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WHY I MADE THIS BOOKLETJune, 2019With so much being reported during these recent weeks and days, I felt compelled to start to organize my own thinking which incorporates what the various articles and videos were indicating. Over the past few weeks I have begun to receive many more various and relevant e-mails from writers and organizations who were making informed, intelligent and salient points.

I started to summarize them all for my own information and then decided that I would like to share them somehow in a way besides just sending each one to Facebook or Twitter.I am keeping in mind that not all people have the same understanding, beliefs or perspectives as each other. That is true about most aspects of life and particularly so regarding the “climate” issues. For instance, some still refer to a “climate change” while others say it most likely is really a “climate crisis”.

Some keep talking about keeping the temperature below 1.5 C whereas others suggest that it would be much better to keep it below that number. Some refer to the year 2030 and others to 2050 as cut off points. We have moved from the Holocene Epoch to the Anthropocene Epoch

“We” are: individuals, groups, adults, children, not-yet-born babies, political parties, nations, religions, organizations, institutions, churches, the old and young, the first world and third world, the rich and the poor, with many of us experiencing fear, death, confusion and great distress. There are no boundaries to the air we share and breathe, including the pollution, of the environment, the water and diseases.

“We” – the global community are now overpopulated, so some have food choices and some have no food, there are organic foods and pesticide polluted foods, inadequate waste management and reduction yet we say we aim to be zero waste communities by reducing our footprints, living sustainably, building “green” and healthier homes and infrastructures. Some of us are now having to immigrant or migrate because of poverty, drought, flooding and disease.

There is ONE global home – it is ours to share in unity. No one is exempt.Life is a cycle – we are born, live and die. We share relationships, we are inter-connected, inter-dependent, inter-related and often we speak in terms of us and them instead of “we” and “us”. We each have a body, mind and spirit which are impacted at each level as thee crises heighten which the media now reminds us about every day.

FROM JAPANESE PHOTOS OF LUNAR VIEW OF EARTH 12 March 2008BBC News Player - Selene captures Earth rise.ivr

Spiritual and Psychological perspectives of this crisis... vary immensely according to where you live, what you are experiencing in your local context of our home. There is increasing awareness of these global disasters, suffering and experience at both personal, social and global levels.Most people believe that there should be more responsibility taken, that significant changes should occur, that we should have compassion and realize some sort of transformation at all these levels BUT?

But what? We need wisdom, commitment, compassion, love, inter-dependence, respect, mutuality while having “power-with” others – shared and not “top down” power and control, which is often based on fear, political agendas and financially motivated decision making.

A great deal of our corporate world-wide distress is heightened by the increase of waste and pollution, garbage that can’t be disposed of, particularly plastic waste. We are facing extinction not only of various animal species but all of human life.

Ecological/Environmental perspectives of this crisis... Unprecedented signs which include: Drastically rising temperatures and water levels, new diseases, wild fires, floods, tornadoes, tar sands extracting oil and then having spills, wars, hurricanes, droughts . There are always socio-economic considerations, along with destruction, death, the increase of carbon levels, all which affect and threaten the very life of both human and animal life and increasingly threatening any sort of sustainability.

IMPORTANT

Reading These Slides

I have included material from various sources –you can pick and choose what you want to read from these resources – that is the point.

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Over the past several years these two fields (spirit and science) have grown together and have been complimentary to each other in their findings and beliefs. We are a web of inter-connected beings.As Teilhard de Chardin said in the early 1900’s “as far as mankind is concerned, a whole network of interconnected forces operates to keep the human species in being; and that network becomes more and more complicated, the greater man’s own cultural development becomes.” (Corbishleyp 8:1971)

“The whole universe can be understood only in terms of a growing spiritualitization … this movement of “spiritu”, the sheer tendency to develop, is the story of the cosmos. On it everything depends: nothing can explain it. It is an ultimate.”

EXPLORING DEEP MINDChapter from his book Measuring the Immeasurable by Peter RussellSummary: “Science has explored the world of space, time and matter and found neither evidence nor need for God. This it would seem to have done away with religion. But the one realm Western science has not explored is the inner world of conscious experience. Those who have are the mystics, monks and yogis who have observed mind first-hand. They have discovered ways to liberate the mind from traits such as greed, anger and self-centeredness.”

“Some of these people sought to share their discoveries with others, and their teachings have seeded some of the world's great religions. However, religion as it is practiced today is a far cry from the intentions of its originators. In this respect there is a big difference between spirituality and religion.In recent times, some aspect of spiritual experience have been studied by Western science—mainly the physiological and psychological effects of meditation and similar practices.”

18“The research to date confirms that these practices can produce significant shifts in consciousness, leading to greater compassion and selflessness—qualities which are most needed in the world today. While we may reject the doctrines of many religions, we should not dismiss spiritual experiences in the same breath; they may hold essential clues for navigating our way through these troubled times.”Click to read whole article

PETER RUSSELL – read his paper written in 2007Global WarningRunaway Climate ChangeIs Western CivilisationCompatible with Sustainable Development?To Fly or Drive?www.peterussell.com/Earth/GlobalWarning.phpIf painting an extreme picture brings this home, then I make no apologies. Fail to act at this decisive time and we, and much of life on Earth, may meet its end.

20ELISABET SAHTOURIS ON THE ESSENTIAL SHIFTSShe is an evolutionary biologist and futurist who discusses the pivotal shifts of our time. A committed optimist and someone who takes the long view, Elisabet sees challenges such as global warming and sea level change as a great opportunity for humanity to rise to another level of functioning. She draws inspiration from the extraordinary designs provided by nature showing how we can live more lightly and sustainably.

21She sees abundant evidence for us transitioning from a primarily competitive and egocentric era, which is typical of young populations of any species, into an era in which we learn to cooperate and communicate as one global family. There is not, she feels, any reason to leave behind joy, health, and well-being in working current ecological challenges. In fact, our task is one of "standing up in our canoe," to use an indigenous metaphor, to see what is unfolding from a larger perspective.https://library.noetic.org/library/audio-interviews/essential-shifts-interview-elisabet-sahtouris 25 min podcast

She QuotesEvery living being is connected intimately, and from this intimacy follows the capacity of identification and as its natural consequences, practice of non-violence… Now is the time to share with all life on our maltreated Earth through the deepening identification with life forms and the greater units, the ecosystems, and Gaia, the fabulous, old planet of ours. ~Arne Naess

Much more than a simple ecology, ecosophy is a wisdom-spirituality of the earth. ‘The new balance’ is not so much between man and Earth, but between matter and spirit, between spatio-temporality and consciousness. Ecosophy is not simply a ‘science of the earth’ (ecology) and even ‘wisdom on earth,’ but the ‘wisdom of the earth itself’ that occurs when a man knows how to listen with love.~Raimon Pannikarhttps://www.kosmosjournal.org/article/ecosophy-natures-guide-to-a-better-world/

Elisabet Sahtouris PhD is an internationally known evolution biologist and futurist, US and Greek citizen living in Spain. With a post-doctoral degree at the American Museum of Natural History, she taught at MIT and the University of Massachusetts, contributed to the NOVA-Horizon TV series, is a fellow of the World Business Academy with an honorary Chair in Living Economies, and an advisor to Ethical Markets. She convened international symposia on Foundations of Science in Hokkaido and Kuala Lumpur. Books: EarthDance: Living Systems in Evolution; A Walk Through Time: From Stardust to Us and Biology Revisioned with Willis Harman. http://www.sahtouris.com/#1_0,0,,1 her web site

A SPECIAL ADDRESS WITH THE POPE: CLIMATE CHANGE AND NEW EVIDENCE FROM SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND POLICY May 29, 2019On 27 May, SDSN and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences hosted a meeting between Pope Francis, Climate Scientists, and more than twenty Finance Ministers to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals …http://unsdsn.org/news/2019/05/29/a-special-address-with-the-pope-climate-change-and-new-evidence-from-science-engineering-and-policy/?utm_source=SDSN&utm_campaign=44067cb972-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_03_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2302100059-44067cb972-178116957

“Climate change is much more than an environmental problem. It is one of the most important challenges humanity faces today, threatening gains in global development achieved in several decades as well as further progress in raising living standards and reducing poverty. Moreover, the effects of climate change stretch far beyond humanity, remaining a looming threat over all species and ecosystems at large and climate change. In line with Pope Francis’ “Encyclical Laudato si’ Care for our Common Home…

Climate as a common good … belonging to all and meant for all. At the global level, it is a complex system linked to many of the essential conditions for human life. A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system. In recent decades this warming has been accompanied by a constant rise in the sea level and, it would appear, by an increase of extreme weather events, even if a scientifically determinable cause cannot be assigned to each particular phenomenon. Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it.”

