WWF: World has lost more than half its wildlife in 40 years

 

London (CNN) -- The world's animal population has halved in 40 years as humans put unsustainable demands on Earth, a new report warns.

The South China tiger is considered "functionally extinct,"

as it has not been sighted in the wild for more than

25 years.

The World Wide Fund for Nature's Living Planet Index, released Tuesday, revealed the dramatic decline in animal species, and said the trend could cost the world billions in economic losses.

Humans need one and a half Earths to sustain their current demands, it said.

 

 

The index, which draws on research around WWF's database of 3,000 animal species, is released every two years. This year's has the starkest warning yet of the risks associated with the decline of wildlife.

 

The population of Yangtze finless porpoises is declining rapidly. The freshwater dolphins are suffering due to pollution and hunting.

 

 

The fund notes that it's relying on a never-before-used methodology in this year's report, "which aims to be more representative of global biodiversity."

 

The index showed shows a 52% decline in wildlife between 1970 and 2010, far more than earlier estimates of 30%. It is due to people killing too many animals for food and destroying their habitats.

 

"We are eating into our natural capital, making it more difficult to sustain the needs of future generations," the report said.

 

Researchers from the Zoological Society of London looked at changes in populations of more than 3,000 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, tracking over 10,000 different populations.

 

The decline in animals living in rivers, lakes and wetlands is the worst -- 76% of freshwater wildlife disappeared in just 40 years. Marine species and animals living on land suffered 39% decline in their populations.

 

Animals living in tropics are the worst hit by what WWF calls "the biggest recorded threats to our planet's wildlife" as 63% of wildlife living in tropics has vanished. Central and South America shows the most dramatic regional decline, with a fall of 83%.

 

And while the animals are suffering now, the long-term impact will be on people, the report said.

Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International, said "protecting nature is not a luxury....it is quite the opposite. For many of the world's poorest people, it is a lifeline."

 

According to Lambertini, the threat to oceans could create economic losses of up to $428 billion by 2050. The global fishing sector employs more than 660 million people, and fish provide more than 15% of protein in people's diet.

 

Global food security is under threat as the demands of growing population drain the resources. Forests provide water, fuel and food for more than billion people, including 350 million of the world's poorest people.

                                                                          ~~~~~

FELLOW HUMANS:  This is dire!  A recommendation:

FOR ONE DAY (per week, per month?), each individual, each company can STOP! 

STOP POLLUTING, POACHING, PRODUCING, CONSUMING (PPPC) if we care.  If we don't...

 WWF Species Directory

Common name	Scientific name	Conservation status ↓
Amur Leopard	Panthera pardus orientalis	Critically Endangered
Black Rhino	Diceros bicornis	Critically Endangered
Cross River Gorilla	Gorilla gorilla diehli	Critically Endangered
Hawksbill Turtle	Eretmochelys imbricata	Critically Endangered
Javan Rhino	Rhinoceros sondaicus	Critically Endangered
Leatherback Turtle	Dermochelys coriacea	Critically Endangered
Mountain Gorilla	Gorilla beringei beringei	Critically Endangered
Saola	Pseudoryx nghetinhensis	Critically Endangered
South China Tiger	Panthera tigris amoyensis	Critically Endangered
Sumatran Elephant	Elephas maximus sumatranus	Critically Endangered
Sumatran Orangutan	Pongo abelii	Critically Endangered
Sumatran Rhino	Dicerorhinus sumatrensis	Critically Endangered
Sumatran Tiger	Panthera tigris sumatrae	Critically Endangered
Vaquita	Phocoena sinus	Critically Endangered
Western Lowland Gorilla	Gorilla gorilla gorilla	Critically Endangered
Yangtze Finless Porpoise	Neophocaena asiaeorientalis ssp. asiaeorientalis	Critically Endangered
African Wild Dog	Lycaon pictus	Endangered
Amur Tiger	Panthera tigris altaica	Endangered
Asian Elephant	Elephas maximus indicus	Endangered
Bengal Tiger	Panthera tigris tigris	Endangered
Black Spider Monkey	Ateles paniscus	Endangered
Black-footed Ferret	Mustela nigripes	Endangered
Blue Whale	Balaenoptera musculus	Endangered
Bluefin Tuna	Thunnus spp	Endangered
Bonobo	Pan paniscus	Endangered
Bornean Orangutan	Pongo pygmaeus	Endangered
Borneo Pygmy Elephant	Elephas maximus borneensis	Endangered
Chimpanzee	Pan troglodytes	Endangered
Eastern Lowland Gorilla	Gorilla beringei graueri	Endangered
Fin Whale	Balaenoptera physalus	Endangered
Galápagos Penguin	Spheniscus mendiculus	Endangered
Ganges River Dolphin	Platanista gangetica gangetica	Endangered
Giant Panda	Ailuropoda melanoleuca	Endangered
Green Turtle	Chelonia mydas	Endangered
Hector's Dolphin	Cephalorhynchus hectori	Endangered
Humphead Wrasse	Cheilinus undulatus	Endangered
Indian Elephant	Elephas maximus indicus	Endangered
Indochinese Tiger	Panthera tigris corbetti	Endangered
Indus River Dolphin	Platanista minor	Endangered
Loggerhead Turtle	Caretta caretta	Endangered
Malayan Tiger	Panthera tigris jacksoni	Endangered
North Atlantic Right Whale	Eubalaena glacialis	Endangered
Orangutan	Pongo abelii, Pongo pygmaeus	Endangered
Sea Lions	Zalophus wollebaeki	Endangered
Sei Whale	Balaenoptera borealis	Endangered
Snow Leopard	Panthera uncia	Endangered
Sri Lankan Elephant	Elephas maximus maximus	Endangered
Tiger		Endangered
Whale	Balaenoptera, Balaena, Eschrichtius, and Eubalaen	Endangered
African Elephant	Loxodonta africana	Vulnerable

