the biggest challenge that faces humanity.

The question that’s been haunting me for the last 2 years is this: “What does Yoga uniquely have to offer to this situation?” I’ve come to see that yoga’s offering is monumental and I’m passionate about sharing my vision and adding my perspective to the conversation. In the presentation we’ll review the latest science and focus on what we can contribute, both individually and collectively.

Upcoming in March I’ll be teaching in the 300-hour Rasika Teacher Training Program developed by Kelley Gardner and Stacey Millner-Collins. This is an impressive and thoroughly professional Yoga Teacher Training, modeled after a college curriculum. I’m proud to be participating, and pleased to be teaching in the Program again in July.

In addition I’ll be co-teaching the Spirited Women’s Retreat with my “young & juicy” friend and colleague, Suzie Hurley. We’ll have a mini-version at Kripalu April 2-5 and the full version in Tulum, MX October 24-31. This year our topic is ” Six Keys for Aging with Grace, Beauty, Passion & Juice!” Registration opens for the MX retreat March 24.

2015 looks like a pivotal time as more people around the world wake up to see what dire straits the planet is in. We are experiencing a convergence of major issues from climate change, inequality, and loss of our democracy, to the increasing oligarchy in the US where the 1% are determining what is possible for the rest of us.

NOW is the time to wake up our Warrior Spirit, whether it’s a Raging Grannie or the Goddess Durga! Time to speak up and speak out; to take the risk of sharing what’s in our hearts: our hopes, dreams, and vision for a healthy and sustainable and just world. We are truly all in this together!

Beautiful & Powerful Poem

I have recently discovered Drew Dellinger, speaker, poet, activist, writer, and founder of Planetize The Movement. He has written an exquisite poem, shared below:

“it’s 3:23 in the morning

and I’m awake

because my great great grandchildren

won’t let me sleep

my great great grandchildren

ask me in dreams

what did you do while the planet was plundered?

what did you do when the earth was unraveling?

surely you did something

when the seasons started failing?

as the mammals, reptiles, birds were all dying?

did you fill the streets with protest

when democracy was stolen?

 

what did you do

once

you

knew?”

Poem reprinted with the permission of Drew Dellinger   [continue reading…]

Finding Stillness …

There is great wisdom in finding stillness in a busy world … The many gifts include rest, insight, clarity, energy, and renewed enthusiasm for Life.  Sometimes the gift of a weekend away or a retreat is the most deeply nourishing experience we can give ourselves.

It offers you the opportunity to slow down and savor your life as you soak in the beauty and vastness of Nature.  Take the time to nourish your Spirit with yoga and meditation practices, get up early for a walk outside, eat fresh (organic) food, and spend time with kindred spirits at your retreat!! Returning to your “regular” life so refreshed, with new eyes, and an uplifted and inspired heart is priceless!

Consider this delightful present to yourself!

Cutting Edge Research – Bruce Lipton

Just in case you’ve been curious about the new field of epigenetics or wondered how the newest science in genetics and biology interfaces with real life, here is a great lecture for you!

It’s by Bruce Lipton, cutting edge researcher in the field of biology and genetics and author of The Biology of Belief, Spontaneous Evolution, and The Honeymoon Effect.  It’s posted on the Beyond Awakening Series website. You have to register, which is free, and then all the lectures posted there are also free.  Here’s the link:

Bruce makes the information very accessible… so if you have not had an opportunity to read about this new field and how it overlaps with what we study in yoga this is a great opportunity to get up to date information.Bruce also shares the fascinating story of how he developed these ideas and what it was like to be so far ahead of the times in what was accepted in medicine.

Here are some of the highlights for me:

at 22 min:  Your biology is influenced by your interpretation of events, not by the events themselves

at 31 min: What influences the sub conscious mind which controls our behavior

at 52 min:  Beliefs and thoughts are not just contained in your head!  This is the science behind the statement, “You become the company you keep, so keep good company!”

at 56 min:  The power of the collective

at 1 hr, 14 min:  Cancer, genes, and beliefs

at 1 hr, 18 min:  Parkinson Disease and placebo research

at 1 hr, 26 min:  How to change the subconscious mind

This is exciting information and a very empowering message!

