Can our Earth be Saved? Impact and Responsibility
 

http://youtu.be/nGeXdv-uPaw


Gosh I hope the embed works. The link above is to a very powerful and beautiful video. Please watch and share.

I'm curious about a few things...

Do you feel its too late to save our planet?

Do you feel the earth is simply changing as she has always done?

Do you feel that you are doing everything you can to reduce your own impact on the planet?

Let's discuss!
Thank you!

Like George Carlin said, she will be fine it's us that has to worry. She will just shake us off, well most of us anyway.

But to answer your questions, I think this is probably a normal thing that she is going through that humans (except for Native Americans and other humans that still have a connection to her) don't really understand that they are trying to come up with stuff to understand. It pisses me off when her rain forests are cut down, when they drill holes into her, when nuclear waste is spilled on her, when I see piles of garbage etc...Humans have massive amount of disrespect for this beautiful planet and I would not be surprised or upset if she did shake us all off. We cannot just abuse something and expect it to last forever. Ok I'm done fussing now.

Oh I think she is changing! If I may coin a phrase. Life without change, decays. So I think her changes are adaptive. It troubles me when I see the polar bears floating on a piece of broken ice, whales beaching themselves, temperatures over 105 degress in 40 states at once, for days on end, excessive rain on the east coast, drought on the west coast. Tsunami's, earthquakes, so on and so forth. These things have always happened, as you go back through history.

More maddening is the melt down in Japan, The gulf oil leak to name two. The damages from these will never be able to be measured in our lifetime.
The real truth will be hidden from us, so as to not alarm us. Now we have fracking. (for natural gas) a different way to mine.

Just like you, Sachita, I do everything i possibly can, to save the earth, to give back to it, what I take from it. However I live in the city and not on a farm. I raise worms, to eat my food scraps and in return they make me rich fertilizer. I ride a bicycle 9 and a half to 10 months a year. I bought a new car in January (a smart car)made from recycled plastics(so I don't have to support the oil industry) and it has 1,200 miles on it.....I grow bean sprouts year round in window boxes that I eat,
soon will be adding three hens to my family, grow vegtables in square foot gardens, I CAN. I have flowers that attract butterflies and feed them, i bought praying mannis eggs this year and I know they harvested well, I see them everyplace:balloon:, I don't eat meat....my pets are rescued. I drink water out of those can's. They are everyplace. Plastic bottles bother me, even though I love fiji water, it comes in plastic. I'm always looking to do more....

good thread, I'm curious what others will have to say. Thanks for posting the link. Very moving

SO, what is this? A reading assignment? I know how to navigate the internet to read. Do you have anything to bring to the conversation? I'm just curious?

NYS was once subtropical, did you know that? Point being is that the earth is alive and ever changing. I do believe we are about to see some great earth changes in our time. I also believe that some will survive but many will die. This has been the case with countless civilizations before us.

I think that colonies and micro communities are the future and they are popping up everywhere. I don't think its easy but a lot of people seem to be doing it. It requires good team work and we've been living in a dog eat dog world where people find comfort in social networking verses human interacting. I often think about 'unplugging" and living life very simple but the truth is I'm afraid. Holy hell my power goes out a few hours and I'm uncomfortable. Can you imagine being in 100 degrees and no AC? It would be one thing if we didn't have to work 40-60 hours a week to support ourselves and could float in the lake, sit in the shade when temps soared.

I got an email from a good friend who decided I was the most open-minded person she knows. She completely floored me with the news that she and her husband have brought another woman into the relationship. She is thrilled about it and apparently she and her hubby of 8 years have been seeking this for a while. She went on to say that the woman they are involved with was once in a "large family" where there was an entire clan of free loving and thinking people. There were no set relationships just a type of commune where they all worked, raised kids, shared responsibilities and fucked who they wanted when they wanted. I'm thinking to myself "why the fuck would she leave that to team up with you two?" lol but I listened. She went on to say that they were taking their land and expanding their "family".

I think that if we can escape the social traps and just get down to our spiritual essence, what's really important, it would be an ideal concept for the changing times. I'd personally love a group of people living out here but attempts thus far have not been good. Perhaps I didn;t try hard enough to find the right people.

There is a intentional community not far from here called http://twinoaks.org/ I would love something like this on a smaller scale. These types of communities are popping up rapidly.

Mother earth has been around for a long time,she has done things as she needed to to keep on being hear.In my opp its the humans who are liveing hear that should be aware of how they are going to live on her world.We have done a lot to mess it up its up to the ones who really value her to care for her so we will contenue to live hear.Modernization isnt always the beast unless its done with consern for our planet thet gives us life in many ways.I wonder how many people who have no idea of how to live with less would fare if in the blink of an eye we had to live as we did 100 years ago,its seems to me that as time goes on so many forget that once we choped wood for fuel to cook with or heat the house,washed clothes by hand,planted a guarden for veggies and hunted for food then processed it to eat the meat,fish or fowle.You can bet if there wasnt a grosery store to go to it will really shock some folks that it took so much work to simply servive.