 

 

Bigeye Tuna	Thunnus obesus	Vulnerable
Dugong	Dugong dugon	Vulnerable
Forest Elephant		Vulnerable
Giant Tortoise		Vulnerable
Great White Shark	Carcharodon carcharias	Vulnerable
Greater One-Horned Rhino	Rhinoceros unicornis	Vulnerable
Irrawaddy Dolphin	Orcaella brevirostris	Vulnerable
Marine Iguana	Amblyrhynchus cristatus	Vulnerable
Olive Ridley Turtle	Lepidochelys olivacea	Vulnerable
Polar Bear	Ursus maritimus	Vulnerable
Red Panda	Ailurus fulgens	Vulnerable
Savanna Elephant	Loxodonta africana Africana	Vulnerable
Southern rockhopper penguin	Eudyptes chrysocome	Vulnerable
Whale Shark	Rhincodon typus	Vulnerable
Albacore Tuna	Thunnus alalunga	Near Threatened
Beluga	Delphinapterus leucas	Near Threatened
Greater Sage-Grouse	Centrocercus urophasianus	Near Threatened
Jaguar	Panthera onca	Near Threatened
Monarch Butterfly	Danaus plexippus	Near Threatened
Mountain Plover	Charadrius montanus	Near Threatened
Narwhal	Monodon monoceros	Near Threatened
Plains Bison	Bison bison bison	Near Threatened
White Rhino	Ceratotherium simum	Near Threatened
Yellowfin Tuna	Thunnus albacares	Near Threatened

...and HUMANS!

Spring is in the air...and some of the most beautiful natural wonders in the United States beckon



Deepest lake in the United States, Crater Lake, Oregon at nearly 2,000 feet deep

(CNN) -- Maybe we've been cooped up too much this winter, but now more than ever, the natural wonders of our world are beckoning to us from behind gray computer monitors, buzzing cell phones and the million red brake lights ahead of us on the long commute home.

 

We yearn to leave the laundry, the dishes and the bills behind and swap them out for something bigger, deeper and taller than we could ever be; something that will, at once, make us feel insignificant and perfectly in place.

 

Pack your bags and wear comfortable shoes, because we've compiled a list of nature's record setters in the United States that will make for great vacation memories.

 

Deepest lake in the U.S.

Looking to be gobsmacked by nature? Visit Crater Lake in south-central Oregon. Created by the eruption and ultimate collapse of Mount Mazama more than 7,000 years ago, water filled the caldera, or ring-like indentation left after the explosion, creating the deepest lake (592 meters; 1,943 feet) in the United States.

In winter, snowshoeing expeditions give a peek into the wilds of this natural wonder. But make sure to visit this beauty in the summertime, too, when more of the Crater Lake National Park is accessible. A two-hour trolley tour circles the rim of the lake and allows visitors four scheduled stops. Hop aboard a summer lake cruise, weather permitting, and catch a glimpse of the famed "Old Man of the Lake," a large tree stump that has been floating vertically in the cold water for nearly a century. Bicyclists rave about the 33-mile loop around the rim of Crater Lake, but be warned that the route features steep climbs and brilliant views in equal portion.