Aging with Passion & Significance

I read an interesting research finding on aging recently: the best way to have a great life, as well as to reduce the risk of the deterioration and typical markers of aging, is to have a Purpose … something bigger than our individual self to be involved in.  Your Purpose draws the best of you to the surface to be lived and expressed.

What I have found remarkable in the past several years of my reading is the number of people over the age of 75 who are making significant contributions to the conversations of our times.  These people have inspired me tremendously!

  • Joanna Macy, scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory, and deep ecology.  A respected voice in the movements for peace, justice, and ecology, she interweaves her scholarship with five decades of activism.
  • Barbara Marx Hubbard, noted futurist, evolutionary thought leader, author of seven books, social innovator and public speaker; president of The Foundation for Conscious Evolution
  • Jean Houston, Ph.D., scholar, philosopher and researcher in Human Capacities; one of the foremost visionary thinkers and doers of our time. She is noted for her ability to combine a deep knowledge of history, culture, new science, spirituality and human development into her teaching.
  • Lester R. Brown, ” … one of the pioneers and heroes of global environmentalism”; president of Earth Policy Institute in Washington, DC; has been described by the Washington Post as “one of the world’s most influential thinkers”; his principal research areas include food, population, water, climate change, and renewable energy.
  • Noam Chomsky, Professor Emeritus at MIT; linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, logician, political commentator and activist; voted the “world’s top public intellectual” in a 2005 poll.
  • Joe Newman, a 101-year old running for Congress in Sarasota, FL in the 2014 midterms!  “At what age does a person become too old to think and reason? At what age does a person no longer have a concern for society? At what age does a person no longer have a responsibility to act when acting may help?

If you thought you might be getting too old to make a difference, think again!!  The average age of this group is 85.3 years old!  In fact everyone in this group is over 80 except for one.  And they still are actively making tremendous contributions!

So… don’t give up on yourself! I hope to be actively involved in Life and making whatever contribution I can for at least another 20 years!! Let’s do it together!

 

One Billion Rising

One great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to support a movement working to eradicate violence against women and girls.  I’ve said in my yoga workshops for a few years now that I think this is going to be the Century of Women!  I see the power of women to stand up, speak up, and rise up to our full expression of equality growing by leaps and bounds.

As a case in point, last year on Valentine’s Day was the biggest mass action in human history: One Billion Rising.  The campaign began as a call to action based on the staggering UN statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime.  With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS.

Events are being held across the globe to raise awareness and money for this cause.  This campaign is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many people all over the world.

To support this great program with a donation and/or to look for events in your area, go to the website.  If you live in the Sarasota, FL, area, check out this wonderful program at a local yoga studio offered by my friend Esther.

You can also sign a declaration here calling for urgent action on climate change and sustainability solutions, in the recognition that climate destabilization imposes greater burdens on women.

This is an amazing movement to be part of.

For me it follows from the philosophical teaching articulated so beautifully by Douglas Brooks:

“I am not you.

I am something like you.

I am nothing but you.”

One Billion Rising is an acknowledgement of our connection to each other.  It is a magnificent and an empowering way to share our heart energy on Valentine’s Day!

Here’s more information from the website:

One Billion Rising is a global movement of the “recognition that we cannot end violence against women without looking at the intersection of poverty, racism, war, the plunder of the environment, capitalism, imperialism, and patriarchy. Impunity lives at the heart of these interlocking forces.”

It is part of the V-Day movement that began in 1998 which has raised over $100 million for the cause.  It has crafted educational, media, and PSA campaigns, reopened shelters and funded over 13,000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses around the globe.

The movement also recognizes that the impacts of climate change on women are generally a greater burden, especially for women from low-income communities, indigenous women, and those in developing countries. The Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network (WECAN) is a “solutions-based, multi-faceted effort established to engage women worldwide to take action as powerful stakeholders in climate change and sustainability solutions.”

 

” … governed by your inferiors.”

Now is the time…

“Yoga says to first be a responsible world citizen” … one of my favorite (and surprising) quotes by Douglas Brooks.  Part of our spirituality is to participate in the world and make it a better place. Therefore, in my humble opinion …

Now is the time to get involved in the messy business of how our country is being governed (aka politics), to get educated on the best option of what’s available to us, to speak up, speak out and act …What is happening in our government with the shutdown and the threat of not paying our bills is beyond outrageous.

