for the love of life - winter 2009-2010
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For the Loveof Life
Thphcal d f vc, Ua WT 2010
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.Native americaN Proverb
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For the Love of Life
Edo AnanyaRajan Dege LindsayFreeman
OffiErs nD BOrD Of DirEtOrs
Hooay Pede JeanGullo Pede TimBoyd
Vce Pede JosephGullo seceay BettyBland teaue JeanneProulx Deco AnanyaRajan NancySecrest MilesStandish
DEPrtEnts nD OOrDintOrs
mal Welae P.O.Box660
Warrenville,IL60555 & uc JeanGullo POBox41584 Tucson,AZ85717
Ecology MorrySecrest 119142ndStreet Washougal,WA98671
famly KarenMcCormick 12270VolverRoad Felton,CA95018
Healg AnanyaRajan 9776ComptonDrive Huntley,IL60142
Healg newok HutsyContractor 6676HarranDrive Tucson,AZ85704 National:800-967-0017 Tucson:520-883-2284
Peace P.O.Box660 Warrenville,IL60555
socal sevce P.O.Box660 Warrenville,IL60555
tOs/Us Webe www.theoservice.org LloydStandish webmaster
Dclame
Articles and material in this publication do not
necessarily reect the opinions of the Theosophical
Order of Service or the editor of this journal. An effort
is made at all times to give a fair consideration of views.
TheEditor
contentsWinter 2009-2010
2 from te presients desk BTIMBOD
3 ustining ursees
5 aie wit irit BANNETTETABAR
6 Beeing frieny BANANAS.RAJAN
9 ur Town B nn sErEst
13 Te poweru Toos o Wi,
vision, n loe BANANAS.RAJAN
16 peoe, prots, n
ur pnet BNANCSECREST
20 T ation Grou
ient aution BJEANNEPROLANDZENOBIANIPPERT
21 osebu cristms Ute BKARENMCCORMICK
23 Being a Beon o ligt BANNETTETABAR
23 Te por xress BANANAS.RAJAN
25 m ats Go a long Wy!
For the Love of LifetheosoPhical order of service, Usa
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Winter 2009-20102
from te presients desk BTmB
WhilevisitingmyfamilyinNeworkforthe
holidaysIfoundmyselfwalkingthrougha
familiarneighborhood,aplaceinMorningside
HeightswhereIusuallywalkduringmytripshome.Mywife
noticeditrst.ThelittleIndianrestaurantwherewehadbeeneatingforyearswasgone,replaced
byanewestablishment.Webothfeltapang
ofsadness.Wehadmanypleasantmemories
ofmealsandconversationswiththefamily
thatoperatedit.Overtheyearsthelady
whosesonsoperatedtheplacehadcome
toknowmyfamilyandme.Wewouldboth
lookforwardtoourvisitstothecityasatimeto
catchupandrenewouracquaintance.
AbusinessclosinginNeworkisnotuncommon,
particularlyasmallbusiness.Inthecurrenteconomictimesithascometobesomethingthatishappening
withunsettlingfrequency,butthisonestartedme
thinkingabouttheideaofsustainabilityinadifferent
way.Fortunatelyforallofus
sustainabilityasaconcept
andincreasinglyasapractice,
israpidlygainingtractionin
theworldtoday.Itseemsthat
ineverydirectionwelookitis
becomingclearthattheway
wehavebecomeaccustomedtolivingontheearthcannot
besustained.Thechiefprod
causingthisshiftinfocusis
thegrowingawarenessof
humaninducedglobalclimate
changeanditseffectonthe
intricateweboflife.Theevidenceismountingthat,asa
humanfamily,weareonacoursethat,ifnotalteredvery
soon,guaranteescatastrophicconsequences.Theoceans
arerisingwhilethenumbersofshandotherlivingthings
inthemarefalling.Theweatherpatternsarebecominglesspredictableandmorevolatile.Thepolarglaciersare
disappearingatanalarmingrate.Animalandplantspecies
areregularlybecomingextinct.Wehaveallheardit.Thelist
goesonandon.Butthereissomethingmoregoingon.
Whatmakeshumanlifesustainableismorethanair
andwaterandfood.Althoughthenaturalenvironments
oftheearth,theairandthewatershavebecomeour
mainfocuswhenwespeakofsustainability,welivein
anumberofinterconnectedenvironments.Werequire
humanrelationshipsthatafrmourvaluetoeachother.
Peopledespairwhentheirliveshavenomeaningto
others.Throughcountlesslittleactsweweavethefabricofrelationshipsthatmakeour
livesnotonlysustainable,butjoyous.
Semi-annualconversationsatanobscure
Indianrestaurantmaynotbeconsidereda
climatechangingevent,butthecumulative
effectoftheinnumerableactssuchasthis
iswhatmakeslifeworthliving.Fromthe
humanperspectivesustainabilityisabouta
continuationofwell-being.Asthescienceofecology
hasdemonstrated,wellbeinginallareasofthenatural
worlddependsonmaintainingthewebofrelationships,thefabricoflife.Everytearinthatfabricdiminishesus.
ForthepastonehundredplusyearstheTOShasfocused
onsustainabilityfromavarietyofdirections.Themost
importanthasbeenbuildingrelationshipsthatafrmour
connectionwitheachother.DuringthispastyearourTOS
ActiongroupinWheatonhasworkedinhomelessshelters,
caredforanimals,formedlinkswithfamiliesunableto
affordChristmasgiftsfortheirchildren.InSouthDakota
wehavesponsoredbothChristmasgivingandbackto
schoolsuppliesforchildrenattheRosebudreservation.At
theorphanageinChushul,Tibetweraisedthemoneyandarrangedfortheconstructionofdormitoryspace,functional
bathroomswithshowers,theinstallationofasepticsystem,
andtherepairandupgradingofthewatersystem.Inthe
PhilippinesweagainraisedmoneyfortheGoldenLink
School(nowalsotheGoldenLinkCollege)where85%ofthe
studentscomefromsuchpoorfamiliesthattheyrequire
fullscholarships.OneoftheinitiativesattheGoldenLink
willbetoprovidebicyclesformanyofthehighlymotivated
studentswhonowwalkseveralmilestoschooleachday.We
continuepromotingourbatteryrecyclingprogram.Itisour
goaltohaveaTOSrecyclingboxineverystate.Inthisissueofourmagazinewehopetobroaden
theconversationonsustainability.Itisanenormousand
complicatedissue,butultimatelyitisamatterofchoice.
HowwillIchoosetobehave?HowwillIchoosetogather
informationtoguideme?HowwillIreachouttothose
aroundme?Nomatterwhichwaytheclimateshifts,itisup
toustostrengthenourconnectionswitheachother.
TOSPRESIDENTTIMBOD
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For the Love of Life
ustining ursees
Withthecurrentfocusonhealthcare,itiseasy
togetcaughtupinthevariousviewpoints.
Doctorsareworriedthatcertainprocedures
prescribedwillnotbecoveredbyinsurance,insurance
companiesworryaboutwhatthechangeswillmeanforthemnancially,andsmallbusinessesndaspectsofthe
healthcarebillunfairandunfriendly.Healthcarehasbecome
aten-headedmonsterthathasgrownsovastandsostrong
thatitisdifculttoknowexactlyhowtoapproachit.But
thereisonewaytoputthehealthcareissueintoyourown
handsandthatisthroughsustainablemethods.
Normallywhenwethinkofsustainability,wethink
aboutconservingthelimitedresourcesoftheplanet
alongwithndingalternativeformsofenergy,butwhat
aboutsustainabilitytowardourselves?Sustainabilityas
itisdenedintheMerriam Webstersdictionaryrelatesto
amethodofharvestingorusingaresourcesothatthe
resourceisnotdepletedorpermanentlydamaged.We
thinkoftheplanetsresources in relation to ourselvesand
thentheconsequencesoflosingthoseresourcesinrelationtoourselves,buthowoftendowethinkofourselvesasa
resourceorevenourbodyandmindasresources?
Manyofuswillreadilyagreethatwetakeourminds
andbodiesforgranted.Weworklonghourswithout
abreak,wedontregularlyexercise,weeatfoodsin
proportionsthatarenothealthyforus,andloadourselves
withmedicationsthataremadeofsyntheticmaterialsto
combatnotfeelingwell.Forsomereasonweforgetthat
ourbodiesarenotmachinesandthattheycannotbexed
withanoilchange.Ourbodiesaremorelikeananimals;
theyneedexercise,nutritiousfood,andcleanwaterto
drink.Howeverourlifestyleshavebecomesuchthatwerarelyndtimeforanenjoyablewalk,manyofuseaton
theyaswerunfromonethingtoanother,livingoffof
caffeinesowecanhaveenergyforthenextactivity.
Thementalimpactofthiskindoflifetakesitstoll
onmany.Today,itissaidthatmorepeoplesufferfrom
depressionthaneverbefore,andwithintheSalone,
studiessaythatatleasttwentymillionpeoplesufferfrom
clinicaldepression.Atthesametime,asdepressionseems
tobethebuzzwordoflate,peopleoftenwonderifthey
aredepressedwhentheygoforperiodsoftimenotfeeling
happy.Nowwehavewebsitesforpeopletochecktoseeiftheyaredepressed.(Irecentlyvisitedoneandbased
offthelistofgeneralquestions,Ishouldprobablyget
somehelp.Needlesstosay,manywebsitesarecreatedby
psychologistshopingtobuildclientele.)Butonaserious
note,itisnotsurprisingthatpeopleworryabouttheir
mentalstatewhentheirlivesaresobusyandtheirstress
levelssohigh.Webasicallyliveourlivesoutofbalance.
WhatwedoonamacroscaletotheEarth,weseem
tobedoingonamicroscaletoourselves.Weuseupthe
resourceswehavewithinfasterthanwereplenishthem
andwhenwedepleteourselvescompletely,wepushourselvestokeepgoinginsteadofndinganalternative
waytolive.Thetollittakesonourbodiesisnodifferent
thanthetolltakenbyourplanetthroughoverpopulation,
pollution,andtheexcessivedrainofitspreciousresources.
Eventuallywhenourbodiesreachabreakingpoint,they
shutdownandweareforcedtostop.Ourplanetisno
different.Likeafeverthatragesthroughourbody,the
Earthsownmechanismsforndingbalancecomeinthe
formoftsunamis,hurricanes,tornados,earthquakes,and
othernaturaldisasters.Whenthesedisastershappen,we
havenochoicebuttostop,reect,andstartover.Sustainabilitytowardourselvesisaloteasierthan
tryingtosustainourplanetsresources.However,itis
alsoonewaywecanworktowardsustainingourplanet
becausebytakingresponsibilityofourhealth,wecutback
onthemedicalwasteproducedeverytimewevisitthe
doctororhospital,onthecostscreatedthroughinsurance
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MANPEOPLEHAVEFONDTAICHIASAFORMOF
RELAATIONANDRENEWALFORTHEIRMINDANDBOD.
JEFFGRESKO
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Sustaining OurselvesCONTINEDFROMPAGE3
companies,anditallowsustocomeintotunewith
ourselvesinsteadofallowingsomeoneelsetomakeour
healthdecisions.Grantednothingreplacesseeingatrained
medicalprofessionandgettingtheiropinionrstbefore
movingintoalternativetherapiesormedicine,butonceabaselineiscreatedonecanoftenlessentheirtripsto
thedoctorthroughpreventiveandmaintenancemethods
whilealsohelpingourplanet.Andnaturalmedicineoften
hasthebenetofnotproducingside-effects,whichcan
causeotherhealthproblems.
Onealternativetherapythatmanyinthetheosophical
worldarefamiliarwithisTherapeuticTouch(TT).