Crater Lake Lodge first opened its doors in 1915 and is a rustic, sweeping homage to the 1920s, complete with a Great Hall and oversized fireplace. It is open seasonally, usually May to October.

 

10 of the world's coolest underground wonders

 

Largest living tree in the world

You're going to need a very long set of arms to hug the largest living tree in the world. Dubbed General Sherman after the Civil War general, this behemoth lives in the north end of Giant Forrest in Sequoia National Park, California, and towers about 84 meters (275 feet) high. At its base, this giant is about 31 meters (103 feet) around, roughly equal to fourteen and a half Shaquille O'Neals lying head-to-foot around the base of the tree.

Despite its impressive height and width, it is not the tallest or widest tree around. Instead, its distinction as the largest living tree is judged by the volume of its huge trunk -- 52,500 cubic feet .

 

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks lie adjacent to each other in the southern Sierra Nevada and make a wonderful playground, no matter the season. In May, Crystal Cave, a large, naturally-forged underground cave with stream-polished rock formations and large marble rooms, opens to the public. In the winter, book a room at the rustic John Muir Lodge, located just minutes from General Sherman, and take a cross-country ski trip into the snow-draped forests.

 

Lowest and hottest spot in the U.S.

If you've had it up to your hairline with ice storms and snow days, plan a getaway to the hottest, lowest place in the United States: Death Valley. It may sound like a depressing destination, but this place boasts some of the most adaptable plant and animal life on the planet.

Death Valley is 86 meters (282 feet) below sea level and was formed when movement in the earth's crust along a fault line caused the land to sink. From Telescope Peak, the highest mountain in the national park at 11,049 feet, to the Badwater Basin floor is nearly a two-mile drop, twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. The average rainfall for the area is less than 2 inches per year. A record high of 134°F (57°C) was recorded in Death Valley on July 10, 1913.

The park is open year-round, but guided ranger tours are available only in the cooler months from November to April, and they are a great way to learn more about the geology and history of this fascinating desert. Full Moon festivals, available in the cooler months of the year, give visitors the opportunity to see how this desolate landscape changes at night.

After a long, hot day of exploring the desert, check into the elegant Inn at Furnace Creek, a well-appointed resort with spa amenities, spring-fed swimming pools, an 18-hole golf course and stone patios with sunset views.

 

Most affordable Caribbean islands

 

World's tallest mountain (measured from the ocean floor)

If stargazing is your passion, you can't get much better than Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano in Hawaii that, when measured from the ocean floor, is taller than Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain by altitude. From its ocean-floor base, Mauna Kea measures more than 10,000 meters (about 33,000 feet) or a little more than six miles.

Historically, the summit of Mauna Kea has been considered a spiritual place to native Hawaiians and only royalty and tribal chiefs were allowed to visit. Today, the summit is still spiritually relevant for many people, but thousands of visitors make the arduous trip each year to visit observatories perched at the summit. Every night, regardless of weather, the Visitor Information Station at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy holds a free public stargazing program.

Book a room at the Shipman House Bed and Breakfast and relax in the sunny, privately owned Victorian mansion, complete with more than 20 tropical fruit tree varieties blooming in the garden.

 

Highest mountain in North America

If the rugged, wild terrain of Alaska is what your wanderlusting heart needs, book a trip to Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. This mammoth park -- roughly half the size of Rhode Island -- is home to the highest mountain (as measured from its base) in North America: Mount McKinley. The mountain is 6,194 meters (20,320 feet) high.

At night, if you camp anytime from August through May, you might glimpse the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. These vivid braids and streaks of light, sometimes red, sometimes green, can brighten the deep dark skies over Denali and take your breath away. Explore slabs of rocks that geologists have begun referring to as the dinosaur dance floors because of the high number of fossilized footprints they've discovered.

There are no National Park Service accommodations in the park, but you can find stellar digs at Camp Denali and North Face Lodge, two privately owned full-service lodges that feature guided outings and flightseeing tours.

 

Tallest natural bridge in the U.S.

The amazing natural structure at Rainbow Bridge National Monument in Utah is estimated to be more than 200 million years old, and it stands 88 meters (290 feet) tall. Rainbow Bridge is considered to be the highest natural land bridge in the United States, and its name hints at the unique color striations formed from layers of different types of sandstone which became hardened and fused together by wild fluctuations in the climate through the Triassic and Jurassic periods.

