[Ecodharma] ACTIVE HOPE Chapter Two

[Kokuu]

Hi all!

Doshin has needed to take a leave of absence for a time so I am presenting the second chapter.

This chapter is relatively short and begins with a poetic statement about Active Hope an continues by offering three narrative threads we can follow to play a part in the Great Turning, these being The Thread of Adventure, The Thread of Active Hope and The Thread of the Spiral of the Work that Reconnects.

The elements of the Spiral are briefly described (Gratitude, Honoring Our Pain, Seeing with New Eyes and Going Forth) that will be explored in greater detail in future chapters/sections. Joanna give suggestions as to how these parts of the spiral can be use as part of our personal practice with Ecodharma and the Great Turning. She demonstrates the process of using the spiral through asking and answering seven questions.

I don’t know what everyone else thinks but I find it a little strange that the spiral starts furthest out and then moves progressively inwards, whereas I would view it more the other way around but I guess that is not particularly important.


Questions

How much does the opening poem remind you of Buddhist practice? Do any parts stand out in this way?

Please use the seven questions to explore where you are with the spiral right now.


For myself:

1. I love all of the parts of the biosphere – plants, animals, fungi, protists and monera.

2. I’d like to thank E O Wilson and the Half Earth Project for all of their work to push for preserving habitats and ecosystems.

3. Looking at the future we’re heading into, my concerns include that we are continuing to lose species and habitats at an alarming rate, including vital support ecosystems such as the rainforest.

4. Facing these concerns, what inspires me is the knowledge and activity of indigenous people in rainforest regions – we need to listen to them. Also, ongoing education and action on the link between meat and palm oil consumed in our own countries, and rainforest clearance to support those activities.

5. Looking at the future we’re heading into, what I deeply hope for is that the rest of the world can support rainforested regions to protect what is a global resource, that indigenous people are listened to and their ancestral lands are protected, and that food chains in developed countries stop supporting cattle farming and palm oil production that takes place on rainforest land.

6. A part I’d like to play in support of this is to keep pressurising UK supermarkets to stop selling products that come from cleared rainforest and to not do business with the companies who are responsible. Also to increase education around this.

7. A step I will take in the next week is to inform myself around this and then write to each major supermarket to ask what steps they are taking to address this important issue.


Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Naiko]

Thank you, Kokuu. Hope all is well for Doshin.

“How much does the opening poem remind you of Buddhist practice? Do any parts stand out in this way?”

Yes, the call to awareness, readiness to turn toward the world reminds me of Buddhist practice.
“Active Hope is not wishful thinking…Active Hope is not waiting to be rescued…Active Hope is waking up to the beauty of life on whose behalf we can act. We belong to this world.”

I was intimidated by this long list of questions. I read the suggestion to set a timer to a minute and that helped. I released the need to articulate my best, most perfect answers. These are my rambling, right now answers.

1. I love animals, trees, mountains, the ocean, the whole beautiful, ordered mess of this universe.
2. I’d like to thank my family who passed to me a love of animals and being outside, and the experience of growing our own food. I’d like to thank my friends who let me follow them up mountains. I’d like to thank every known and unknown person who saved seeds, protected wild areas and animals, and added to our understanding of this world.
3. Looking at the future we’re heading into, my concerns include the fear that we really have no idea what we’re losing: the species, the plants, the wild spaces, potential human creativity, innovation and knowledge as we exhaust ourselves with crisis after crisis, and competition over dwindling resources.
4. Facing these concerns, what inspires me are what’s at stake and the many people devoting themselves to these issues.
5. Looking at the future we’re heading into, what I deeply hope for is more people feeling called to shrink their carbon footprint and live more sustainably.
6. A part I’d like to play in support of this is ??? And here is where I always get stuck because I’m overwhelmed. I feel like I don’t know enough to focus my efforts. What actions offer the greatest yields? Local? Global? Personally I’ll continue my vegan advocacy and zero waste efforts.
7. A step I will take in the next week is joining my local chapter of Elders Climate Action.
Gassho,
Naiko
st lah

[Tairin]

Thank you Kokuu

I agree with you that the spiral seems to be inverted. I’d expect it to expand not contract. As I said in an earlier post, I am not even sure a spiral is the right visualization. I would have gone with a circle to indicate a loop.


How much does the opening poem remind you of Buddhist practice? Do any parts stand out in this way?

A lot. Obvious similarities is how the poem puts the onus of responsibility on our shoulders. No saviour or god is coming to help us.

I like the phrase “None of these can be discovered in an armchair….” Similar to Zen which must be a living practice and not just a thing to read about.


Please use the seven questions to explore where you are with the spiral right now.

1. I love my family and friends. I don’t want to see them suffer as a part of the ecological crisis.

2. I’d like to thank all those that are working so hard to understand that changes that are happening, those that are trying their best to get their message heard, and all those who are making changes to their lives and lifestyles in response to this crisis

3. Looking at the future we’re heading into, my concerns include that although we have plenty of warnings collectively we continue down the Business As Usual road with the hope there is some technology that will miraculously save us without requiring us to make significant sacrifices

4. Facing these concerns, what inspires me is that young people seem to be engaged because really (and truly unfortunately) they are the ones who will inherit this mess.