DevelopedbyDoraKunzandDoloresKriegerin1972,TTis
anancienthealingmodalitythatworkswiththehuman
energyeldbyremovingenergyblockageandcreating
balanceandowthroughthehumanenergyeld.Manywhostudyenergyhealingstatethatanyillnesswe
sufferoftenstartsinourenergyeldrstandeventually
manifestsitselfinthephysicalbody.Researchhasshown
thatTTiscapableofreducingpain,easingtension,and
evenimprovingthephysicalhealingofthebody.Itisnow
widelyacceptedandusedinhospitalsandotherhealth
careinstitutionsbynurseswhoemployitstechniquesin
theirpractice.
WhenTherapeuticTouchmadeitsentranceinto
thetheosophicalworld,membersparticipatedinthe
manyworkshopsofferedbyDoraandDolores.Oncethetechniqueswerelearned,membersstartedTTcirclesin
theirlodgesandofferedTTsessionstothoseinneed.The
acceptanceofTherapeuticTouchandthefactthatitwas
acceptedbythoseinthemedicaleldopenedthedoors
tootherformsofenergyhealing.Today,wehavesomany
differentnamesforenergyhealingsuchasHealingTouchandHandsonHealing.TheJapaneseformofenergy
healingknownasReikiisverypopularamongmanywith
thosebeingattunedtothethirddegreebecomingReiki
Masters.
Togivereadersanideaoftheworkbeingdoneby
someTS/TOSmemberswithregardtohealing,TOSliaison
AnnetteTabarwaskindenoughtosendinthefollowing
articleabouttheworkbeingdonebytheClevelandBesant
Branchandtheenergyhealingthelodgeoffersunderthe
leadershipofmemberBeverlyCotton.
There are two ways o spreading light:
to be the candle or the mirror that refects it.edith WhartoN
Comments,Questions,orIdeasfortheTOS?
Callusat630-668-1571ext.332oremailusattheoservice@gmail.org.
Wedlovetohearfromyou!
WWW.THERAPEuTICTOuCH.ORG
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For the Love of Life
aie wit irit BATTTABA
alllifeisrhythmic,cyclicpulsationsofradiantenergy.
Whetherwavesorparticles,allmattercanbeseen
asadanceofenergy.Asourhumanbodiesare
designedforthetransformationofenergy,itisvaluableto
knowthyselftomaintainhomeostasis,thestateofperfectbalance.Weareonewiththebutterywhoapsitswings
withalovingenergywhichisfeltaroundtheworld.
TheClevelandBesantBranchhasbeenactivelysharing
thisradiantdanceofenergysincetheearly1970swhena
coregroupmetweeklytoraisetheconsciousnessofthe
Mastersteachings.Bythemid1980s,manyBesantBranch
membersembracedTherapeuticTouchtechniques,amethod
ofreleasingblockedenergypatternstoeffecthealing.Dora
KunzwasaregularvisitortoClevelandatthattimeandheld
numeroustrainingprograms,bothpublicandforTSmembers
only.EnergyhealingworkcontinuedtoexpandthroughtheTargetPrayergroup,acollaborativeeffortwithmembers
fromtheEdgarCaseystudygroup,andwithotherlike-
mindedhealingpractitionerswhousedthepowerofprayer
toeffectpositivechange.Todayrequestsforhealingreceived
atNationalHeadquartersarestillforwardedtoourhealing
circle,thusincreasingthehealingvibrationwithmanyhearts
andmindsconnectedalongtheway.
Bythelate1990s,ourcommunitywasfurtherblessedas
BeverlyCotton,aReikiMasterofthesuilineagestarteda
Reikigroupthatquicklyexpandedtoover150practitioners
whohavebeenattunedwiththisJapanese/Tibetanhealingart.BeverlyjoinedtheTheosophicalSocietyasamemberat
largein1988.Hervaluableservicecontinuestoday,asReiki
IandIIpractitionersandReikiLevelIIIMastersmeetweekly
formeditation,prayer,andhands-ontreatmentusingpure
Reikitechniquesandsymbolsforhealingphysical,mental,
emotional,andspiritualimbalancesofthoseinneed.
Chronicconditionsofarthritis,bromyalgia,lowerback
pain,kneepain,pre-andpost-surgerysupportandgeneral
lifestressorsareamongthemostcommonpresenting
conditions.Attimes,individualswithenergyblocksthatare
suspectorconrmedcasesofcancerhavealsobenettedbyReikitreatmentsbyteamsofpractitionersatanyoneofthe
fourtablesthataresetupweekly.Forthoseunabletoattend
inperson,theirnamesarewrittenonslipsofpaperand
placedintoasacredchaliceforprayeranddistancehealing
astheradianceofthislife-givingenergyisinnite.Thereis
nochargeforReikiattunementsortreatments.Donations
arewelcomedtosupporttheBesantBranchactivities.Each
Reikipractitioner(two-thirdsareReikiMasters)makesa
personalcommitmenttoupholdReikiprinciplesindailylife
andtoparticipateweeklyduringtheReikigrouppractice.
Professionals,includingonemedicaldoctorandaretired
nurse,haveenteredthestudyofReikialongwithotherswhodesiretosupportthehealthoffamilyandfriends.
TSA-TOSmember,LindaJoyMcKee,alsoaReikiMaster
trainedbyBeverlytenyearsago,statesIfeelithasreally
beensomethingIcanuseforthosewhoarearoundme.My
husbandhas
saidthathefeels
itsadenite
healingenergy
forhissports
injuries.Others
haveexpressedappreciationfor
aReikitreatment
especiallywhen
theyattend
Healingfromthe
Heartprograms
atourbranch.
Reikipractitioners
haveofferedtheirhealingservicesthroughoutthegreater
ClevelandcommunityunderthenameofComfortTouch
duetothereluctanceofsomeinthebeliefofauniversallifeforcealifeforceinherentwithinusandofwhichweallplay
avitalpart.
ItisthroughBeverlyscommitmenttoservethatnew
Reikihealingteamsaremovingintotheneighborhoodsto
helprebalanceandhealthewoundscreatedbyoursociety.
DedicatedtheosophistslikeBeverlyCottonandhergroup
ofReikipractitionersarealreadyapartofthesolutionto
sustainability,providingforfuturegenerations.Asone
personisrebalancedandrenewed,othersreceptivetothis
vitallifesustainingspiritembracealovingenergythat
hasnoboundaries,nolimitationsthewaveofthefuturethatisgreenandfreelyshared.Stresslevelsarehighin
thisNortheastOhioregionaseconomicfactorsforecasta
longgloomyrecovery.Asmorefamiliesndhealthcarea
necessitytheycantafford,thereisagreaterneedtoalign
withtheuniversallifeforce,theHolySpirit,forhealings.What
creativelycomesforththroughnecessitybecomesawayof
lifemaintenanceforthegreatergoodofall.
Today requests or healing
received at National
Headquarters are still
orwarded to our healingcircle, thus increasing the
healing vibration with
many hearts and minds
connected along the way.
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Beeing frieny BAAAS. AjA
oneoftheprogramsIlook
forwardtothemostinthe
fallisTheosofest.Ienjoy
seeingthenumberofdifferentpeople
whocometodisplaytheirservicesorwaresallgatheredtogetheron
thegroundsatOlcott,thenational
headquartersoftheTheosophical
Society.Ienjoyhearingthestories
peopletellofhowtheycametoa
pathofself-awarenessandservice,
andthefactthatithappensoutside
onthegroundsofOlcottmakesitall
themoremagical.ManyTheosophists
havewalkedthegroundsofthe
TheosophicalSocietyheadquarters,someforarespitefromagrueling
lecturetour,othersasastoppingplace
togivealectureortwo.Theentirety
ofthesacriceandserviceprovided
bytheseindividualsisknownonly
bythemalone,butOlcotthasbeen
blessedbythepresenceofeveryone
ofthem,andthatswhatmakesthe
landsospecial.Itcarriestheenergy
ofTheosophistsknownandunknown
whohavededicatedtheirlivestothebettermentofhumanity.
Theotherfactorthatmakesthe
landspecialisthatitisasafehaven
forwildlife.Longbeforesustainability
wastheinword,residentsofOlcott
havehistoricallybeenconservationists,
believingthatwearethecaretakers
oftheplantandanimalkingdom.Recyclingwasnothingnewto
Theosophistsnorwasorganicfarming.
OneoftheteachingsofTheosophyis
theonenessofalllife;thereforethe
understandingthatwhateveraffects
anylifeontheplanetwilleventually
affectalllifeiswidelyaccepted.Long
timeresidentsofOlcottwilltellstories
ofhowonabeautifuldaypastTS
PresidentDoraKunzwouldsuddenly
telleveryonetogetoutsideandgettheirhandsinthedirt.Whileitmight
haveinterruptedaworkday,itmade
employeesstepoutofthemechanical
mindandgetintotouchwithnature,
somethingcrucialtoremindusof
ourroleasbeingsonthisplanet.
Asachild,Irememberseeingpast
PresidentJoyMillsridingatractorand
cuttingthegrass.AsmuchasJoyloved
herworkbehindthedesk,sheloved
beingoutsideinthefreshairevenmore,observingthechangesonthe
Olcottgrounds.Atonetimeitwasnot
uncommontoseeanumberofdeer
passacrossthe
lawns,butwith
thedevelopment
whichhas
surrounded
Olcottthereare
fewerdeer.Today
thegeesehavetakenoverthe
land,bunniesand
squirrelshouse
themselvesonthe
grounds,along
withanumberof
differentbirds.
Soitisonthesegroundsthat
weholdTheosofestand,inturn,gift
otherstheenergythathasbeen
createdontheland.Itisalsoduring
Theosofestthatwecomeintocontactwiththelesserliked,butjustas
important,worldofbees.Beeshave
alwaysbeenonthegroundsatOlcott,
buzzingfromonecloverorwildower
toanotherduringthesummerthatit
wasntuntilTheosofestthatInoticed
theywerenotasprevalentastheyear
before.nfortunately,mostpeople
whopicnicoutdoorsoftenmistake
theyellowjackets(atypeofwasp)for
honeybees,notrealizinghowcrucialhoneybeesare.Itstheyellowjackets
oneneedstobecarefulofatpicnics,
notthehoneybee.Ihavetoadmit
thatIhaveaskepticalmind.Ihad
heardthroughafriendthattherewas
aprobleminthebeepopulation,but
nevergaveitasecondthoughtuntil
Inoticedtherealabsenceofbeesat
Olcott.
Ironically,therehappenedtobea
presentationaboutthedecreaseinthehoneybeepopulationatTheosofest,
soIattendedit.Itwasfascinatingto
listentotheresearchthathasbeen
doneonbees,butsadathowmuch
ofithadgoneunnoticeduntilour
governmentrealizedhowthedecrease
inhoneybeeswouldhurtourcountry
economically.Morethan$15billion
worthof.S.agriculturalproducts
eachyearrelyonbeepollination,the
mostcrucialbeingalfalfawhichisusedtofeedcows,thuseffectingthe
meatanddairyindustry.However,
otherproductssuchasstrawberries,
blueberries,apples,andanotherbig
cashcrop,almondsarealsoaffected.
WhatIenjoyedaboutthebee
presenter,SusanKivikko,washowsheTSAARCHIVES
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relatedherfascinationwithbeesto
theaudience.Nodifferentthanthe
affectionatewaywetalkaboutour
housepets,shedescribedhowbees
havepersonalitiesandwithinahive,groupsofbeeshavedifferentjobs.
Shereferredtheaudiencetothebook
A Spring without Bees,whoseauthor
MichaelSchackerprovidesaheart-felt
lookattheselittlecreatureswhose
livesdetermineourfoodsupply.After
readingthebook,Ibeganimagining
campaignsandplacardssayingBEE
AWARE!soothersknowhowcrucial
thesepollinatorsare.