Geologists estimate that several million years ago heavy rains and a rising river gradient swept through the area, cutting wide swaths through the water-soluble sandstone and creating many interesting shapes in the landscape.

Today, most visitors gawk at the bridge from a viewing platform, but some folks may backpack along the Navajo Mountain trail once they've acquired the appropriate permit from the Navajo Nation.

Lake Powell, a reservoir of the Colorado River that straddles the border between Utah and Arizona, is relatively nearby and provides access by boat to the famous land bridge. One of the best ways to experience the spectacular landscape is to rent a houseboat and navigate Lake Powell via the more than 2,000 miles of shoreline.

 

The sunniest place in the world

If you're ready to trade in your parka and mittens for shorts and sunglasses, seek out a place where sunshine beams down 90 percent of the year. Yuma, Arizona, is the nation's sunniest city and the least humid place in the United States, according to the National Climatic Data Center. It's also the sunniest place in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Also, Yuma boasts the least number of days of precipitation in the nation: on average, 16 days per year.

Several side trips outside of Yuma are worth taking. Bring your mountain bike and head out for an 11-mile trek in the Laguna Mountains area. Thirty miles north of Yuma is a must-see for history buffs: Castle Dome Landing is a ghost town and museum featuring 23 restored and recreated buildings, including a saloon and blacksmith.

 

Northernmost point in the continental U.S.

If the desert isn't calling your name, and ice fishing sounds alluring, head for an obscure little corner of Minnesota called Northwest Angle Inlet. The locals call the township "the Angle," and at 49.22 north latitude, it is the northernmost point in the contiguous United States. (Point Barrow, Alaska, is the northernmost point in all U.S. territory).

The only way to get to "The Angle" is to drive through Canada or boat through Manitoba Bay. The Angle is a fisherman's paradise with plenty of walleye and bass, depending on the time of year you visit. Go on an ice fishing adventure with the Red Fox Ice Fishing Company and try out their heated fishing houses. They also rent private, lakefront cabins complete with a cast iron skillet perfect for frying up your catch. A nine-hole golf course offers a respite from fishing, and in the warmer months, berry picking is the activity of choice.

By contrast, if you're hoping for warmer climes, try visiting the southernmost city in the continental United States: Key West, Florida. Its laid-back reputation and independent culture woos artists of all stripes, including authors Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, both of whom owned homes in the city.

 

Deepest canyon in North America

The Grand Canyon in Arizona may be immense, boasting nearly 277 river miles in length, but for sheer depth, Hells Canyon in eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and western Idaho wins hands-down. At its deepest, the canyon plunges 2,452 meters (8,043 feet) from the tip of He Devil Peak to the Snake River. The deepest part of the Grand Canyon is a mere 1,829 meters (6,000 feet).

Hells Canyon was carved with the help of the Snake River which begins in western Wyoming, winds through the Snake River Plains, descends into the rocky Hells Canyon and eventually empties into the Columbia River. Make sure to view the Rush Creek Rapids from the majestic Hat Point lookout, the highest point of Hells Canyon on the Oregon side.

Follow the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, a 218-mile stretch of winding road that slips through much diverse landscape -- from the snow-tipped Wallowa Mountains to lush valleys. Book a night stay at the quiet, rustic Pine Valley Lodge in Halfway, Oregon.

 

Longest river in the U.S.

At more than 2,500 miles, the Missouri River is the longest in the United States, beginning in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, winding generally south and east before joining the mighty Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri. "Big Muddy" passes through seven states -- Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming -- and explorers Lewis and Clark nearly followed its entire length before realizing that the waterway stopped short of the Pacific Ocean.

Three Forks, Montana, where the "Big Muddy" originates, is a city worthy of exploration. Start your stay at the Sacajawea Hotel, a recently renovated historic building, and get your waders ready because Three Forks is fly fishing country. Soak in the beauty of snowcapped mountains and cold, blue waters teeming with trout.

Go canoeing in the headwaters and watch great blue herons fish near the banks. It's not uncommon to spot a moose lumbering along in the distance. Check out the intricate limestone caverns lined with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites at the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, just 17 miles from Three Forks.

 

Going Up The Country, Canned Heat

"World falling behind on climate change," U.N. panel says by Ed Adamczyk

Massive coal-fired power stations surround Yinchuan, the capital of China's northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on September 26, 2013. China is the world's biggest carbon emitter ahead of the U.S. 