“It is true that there are other factors (such as volcanic activity, variations in the earth’s orbit and axis, the solar cycle), yet a number of scientific studies indicate that most global warming in recent decades is due to the great concentration of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides and others) released mainly as a result of human activity. As these gases build up in the atmosphere, they hamper the escape of heat produced by sunlight at the earth’s surface. The problem is aggravated by a model of development based on the intensive use of fossil fuels, which is at the heart of the worldwide energy system. Another determining factor has been an increase in changed uses of the soil, principally deforestation for agricultural purposes.”Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, n. 23.

The young climate activist Greta Thunberg has been awarded the "Special Prize Climate Protection" during Germany's Media awards show GOLDENE KAMERA 2019. She used her speech to call on media celebrities to raised their voices and spread the message on climate change.c14g3AQhttps://youtu.be/bFvX watch video 5 minGOLDENE KAMERA award speech of Greta Thunberg

DAVID SUZUKI WRITING ABOUT GRETA -STOP FIDDLING WHILE THE PLANET BURNSSwedish teen Greta Thunberg says political inaction is destroying her future. She refuses to listen to politicians’ words and instead judges them by their actions. When I was her age, we would say, “Big talk, no action.” Thunberg has listened to what scientists are telling us and is taking their predictions seriously. Every child on Earth has the right to say that no government is acting in their best interests. But kids can’t vote, so ignoring them has no apparent political consequences, at least until they are old enough to vote or their voting-age parents rise up and demand action on their behalf.https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24132213-400-greta-thunberg-why-i-began-the-climate-protests-that-are-going-global/https://davidsuzuki.org/story/stop-fiddling-while-the-planet-burns/?utm_campaign=scienceMatters-stopFiddlingWhilePlanetBurns-en-03may2019&utm_source=mkto-none-smSubscribers-link-readOnline&utm_medium=email&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWkdRME4yWmtabUZrTVdRMiIsInQiOiJTbVpsd

QUANTUM LIVING AND THE EXPLORATION OF WHOLENESS Dr. Amit Goswami, a pioneer of this revolutionary new perspective within science. https://healthmade.co/quantum-living-and-the-exploration-of-wholenessRecognizing a widespread need to implement the solutions presented by quantum physics to global crises in economics, politics, education, the environment, and healthcare, Goswami and his colleagues have launched Quantum Activism Vishwalayam (in Sanskrit, home of the world), a trans-formative institution of higher learning based in Jaipur, India which will offer students primarily online post-graduate level transformational training in consciousness and the quantum worldview with an emphasis on quantum living and the exploration of wholeness in their professional pursuits.

ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCISON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME 1. “LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord”.In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs”.[1]

2. “This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22). We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.”

“Nothing in this world is indifferent to us”https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

Jeremy Lent is author of The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity's Search for Meaning, which investigates how different cultures have made sense of the universe and how their underlying values have changed the course of history. He is founder of the nonprofit LiologyInstitute, dedicated to fostering a sustainable worldview. For more information visit jeremylent.com. https://www.ecowatch.com/we-need-an-ecological-civilization-2612579358.html

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report“In the face of climate breakdown and ecological overshoot, alluring promises of "green growth" are no more than magical thinking. We need to restructure the fundamentals of our global cultural/economic system to cultivate an "ecological civilization": one that prioritizes the health of living systems over short-term wealth production…WE NEED AN ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

“We've now been warned by the world's leading climate scientists that we have just twelve years to limit climate catastrophe. The UN's International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has put the world on notice that going from a 1.5° to 2.0° C rise in temperature above preindustrial levels would have disastrous consequences across the board, with unprecedented flooding, drought, ocean devastation and famine…One way or another, humanity is headed for the third great transformation in its history: either in the form of global collapse or a metamorphosis to a new foundation for sustainable flourishing. An ecological civilization offers a path forward that may be the only true hope for our descendants to thrive on Earth into the distant future.”

HAYHOE: CLIMATE HOPE COMES FROM PEOPLE Nick Breeze| 14th May 2019 America's leading scientists communicating the threat of climate change says climate impacts driving increased activism.Professor Katharine Hayhoe is visiting the UK and delivering a lecture as part of the Cambridge Climate Lecture Series on the 15th may at 3pm.Yes, the level of concern and urgency is growing with the Extinction Rebellion and the children’s climate strikes. It is because the urgency is growing to the point where we scientists are standing up and saying we need to do something about it…So, when we talk about climate solutions we are talking about a fundamental shift in the balance power and wealth in this world…

NB: And that is obviously quite a contentious message in itself really. Because it challenges the fabric of our existing society…KH: ‘What gives you hope?’ is probably the most frequent question I get. I do not get hope from the science. When I look at what we are doing to this planet, it seems like every new study I read shows that climate is changing faster and leading to a greater extinction than we previously thought...I also do not get a lot of hope from the politics. The politics are more contentious and divided and tribal today, not just in the US and the UK, but in places like Brazil and around the world. It is like a virus! It’s more polarised today than it has been in decades. So I don’t see a lot of hope there, either...

But where I do see hope is in people. When I talk to people about the things I hear they are doing, and again, the kids strikes, the unexpected conversations that you have with people who are making changes in incredible places.Https://theecologist.org/2019/may/14/katharine-hayhoe-climate-hope-comes-people?fbclid=IwAR1N4BLjEaXDM61IlXKOrqyXzdE7vds_2RXlYajtizt1FaDyqXLtwNA47Wk

THE ECOLOGIST IS THE WORLD’S LEADING ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS PLATFORM. Our aim is to educate and inform as many people as possible about the wonders of nature, the crisis we face and the best solutions and methods in managing that crisis. Find out about our mission, and our team, here. The website is owned and published by The Resurgence Trust, an educational charity. To receive the magazine, become a member now. The views expressed in the articles published on this site may not necessarily reflect those of the trust, its trustees or its staff.https://theecologist.org

CLIMATE BREAKDOWN AND DISEASE OUTBREAKS Emily Folk 13th June 2019 Scientists are increasingly concerned about what climate breakdown could mean for the spread of disease.Changes to our surroundings have implications for the spread of disease.As context, the World Health Organization has identified climate change as a major cause of emerging infectious diseasesEbolaThe connection is clear, as the vector-borne infectious disease spreads more easily in warm climates.

Pest controldisease outbreaks don't solely occur in developing countries. There are currently around 300,000 cases each year of people infected with Lyme disease in the United States, a number which will most likely grow with an increasingly hot and humid climate. Even so, professionals in pest control have solutions.est control

Wild firesCitizens should mow their lawn on a regular basis, clear away dead leaves and sticks and place outdoor furniture away from trees, dense shrubs and bushes. These simple strategies can assist in preserving public safety.Climate change is more than an issue of environmental unrest. It has consequences for the spread of disease, creating the ideal conditions for dengue fever, the Ebola virus, Lyme disease and similar afflictions. As we move into the next decade, this issue will only grow in relevance with the increasing rate of outbreaks.

As we move forward, the continued efforts of researchers, scientists and professionals in various industries will prove critical in addressing the problem. Though wildfires, hurricanes, droughts and other natural disasters may seem more pressing, it's essential to recognize the true breadth of the problem.https://theecologist.org/2019/jun/13/climate-breakdown-and-disease-outbreaks

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICESCLIMATE CHANGE. IT CHANGES EVERYTHING, Published on Mar 31, 2016... especially in the developing world: weather patterns, ways of life, futures. It also changes our response. We have shared responsibility to protect the poorest and most vulnerable among us.https://youtu.be/g1diELXNcVU 1:41 min

'WE ALL OWE AL GORE AN APOLOGY': More People See Climate Change In Record Flooding’June 8, 20196:00 AM ET Nathan Rott“Angel Portillo doesn't think about climate change much. It's not that he doesn't care. He just has other things to worry about. Climate change seems so far away, so big. Lately though, Portillo says he has been thinking about it more often. Standing on the banks of a swollen and surging Arkansas River, just upriver from a cluster of flooded businesses and homes, it's easy to see why...

