Today is Earth Day… Celebrate Life!
Posted by msterilinn on Apr 22, 2008
Although I am mindful of this wonderful and beautiful Earth each and every day, today is as fine as any to create awareness. As folks celebrate world-wide, I send out my heartfelt prayers for the healing and preservation of this Sacred planet.
We lost a Great and Ancient tree to the machinations of modernization, just recently. My daughter and I have loved to walk a path through the trees near a river by our home. Along this path lived a beautiful Cottonwood tree, the largest I have ever seen, standing watch over all the smaller plants and trees nearby. Each time we passed this Ancient Spirit we would stop and touch it, giving a prayer of thanks for the air we breathe and the wonderful shade provided during hot days. Although we love all that is green and natural, this Ancient One held a special place in our hearts. It had been here for much longer than the ugliness of some places nearby, and brought a timeless beauty to this place.
Last week we were walking across the river from this favourite tree, and I stumbled when I looked to see this tree. I could not seem to catch my breath and tears came to my eyes. My daughter grew concerned and asked me what was wrong. When I could speak I pointed across the river with a heavy heart. Our dear and beautiful tree still stood, yet all of it’s branches had been cut off. This still-living tree was about to be cut down, for no reason that I could see. It was still healthy and strong! I felt the pain of this quite deeply, and was so sad!
We crossed the river the next day. I truly dreaded approaching the part of the path where this Great tree had lived for so long. It still stood, and I swear I could feel the pain of this poor tree as it stood, with all of its branches full of new life, lying in piles around it. My daughter was very sad as well and asked me why. Why had they done this to a tree in a place where nothing was to be built and the tree represented Life, and was no danger to folks walking? I do not know why… so I approached the tree and offered tobacco to the spirit of this Ancient One. I cried and prayed and asked forgiveness for man’s folly. We said goodbye to this wonderful tree that had given us such pleasure and comfort on our many walks. This place no longer brought me pleasure, and I am not certain we shall return. I prefer to stroll in the wild places that man has not touched.
Each day it is good to take time to honor Life, and all living things. We do not own this planet… we are just here for a little while. The Earth is Ancient, and generous in her gifts. It is only right to be thankful for what we have been blessed with, and to teach our children to be caring and thankful as well. This is part of the great Balance. So each day, let us promote Life by planting seeds, and nurturing our gardens and forests. Let us care for each other as well.
Here are a few helpful tips to get started…
Reduce - Reuse – Recycle; bring your reusable grocery totes. If you must buy disposables, buy paper products rather than plastic or Styrofoam. The manufacture of Styrofoam depletes the ozone layer.
Conserve water, waste not and fix leaks.
Use fewer harmful chemicals and pollutants, and dispose of them properly.
Try to use phosphate-free laundry and dish soaps.
Don’t use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by hand.
Save your kitchen scraps for the compost pile.
Boycott tuna or buy only “dolphin-safe”
Use Seafood Watch to choose seafood that’s good for you, and good for the oceans.
Volunteer your time to conservation projects.
Participate in stream and beach cleaning programs.
Become more involved in marine environmental issues.
Vote for candidates that share your sentiments.
Write your legislators when you have an opinion about pending legislation on environmental, land use and other issues.
Plant native, insect resistant, trees and shrubs in your backyard to provide food and shelter for birds and other creatures.
Pull weeds instead of using herbicides.. Learn about natural insect controls as alternatives to pesticides.
Use public transit.. Ride your bike or walk instead.. Drive a more gas efficient car.
Please help block dirty fuels in Western Wildlands
Posted by msterilinn on Mar 14, 2008
Please take a few moments to read this very important message…
The Bush administration wants to sacrifice some of the wildest regions of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming to produce fuel from two of the most polluting sources: oil shale and tar sands.
This proposed development — spanning an area of more than two million acres of wildlife habitat and outstanding recreation areas across three states — could pollute air and water, jeopardize human health and dramatically worsen global warming.
Please go to http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction and tell the Bush administration to protect these sensitive wildlands for future generations and promote cleaner sources of energy instead.
Oil shale is rock that produces oil when heated to extreme temperatures. Tar sands contain extremely heavy oil mixed with sand and clay. Tar sands development in Canada has displaced wildlife, created toxic waste sites that go on for miles and generated three times the amount of global warming pollution per barrel produced as conventional fuel.
