High Mesa Happenings & Heartstrings

A Soothing, Summer Voyage into the Fantastic: a Must See

Summer is here! In past times, the car was loaded for a Summer vacation. Maybe not this year. We are watching that gas tank. Here is a proposal:

* secure a comfortable position in front of your screen

* rest your mind in knowing this trip will not add to pollution, road rage or stressors

* take a deep breath of anticipation

*  click Download FantasticTrip.pps, wait a couple of seconds,  enjoy!

(... and maybe you just get a still screen after clicking "open" in the dialog box; breath in; go to your taskbar, all the way down of your screen, to the right side and surf over the icons; click on the one that says: slideshow)

It's awsome!

Posted by NWH

No More Plastic!

Enough plastic bags!  Or at least, lets use and re-use them with safe disposal in mind.

Barbara and friends of HMHC are concerned about how plastic bags are carelessly spread around the world, killing and damaging with a magnitude difficult to imagine from kitchens or grocery stores.

I remember when i lived in Europe several years back, I used to get a few free plastic bags from the supermarket to bag a whole lotof stuff. Stuff was overflowing and bags breaking well before arriving to the car. Then when people asked for more plastic bags at the check-out counters, markets started to charge for them. People grunted. Finally, i remember one day they were not available anymore, and my stuff went un-bagged from the cart into the trunk. Most markets at that time cut them off not so much out of environmental concern but mostly to reduce costs. No matter. It did help the environment. Most important however is that my stuff made it home safe without being wrapped, and wrapped and re-wrapped in plastic. It did not bother me that my stuff came unwrapped. But then, i did grow up in a country where people carried  bread under their armpit! Well. There is a middle ground between over-wrapping stuff and carrying food under the armpit: and that is, -drum roll, please, a re-usable bag. Let's do it! Please click Download Plastic_Bags.pdf to view what plastic bags do to the planet and join those who are responsible shoppers and environment conscious citizens. Thank you.

The picture is from reusablebags.com which has a counter running, showing how many plastic bags are consumed this year. Wow!

 

 

 

 

Posted by NWH

 

 

 

A Global Wave: One World, One Circle, One Cause

We all live on the same planet. We all are connected the same. We all long for the same.

Thank you Ginny and Kate for sharing this opportunity. Please watch the video below, then let's do it, on June the 18th at 7:00pm !

 "Such an easy thing to do. Send love and joy and healing to the earth and all living things at 7:00pm in whatever time zone you're in."

Posted by NWH

CFL Safety: Another Step after Saving Energy and Money

We're pretty sure you've heard by now:  Switching from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) is a great way to save energy and money. But your environmental responsibility doesn't end there. CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, a neurotoxin,so it's important to dispose of them properly. (To put the amount into perspective, consider that one CFL bulb contains between 2 and 5 milligrams of mercury, whereas the nation's coal-fired power plants spew out about 50 tons of mercury per year.) Some manufacturers have already implemented strategies to reduce mercury content in CFLs. While they're working on that, you can do your part by keeping CFLs out of landfills.

Don't throw CLFs in the trash. Some manufacturers, like Osram Sylvania accept returned CFLs for recycling. Retailers, like IKEA, also have take-back programs. Find your nearest CFL recycling center at RecycleABulb.com, or consult the EPA’s directory of recycling facilities. If a bulb breaks, the EPA recommends opening a window and leaving the room for at least 15 minutes. Keep children and pets away from the broken bulb, and follow these steps  for safe clean up and removal.

                                     

             From the Green Life, Sierra Club

 

 

 

 

Posted by NWH

Kids, We hear you !

Here is good news!  We hear you, Kids!   (See preceding blog post:The Girl Who Silenced the World for 5 Minutes)

Frances Beinecke, President of the Natural Resources Defense Council, writes to HMHC: 

"Celebrate our Arctic Victory! I'm thrilled to report that we just won an important interim victory in our long-term campaign to block Big Oil from drilling in Alaska's spectacular Western Arctic Reserve, one of NRDC's endangered BioGems.

 Thanks to your support, most of the Teshekpuk Lake region -- one of the most important tundra-wetland ecosystems left on our planet -- will not be opened to oil and gas development for at least 10 years.

 This victory is particularly sweet because we fended off the Bush Administration's plan to hand over this natural treasure to Big Oil before it leaves office next January.

Next, we will focus our campaign on Congress, in support of legislation to permanently protect this world-class wildlife habitat."

Visit the NRDC BioGems to find out how and where NRDC works to Save Endangered Wild Places and/or contact Frances Beinecke at biogemsdefenders@savebiogems.org .

Photos from http://www.savebiogems.org/westernarctic/

 

Posted by NWH

The Girl Who Silenced the World for 5 Minutes

Yes, it could be considered  a "trend" nowadays: kids speaking to adults on how we are destroying Mother Earth. These messages and other alike pleas have come via emails, videos, music, etc. Actually, it's not really a "new thing."  Every generation in its youth has been calling for a change or another. What's different about today's calls, then? Your answer is as good as mine.