"Stuff like this," he says, nodding at the frothy brown waters, "all of the tornadoes that have been happening — it just doesn't seem like a coincidence, you know?“A string of natural disasters has hit the Central U.S. in recent weeks. Tornadoes have devastated communities, tearing up trees and homes. Record rainfall has prevented countless farmers from planting crops”...

“Rising rivers continue to flood fields, inundate homes and threaten aging levees from Iowa to Mississippi.And while none of these events can be directly attributed to climate change, extreme rains are happening more frequently in many parts of the U.S. and that trend is expected to continue as the Earth continues to warm”.https://www.npr.org/2019/06/08/730456004/more-people-see-climate-change-in-record-floods-and-extreme-weather-will-that-me?fbclid=IwAR3xeboExoypMOo_cSV7Bqx-tcWBy8OHfvSwlgTcqHiPcJkoMc6akzXxgQA

WE ARE LIVING THE CHANGEhttps://livingthechange.net/index.html#cform“As people of faith and spirit, we are deeply grateful for the Earth. Yet we know that nature is out of balance and feel a responsibility to respond. We want our lives to reflect our values, avoiding excess and embracing sufficiency.Reducing the impact of our consumption is a spiritual challenge. By Living the Change, we engage this struggle with joy as part of our response to climate change.JOIN US ON THIS JOURNEY ...

What about systemic change?“As people of faith and spirit, we know that behavior change is one of a number of responses that we must make to climate change. To solve this problem, and to create a flourishing future for all people, we need changes at the personal, institutional, and systemic levels. The facts are clear - we need to do everything we can. We also know that when people make changes at one of these levels, they often get involved in other areas of activity.Within this context, Living the Change is our shared faith response at the individual level. Learn more about GreenFaith's institutional and systemic initiatives.CONNECT WITH USWe’re helping people of faith around the world lower their personal carbon footprints. Sign up for our newsletter to learn how you can, too.”https://livingthechange.net/index.html#cform

INTERFAITH CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTOur Mission“The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD) reveals the connection between religion and ecology and mobilizes faith communities to act. ICSD works on a global basis, with current engagement in Africa, the Middle East, North America, and Europe.In 2019, ICSD’s work focuses on The Faith Inspired Renewable Energy Project and The Seminary Faith and Ecology Project. ICSD also provides thought-leadership to faith-based communities and beyond through our writing, speaking, teaching and advocacy. Our collection of reports, articles, course and syllabus collections, blog, and other resources provide a unique access point for leaders and followers of faith-based communities alike to explore the connections between their tradition and contemporary environmental issues.” con’t...

INTERFAITH CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Published on Jul 16, 2017It is Ecologically Informed Theological Education ...With Dr. Laurel Kearns, Associate Professor of Sociology and Religion and Environmental Studies at Drew Theological School and co-founder of The Green Seminary Initiative speaking on you tube below:https://youtu.be/JZDtP6P3_Cw - click and watch - 34 min

CHRISTIAN ECOLOGYTension with creationChristianity recognizes a tension that exists between humanity’s responsibility to care for God’s creation, and the human tendency to rebel against God. The main Christian churches have in the past decades re-examined their teachings and practice in the light of the environmental crisis.Commitment from the ChurchesSpeaking for the Catholic Church in 1990, the Pope said, ‘Christians realise their responsibility within creation and their duty towards nature and the Creator are an essential part of their faith.’ con’t...

SEE SOME OF THEIR BLOG POSTS:Houses of Worship Greening Project.Third Place Winner of the Catholic Seminarian Essay Contest on Renewable Energy Oil Mixes Well with Religion, Politics, and WeaponsFor the Orthodox Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate taught in 1990 that humanity ought to perceive the natural order as a sign and sacrament of God, and that to respect nature is to recognise that all creatures and objects have a unique place in God’s creation. The Orthodox Church teaches that it is the destiny of humanity to restore the proper relationship between God and the world as it was in Eden.The Protestant Churches, speaking through the World Council of Churches in 1990, committed themselves to conserve and work for the integrity of creation both for its inherent value to God and in order that justice may be achieved and sustained.https://www.interfaithsustain.com/christian-ecology/

GLOBAL CATHOLIC CLIMATE MOVEMENTPope Francis urges the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics and all people of good will to take urgent action against the injustice of climate change and the ecological crisis, to protect the poor and future generations. His encyclical letter Laudato Si’ is a compelling call to care for our common home, Earth, building on a long history of Catholic teaching. We are building a vibrant movement to respond to Pope Francis’ call.Join the actionhttps://youtu.be/SUGqAK7tK4o 1:03 minAbove video message from Pope Francis to the Global Catholic Climate Movement

SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS: EARTH'S CLIMATE IS WARMING American Scientific SocietiesStatement on Climate Change from 18 Scientific Associations:"Observations throughout the world make it clear that climate change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver." (2009)2

Warming Temperature data showing rapid warming in the past few decades, the latest data going up to 2018. According to NASA data, 2016 was the warmest year since 1880, continuing a long-term trend of rising global temperatures. The 10 warmest years in the 139-year record all have occurred since 2005, with the five warmest years being the five most recent years. Credit: NASA's Earth Observatory.

Downloaded still image.https://climate.nasa.gov/system/internal_resources/details/original/1736_world-of-agreement-2018.jpg

“Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals1show that 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree*: Climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities. In addition, most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position. The following is a partial list of these organizations, along with links to their published statements and a selection of related resources”https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/

LEARN ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGEThere is a strong scientific consensus that climate change is caused by human action and will very likely have catastrophic consequences if not tackled urgently (with the poor suffering the most). https://catholicclimatemovement.global/stories/The world needs a fair, ambitious and legally binding global agreement in the COP21 summit at Paris to keep the global temperature increase below 1.5 degree Celsius (relative to pre-industrial levels).

“The latest scientific findings are best summarized in the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is the internationally accepted authority on climate change scientific matters, operating in a peer-reviewed format and leveraging the inputs of thousands of scientists and other experts. This report was explicitly supported by all governments of the world including oil producer states (as they all participate in the UNFCCC process) and by many Vatican statements.”

NASA scientists used GRACE data to identify regional trends of freshwater movement, and combined that information with data from other satellites, climate models and precipitation measurements to determine the causes of major regional trends in freshwater storage.https://youtu.be/_IWpQPmQI_s - 3 min

Everybody agrees on the urgency and severity of the climate crisis.https://catholicclimatemovement.global/climate-change-facts/https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/https://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/167/video-for-15-years-grace-tracked-freshwater-movements-around-the-world/

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONSPublished on Dec 27, 2018 https://parliamentofreligions.org/"Towards a Global Ethic" was drafted by Professor Hans KüngHttps://youtu.be/tWiF09ofXDc in consultation with several hundred leaders and scholars, became an official declaration of the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1993. The Third Directive of the Global Ethic calls for a "commitment to a culture of tolerance and a life of truthfulness". At the 2018 Parliament of the World's Religions in Toronto, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of this signature document with a reaffirming commitment to its four directives and an expansion of the document to include a fifth directive. Read, share, and endorse the expanded Global Ethic http://parliamentofreligions.org/global-ethic-signatures

https://www.youtube.com/user/parliamentofreligion• https://youtu.be/uBw4uQEZUtQ - The First Directive: Commitment to a Culture of Non-violence and Respect for Life• https://youtu.be/wjNltk_gRiw -The Second Directive: Commitment to a Culture of Solidarity and a Just Economic Order• Https://youtu.be/tWiF09ofXDc - The Third Directive: Commitment to a Culture of Tolerance and a Life of Truthfulness• https://youtu.be/LTWqvwfFQc0 -Fourth Directive: Commitment to a Culture of Equal Rights and Partnership Between Men and Women• https://youtu.be/BWFwJdcBOj4 -The Fifth Directive: Commitment to a Culture of Sustainability and Care for the Earth

FOR A MORE JUST, PEACEFUL AND SUSTAINABLE WORLDFAITH AND CLIMATE WEBINAR SERIESThe Parliament's Climate Action Program and the Security and Sustainability Forum are working together to produce a new webinar series. Called Faith and Climate, the webinars will bring faith leaders and climate activists from all sectors and faiths together to address our increasingly urgent and collective responsibility to act on behalf of the natural world and all humanity to change the catastrophic impact we are having on our planet.The series focuses on the moral and religious implications of the escalating climate challenge, and the actions being taken by people of faith to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address the consequences of climate change, and begin an effective transition to a low-carbon https://parliamentofreligions.org/

WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTEInteractive: Carbon Emissions Past, Present and FutureThis interactive reveals how national CO₂ emissions have changed over the past 150 years.It is based on data from WRI’s Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, shows how national CO₂ emissions have changed over the past 150 years, how much of the global "carbon budget"these emissions have used up, and what the future might hold.https://www.wri.org/our-work/topics/climatehttps://www.wri.org/https://www.wri.org/resources/data-visualizations/carbon-emissions-past-present-and-future-interactive

THE ECOLOGISTINTERNATIONAL CLIMATE TALKS LAND IN UK Emily Beament | 19th June 2019 The United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 talks are now expected to be hosted in the UK, according to the Foreign Office. https://theecologist.org/

THE ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH: HAVE WE ENTERED A NEW PHASE OF PLANETARY HISTORY? Human activity has transformed the Earth – but scientists are divided about whether this is really a turning point in geological history. By Nicola DavisonWe were entering an entirely new phase of planetary history, they argued, in which human beings had become the driving force. And without a major catastrophe, such as an asteroid impact or nuclear war, humankind would remain a major geological force for many millenniahttps://www.theguardian.com/profile/nicola-davison

THE WEB SITES BELOW OPEN UP THE ARTICLES ABOUT THIS NEW EPHOCHhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/30/anthropocene-epoch-have-we-entered-a-new-phase-of-planetary-history?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1RoZUxvbmdSZWFkLTE5MDYwMQ%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=TheLongRead&CMP=longread_emailhttps://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2019/jun/10/the-anthropocene-epoch-have-we-entered-a-new-phase-of-planetary-history

RESURGENCE AND ECOLOGIST MAGAZINEA GLOBAL REBELLIONPeople on the frontline of climate change are fighting back writes Farhana Yamin.An Extinction Rebellion Friends of Greta Schools' Alarm Whistling Exercise was launched in some schools in Accra, Ghana, West Afrika on 18 January 2019Are humans destined to become extinct as a species? No one knows what will happen, and no one can say for sure whether fundamental ecological tipping points have already been reached. But there are millions of people mobilising to stop humanity falling off a cliff. And this movement is international.

“There are new ideas that can help create kinder, regenerative societies, start the process of restoring Nature, and create communities of resistance and resilience to the impacts we cannot avoid. They want to do more than just avoid extinction or merely survive. They are building a movement on solidarity and wellbeing so that everyone, and every part of everyone, can flourish. Ending domination over Nature goes hand in hand with tackling all forms of domination and hierarchy: men over women, old over young, one ethnicity or religion over another, binary forms of sexuality – and of course minority world over majority world.”

“Extinction Rebellion has engaged more than a million people in 65 countries since its launch in the UK in October 2018, and by March 2019 it had 206 groups established in 24 countries. Its aim from the beginning has been to spark an international movement that will challenge governments around the world through the tools of mass civil disobedience.”https://www.resurgence.org/magazine/article5307-a-global-rebellion.html

DR. MARCELO GLEISER: 2019 Templeton Prize Winner Says Science and Faith Belong TogetherMay 15, 2019“Science and religion are not odd bedfellows, even though that's how many people view them. There's an impression that they are at best at opposite ends of a spectrum, and at worst in two different universes altogether. But 2019 Templeton Prize winner Dr. Marcelo Gleiser dispels the notion that science and faith can't get along. In fact he says they not only get along, but belong together as the only way to make sense of our world. Gleiser is Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and a professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The native of Brazil, has won the honor for being, "a prominent voice among scientists, past and present, who reject the notion that science alone can lead to ultimate truths about the nature of reality."

https://radio.foxnews.com/2019/05/15/dr-marcelo-gleiser-2019-templeton-prize-winner-says-science-and-faith-belong-together/?utm_source=Receive+News+from+the+John+Templeton+Foundation&utm_campaign=61cb8faf47-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_05_20_12_10&utm_medium=email&utmDr. Marcelo Gleiser 2019 Templeton Prize Winner Says Science and Faith Belong Together Lighthouse Faith.htm

DR ROWAN WILLIAMS, "... THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE IS NOW AT STAKE" - EXTINCTION REBELLIONRowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, PC, FBA, FRSL, FLSW is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet. He served as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury from December 2002 to December 2012.https://youtu.be/Q7aOc1oeBzk

ROWAN WILLIAMS ON THE ROLE THAT MYSTICISM AND SPIRITUALITY CAN PLAY ... “When we have, as we currently have, a monumentally dysfunctional relationship between the human race and its overall environment, we can’t abstract ideas of human health from that global unhealthiness.”https://www.philosophyforlife.org/blog/rowan-williams-mental-health-mysticism-and-spirituality

ROWAN WILLIAMS LEADS CLIMATE CHANGE VIGIL OUTSIDE ST PAUL'S CATHEDRALFormer Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, led protesters over the weekend in praying for the world's leaders to take tougher action on climate change..."Christian Climate Action seeks to respond to that summons; in the face of impending environmental crisis, we need to encourage one another to grow more fully into the joyful responsibility we are made for."https://virtueonline.org/rowan-williams-leads-climate-change-vigil-outside-st-pauls-cathedral

GRETA THUNBERG, "TOGETHER WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE" - EXTINCTION REBELLIONMarble Arch, London [21.04.2019] The 10 Working Principles of Extinction Rebellion https://Rebellion.Earth/who-we-are/#p...1. We have a shared vision of change 2. We set our mission on what is necessary 3. We need a re-generative culture 4. We hopefully challenge ourselves, and this toxic system 5. We value reflection and learning 6. We welcome everyone, and every part of everyone into Extinction Rebellion 7. We actively mitigate for power 8. We avoid blaming and shaming 9. We are a non-violent movement 10. We are based on autonomy and de-centralizationhttps://youtu.be/Pv9EkxudXmw

THE FAITH AND CLIMATE WEBINAR SERIES –WEBINAR 2: THE TEN GREEN COMMANDMENTS OF LAUDATO SIhttps://vimeo.com/343079607by Arturo Herrera on May 6, 2019Download the briefing slides here. The Ten Green Commandments of Laudato Si’ from Security & Sustainability Forum on Vimeo.

The second webinar in the Faith and Climate Webinar Series will be a discussion with Fr. Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam, SDB, author of The Ten Green Commandments of Laudato Si’, Pope Frances’s second encyclical, “On Care for Our Common Home,” which asks “every person living on this planet” to begin a dialogue about the future of our world. The webinar is hosted by the Parliament of the World’s Religions. https://ssfonline.org/the-faith-and-climate-webinar-series-webinar-2-the-ten-green-commandments-of-laudato-si-10191

... THE MOST IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL TEXT OF THE 21STCENTURY (DALE JAMIESON)In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis invites the Churches, religions and all people of good will, to care for our fragile planetary home, before it is too late. «I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet.» (LaudatoSi’, 14)http://www.ssfonline.org/

“ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME,”Pope Francis’ second encyclical, “On Care for Our Common Home,” asks “every person living on this planet” to begin a dialogue about the the future of our world. The discussion will be a multi-faith perspective on how the religious community is responding to the climate crisis. Where is leadership coming from for this movement and how is it advancing? How can it be accelerated?This series, sponsored by the Hanley Foundation, is led by the Parliament of the World's Religions and co-hosted by the Global Catholic Climate Movement, and Interfaith Power and Light, and Green Muslims of New Jersey (GMNJ).

WEBINAR FEATURES• Fr. Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam SDB, author of The Ten Green Commandments of Laudato Si’. • Professor Rachel Mikva, • Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman Chair & Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, and Senior Faculty Fellow of the InterReligiousInstitute at the Chicago Theological Seminary, and • Saffet Abid Catovic is a United States Muslim Environmental Leader of Bosnian-Anglo descent. He is one of the first GreenFaith Muslim Fellows and is Co-founder and Chair of the Green Muslims of New Jersey (GMNJ).https://www.dropbox.com/preview/FINAL.SSF%20June%2018%20Encyclical%20slides%20(1).pdf?role=personal

DR RUPERT SHELDRAKETo Go Beyond is to move into a place of bliss, greater understanding, love and deep connectedness, a realm where we finally find life’s meaning, experiences for which all spiritual seekers seek. https://www.sheldrake.org/books-by-rupert-sheldrake/ways-to-go-beyond-and-why-they-workhttps://youtu.be/PR41zih1DBQ - 10 min video

In this sequel to Science and Spiritual Practices, Rupert looks at seven spiritual practices that are personally transformative and have scientifically measurable effects. He combines the latest scientific research with his knowledge of mystical traditions around the world and explains why these seven practices work. They give a greater sense of connectedness. They make people happier and healthier. He looks at their effects inside our brains, throughout our bodies, and on our relationships. He asks whether spiritual experiences are essentially illusory, or if they give us direct connections with realms of consciousness greater than our own. 1. The Spiritual Side of Sports2. Learning from Animals 3. Fasting4. Cannabis, Psychedelics and Spiritual Openings 5. Powers of Prayer 6. Holy Days and Festivals 7. Cultivating Good Habits, Avoiding Bad Habits and Being Kind

FILMS FOR ACTIONEconomics 101 and Ecological Collapse “The collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.” David Attenborough https://www.localfutures.org/economics-101-and-ecological-collapse/By Edward Fullbrook / localfutures.org / Jun 17, 2019 https://www.filmsforaction.org/library/

Edward Fullbrook is the founder and editor of the Real-World Economics Review, a founder and executive director of the World Economics Association, and visiting professor at the University of the West of England. He has edited numerous books, including Crash: Why It Happened and What To Do About It (2009), and A Guide to What's Wrong With Economics (2004).

