for the love of life - winter 2009-2010

8/6/2019 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


4/28

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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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

CONTINEDONPAGE4

MANPEOPLEHAVEFONDTAICHIASAFORMOF

RELAATIONANDRENEWALFORTHEIRMINDANDBOD.

JEFFGRESKO


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Winter 2009-20104

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?

[email protected].

Wedlovetohearfromyou!

WWW.THERAPEuTICTOuCH.ORG


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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.


8/28

Winter 2009-20106

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

CONTINEDONPAGE8

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OLINABEES.COM


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Winter 2009-20108

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

VINCINTHOM


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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

CONTINEDONPAGE10

NANCySECREST

NANCySECREST

TOP:WASHOGALSCITHALLWHEREVINES

AREBEINGSEDTOCREATEGREENSCREENS.

BOTTOM:ONEOFTHEWATERFRONTSOF

WASHOGALVISITEDTHEBBIRDSANDWILDLIFEOFWASHINGTON.


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Winter 2009-201010

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,

Our TownCONTINEDFROMPAGE9


13/28


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.

CONTINEDONPAGE12

THEHISTORICCOLOMBIARIVER.

NANCySECR

EST


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Winter 2009-201012

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

Our TownCONTINEDFROMPAGE9


15/28


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

CONTINEDONPAGE14

WWW.MAKEITRIGHTNOLA.ORG

ACTORANDACTIVISTBRADPITTHASBEENINSTRMENTALINTHEEFFORT

TOREBILDTHELOWERNINTHWARDOFNEWORLEANSTHROGH

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Winter 2009-201014

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

The Powerul ToolsCONTINEDFROMPAGE13


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.


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.


18/28

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


19/28


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.


20/28

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


21/28


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


22/28

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

[email protected]

phone630-668-1571ext332.Asmentionedinoursummernewsletter,thenationalofcefortheTOSisnowlocatedat

theTheosophicalSocietyofAmericaat1926N.MainStreet,

Wheaton,IL60187.Anddontforgettovisitourwebsiteat:

www.theoservice.org.

T ation Grou ient autionBjAPuAZBAPPT


23/28


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


24/28

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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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

for the love of life - winter 2009-2010

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