AsSusanspoke,Irealizedthatpartofourlackofconcernaboutbees
isbecauseofourgeneraldistaste
forinsects.Bytalkingaboutthem
aswewouldtalkaboutourpets,we
movefromlookingatthemjustas
annoyingcreatureswhodisturbour
picnics,tolittlebeingswhonotonly
performanincrediblejob,butare
reallynodifferentthanourhousepets.
nfortunately,wecantlookintoa
beeseyesorstroketheirhead(wellmaybeifyoureabeekeeper),they
arentcuddlyandbecauseoftheirsize,
theyseeminsignicant.Itisthislack
ofconnectionthatwe,asageneral
public,dontrealizetheimportanceof
theselittlecreatures.
Togivereadersadifferentpoint
ofviewaboutbees,Idliketousethe
informationprovidedinSchackers
booktoexplaintothosewho,like
myself,reallyneverpaidattentiontohowcomplexabeehiveis.Everyoneis
familiarwiththequeenbee.Ifitwasnt
forher,therewouldbenobeginning
toahive.Shestheonewhokeepson
matingwiththedronebees,whoare
allmaleandunfortunatelysuccumb
totheirfaterightaftermatingwith
thequeen.(Whatalife.)Thequeencan
layupto2,000eggsadayandactually
storemalespermforyears.
Theworkerbeesarethebees
thatwecomeintocontactwithmostastheirjobistondsourcesof
honeyandpollinate.Butoncethese
beesgetbacktothehive,thereare
nursebeesorcaretakingbeeswho
decontaminatethem.Thisprevents
anyinfectionsfromcominginsuch
asmites(whichcandestroyahive),
pathogens,dirt,andevendebristhat
workerbeesmightpickupfrom
outside.Andbelieveit
ornot,thesebeesareallfemale.Infact,all
theotherbees,other
thanthedrones,are
sistersanddaughters
ofthequeenbee.
Asidefromthese
familymembers,
therearealsobees
whoguardthehive,
beeswhomanagethe
heatingandcoolingofthehive,beeswho
cleanthehive,comb-builders,and
honeyprocessors.
Whatamazesmeaboutthis
systemishowcomplexitis.Susan
Kivikkomentionedhowintelligent
beesareandevendemonstratedsome
ofthemovementsbeeswillperformin
ordertocommunicate.Afterbreaking
thegeneticcodeofbees,researchers
foundthatbeeshaveahighernumberofgenesgearedtowardlearningthan
fruitiesormosquitoes.Through
signs,signals,andwhatSusancalled
dances,beesareabletotelleach
otherwheretherearenewareasof
nectarandhowtogetthere(even
whenitismilesandmilesaway),when
thereisasickbeeinthehive,when
thehoneycreatedforthatdayisnot
good,andevenwhethersomethingis
thesameordifferent.
Thedownsidetobeesishowfragiletheirsystemsare.Theyhave
alowerresistancetopathogensand
insecticideswhichiswhynursebees
arecrucialastheyhelptoprevent
thesepoisonsfromenteringthe
hive.However,inthefallof2004
andthenagaininthefallof2005,
thereappearedtobeadieoffof
beesintheS.Inthefallof2006,
theproblemwastermedasColony
CollapseDisorderorCCD.nlikewhen
ahiveiskilledbyaninsecticideora
pathogen,hiveswithCCDarefound
emptyexceptforthequeenbee,the
unhatchedbrood,afewworkerbees
andthehoney.Thewholecolonyof
beescollapsesbecauseofthenumber
ofbeesittakestokeepthehive
functioning.Normallywhenahiveisabandoned,predatorslikewaxmoths
andbeetleswillmaketheirwayinto
thehive.InthecaseofCCD,thisdoes
nothappenrightaway.Thereareno
deadbodies.Thebeesjustdisappear
andabandonthehivewhichmeans
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theyarenotpollinatingorproducing
honey.
TheimpactofCCDforcommercial
beekeepershasbeenextensive.By
mid-Januaryof2007,CCDhadbeen
reportedintwenty-twostates.Some
beekeepershadlostuptoninety-ve
percentoftheirhives.Thenormal
rateduetoinfectionofsomekindis
abouttwentypercentonthehighside.
TheproblemwithCCDisthatitwashappeningsoquicklythatwhatthe
SDAdeclaredacrisiswaschanged
toacatastrophebecausethedamage
wassoextensiveandtheriskstothe
foodsupplysogreat.Theinteresting
factorinallofthisisorganic
beekeepers,whodontusechemicals
ontheirplantsortomaintainthe
hives,hadnotexperiencedCCD.
MichaelSchackergiveshisown
theoryastowhyCCDishappeninganditistheprevalentthought
amongbeekeepers:Neonicotinoids.
Neonicotinoidsisbasicallyanicotine-
basedpesticidethatisusedtokill
insectsthatdestroycrops.Whileit
issupposedtoberelativelysafefor
humansandanimals,itkillsinsects
byattackingtheirnervoussystem.
Thiswouldmakecompletesenseas
towhytherearenodeadbeesinthe
hivesandwhybees,whonormallywill
dietoprotectthehive,abandonit.Asusualtheproblem
isnotgood
newsforthebig
moneychemical
companies.
French
beekeeperswere
originallythe
oneswhorealized
CCDwasdueto
neonicotinoidswhenthey
sufferedsevere
CCDinFrancein
1994.Thiswas
afterthecountrys
agriculturedepartmentintroduced
anewpesticidecalledGACHOto
spraytheirsunowers.Thepesticideis
deadlytobeesandwasbeingsprayed
ontheoweringfoodcropsaswell.
GACHOisaneonicotinoid.WhenthecitizensofFranceprotestedandaban
wasputonsprayingGACHOfortwo
years,thebeescameback.Thecitizens
andfarmerswereluckytheyhada
governmentthatwaswillingtolisten
tothem.
Itispredictedthat2010willbe
aroughyearwithregardtofood
supplies.Noneofuswillbestarving
byanymeans,butdifferentsources
saythatfoodpricesmayriseduetotheshortageofvegetablesandfruits
grownbecauseofthedecreasein
beepollination.InCalifornia,where
almondsareahugeindustry,thefear
ofneonicotinoidasthereasonforCCD
haspushedgrowerstoswitchtoa
moreenvironmentalfriendlypesticide.
Andnowthatthegovernmentis
awareoftheeconomicalimplications
ofCCD,therehasbeenreauthorization
oftheFarmBillwithnancial
incentivestogrowerswhorestorethehabitatsofpollinators.Withsuch
awareness,wecanonlyhopethatwe
havenotrespondedtoolate.
BeeFriendlyFlowerandPlants
Hereisalistofbee-friendlyplant
andowersthathelpfeedbeesin
yourarea.Thelistissuppliedby
PlanetGreenandcanbefoundat
www.planetgreen.discovery.com,a
wonderfulwebsitetovisittokeepinformedaboutenvironmentalissues
andthingsyoucandotohelpthe
planet.
Rosemary
Sage
Mint
Chives
Oregano
Marjoram
LavenderBeeBalm
Zinnia
Sunower
Fennel
LambsEars
Black-eyedSusan
Tulippoplar
Clover
Rhododendron
Also,thewilderandmorenaturalyouryard,themorebeesaregoing
tobedrawnthereforfood.Learnto
loveyourdandelions,sincetheyrean
essentialfoodsourceforbeesinearly
spring.
Andofcourse,skipthepesticides!
Beeing FriendlyCONTINEDFROMPAGE7
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ur Town BAcScST
iwatchedadocumentarytheothernightontheScience
channelaboutthelasticeage.Theiceagelastedalong
time,longerthanmybraincancomprehend.However,
accordingtothedocumentary,onlyfortyyearsafterthe
iceageended,theplanetwentintoaglobalwarmingperiodthatkilledoffmanyplantandanimalspecies,such
asthewoollymammothinNorthAmerica.Extinctionin
onlyfortyyears!Thatmybraincan
comprehend.Manyhumanslivingat
thattimealsodiedduetotheheat,
theextremedroughtconditionsand
theresultinglackoffood.Human
adaptability,however,allowedour
speciestosurvive.Foronething,we
guredouthowtohuntbiggame
therebyreplacingonesourceoffoodwithanother.
Theearthiscurrentlygoing
throughanotherperiodofglobal
warmingwithmeltingglaciers
andpolaricecaps.Infactsome
geologistsbelievethattheglaciers
onMt.Kilimanjaromaydisappear
bytheyears2020.Accordingto
theIntergovernmentalPanelon
ClimateChange(IPCC),thisera
ofglobalwarmingisunlikelytobeentirelynaturalinoriginand
thebalanceofevidencesuggests
adiscernablehumaninuence
oftheglobalclimate.TheWorld
HealthOrganization(WHO)predicts
thatifglobalwarmingcontinues
wecanexpectthatdeathsfrom
globalwarmingwilldoublein
just25yearsto300,000people
ayear.Besidesthisandother
consequences,morethanamillionspeciesworldwidecouldbedrivento
extinctionby2050(Bjerklie)..Weare
alreadyseeingdroughtconditionsinAfrica,Australiaand
elsewhere;increasedwildresandhurricaneactivityand
thelossofhabitatforpolarbearsandotherarcticanimal
species.Canthehumanspeciessurviveagain?Willhuman
adaptabilitysavethedayforourspeciesandothers?Per
thedocumentary,An Inconvenient Truth,producedbyAl
Gore,Thereisnodoubtwecansolvethisproblem.Infact,
wehaveamoralobligationtodoso.Smallchangestoyour
dailyroutinecanadduptobigdifferencesinhelpingtostop
globalwarming.ThetimetocometogethertosolvethisproblemisnowTAKEACTION.
Iliveinasmalltownofapproximately14,000people.
Ourtown,Washougal,WA,isknown
asthegatewaytotheColumbia
GorgeScenicArea.Thescenicarea
getsitsnamefromtheColumbia
Riverthatbordersthestatesof
OregonandWashington.Lewisand
Clarktraveledheredocumenting
manyplantandanimalspecies
andmappingtheareaforsettlersfollowingtheOregonTrail.Itsa
placewithlotsofnaturalbeauty.
Thebrooksandstreamsfeedinginto
theColumbiaarethebirthplaceof
salmonfrybeginningtheirjourney
downtherivertotheocean.The
ancientforestscontainmanyplant
andanimalspeciescurrentlyonthe
endangeredspecieslist.Thesnow
meltingfromthepeakofMt.Hood
intheCascadeMountainRangeformsmagnicentwaterfalls.The
effectcreatedasthewindblows
betweenthemountainrangeson
eithersideoftheeast-westrunning
gorgebringswindsurferstothe
areaindroves.Iamfortunatetolive
herefortunatetoseeeveryday
reasonsourplanetneedstoremain
greeneasonsforindividuals,
businesses,andcommunitiesto
worktowardsustainability.Sustainabilitycombinesthe
ideasofeconomicdevelopmentand
protectionoftheenvironment.Itisnowgenerallybelieved
thatwecanonlysustainourenvironmentbydecreasingthe
amountofcarbondioxidethatisputintotheatmosphere
byhumanbeings.Thisisotherwiseknownasour
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TOP:WASHOGALSCITHALLWHEREVINES
AREBEINGSEDTOCREATEGREENSCREENS.
BOTTOM:ONEOFTHEWATERFRONTSOF
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carbonfootprint.Everyindividual,household,business,
community,andsoonhasacarbonfootprint.Simplyputa
carbonfootprintisdeterminedbyassessinghowmuch
carbondioxideisreleasedintotheatmospherethrough
theactivitiesandpracticesofhumanbeings.Onlythosepracticesthatreducethecarbonfootprint,therebyhelping
todecreaseglobalwarming,areconsideredecologically
sustainable.