“Brilliant and intellectually brave economists have created “ecological economics”. But that work remains ignored by over 90 per cent of the profession and in nearly 100 per cent of its classrooms.”

“N Gregory Mankiw’s Principles of Economics is said to be the world’s most used economics textbook and is the prototype of nearly all the others. It is a huge book. The index to its fourth edition is 18 pages long with over 2,500 entries. This index illustrates how comprehensive the censorship is. Here are 11 key and now common terms pertaining to the economy’s effect and dependency on our life-support system:”• biosphere• climate change• climate science• climatology• ecosphere• ecosystem• emissions• global warming• greenhouse gas• threshold• tipping point•

LOVE THY NATUREThe winner of 27 awards, this film reveals how a relationship with nature ignites a sense of meaning and wonder so profound that it touches us at the very core of what it means to be human.Get ready to go on a cinematic journey through the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with the natural world.A film by Sylvie Rokab, M.A.https://uplift.tv/2019/love-thy-nature/?utm_source=UPLIFT+TV&utm_campaign=290a41f4a6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_06_04_06_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_932e12aea9-290a41f4a6-115099093

GEORGE MONBIOTHe Is A Guardian ColumnistAnyone who wants to be prime minister should have a course of therapy first Our toxic political system rewards all the wrong traits and produces the worst possible leaders Toxic personalities thrive in toxic environments.’ John Bercow (centre) mediates during a Commons debate on the EU withdrawal bill

“Who in their right mind would want the job? It is almost certain to end, as Theresa May found, in failure and public execration. To seek to be prime minister today suggests either reckless confidence or an insatiable hunger for power. Perhaps we need a reverse catch-22 in British politics: anyone crazy enough to apply for this post should be disqualified from running.”

Good Leadership“A few years ago, the psychologist Michelle Roya Radlisted the characteristics of good leadership. Among them were fairness and objectivity; a desire to serve society rather than just yourself; a lack of interest in fame and attention; and resistance to the temptation to hide the truth or make impossible promises.”

Not Good Leaders“Conversely, a paper in the Journal of Public Management and Social Policy has listed the characteristics of leaders with psychopathic, narcissistic or Machiavellian personalities. These include: a tendency to manipulate others; a preparedness to lie and deceive to achieve your ends; a lack of remorse and sensitivity; and a desire for admiration, attention, prestige and status.”

“In politics, almost everywhere we see what looks like the externalisation of psychic wounds or deficits. Sigmund Freud claimed that “groups take on the personality of the leader”. I think it would be more accurate to say that the private tragedies of powerful people become the public tragedies of those they dominate.”

“I believe that anyone who wants to stand in a national election should receive a course of psychotherapy. Completing the course should be a qualification for office. This wouldn’t change the behaviour of psychopaths, but it might prevent some people who exercise power from imposing their own deep wounds on others. I’ve had two courses: one influenced by Freud and Donald Winnicott, the other by Paul Gilbert’s compassion-focused approach. I found them both immensely helpful. I believe almost everyone would benefit from such treatment.”

Toxic personalities thrive in toxic environments. “In designing an effective politics, it could be useful to work backwards: to decide what kind of people we would like to see representing us, then create a system that would bring them to the fore. I want to be represented by people who are thoughtful, self-aware and collaborative. What would a system that elevated such people look like?”

“A system that tempers representative democracy with participative democracy – citizens’ assemblies, participatory budgeting, the co-creation of public policy – is more likely to reward responsive and considerate politicians. Proportional representation, which prevents governments with minority support from dominating the nation, is another potential safeguard – though no guarantee.In rethinking politics, let us develop systems that encourage kindness, empathy and emotional intelligence. Let us ditch systems that encourage people to hide their pain by dominating others.”https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/12/prime-minister-therapy?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR1pG-gbo8MH4dA4DiA928qSUGiPC4EVt5ekxaZilZWsoFKHfFcxhSqdavQ

CLIMATE TRUTHCLIMATE EMERGENCY CAMPAIGNTHE CLIMATE MOBILIZATION ORGANIZATIONhttps://www.theclimatemobilization.org/climate-truth• Climate Truth Climate Emergency Campaign Climate Mobilization• Key Documents Victory Plan• Transformative Power of Climate Truth• Leading the Public Into Emergency Mode• More Get InvolvedBlog About Us Overview and Team impact PressAdvisory Board ConnectMore and more people are waking up to the truth:We face a Climate Emergency.Only WWII-scale Climate Mobilization can protect humanity and the natural world.

Climate EmergencyWe’re working to compel governments in the US and throughout the world to declare Climate Emergency, adopting an emergency response to climate change and the broader ecological crisis.

Climate TruthWe believe in telling the whole truth about the crisis we are in, and transforming the emotional power of our response into personal and collective action.We develop and pioneer the strongest and most aggressive policies and strategies for reversing climate breakdown.

THE CLIMATE MOBILIZATION ORGANIZATIONan interview with Marianne Williamsonhttps://www.theclimatemobilization.org/blog/tcm-and-josh-fox-interview-marianne-williamsonhttps://youtu.be/-kEh9PlNTcw - 1:06 min

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON: BRINGING SPIRITUAL LANGUAGE AND ENERGY TO THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY (Video) 6 May 2019By Ezra Silk, Director of Policy & Strategy for The Climate MobilizationEvery single species comes to a point where if its behavior is maladaptive for its survival it will either ... evolve or it will go extinct. And it’s only the most magical thinking which leads any of us to believe that that doesn’t apply to our species also. And yet our species is behaving in maladaptive ways. We fight too much and we are at war against our own habitat.

Now, in every species, what happens if it does survive is a mutation arrives. And in spiritual terms the mutations are the great spiritual masters. The mutations are the great religious and spiritual figures who have arrived on the planet and demonstrated, not only expressed with their words, but demonstrated with their behavior, another way … It’s time for us to awaken from our magical thinking. The survival of our democracy is not guaranteed and the survival of the human race is not guaranteed, either.

Marianne Williamson: Bringing Spiritual Language and Energy to the Climate Emergency (Video)In the above video, Marianne Williamson, Josh Fox and Ezra Silk discuss the climate emergency and the politics of love needed to save our world.

THE UNINHABITABLE EARTHGenerations, Warns Climate Columnist David Wallace-WellsStory at-a-glance New book “Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming” warns climate change could cost $600 trillion — twice the world’s total wealth — in damages by the end of the century In the history of mankind, 50% of all carbon released into the atmosphere occurred in the last 30 years The burning of fossil fuels and chemical-intensive industrial agriculture are the main drivers of climate change

The good news is that humans have the power to stop, and potentially reverse, climate change, but the solution is not fancy new carbon-capturing technology The best solution to climate change is to harness the power of Mother Nature in the form of organic regenerative agriculture and the restoration of forests, peatlands, mangroves and other ecosystem habitats capable of drawing down and storing excess atmospheric carbon

The good news is that humans have the power to stop, and potentially reverse, climate change, but the solution is not fancy new carbon-capturing technology The best solution to climate change is to harness the power of Mother Nature in the form of organic regenerative agriculture and the restoration of forests, peatlands, mangroves and other ecosystem habitats capable of drawing down and storing excess atmospheric carbon

the truth is that in the history of mankind, 50% of all the carbon we’ve released into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels has occurred within the last 30 years.7That means the fate of the entire planet may lie in the hands of just two generations, because what happens in the next 50 to 100 years from now will depend on how humans address climate change today, Wallace-Wells says.