I'm a geologist, so I'm coming at this from that angle. I'm also talking mostly about "global warming", a very controversial subject.

The Earth has always cooled and warmed for billions of years before humans. In fact, the Earth has been much warmer than it is now, and obviously it's been much cooler. The Earth has been gradually warming up since about 1850. Before that, from about 1300-1800 was a 500 year period called the "Little Ice Age", with cool summers, harsh winters, and a much wetter climate than we have now.

Interestingly, the cool, wet weather that set in about 1300 has been thought to contribute to poor health, thus making the people of Europe and Asia a sitting duck for the Black Plague. The Plague, which kept returning for many years after 1350, in turn contributed to social and economic changes that led to religious upheaval as the Catholic Church lost its hold on the people. Crop failures led to hunger and famine in some countries. When governments failed to address the needs and desperation of regular folks, there was revolution-in France, in the so-called Holy Roman Empire, and a little later on, in Russia and China. All these political upheavals had complicated reasons, but climate played a part.

I don't personally believe that man has had a lot to do with the current warming. This started about 1850, just before the Industrial Revolution (itself partly influenced by the mass moving of people from farm to cities), and this was in western Europe and part of America, much too small an area to all of a sudden warm up the Earth. We are in a natural cycle of the planet.

All this is not to say that we haven't hurt the planet-I recycle, and do what I can to support conservation. I just believe we have to be careful what sources of information we trust and consider all the scientific evidence. There's a lot of dubious information going around out there.

Do you feel its too late to save our planet? I hope it isn't too late to save our planet but I worry that as long as there are people willing to kill others so they may hurt Mother Earth, we are fighting an uphill battle.

Do you feel the earth is simply changing as she has always done? It is hard for me to believe the things we do aren't harmful even though I know Mother Earth is also evolving.

Do you feel that you are doing everything you can to reduce your own impact on the planet? We do a lot of things to reduce our impact: recycle, buy at thrift stores, get things used off freecycle, use up, reuse, our 2004 car only has 30,000 miles on it, grow a lot of different foods, participate in a crop swap, compost, use reusable bags when shopping, etc. We are always looking for ways to do more because it is important to us.

awesome Andrea! You should share some of your tips. I thought we had a thread about that but I can't remember now. :) But you can share it here.

Thriving
 

Your questions:

Do you feel its too late to save our planet?

No, I believe the planet is a live organism that will save itself.

These questions are important ones and I appreciate that you've
asked them. Our planet is part of a bigger universe that has existed
long before you or I were born. It will continue to thrive, find its
own homeostasis. And in saying this, I also know that we have
arrived at various tipping points in our Earth's cycle that is having
an impact on all of us beings living on it at this time.

Do you feel the earth is simply changing as she has always done?

Yes. Same as above.

Do you feel that you are doing everything you can to reduce your own impact on the planet?

I live in a city, and while here I recycle, use water carefully, and have
stopped eating factory farmed animals. Live also in another part of this
country where the drought is severe and may continue long after I am gone.
Living in the desert water is precious, and I see how its scarcity is having a major impact in the farming, and the community.

Interestingly, I found that these questions can be applied to us, humans.

How can I save myself? Do I take proactive steps for my own health in
mind, body, and spirit, or do I wait until someone gives me permission to
change? Personally, I think and make decisions for myself based on lessons
learned, and/or new knowledge coming to my attention.

How are the changes occurring on our earth impacting the global community? Is there a community? I belief is that knowing, and contributing to our individual communities is imperative for all our survival as the human species on this earth.

There is a lot going on, and it can be confusing, frightening. I work with people that feel much despair at all that is occurring in our world. I believe it is also an incredible time of transition, an opportunity for a new and compassionate consciousness.

crisis=opportunity grounding & community

Your questions have made me stop and sit with them, answer them for myself. Of course, your questions have birthed new questions for me.

Sachita, I appreciate you opening this discussion.

Greco

These are my predictions

yes, the earth is changing and always has. I believe in our lifetime we will catastrophic events, including a major earthquake in CA and a Tsunami on the East Coast. Actual continents being reformed. I believe we have hurt our natural resources and this will contribute to the magnitude of destruction.

The cost of fuels, food and water will create a huge problem forcing us to do what we should have done many moons ago... conserve and respect. People will be forced to live more simply and have no choice then to gather in small micro communities in order to survive. I believe our dollar will soon have no value and our government more corrupt in its last attempt to control us.

I believe that now is the time, if ever, you should at least be prepared for "anything". Clip coupons, shop, store and conserve. Ask yourself, "If lost my job tomorrow and electricity was not available to me, could I survive?"


I store seeds, food and I don't use chemicals on my land/plants. Not only because I don't want to ingest chemicals but have a responsibility to protect our wildlife including our Bee population. I support organic's not only because its health for me but to help promote changes in how our food supply is grown.

