On the night of Saturday 29th the normally peaceful Griffith Park in Hollywood exploded to the sounds of the awesome Melissa Etheridge rocking her heart out for nearly 3 hours. This lady sings my very soul not to mention, my life.
From childhood: "mama I'm strange...I'm just an accident"
To teenage years: "as you pray in your darkness for wings to set you free, you are bound to your silent legacy"
To angry young adult: "take a walk inside my shoes, a path I didn't choose, spend the night inside of my skin"
To an emerging realization: "there's no one to hear you might as well scream, they never woke up from the American dream, and they don't understand what they don't see, and they look through you and they look past me..."
To the first real love: "and when you make the choice to believe in your existence, with hello you will know when you find the one"
To an understanding of what you face: "Showers of your crimson blood seep into a nation, calling up a flood of narrow minds who legislate thinly veiled intolerance, bigotry and hate. We all gasp this can't happen here we're all much too civilized where can these monsters hide? But they are knocking on our front door, they're rocking in our cradles, they're preaching in our churches, and eating at our tables..." "10:03 on a Tuesday morning in the fall of an American dream a man is doing what he knows is right on flight 93... Even though he could not marry or teach your children in our schools, because who he wants to love is breaking your God's rules... Can you live with yourself in the land of the free and make him less of a hero than the other three?"
To a belief in what is right: "Marching to their drum with fear standing beside...Cause by cause they fight and one by one they lose...Rip through the wire that screens in my window, throw open the shade that covers my mind, I'm going to touch I've got to believe, the bell tolls for me... I want to testify..."
To the belief in me: "You tried to hold us down, you tried to hold us back, you tried to make us wrong, you tried to make us crack. You wanted to see us cry, you wanted to see us leave, you didn't count on the tide, you didn't count on the pride, you didn't count on me. I am a giant, and you will not make me fall, and you will not make me crawl. I am a giant, and I'm not alone, winds of change have blown, and walls come tumbling down. And I learned from my mistakes, pick myself up off the floor, I have learned just what it takes, now I am stronger than before; and we are standing side by side, we are determined now to win, we've come too far, and we've got the scares, and we are never going back into the shadows again..."
To a spiritual awakening: "Oh, people, c'mon tell me where is your Kingdom of Heaven? Where is your faith? Where do you put your fear? Do you have a price for truth and a price for believing, when heaven is here, heaven is here. My God is love, my God is peace, my God is you, and my God is me"
With Proposition 8 looming like a dark cloud on the horizon, I have to put my faith in the people of California that they will rise up against ignorance, fear, bigotry and hate and make the right choice.
(All quotes are lyrics of Melissa Etheridge)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Thoughts Throughout the Summer
July 31st '08
Reigning Myself In
And so I find myself once more angry at the system for which I work instead of focusing on the task in hand and letting go of the things beyond my control. I get caught up in the mounting stress and frustration of those around me, and I allow it to infect me.
Again I need to real in my boundaries, return my focus to making my immediate surroundings conducive to calm, completing a day's work and allowing the dysfuntional dinosaur to go about it's business. It will do this whether I invest my emotions or not.
I need to return to my daily meditations, I need to exercise and I need to focus on what matters to me in my immediate world. It is going to take great strength of mind and character for me to continue on this path that I have set for myself, without destroying myself in the process.
August 3rd '08
Sadness & Relief
I saved a baby this week, it served to remind me why I do what I do.
The baby had suffered a broken collar bone when she fell from a bed where she had been left while the Mom went to do drugs. Usually the Mom would have been the person that I worked with in a never-ending attempt to turn one more life around - not this time.
That was the saddest baby I had seen in a long time. At one year old she wasn't yet crawling, she did not smile, she made no eye contact and did not respond to attempts to engage her. At least now I can let her out of my mind knowing that she is with a special needs foster Mom and will get the services she requires to address her apparent developmental problems. The Mom? She will continue to use until she's done and then hopefully, she will get help for herself. The help is there, she only has to ask.
August 11th '08
Inspiration People & Other Thoughts
I worked this week to keep myself calm at work, do my job and keep my mind out of politics. For the most part it worked.
On Friday I drove to Barstow for the start of year adjunct faculty meeting. It brought me back to a world that I love, that of teaching. I felt motivated and inspired by the time I left.