We must act now to shield our own western wildlands from thisnightmare scenario. Oil shale and tar sands development could release dangerous toxic elements such as arsenic, selenium, and boron into the Colorado River watershed — a vital source of drinking water for local communities.
This area is also home to mule deer, elk, mountain lions, black bears, bald eagles and great horned owls and offers exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities.
Go to http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction and tell the Bush administration to put the brakes on dirty oil shale and tar sands development in America’s West.
Thank you for helping to save our last western wildlife habitats from destructive development.
The amazing Endangered Gorilla.. Please Help!
Posted by msterilinn on Mar 11, 2008
The largest of the great apes, the gorilla is among our most endangered species. Gorillas are shy and peaceful. The only natural enemy of gorillas has always been human beings. Gorillas are still hunted for meat (bushmeat) and trophies in some parts of Africa, and they are caught in traps set for other animals. In the past, whenever an infant gorilla was captured for a zoo, the mother and often the other members of the family were killed as they defended the baby. Now the most serious threat to free-living gorillas is the human population explosion. As more and more people take over the land for agriculture, logging and other development, the gorillas have nowhere left to go.
Please come and join us at Vote4Cause and vote for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International..
Description: The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is dedicated to the conservation and protection of gorillas and their habitats in Africa. We are committed to promoting continued research on their threatened ecosystems and education about their relevance to the world in which we live. In collaboration with government agencies and other international partners, we also provide assistance to local communities through education, health, training and economic development initiatives.
Please join us to vote and chat…the gorillas need you!
Go here and Vote… Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
Thank you!
Take a few moments to visit World Wild Life to learn more about these wonderful creatures.
You may also wish to visit Koko Kids Club to get some amazing facts about Gorillas.
All Life is Sacred…
Hawaii’s vital Wetlands going dry..
Posted by msterilinn on Feb 28, 2008
Here is another example of why we must pay very close attention to our surrounding environment as we walk through this Life. Hawaii’s wetlands are a vital part of the ecosystem, and the danger is very real. Please read the following, and let your voice be heard on this important matter…
Wetlands Going Dry
By Brandon Roberts, Molokai Dispatch, 27 February 2008
Disappearing Mana..e wetlands cause concern.
The lack of zoning enforcement on Molokai’s wetlands may bring serious environmental problems and cultural violations. Community leaders met with Mana..e (East End) residents to discuss development which is potentially damaging the wetlands in the area.
The lo..i (irrigated terrace) and the loko i..a (fishpond) are intrinsic with the culture and represent a living balance between the po..e (people) and the ..aina (land). Some of the development may be irresponsible and indiscriminate.
The non-profit organization Malama Pono O Ka ..Aina hosted the meeting last Saturday at the Kilohana Community Center, to gather input from the residents. Guest speakers included Rep. Mele Carroll, DLNR Branch Chief Randy Awo, and cultural specialist Vanda Hanakahi. Community members also gave valuable testimony.
“Indigenous knowledge cannot be ignored,” kumu ..Opu..ulani Albino said. “Best practices are found in the people who live with the land.”
Carroll revived the ‘Aha Kiole advisory council on Molokai and across the Hawaiian Islands The ..Aha Kiole exists as a bridge between the farmer, the hunter, the homesteader, the community, and state legislators.
Hanakahi, chairwoman of the ..Aha Kiole council, made a cultural presentation, explaining why the Mana..e coastal lands are a vital part of the Hawaiian culture.
“We want to create a Hawaii that Hawaiians would like to see,” Hanakahi said.
Prior to the meeting, Carroll, along with Awo and other officials took an ocean excursion to survey the development on the wetlands in Mana..e.
The meeting was a chance for Carroll to listen to residents’ concerns and receive public comments on hb2788. The bill seeks to prohibit wetlands development that did not include a “public informative meeting”before a permit is issued.
“What do you want to see in your community?” Carroll asked. “My role is to convey the message of the people.”
Awo gathered notes on community concerns, from jet skis on the reef to zoning infractions on the wetlands . He reassured the attendees that he would speak with the proper agencies and follow up on these concerns.
Possible zoning infractions were photographed by Malama Pono O Ka ..Aina and presented at the meeting in a slide show. The photographs show homes that speckle the Mana..e shoreline, some with Ho..olehua red dirt piles intended to fill the wetlands.