I am trying to create less waste by purchasing bulk and eating things that require less packaging. This isn't always so easy but I try and am very conscious of this. I don't buy bottled water and filter mine. I wonder what would happen if every single person in the USA stopped buying and drinking soda and commercial package drinks? Just one day if everyone drank water how much waste we would save? Think about it.

The time is Now
 

We are already experiencing catastrophic events, and they are increasing in frequency, and intensity (ie., Oil spill in Alaska, tsunamis in Asia, Fukishima's tsunami, Oil volcano in the Gulf, Nuclear disaster in Fukimshima...the list goes on and on, Chile's earthquakes, Iceland ), and more around our planet .

This is not disaster thinking it is our reality. In this country, the nuclear accident threat is a real one.

Add to this the economic paradigm here, how mulit-national companies are "milking" the citizens, include here the banksters, the incredible debt of this nation.

So, what can we do? I agree Sachita, store food, water, if you don't have a community, find one, family, friends, like-minded people you can trust.

I get out and stand up for the issues that are important to me, put my body, and mind out there, not sit in fear. We're in this together, and together we must come to terms with resolving it, finding win-win solutions.

This is a multi-layered time of change, transition.

So, I filter my water, store food, and provisions for a time when it may all be needed. If it isn't needed, great, if it is, I'm prepared for myself, my family, and friends in the areas. I know that building groups to support each other through this time is a must.

There's much that can be done, and is being done by those who are aware, awake, and moving on it.

Much more to discuss on this...I have a friend who says that we have chosen to be here at this time for this transition time. I believe it, and I know it.

"Buckle your seat belts its going to be a bumpy ride." Bette Davis

No truer words have ever been spoken.

Greco

Agree with you 100%. Nothing wrong with being prepared. If nothing happens that's fine but at least we will be prepared.

Ebon

I'm bumping this very important topic. Food safety is a major concern of mine these days. I was talking to a water specialist who claims there is more radiation in the rain and bodies of water then they want you to know. Of course this effects our food supply and everything else. Being on the east coast, mid Atlantic region I know there are a ton of nuclear plants all over. So if foul weather hits us we're doomed because of all the reactors.

As I signed on to the site, via my personal ISP...the first thing I saw was a polar bear floating on a piece of broken off iceberg. Immediately (me being a skeptic) I thought UUgh, I hate when people use these kind of ploys to solicit money.

I live in the second oldest neighborhood in Pittsburgh. It's been in gentrification for 20 years but there is alot of old around. There is both good and bad to old. We had an EXTREMELY hot summer. Very little precipitation. The more elderly people were catching their rain water from their downspots into 55 gallon drums to water their gardens. In theory, this sounds good. But it isn't. The *old* part of the neighborhood, who knows what those roofs are made of, and have been repaired with. I'd say, since the majority of the historic part of this neighborhood was pre WWAR2, the elderly have INSELBRIC roofs and faux brick shingles. Made primarily of asbestos. Those box gutters have lead paint on then. Collection of poisonous water, feeding it to your plants, well you know the rest. I also worry about the run off.

The older infastructure had all water collection going into the sewer systems and running into the rivers where it is collected, treated and given back to us as tap water. I DO NOT DRINK THAT STUFF.

Think about that, we allow water run off from asbestos to go into our drinking water supply. I'm sort of on a soap box about prescription medicine (unused mainly) being flushed down the toilet. How is it possible for the water treatment plants to kill every medicine in the world? :blink:

Have you ever wondered what happens to the hazardous medicines that hospitals use when they are finished with them? What about the bloody sheets and guaze and gowns and everything else from operating rooms and suction machines? Where does that stuff all go (it gets incerated) is that safe? Is that the air that we breath? Eventually, we all breath the same air. The wind does blow, the earth does rotate.:hamactor:

Folks should get together and invest now in good berkey filters and deep artesian well drilling machines like one at deeprock.com.

Yes, they should. You really do not need alot of land.

Well, there's a lot to be said about water alone - availability, quality and the social justice behind access or lack thereof.

I lived in an area of greatly concentrated industrial agriculture in my home state. There was arsenic in the well water and in the soil that I planted in and ate from. And I found this out the hard way after many months of symptoms. This is also an area in which the aquifers are dropping rapidly. Many people don't realize where there water comes from or what the effects are of aquifers that are getting drawn down faster than they are being recharged. A good half of us depend on ground water.

I was fortunate enough to have a doctor bright enough to ask the right questions and take a hair sample. My arsenic levels were the highest he had seen in years, and I can tell you the effects of this on the human body are not pleasant. I looked in the mirror and saw death.

I recommend working with an integrated doctor who looks at hair sample analysis (there are plenty of toxins already in our bodies). I also recommend these:

Blue Gold by Maude Barlow

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/...?cookieCheck=1

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Water/Blue_Gold.html

http://books.google.com/books/about/...d=8KsONoioTb4C


and "The Pollution Within" by David Ewing Duncan

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/20...le/duncan-text