Our Hearts Respond

In the days following Sept. 11, we have been called "our beloved Americans" by people all over the globe, who have reached out to us through moments of silence, national days of mourning, and candle-lit shrines. For, as Bishop Storey of South Africa wrote, "There is something deeply stirring about the capacity of the American people to mobilize for good."

In our shock and fear, we have been reminded of all we hold dear about this country - our families, our homes, our belief in the value of each human being, our belief in the goodness and trustworthiness of people: the basis of our democracy.

Among all the e-mails and editorials circulated during the weeks since the attack, the text of a 1973 broadcast by a Canadian journalist praising the generosity of Americans stands out. The broadcast spotlighted our response to devastated Europe, our assistance with its rebuilding, and our wisdom in acting to prevent the economic conditions believed to have led to the rise of Hitler after World War I.

The 1973 broadcast was uttered long before the war in Afghanistan in the 1980s. We supported that war, in which Bin Laden received his training, but we did not make the same wise commitment to support the post-war rebuilding of Afganistan. As Americans, we were only dimly aware of that war, the suffering it caused, and the miserable aftermath for the civilians of that country. Why did we not share the same sense of kinship that we had felt for the people of Europe? Why did we lack the sense of urgency about preventing the horror of war that the World War II generation felt?

We at Heart of the Earth believe that this war we have entered must be not only a military action, but an economic, educational, and humanitarian effort as well. When we look back to the heroism and sacrifice of the World War II generation in their fight against the evil of their day, let us also remember their humanity, wisdom and generosity in the years following the war. Out of the tears and ashes of this national tragedy, we see hope of creating a true global community as the world unites against terrorism. For that to happen, we must deeply investigate and understand the roots of terrorism-and that's different from condoning it, or passively allowing it.

In the past year, we have seen many individuals support our belief that each of us can be a moral leader by putting the long-term interests of our global community. In that spirit, we are offering a workshop on December 1st through Southern Springs to explore how each of us can respond to this crisis in a way that evokes the best of our community and the best of America. Please join us.

Evoking the Best in Response to the Worst: What We Can Do A Workshop Saturday, December 1, 2001 United Church in Tallahassee, 1864 Mahan Drive Check the www.southernsprings.org for details

Join the Heart of the Earth council to consider how each of us can best respond to our current crisis. Through speakers, video, and small group interaction, we will explore the questions which the Dalai Lama calls "the questions we have failed to answer for thousands of years. Failure to answer them now could eliminate the need to answer them at all."

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The Cost of Consuming

Although Heart of the Earth is dedicated to locating ourselves in this bioregion, we cannot ignore the impact of goods transported to us from around the globe. The real costs of transportation, environmental destruction, and quality of life must be included in our lifestyle and purchasing choices.

Just recently I received a post card from a friend visiting China that has changed the way I shop (see below). I now read labels more carefully than ever, asking myself: Do we need this? Is it worth the real price? As I answer as best I can, I hold the image of a Chinese mother who cannot choose for her child. I know that the world is small enough for my choices to make a difference. Frivolous industry must give way to sustainable alternatives. Being a citizen of the world isn't only an economic role-ethics and compassion are equally ours to assume.

 

Dear Norine: It's an amazing trip! Very third world, mixed with Las Vegas. China is mobilized for tourism, and our guides take us daily to factories, hoping we'll buy. Young teens work in toxic environments, and the sky is brown, as coal fuels factories and homes alike. Even from the Great Wall, I could see neither trees (total deforestation) nor mountain vistas (pollution). I haven't seen blue skies in 17 days. I'll be home soon…but what about them? Love, R

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It won't be the first time. Did you know that the "tradition" of Christmas was invented in the 1820s by a group of well-to-do New Yorkers, among them Washington Irving?

Their purpose was to supplant the old agrarian carnival, a once-a-year wintertime celebration when the door of the manor house was opened to all. People feasted and drank heavily, and rules that normally governed behavior were temporarily abandoned.