I went to the US Open Surfing competition the other weekend and got to meet Jessse Billauer a paraplegic surfer and the founder of the Life Rolls On charitable organization that works for disabled people and includes the "They Will Surf Again" days that enables paraplegics and other disabled people to surf with the help of professional surfers and lifeguards. Jesse is such a super guy and a great inspiration. He's right up there with Kyle Maynard and Christopher Reed. If you have never heard of either Jesse or Kyle I recommend you Google them. Trust me - after reading their stories your aches and pains will seem very minor.
I'm still working on getting my strength back - it's a lot slower than I anticipated but the challenge is good for me. I have a friend who's in training to climb Mt. Whitney - I'm her cheering team! We each climb our own mountains, what I have learned is - be grateful for the opportunity, and grab every opportunity that life offers.
August 23rd '08
The Fragility of Life
I have been pondering my future because I have an opportunity to take a job that I had not previously considered. It calls to me although I'm not sure why. I was given a new lease on life with my surgery earlier this year, and now I have a second opportunity to obtain another new lease on my working life. I think I will take it although many will be both saddened and frustrated by my choice, but I have learned that when opportunity reaches out, take it with both hands. It must have happened for a reason so who am I to ignore it?
Today I was reminded again how fragile life is. A friend of my partner's daughter lost her battle with heart disease - she was too young, it does not seem fair. Again I am reminded of the gift of life that I have, so I need to grasp it with both hands.
I have decided to try something that I have never done nor has ever appealed to me, and that is to go camping. I sold something on e-bay which covered my camping purchases, also purchased on e-bay. So we will go camping next month - should be interesting - watch this space!
Reigning Myself In
And so I find myself once more angry at the system for which I work instead of focusing on the task in hand and letting go of the things beyond my control. I get caught up in the mounting stress and frustration of those around me, and I allow it to infect me.
Again I need to real in my boundaries, return my focus to making my immediate surroundings conducive to calm, completing a day's work and allowing the dysfuntional dinosaur to go about it's business. It will do this whether I invest my emotions or not.
I need to return to my daily meditations, I need to exercise and I need to focus on what matters to me in my immediate world. It is going to take great strength of mind and character for me to continue on this path that I have set for myself, without destroying myself in the process.
August 3rd '08
Sadness & Relief
I saved a baby this week, it served to remind me why I do what I do.
The baby had suffered a broken collar bone when she fell from a bed where she had been left while the Mom went to do drugs. Usually the Mom would have been the person that I worked with in a never-ending attempt to turn one more life around - not this time.
That was the saddest baby I had seen in a long time. At one year old she wasn't yet crawling, she did not smile, she made no eye contact and did not respond to attempts to engage her. At least now I can let her out of my mind knowing that she is with a special needs foster Mom and will get the services she requires to address her apparent developmental problems. The Mom? She will continue to use until she's done and then hopefully, she will get help for herself. The help is there, she only has to ask.
August 11th '08
Inspiration People & Other Thoughts
I worked this week to keep myself calm at work, do my job and keep my mind out of politics. For the most part it worked.
On Friday I drove to Barstow for the start of year adjunct faculty meeting. It brought me back to a world that I love, that of teaching. I felt motivated and inspired by the time I left.
I went to the US Open Surfing competition the other weekend and got to meet Jessse Billauer a paraplegic surfer and the founder of the Life Rolls On charitable organization that works for disabled people and includes the "They Will Surf Again" days that enables paraplegics and other disabled people to surf with the help of professional surfers and lifeguards. Jesse is such a super guy and a great inspiration. He's right up there with Kyle Maynard and Christopher Reed. If you have never heard of either Jesse or Kyle I recommend you Google them. Trust me - after reading their stories your aches and pains will seem very minor.
I'm still working on getting my strength back - it's a lot slower than I anticipated but the challenge is good for me. I have a friend who's in training to climb Mt. Whitney - I'm her cheering team! We each climb our own mountains, what I have learned is - be grateful for the opportunity, and grab every opportunity that life offers.
August 23rd '08
The Fragility of Life
I have been pondering my future because I have an opportunity to take a job that I had not previously considered. It calls to me although I'm not sure why. I was given a new lease on life with my surgery earlier this year, and now I have a second opportunity to obtain another new lease on my working life. I think I will take it although many will be both saddened and frustrated by my choice, but I have learned that when opportunity reaches out, take it with both hands. It must have happened for a reason so who am I to ignore it?