David Wallace-Wells is Deputy editor and climate columnist for New York magazine. His book "The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming" is available now.https://youtu.be/RoWXvMQ3xqg

MUMBAI BEACH CLEANING3.5 years ago Mumbai beach was smothered with plastic rubbish. Thanks to the incredible effort of one man 🙏 Afroz Shah 🙏 - who kickstarted the world's largest beach cleanup - 🐢 turtles have started to hatch again. ""I make a change, together we make the difference" 🌎https://dms.licdn.com/playback/C4E05AQFDjSMYbsLYEw/575ae5ef271545ff8005fa08c0181fee/feedshare-mp4_500-captions-thumbnails/1507940118923-hysdc8?e=1561230000&v=beta&t=swslITkYrf_YEzVX0Mzs_27F9vue6zAWcPuYmN09mk0

POPE FRANCIS SPEAKING ON YOUTUBEIlia Delio speaking at same conference"We are theologically still very narrow when it comes to reconceiving the human person within the wider realm of creation," said Franciscan Sr. Ilia Delio, a theologian at Villanova University who has studied extensively the integration of religion and science.https://youtu.be/19v0A19DDXs1:37 hr

“While there have been many good books, papers and academic panels, she said she sees little theological change stemming from Laudato Si'', or other church documents on the environment, so far..."I see no real movement. I see a lot of good people and there's a lot of goodwill, but we are heading towards a very, very different world, a world that will bear the consequences of global warming," she told NCR. "And that's just our current reality.“https://www.ncronline.org/news/environment/where-science-warnings-fail-can-moral-force-push-us-out-climate-inertia?clickSource=email

“But Delio said the reliance on theological classics like Augustine and Aquinas has, in a way, marginalized more modern thinkers, like Jesuit Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Passionist Fr. Thomas Berry. To Delio, that has prevented the church from theologically taking on evolution and understanding nature from the dynamics of changing complexity she says is necessary to arrive at the worldview Francis holds up in the encyclical."We can't keep relying on medieval philosophies and theologies to do theology in the 21st century," she said. "We need to really do what science does, and that is shift paradigms. And we haven't done that."

PIERRE TEILHARD DE CHARDINWhat would Teilhard say? Evolve or be annihilated?Delio writes: “In 1953, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote an essay on "The Agony of Our Age: A World That Is Asphyxiating," in which he pointed out that after eons of slow expansion, the human species has entered a phase of compression. Every part of the globe is inhabited by the human species and we are all now confronted by a new reality on this Earth...

“The internet and mass media have made the world even smaller by providing instant news every moment of the day. What we see is a wellspring of humanity competing for limited resources and land. This flood of sheer humanity, Teilhard wrote, is seeping through every fissure and drowning the rest of us. We are becoming enervated both intellectually and physically, from lack of solitude and of nature.”https://www.globalsistersreport.org/column/spirituality/what-would-teilhard-say-evolve-or-be-annihilated-47626

DAVID SUZUKI LETTER“We have little time to get emissions under control before we lock in so much CO2 and other greenhouse gases that temperatures will rise to catastrophic levels...“We’re caught in a bad cycle. Global greenhouse gas emissions are still rising, causing more extreme weather events and temperature swings. Hotter than normal weather in some places and colder in others means more people are using heat and air conditioning, which creates more emissions…Avoiding climate chaos means zeroing in on emissions

“As one of the highest per capita emitters, we can and must do our part to help the world avoid climate chaos.”https://davidsuzuki.org/story/avoiding-climate-chaos-means-zeroing-in-on-emissions/?utm_campaign=scienceMatters-avoidingClimateChaos-en-21jun2019&utm_source=mkto-none-smSubscribers-link-readOnline&utm_medium=email

A MESSAGE FROM THE FUTURE WITH ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZWhat if we actually pulled off a Green New Deal? What would the future look like?The Intercept presents a film narrated by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and illustrated by Molly Crabapple. Set a couple of decades from now, the film is a flat-out rejection of the idea that a dystopian future is a forgone conclusion. Instead, it offers a thought experiment: What if we decided not to drive off the climate cliff?

What if we chose to radically change course and save both our habitat and ourselves? We realized that the biggest obstacle to the kind of transformative change the Green New Deal envisions is overcoming the skepticism that humanity could ever pull off something at this scale and speed. That’s the message we’ve been hearing from the “serious” center for four months straight: that it’s too big, too ambitious, that our Twitter-addled brains are incapable of it, and that we are destined to just watch walruses fall to their deaths on Netflix until it’s too late. This film flips the script

It’s about how, in the nick of time, a critical mass of humanity in the largest economy on earth came to believe that we were actually worth saving. Because, as Ocasio-Cortez says in the film, our future has not been written yet and “we can be whatever we have the courage to see.” Watch the video below https://theintercept.com/2019/04/17/green-new-deal-short-film-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/?comments=1#commentsSubscribe to our channel: https://interc.pt/subscribeRead the article from Naomi Klein: https://interc.pt/2UktTeEhttps://youtu.be/d9uTH0iprVQ - 7:30 min

A MESSAGE FROM THE FUTURE WITH ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZNaomi Klein April 17 2019“... This skepticism is understandable. The idea that societies could collectively decide to embrace rapid foundational changes to transportation, housing, energy, agriculture, forestry, and more — precisely what is needed to avert climate breakdown — is not something for which most of us have any living reference.”

“We have grown up bombarded with the message that there is no alternative to the crappy system that is destabilizing the planet and hoarding vast wealth at the top. From most economists, we hear that we are fundamentally selfish, gratification-seeking units. From historians, we learn that social change has always been the work of singular great men...”

SPIRITUAL ECOLOGY: THE CRY OF THE EARTHA film by Working with Oneness.Native American leader, Tiokasin Ghosthorse, says, "Humanity must shift from living on the Earth to living with her." If we accept that the Earth is a living being, can we also accept that it is in our capacity to destroy it? In "Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth", scientists and spiritual leaders of diverse faiths come together to show us how we can transform our relationship with this sacred Earth so that we are living in harmony

The collection of essays in this book offer a response to the values and socio-political structures of recent centuries with their trajectory away from intimacy with the Earth and its sacred essence. This trailer gives an eye opening glimpse into the reflections and wisdom offered by these inspiring leaders.http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=4395 5 min film

TEILHARD DE CHARDIN-THE DIVINE MILIEU EXPLAINED: A SPIRITUALITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY PAPERBACKSep 13 2007 by Louis M. Savary (Author) Clarifying Teilhard's Brilliance November 8, 2014 -Published on Amazon.comThe brilliant insights of Teilhard de Chardin as to the purpose of our lives can be tough for even serious readers to decipher. It did not help that since Teilhard was not allowed by the Catholic Church to publish during his lifetime he never had the benefit of working with a good editor. Louis Savary has done a valuable service by clarifying Teilhard’stheories.

Teilhard’s ideas articulated in Savary’s book that I found particularly powerful included:“Spiritual growth is not about dodging personal sin and saving one’s individual soul. We are on earth to advance human progress. An important way we can accomplish this is increasing meaningful connections between people.These human connections can run from building international organizations to establishing personal ties to others. All positive connections contribute to the evolution of life on earth which is dependent on what we do.”

“Any meaningful religious belief has to include enthusiastic acceptance of what is being learned through science. Science is the driving force enabling the enormous growth taking place in human connections and in knowledge.Advancing human progress is done in the material world. “To love God requires loving the world.”“Man discovers that he is nothing else than evolution become conscious of itself.”

“In whatever field you happen to be engaged in, the way you lose yourself in God is by developing your area of expertise to the fullest …” “Not developing your capabilities to the fullest is a spiritual failure.”“For Teilhard all activities become holy and unifying efforts if they are done in ways that promote complexity, consciousness and human bonding.”

“Teilhard wants to remind us that every single particle of matter and thought in the universe is intertwined with every other single particle and thought. Everything is interacting with everything else in one big system of which we are each interacting parts.”“Praying in faith does not replace human effort. God is not going to give us, simply because we pray, all the new knowledge and skill needed for the future.

“ God counts on us using all the capabilities and resources available to advance science, art and all human activities.”“Just as each cell in the human body must do its part well, each entity in the world must integrate its activities with billions of others. People who are not members of Christian religions may be contributing in ways that no Christian can.”

