Archive for Environment
hemp & marijuana: isn’t it time, yet?
Posted by: | CommentsHello Everyone!
The subject of today’s blog was inspired by a clip that I noticed on the Auto Insight Online Community today.
Did I know that in 1941 the Ford motor company produced an experimental automobile with a plastic body composed of 70% cellulose fibers from hemp. No, I did not know that; so I set about doing a little Google research. Watch this:
How much different would the world look today if we had followed the vision that Henry Ford set forth rather than changing course in fear. What fear you ask? The hysterical and irrational fear of cannabis.
It has always been a wonderment to me that alcohol is legal and cannabis is not. Just in observation in the course of my own life, I’ve never seen a group of people high on cannabis starting a war or getting into a fight. Yet, the effects alcohol has on the human body and psyche are well documented, and most of them not pretty. As to the argument that marijuana is the “gateway” drug. Posh. Everything is a choice. If that’s the argument, then root beer is the gateway to beer which is the gateway to the “hard stuff”. Every body gets to choose how far they go with anything in life. These decisions are personal; not the domain of government or others.
Prohibitions on cannabis began as early as 1906 but found substantive traction in the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 which required growers to register so as to pay the tax. Oddly, during WWII, the US Government encouraged farmers to grow hemp for the war effort.
In 2005 Ron Paul introduced the Industrial Hemp Farming Act which was referred to committee, where it still languishes. Hemp, marijuana, cannabis – by whatever name – is one of Nature’s gifts to man. Such a useful and amazing crop would mean so much in the area of sustainability. Where so much by-product of a toxic nature is attributed to steel and plastics, what would using hemp mean if engineers and scientists found ways to utilize this crop to produce automobile bodies and homes? What would this mean to the farmer in North Dakota?
What would legalization of marijuana mean in terms of revitalizing the fabric and garment industry here in America? What would it look like if you could go to an herb shop and buy a few ounces of legal marijuana to bake into some cookies for a party or smoke if you so chose to do? Would the world come to an end? Probably not. Would fewer people drink alcohol? Who knows. Are people going to go hog wild and be doped out at work? No more so than those who go to work drunk or have a beer at lunch. These are personal issues of self and spiritual development.
An initiative to legalize marijuana will most likely be on the ballot in California’s November election. As with most things, this is finally being made possible because of the economics of the times. The cost to prosecute offenders outweighs the benefits; and California is strapped financially, looking for new sources of growth for the economy, just like North Dakota.
Fears are always irrational; but it is always fear that keeps us from the realization of our Good. We are being asked to grow in our spiritual development from children to adults. We are being asked to release our fears and move into Oneness with Source. Here is where we can release one more fear and find many blessings, not the least of which is communion with God enjoying with gratitude the bounty of this precious and amazing herb. This is only Common Sense.
Thank for reading!
Kath
All arguments aside, the bottom line through the lens of Applied Spirituality is that this is a natural substance like any other herb that is part and parcel of our Natural world. It is up to the individual to choose what things they will participate in, pay attention to, use, or reject as a matter of personal choice like hot dogs over hamburgers. No more; no less. What is available now is the opportunity to drop the fear over something and move on to enjoy the many benefits and blessings that this blessed seed will impart to all of us looking for new and better ways to honor the planet. We can start by giving thanks for hemp.
Learn more…
Wolves: Much Maligned, Very Endangered
Posted by: | CommentsHello Everyone,
“Perhaps it was the eyes of the wolf, measured, calm, knowing. Perhaps it was the intense sense of family. After all, wolves mate for life, are loyal partners, create hunting communities and demonstrate affectionate patience in pup rearing. Perhaps it was the rigid hierarchy of the packs. Each wolf had a place in the whole and yet retained his individual personality. Perhaps it was their great, romping, ridiculous sense of fun. Is it any wonder that the myths of many tribes characterize the wolves not as killers, but as teachers?” ~ unknown
Normally I don’t get involved with causes, however the plight of the wolf is near and dear to me, because I have first hand experience and knowledge. For several years I lived in Montana. Actually, it was just when wolves were being re-introduced into Yellowstone. Talk around Montana bars and grocery stores was all about how terrible, awful, and scary this action by the government was going to be. I never took to participate in these conversations, but I did listen very carefully. What was clear to me was the tone was driven by irrational fear. Something deep in the psyche was being triggered.