Today I was reminded again how fragile life is. A friend of my partner's daughter lost her battle with heart disease - she was too young, it does not seem fair. Again I am reminded of the gift of life that I have, so I need to grasp it with both hands.
I have decided to try something that I have never done nor has ever appealed to me, and that is to go camping. I sold something on e-bay which covered my camping purchases, also purchased on e-bay. So we will go camping next month - should be interesting - watch this space!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Things I learned in hospital
1) I learned to be grateful that I was asleep before they shaved me.
2) I learned that if you fill someone full of morphine, have a bucket ready when you stand them up for the first time.
3) I learned that it's not a good idea to have a muscle spasm just as the nurse turns away, your screams will scare her.
4) I learned that after 2 days without eating, jello is THE best food in the world.
5) I learned that Doctors make lousy nurses especially when it comes to removing dressings.
6) But most of all I learned that if the only words you remember through the pain and haze are, "No cancer", spend every day that follows in gratitude.
2) I learned that if you fill someone full of morphine, have a bucket ready when you stand them up for the first time.
3) I learned that it's not a good idea to have a muscle spasm just as the nurse turns away, your screams will scare her.
4) I learned that after 2 days without eating, jello is THE best food in the world.
5) I learned that Doctors make lousy nurses especially when it comes to removing dressings.
6) But most of all I learned that if the only words you remember through the pain and haze are, "No cancer", spend every day that follows in gratitude.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Compassion
"Compassion is the finest weapon and best defence.If you would establish harmony,Compassion must surround you like a fortress." (The Tao Te Ching v.68)
I recently watched the web casts of the Seeds of Compassion conference that was held in Washington State with special guest the Dalai Llama. (www.seedsofcompassion.org) The focus was on raising compassionate children and there was debate as to whether compassion was innate or learned. I am usually of the opinion that most emotions and behaviors are a combination of the nature/nurture theories.
I have never given much thought as to whether we are born compassionate, but I certainly believe that children 'learn' to be cruel. We have all suffered from being teased or bullied in the schoolyard, and most adults accept this as just "typical kids behaviors" and therefore rarely do anything to either protect their child, or teach them how to handle these situations without becoming too stressed out, or validate the child's hurt feelings. We tell them to ignore or "get over it".
In spite of horrendous incidents such as the Columbine shootings, we still fail to make nurturing compassion in our children a priority. So huge "kudos" to the Governor of Washington State for realizing the importance of this issue and hosting such an in-depth conference by bringing some of the greatest minds in the field of child development and psychology together for discussion.
The Dalai Llama, in his keynote address, stated that we needed more women in governing roles (no argument here) because women were more likely to find solutions through talking than fighting, and would be much less willing to send their children to war.
I have spent years dealing with my own pent-up rage that resulted from a compassion-less childhood. Today I am a supremely compassionate person working in a field of caring professionals, but finding the system within which I work one that does not care. Huge cutbacks in funding by the California State Governor have meant that the poorest of the poor will once again be denied the help and support that they need to become functioning members of society. Apparently there is no value in that to the State.
I have a neighbor who has friends in the professional baseball field and he tells me that young talents are often paid sign-up bonuses of $4 million. This must be what we value in our society. Please don't misunderstand me, I enjoy a good game of baseball but there has to be a balance in this world.
Compassion must begin at home - yes - with the children that we are raising if we want things to change for the better in the future, but in making such cutbacks to the already dis-enfranchised will engender despair and rage such as I felt as a child in a compassion-less home. From personal experience I can truly state that this a recipe for disaster.
I recently watched the web casts of the Seeds of Compassion conference that was held in Washington State with special guest the Dalai Llama. (www.seedsofcompassion.org) The focus was on raising compassionate children and there was debate as to whether compassion was innate or learned. I am usually of the opinion that most emotions and behaviors are a combination of the nature/nurture theories.
I have never given much thought as to whether we are born compassionate, but I certainly believe that children 'learn' to be cruel. We have all suffered from being teased or bullied in the schoolyard, and most adults accept this as just "typical kids behaviors" and therefore rarely do anything to either protect their child, or teach them how to handle these situations without becoming too stressed out, or validate the child's hurt feelings. We tell them to ignore or "get over it".