A United Nations panel in Berlin warned worldwide attempts to reduce the effects of climate change are falling short.

UNITED NATIONS, April 14 (UPI) -- A report by a United Nations panel in Berlin said governments have not done enough to avert climate change, blaming the slowness of political leaders to address the issue.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in the report released Sunday said greenhouse gases across the earth are increasing faster than ever, and although it remains technologically possible to keep planetary warming tolerably low, it will require and intensive push in the next 15 years to bring greenhouse emissions under control. The report said the emissions problem has caused atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to rise almost twice as fast, in the 21st century, as it did in the last decades of the 20th, reflecting an increase in coal-fired power plants in developing countries, most notably China.

It added advanced countries are making progress, but only slowly, in cutting their emissions levels. “We cannot afford to lose another decade,” said Ottmar Edenhofer, co-chairman of the committee which produced the report and a German economist. “If we lose another decade it becomes extremely costly to achieve climate stabilization.” 

The report noted that action is becoming more affordable. Solar and wind power costs are dropping dramatically, and tougher efficiency standards for buildings and cars are having a positive and measurable impact. Since the last time the intergovernmental panel issued a report, in 2007, many more governments have adopted climate plans, it said. 

The report is likely to increase pressure to secure a new global climate treaty to take effect in 2020.

Prophecy Song, Joanne Shenandoah

"Herded dolphins to be slaughtered at Japan's Taiji Cove" by Madison Park and Yoko Wakatsuki, CNN

 

The Cove is a 2009 documentary and call to halt mass dolphin kills in Japan.

The film is told from an ocean conservationist's point of view, and highlights the fact that the number of dolphins killed in the Taiji dolphin drive hunting is several times greater than the number of whales killed in the Antarctic.  It claims that thousands of dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan every year by the country's whaling industry. The migrating dolphins are herded into a cove where they are netted and killed by means of spears and knives over the side of small fishing boats.

The film argues that dolphin hunting as practiced in Japan is unnecessary and cruel.

 

 

SAMSARA, an amazing sensory journey of life on earth

Unconstrained by dialogue or narration, this contemplative documentary reveals the ties between the dueling rhythms of nature and humanity as found in diverse locations across the globe, from sacred sites and natural wonders to industrial zones.


THE DANCE OF A THOUSAND HANDS. One of the most beautiful ancient art forms. Absolutely mesmerizing!


Nina Simone I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free

Nina expresses beautifully our wish to fly as free as a bird. Samsara allows us that experience for a couple of hours.

"HEAVEN ON EARTH: Religion Returns to the Environment" by David Ward, Deseret News

Dr. Nalini Nadkarni speaks at the "Biodiversity, Endangered Species, and Resiliency" panel discussion at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on April 12.

Coming home from school each day in Bethesda, Md., Nalini Nadkarni had a difficult decision to make: which of the eight maple trees in her front yard was she going to climb that afternoon? Little did she know that the next 50 years would be full of her favorite childhood pastime.

Known by many as the “queen of canopy research,” Nadkarni has climbed and studied cloud forests the world over, including those in Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, the Amazon and the Pacific Northwest. Now a professor of biology at the University of Utah, she’s spent the last few years branching out, so to speak, engaging the mediums of dance, poetry, television — even rap music — to take the treetops to the people. And by “the people,” she means everyone from prisoners to parishioners.

With a Hindu father and Orthodox Jewish mother, Nadkarni realized early on that nature — and the need to take good care of it — plays a prominent role in all religious traditions. “Throughout the Talmud, Quran, Buddhist writings and so forth, you come to realize that trees represent something spiritual that connect people to God and the Earth. In the Old Testament alone, there are 328 references to the words 'tree' and 'forest,'” she said April 12 at the University of Utah's annual Stegner Symposium, which this year focused on the relationship between religion and the environment.

Nevertheless, in a 2010 Pew Forum poll, only 6 percent of Americans said religion is the biggest influence on their environmental views. And less than half (47 percent) said that their clergy speak out about the environment. Judeo-Christian theology has been criticized for anti-environmental tendencies going back to historian Lynn White's 1967 article in the journal Science, which condemned exploitation of the scripture in Genesis about man's dominion over nature.

Hoping to change the story line, conservationists and faith leaders — including, in the case of the Stegner Symposium, a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — are coming together to discuss doctrine and advocacy, highlighting the ways in which religion can — and in many cases is — returning to environmentalism after decades away.