We’ve seen that positive results can happen when the people are outraged and let their politicians know it. It was public outrage that influenced recalcitrant members of Congress to finally support the Violence Against Women Act last February, and to prompt Larry Summers to remove his name as a candidate for the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Janet Yellen was nominated instead.

Today, tomorrow, and the next day, seated in your heart, make your voice heard.

Otherwise, what follows is just as Plato observed: “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” We’ve seen them in action and that option is very scary.It’s for our collective future.

The Emotional Body: The Next Frontier

I’ve spent the greater part of my life working on the physical body, from competitive swimming as a kid to practicing yoga poses since 1972. I have also spent a great amount of time focusing on the mental body, completing a Ph.D. in sport psychology and having a regular meditation practice for nearly 40 years.

Through yoga, and especially meditation, I have become aware of the power of the mind and the importance of where I choose to focus my thoughts. It appears that the next frontier in yoga for me, and possibly for many yogis, is the emotional body.

I’m sure many of us have noticed that occasionally something triggers a strong automatic reaction that seems to come out of nowhere. Upon reflection, we realize that one of our “hot buttons” got pushed. I’ve realized that it is unresolved issues in me that trigger those automatic reactions.

According to Bruce Lipton in Spontaneous Evolution, 95% of our daily behavior comes from our unconscious programming that was downloaded to us by the age of 6. That leaves only 5% of our behavior coming from our conscious choices. Yikes! That catches my attention! That means whenever we have an outburst, it most likely comes from conditioning received in the first 6 years of life, conditioning that operates powerfully but below the surface. And as is probably the case with all of us, some of my outbursts have been disastrous.

Over the years, through yoga and meditation, I’ve connected with a deeper place inside that is eternal and unchanged. Rather than continuing to think of myself as primarily a mind in a body, as I did before yoga, I’ve connected with a deeper spiritual essence. I am eternally grateful for this precious gift of yoga. Along with that, yoga and meditation have encouraged self-acceptance and self-love. Knowing that I have a spiritual essence that is deeper than my emotional layers has given me both the perspective and the courage needed to look into negative emotional patterns that have been influencing my life.

Then, a couple years ago, I found The Presence Process by Michael Brown. His amazing book details an effective process to uncover hidden emotional issues in a safe and gentle way, fully feeling and integrating them. It’s a 10-week program that includes 15 minutes of deep breathing twice a day along with readings from his book and “perceptual tools” to use throughout the day. It’s been a transformational experience for me, and I wanted to share information about it in case it speaks to you as well. I’ve done the process twice and have just started my third time. Each time I clear more energetic blockages and become more compassionate toward myself and everyone else. I also find that I react less (from my conditioning) and respond more (from my consciousness). As a result I feel more present in my life, and I am more authentically joyful!

There are many You-Tube videos of Michael Brown talking about the process. This 4 minute video is a great introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yFC2nJqVog. You can also check out a website devoted to his work: http://www.thepresenceportal.com as well as order his book, The Presence Process: A Journey into Present Moment Awareness, from Amazon.

The Presence Process teaches a skill that can be used for the rest of our lives: the ability to “digest and integrate” our emotional experiences so that we are more present in our lives.

The Issue is Integrity

There have been many comments recently about John Friend going back to teaching and the quality of his teaching. That’s NOT the pertinent issue. It’s not about whether JF is a good teacher, or whether he’s charismatic or passionate or sensitive or teaching better than ever. It’s about integrity. It’s about what values and principles you stand with when you study with him. He was/is seriously out of alignment with yoga and all its precepts. He abused his power consistently for years. He said repeatedly that he wanted to have an ethics evaluation. But when an ethics committee was established he refused to go through with it.

JF seriously impacted many lives in a very negative way. He exploited many for his personal gain. He caused loss of income and reputation for those who depended on him and supported him, some for nearly two decades. He betrayed the community that he created. And now the Wikipedia entry about JF has been so whitewashed it implies that his only transgression was to have had affairs with two women.

I’m all for forgiveness and compassion … at the appropriate time. That time will come when all the information is on the table, when we know the true extent of JF’s behavior, and when he has taken responsibility for his actions by submitting to an ethics evaluation, and owning the findings. Until then we are enabling his behavior. If you want to help someone who is seriously misaligned you don’t ignore the problems; you take the uncomfortable stance of confronting the issues so that realignment can occur.