But such behavior eventually became unacceptably riotous. With the help of the new and popular poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by C.C. Moore, the transformation of Christmas began. Children, not peasants, became the focus, and the setting became the home, not the rich manor. Gifts were now lavished by an anonymous peddler named Santa Claus, no longer by the lord of the manor.

From the very beginning Christmas was commercial in nature and that quality has only escalated. Today, consumerism runs rampart from holiday to holiday and most days in between. Do we even remember what "reasonable" use of resources means?

As Christmas approaches in these times of uncertainty, let's consider what really brings joy, and once again reinvent tradition. Give handmade gifts, or the gift of your time. Offer a dinner and ask each attendee to share a gift of talent or an appreciation. Buy from local artisans, or the many alternative holiday markets that support worthwhile causes. Or splurge, and give the gift of a hectare of replanted rainforest! Consider this: the very best gift you can give to our young today is the promise that you will do what you can to preserve the world for them.

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New Heart of the Earth members Frank Varnedoe and Barbara MacDonald have been involved in energy conservation for years. Their home and lifestyle illustrate small and large steps all of us might consider as we work towards reducing our environmental impact. In 1995, Varnedoe, a local builder who has really explored what's possible in energy efficient living in our climate, designed and constructed a home for their family (including Kyla, age 12, and Sean, age 6).

The airy, beautifully-crafted, 2736-square foot house exceeds energy code requirements by a factor of 2, with an R value of 60, which Varnedoe partially attributes to lightweight concrete walls (R = 40). The house is built to take advantage of the comfortable temperature of the earth here-about 68 degrees-through a partial berm. This reduces to outside air infiltration to zero. Moreover, all the home's ductwork is inside the conditioned space, which Varnedoe estimates saves 25% of their energy consumption for heating and cooling. A recently installed solar water heater has cut their summer gas use in half.

Finally, the Varnedoe-MacDonald home is equipped with a programmable thermostat, which divides their space into 4 zones for heating and cooling, each automatically calibrated according to use and comfort, four times a day.

Frank Varnedoe's dream is to tap into the sunlight that hits his south-facing roof: "There's endless free heat up there: I've just got to figure out how to harness it and circulate it through our home…."

Energy saving measures Frank Varnedoe recommends for everyone:

1. Install a programmable thermostat; you'll get heat and cooling when you want it, and subtract 10-15 % from your monthly energy bill.

2. Cut down energy leaks using weatherstripping and duct tape. "No matter what else you do to your system," says Varnedoe, "Tend to your ducts. Upgrade them, seal up wherever air is leaking from your home."

3. Increase the insulation of your home.

4. Get committed to simple choices: use compact fluorescent bulbs throughout, and get the agreement of all householders to be careful about turning off lights and appliances. Barbara considers herself a "serious clothes hanger," although she hasn't entirely given up her dryer. "These measures alone have saved us a good 25% on our energy bills this past year," she says.

In September 2001, Frank Varnedoe was certified by the Florida Solar Energy Center to install grid-connected photovoltaic systems. And although he hasn't yet built a totally solar-powered house in Tallahassee, he says that design-wise, there's a lot you can do to up energy efficiency if you are building a new home. Give him a call at 877-0023 or 508-6690 for a consultation.

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Who's Doing What for the Earth?

Dennis Hardin is reduced his CO2 emissions by an estimated 2.7 tons annually by installing thermally-sealed doors and windows throughout his home, a 27 percent reduction for his four person household.

Adrienne Gautier is our star carpool organizer, but her husband, Howie Baer, decided to ride his bike for the Earth. He bikes from their home in the Woodville Community to work at FSU five days a week, avoiding 2.5 tons of CO2 emissions, an estimated 42 percent reduction in their fossil fuel use for transportation.

Beth Miles started planning her errands with her partner. By combining trips and avoiding unnecessary trips, she slashed her CO2 emissions from transportation by an estimated 3.7 tons annually, a 32 percent reduction.