Ourtown,likeyoursImsure,isconcernedaboutthe
environment.OnSeptember29,2007thecitycouncilpassed
Resolution951,supportingsustainablepracticesand
encouragingtheformaladoptionofsustainablegoals.It
furtherresolvedtobeginthefollowing:
Conductanenergyefciencyandwaterconservation
auditofallcityfacilities.Encouragethecityuseanddevelopmentofrenewable,
domesticenergysources.
Increasecity-widerecycling.
DetermineWashougalscarbonfootprintandestablish
strategies,goals,andtimelineforthereductionofcarbon
emissions.
Plantandprotectourcitytrees.
tilizehybridvehiclesandotherformsofclean
transportationwithinthecityeetwherefeasible.
Buildinfrastructureforandencouragetheuseof
pedestrianandbicycletransportation.
TheCouncilalsoresolvedtobealeaderinsustainable
businessopportunitiesfulllingthevisionforaprosperous,
healthy,andgreenfutureby:
Developingandencouragingwaterconservation
programsandpoliciesforusebyourcitizensand
businesses.
Creatingincentivesandconsideringrequirementsfor
greenbuildings.
Joiningandcollaboratingwithothercitiesandorganizationsthatareleadersinseekingsustainability.
Creatingastandingsustainabilitycommitteecomprised
ofcitizensandbusinessestoassistthecityinthis
signicanteffort.
ToknowhowWashougalwasdoingsincethepassingof
theresolutionandhowtoimprovethecityssustainability,
cityofcialstookpartintheCarbonDisclosureProject
dedicatedtomeasuringcitiescarbonfootprints.According
totheExecutiveSummary:
TheCDP.S.CitiesPilotProjectwaslaunched
bytheCarbonDisclosureProject(CDP)andICLEI[InternationalCouncilforLocalEnvironmental
Initiatives]LocalGovernmentsforSustainability
in2008toencouragecitiestovoluntarilyreport
theirgreenhousegasemissionsanddisclose
otherinformationrelatedtoclimatechange.Local
governmentsownandoperateaconsiderable
portfolioofbuildings,eets,andotherinfrastructure
andthroughtheirprogressiveactionstoreduce
emissionshaveagreatpotentialtoleadbyexample.
CDPsstandardizedandprovenprocesshasenabled
the18participatingcitiestopubliclydiscloseinformationinaformrecognizedaroundtheworld,
providingasnapshotofengagementintheissues.
Theparticipatingcitiesvariedinsizewithoursmall
townatoneendofthespectrumandNeworkCityatthe
other.Ourtown,beingoneofthesmallesttoparticipate,
foundithadthesmallestfootprint,butthatitwasstill
unsustainable.AccordingtoanarticleintheColumbian:
Theprojectmeasureddirectemissions,suchas
autoexhaustforpatrolcarsandstreetsweepers.Italsotookaccountofthesourceofelectricity.
WashougalbenetedfromthefactthatClarkPublic
tilities[thelocalelectriccompany]drawsmuchof
itspowersupplyfromtheNorthwestsabundant
networkofcarbon-freehydroelectricdams.
Bottomline:Washougalcitygovernmentspewsan
estimated2,362metrictonsofgreenhousegases
annually.NeworkCity,poweredlargelybycoal-
burningpowerplantsandservingabout600times
asmanyresidents,emitsalmost4.3millionmetric
tonsaboutthreetimesasmuchperresidentasWashougalandfourtimestheemissionscalculated
forthenext-highestemitter,Chicago.
Withthisrststepbeingtaken,ourtownenteredthe
pathtosustainability.Sincethen,Washougalhasinitiated
aSustainableCityTaskForce,takenstepstoattracteco-
friendlybusinesses,launchedanewrecyclingprogram,
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assessedthesustainabilityofitsmotorpool,andbecome
hometooneoftherstgreenbuildinghomesbuiltinthe
stateofWashington.Inaddition,ourtownhasencouraged
itscitizenstoputgreenpracticesintouseintheirown
homesandbusinessesaswellasinitiatingthosepractices
atcityfacilities.
TheSustainableCityTaskForceiscomprisedofvetoninememberswithdiversebackgroundswhowillresearch
andsuggestvariousprojectstothecitycouncilandthe
Mayor.Itisprojectedthattheseindividualswillplaya
vitalroleinreducingthecityscarbonfootprint.Theyare
expectedtobeabletoengageinrigorous,civildiscourse
withlocalbusinessesandcitizensinordertoencourage
otherstojoininthecitysgreengoals.
Naturally,ourtownisinterestedineconomic
developmentalongwithenvironmentalsustainability.All
governmentsneedtaxdollarstofunction.Thenewgoalis
tobebotheconomicallyandecologicallysustainable.Ourtownwantstoattractlike-mindedbusinessestothearea.
Itwasrecentlyannouncedthatthreeclean-technology
companieshaveeitherlocatedtoourtownorpledgedtodo
so.Thiscoupwillalsobringhundredsofnew,livingwage
jobstothearea.Besidesbeingclean-technologyitself,
oneofthesecompaniesproducesproductsthatwillassist
otherswiththeirowngreengoals.
Ourtownalsotookalookatitseetofvehiclesto
gaugetheirimpactontheenvironmentandresearched
thebestreplacementvehicles.Thedesireistoreplace
allvehicles,excepttrucksthatrunondieselfuel,withhybridorothervehiclesthatuselessgasandgiveoffless
CO2emissionswhenthisbecomeseconomicallyfeasible.
Consideringthecurrenteconomyandthecostofnew
vehicles,thatwillneedtowaitabit.
Likemostcities,ourtownhascollectedrecyclable
materialsalongwithitsweeklygarbagecollectionsfor
severalyearsnow.Thisspring,ourtownlaunchedanew
recyclingprogramthatmakesrecyclingmucheasierforits
citizens.Paper,plastics,andotherrecyclablescannowbe
mixedinalargebinwithonlyglassneedingtobeseparated
intoasmallerbin.Ourtownswastedisposalcompanynow
picksupoldbatteriescurbsideaslongastheyareplacedinaplasticbagontopoftherecyclebin(weatTOSwould
liketothinkthatoureffortsatbatteryrecyclinghadsome
impactinencouragingthatchange),aswellasmotoroiland
anti-freezethatisplacedinplasticgallonjugsandmarked
astoitscontents.
Ahousingdevelopmentinourtowngotoneofthe
Statesrsthomesmeetingnationalgreenbuilding
standards.ItsoneofonlythreeintheStateandwasbuilt
byRenaissanceHomesofLakeOswego,OR.Accordingtothe
Vancouver Business Journal,Thehomeisexpectedtomeet
standardsoftheLeadershipinEnergyandEnvironmentalDesign(LEED)GreenBuildingRatingSystem,oneofthe
nationsprimarybenchmarksforenvironmentallyfriendly
buildingpracticesRenaissanceisusinggreenbuilding
techniquesfromthegroundup,includingspeciallyprepared
layersofsoil,rockandlocalaggregatetokeepallstorm
wateronsite.Fromthelumbertomoldprevention,to
theninety-vepercentenergyefcientfurnaceandthe
hotwaterdistributionsystem,thehomeisdesignedwith
sustainabilityandeco-friendlinessinmind.Buildinghere
allowsthermtotestthefeasibilityofbuildingsimilar
homesintheregion.Ourtownhasmadeapointofresearchinggreen
practices,initiatingtheiruseincityfacilitiesand
communicatingthemtoitsresidentsandlocalbusinesses.
Weshouldallunplugelectricalapplianceswhennotinuse.
Wecanuselesswaterinourshowersandwhileshavingor
brushingourteeth.Anotherwaytosavewaterisbyusing
dripirrigationsystemsorsoakerhosesinyourgarden.
MasterGardenersencouragehomeownersnottowater
grass.Wecanalsobuyorganicorlocalfoods.Betteryet,we
canplantourownsmallgardensifspaceisavailableorjoin
thecommunitygarden.Ourtownhasone.Wecanplantatree.Mostimportantlywecanspreadthewordabout
havingasustainableplanet.
Inthisarticle,ourtownisasynonymforyourtown
andmanyothers.SomeofourTOSliaisonssharedwithus
accomplishmentstheirowntownshavemadeonthepathto
sustainabilityaswellaswhattheyhopetoseeinthefuture.
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EneidafromLosAngelesapplaudsverticalfarming,
solarpowerplants,sustainabledrinkingwatersourcesand
theuseofplastic-eatingmicrobes.Californiahaslongbeen
aleaderinenvironmentalefforts.GinifromKansasCityisnowabletorecyclethe#6
Styrofoamblockthatisusedinpackagingelectronicsata
recyclingcenterinhertowncalledBridgetheGap.
BarbarafromMaplewood,NJbelongstotheTaskforce
forHumanityCoalitionwww.taskforceforhumanity.org.She
reportedabouthertownsClimateActionPlan:
TheTownshipofMaplewoodhasalongtradition
ofleadershipinenvironmentalinitiativesfromthe
tenyear-oldjitneyprogram[asmallbusthatcarries
passengersoveraregularroute],totherecyclingprogramandthenewpoliceandcourtbuilding
whichistherstgreencertiedmunicipalpublic
buildinginNewJersey.
MaplewoodwasselectedbyCleanAirCool
Planetasoneofafewmunicipalitiesinthecountry
toqualifyforagranttoassistinthecompilingof
theActionPlan.OnJune,9,2007acommunitytown
hallmeetingontheActionPlanwasattendedby
overahundredpeoplewhoprovidedthevisionand
ideasfortheplan.
AClimateActionPlanwasdevelopedbyresidentsandtheEnvironmentalAdvisory
Committeetoensurethatitachievedthegoalsit
created.ThePlanwasapprovedbytheTownship
CommitteeonSeptember18,2007.TheActionPlan
isnowintheimplementationphase.Maplewoods
community-wideelectricityusein2007was3.5%
lowerthanin2006savingusover2500tonsof
carbondioxideand$500,000.Thechallengefor
2008istosustainthemomentumandndnew
waystoreduceourgreenhousegasimpact.
BettyfromPortland,ORalsoreportedonPortlands
ClimateActionPlan.Itplansaneightypercentreductionin
carbonemissionsby2050.Portlandisaveryenvironmentally
friendlycityandwasrecentlynamedthemostbicyclefriendly
cityinthecountry.ThecityhasaBureauofPlanningand
Sustainabilitythatpromotesandrunsvariousprograms.
LikeWashougal,Portlandmakesiteasyforitsresidentsto
recyclebyhavingthemonlysortoutglass.Thebureauhelps
residentsandbusinesseslearnaboutoptionsforreuseof
theirrefuse,encouragingthemtorecyclematerialsthatcan
bemadeintonewproducts.ThroughitsCleanEnergyWorks
Program,Portlandoffersnancingtoresidentswhomakeenergyefcientupgradestotheirhomes.Italsooffersfree
disposalofhazardouswasteattwolocationswithinthecity
andattemporarysitessetupinneighborhoods.Besides
this,allbuildingprojectsinPortlandwithapermitvalueof
$50,000ormorearerequiredtoseparateandrecyclecertain
materialsfromthejobsite.
Thecityalsohastwoprogramstorecyclefood.
PortlandComposts!collectsfoodthathasexpiredalong
withlargeamountsoffoodwastefrominstitutions,
whileitsFork-It-Over-Programhelpsgrocerystoresand
restaurantsdonatefoodwhichisstilledibletocharitiesratherthancompostingitorsendingittoalandll.