In spite of horrendous incidents such as the Columbine shootings, we still fail to make nurturing compassion in our children a priority. So huge "kudos" to the Governor of Washington State for realizing the importance of this issue and hosting such an in-depth conference by bringing some of the greatest minds in the field of child development and psychology together for discussion.
The Dalai Llama, in his keynote address, stated that we needed more women in governing roles (no argument here) because women were more likely to find solutions through talking than fighting, and would be much less willing to send their children to war.
I have spent years dealing with my own pent-up rage that resulted from a compassion-less childhood. Today I am a supremely compassionate person working in a field of caring professionals, but finding the system within which I work one that does not care. Huge cutbacks in funding by the California State Governor have meant that the poorest of the poor will once again be denied the help and support that they need to become functioning members of society. Apparently there is no value in that to the State.
I have a neighbor who has friends in the professional baseball field and he tells me that young talents are often paid sign-up bonuses of $4 million. This must be what we value in our society. Please don't misunderstand me, I enjoy a good game of baseball but there has to be a balance in this world.
Compassion must begin at home - yes - with the children that we are raising if we want things to change for the better in the future, but in making such cutbacks to the already dis-enfranchised will engender despair and rage such as I felt as a child in a compassion-less home. From personal experience I can truly state that this a recipe for disaster.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Poverty Consciousness
Tao Te Ching Verse 19:
“Bind your self-interest and control your ambition;Forget your habits and simplify your affairs.”
My partner and I have reached a stage in our lives where we have finally realized that that we need to unload material “stuff”. We have a room in the house that we call “the dungeon” because everything gets dumped in there. Every time I have considered doing something about it I take one look, get completely overwhelmed and close the door.
Then a friend said, how about just committing to getting rid of just two items per week? It doesn’t matter how long it takes because it will get cleared out eventually, whereas now all movement is stagnant. So, this is what we have been doing, and finding that in fact, we often remove more than two items. We have two other commitments – not to add anything new into the dungeon and if we purchase some new item, we must get rid of something we already have. That way we don’t start acquiring more “stuff”.
Deepak Chopra tells us, “Attachment (to things) comes from poverty consciousness, because attachment is always to symbols.”* In other words if we need things to make us feel good, we might have the big house, the sports car, the private jet, but we will spend all of our energy trying to hold on to these things at the expense of ourselves.
Poverty consciousness is not directly related to the amount of money you have. Rather, it's the relationship to that money or to material possessions. You can live in conditions of poverty without necessarily living in poverty consciousness, which is a state of mind and heart. The, “I don’t have syndrome” is a primary cause of poverty consciousness. Every time we think, feel, act or say we don’t have enough we reinforce in our consciousness that untruth about ourselves.
I call the constant acquiring of more “stuff”, feeding the hole in your soul. It doesn’t matter what you throw in there – houses, cars, money, drugs, sex – none of it will ever be enough. Like an addictive drug we develop a tolerance for possessions and therefore have to have more and more to gain some form of “feeling good”. Until we seek happiness within, we will be miserable.
I’m facing surgery next week – nothing major, but there are always concerns. I feel amazingly calm and I truly believe that this is because I am cultivating a relationship with the Universe instead of one focused entirely on me. I have been meditating daily, working on just trying to still my mind, what I have learned is that the ‘not’ stilling of one’s mind is not a failure, but the daily practice of it is a success. Not having “stuff” is not poverty, realizing that I have everything I need for peace and contentment already within me, is riches indeed.
*(The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success)
“Bind your self-interest and control your ambition;Forget your habits and simplify your affairs.”
My partner and I have reached a stage in our lives where we have finally realized that that we need to unload material “stuff”. We have a room in the house that we call “the dungeon” because everything gets dumped in there. Every time I have considered doing something about it I take one look, get completely overwhelmed and close the door.
Then a friend said, how about just committing to getting rid of just two items per week? It doesn’t matter how long it takes because it will get cleared out eventually, whereas now all movement is stagnant. So, this is what we have been doing, and finding that in fact, we often remove more than two items. We have two other commitments – not to add anything new into the dungeon and if we purchase some new item, we must get rid of something we already have. That way we don’t start acquiring more “stuff”.