In fact, more sheep are lost by disease and domesticated dogs than by wolves. Amongst ranchers a common defense against predators is to add a mule or donkey into the herd. These creatures make such a fuss and can kick up a storm. The real mean, spirited drive, though, is to exterminate them as useless, foul, and loathsome creatures. Misunderstood for centuries, the wolf is now recognized as a vital part of the ecosystem. For further illumination about how vital predators are to the ecosystem, please read my favorite book, Prodigal Summer: A Novel
I also invite you to watch, Never Cry Wolf
, a story written by Farley Mowat and made into a film in 1983 where one man’s observation of wolves in the wilderness changes his mind about them forever.
Please contact the White House today. All it requires is for President Obama to say the word and replace the wolves back onto the endangered species list to halt the wholesale slaughter which is taking place right now.
Applied spirituality is all about growing your consciousness up so that you can actually choose a behavior rather than being subject to a knee-jerk response out of irrational fears and false beliefs. The deeper truth here is that there is not only room enough for all of us on this planet, but we each, wolves included, have an integral and important role to play. We are all God here. All of us, and all of them, too.
Now get to know the wolf, courtesy National Geographic.
Practical Spirituality: VW Innovation – The 258 mpg Car
Posted by: | CommentsGood Day Everyone!
There is nothing we cannot create.
I’ve included some conversions here, because most of us aren’t adept at changing metrics into our American understanding. This is courtesy of a marvelous site devoted to helping us convert almost anything into anything. That site is Onlineconversion.com
1 kilometer = 0.621 371 192 24 mile
100 kilometer = 62.137 119 224 mile
1 liter = 0.264 172 052 36 gallon [US, liquid]
1 gallon [US, liquid] = 3.785 411 784 liter
6.5 liter = 1.717 118 340 3 gallon [US, liquid]
To my mind this achievement is right up there with President Kennedy telling us we would put a man on the moon in 10 years when we had no idea of the “how”.
Innovation and inspiration are the result of our asking a question. We ask for something that the world has never seen before. It hasn’t come into manifestation, yet. These questions are born of our natural desires for more and better. Then, someone turns their attention towards what is desired and allows the inspiration to flood into them. They actually receive the answers and follow the clues. They are willing, they are receptive, and in human terms they are not doubting, but rather seeking along the mental path of “how can I do this”? It’s all possibility thinking; it is not framed with “that won’t work” or “it’s not done this way” or “it’s hopeless”. They are expecting the answers, the solution and the success.
We each one of us is Source Energy, hard-wired into the mainframe of Infinite Intelligence. When we can get our human-mind, limited thinking out of the way, there is nothing that we cannot be or do or have. That used to be something we called Good Old American Ingenuity.
Volkswagen has thrilled me with a real life example of what we can do when we put our full focus on something with the willingness to receive the answers.
Now, what is it that you desire? Indeed, yes you can. Yes, we can.
Thanks for reading!
Kath
Winter Solstice 2009
Posted by: | CommentsGood Day Everyone,
Earth Winter Solstice courtesy of NASA
I’m always so happy when Winter comes to Earth in North America. Something happens; and it’s time to slow down. Thank God.
This morning on my walk before the sun came up, the world – my little piece of it here in Ohio – was quiet, save the birds who remain and the squirrels hopping from tree to tree.
A light skiff of snow fell overnight lightly padding other noise. I love the stillness of Winter, especially before the rest of the humans get up. All is hushed. You can hear yourSelf thinking, speaking, whispering to you – All Is Well; Be Still.
I’ve always taken my cue from Nature. I wonder what others do without Nature in their lives. As the seasons move from one to the other, I find a comforting rhythm. Winter, at least the first part of it, is for going within, contemplating, reflecting, and evaluating where I’ve been, what I’ve been up to, the value to me of what I have been focusing upon, and determining what feels good. The second part of Winter is for planning, dreaming, imagining and envisioning where I want to go, do, experience, and create in the coming year.
It’s the barrenness of Winter that I love most, which is probably what most people hate. To me, it is a blank canvas. There’s little in Nature to distract me from my internal contemplations. Sure, I take those daily walks, hikes and discover the secrets the winter wood has to offer, but for the most part I’m not distracted by the blooms of spring or the green of summer or the abundance of the fall harvests.
The Winter Solstice as you probably know is when there is equal day and night. Some say you can balance and egg on its end at some point in this day. We are in perfect balance for a moment. The good news for those of you who hate Winter is that from this day forward, the days become longer inextricably marching into Spring.
The beauty of Winter is that we do have an intrinsic opportunity to consider, connect with Self, and course correct for the coming year. Where do we really want to go? What is it that we Really want to be? How is it that we want to experience our Lives?
I choose to not struggle with Winter, but to embrace it and take full advantage of the respite from “doing”. I love that this time urges me to rest, reflect and rethink.
What’s next? Whatever we choose is what’s next. What do you choose?