Thereisnoquestionthateverycityinournation
willhavetoreducetheircarbonemissions.Manyofour
townshavealreadytakenactionsinthisdirection.Much
moreneedstobedone.Itisuptousascitizensandgood
stewardsofplanetearthtoensurethatourpublicofcials
followthepathtoasustainablefutureforourtowns,its
citizensandtheplanet.Wemustmakeourvoicesheardin
townmeetings,letters/emails/phonecallstoourmayors
andcitycouncilmembers.Weshouldmakeourselves
availabletoworkonlocaltaskforces,etc.tothebestofourability.Ofcourse,weallneedtolooktoourownbusiness,
householdandpersonalpracticestosetagoodexample.
Thisgrassrootseffortmayquitepossiblyprovidemoreofa
remedytoglobalwarmingthananythingelse.
Outsideofourcityhallisanewlyplantedvinetrained
toclimbaseriesofwiresrunninguptotherooflineofthe
32-year-oldbuilding.Thevinewillshadethewindowinthe
summer,reducingtheneedforairconditioning,anddie
backinthewinter,allowingthesuntowarmitItsthe
littlestuffItsnotearth-shaking( Columbian).Thelittle
stufftakenalltogethercould,however,beearthsaving.
rEfErEnEs
DavidBjerklie,FeelingtheHeat, TimeMarch26,2006.
Carbonsense,Executive Summary of Carbon Disclosure Project: Cities Pilot
Project 2008.
ErikRobinson,WashougalsCarbonFootprintMeasuresp.Cityisnot
sustainable,butitsgettingcloser,Columbian,July11,2008.
CharityThompson,WashougalGetsStatesThirdGreenLEEDHome,
Vancouver Business JournalOctober12,2007
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Te poweru Toos o Wi, vision, n loeBAAAS. AjA
t
hereconstructionintheNinthWardofNewOrleans
afterHurricaneKatrinaishappeningverydifferently
thananyonecouldhaveenvisioned.AfterthecompletedecimationoftheLowerNinthWardandthe
promisetorebuildNewOrleansaslongasittakes,the
FederalEmergencyManagementAgency(FEMA)foundthe
tasktoooverwhelming.Redtapeandalackofvisionor
planningbythefederalandlocalgovernments,alongwith
theratherheateddebateofwhowillfundtherebuilding
andhowmucheachsectorwillputinalmostbrought
thingstoagrindinghalt.
Giventhedevastationofthearea,itslocation,and
thefactthatiteasilycouldbedestroyedagainifanother
stormlikeKatrinahit,developersoftheBringNewOrleansBackCommissionwerehesitantwhetherthey
shouldbotherwiththeLowerNinthWard.It
wasthenthatresidentsoftheareadecidedto
takemattersintotheirownhands.InOctober
2005,theSierraClubheldapressconferencein
theLowerNinthstressingtheneedtorepair
theinequitiesofthepast.Thepastpresidentof
HolyCrossNeighborhoodAssociation(HCNA),
PamDaishell,alongtimeenvironmentalistand
organizer,vowedtheywouldrebuildusing
thewordsustainableinherstatement.Shethenwenttoworkndingvariouspartiesthat
hadthesameenthusiasmastheresidents
oftheLowerNinth.Themoversandshakers
whogottheballrollingcomefromvarious
backgroundssomewithnothingincommon
otherthanwantingtobuildanareathatothers
gaveupon.TheyconsistoftheMalikRahim,
anex-BlackPanther,anaccountant,anumber
ofmembersfromtheMethodistchurch,the
SierraClub,themayorofPortland,students
andactivists,andBradPittandAngelinaJolie,whohaveputalotoftheirownmoneyintotherebuildingprocess.
AnorganizationcalledNENAwasformedbyPatricia
JonesandotherneighborsinApril2006.NENAstandsfor
NeighborhoodEmpowermentNetworkAssociation.The
purposeofNENAistokeepreturningresidentsinformed
aboutbuildingcodeswhenrebuildingtheirhomes,
answeringquestionsthatdealwiththepaperworkandthe
qualicationsneededtoapplyforRoadHomeFunds,and
helpingresidentstoleinsuranceclaims.Theideaisthatby
neighborshelpingneighborsacommunityisformed.AccordingtoanarticleinaSeptember10,2007article
bytheNation,residentsoftheLowerNinthalreadyhad
averystrongcommunitybeforeKatrinahit.Itwasnot
uncommonforneighborstovisitoneanother,watcheach
othershouseswhenoutoftown,andhelpeachotherwhen
inneed.
TheruinousterrainoftheLowerNinthcontrastswith
thevibrancyoftheculturethere.NewOrleansremains
troubledbydeepraceandclassdividesandhighlevelsof
crime,butthecity,byallaccounts,alsohadalotmorecivic
lifethanmostofthenitedStatesnotjustcavortingin
thestreetsduringMardiGrasseasonbutalongtraditionofgregariousnessandneighborliness;peopleknew
theirneighbors,talkedtostrangers,calledeveryoneby
endearments,invitedeveryoneontheblocktothecrawsh
boil,hadstrongnetworksincarnivalkrewes,second-lines,
musicgroups,socialclubs,churches,tosaynothingofthe
extendedfamiliessomanypeoplehaveItswhyalotof
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ACTORANDACTIVISTBRADPITTHASBEENINSTRMENTALINTHEEFFORT
TOREBILDTHELOWERNINTHWARDOFNEWORLEANSTHROGH
SSTAINABLEMETHODS.
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peoplecomeback,orwantto,anditsamajor
resourceforreclaimingthecitythough
itcantreplacemoneyandinstitutional
willpower.
Somehowmoneyandinstitutionalwillpowerhasnotbeenaproblemwiththe
rebuildingofthearea,buttheprocessismuch
moreinnovativethanonlookersexpected.
Residentsareawareofwhatcausedthe
destructionoftheirhomesanditwasnot
onlybecauseofKatrina.Manyresidentssayit
wastheinterferenceofthegovernmentwho
destroyedsomeofthewetlandsandbayous,
turningthemintowaterwaysheldinbylevees.
PamDaishellbelievesthatthelandneedstobe
revertedbacktoitsoriginalformasmuchaspossibleandtheniversityofWisconsinsWaterResourceManagement
isdoingtheresearchtoseeifthisisfeasible.Grantedthere
areareasinNewOrleansthatareonlowlyingareaswhich
continuallyood,buttheLowerNinthWardisnoton
lowlyingterritory.WhentheIndustrialCanalwasbuilt,it
basicallyseparatedtheLowerNinthfromtherestofNew
Orleans.TheworkbeingdonebytheresidentsoftheLower
NinthWardmusthaveputsomepressureontheArmy
CorpsofEngineersbecausethereisanewprojectproposed
tocreateandrestorethewetlandsontheMississippiRiver
GulfOutletCanal(MR-GO)whichalsoplayedamajorroleintheoodingoftheareasnearLakeBorgne.
Whiletheworktorestorethewetlandsisimpressive,
soistherebuildingofthehousesintheneighborhoods.
TheAtlantic MonthysNovemberissuehighlightedthe
numberofdifferentarchitectsandbuilderswhomadetheir
waydowntoNewOrleansafterKatrina.Asmentioned
before,BradPittwasoneofthesepeople.Heapparently
hasapassionforarchitectureandwithanumberofother
architectsformedMakeItRight,whichfocusesspecically
onrebuildingtheLowerNinthWard.Accordingtothe
Atlanticarticle,MakeItRightcommittedtorebuilding150newhomestobeabletogiveresidentsafeelofa
neighborhood.Pitthimself,whenheisinNewOrleanshe
apparentlyboughta1830smansionintheFrenchQuarter
whilelmingThe Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonwill
walkthroughtheLowerNinth,observehowtherebuilding
isgoing,visitwithresidentsandgettheirfeedback.
Pittisnotonlyintoarchitecture,butsustainability
aswell.ThishasmadeMakeItRightverypopularwithcommunityleaderswhowanttorestoretheareato
itsoriginalsettingandpreservethecommunity.Ata
communitymeeting,residentsoftheareatobedeveloped
cameupwithafewcriteriaforthehomestobebuilt:
Theyneededtobebuiltontheexistinglotsize
Theyneededtobeelevatedandoutofthewayoffuture
ooding
Theyneededtoincluderooftopaccessorasimplewayto
escapeincaseofooding
Theyneededtohaveprominentporchesorstoopsforsocializing
Theyneededtobebuiltofmaterialtoughenoughtohold
upinahurricane,butenvironmentallyfriendlyaswell.It
neededtofollowthecradletocradlephilosophycaring
foronesgenerationandforfutureonesaswell.
ButMakeItRightisnotaloneinstrivingtorebuild
theLowerNinthbygreenstandards.GlobalGreenSA,
theSafliateofGreenCrossInternational,foundedby
PresidentMikhailGorbachev,hasbeenhelpingraisefunds
fortherebuilding,whileTheHomeDepotFoundationhaspartneredwiththeHolyCrossProjecttoaidinthe
rebuildingofthatneighborhoodthroughsustainable
methodsandmaterials.PartoftheHolyCrossProject
consistsofbuildingagreeneighteenunitapartment
building!AnditwaswithPittasjurychairmanthatGlobal
Greenheldacontesttochooseanarchitecturalrmto
designthehomesandapartmentstobebuilt.Theselection
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HOSESHAVEBEENBILTOFFOFTHEGRONDTOAVOIDFLOODING,
ALONGWITHESCAPEROTESTHROGHTHEROOF.SOMEHOSESHAVE
ALSOBEENDESIGNTOFLOAT.
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panelchoseayoungrmfromNeworkCitycalled
Workshop/apd.
TheGlobalGreenheadquartersisaprototypeofthe
housestobebuilt.Atpresenttheconstructionmanager
ofGlobalGreenlivesthere.Andwhileitmightbeeasyto
criticizethefactthatnotallofthekinkshavebeenworked
outwithregardtothegreentechnologythatlessensthe
housescarbonfootprint,thecreativitybehindbuilding
greenhomesisfascinating.Itisverymuchlikelivingin
anewcountrywhereonehastolearnhowtothinkand
operatethingsdifferently.Homeownersaregiventrainingontheoperationoftheirhomeandamanualtoreferto
iftheygetstuck.Thereisalsoahotlinetocallincaseof
emergencies.
Allthehousesaredesignedwithathousandgallon
cisterntocapturerainwaterwhichisusedtoushthe
dual-ushtoilets(oneushgivesaspritz,whileasecond
ushiswithmorehydraulicvigor)andtowaterplants.
Greenscreensareencouragedvinesandcreeperswhich
dontmindthesunandheatastheseblockoutthesun,
keepthehousecoolonsummerdays,providegreenery,
andsometimessmellgood,suchasjasminevines.Each
houseisdesignedtobenet-zeroenergywhichmeansit
producesasmuchenergyasitconsumeseveryyear.Andas
mentionedbefore,thehousesarebuiltfrommaterialthatis
reuseable.
Ofcoursenoteveryoneisonboardwiththistypeof
thinking.ThereareotherarchitectsandbuildersinNew
Orleanswhofeeldifferentlyaboutthetime,money,and
effortputintobuildinggreenhomes.TwootherarchitectsmentionedintheAtlanticarticleweremoreconcerned
aboutpreservingthestyleofhousesoftenfoundinthe
areabeforeKatrina,whileotherbuildersbelieveingetting
peoplebackintotheirhousesasquicklyaspossible,while
keepinginmindtheneedtobuildthehousesonhigher
foundationstoavoidooding.
WhatisexcitingabouttherebuildingoftheLower
Ninthistheenthusiasmofitsresidents.Oftenseenasa
crime-ridden,uneducated,poorcommunitythatlacksthe
abilitytohelpitself,theresidentsseemtohavetakenthe
tragedyofadelugeandturneditintoatimeofopportunity.ItisalmostasthoughKatrinagavethemtheabilitytostart
afreshwithadifferentview.Butitdidnthappenovernight.