An evangelical perspective
Tri Robinson discovered God at the age of 16 on a mountainside overlooking Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County. The view from his family ranch took in a finger of the Mojave Desert and was, in a word, “breathtaking.” “I knew it couldn’t be an accident,” said Robinson, founding pastor of Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Boise, Idaho. “God revealed himself to me in that moment.” Robinson also spoke at the Stegner Symposium, looking more cowboy than clergy in a slightly faded button-down shirt.

It was only proper — his ties to the land run deep. He and his wife Nancy raised their family on that rustic ranch during the turbulent 1970s, a time in which, as Robinson tells it, evangelicals and environmentalists largely parted ways. The best-selling book “Population Bomb” by Paul Ehrlich was published in 1968, helping to fuel the Zero Population Growth movement. By the time Roe v. Wade became law in 1973, the countercultural Jesus Movement of the 60s and early 70s was fading and the environmental movement was on a more secular, politicized path. “I was a closet environmentalist all that time,” he said. In 1989, he and Nancy moved to Boise to plant a church, but it wasn’t until a decade later that he began searching the Bible for a theology of the environment.

His study resulted in what he called a “green letter Bible” and his first sermon on the topic. “When I preached that first sermon, I was scared to death. I went to the Lord and said, ‘I’m afraid, but I’m going to do it.’” The entire congregation gave him a standing ovation and he went on to write the book “Saving God’s Green Earth: Rediscovering the Church’s Responsibility to Environmental Stewardship.” “They’d just been waiting for someone to say, ‘It’s OK to care about the environment.’” Today, Robinson’s ministry focuses on Isaiah 61, a nearly 2,800-year-old messianic prophecy that says the Lord will come to set captives free, heal broken hearts and turn ashes to beauty.

It also includes a striking metaphor: the previously downtrodden shall be called “the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” They are those who “shall build the old wastes … the desolations of many generations.” “He will reform, renew and revive all things,” Robinson said. “Isaiah 61 is really all encompassing of a humanity that has lost its way.” He believes that “creation care” requires a holistic approach, tackling myriad thorny problems ranging from polluted air and soil to poverty, human trafficking, illiteracy and broken homes. “It’s a sanctity of life issue. You can’t just take one of these issues, you have to take them all.” The key to that, he believes, is to change the environment of people’s hearts. “If you get the toxic waste out of somebody’s heart, it will change their thinking and their thinking will start affecting their actions.”

Mormon theology
Elder Marcus B. Nash of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gained a love of the outdoors in his youth while hiking the North Central Cascades not far from his hometown of Seattle. “To me, it’s a profoundly spiritual experience,” he said in an interview. “Sitting at or above timberline at night wrapped up in a sleeping bag, you just lay there and look up at the stars and you’re gazing into eternity.”

Speaking a few minutes after Robinson at the Stegner Symposium, Nash focused his remarks on Mormon theology. He began with the meditations of King David and Moses on the majesty of God and the smallness of man (Psalms 8:45, Moses 1:7-10), and then moved into a narrative in which God created the Earth as a proving ground for his children in order to carry out his overarching purpose of “bring(ing) to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Abraham 3:24-25, Moses 1:39)

Nash said that all things were created spiritually before they were created physically, and cited Joseph Fielding Smith, the 10th prophet of the LDS Church, saying, “Every creature has a spirit.” “We are all stewards — not owners — and we will be accountable to God for how we use his creation,” Nash explained. Repeating the words of the church’s 15th prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, he said, “When we make the earth ugly, (God) is offended.” Turning to the Pearl of Great Price, he told of the prophet Enoch, who heard the Earth mourn its filthy state and cry out for rest and cleansing. Witnessing this, Enoch wept and asked God to have compassion upon the Earth. (Moses 7:48-49) “Unbridled, voracious consumption is not consistent with God’s plan,” Nash said, urging meekness, humility and care for the poor. “Despoiling nature is almost always a result of selfishness.” Quoting the counsel Brigham Young gave to early LDS settlers of the Salt Lake Valley more than 150 years ago, he said, “Keep your valley pure; keep your towns pure as you possibly can; keep your hearts pure.”

Nash stressed that God cares deeply for all life, especially his children (D&C 59:16-20), and concluded with his experience hiking in the trees and mountains of his home state: “I loved in my childhood to be in the woods, and to sense … the silent, eloquent witness the towering evergreen trees bore of the Creator. As I grew older (I went) beyond the woods, to hike the magnificent granite rocks and peaks rising above the timberline … (which) speak of the power and majesty of God — and His matchless genius for beauty. “Our test on this Earth is whether we will choose wisely and follow God, treat His creations with respect, and use them to bless our fellow man and woman. The better we care for the Earth, the better it will care for us.”


