Being Green: Interconnection

Hi Folks:

A week has come and gone and it’s time for this week’s ‘Being Green’ post.  It’s going to be a short post this week; the afternoon sunshine is calling me outside!

The biggest items on the news of late is the after-effects of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. A list of some of the relief agencies involved may be found here: Help Survivors of Japan Quake & Tsunami.  There’s been so much in all of the media channels discussing what has happened and speculating about what is happening or may happen I have no wish to add to that.  It does occur to me, however, that for much of the world this latest event in Japan has eclipsed the recent earthquake in New Zealand, the one in Haiti, the one in Chile, the BP oil rig fire in the Gulf of Mexico last year… people in New Orleans are still rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina for that matter, and that was nearly six years ago.  The Chernobyl nuclear accident in the Ukraine was 20 years ago.

This being a blog post about ‘being green’ it would certainly be possible to use these and other global events as a platform to speak out against nuclear power, about the continued effects of global warming and the like, but I don’t want to go there.  Our blog posts tend to get divided between those dealing with spiritual understandings and those dealing with more ‘practical’ issues like green building, environmental and social issues and photography and I don’t often cross those boundaries, but for me life isn’t about one or the other.  Every day is a blend of both, the two becoming one.  I would never suggest to anyone else that they have to follow a certain spiritual Way of being, but I think that no matter what your beliefs – whether they are from a religious tradition, grounded firmly in scientific understanding or some combination that is uniquely yours, one thing we can all agree on is that this little ball we call earth, the one that we all share, is pretty unique.  We are, all of us, interconnected.  In the spirit of that idea, I wanted to pass on something written by a friend of ours, Reverend Karin Wilson.  Karin is with the Center for Spiritual Living in Kelowna, BC, and this piece comes from their March 2011 newsletter.  If you like what she has to say, Karin also has her own blog site: One Mind One Spirit | Northern Light from a Spiritual Seeker:

Let there be Peace

As I’m writing this, my thoughts are with Japan.

It’s so hard to not get caught up in what is unmistakeably one of the most significant dramas to unfold in my living memory.

But I also know that what is taking place there – from the tsumanis to explosions – is a divine idea in the mind of Spirit, even if my human mind has difficulty seeing exactly what that divine idea might be. Whenever I try and think about what it could be, I realize, that like the Tao, I am by turns limiting that One Great Consciousness.

What I do know is that every scientific talent that has anything to offer is offering it to Japan right now. That every person working on restoring the country – from its electricity to water to transportation – is able to so do with a peaceful mind that is focused on its intention, and loving in its delivery. I know that every country opens its doors to the Japanese people with compassion, and I know too that the right people stay behind to rebuild the country in a way that serves everyone.

And yet, I know too that as I say all these things, my treatment in mind is for that and so much more.

The limitless power that we know as God is present right here and right now. As we turn away from what appears to be, we open our eyes to the infinite possibility of what is.

My thoughts are with you Japan. Your sun is rising.

Peace and blessings.

Rev. Karin Wilson

Wherever you are on this little blue marble of ours, I wish you peace.

Okay, the links for this week include:

Okay, that’s it for now.   Have a great week!

Hugs,
Mike.

P.S. Want to learn green building terms? ED+C Teams Up With Renowned Crossword Puzzle Author to Construct Interactive Green Building Crosswords

Being Green – Green Building and Health

Hi Folks:

Friday once again, so it’s time for this week’s ‘Being Green‘ post.  First of all, tomorrow (June 5) is the United Nations Environment Programme’s World Environment Day.  I’m not sure how it differs from ‘Earth Day’, but any day that celebrates this planet we inhabit sounds good to me! This is also International Green IT Awareness Week (June 1-7) and next week is Rivers to Oceans Week (June 8-13).  June’s shaping up to be a busy month.

Before I get started on this week’s post I wanted to offer a shout out for a couple of things.  First, I was at the Victoria Emerging Green Builders meeting last night, and there is a ‘Carbon Neutrality’ workshop coming up on June 21, here in Victoria.  This workshop is being offered in collaboration with Sustainability Solutions Group.  For more information and to register for this workshop, click here: Cutting through the hot air: a course on carbon neutral buildings.  NB: Registration for this event is limited, so it’s best to get in early.  Cost for the workshop is on a sliding scale, and since this is the first time this workshop is being offered, costs are expected to rise for future events.

Several people from the Emerging Green Builders group have also collaborated on an entry for the USGBC’s 2010 Natural Talent Design Competition and they profiled their submission last night. I had the chance to talk to a couple of them at the end of the meeting and was quite impressed with the amount of effort and forethought they put into their design.

Second, next week is the 3rd Annual Canada Green Building Council National Conference in Vancouver, BC, running from June 8-10.  Should be interesting! Continue Reading →