Ittooktheworkofmanycommunityleaders,alongwith
theirpersistenceandvision.Shouldweeverhavetoface
suchaneventinourownlives,wecanlooktotheresidents
oftheLowerNinthWardandtheworkbeingdonebyGlobal
GreenandMakeItRightforinspiration.
To know more about the work being done by Global Green in
the Lower Ninth, log on to www.globalgreen.org.
To nd out more about the work being done by Make It Right,
log on to www.makeitrightnola.org.
Note: While writing this article, a notice was released on the
Global Green website that Pam Dashiell died on December 2,
2009 at the age of 61. May her life be an inspiration for others.
WWW.MAKEITRIGHTNOLA.ORG
ASIDEFROMBILDINGHOSESMADEFROMSSTAINABLE
ANDECO-FRIENDLMATERIALS,ARDSARELANDSCAPED
WITHPLANTSTHATREQIRELITTLEWATER.
What is exciting about the rebuilding o the Lower Ninth is the enthusiasm o its
residents. Oten seen as a crime-ridden, uneducated, poor community that lacks the
ability to help itsel, the residents seem to have taken the tragedy o a deluge and
turned it into a time o opportunity.
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Winter 2009-201016
ifwegobackfarenough,one
couldsaythattheinvention
ofthewheelandtheabilityof
humankindtouserestartedthe
globalwarmingproblemthattheworldisfacingtoday.Withoutwheels
andgears,mostofthemachineswe
aresofamiliarwithtodaywouldnot
havebeeninvented.Withoutre,
therewouldhavebeennoheatto
powerthesteam,coal,andpetroleum
drivenenginesandmachineswhose
factoriesspewoutsomuchCO2
today.Soletsblamethecavemen
forglobalwarming!(Whew,that
gotusoffthehook!)No,theresmuchmoretoitthanthat,butitisa
peopleproblem.Itbegan(tonguein
cheek)withthersthumans.Now
wemustsolveitusingthesame
humaningenuitythatinventedthe
wheel.Figurativelyspeaking,one
mightevensaythatwemustdiscover
alternativestore.
Whenearlyhumansmade
theirdiscoveries,itchangedtheir
livesforever,anditaffectedtheirenvironment.Theinventionofthe
wheelmadetheirliveseasier.They
couldnowcarryheavierobjectssuch
asawholeanimalcarcassbackto
theirdwelling.Theycouldbemore
mobile.Firemadethembraverasall
otheranimalswereafraidofit.They
expanded
their
huntingterritoriesandchangedtheir
dietincorporatingsomefoodsthat
couldonlybedigestedifcooked.
Theyneededtoforageless.This
musthavegivenearlyhumankindmoretimetospenddeveloping
socialrelationships,although
anthropologistshavenotfounda
greatdealofprooftosupportthat
theory.Theintentionoftheseearly
humanswassurvival.Specically,
theyneededtheabilitytondmore
andbetterfood.Theyachievedthat
and,unwittingly,effectedachangein
theirenvironmentandprobablytheir
societalgroupsintheprocess.Downthroughthecenturies,
humankindhasevolved.We
developedfarmingandanimal
husbandrybecomingplacebound
societies.Somepeoplewereableto
combinetheirimaginationswith
skillfulhandstodevelopbuilding
crafts.Thesebandedtogetherto
formguildswithaprocessofentry
forthosewhofollowedtoattainthe
knowledgetheirelderspossessed.Otherswentfromthegrinding
ofgrainwithhandheldstonesto
developingamillingprocessthat
servedwholecommunities.Each
newchangeinfarmingorproduction
methodshaditsownimpacton
thesurroundingenvironmentand
onsociety.Asaresult,ourchosen
leadershavechangedfromthosewho
possessedthebesthuntingskillsto
thebestfarmerorranchertothosewhocouldbestleadandorganize
diversegroupsofpeople.
Asourevolution
continued,theindustrial
revolutionstartedinthe
nitedKingdominthe
lateeighteenthandearly
nineteenthcenturiesandspread
throughoutEuropeandtoNorth
America.Thereweremajorchanges
inagricultural,manufacturing,
mining,andtransport.Itstartedwiththeinventionofnewweaving
andspinningmachinesthat
revolutionizedthetextileindustry.
Steampowermainlyfueledbycoal
wasintroduced.Theonsetofthe
industrialrevolutionmarkedamajor
turningpointinhumansocietyinthe
westernworldwherealmostevery
aspectofdailylifewaseventually
inuenced.Itseffectscannowbe
seeninChinaandothereasterncountries.Prettymucheveryone
nowagreesthattheincreaseduseof
coalanditsresultingCO2emissions
havehadanenormousimpacton
ourenvironment.Theindustrial
revolutionalsomademoney.Those
withtheingenuitytodevelopthe
newmachinesandproducts,orthe
fortunesanddaringtoinvestinthese
newventures,eitherbecamerichor
richerandthesizeofthemiddleclassincreased.Thefocuswasonprot-
makinginnovationsandtheintended
resultprotwasclearlyachieved.
However,themajorsocietalchange
fromanagriculturaltoamoreurban-
basedsetting,createdunforeseen
by-productssuchasanegative
impactontheenvironment.
Thetwentiethcenturysawthe
usheringinoftheelectronicerathat
stillpersiststoday.Ourenvironmentnowneedstodealwiththedisposal
ofitemssuchascathoderaytubes
fromTVsandcomputermonitors,
batteries,cellphones,absolutely
enormousamountsofplastic,
includingsoileddiapersandwater
bottles,creatinganatmosphere
peoe, prots, n ur pnet BAcScST
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For the Love of Life
waytoofullofcarbondioxide.What
canwedo?Canwelearnfromour
mistakes?
Humankindsimagination,
ingenuity,skill,andhardworkhavehelpedustoprogress.Ourlivesare
farmorecomfortableandeasierthan
theyhaveeverbeenespeciallyin
thenitedStatesandEurope.Now
emergingnationsarefollowingthe
samepath.Howcanweallenjoy
goodstandardsoflivingwhileliving
insuchawaythatourenvironment
andsocietiesremainsustainable?
InhisbookThe Triple Bottom Line,
AndrewW.Savitzacknowledgesthatbusinesspracticesandtheproducts
producedaffectnotonlythenancial
bottomline,butthebottomlineof
theenvironmentandsocietyaswell.
(Aneasierwaytorememberthis
conceptistothinkoftherelationship
ofthethreePs:people,planet,and
prots.)Granted,thisisnotanew
development.Fromthediscoveryof
thewheelandtheuseofretothe
developmentofagricultureandtheindustrialrevolution,newprocesses,
newproducts,andnewdiscoveries
havealwaysaffectedtheTriple
BottomLine(TBL).Whatisnewisthe
acknowledgementandawarenessof
thefactthatwhilebusinessescreate
nancialprots,businessesandthe
productsproducedcreatemeasurable
affectsontheenvironmentand
itssustainability,thusresultingin
societalchanges.Thethreebottomlineshaveaneffectoneachother.
AsstatedonSavitzsconsultancy
websiteSustainableBusiness
Strategies(www.getsustainable.
net):Forbusinesses,sustainability
isapowerfulanddeningidea:a
sustainablecorporationisonethat
createsprotforitsshareholders
whileprotectingtheenvironmentandimprovingthelivesofthose
withwhomitinteracts.Itoperates
sothatitsbusinessinterestsand
theinterestsoftheenvironment
andsocietyintersect.Asustainable
businessstandsanexcellentchance
ofbeingmoresuccessfultomorrow
thanitistoday,andremaining
successful,notjustformonths
orevenyears,butfordecadesor
generations.Itsamatterofawarenessrst,
thenintentionandfollowthrough.A
trulysustainablebusinessmustmake
sustainabilitypartofitsvisionand
mission.Asustainablebusinessmust
developgoalsthatreadilyfollowthat
visionandmissionandthatareset
bythetoneatthetop.Thismeans
thatdirectivesmustcomefromthe
CEOandboardmemberswhomust
openlyadvertisethecompanys
dedicationtosustainabilityatallthreelevels.Thesupplychainandall
stakeholdersalsoneedtobeinvolved
forsustainabilitytobesuccessful.
Currentoperationalmethodsneedto
beexamined.Asustainablebusiness
willwanttoincludeitsemployeesat
alllevelsinaddressinghowtomake
sustainablepracticesandprocedures
worktoensureoperationalefciency.
Onewaytodothisisbylookingat
whatrawmaterialsareusedinthebusinessatoneendandwhatby-
productsand/orwasteremainatthe
other.Forinstance,ifyourbusiness
isarestaurant,rstyoucanask,
whatdoIproduce?Arestaurantis
inbusinesstoprovidequalityfood
andservicetothegeneralpublicina
pleasantatmosphere.Rawmaterials
usedcouldincludeproduce,canned
goods,otherrawfooditems,paper
products,plasticwrap,Styrofoampackagingfortogoitems,and
cookingoil.Restaurantsalsoneed
tablesandchairs,appliancesthat
runongasorelectricpower,dishes,
silverware,dishwashingsoap,
employeesandotheritems.These
arethethingsthatgointomaking
yourrestaurantasuccess.From
theserawmaterialsyouproduce
qualityfooditemsforyourcustomers
andgoodserviceyourmarketinggoalandhopefullyprots.Theby-
productsandwasteproducedbya
restaurantincludelotsofleftovers
andothergarbageintheformofthe
portionsoffoodsdiscardedinthe
preparationprocess,usedcooking
CONTINEDONPAGE18
Pretty much everyone now
agrees that the increased
use o coal and its resulting
CO2 emissions have had
an enormous impact on
our environment.
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Winter 2009-201018
oil,usedplastic,paperandcans,used
Styrofoamandphosphateresidue
fromthesoap.ThereisalsotheCO2
releasedbythecookingprocessand
bythetrucksthatdeliveredtherawmaterialandotheritems,aswell
astheenergyusedinthecooking/
cleaningprocesses.Inthisexercise,a
sustainablerestaurantwilllookatthe
by-productsandremainingwaste.It
willanalyzeittodetermineifmore
sustainablemethodscanbeusedand
whattheymightbe.
Somerestaurantsarenow
donatingedibleleftoverstocharities
thatfeedthehomelessandthoseinpoverty.Notsoediblefoodscrapes
canbeturnedovertomanycitiesfor
composting.Localcitizenscanthen
obtaintheresultingcompostforuse
intheirhomeorcommunitygardens.
Therestaurantmightalsobeableto
gureoutwaystoproduceitsfood
offeringswithlesswaste.Tocombat
theproblemofpaperandplastic
wastetherestaurantcouldchooseto
useclothnapkinsandkitchentowelsinsteadofpaper,andsoapswithout
harmfulphosphatesforwashing
themandthedirtydishes.Paperor
aformofrecyclableplasticshould
beusedinplaceofStyrofoamforto
goitems.Styrofoamlastsforeverin
alandllandshouldnotbeusedat
all.Thewastecookingoilcanbeused
toproducebio-dieselandtoreduce
theCO2emissions,forwhichthe
restaurantisresponsible;produceandotheritemscanbeboughtlocallyso
materialsdonthavetobetransported
sofar.Therestaurantcanalso
purchaseenergyefcientappliances.
Andletsnotforgetthepeoplewho
providetheservicetothecustomers.
Employeesshouldbetreatedwith
respectandgoodwill.Ifthefolks
preparingthefoodandservingthe
customersarehappy,itonlystands
toreasontheywillgivebetterservice
andbemorededicatedtoensuringthatthetriplebottomlineismet.