Thanks for reading,
Kath
Ocean Wave Energy: Limitless Energy Gift
Posted by: | Comments2009-06-01
Good Morning Everyone!
In all the discussions about renewable and sustainable energy, how often have we heard anything about Ocean Wave Energy? I know I haven’t.
This morning there’s a really informative story in McClatchy News detailing the fact that the current proposed budget will cut research funding for this type of sustainable energy source in favor of an 86% increase in funding for solar and wind.
The article goes on to say that this technology is already being used in Europe and could be online in Puget Sound by 2011.
Seems to me that with America being blessed with two enormous lengths of coastline, and most of each coastline having the highest population densities, that this is a no brainer.
The technology was developed by Seabased AB, a Swedish company; and has projects considered, planned or installed in Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Ireland and Norway. There have also been discussions about projects in South Korea, the Philippines, India and Canada’s Maritime provinces.
Still another company,OPT,is under contract with the US Navy right now for a similar technology to supply the Navy world wide.
I’ve traveled the United States by car many, many times and have seen the windmills. They are NOT attractive and they do change ground weather, not to mention being at the whimsy of the wind. Wind power has it’s application in small projects, to be sure, but certainly not the large scale of supplying electricity to all of America.
Similarly, solar’s draw backs are those batteries and solar panels. They’re fine on roof tops, but to cover large portions of our deserts again means messing with the ecology of the desert and the life forms there. In defined applications, sun is appropriate, just as wind; but here’s a solution that promises big return for the long haul.
And get this, the technology is – simple. Holy Toledo!
Let’s keep it simple. Use our dollars wisely and put them where it makes Good Common Sense.
If you’d like to make comment to the White House about redirecting the dollars in sustainable energy research back to ocean wave technology, you can do so directly . I already have.
Put your two cents worth in! This is your government, and it’s your tax dollars, so participate!
Thanks for reading!
Kath
We Can Solve It
Posted by: | Comments2008-07-18
Hello Everyone,
Today a friend sent me a speech by Al Gore. You can listen to it here.
My comments are confined to the concept that we can solve anything we put our minds to. While I understand the necessity of addressing the negative, let’s keep it in perspective. The “negative” that we perceive as such is simply the platform from which we can be very clear about what it is that WE NOW NEXT.
Energy independence is certainly in the top three of what we now want, to be sure. I am certain that we want clean, cheap energy as well, that is available to everyone like the air is. These things are within our grasp if we STOP FOCUSING ON THE PROBLEM AND REFOCUS ON THE SOLUTIONS.
Yesterday I watched a marvelous movie, In the Shadow of the Moon, a Ron Howard film about how America put a man on the moon. We were inspired to reach beyond our grasp by President John Kennedy. When Kennedy announced that he was calling on American for a “new enterprise” we did not have the technology at hand. We had to reach into the infinite, within ourSelves, and create the solutions along the way to Apollo 11′s successful flight.
Indeed we are at a place in America where a “new enterprise” is needed. Many in fact, but it is by blessed way of the powerful negative that we have arrived at these new conclusions.
Each of us can contribute to this new enterprise by envisioning what it is we want and by ceasing immediately from the constant dwelling on what is wrong. Write to your chief news media and tell them you want to hear what is going right. Tell them you want in headline news, the good progress and cooperation that are happening in key areas. Tell them you will turn them off, if they persist in beating the over tired drums of doom and gloom.
We get what we are focused upon by the Law of Attraction. Imagine if we were told daily briefings on the progress of hydrogen fuels, solar and even new promising ideas such as sound. Can you imagine what new ideas that might spark in yourself? Imagine how much more uplifting it would be to go to bed at night with a new promising idea in your head?
America, you have to speak up. Now is the time. Stop settling for inferior, sleazy, low quality in anything and everything. Turn off the mind-numbing stuff and turn on the exciting, inspiring, and motivational things that enliven you, which enlivens us as a nation.
Write your senators and representatives. Tell them you want to hear of non-partisan progress in energy, the economy, the quality of our food, and whatever else you wish to see changed. Identify clearly the change you would like to see. Add not only your voice and vote, but add your vibrational thought energy to it by seeing it as a completed creation of good for everyone.
We alone get to choose what we think about. Choose carefully what you wish to see. Nurture that like you would a new baby. Feed it love, feel its joy, adore the people who are contributing and appreciate every single step of the way until its birth into reality.
I applaud Al Gore for taking the lead along with T. Boone Pickens in spearheading creative and clean solutions for America. Let’s keep it positive. Let’s keep it creative. Let’s keep it non-partisan. I call on America for this great new enterprise – recreating America anew.
Here’s the video of Al Gore’s speech followed by Boone Pickens speech.
