Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category
Becoming a Better Partner: What the Oil Spill Reveals About Our Ethical “Gulf”
“We are all connected” has been an idea around for centuries. What I do impacts the web. I have had to foster a sense of responsibility for my actions and thoughts because everything I do impacts something else – my children, my family, my self, the earth, life, the collective conscious, my co-workers, other people continents away.
It has brought me such deep and aching sadness to see birds blinded and covered in black oil, turtles littering beaches, and globs of brown goo washing up onto beautiful shores. I find it absolutely mystifying that people cannot see the larger picture – their actions and ways of being are killing our home. Their home. Their children’s homes. You would think that would enter their minds. Someone on Facebook mentioned that they thought we should fill up a few barrels of oil and go dump it into the bathtubs and swimming pools of the children of BP Execs. As tempting as that is, we would be hurting the innocent and would be no better than they. (more…)
Pierre Pradervand: Blessing and the Oil Spill
Instead of hate, BLESS
I’ve seen some interesting feedback on Facebook and Twitter about the oil spill, and one of the questions running around is “What is your idea on how to fix the oil leak in the Gulf?” Some responses were serious, and some not so, like “take all the execs of BP and plug it up with them!”
People are upset. And I would hope, people are also working to find solutions. Last night I watched Cousteau’s grandson go diving in the oil infested waters, and he likened the oil burning through the ocean above him to dark clouds in the sky. It was shown that the leak is 25 miles deep, and is now hallmarked as the largest oil spill in history, exceeding the Exxon tragedy.
Those are tough words to hear. (more…)
How to speak to kids about the oil spill with Debra Snyder, PhD
During the last week, I have had a multitude of emotions move through me in response to seeing the video of oil leaking into the ocean. I don’t get speechless often, but when I saw that footage, nothing came out of my mouth. I went through a bounty of anger and rage, with serious helpings of sadness and grief, and a bit of revenge on the side.
Unfortunately, my family – including children – were around me, and my own unskillfulness in speaking about it, mismanaging my energy, and sending out barbs only created a feeling of unease and fear. At the end of the day, I so wanted a do-over. Because that was not the space I wanted to speak from. (more…)
Action is the Antidote to Despair
We’ll thrilled to have a new blog post to share with you from the delightful Zoe Weil, author of Most Good, Least Harm.
You’re making all the right choices. You’re an organic locavore. Whenever possible, you bike, take public transportation, or walk instead of drive, and when you drive it’s a hybrid. You choose cruelty-free, toxin-free personal care products. You’re a member of a dozen different organizations all with missions you wholeheartedly support. Compact fluorescents? Of course. Bottled water? Never. Yoga and exercise? Regularly. A positive attitude? Absolutely.
But perhaps you, like me, have those dark nights of the despairing soul when you worry whether we really can turn things around on our beleaguered planet. You present a sunny disposition, but deep inside, you sometimes struggle with your own hopelessness. And then you head to your Zumba or Pilates class to sweat away your anxieties and have a shot of wheatgrass to give yourself a boost. You focus on your good choices to stave off any bad feelings lurking below the surface. (more…)
