Science/Nature/Climate Change

Four Lessons on How to Survive Politics (using tips for driving in the snow)

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There are four major rules for driving in the snow. Each has an important piece of advice for maneuvering through political strife today.

  1.  Go slowly. Travel at just the right speed to maintain traction but allow for surprising conditions. If you go too fast, panic, hit the brakes or make a sharp turn, you will be off the road and in a ditch pronto. Same with observing politics today. Don’t read too much, just enough to know what is going on, but not so much you panic. Keep a balance of friendship, family, fun along with civics, citizenship and charity. The steady American gets home safely.
  2. Keep a safe distance from the car in front of you. This means hang way back. If the car in front of you suddenly decides to brake, you will not be caught up in the ensuing slip and slide. Some folks today are completely caught up in the pundits, the 24 hour “news” cycle (spoiler alert: there is no such thing as 24 hour news) and the little chicken sky-is-falling mentality. When you hang back from this nonsense, you give your self space to see the bigger picture of a world functioning much better than the “news” would have you think. The thoughtful American keeps their sanity.
  3. Don’t travel in a pack. If you only huddle in among the likeminded, you risk missing important information you can only access when you break away. Give yourself enough space to see other viewpoints. When the pack of cars is heading for a cliff, each sliding off without time to stop, you want to be the smart one, looking at all the options, to decide if you, like a lemming, want to go off that cliff too – or find another way. The informed American sees the possibilities.
  4. Be prepared. Have a warm blanket, extra food, good boots for walking in case you get stuck on the side of the road. There are times when the news hits you right in the gut. When it feels like you have slid off the road and into a dark ditch. Make sure you are surrounded with warmth, music and the things that bring you peace. When the politics have you scared and alone, light a candle, breathe, call a friend and remember, this too will change. The self-caring American will have peace.

With all of us, together as one, we will find our way out of this mess of division and fear. There is another way. One where we find our commonality, our passions and make this country great because we have each others back. Slow down, look around. Travel at a steady pace. Good things come to those who live in love and act from that place. America needs that now, we need that now. Let’s make it happen.

Fog Not Smog

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Fall brings the turn of the leaves, crisp air and sometimes fog, winding in and out of autumn trees, laying low in mountain meadows or hovering over lakes and bays. A silky, soft white fog mimics how the path in life can sometimes be obscured and the way forward can be hard to see. Just as the fog appears to block our progress, life can feel unclear, uncertain with no discernible way to go.

Fog may feel uncomfortable, scary even, but only because we hold on to the belief we should always be in control, always know what’s going on, always know which way to turn. It seems a problem, a thing to fix or fight to be had to get rid of the unknown.

When we accept the unknown as a steady part of life, it becomes a normal occurrence, sometimes confusing and unsure of which way to turn, but a natural way to slow down, be more thoughtful and pay more attention. In these circumstances, moving forward with care, with openness, slowly, watching for what feels right is the solution.

Where fog is part of nature, there is a problem made by humans which can only be resolved by humans. It’s an environment of ugly, dangerous smog which today is thick and choking the life out of America, a haze which seems to be covering our country in a toxic, unhealthy blanket, smothering anything that is good, riling all that is noxious, hurt, vulnerable, fearful and angry as it travels, pulling all into it’s appalling clutches. The smog is insidious, lurking, finding it’s way into the homes of average Americans, telling lies, grooming unaware people for it’s greedy purposes.

I think many people feel lost right now, caught in a trap with no apparent way to escape. Yes, the path is obscured, but whether it’s hidden by fog or smog makes a huge difference in how you deal with the stuckness. How can you tell if you are enveloped in fog or smog? Which way to turn? The answer is actually pretty easy to figure out. Look at how you feel. If your foggy path is yearning to express love, compassion and empathy, if the fog feels velvet, smooth and caring, you’re fog is part of nature and you are on the path to making the world a better place.

If your path harbors anger, hatred or fear, if you are shunning large groups of people, fearful because of where they come from or the color of their skin, if you are worried about those you aren’t buying into your version of life, you have been coopted, likely unaware, into the smog. It can be hard to tell because the story is believed to be true by so many of your friends and you see people on TV and the radio expressing your same views. If you listen carefully though, you’ll hear the fear, the anger, the worry the world will be destroyed unless everyone comes to your way of thinking. Many Americans are heavy in the smog today.

There may be people who are well educated, seemingly reasonable folks, but listen carefully, what is their message? If it is one of fear, of certainty they have the answers, if only everyone would do what they want – run the other way. Life does not work that way. Solutions are always trial and error. Find those who do not have all the answers but know how to be successful while championing the values of caring and inclusion, where the road forward is built with compassion. Clear out the fear of the smog and embrace the mystery of the fog.

Be sure to know, history shows, the sun always comes out eventually. We hope for sooner rather than later, and yet, at times the fog seems to last forever, but, the sun does come out. The sun is always there, it’s only obscured from view.

The path is one step at a time, with love.

Top Environmental Organizations to Support (and which ones to avoid)

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Take heart and remember we, the collective we that cares about our planet, has got this. I know it doesn’t seem that way, but we are rising, organizing and getting it done.

Today finds us inundated with overwhelming bad news from the new administration on all fronts. It’s enough to send someone back to bed for the rest of the year AND it is only overwhelming if we imagine we have to do something, about everything, right now. Good news – you don’t.

What do we need to do? Pick one or two areas close to your heart. Do some research on who is doing good work in those areas. Find a way to support those organizations local and national. Then breathe, have some fun and remember it’s okay to laugh. It all feels so very bad right now but sinking into the dark won’t bring the light. Be the light and take action from there.

