Ramblings...

This Tuesday last, a council meeting was had in the council chambers of Newport Beach, Ca. Several students from Newport Harbor High School stood up and spoke before the council members to voice their concern and conscious affliction with what is going on off the coast of Orange County. There was no question that more education and public outreach was/is needed.

Urgency on the matter of pollution comes from the slow, yet progressive, overuse of natural resources. Not to mention, the change in chemical composition of this planet. We now live in a time, meaning right now as you're reading this, that the slow settle of elements this planet has formed is now being redistributed at a pace that is faster than the normal adaptive behavior that animals on this planet can convert from/to. Homo sapiens (for whom most of the current redistribution is generated from) are the only species known to this planet that currently is at a level of intelligence to understand and alter it's behavioral patterns to avoid accelerating collapses of interrelated ecosystems found throughout different areas of the globe.

Weather patterns are (/have been) formed as a mode of transportation for the distribution of nutrients and other essential additives. We are changing this pattern.

With higher levels of consciousness comes enhanced sensations which the spirit experiences. These experiences will influence the collective argument from which a decision would be based on.

...what influences your decisions?

UN halts Burma aid after seizure (Cyclone Nargis)

The World Food Programme has halted aid shipments to Burma after two plane-loads of food were impounded on arrival by the military authorities.

How incredible is this.

Here's something to know about the country-Several human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science have reported on human rights abuses by the military government. They have claimed that there is no independent judiciary in Burma. The military government restricts Internet access through software-based censorship that limits the material citizens can access on-line. Forced labor, human trafficking, and child labor are common.


Basically the country is run by a rogue military regime. So corrupt as to not allow their citizens some of the most fundamental of human rights. All the food that has been sent as of 5/9/2008 is sitting in a warehouse rotting as the Burmese (Myanmar) people starve and freeze to death. The military is hesitant to allow anyone in their backyard, hence the resistance to allow any foreigners in.

For more info go here and here.

Dylan and a bottle of Chianti

What to talk about? ...problems going on in the world...troubles at every turn...things going to shit. Where do we draw the line? That all illusive line between what's right for the world and what's right for our world, my world. How is it that we actually separate this? The "I" from the "we". I saw this video on TED talks where a woman had to experience and witness her own stroke to understand the meaning of our existence. If you're of the faint hearted or one of those individuals who can't bear dealing with reality then please turn away as this might be a bit too much for you. All the bullshit that we pour into our lives in order to feel special or unique works directly against that that truly makes us special. It's not about our accomplishments. It's not about wealth or material accumulation. It's not about status. It's about the everyday grind and practice and discipline of showing our naked selves to each other. Naked in the sense of allowing our spirit to transcend this physical, material body that we attach so much artificial and synthetic meaning to. Why do we do this?

Why do we allow our ego to be in the driver's seat? The only place our ego belongs to is in those moments where we make an ass of ourselves and can laugh about it. But instead we play this game as if there's actually a prize or trophy to be won. What happens after every championship game? You look towards improving the next season! There is no end! I am the beginning AND the end. I am the end AND the beginning.

We live in the present because it's the only space for truth. The past and the future are always up for interpretation from multiple upon multiple points of views. What we do while in the presence of others is what gives us the opportunity to show what we're made of. And what we're made of is from the same material that brought all of us into existence.

Prepping for Zero Waste

Tomorrow I will be attending a conference in Los Angeles to network with those working on getting the city to Zero Waste. This is no small project as what is needed is a major overhaul of infrastructure. Much like LA's traffic this needs strong planning and smart numbers running to make it happen. Part of the solution is composting and getting Waste Management facilities to upgrade their operations. Everyone can get into composting right now if they wish as there are several inexpensive ways of doing this at home. Here and here are some examples of turning a significant portion of your garbage into food for your garden.

Nature's autonomous maintenance of itself is one that we should be taking more time to understand. Of course what happens is quite different as what we humans tend to do is take systems that already work and try to reinvent the wheel so to speak. In other words, what we're currently doing is destroying (quite literally) thousands and thousands of template systems found in nature in order to put in its place one of our own. Due to our limited scope of time, mainly referencing the few thousand years that humans have been around as opposed to the billions that earth has, we are basically challenging the earth in a battle for who can design the better system. We feel that our way of living in our economic world must somehow indicate what the status quo on earth should be. What's good for humans is good for everything else.