My answer is that I hear the underlying fear. I hear the anxiety of loosing life as we know it, as it is supposed to be. Life ending for good. No future left. A cry for help. What to do? I can't bring back as the girl says in the video, species or forests that have disappeared. But I can take a child in my arms, listen, acknowledge, and nurture strength to face with compassion change and accept things the way they are. I can show that I heard the message and that I care in choosing a behavior which will honor all and everything as it is. I can show and teach skills to cope.

The Peace Village Camp is the opportunity for Teen Counselors, Teachers, Camp Staff and HMHC Staff to hear worries and change them into strength in demonstrating and encouraging peaceful life practices.

Watch and hear:

Posted by NWH

The Green Life

I don't know about you. I know that the more i clean, the more dirt is settling into my house. I guess something about the winds. So much whirling energy! So i resolve myself to clean, mustering only so much enthusiasm after years, it seems, of 'that'. I consider that my patience nowadays  has come to success. Nope, still cleaning. However with products that i feel comfortable using because they're green, support the environment and are more available. For example, the Sierra Club has now officially endorsed the line "Green Works" as safe and green cleaning agents. Click on both links to find out if you like what you see. Also click  HMHC Merchandise/Books to find other products that are environmentally friendly and which feel sooooo good. Nope, not the cleaning ones.

But once the cleaning is done, ahhhhhhhh !                          

Posted by NWH

For Earth Day: April 22, 2008

Tuesday, Earth Day!

"Earth Day is a name used for two different observances, both held annually during spring in the northern hemisphere, and autumn in the southern hemisphere. These are intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth's environment. The United Nations celebrates Earth Day, which was founded by John McConnell in 1969, each year on the March equinox, while a global observance originated by Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in, and since January 1970 also called Earth Day, is celebrated in many countries each year on April 22."  (From Wikipedia)

Visit the official site of International Earth Day to find a ton of information on when, why, and how John McConnell came to write the Earth Charter, to view the Earth Magna Charta document, to read about McConnell's biographies and his thoughts on Global Peace. The site also explains the origin of St Francis Day and the Minutes of Peace, both practiced in December. 

Earth Day Flag, designed by McConnell

According to USAToday, this past Sunday, people "picked up garbage, turned in old cellphones and computers and took nature walks at pre-Earth Day events Sunday. Environmental leaders are aiming for an even bigger effort Tuesday, when they hope 1 million Americans will call their congressional representatives to lobby for legislation to fight global warming. On a more modest scale, grocery stores in Los Angeles will give away 50,000 reusable bags today and Tuesday, and, starting Tuesday, Whole Foods Market stores will no longer offer plastic bags."(Traci Watson, USAToday, April 20th)

Easy, simple things to do for each of us, every day...

Take a child, your family or friends to The Nature Conservancy Plant A Billion Trees interactive website where clicks take the viewers to The Atlantic Forest, to vitually "see" trees grow while reading their descriptions,etc. This is simply a cool, colorful, attractive browsing while learning about Trees.

Plant a tree if you have the space around you. Plant a virtual tree if you can click...

Go to A Sierra Club Quiz to figure out how soon an Energy Efficiency Buyer gets money back in the pocket while  shopping "green." I bet you'll do fine. Or be a wise crack like me, and completely fail the test!

Visit periodically Earth friendly sites to keep practicing Earth conscious living. One step at a time...

Heritage School Earth Day Drawings,NICKR- 5-09-01

Posted by NWH - Happy Tuesday!

Black Balloons

We are aware of how consumerism affects our planet. It just that so many daily activities have become routine necessities. That is just the way things are. It would be insane to choose to return to a home life of the past, were it at all possible. There is a choice however: that of consuming with awareness and  of reducing consumerism. To choose to be aware of how much is needed to live well,  and what else is just plain  consumerism . Sometimes graphics help in receiving and accepting a same old message. Take a few minutes to watch Black Balloons, a video featured by The Alliance for Climate Protection , a group of people urging others to adopt strategies to protect the climate of the planet.  HMHC supports Planetary Wellness and Wholeness.

Posted by NWH

METAPHORmosis . . . a shift in consciousness!

Take a minute to shift, with the winning YouTube video "METAPHORmosis" by Rowan North.  This video translates a message that was originally put forth by the biologist and futurist, Elisabet Sahtouris. Using imagery, music and words it tells the story of a great shift in consciousness occurring on the planet today.

About the contest winner: Rowan North is a 22 year old student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington. Film-making is his passion and he hopes to use film as a positive catalyst in contributing to the transformational shift our planet is currently undergoing.

http://oneminuteshift.com/videos/rowan_north_video/metaphormosis

posted by PJA