Thisexercisecanbeusedwithany
business,largeorsmall,whetherthey
produceaproductoraservice.
Manyserviceindustriessuch
asaccountingrmsandinsurance
agenciesproduceamyriadofpaper.
Someofthemarecurrentlyexploring
waystocutdownonthis.The
paperlessofceisbeingexplored
bymorecompanies.Whilebeingcompletelypaperlessisprobablynot
feasibleatleastnotyetmany
companiesareusingtechnological
advancesincomputersoftwareand
copymachinesfordocumentstorage.
Someaccountingsoftwareallows
originalloandocumentsandother
contractstobescannedintothe
system,electronicallyattachedto
theircorrespondinggeneralledger
accounts,andstoredwithintheaccountingsoftware.Thesameis
trueofaccountspayableinvoices.
Otherdocumentstoragesystems
workbyscanningpermanent
records,purchaseorders,invoices,
andwhateverelseisdesired,into
thestoragesoftwareforstorage
ondiskorothermedia.Other
businessescommunicatesolelyby
emailorelectronicfax,cuttingpaper
outofthecommunicationprocessalltogether.
Manycompaniesarelookingat
waystoincreaserecycling.Mitsubishi
Electricreusesthecushioning
materialsusedforpackagingits
produces.Theyalsorecyclewaste
plasticsheetingandpolystyrenefoam
thatareturnedintoplasticproducts
byanoutsidecontractor.Inaddition,
Mitsubishiuseswastecookingoil
fromitscafeteriastoproducebio-
dieselandusesittofuelitsforklifts.IntheNovember2007issueof
Fast Companyanarticletitle50
WaystoGreenourBusinessprovide
examplesdifferentcompaniesare
takingtowardtheirTripleBottomLine:
IKEAoptsforatpackaginga
processthatpacksproductsinas
muchofavacuumaspossibleso
thatboxescanbelledtotheir
capacity.Consequently,truckscancarrymoreproductstotheirstores
reducingCO2emissionsinthe
process.
Hewlett-Packardhasmadea$100
millionbusinessofrecycling11milliontonercartridgeseachyear.
Wal-Martprovidedfundingto
truckmanufacturerstodevelop
therstheavy-dutydiesel-hybrid
18-wheeler.
C3PresentsbannedStyrofoamcups
People, Profts and Our PlanetCONTINEDFROMPAGE17
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For the Love of Life
fromthesixthannualAustinCity
LimitsMusicFestivalthisyear.
ThePhiladelphiaEaglescleaning
crewmakestwosweepsaftereachgameonetopickuprecyclables
andanotherfortrash.
JPMorganChaseiscollecting
rainwateronthetopofits
fty-threestoriedNework
headquarters.Thewaterwillbe
funneledintoa55,000-gallontank
inthebasementthenpipedupfor
toiletushing.Combinedwithnew
low-ushurinalsandtoilets,thesystemwillsavewaterandcostby
thirtypercent.
KaiserPermanenteHMObegan
replacingitsvinylooringwith
PVC-freerecycledrubberin2005.It
costsmoretoinstall,butreduced
maintenancecostsbyeightypercent
inveyearsandalsoresultedin
fewerslipsandfalls.
AndfromSavitzswebsitethe
followingexamplewasgivenofhow
asmallactioncangoalongway.In
2004Citigroup,thenancialservices
leaderconductedasimpletestina
smallsubsetofitsofces.Itbought
30-percent-recycledpaperforprinters
andmadedouble-sidedcopiesits
defaultstandard.Thesimpletest
reducedpaperconsumptionby10
tonsand$100,000.Theenergysavedinthepaper-makingprocessreduced
greenhousegasproductionby28
tons.
Somepotentialexecutivesare
nowoptingtoaddgreenridersto
theircontractsrightalongwith
stockoptions.Theseriderswillhelp
toensurethatthecompaniesthat
individualsworkforandhelptorun
followthroughwiththeirvisions
ofsustainability.Aspeoplebecomemoreawareand
committedto
theimportance
ofsustainability,
suchactionswill
surelyincrease.
Greeninvesting
isbecoming
morepopular
too.Some
folksconsiderinvestmentsin
companiesthatproducesolarpanels
orwindenergydevicestobetheup
andcomingthingrightnow.Who
knows?Suchproductscouldgothe
wayofIBMstockatthebirthofthe
computerage.
Wecanallhelpatourplacesof
business(aswellasourhomes)right
now.WedonothavetobetheCEO
toencouragesustainablebusinesspractices.Payattentiontohow
muchpaperyouuse.Printonboth
sidesofthepaper.Ifyourcompany
doesnotalreadyuserecycledpaper,
suggestit.Rememberthatrecycled
paperproductsincludecopypaper,
toiletpaper,andbreakroompaper
products.Stopusingbottledwater.
sereusablecontainers,ratherthan
baggies,topackyourlunch.(There
iscurrentlyabubbleofplasticthesizeofTexasoatinginthePacic
Ocean).NeveruseStyrofoam.Take
thestairs,ratherthananelevator,
tosaveenergyifyouonlyneedto
climbafewights.Recycleinkand
tonercartridgesandreplacethem
withrelledcartridges.Doyour
bankingandbillpayingon-lineto
reducepaperusage.Dontusetoxin
cleanersforkeyboards.Justturn
themupsidedownandshakealittle.
seplantsinyourofcetocleantheairandprovide
additional
oxygen.They
areprettyand
brightenupthe
placetoo.Plug
ofceelectronics
intoapowerstrip
sothatyoucan
turnthemall
offatonetimeanddosoevery
eveningtosaveenergy.Thiswillhelp
youtopassyourreinspectiontoo.
Treatyourco-workersandcustomers
withrespectandappreciation.Laugh
alot.Meditate.
Fromthecavedwellerstomodern
mankind,humanshaveaffectedthe
environmentandsocietalgroups
withjustaboutallofouractions.Its
timeweacknowledgethatandworktowardcorrectingerrorsandensuring
thatourenvironmentandsocieties
aresustainableforgenerationsto
come.Businessesplayedalargepart
incausingtheproblems.Manyhave
alreadytakenstepstowardcorrecting
ourenvironmentproblems.Much
moreneedstobedone.Wemustpay
attentiontothetriplebottomline
servingnotjustthegoalofprot,but
oftheplanetanditspeopleaswell.
One should pay attention toeven the smallest crawlingcreature or these too may havea valuable lesson to teach us.
black elk
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Winter 2009-201020
o
nSeptember10,2009theTheosophicalSociety
hosteditsannualTheosofestatitsheadquarters
inWheaton,Illinois.ThisyeartheTOSActionGroupofWheatonhostedaSilentAuctiontoraisemoney
forourserviceactivities.TheTOSActionGroupisdedicated
tothemanifestationofthe
coreprinciplesofTheosophy
throughservice.Webelieve
thatwithoutservicethe
knowledgeweattain
throughoutourlivescannot
completelytakerootwithin
us.Thesevenbranchesof
serviceinclude:Art/Music,Environment,AnimalWelfare,
Healing,Peace,Family/
Education,andSocialService.
Towardthatend,
thefundsraisedwillaid
inservingthehomeless
communityandotherswho
havemetwithhardtimes.
Throughoutthecomingyear,
themoneywillbeusedto
servelunchforabout100-150atHesedHouseinAurora,IL.
Themealwillbepreparedby
us,thendeliveredandserved
byTOSmembersandother
volunteers.Inaddition,we
willpurchasefoodandgift
basketsforneedyfamilies
attheholidays,including
homelessveteransattheMidwestShelterforHomeless
Veterans,hereinWheaton.Wewillalsobemakinga
nancialgifttoAndersonAnimalShelter.Altogether,theauctionraised$856forourservice
projects.Theauctionimprovedonthesuccessesofpast
auctionsandTOSwillbehostinganotherauctionatthe
2010TheosofestnextSeptember.Accordinglyweare,
again,askingfordonationsforthenewauction.Thisyears
itemsweredonatedbyvendorsparticipatinginthe2009
Theosofest.Vendorswereaskedtodonateanythingoftheir
choice.Mostofferedmerchandisefromtheirboothssuchas
paintingsdoneinacrylic,watercolors,oroil;T-shirts,ahoney
basket,meditationpillowsandgiftcerticatesforserviceslikeaTarotreading,Raindroptherapy,oramassage.The
OlcottLibrarygenerouslydonatedarareeditionofManly
P.HallsSecret Teachings of
All Ages,andourownPam
Kingdonatedabeautiful
handmadequiltwhichwe
titledMidwinterSummer
Dreamsforoneofthedoor
prizes.Theotherdoorprize
wasastrikingpaintingofa
mandalacreatedanddonatedbyIonaabat.Alsoincluded
inthedonationswereasetof
sixdrawingsbyJudyHensel.
TheTOSalsosoldcopiesof
ourbooksThe Essence of
HealingandChristmas and
Solsticeandalongwithour
totebags.Thisyearwesold
waterandsnacksforthe
rsttimeabighitwiththe
Theosofestguestsandonewewillcontinueagainnext
year.
Aspecialthanksgoesto
everyonewhoparticipated
andhelpedmakethis
yearseventabigsuccess.
Ifyouhaveanitemyou
wishtodonateforour2010
Auction,pleasecontacttheTOSeitherthroughemailat
theoservie@gail.oorleaveamessageonournew
phone630-668-1571ext332.Asmentionedinoursummernewsletter,thenationalofcefortheTOSisnowlocatedat
theTheosophicalSocietyofAmericaat1926N.MainStreet,
Wheaton,IL60187.Anddontforgettovisitourwebsiteat:
www.theoservice.org.
T ation Grou ient autionBjAPuAZBAPPT
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For the Love of Life
osebu cristms Ute BKAmccmcK
A teenager from the Rosebud Reservation who spoke before
the United Nations in 2007 on the International Day for the
Eradication of Poverty.
statisticsdontputlivingfacesontheharshrealities
ofanextremelyimpoverishedcommunity,but
theyhelpustoplaceallofourrelationsintoa
clearerperspectivewithinthegreaterschemeofthings.
TheSicanguLakotaNationinRosebud,SouthDakotahas
around25,000members.Accordingtocensusnumbers,50to60%ofRosebudchildrenundertheageofeighteen
livebelowpovertylevelsinthefthpoorestcountyinthe
nitedStates.Tollintheoverallpicture,approximately
40%ofthesechildrenliveinsingle-parenthouseholdsand
6outof10familiesliveinsubstandardhousing.oucan
imaginehowdesperateChristmastimecanbeunderthese
circumstances.Inmanycases,giftsarenon-existentfor
somechildren.
Alltooawareofthesedispiritingcircumstances,I
decidedtoplaySantaforsomeoftheseLakotakidsseven
yearsago.Imadecontactwithawell-knownNativefamilyontheRosebudReservationwhopersonallyknowmany
needyfamiliesintheircommunity,especiallythoseheaded
bysinglemothers.ThusmyLakotaChristmasProjectbegan.
IcontinuedwithmynewtraditioneveryChristmas,the
rstfewyearsbeingfundedbymyselfandafewfriends.
Fortunately,justwhenIneededthehelp,theTOSstepped
intofundmyeffortsin2007andhasgenerouslynanced
thisprojecteversince.NumerousRosebudfamilieshave
benetedviaTOSthesepastthreeyears.Onestoryfrom
lastChristmas2008:ayoungNativeAmericanfather
withseveralsmallchildrenwasslowlyrecoveringfromanearly-fatalcarwreckwhichhadnecessitatedbrain
surgery.Needlesstosay,thatfamilysholidaysweregreatly
cheeredbymanyofthegiftsthatwehadsenttoRosebud.