This imported earth may contain heptachlor, an insecticide used on the old pineapple plantation fields. Many residents fear water contamination. Exposure to heptachlor has been linked to liver damage and is associated with an increased risk of cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency banned heptaclor in 1978, yet it still lingers in the environment.
Other wetland residents may have illegal sea walls, boat ramps, and roads through the loko i..a. In some instances, shoreline trees were cut and bulldozed right into the ocean.
Attendees were frustrated with the lack of consistency and communication between various governmental agencies, as well as inadequate enforcement. Currently there is no zoning enforcement agency on Molokai, and meeting attendees feel this is one reason why there is wetlands abuse.
Malama Pono O Ka ..Aina President Linda Place wants to “work together to protect the wetlands.” She said this is possible through a “management swap,” which would transfer sensitive coastal lands into the protective custody of an appropriate governmental or non-profit entity.
Malama Pono O Ka ..Aina strives to “assure development that is lawful and respectful of the environmental health and historical culture of Mana..e, Molokai,” according to its mission statement.
Malama Pono O Ka ..Aina will host its next meeting March 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Kilohana Community Center. All interested persons are encouraged to attend and share their mana..o.
Roots & Shoots.. An Environmental Global Mission
Posted by msterilinn on Jan 4, 2008
Shall we devote a few minutes of our precious time to a mission both noble and humanitarian? Seeing as this is a program instituted through the Jane Goodall Institute, we all know it brings great value to the Environment and natural causes. I am proud to bring about awareness of a program called Roots & Shoots.
What is Roots & Shoots? The Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen—for our communities, for animals and for the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in almost 100 countries, the Roots & Shoots network branches out across the globe, connecting youth of all ages who share a common desire to help make our world a better place.
What is the Mission of Roots & Shoots?
*To foster respect and compassion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs and to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment.
What are the Goals of Roots & Shoots?
*To implement positive change through active learning about, caring for and interacting with the environment.
*To demonstrate care and concern for all animals.
*To enhance understanding among individuals of different cultures, ethnic groups, religions, socio-economic levels and nations through our global communications network.
*To help young people develop self-respect, confidence in themselves and hope for the future.
If you are interested in getting involved, and perhaps starting your own group in your area, please visit Roots & Shoots today, and see for yourself what you can do. Join tens of thousands of young people from almost 100 countries!
Mercury contamination helps save Dolphins
Posted by msterilinn on Jan 8, 2007
Talk about disgusting.. eating
Dolphins?! Now, that is really
gross. I am most definately a
Dolphin lover, so I find the
idea of eating these graceful,
intelligent beings quite repulsive.
Yet, there may be very good news in this appalling scenario.
On December 26, 2006, the director of food products for the Okuwa
Supermarket Corporation, Mr. Yasunari Kanki, banned the sale of
all dolphin meat in all of their stores. The ban on dolphin meat
is official, and the supermarket chain will decide if the ban is
to be permanent after they test their own samples.
Now, if they hold true to their word, others may follow this
example. Find out more here… “Ban Sale of Dolpin meat!”
Well.. they are not stopping consumption of these precious dolphins
for the dolphins sake, which is sad but true. Yet there are those
who would save these beautiful creatures, and you can learn more
about this by visiting “Save Taiji Dolphins Campaign”
You too can Take Action today!
~*~ Message from Chief Arvol Looking Horse ~*~
Posted by msterilinn on Oct 27, 2006
I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nation,
ask you to understand an Indigenous perspective on what has happened
in America, what we call “Turtle Island.” My words seek to unite the
global Community through a message from our sacred ceremonies to
unite spiritually, each in our own ways of beliefs in the Creator.
We have been warned from Ancient Prophecies of these times we live
in today, but have also been given a very important message about a
solution to turn these terrible times around.
To understand the depth of this message you must recognize the
importance of Sacred Sites and realize the interconnectedness of what
is happening today, in reflection of the continued massacres that are
occurring on other lands and our own Americas.
I have been learning about these important issues since the age of 12,
upon receiving the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle and its
teachings. Our people have striven to protect Sacred Sites from the
beginning of time. These places have been violated for centuries and
have brought us to the predicament that we are in at the global level.
Look around you. Our Mother Earth is very ill from these violations,
and we are on the brink of destroying the possibility of a healthy and
nurturing survival for generations to come, our children’s children.