5. Looking at the future we’re heading into, what I deeply hope for is that we human beings learn to live more harmoniously with the rest of the world, that we reverse the environmental catastrophe, and we give the world a chance to heal itself.

6. A part I’d like to play in support of this is to continue to try to live a gentle life and minimize my ecological impacts. I’d also like to be a stronger voice for change.

7. A step I will take in the next week is to continue to inform and educate myself so that I may also be able to competently and knowledgeably discuss these matters with others


Tairin
Sat today and lah


P.S. I’ll give people a week or so to reflect on Chapter 2 before posting for Chapter 3.

[Heiso]

Yes thanks for stepping in Kokuu, I hope it's nothing too serious with Doshin.

I think I prefer cycle than spiral too, I'm not sure every spin of the cycle needs to be the same but it's not a big point.

So inspired by Naiko and letting go of any need for perfect answers:

1. I love - the ancient forests, meadows, and twisting babbling brooks that surround me.

2. I'd like to thank everyone who ha taken action to study and report back on the damage we are doing, who have taken action to force governments to confront the problems we're facing, and all those committed to changing their own habits to protect our planet.

3. Looking at the future we’re heading into, my concerns include the fact that even in the face of overwhelming evidence society continues to ignore the change that is needed and reverts back to business as usual, and that the big corporations manipulate the message and muddy the water long enough that real change is never enacted.

4. Facing these concerns, what inspires me are the younger generation who seem keen to keep the pressure up and speak truth to power and those members of the older generations committed to protest even at the risk of arrest. I'm also inspired by the many people working away quietly at technologies that can provide real change.

5. Looking at the future we’re heading into, what I deeply hope is that society gradually changes back to placing real value in our planet and seeing ourselves as stewards for future generations.

6. A part I'd like to play is to continue advocating for environmentally friendly policies at my council and continuing to reduce my own impact.

7. A step I will take is to assess what policies I can introduce at council level that will help protect our environment.

Gassho,

Heiso

StLah

[Daitetsu]

As always, thanks a lot, Kokuu and everyone in this thread!

Questions

How much does the opening poem remind you of Buddhist practice? Do any parts stand out in this way?
On the one hand, our practice is a lot about letting things go, especially conceptions that we have about ourselves and letting go of expectations of how we think life should be according to our taste.
However, I think that esp. the first part reminded me of some aspects of Buddhist practice, like not waiting to be rescued - because first of all in Zen/life there is nothing we need to be saved from except our own expectations we have about life.
The biggest parallel I see in the opening poem is "Active Hope is waking up to the beauty of life." Zen is seeing the beauty and sacred in the ordinary, yet at the same time that nothing is more sacred than anything else.

Please use the seven questions to explore where you are with the spiral right now.

1. I love nature, from the trees to the animals living in it.

2. I am thankful that I was born and live in a forest region where I can appreciate the beauty of nature almost every day.

3. Looking at the future we're heading into, my concerns include that earth might become uninhabitable for all of life. While it is already sad that many species are disappearing and that humanity is in danger, it would be a small "consolation" to know that life itself will not disappear altogether on this planet.

4. Facing these concerns, what inspires me is that there are other people who have not given up hope yet. People who have become active.

5. Looking at the future we are heading into, what I deeply hope for is that the majority of people soon realizes in what a great danger we are and that they need to become active and make sacrifices to their consumerist lifestyle.

6. A part I would like to play in support of this is to foster awareness in people that are uninformed yet open to learn more.

7. A step I will take in the next week is to talk with people I know and raise their awareness.

Gassho,

Daitetsu

#sat2day

[Jundo]

Sadly (mostly), some stories in the news this week ...

Startling Discovery: Worst Impacts of Sea Level Rise Will Hit Earlier Than Expected

ewly updated elevation models of coastal regions indicate that the area of land that would be inundated with a 1 to 2 meter rise in sea level could be twice as much as previously estimated.

According to current models, the most significant effects of sea level rise are expected to take place once it reaches several meters. However, a recent study has uncovered that the largest increases in flooding will occur after the first 2 meters (6.6 feet) of sea level rise, affecting an area of land that is more than double what was previously predicted by older elevation models.

The study utilized high-precision land elevation measurements from NASA’s ICESat-2 lidar satellite, launched in 2018, to enhance models of sea level rise and flooding. Prior evaluations were typically based on less accurate radar-based data.

“Radar is unable to fully penetrate vegetation and therefore overestimates surface elevation,” said Ronald Vernimmen, a researcher at the Dutch research firm Data for Sustainability. Many coastal areas are lower than scientists thought they were.

https://scitechdaily.com/startling-d...than-expected/

This certainly connects ... hear this researcher's startling prediction ...