It would seem that all we're doing is rearranging the chemical compositions of the earth. Earth has put everything in its place, from the crude oil in the ground to the water in the oceans to the trees in the forest, and has done a pretty good job of getting everything to sort of work together. This working together includes the many different lifeforms that inhabit this planet as well. Insert humans. Our perception is, cut down that tree so I have something to write on. Drill that oil out so I have somewhere to go. Rearrange the molecular structure of many chemicals so I have something to carry my water in. The central theme to this is us...and only us.

There are a few people in life who do understand the system we are apart of. What we see out in the streets however is very much different as our connection to the big picture is becoming less and less. We've disconnected ourselves in exchange for an enclosed world that we desire because of the television we wish to watch. Or the music we wish to listen to. Or the video games we wish to enjoy.

We now make more of a connection with our physical bodies from man-made created chemical compositions than that of what our own bodies are made of. That's the disconnect. We have more in common with the tree outside that your neighbor's dog keeps peeing on than the object made from plastic from which you are reading this text. Basically what we're doing is a very inefficient job of trying to "make this world a better place". There's no need. It's doing just fine on its own without our two cents.

Having said that let's look at what we can do to get reconnected. First, take a deep breath. Get your body in tune with your soul and penetrate that until you touch upon spirit. The part of you that is timeless. That part of you that has nothing to say because everything you see, hear, taste, smell, and feel says it for you. Once you've rested on that then look around you. Recognize the other living organisms that are doing the same thing you are, namely...living, being. Now take this opportunity to see what you can do to clean up the mess that you have created.

Deforestation: a God's-eye view

After recalling a small scant of information that caught my attention a week or two ago I remembered something worth sharing. A little tid for thought. Something that I would think most people would want to know...or maybe not...

The following pictures were taken from a program I've been using which I think is an excellent tool for understanding the scope of our world a little better. A real God's eye view of us little insignificant peons trying to make it day to day. That program is Google Earth. Now some of you might be a little taken back or even afraid of the implications a program like this may represent but I assure you that your fears are only half measured in comparison to the technology that is not available to us.

During a current course of Environmental Studies my professor shared with the class a video from the late 80s of the deforestation taking place in Oregon. The video which I'm sure you can imagine was the old VHS type where if you paused the film everyone on screen would start doing la cucaracha. The film itself was very much dated not only cinematically but also antiquated by its research. The film would take a single plane's trip around one mountain top and leave the rest for the imagination. Well dear friends have I got a gem for you.

Now, the pictures below are authentic and if you deem necessary feel free to download the application yourself (for FREE on both PC and Mac) and see for yourself.

This is what the west coast of our United States looks like.

As you can see there is a blotchy area at the top of California. Right above that blotchy spot is the state of Washington. Feel free to click on image for an expanded view.







Zooming in a little on that blotchy spot we can start to see some grainy detail such as those whitish looking crackles.










Zooming in on those little crackles we can start to make out hillsides. Some more blotches of white appear all over.










Now I ask you, do you think we have a problem?










Clearly there are different policies between the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. To think that deforestation, pollution, radical consumption, and the likes are not really happening then dear friends of mine, allow me to simply open your eyes.

Our non-involvement in life is what leads to this. There is a fundamental law in nature that no scientist will argue and it is this. When certain ecological needs are not met a species of some sort will come in to fill that niche. We as humans are dividing a species within a species. The more inactive you are the more a more organized body of people will look to fill your niche for you. Most Americans have willingly given up their freedoms in return for a short lived joy. I for one would rather see Earth progress at her own rate without us getting involved and fucking with a system that is far more sophisticated than our own. How short-sided can we be to think that we can OUT-think a system that has proven itself time and time again. The earth will outlive us. The earth has done this many many many times before for more species than we are possibly a fraction of being aware of. We must slow our actions down and take into account what consequences our "no worries" generation has brought. I'm an optimist believe it or not. I think we are capable of turning things around and we are. But at what speed and with what amount of damage is where the tension in this world derives.

Consumers or customers

This is a topic you'll be hearing/seeing a lot of in the coming times. Due to the nature of plastic we are learning that it is having a degrading effect in our oceans and environment not to mention our bodies. I would suggest getting a little background on this before moving forward. See here and here.