Our ancestors have been trying to protect our Sacred Site called the
Sacred Black Hills in South Dakota, “Heart of Everything That Is,”
from continued violations. Our ancestors never saw a satellite view of
this site, but now that those pictures are available, we see that it is in
the shape of a heart and, when fast-forwarded, it looks like a heart
pumping.
The Dine have been protecting Big Mountain, calling it the liver, and
we are suffering and going to suffer more from the extraction of the
coal from there and the poison processes used in doing so.
The Aborigines have warned of the contaminating effects of global
warming on the Coral Reefs, which they see as Mother Earth’s blood
purifier.
The Indigenous people of the rainforest relay that the rainforest are
the lungs of the planet and need protection.
The Gwich’in Nation has had to face oil drilling in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge coastal plain, also known to the Gwich’in as “Where
life begins!”
The coastal plain is the birthplace of many life forms of the Animal
Nations. The death of these Animal Nations will destroy Indigenous
Nations in this territory.
As these destructive developments continue all over the world, we
will witness many more extinct Animal, Plant, and Human Nations,
because of mankind’s misuse of power and their lack of understanding
of the “balance of life.”
The Indigenous people warn that these destructive developments will
cause havoc globally. There are many, many more Indigenous
awarenesses and knowledge about Mother Earth’s Sacred Sites, her
Chakras, connections to our spirit that will surely affect our future
generations.
There needs to be a fast move toward other forms of energy that are
safe for all Nations upon Mother Earth. We need to understand the
types of minds that are continuing to destroy the spirit of our whole
global community. Unless we do this, the powers of destruction will
overwhelm us. Our Ancestors foretold that water would someday be
for sale. Back then, this was hard to believe, since the water was so
plentiful, so pure, and so full of energy, nutrition, and spirit.
Today we have to buy pure water, and even then the nutritional
minerals have been taken out; it’s just empty liquid. Someday water
will be like gold, too expensive to afford.
Not everyone will have the right to drink safe water. We fail to
appreciate and honor our Sacred Sites, ripping out the minerals and
gifts that layunderneath them as if Mother Earth were simply a
resource, instead of the Source of Life itself.
Attacking Nations and having to utilize more resources to carry out
destruction in the name of peace is not the answer! We need to
understand how allthese decisions affect the Global Nation; we will
not be immune to its repercussions. Allowing continual contamination
of our food and land is affecting the way we think.
A “disease of the mind” has set in world leaders and many members
of our global community, with their belief that a solution of retaliation
and destruction of peoples will bring Peace.
In our Prophecies it is told that we are now at the crossroads: Either
unite spiritually as a Global Nation, or be faced with chaos, disasters,
diseases, and tears from our relatives’ eyes.
We are the only species that is destroying the Source of Life, meaning
Mother Earth, in the name of power, mineral resources, and ownership
of land, using chemicals and methods of warfare that are doing
irreversible damage, asMother Earth is becoming tired and cannot
sustain any more impacts of war.
I ask you to join me on this endeavor. Our vision is for the Peoples of
all continents, regardless of their beliefs in the Creator, to come together
as one at their Sacred Sites to pray and meditate and commune with
one another, thus promoting an energy shift to heal our Mother Earth
and achieve a universal consciousness toward attaining Peace.
As each day passes, I ask all Nations to begin a global effort, and
remember to give thanks for the Sacred Food that has been gifted to us
by our Mother Earth, so the nutritional energy of medicine can be
guided to heal our minds and spirits.
This new millennium will usher in an age of harmony or it will bring the
end of life as we know it. Starvation, war, and toxic waste have been the
hallmark of the Great Myth of Progress and Development that ruled the
last millennium.
To us, as caretakers of the heart of Mother Earth, falls the responsibility
of turning back the powers of destruction. You yourself are the one who
must decide.
You alone - and only you - can make this crucial choice, to walk in honor
or to dishonor your relatives. On your decision depends the fate of the
entire World.
Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the
future of humankind.
Did you think the Creator would create unnecessary people in a time of
such terrible danger?
Know that you yourself are essential to this World. Believe that!
Understand both the blessing and the burden of that. You yourself are
desperatelyneeded to save the soul of this World. Did you think you
were put here for something less? In a Sacred Hoop of Life, there is no
beginning and no ending!
Chief Arvol Looking Horse