Sue Cerulean moved into town, thereby saving 4.3 tons in CO2 emissions from commuting, a whooping 68 percent reduction in her use of fossil fuel for transportation. To top it off, she and Jeff Chanton replaced an inefficient, ancient refrigerator with a new high-efficiency one, subtracting another 1.7 tons from their impact on the Earth.

An architect with a special interest in energy-efficient design, Akin Akinyemi never thought about the little things you can do to save energy until he attended the Heart of the Earth workshop at Unity in September. He immediately started carpooling three days a week with two associates of his architecture firm who also live in Killearn Lakes. Now they have business meetings on the way to work, and together will save an estimated 2.9 tons of CO2 emissions annually.

Total for reporting Heart of the Earth members to date: 48.8 tons

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We're Literally Greening the Planet

The increasing CO2 content in our atmosphere is literally turning our planet into a greenhouse. The effect is strongest in Eurasia, where the growing season is 18 days longer than it was just 20 years ago. On our own continent, the growing season has lengthened about 12 days in eastern forests and midwestern grasslands.

Increasing CO2 Has Adverse Affect on Coral

Researchers at Columbia University have determined the increasing levels of CO2 in the earth's atmosphere may cause more harm to marine coral reef communities than previously thought. Dr. Chirstopher Langdon and his research team believe that coral growth could be reduced by as much as 40% from pre-industrial levels over the next 60-70 years.

The findings have some important implications. As natural coral breakwaters begin to disappear, so will the protection they provide to coastal areas.

Does Not Compute

Of course not, especially if it's not turned on. So why leave your computer on all night if you don't intend to use it? At the very least, set your monitor to power down after 10-15 minutes of inactivity. A 17-inch monitor and CPU use around 135 watts of energy.

Attention - Waterfront Property Speculators

Climate and sea level are intimately related. The earth's climate has warmed by about 2 degrees F over the last century. Therefore, it should be no surprise that sea level has been rising 1-2 millimeters per year since the end of the most recent cold period (referred to as the "Little Ice Age"). During the last glacial maximum 20,000 years ago, sea level was 375 feet below that of today. We're living in the most recent interglacial period, which began about 10,000 years ago. Previous interglacial period have produced sea level elevations as much as 60 feet higher than our current sea level.

Mountain glaciers are now receding rapidly, but the water they store is insignificant relative to the amount of water contained in the West Arctic and Greenland ice sheets. If those two vulnerable ice masses succumb to warming as they have in previous interglacial periods, then sea level would rise 30-45 feet about current sea levels, flooding enough of the United States coastline to displace 25 percent of the nation's population. This would have a significant impact on Florida and the Gulf Coast states --- our own bioregion drastically altered

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"We hear you, Beaver," echoed the voices of the Wind, Fire, Mosquito, Pine Tree, Wounded Red-shouldered Hawk, Wild Grasses, Smilax Vine and others. The animals and the elements had gathered on the last day of summer, on holy ground at the Miccosukee Land Coop, in a Council of All Beings. You could hear the voices of the Beings rising together above the tall pines. Fire spoke, red, orange and crackling: "You need me! I will make your wildflowers bloom again." Pine asked: "Why do you cut me, isolate yourself from community, from nature? I give you the gift of oxygen. I cleanse the very air you breathe." Black Creek pleaded: "Honor yourself, save me. Look, you can see your reflection in me." Mosquito, speaking for all the less desirable creatures, asked: "Why do you have to be comfortable all the time? You keep trying to destroy me, and you are destroying yourselves."

Hawk whistled, said he inhabited the spirit of the ancestors, asked the humans to please work to save contiguous habitat for his kind. Fox wandered and wandered, looking for home, looking for his lost family. Wind carried the warm and cool air, and much to her regret, toxic pollutants, as well. She also carried the voice of Wild Violet, who gives us the most delicate of blooms in the coldest of months. Woodpecker said, "You hear me pecking on your television antennas, and you think I am an idiot. I am not. I am trying to wake you. We are all One Spirit, do you hear me?" Together, they met, under the trees, in a circle. The Council of All Beings. The human sat still and quiet, their time to listen. Their eyes filled with tears. The voices of the Beings were heard.