“Christ’s work is to transform the world, not to leave it behind.”“At time the emphasis in “The Divine Milieu Explained” is on why Teilhard’s theories are in accord with official Catholic teaching. For many this will be of great interest, but for some it may not be a high priority. What is important to all of us is Savary’sclarifying Teilhard’s theories so they are more readily understandable.”

THICH NHAT HANH, THE BUDDHIST MONK WHO INTRODUCED MINDFULNESS TO THE WEST, PREPARES TO DIE March 18, 2019“However, because of his peace work and refusal to choose sides in his country’s civil war, both the communist and noncommunist governments banned him, forcing Thich Nhat Hanh to live in exile for over 40 years. During these years, the emphasis of his message shifted from the immediacy of the Vietnam War to being present in the moment – an idea that has come to be called “mindfulness.”

Being aware of the moment“Thich Nhat Hanh first started teaching mindfulness in the mid-1970s. The main vehicle for his early teachings was his books. In “The Miracle of Mindfulness,” for example, Thich Nhat Hanh gave simple instructions on how to apply mindfulness to daily life. This book was translated into English for a global audience.”

“In his book, “You Are Here,” he urged people to pay attention to what they were experiencing in their body and mind at any given moment, and not dwell in the past or think of the future. His emphasis was on the awareness of the breath. As you follow the breath, he taught his readers to say internally, “I’m breathing in; this is an in-breath. I’m breathing out: this is an out-breath.” https://theconversation.com/thich-nhat-hanh-the-buddhist-monk-who-introduced-mindfulness-to-the-west-prepares-to-die-111

Mindfulness in America“Hanh’s mindfulness practices don’t advocate disengagement with the world. Rather, in his view, the practice of mindfulness could lead one toward “compassionate action,” like practicing openness to other’s viewpoints and sharing material resources with those in need.For Thich Nhat Hanh, however, mindfulness is not a means to a more productive day but a way of understanding “interbeing,” the connection and codependence of everyone and everything. In a documentary “Walk With Me,” he illustrates interbeing in the following way:”

HARVARD UNIVERSITY LECTURE BY GTI DIRECTOR PAUL RASKIN An in-depth exploration of alternative global scenarios and explanation of core Great Transition concepts and The Great Transition InitiativeAims and Background The Great Transition Initiative is an online forum of ideas and an international network for the critical exploration of concepts, strategies, and visions for a transition to a future of enriched lives, human solidarity, and a resilient biosphere.

By enhancing scholarly discourse and public awareness of possibilities arising from converging social, economic, and environmental crises, and by fostering a broad network of thinkers and doers, it aims to contribute to a new praxis for global transformation.https://greattransition.org/

https://greattransition.org/explore/videos There are 3 videos in the page which opens up with the address above1. Great Transition Ideas – video 6 minAn introductory overview of the GT framework and vision2. Visions of a Sustainable World video 10 minYale University interview with GTI Director Paul RaskinA discussion of the consciousness shift and global movement that can forge a path to a just and resilient future -3. Global Futures: The Great Transition Alternative – video 34 min – Great Transition Initiative

The 10 minute video presents highlights of an interview with Dr. Paul Raskin about his views on the pathways necessary to achieve a sustainable planetary civilization in the near-term future. Dr. Raskin posits that a global citizens movement and a Copernican shift in how humans perceive their relationship to earth are both necessary.

Dr. Raskin is the President and Founder of the TellusInstitute, the Founder of the Global Scenario Group, and a leader of the Great Transition Initiative. The interview is a companion to the Visions of a Sustainable World Speaker series at Yale, which brings scholars and practitioners to campus to help articulate positive, concrete visions of a sustainable global future and roadmaps for getting there.

JOURNEY TO EARTHLAND book by Paul RaskinThe Great Transition to Planetary Civilization“A global scenario pioneer charts a path to an organic planetary civilization, a vision that opens before us as both possibility and exigency in an interdependent and dangerous century.”

“We have entered the Planetary Phase of Civilization. Strands of interdependence are weaving humanity and Earth into a single community of fate—the overarching proto-country herein christened Earthland. In the unsettled twenty-first century, the drama of social evolution will play out on a world stage with the perils many and dark premonitions all too plausible.”

“Still, a Great Transition to a planetary civilization of enriched lives and a healthy planet remains possible. But how? What forms of collective action and consciousness can redirect us toward such a future? Who will lead the charge? What might such a world look like?”

“Journey to Earthland offers answers. It clarifies the world-historical challenge; explains the critical role of a global citizens movement in advancing social transformation; and paints a picture of the kind of flourishing civilization that might lie on the other side of a Great Transition.In this pivotal moment, the odyssey to a different world is underway yet the ultimate destination depends on choices and struggles yet to come. Acting to prevent the futures we dread is where our work must begin. But the larger task is to foster the finer Earthland we and our descendants deserve.”

is the founding president of the Tellus Institute. In addition, he established the Global Scenario Group and the Great Transition Initiative. His work has focused on visions and strategies for a sustainable and just future. Toward that end he has pioneered widely-used models for integrated assessment, served as lead author on numerous international assessments, and published widely. Dr. Raskin holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from Columbia University. Paul Raskin

PARADIGM SHIFT to a more inclusive model of livingDr Carolyn ReinhartMany people have been saying, in varying ways and with varying voices that we have needed a paradigm shift for a long time now. But then it seems to take a long time for enough awakening to happen to enough people so that the importance of change becomes so obvious. I have included, below, some diagrammatic suggestions and representation of what was involved in such a change and transformation – ie these diagrams emerged during my 4 year Doctoral Participative Action Research process with a charity in the UK.

150NEW PARADIGM & WORLDVIEWin a new global communityboth oppressors and oppressed changeDOMINANT PARADIGM OPPRESSED PARADIGM SHIFTjourney of change & transformation. THE BASIC MODEL OF INCLUSIVITYdualisms© C Reinhart

151(Fisher, 1995) (Manazan,1996) The NEW PARADIGM AND WORLDVIEW is one of inclusion and companionship viewing with the loving eye in a circle of mutual connectedness. The paradigm of power is mutual influence and relationships with relational powerand collaboration, in a new global communityThe old dominant paradigm & worldviewis one of power, with its arrogant eye and stare operating within patriarchal and hierarchical structures and dominant relationships living with a disconnected separate independent self Therefore “others” are oppressed, living in subordinate relationships, marginalized and experience powerlessness as victims, which now includes our “earth home” and natural environment.Consequently a metanoia and paradigm shift is required, to one of relational power and collaboration, shifting from the “I” to the “we”, which therefore includes a journey of change and transformation.Both the oppressors and the oppressed must change; each converted to a new relation of mutuality. We are freed from the need either to control or remain submissive.THE BASIC MODEL OF INCLUSIVITYWhich results in dualisms and dichotomies of either-or

SOCIAL Outer life and ethic: “living spirituality praxis” in our global village, organisations, society, churches, businesses, corporations, governments, margins and charities. PERSONALInner life and ethic:“Living spirituality praxis” a change from withinIntegrating theory and practice = praxis Spirituality implies living it out in a contextSOCIAL CONTEXT FOR PRAXISinner ethic connected with outer ethic© C ReinhartSpirituality is not just individual but systemic and contextualised – embodied in individuals and organisations

153Journey in the spirit to a common goalInnerknowingPeople can no longer separate themselves from problemsOuter expression in ….RacismViolencejusticepeaceEcology… the here and nowof our Complex Western SocietyCONNECTING INNER AND OUTER SPIRITUALITYThese problems can only be solved at the level of Spirit not of themind. The goal of each religion is the same so we can join handsin this journey toward a common goal and so experience unity in diversity. A challenge to the institutional religions. (Johnson 2000:84)• integrate inner knowing and outer expression • find ways to live spiritual journey• authentic spiritual life must be fulfilled here and now in place we live • not enough to recognize spiritual longing our hearts need to be renewed© C Reinhart

154HOLINESS AND SOCIAL ACTION COMBINE IN:✓ Individuals✓ Organisations✓ Societydiscrimination, disadvantage, domination, oppression replaced by empowerment and enabling© C Reinhartall must transform

155A move to new paradigmAnd awareness raisingThis change is a personal and social JOURNEY for life

156

157KEY POINTS OF THE SOCIETAL MODEL1. We are part of an enormous world wide crisis which is growing daily2. within our “global” community where3. inner & outer knowing & change can’t be separated4. but requires change at both individual and social levels.5. since spirituality permeates our personal and social lives© C Reinhart