Today we talk about the environment so I did some very short research on top environmental organizations. The article spells out who is doing good work and who is not or is pretending to be for the environment when they actually have another agenda. This article is fairly old (2006) but I noticed the organizations listed are very much active and working hard today.

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2006/03/guide-environmental-non-profits

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National Parks

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How do you feel about being able to see and experience your National Parks, State Parks, County Parks, City and Town Parks? This new administration is making it easier for those parks to be destroyed by development of one kind or another.

Do you trust this new administration? Do you think they are following through on their promises to put Americans first? I can’t see it as I watch decision after decision to put business and money first.

We need to speak up, over and over again, on the issues that mean something to you.

Clean Water, Clean Air

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We take clean water and air for granted these days. It seems as if it naturally occurs but this is very far from the truth. The truth is that we have clean water and air because people demanded it in the 1960’s. Smog was commonplace. There were frequent ‘smog days’ when schools had to close because it was too dangerous to go outside. Industry would have gone along its merry way had we not banded together and created the laws to insist on a livable planet.

It’s tempting to want to trust politicians and business to do the right thing. Of course they want clean water and air too. And yet, profits and money get in the way. Wealthy people can avoid the issues of clean water and air by getting their own filters or moving away from unhealthy areas so it doesn’t really hit them at home. When we are out of the situation, it’s easy to forget the needs of others.

Flint is a great example of this. The water in Flint was not being used by wealthy people. It was easy to ignore the poor piping and lead. Poor people are helpless in getting folks to listen and eventually give in to the horrors. I was shocked to learn that the people of Flint were not outraged the filters were going to take months or years to get installed. This made clear to me the results of years and decades of oppression. Eventually people see this treatment as the norm.

It’s time for those of us who can, those of us who can see a bigger picture, to stand up for those who can’t. Where in your own area are people putting up with less than quality water and air? How can you find out? Call your local newspaper to gather information. Look up organizations online. Ask at your local library. Then get out there and do something.

Trusting Politicians?

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Let’s just wait and see what happens

Trusting – I’m all for it – Unless the person or situation has proven itself untrustworthy. You know, that whole fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. We are at a time in our history when a large part of our fellow Americans are trusting hugely in a new way of government rule, one that is secretive and asks to be trusted while removing democratic principle for checks and balances. This is very risky indeed.

I get it that we needed a change. It’s true there was a stagnation in Washington DC, and in many states, obstructing our ability to move forward. Unaware folks (I have been one of them) believed fake news and got information from very select sources that relied on opinion or just made things up to make money.

Some people rejected normal news sources as tainted or corrupt. “Facts” were believed and trusted from a very narrow band of individuals. This has been rising in our society for some time finding a place among a people that wanted an authoritarian power to just fix the problems. Unfortunately, this new system manipulates people who don’t get a breadth of news from a wide variety of sources and trust implicitly.

Here’s the thing – trust is earned, not given. How do you know if you can trust someone?

They do as they say they are going to do

They act honorably

They have everyones best interest at heart

They have a reputation for treating people fairly

We do not have such leaders in power today.

Look at the various news sources you consume. What do you think is their agenda? Why are they a news organization? Do they clarify opinion from news? How do you know you can trust this organization? Are they just repeating news from other sources? Do they employ investigative journalists?

Consider global warming. Some organizations would say it is a hoax made up by liberals, that nothing humans do affects the change of the temperatures. Think about it. Why would liberals make that up? What is the purpose? To make life harder for businesses? Why? When you give blind trust to an organization or individual, these kinds of questions don’t get asked, much less answered.

What is the agenda of denying human impact on the environment? There is a clear connection between denying global warming and making business profits. It’s easy to see how some people might lie or twist the truth to keep from having to comply with laws that protect the environment but require funding.

It would be quite a conspiracy theory that imagines all ninety-seven percent of scientists in the world are lying to support a liberal agenda that… what? Wants to make up a bunch of EPA rules just for the fun of making businesses pay extra money? Makes no sense.

Better is to have the discussion, what environmental rules are necessary and why? How can the government help businesses manage EPA rules and maintain a profit? What are multiple resources saying? How are other countries managing these changes? How can we make government and businesses more transparent so we can see if the issues rise from greed or need?

It doesn’t have to be either/or, you do it my way or you force me to do it your way. We can turn toward one another, listen, learn, find new answers in a challenging world. Who can you trust? How do you know they are trustworthy?

Mother Nature Monday

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This time of year weather is a bane to many folks around the country. Snow, sleet, ice, rain, darkness make for lousy driving and problems getting places. So many holiday parties and plans, so much cold and miserable. Mother Nature is doing her best to scour the countryside, clear out the debris, bring all the energy back into the roots, the earth.

We could learn something here. Winter is a time of pulling in, staying home, refreshing our energy. It’s about stillness. It’s about self-reflection. Holidays can also be about self-reflection about what matters to us most. Many, when they slow down, know what they really want is to be with family and friends.

Take a cue from Mother Nature and see if you can slow it down, focus on the people in your life. If not before the holidays aim for after. There is a let down after the holidays that can be depressing or refreshing. If you see it as time to be quiet, read something inspirational and take good care of yourself, you’ll feel your energy return. Make a plan today to bring some peacefulness and quiet into your life.

Mother Nature Requires Your Assistance

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Wherever you are on the Climate Change spectrum, nearly everyone agrees it’s a good idea to do something to help the planet. We all want clean water, healthy food to eat, and a vibrant farm community. Here are a few suggestions for taking action today.

  1. Pick up some litter and/or plant a tree
  2. Set up a monthly donation (large or small) to your favorite environmental cause
  3. Start recycling if you haven’t already
  4. Read some articles from reputable news sources (more on that on Friday) that have differing views from the ones you currently hold about the environment.
  5. Take a big deep breath of the beautiful air you breathe. Repeat frequently.