Mainline advocacy
For Sally Bingham, it started in the 1980s with a simple observation. She was a mother of three, sitting in her Episcopal congregation in California when it occurred to her, “Why don’t our clergy ever talk about care for God’s creation over the pulpit?” Bingham had recently been invited to serve on the board for the Environmental Defense Fund and kept hearing about problems such as deforestation and overfishing. “We have prayers in the Episcopal Church for reverence for the Earth,” she said. “Why aren’t we actually doing anything about it?” No member of the clergy she asked — and she asked many — could offer a satisfactory answer. “They would say, ‘The environmental community can do that’ or ‘We’re about saving souls.’” “Well, there won’t be any souls to save if we don’t have (clean) air and water,” Bingham responded. Finally someone asked her, “Why don’t you go to seminary and find out where the disconnect is between what we believe and how we behave?”


“Well, I have time to go to school,” thought Bingham, whose youngest child was in second or third grade. So she enrolled at the University of San Francisco as a 45-year-old freshman and then entered the Episcopal seminary. Ten years later, she (Bingham) was ordained to the ministry and founded Interfaith Power and Light, a religious environmental advocacy organization. Today, more than 14,000 congregations have signed a covenant with IPL, indicating their commitment to implementing solutions ranging from solar power to organic gardens to energy-efficient light bulbs. “I didn’t see myself as a leader in the religious community,” Bingham said. "I had to overcome lots of skeptical feelings. But I asked myself, ‘What if Mary had said, “No?” 

She currently serves on President Obama’s Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. When asked if political advocacy might rub some the wrong way, Bingham, who took the question while on a break from lobbying on Capitol Hill, responded: “Our message is not one of politics, it’s one deeply rooted in theology, which says we are the stewards of creation.” Citing the two great commandments, she said, “If you love your neighbor, you don’t put engine oil in the storm drain behind your house. You don’t pollute your neighbor’s air or water. You’re kind to your neighbor.” Given the disconnect she felt a quarter-of-a-century ago, does she believe that religion is finally returning to the environment? “What gives me hope is that more and more people are getting on board,” she said. “I feel like it’s happening.”

Jane Goodall: Helping heal the Planet through her visionary "Roots & Shoots" Program

What is Roots & Shoots?

Roots creep underground everywhere and make a firm foundation. Shoots seem very weak, but to reach the light, they can break open brick walls. Imagine that the brick walls are all the problems we have inflicted on our planet. Hundreds of thousands of roots & shoots, hundreds of thousands of young people around the world, can break through these walls. We CAN change the world. - Dr. Jane

The Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen—for our people, for animals and for the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in more than 120 countries, the Roots & Shoots network connects youth of all ages who share a desire to create a better world. Young people identify problems in their communities and take action. Through service projects, youth-led campaigns and an interactive website, Roots & Shoots members are making a difference across the globe.

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What Makes Roots & Shoots Unique?

An Inspiring, Compassionate Founder
Roots & Shoots is guided by the founding principles and extraordinary vision of Dr. Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist, environmentalist and humanitarian. Her firm belief that young people, when informed and empowered, when they realize that what they do truly makes a difference, can indeed change the world, is at the very heart of our program. This powerful message of hope inspires us all. Our program—dedicated to inspiring tomorrow's leaders today—not only motivates young people to learn about pertinent issues facing our local and global communities, but helps them actually design, lead and implement their own projects as a means of solving them.

A Flexible, Fun Program With Roots & Shoots, the possibilities are as varied as young people's imaginations!
Our flexible model lets members customize projects to meet their individual and group needs. Roots & Shoots members take action all over the world, wherever people come together with a common desire to make a difference—in classrooms, home schools, nature centers, neighborhoods, refugee camps, zoos, scout troops and beyond. This powerful, youth-driven network fosters a fun, flexible and supportive environment where young people and adults alike come together to share ideas and inspiration, implement successful community service projects and participate in special events and global campaigns.

A Powerful Global Network
Roots & Shoots offers a wealth of resources and networking opportunities for kids, teens, parents, educators, college students, group leaders and supporters alike. Our uniquely designed program connects people of every age, race, culture, religion or economic background in a vibrant global network and offers opportunities for every individual to:

•Learn about environmental, animal and humanitarian issues affecting our world
•Share insights, ideas and inspiration for making positive change
•Grow in ways that enrich lives—as individuals, as members of the local community and as global citizens of our world.
•It all starts with YOU. Become a Roots & Shoots Member today!

http://rootsandshoots.org/

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                  Another most beautiful soul...