Now if you've read the previous links then you'll see I've included both sides of the argument. One set of tests/statements are from the health organizations and the other is from the plastic industry. Now the reason why neither side can say for sure is because of a word I'm hearing more and more in the world of scientific studies and that word is 'correlation'. That's a tricky one like saying that smoking leads to cancer and then you see someone smoke 100 cartons a day and live to be a hundred. Further studies are being done which are showing that certain plastic additives that migrate out of the plastics we use into our food and beverages contain chemicals our bodies interpret as hormones (e.g., xenoestrogen). Depending on your chemical make up this may or may not effect you severely. Tests done on rats (which share a 9x% DNA match to our own) show major degradations by each passing generation. Tests being done with humans are showing the same correlation. Who would have thought back in the 50s that the use and mass producing of such a unique and creative chemical would show up years later as a possible roadblock to fertility?

It's hard to believe that people purposely throw harmful products out into the market without regard for human life. What's more appropriate is man's (human's) blindness when power and dominance come into play.

I can honestly say that I see both sides of the argument but here is where I think capitalism starts to take a twisted turn. If you are putting a product out into the marketplace which winds up in offices and homes then it should be your responsibility to test that product for any harmful effects. This is tough because sometimes the technology or resources are not available for a company to spend years finding out if this has any sort of harmful effect or not. Not to mention that if a company has been making a product for 10 years and it takes 15 years for any signs of harmful effects to show it's tough to blame anyone! This is where the consumer has to step up and play their part. We need to redefine the original concept of checks and balances. This system cannot operate if all accounting parties do not participate.

We live in a world that is very much a make it now, sell it now, take the money type of economical environment. Although this philosophy has made plenty of people rich, we're noticing some very serious consequences because of this. Not just in the global economy but also in the formidable health risks and societal implications as well.

I'm starting to piece together a book I'm writing where I'll discuss this in more detail. The point here is again to take the purchasing power we have and do the research necessary before we engage in buying certain products. This isn't easy as most people don't wish to be bothered by such tedious research. Lackadaisical effort will do nothing more than increase your chances for unnecessary suffering. This is where the survival of the fittest comes into play. It is necessary to ensure the survival of our species by maintaining a constant updating of our awareness and knowledge to keep ourselves from an otherwise pointless death.

Getting reconnected with nature means getting reconnected with ourselves because we are nature. We are nurture. We are the very thing that we see in the world, the oceans, the clouds, the land, all of it. To think we are somehow separate is where we disconnect ourselves from our truth. Money is not life we just value it as such. Earlier civilizations worked as a trades and services community where you were valued strictly based of your contribution to society. There are elements in this (IMHO) that need to be brought back.

Zero Waste

On May 3rd I will be attending a LA Zero Waste Conference to listen to where we're at with getting LA to be a self-sustaining city. I assume it will be somewhat modeled after San Francisco's Zero Waste Initiative. Los Angeles is a little trickier of a town to deal with matters like these as their citizens (and/or civilians) are not as active as San Francisco. With this meeting I hope to see what can further be offered here in Orange County. I will be touring the local waste management sites here in Orange County to see what their operations are and what would be necessary to upgrade to a facility that can handle compostable operations.

The above video is an example of the real possibilities that are going on right now in the world. So why are the United States behind in this area?? Because our culture is designed to consume not sustain. Capitalism has it's place but unfortunately we have not approached this methodology with any sort of balance in mind and hence we have the recession we're experiencing now. More and more people are becoming aware of this and it's the responsibility of all of us to be informed as to make intelligent decisions as to how we spend our money and the direction we guide the market(economy) in.

If you're interested in saving the world and want to do what you can then start by using your buying power more wisely. A friend of mine showed me this coupon book that was put together that is absolutely amazing. Try this link to check out the many companies which are making products that are not destructive in the design, production, consumption, and disposing of.

Boundaries

I had an interesting conversation tonight which seemed to add validity to a concept I've been thinking of. The concept of boundaries. Now there has been extensive studies done on this from all sorts of backgrounds and it seems to fit in line with my concept/understanding of it, so this is no new idea. How often do you feel pressure? What kind of pressures do you feel? Are you aware how often you feel pressure?