UNDERSTANDINGfor this on-going process continuing to develop a spirituality praxis …1. Requires intentional social activity2. The need for emancipatory transformation3. Living with relational power and collaboration

4. listening to marginalised people and those engaged in justice, peace and the integrity of creation5. who are bringing their agenda to the forfront6. personal wake up calls – happen through illness, death, shock, insight, or other realisations7. interdependent Relationships, Transformation and Change

160ATTRIBUTES OF THE JOURNEYDiagram 19• Understanding “Personal is political” challenges us to transform human relationships and institutions and to restructure in accordance to equal humanity and the integrity of all people.• recover and release repressed energies which have been violated by the surrounding culture and therefore split off from consciousness and submerged in the psyche. • Belief systems and day to day practices have imprisoned us all in roles which deny humanity. • Those who then make this journey are participants of the most universal social change. In fact the survival of the world order is at stake as we struggle to rescue ourselves. • The fruit is that the goal of replacing individualism with love will have been achieved. • Our idea of God needs to undergo transformation with a radical redefinition of God and just changing the language is confusing and unsatisfactory… The incomprehensible God transcends and transforms present images and symbols so we can internalise, relocate and reinterpret this God of love, • In this contemplative love, not given on demand, and experienced beyond conscious control we are purified from projections. Then we can give theology the insights it needs to search out new doctrines of God.•We realise that we can live out this change when we are able to love others more deeply as more integrated, whole and complete persons. • God is a mystery, Presence, Power, Love . God and love are inseparable – it is not possible to tear them apart. God is our capacity to love and is the power and spark that animates our love. The new paradigm is one of participation where the whole pattern of domination is demolished –The new paradigm of sharing one body, one life, mutual selfhood as friends. DOMINATIONSUBMISSION•oppression, •exploitation•Experiences of pain, domination, •Recognising a dissonance between what is and what ought to beOwn the pain and actively appropriate the experience of love during the transformationBoth categories perish and are demolished into the new order of participation

161HOLISTIC SPIRITUALITY PRAXISsummary1. As a life project addresses cultural concerns 2. to eliminate causes of oppression3. with an empowering quality of life4. where the inner and outer ethic are connected5. and integrated – fundamental to healthy praxis

1626. Spirituality not just theory and ideology 7. but with “felt knowing” and experience8. not just individual but systemic & contextualised9. embodied in people and organisations 10. in its structures, attitudes, ethos, relationships, context, vision, mission and practice11. people ARE the organisation – embody the life structure, life style and values professed12. integrating body, mind and spirit13. embodying the life style and values professed14. an empowering and enabling environment PRAXIS

15. where justice and peace can be lived out16. in actual relationships17. life and health of individuals, groups, organisation and society is fundamental to healthy praxis18. “living spirituality” happens when people “are”what they are talking about:living “WITH” not “over” or “under” people thus enabled and empoweredothers can tell by the fruit© C Reinhart

16419. love overcomes “praxis of exclusion” when 20. we stop discriminating and exclude no one21. involves “deep democracy”22. socio-political awareness23. entails choices and decisions,24. Spirituality doesn't discriminate CONTEXTS in its passion for democratic, right & interactive relationships25. In a liberatory, emancipatory, empowering, enabling environment.

SPIRITUAL/TRANSFORMATIONAL PARADIGM Aspects and outcomes1. Flatter structures2. greater interconnection3. empowerment - all levels4. liberation and spirituality affect: economic, political, social, psychological, cultural and religious lives

5. deep transformative journeys: individuals, organisations & societies committed to spiritual praxis.6. theories of chaos and self - organisation provide new ways to model non-linear, complex behaviour of dynamic systems

1671. one of participation where whole pattern of domination is demolished2. individuals, organisations and society must all transform since all are connected and3. when enough individuals and organisations do shift to a new paradigmKEY POINTS OF A NEW PARADIGM …

1684. Those who make the journey are participants of the most universal social change5. In fact the survival of the world order is at stake as we struggle to rescue ourselves.6. So will society

169HALLMARKS OF LIVING WITH RELATIONAL POWER• Openness• Respect• Reciprocity• Mutualness• Compassion• Interdependence• Interconnectedness• Interrelationship• Co-operation • a passion for right relationship

170In a non-hierarchical web of relations• Empowering “with” others• Deep mutual• Egalitarian• In solidarity • Recognising “the other”• With radical unity and • Diversity• Democratic interactive relationships

171SOCIAL ASPECT OF THE MODEL… it is from a change in our perceptions that external change happens.The starting point for change is not system change but a change in ourselves because …

172• when enough individuals and organisations shift to the new paradigm there is greater likelihood that society will transform as well. (Neal et al, 2000:5-14)• Small pockets of people who can humbly advocate a “true integral spirituality” by example and liberation are those who have experienced a radical and “authentic transformation” at the deepest seat of consciousness itself. (Wilber, 1997)• living more than a superficial changeTHE HOPE AND BELIEF

173•Environmental disasters•Global crisis•Terrorism and war•Migrations of millions•Diseases spreading•Stress and despair•Financial imbalances•Political lack of wisdom•etcSOME OF THE GLOBAL CONCERNS, REALITY & ISSUES TODAYOld paradigmOppressive systemsGod imagesNew paradigmPeople Earth homeTransformationAt personal, social, global levels

Excluded MinoritiesDisabled peopleWomenRacismFirst NationContemporaryPhilosophyWisdomEducationLearningLanguageArtsGlobal EventsSocietyPoliticsAnthropologyPersonal Searching& experienceMedicalProfessional HealthBody – Mind - SpiritTheologyOrganized ReligionChurchSpiritualityPsychologyRelationshipsWork placeBusiness ManagementLeadershipOrganizationsArchitectureScienceQuantum PhysicsBiologyCosmologyConsciousnessEnvironmentEcologyOne world We are allconnected1435678910Various fields concerned with “Spirituality”One world We are allconnected12

dominant• “arrogant eye”• seeing everything in relationship to self - “for me”oppressed conform• exploitation subtle• earth, nature, senses dulled by modern technology• global environment in crisisPARADIGM SHIFTfrom the “I” to the “we”, need new lens for seeingECOLOGICAL REFORMATION SUMMARYSpirituality is dichotomised from nature© C ReinhartECOLOGICAL MODEL A new vision for humanity and world• look with the “loving eye”,• living with equality & empowerment• respect for selves, each other, Divine and earth.

THE PLANET• Since we live in an evolving universe the PROBLEM is not to protect the possessions of the individual• So much as to guide the person to wholeness in order that the spiritual energies of the planet may reach their highest development

178AN ENVIRONMENT OF LOVEa quality and way of life – Faith LeesCreating an environment reformed by the power of love, depends on:✓relationships✓feelings and thoughts integrated✓embody vision = others “experience” tangible nature of love✓ not falling in gap between what is “said” and what is “lived out”✓stand up for justice and peace

179“Where is God in this picture? God is allover the place. God is up there, down here,inside my skin and out. God is the web, theenergy, the space, the light – not capturedin them, as if any of those concepts weremore real than what unites them – butrevealed in that singular, vast net ofrelationships that animates everythingthere is.”( Barbara Brown Taylor)

180© C Reinhart

Teilhard de Chardin believed that spirit is ultimate reality and a spiritual outlook is the only authenticoutlook; all life, at the human level, is ‘spiritual’ life or it is , quite literally meaningless.

Each of us is a spiritual being which makes communication between myself and another human being something more than the mere interaction of sound waves etcWhen he talks about the phenomenon of spirit , ‘physically defined by a certain tension of consciousness on the surface of the earth.

TODAY’S NEWS FROM ECOWATCH24 June 2019 I included this article today just before I publish this simple booklet. It is very current and has other resources listed along with photographs and videos. It is giving yet another example of the awareness and responsibility people are now feeling and acting upon.

70 Arrested at Extinction Rebellion Protest Demanding More Urgent Climate Coverage From New York Times Olivia Rosane Jun. 24, 2019 07:33AM ESTThe protest comes around a month after The Guardian updated its style guide for environmental reporting to reflect the urgency of climate change. The paper said it would replace "climate change" with "climate emergency, crisis or breakdown"and refer to "global warming" as "global heating.“https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-protestors-new-york-times-2638965371.html?rebelltitem=10#rebelltitem10

THE ENDIt seemed relevant and fitting to include this poem at the end of all the other considerations that have been explored

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