INTRODUCING TED TURNER by Michael Schulder

CNN Profiles: Introducing Ted Turner Hosted by Michael Schulder Follow Michael at: www.wavemaker.me

(CNN) – You wouldn't think Ted Turner needs an introduction. Especially to a CNN audience. But he does. Despite Ted Turner’s fame and wealth and impact, we know so little about him.

Until now, for example, we've never seen the heartbreaking letter his father sent him when Ted was studying at Brown:
     “My dear son, I am appalled, even horrified, that you have adopted Classics as a major. As a matter of fact, I almost puked on the way home today. I think you are rapidly becoming a jackass, and the sooner you get out of that filthy atmosphere, the better it will suit me…”

Soon after that letter, Turner’s father forced him to withdraw from Brown. Ted came home to help run his father’s advertising billboard business. Ted did not want to leave Brown. And he did not want to leave home for a string of boarding schools when he was only 4 years old. His father made him.

When Ted was just 24, his father committed suicide.

How could a boy, so rejected, suffering such a loss, find the inner strength to accomplish what he has accomplished? Turner, the Classics lover, gave us a window on where he finds his inspiration. It’s from an epic poem called “Horatius at the Bridge.” [Hear Ted recite part of the poem at 9:00 in] “Horatius at the Bridge” is set in ancient Rome. Invaders are approaching the city. There is only one bridge across The Tiber. The Romans are retreating to the heart of their city, leaving the bridge standing — available for the enemy to swiftly advance. Horatius, the solider, stands alone on the Roman side of the bridge, holding off the enemy. When his fellow Romans see Horatius’ courage, they begin to support him, a trickle at first, then more, until there are enough of them to destroy the bridge and cut off the enemy’s access to their city.

Until now, we didn't know Ted Turner had committed the epic poem to memory. If you listen to the podcast attached to this story you will hear Ted recite it — no notes — with a spark and understanding that comes from experience. “Has there been a time when you felt like Horatius?” I asked him. One word response. “CNN.” But we did not invite Ted Turner to the house he built for an interview about CNN, an invitation we are honored he accepted. The Ted Turner of CNN needs no introduction.

This story is about Ted Turner, the Eco-Capitalist. It's about the man who has demonstrated how to protect a large biodiversity of species on vast land holdings - and make enough money from that land to sustain his environmental conservation quest. That Ted Turner needs an introduction.

That’s the Ted Turner who spent millions in the early phases of a struggling media business to support the work of the great oceanographer Jacques Cousteau when Cousteau and his son Philippe Sr. were determined to document the richness of the ocean that humans had never seen before. That’s the Ted Turner who, inspired by the elder Cousteau, took his battle for environmental conservation to the West, accumulating the second largest private land holdings in America as a home for giant herds of the species he became fascinated with as a child: the Bison.

That’s the Ted Turner we get to know — really get to know — in the brand new book called, "Last Stand: Ted Turner’s Quest to Save a Troubled Planet." “Last Stand” is written by Ted’s fellow Montanan, Todd Wilkinson, a veteran journalist who specializes in the environment and joins us in this podcast. Wilkinson has been covering the Ted Turner of the West since Turner bought his first ranch and started tearing down interior fences to give safe haven to species that other ranchers had fenced out as intruders on their bottom line. Turner welcomed prairie dogs to his land — and expanded their population after decades in which his fellow ranchers had systematically exterminated them because they competed for resources with money-making cattle.

Turner and his team of land management biologists saw the prairie dogs for the unique value they provided — as a keystone species that is a crucial source of food for many other species. When prairie dogs are exterminated, other species starve to death.

The Eco-Capitalist’s new neighbors in the West didn’t like what they were seeing and hearing from Turner, the novice rancher, in the early 80s. That’s when Todd Wilkinson began reporting on him. It has taken a long time for Wilkinson to really get to know Ted Turner, and to witness the results of Turner’s definition of the bottom line. With Ted Turner, there is not a single bottom line. There’s a triple bottom line. What’s a triple bottom line? How can you make a profit from the land and protect it at the same time? In “Last Stand,” Todd Wilkinson provides answers.

Because Ted Turner — the Eco-Capitalist — does need an introduction. Here’s that Ted.