Deepak Chopra tells us, “Attachment (to things) comes from poverty consciousness, because attachment is always to symbols.”* In other words if we need things to make us feel good, we might have the big house, the sports car, the private jet, but we will spend all of our energy trying to hold on to these things at the expense of ourselves.
Poverty consciousness is not directly related to the amount of money you have. Rather, it's the relationship to that money or to material possessions. You can live in conditions of poverty without necessarily living in poverty consciousness, which is a state of mind and heart. The, “I don’t have syndrome” is a primary cause of poverty consciousness. Every time we think, feel, act or say we don’t have enough we reinforce in our consciousness that untruth about ourselves.
I call the constant acquiring of more “stuff”, feeding the hole in your soul. It doesn’t matter what you throw in there – houses, cars, money, drugs, sex – none of it will ever be enough. Like an addictive drug we develop a tolerance for possessions and therefore have to have more and more to gain some form of “feeling good”. Until we seek happiness within, we will be miserable.
I’m facing surgery next week – nothing major, but there are always concerns. I feel amazingly calm and I truly believe that this is because I am cultivating a relationship with the Universe instead of one focused entirely on me. I have been meditating daily, working on just trying to still my mind, what I have learned is that the ‘not’ stilling of one’s mind is not a failure, but the daily practice of it is a success. Not having “stuff” is not poverty, realizing that I have everything I need for peace and contentment already within me, is riches indeed.
*(The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success)
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Wellness
Of all the things that we take for granted I think one of the "biggies" is our health, until that is, a problem arises. Such has been my lot this past two weeks. I degenerated quickly from my usual energy level to feeling like I was walking on legs of jello, barely able to stay awake and unable to think clearly. On Monday I was at the doctor getting blood tests, on Thursday I was back at the Doctor and more tests, a phone call brought me in on Friday for more blood tests and then a phone call Friday lunchtime sent me to the hospital for yet more blood tests all culminating in a transfusion of 2 units of blood on Saturday morning. By Saturday afternoon I felt like my "old" self and was told I had some color back in my face. The next few weeks bring more doctor visits all of which will probably culminate in surgery to correct the origins of the problem.
I have listened to people's stories of recovering from cancer and other serious debilitating illnesses, and I have always been thankful that nothing major has affected me in my 50+ years in this Universe. The Buddhist phillosophy puts much emphasis on being in touch with our physical selves as well as our spritual self. In the Tibetan medical tradition, the concept of well-being takes into account the full dynamics of mind, body and spirit to achieve an effective and comprehensive healing strategy. It is immersed in Buddhist tradition, which differs from non-Buddhist medicine in that it utilizes three types of therapeutic intervention: medicinal entities, the power of mantra (a creative, repetitive sound) and the power of meditative stabilization.
In doing so, the Tibetan healing traditions transport us into a strange world of interconnectedness between macrocosmic principles and their microcosmic manifestations; harmony and balance between the cosmic macrocosm and the human microcosm is believed to be essential for health and well-being. This is true not only in the sense that balance is required for health, but also in the somewhat deeper sense that such balance is the essence of health; balance among the physical, psychological and spiritual elements of human existence is health.
Furthermore, the Tibetan Buddhist believes that karma(simply stated, the law of cause and effect) from one's previous incarnations can also be responsible for our illnesses in our present experience. Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, explained this principle when he said:
In sooth to every man that's born
A hatchet grows within his mouth,
Wherewith the fool, whene'er he speaks
And speaks amiss, doth cut himself . . . (quoted from Samyutta-nikaya in Birnbaum, p.9*)
Our emotional energies are neither good nor bad in themselves; for example, the energy/intelligence that turns to hatred when siezed in the neurotic grip of ego can also manifest as simple, clear awareness of the true situation--thus it is how we relate to our emotional energies that is crucial to well-ness. Understanding one's emotions is an essential part of the Buddhist journey to full awakening and freedom form unwanted conditions of all sorts. However, since most of us have very little ability to work with our emotional energies without creating negative experiences, medicines and other remedies are required.