Withgreaterresourcesathand(theyearlyTOSgrants
havedoubledfromtheoriginal$500to$1000!),Ive
beenabletoexpandtheprojecttoincludeaWinter
CoatGiveawayeveryJanuary,aswellasaBack-to-School
BackpackeffortinSeptember.Ofthelatter,CarterCamp,
whowasfeaturedintherecentPBSseriesWe Shall Remain,
commentedthispastfall:Ipickedupthebackpacks
andLinda[hiswife]gavethemout.Karen,thekids
reallyappreciatethosepacksandndingallthethings
inthem!
AsIwritethisreportinDecember,twogiganticparcelsareenroutetoRosebudforChristmas2009.Onehasnearly
30lbs.ofbrandnewtoysforchildrenofallages,from
infantsonup;thesecondispackedwithalmost40lbs.of
new,warmclothingitemsforeveryagegroup,alongwith
miscellaneousgiftssuchasblanketsandthrows.(Iread
thatitisnearly10degreesbelowzerothismorning,asI
write,inSouthDakota.)IntheLakotalanguage,Waziya
(theSpiritoftheNorth)isanothernameforSantaClaus.
AndImhappythatTOShastakenonthisspecialidentity
forthepoorestofthepoorchildreninourcountry.While
theseeffortsarenotsomekindofmagical,overallsolutiontothewidespreadpovertyontheReservation,theheartsof
individualchildren(andadults)aretouchedbykindnessand
abitofjoyatthistimeofyear.Andwhoknowswhatlong-
termeffectsthesesmallactsofgivingcanhave?Maythere
beaprayerofhopefulnessattachedtoeachgift.OMitakuye
Oyasin!(AllMyRelations!)
Poverty creates a sense o hopelessness in a person. And that is why suicide, addiction,
drop-out, and crime rates are so high in poverty-stricken areas o our reservation.
labradford eagle deer
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Winter 2009-201022
Being a Beon o ligt BATTTABA
theClevelandBesantBranchTSA-TOSmembers
havegivengenerouslyoftheirtimeandtalent
byprovidingdiverseactivitiestohonorour
historicenergeticfocustoeducateandsustaintheraised
consciousnessofindividualsreadytoprogressonthepathtowholeness.Besidesourcomparativestudiesofworld
religions,wehavehostedandraisedfundsforinternational
causestoeducatechildrenandreducehumansuffering
withspeakerssuchasaninitiatedAfricanShonaNganga
(traditionalhealer)fromBulawayo,Zimbabwewho
sharedteachingsoftheWaterSpiritsandaMasterIachak
(teacher)fromEcuadorwhoprovidedAndeaninsightsof
transformingheartsandmindswithnature.SeveralNative
Americaneldershavealsovisitedtoshareinsightsofhealingthroughtheirtribaltraditions.
ReconnectingwiththeEarthprogramssupportedour
effortstoheightenawarenessoftheplanetsecosystemand
ourpartinit.Monthlyprogramsincludedtopicssuchas
climatechange,conservation,watersheds,creatingwildlife
habitats,andrainbarrels.Throughenergeticprogramswe
practicedTaiChi,Qigong,EkKan,uan,ogaandLaughter
oga.Drummingcirclestohonorthenewseasonswith
prayersfortheplanetarewellattended.Healingtones,
singingbowls,andtuningforkshavebeenexperiencedand
continuetoresonatethroughoutourfacility.Welearned
howtoenergizewaterthroughhealingintentionandprayer.Aweeklymeditationgroupsfocusisononeness,world
peacebeginningwithinnerpeace.Ourweeklystudygroups
revisittraditionaltheosophicaltruthsthatarebrought
forwardforpracticalapplicationtoday.Theworldbenetsas
individualscometogethertolearnandgrowthroughanew
practiceorawarenessandbyrenewingthemselvesthrough
communitywithlike-mindedsouls.
Overtheyears,cashandclothingdonationstraveled
westtobenetIndianslivingonReservations.Annualvisits
fromtheosophist,Dr.V.Kulkarni,resultedinsupportive
dollarsforeducationofchildreninIndia.Generousendowmentsandmemberscontributionshavepermitted
ustodonatefundslocallyinsupportoffoodbanksinParma
andCleveland;thePreventionofDomesticViolenceCenter,
theSalvationArmyHomelessProgram,andtoWVIZ-PBS.
BookdonationshavebeenprovidedtoveClevelandPublic
Schoollibraries.WeinitiatedaHelpingHandsFundfor
anymemberwhoneedsaone-timeemergencycashgift.
Scholarshipsareofferedforvariousworkshopsorprograms.
JoanneRichter,ourcurrentpresident,andTSAmember
sincethe1970ssaysthatsheknowsthatnoonehasever
beenturnedawayfrombecomingamemberoftheBesantBranchforlackoffunds.Insharingourprosperity,weare
doingourparttoliftthevibrationoftheplanet.
TwonewprojectsforTSA/TOSmembersinClevelandare
beinglaunched.Oneprojectsupportsanimalrescueefforts
toencourageabandonedcatanddogadoptions.Cash
donationsordesignateditemssuchasfood,treats,leashes,
petblankets,andbedsforAnimalRescueBundleswillbe
giventotheParmaAnimalRescueCenter.Inthespring2010,
unusedtoolswillbecollectedanddonatedtoHabitatfor
Humanityhousingprojects.Therehasevenbeeninitialtalk
ofgettingaconstructionteamtogethertoo.Investigatingtheunexplainedlawsofnatureand
thepowerslatentinmanhastakenusonajourneyofno
return.Wecannotgoback,butmustcontinuetomove
forward.Takingactionisvitaltotransformation.Beingis
paramounttotheoutcome.Theabilitytotrusttheprocess
ofBEINGaLOVINGPRESENCEONEARTHistobefreefrom
theillusionthatwearenothingmorethanaphysical
WWW.CLEVELANDTHEOSOPHy.ORG
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For the Love of Life
Te por xressBAAAS. AjA
great Decisionsisajournalbroughtoutbythe
ForeignPolicyAssociation.IcameacrossitwhenI
visitedMuscatineCommunityCollegeinIowa.A
smallgroupofpeoplegettogethereverymonthtodiscussanarticlefromthepublication.WhileIwasthere,itjust
sohappenedthattheywerediscussinganarticlecalled
TheArcticAgebyEdStruzik,authorofThe Big Thaw.This
gatheringofpeopleinMuscatineissponsoredbytheStanley
Foundation,foundedbyMaxwellStanleyin1956.According
toitswebsitetheStanleyFoundationseeksasecurepeace
withfreedomandjustice,builtonworldcitizenshipand
effectiveglobalgovernance.ItsnowrunbyRichardStanley
whowaspresentatthismeetingoftheminds.
ThearticlefromGreat Decisionsdiscussesthemelting
ofthearcticfromaneconomicandecologicpointofview.(Noticehoweconomiccomesrst.)Apparentlywiththe
meltingofArcticcomesthedesirefortheoilandminerals
buriedbeneaththeice.Inthesummerof2007,theRussian
governmentsentatwovesselexpeditiontotheNorthPole
toclaimtheareaastheirs.Theybelievethatastheywere
thererst,oncetheiceismeltedcompletely,theyhaverst
dibsontheresourcesunderneath.Ifanyoneelsewould
likeaccesstotheresources,theywillneedtonegotiate
withRussia.Nevermindthatthehabitatforanumberof
differentcreatureslivinginthepolarregionwilldie,orthat
thesealevelswillrise,orthathugeicebergsarebreakingoffandcouldcauseotherproblemsfortheplanet.
Ina2007studybythe.S.GeologicalSurvey(SGS),itis
predictedthatby2050,two-thirdsoftheworldspolarbears
willbegone.ThisincludesallthoseinAlaskaandmostinthe
westernArcticregionofCanada.AstheiceoftheArcticmelts
awayfasterthanexpected,scientistsbelievewearepastthe
tippingpointofrecourseandmustfacetheconsequencesof
dealingwithrisingsealevelsandthetragiclossofwildlife.It
wasthisbitofinformationthatreallycaughtmyattention.
Arewereallypastthepointofnoreturn?Willseeingapolar
bearbeararitytomygreatgrandchildren?MostofthepeopleinthediscussiongroupIwas
attendingwereannoyedbytheactionsoftheRussian
government.Initially,Ithoughttheywereallofthesame
opinionthatIhad.However,theywereannoyedthatthe
nitedStatesdidntstayabreastofwhattheRussianswere
doingandthefactthattheShasonlythreeicebreakers,one
bodyandmind.EckhartTolle,statesinhisbook The Power
of Now,thatloveisastateofBeing,Loveiswhoweare.
Goingwithin,intothesilence,onecanfeelthisformless
andtimelessreality.Recognizingthisunmanifestedlifein
yourself,youcanthenfeelthesamedeeplifewithineveryotherhumanandeveryothercreature.Tolookbeyondthe
veilofformandseparationisthestateofONENESS.As
innitebeings,expressinginnitely,wecantransformlower,
denservibrations,wavesofnegativeenergy,intoahigher
consciousnesswithlove.Wehavethepowertochangethe
collectiveconsciousnessonthisplanetEarthandhealthe
scarscreatedbyusoverthecenturiesthatcauseherto
weepnow.
Dare we imagine waves of loving energy to feed the collective
soul of a hungry society?
Dare we imagine a true peace that transforms hate, anger,
and pain?
Dare we imagine that individuals embrace a worldwide
morphic eld, whose essence is oneness, to know their
connectedness with all of creation?
Dare we imagine that our generation can turn the tide for
future generations to enjoy this legacy of love?
Eachofuscanandmuststepforwardtobethe
changewedesiretoseeinthisworld.Focusonlove,BE
thelovingpresenceonEarth,andattractindividualswho
areawakenedtothishighervibrationwithinthemselves.
nconditionallylovethosewhoarethehardesttolove.Let
thespiritoflovingservicegrowwithinyouandplantthe
seedthoughtswithinothers.Wemaynotbeinaphysical
bodywhentheseedsbearfruit,butourchildrenandtheir
childrenschildrenwillsavorthelegacy.Thereisnogreater
giftthanthatofservicetoourEarthfamily.Enjoythejoyof
givingandremembertotakecareofplantsandanimalstoo.
CONTINEDONPAGE24
Every day is Earth Day.UNkNoWN
There is peace in the garden. Peace and results.rUth stoUt
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Winter 2009-201024
usedforresearchandtheothertwooutofcommission.The
CanadianNavy,apparently,hasnotoperatedanicebreaker
sincethe1950s.ThisisunderstandableconsideringtheArctic
hasoftenbeenconsideredinaccessibleanduninvitingto
manycountries,eventhosewhosebordersextendtothearea.WhatgoesonintheArcticisbetweenthefrigidenvironment
andthetwomillionpeoplewhoinhabitit.Perhapsitstime
wechangethatviewpoint.
Despitestatingmyviewpointthatwehadbigger
problemsthanouraccesstomoreoil,thediscussionmoved
backtoourneedtoclaimit,insteadofthemoredire
consequencethatwemaynotevenbealivetoaccessthe
oiliftheplanetisenvelopedinwater.Withregardtothe
environment,ethics,andeconomics,therehasalwaysbeen
disagreement.Toacountrythathasonlyknowneconomic
struggleandpovertylikepartsofRussia,whatdifferencedothelivesofpolarbearsmake?Iflookedatonlyfroman
economicview,wecouldaskthatquestionaboutalotof
thingsonthisplanetpeopleincluded.Itisonlywhenwe
areabletostepbackandlookatlifefromaholisticpoint
ofviewthatwerealizethateverylifeisprecious,nomatter
howbigorsmall.Wehavethisabilityashumans,which
iswhatmakesusdifferentfromanimals
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