Certainly we’re all a work in progress. None of us is perfect; and presumably all of us are working on being more in alignment with what we know to be true; to align our words with our actions; and to take the dharmic action in each situation. I know I’m working on myself in this way. It’s not unreasonable to ask JF to do the same.

All of us who were involved in Anusara yoga were taught to “look for the good”. It helped us see the best in each other and to find the best in ourselves. Many blossomed with this attitude, and were nurtured, and possibly healed, in significant ways. However, in order to step fully into emotional and spiritual maturity, and to live responsibly as whole human beings, we have to move beyond this one-sided approach. We need to be willing to look at that which is painful, both in ourselves and in our leaders.

As a result of this tendency to avoid pain (remember dvesha in the Sutras?), our community developed a huge shadow side of problems and issues that simmered beneath the surface, never being fully addressed. Therefore as a community we developed very few skills in effectively resolving problems. We cannot heal something that we cannot see, or are not willing to look at.

All in all, limiting our attention to only the good has not served us very well, and I think this attitude helped bring Anusara down. Averting our gaze from the darker side of JF’s behavior allowed significant problems to grow bigger and remain unaddressed. To bring sunlight into the shadow we must be willing to look beyond how JF is currently teaching. We must feel the discomfort of looking beyond his words to the values he has displayed in living his life. His integrity is revealed in his actions, not his words.

A Yoga of Engagement

An interesting thing has been happening during yoga class. While we were deepening our breath and refining our Triangle poses a group of the super-wealthy has hijacked our country! Little by little, as we have focused on inner peace and transcendence, the super-wealthy, the 1%, has been buying up Congress by making huge donations to their campaigns. In return they are demanding and receiving changes in the laws that favor their businesses and the growth and protection of their wealth.

Some yogis’ have told me they don’t vote because all politicians are corrupt. That logic doesn’t make sense to me because it’s like saying all triangle poses are the same. We’ve learned that when we take the time to pay attention we see that some triangle poses are more aligned than others. In the same way, when we take the time to pay attention, we can see that some politicians are more aligned with integrity, justice, and service than others. Yoga is not just about transcendence; it’s also about engagement, as we learn in the Bhagavad Gita. Douglas Brooks’ teaches us that yoga is first about being a responsible citizen.

The inequality of wealth and power between the 1% and the 99% continues to increase and it troubles me greatly. Princeton professor and Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has noted that unequal wealth translates into unequal power, and we’re seeing that now.

Productivity of our workforce has been increasing even through the economic downturn, and yet wages are flat. All of that increased productivity has fattened the 1%, and flattened the 99%. The 1% has obtained greater wealth at the expense of those that produced it! Companies are transferring jobs offshore to maximize profits for their investors at the expense of their workers. Offshore is also home for much of the wealth of the investors where it is safely out of the reach of U.S. taxes. Taxes on the super rich are not proportional to their share of the wealth. All of this has greatly diminished the middle class.

I have had the privilege the last few years of teaching around the world, and it’s given me the opportunity to see how differently other countries approach the responsibilities of citizenship. For example, in Australia, instead of making it harder to vote, citizens are actually required to vote! In fact, they are fined if they don’t! As a result everyone is engaged in what’s happening in their country: everyone, including the bus driver, is discussing politics and debating the pros and cons of the options. Interesting that Australia does not suffer the extreme spread in wealth that we do in the U.S. and I wonder if it’s due to the fact that everyone knows what’s going on and the populace is engaged more fully than the average citizen in the U.S.

I’m writing to make a plea to take an hour of your precious time and go online and research where the 1% is investing its money in the upcoming elections. This is an urgent plea for all of us to educate not only ourselves but also our students, friends, and family. Go online and research candidates for federal, state, and local offices; listen to the debates; do a little digging; go to a non-partisan website to find out the facts; look below the surface. After all, as a wise man once said, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts!

Let’s engage in the process of preserving and extending democracy and equality for all people in our country. If we don’t step up and get involved, who will? What is at risk are our children’s and our grandchildren’s futures. I know that the yoga community is a formidable force for consciousness, compassion, and aligned action! The Dalai Lama said at the Vancouver Peace Summit in September 2009, ”The world will be saved by the western woman.” Maybe this is one of the avenues he had in mind!

Get informed! Choose! Vote! Step up! Speak out!
We can make a difference when we practice a yoga of engagement!