The mind is considered the origin of all illness and spiritual afflictions. Consequently, much of the healing that the Medicine Buddha promises lies within the mind. The significance of the Medicine Buddha as the Supreme Healer in Tibetan medicine for liberating the individual from suffering is an exemplary metaphor for the mystical elements which are universally inherent in the healing tradition. The tradition is truly a holistic approach to the problem of suffering, both individual suffering and suffering as a universal condition.
(With thanks to: The Art of Healing: A Tibetan Buddhist Perspective on www.dharma-haven.org)
*(Birnbaum, Raoul. The Healing Buddha. Boulder: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1979).
I have listened to people's stories of recovering from cancer and other serious debilitating illnesses, and I have always been thankful that nothing major has affected me in my 50+ years in this Universe. The Buddhist phillosophy puts much emphasis on being in touch with our physical selves as well as our spritual self. In the Tibetan medical tradition, the concept of well-being takes into account the full dynamics of mind, body and spirit to achieve an effective and comprehensive healing strategy. It is immersed in Buddhist tradition, which differs from non-Buddhist medicine in that it utilizes three types of therapeutic intervention: medicinal entities, the power of mantra (a creative, repetitive sound) and the power of meditative stabilization.
In doing so, the Tibetan healing traditions transport us into a strange world of interconnectedness between macrocosmic principles and their microcosmic manifestations; harmony and balance between the cosmic macrocosm and the human microcosm is believed to be essential for health and well-being. This is true not only in the sense that balance is required for health, but also in the somewhat deeper sense that such balance is the essence of health; balance among the physical, psychological and spiritual elements of human existence is health.
Furthermore, the Tibetan Buddhist believes that karma(simply stated, the law of cause and effect) from one's previous incarnations can also be responsible for our illnesses in our present experience. Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, explained this principle when he said:
In sooth to every man that's born
A hatchet grows within his mouth,
Wherewith the fool, whene'er he speaks
And speaks amiss, doth cut himself . . . (quoted from Samyutta-nikaya in Birnbaum, p.9*)
Our emotional energies are neither good nor bad in themselves; for example, the energy/intelligence that turns to hatred when siezed in the neurotic grip of ego can also manifest as simple, clear awareness of the true situation--thus it is how we relate to our emotional energies that is crucial to well-ness. Understanding one's emotions is an essential part of the Buddhist journey to full awakening and freedom form unwanted conditions of all sorts. However, since most of us have very little ability to work with our emotional energies without creating negative experiences, medicines and other remedies are required.
The mind is considered the origin of all illness and spiritual afflictions. Consequently, much of the healing that the Medicine Buddha promises lies within the mind. The significance of the Medicine Buddha as the Supreme Healer in Tibetan medicine for liberating the individual from suffering is an exemplary metaphor for the mystical elements which are universally inherent in the healing tradition. The tradition is truly a holistic approach to the problem of suffering, both individual suffering and suffering as a universal condition.
(With thanks to: The Art of Healing: A Tibetan Buddhist Perspective on www.dharma-haven.org)
*(Birnbaum, Raoul. The Healing Buddha. Boulder: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1979).
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Earth Hour
We turned off all electricity in our house for an hour this evening in honor of the WWF's Earth Hour. It would seem that this phenomenon has spread around the world since it's inception. What if we were to do this once a month? What a huge difference this would make to the staggering amounts of carbon emissions that we blast into the ozone every minute of every day.
It still amazes me that in spite of all the attention global warming is getting these days, many people still go about their daily lives without giving a damn. Melissa Etheridge was right, "We need to wake up"! If greenhouse gases continue to increase, climate models predict that the average temperature at the Earth's surface could increase from 3.2 to 7.2ºF above 1990 levels by the end of this century. Scientists are certain that human activities are changing the composition of the atmosphere, and that increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases will change the planet's climate. (www.epa.gov)
So - at the risk of boring you to death, here are some of the suggestions that each of us could do to help:
Most emissions from homes are from the fossil fuels burned to generate electricity and heat. By using energy more efficiently at home, you can reduce your emissions and lower your energy bills by more than 30%. In addition, since agriculture is responsible for about a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, you can reduce your emissions simply by watching what you eat.
Here’s how:
Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. If every family in the U.S. made the switch, we’d reduce carbon dioxide by more than 90 billion pounds! You can purchase CFLs online from the Energy Federation.
Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summerAlmost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Install a programmable thermostatProgrammable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.
Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models. If each household in the U.S. replaced its existing appliances with the most efficient models available, we’d eliminate 175 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year!
Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use less hot water It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possibleYou can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.
Turn off electronic devices you’re not using. Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you’re not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them Even when turned off, things like hairdryers, cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. In fact, the energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips working accounts for 5 percent of total domestic energy consumption and spews 18 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year!
Only run your dishwasher when there’s a full load and use the energy-saving settingYou can save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
Insulate and weatherize your home Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year.
Be sure you’re recycling at home You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.
Buy recycled paper products It takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.
Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.
Get a home energy audit Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.
Switch to green powerIn many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. The Green Power Network is a good place to start to figure out what’s available in your area.
Buy locally grown and produced foods. The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.
Buy fresh foods instead of frozen Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
Seek out and support local farmers markets They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth.
Buy organic foods as much as possible. Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!
Avoid heavily packaged products You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.
Eat less meat. Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.
REDUCE YOUR IMPACT WHILE ON THE MOVE
Almost one third of the carbon dioxide produced in the United States comes from our cars, trucks and airplanes. Here are some simple, practical things you can do to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide you produce while on the move.
Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible. Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year!
Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates. Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year.
Keep your car tuned upRegular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.
Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!
When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle. You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid!
Try car sharing. Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar -- offer low emission or hybrid cars too!
Try telecommuting from home. Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.
Fly less. Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel by investing in renewable energy projects.
WE CAN ALL DO SOME OR ALL OF THESE
MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY
IT IS YOUR FUTURE AND THAT OF YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN
(This information was taken from the web site www.climatecrisis.net)
It still amazes me that in spite of all the attention global warming is getting these days, many people still go about their daily lives without giving a damn. Melissa Etheridge was right, "We need to wake up"! If greenhouse gases continue to increase, climate models predict that the average temperature at the Earth's surface could increase from 3.2 to 7.2ºF above 1990 levels by the end of this century. Scientists are certain that human activities are changing the composition of the atmosphere, and that increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases will change the planet's climate. (www.epa.gov)
So - at the risk of boring you to death, here are some of the suggestions that each of us could do to help:
Most emissions from homes are from the fossil fuels burned to generate electricity and heat. By using energy more efficiently at home, you can reduce your emissions and lower your energy bills by more than 30%. In addition, since agriculture is responsible for about a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, you can reduce your emissions simply by watching what you eat.
Here’s how:
Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. If every family in the U.S. made the switch, we’d reduce carbon dioxide by more than 90 billion pounds! You can purchase CFLs online from the Energy Federation.
Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summerAlmost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Install a programmable thermostatProgrammable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.
Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models. If each household in the U.S. replaced its existing appliances with the most efficient models available, we’d eliminate 175 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year!
Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use less hot water It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possibleYou can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.
Turn off electronic devices you’re not using. Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you’re not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them Even when turned off, things like hairdryers, cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. In fact, the energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips working accounts for 5 percent of total domestic energy consumption and spews 18 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year!
Only run your dishwasher when there’s a full load and use the energy-saving settingYou can save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
Insulate and weatherize your home Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year.
Be sure you’re recycling at home You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.
Buy recycled paper products It takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.
Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.
Get a home energy audit Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.
Switch to green powerIn many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. The Green Power Network is a good place to start to figure out what’s available in your area.
Buy locally grown and produced foods. The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.
Buy fresh foods instead of frozen Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
Seek out and support local farmers markets They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth.
Buy organic foods as much as possible. Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!
Avoid heavily packaged products You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.
Eat less meat. Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.
REDUCE YOUR IMPACT WHILE ON THE MOVE
Almost one third of the carbon dioxide produced in the United States comes from our cars, trucks and airplanes. Here are some simple, practical things you can do to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide you produce while on the move.
Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible. Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year!
Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates. Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year.
Keep your car tuned upRegular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.
Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!
When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle. You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid!
Try car sharing. Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar -- offer low emission or hybrid cars too!
Try telecommuting from home. Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.
Fly less. Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel by investing in renewable energy projects.
WE CAN ALL DO SOME OR ALL OF THESE
MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY
IT IS YOUR FUTURE AND THAT OF YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN
(This information was taken from the web site www.climatecrisis.net)
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