These questions came to me when I was asking myself why I react to certain situations the way I do. Anger, caution, intrigue, etc. are all triggered by my innate defense mechanism I call my "boundary". Often I refer to this as ego and it's interesting to see peoples' reactions to the word ego because most associate the definition to mean an inflated and arrogant self. Not true. Ego is actually a sense of identity. Not good or bad, just is. Our ego is what interacts with the outside world. Some use it for good, some for bad, some haven't a clue of who they are because they have not properly engaged their ego.

Now to demonstrate this boundary I speak of and how it relates to the world is actually quite simple. We all have an ego (it's okay, you can admit it). Egos are and can be a good thing. The problems we experience in our communication as a species is that often times peoples' egos cross over from the boundary of their own being into yours. Someone is projecting onto you what they feel and/or think and will not accept anything less than you sharing that thought or emotion with them. How often do we know someone who has trouble maintaining balance in their lives and pushes the burden onto their friends and family? It's important that we learn where our boundaries are and how to deal with the balancing act (which we'll do until the last of our days) in order to build real relationships with others. It's been in my experience that most people claim to understand this but fail to comprehend the depth. Same thing as understanding the word love, which is a four letter word with some abstract designs for those letters that we attach a definition to. Love is more than a word can possibly do justice for. It's subjective not objective.

An example of this delusion of us not recognizing our own boundaries is when we make judgment calls. Come on now we all do it. We all have a sense of right and wrong and we very easily voice ourselves when we think something wrong is being done. This is the part where we overstep our own boundaries and project unto others our interpretation of the situation. I feel this is where most of our problems in this world seem to linger. We will justify our strong conviction which is really just a strong emotion and project that beyond our boundaries in the hopes that the receiver will change into the outcome we want them to. This gets a little tricky. You may be right, you may be wrong. But how will you know when the right time is to voice this strong feeling you have inside without violating the boundaries between you and the other person? Unless the other person is clearly putting themselves (or others) directly in harm's way then there really is very little you should say. Most of us are capable of determining this, but most of us get caught in the emotion the event triggered and that's where things get whacky. No one can blame or get upset for someone doing what they feel is right, but what ends up happening is we feel an overwhelming emotion and stay with it and further it by over stating it in words. Fear is a classic example of this. Most people can not go from 0-60 and back to zero again without putting into words whether verbally or through thought, the feeling they just experienced. Sometimes it's good to have a support group around that can engage and allow the sharing of an experience while other times it's really just best to check yourself and regain control. I feel this is where the practice of meditation comes in handy. Allow your brain to chill out and stop forming words and ideas and just let things be.

With that I feel we can really progress as a species in a more efficient manner by allowing our own boundaries to be checked and rechecked before we blurt every nuance of a thought unto others.

Some information on how the world is changing...

Since this is my first official blog I will keep the intro short as the purpose of this is to share my journey in helping to make (or remake) this world into a better place. My research and studies are aiding me in attaining a degree and allowing multiple opportunities to see what exactly is going on in the world (good and the bad). I wish to stay neutral in the campaign for a better world and in this I will present both sides of the argument and let you the reader decide for yourself what and where the truth is.

So, for starters below are some links that I've come across on some ways that people are exploring to get us away from the many pollutions and toxins that are being used in our everyday lives. I'll talk more about these later but just know that ALL of our bodies are bioaccumulating harmful substances everyday no matter where you live (think about that for a minute).

Here is a site that discusses a fascinating new field called biomimicry and here is a slideshow to demonstrate some of the products being developed with this type of design. Imagine taking all of the design in our products, buildings, crops, etc. and mimicking how nature does it. I think we've proved that man-made design simply doesn't cut it. Yes man-made designs do work but only for a short time (in comparison to the 'b'illion of years that nature has been doing this).

I am currently involved with two environmental organizations (Earth Resource and Heal the Bay) to get out there in the world and find out what people are talking about and what the perception is of our troubles. I've had some interesting conversations of late and least to say is my astonishment for some perspectives (e.g., a discussion had on how recycling is actually hurting the environment).

I have much to share on the subject and will be adding more material as I continue to spill my life's journey onto the canvas of this digital dialogue.