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/15/world/thwaites-doomsday-glacier-sea-level-climate-intl/index.html

Antarctica’s “Doomsday Glacier” – nicknamed because its collapse could drive catastrophic sea level rise – is melting rapidly in unexpected ways, according to new research.

The Thwaites Glacier is roughly the size of Florida and is located in West Antarctica. Part of what holds it in place is an ice shelf that juts out onto the surface of the ocean. The shelf acts like a cork, holding the glacier back on the land and providing an important defense against sea level rise.

But the crucial ice shelf is highly vulnerable as the ocean warms.

In two studies, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, scientists revealed while the pace of melting underneath much of the ice shelf is slower than previously thought, deep cracks and “staircase” formations in the ice are melting much faster.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/15/world/thwaites-doomsday-glacier-sea-level-climate-intl/index.html

Climate Change Could Cause an Ocean “Disaster”

The University of California, Irvine Earth system scientists have found that the Atlantic and Southern oceans’ deep circulation patterns are slowing down due to climate-driven heating of seawater. If this continues, the ocean’s ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere will be greatly hindered, intensifying the effects of global warming.

A recent study published in Nature Climate Change by these researchers found that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and the Southern Meridional overturning Circulation may slow by up to 42% by 2100. The worst-case scenario of the simulations even suggests that the SMOC could completely stop by 2300.

... “A disruption in circulation would reduce ocean uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, intensifying and extending the hot climate conditions,” Moore said. “Over time the nutrients that support marine ecosystems would increasingly become trapped in the deep ocean, leading to declining global-ocean biological productivity.”

Humans depend on the solubility pump and the biological pump to help remove some of the CO2 emitted into the air through fossil fuel burning, land use practices, and other activities, according to Moore.

“Our analysis also shows that reducing greenhouse gas emissions now can prevent this complete shutdown of the deep circulation in the future,” he said.
https://scitechdaily.com/climate-cha...cean-disaster/

The Hottest in 1000 Years – Greenland’s Unprecedented Heat

... Over the past decade, researchers from the Alfred Wegner Institute and the Niels Bohr Institute have collaborated to update the existing ice cores with more recent data. To accomplish this, they have conducted several missions to remote locations on the Greenland ice sheet to drill new cores in areas where ice cores were previously collected about 30 years ago. ... Comparing the water isotopic composition in the recent samples with similar records reaching a millennium back in time it is possible to reconstruct climate from the year 1000 all the way up to 2011.

The new temperature reconstruction shows that the most recent decade in the cores are some 1.5 degrees warmer than the long-term average.

https://scitechdaily.com/the-hottest...cedented-heat/

Fifteen million people around the world are at risk from flooding caused by glacial lakes, with just four countries accounting for more than half of those exposed.

An international team of scientists led by Newcastle University, UK, has produced the first global assessment of areas at greatest risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods and identified priority areas for mitigation.


As the climate gets warmer, glaciers retreat and meltwater collects at the front of the glacier, forming a lake. These lakes can suddenly burst and create a fast-flowing Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) that can spread over a large distance from the original site – more than 120 km in some cases. GLOFs can be highly destructive and damage property, infrastructure, and agricultural land and can lead to significant loss of life. ... The results highlighted that 15 million people live within 50 km of a glacial lake and that High Mountain Asia (which encompasses the Tibetan Plateau, from Kyrgyzstan to China), has the highest GLOF danger, with 9.3 million people potentially at risk. India and Pakistan have around 5 million exposed people – about one-third of the global total combined.

Lead researcher, Caroline Taylor, a doctoral student at Newcastle University, said: “This work highlights that it’s not the areas with the largest number or most rapidly growing lakes that are most dangerous. Instead, it is the number of people, their proximity to a glacial lake and importantly, their ability to cope with a flood that determines the potential danger from a GLOF event.”
https://scitechdaily.com/fifteen-mil...cial-flooding/

Some (very potential) good news ...

Good News: Significant Reductions in Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Still Possible

The utilization of multiple mitigation strategies for natural gas-generated electricity may be crucial.
Approximately 25% of the global electricity supply is generated by natural gas-fired power plants, which contribute significantly to the emission of greenhouse gases, accounting for 10% of energy-related emissions according to 2017 data. These emissions are a major factor in the ongoing issue of climate change.

A team of researchers from McGill University, along with colleagues from Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, the University of Texas (Austin), and the University of Maryland, has estimated the total global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from natural gas-fired power plants to be 3.6 billion tonnes annually. This estimation was arrived at by gathering data from 108 countries across the world and quantifying emissions by country. The team found that this amount could be reduced by as much as 71% if various mitigation techniques were adopted globally.

... The team calculated that the largest mitigation potential (39%) lies with the five biggest emitters, the United States, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Japan, all of whom, apart from Japan, are among the largest gas producers and consumers around the world. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/good-news-s...till-possible/

Gassho, J

stlah