Check out www.wecansolveit.org
This is Applied Spirituality in Action!
Thanks for Reading!
Kath
American Ingenuity
Posted by: | Comments2008-03-05
Good Day Everyone!
Thinking about things lately has caused me to be grateful for 4 years of Latin. I went to public schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania where Latin was offered. I had two great teachers who really made translating Vigil, Pliny, and Caesar’s Commentaries fun and very enlightening.
Today I use Latin principally for getting the original meaning of a word – its etymology. If you aren’t familiar with ancient Latin or Greek, it is improbable that you know how far afield our modern day words and our common meaning that we associate with them have strayed from the origin of the word.
Take the word ingenuity for example. According to Dictionary.com ingenuity is:
| 1. | the quality of being cleverly inventive or resourceful; inventiveness: a designer of great ingenuity. |
| 2. | cleverness or skillfulness of conception or design: a device of great ingenuity. |
| 3. | an ingenious contrivance or device. |
Miriam-Webster.com is quite similar:
2 a: skill or cleverness in devising or combining; b: cleverness or aptness of design or contrivance3: an ingenious device or contrivance
Now, check out the entomology of the word: ingenium from the Latin. The root words for ingenium are ‘in’ meaning within and genus which is birth. So the original word means
‘innate’ or ‘inborn‘ genius.
So what is innate or inborn? Our creativity. Our capacity for ingeniusness, which comes from our own innate Godchip: Our direct link to the Infinite Possibilities.
Years ago a friend said, “You have to ask the right question.” Truly.
When you look again at the word ingenuity, our current definitions imply with the word an invention – a thing, a contraption that we made or invented; but the origin of the word implies that it is not a thing but rather an inborn talent to create.
So let me, right here and right now, say that American Ingenuity is our innate ability to be creative. Our inborn capacity to seek out a new solution that has never been seen on planet earth by first desiring something (usually our freedom) from some perceived constraint and then our natural, inborn ability to allow that solution to come to us as first and idea, and then a thing if that is required.
American Ingenuity is a term I grew up with. We always had a way to make things better.
We knew we could; we did. There was nothing facing us that we couldn’t create our way out of and towards a better way.
Thinking about our famous American Ingenuity, I began to wonder why we had gotten ourselves into such a fix with respect to oil. I can’t think of anything that Americans hate more than feeling we have no options. There is always a way. Always.
So I started rummaging around online and saw a few signs of our great inventive and creative natures. For starters find out how to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen for fuel to run a car.
Of course creativity is not limited to just Americans. They are rolling an air car off the assembly line in India. Where are you GM, Ford and Chrysler?
The point to this little excursion into ingenuity with respect to cars and oil is that our ability to create solutions is infinite and above all inborn with each of us.
It’s the Godchip in each an every one of us that has the answer. You with your free will must apply your focus to ask ‘how can I?’ rather than spending your energies fighting against what is. Turning your focus towards what is wanted is the first step and then staying that focus with free will discipline on the creativity; allowing IT in as IT guides you towards your answer.
The fun is watching it unfold, like in a treasure hunt. Each day something comes in because you have asked and now Law of Attraction can bring it to you as you allow and are looking for the stepping stones.
American Ingenuity has been sleeping. We have been lost in fear of this and fear of that. Every time you allow ‘what is’ to occupy your thoughts, what ”might be’ is delayed and postponed.
And, someone else, who is actively pursuing the “how can I” mode is allowing in the solutions.
Come on America! Turn off that blinkin‘ TV and get busy creating the Nation we envision.
Now what if…
Thanks for reading!
Kath
2007-12-15Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – Some Thoughts
Posted by: | Comments2007-12-06
Hello Everyone,
One great thing that is a constant thread in my life is, of course, The San Diego County Library. Every month I try to do about a month’s ordering. Living here in the back country we use our small library as a kind of ‘book post office” of sorts. So months ago I ordered a book that arrived, as always, in the nick of time.
I think I’ve mentioned that my all time favorite author is Barbara Kingsolver; and she’s always worth the wait! Her last book, just before this new one, was a book of essays published in 2003 called, Small Wonder: Essays.
Barbara Kingsolver is a small wonder herself. Maybe it’s her tone, or literary skills, or the way she chooses her words, or just her humor; but always it’s Spirit that flies through her onto the paper. Her newest book that just arrived is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)
To my mind, Kingsolver’s writing is quintessential Applied Spirituality.
This book documents a year in the life of her family when they move to the family farm in Appalachia with the sole intent to buy all their food locally grown or grow it themselves. This totally appealed to my sensibilities. It conjured memories of my childhood: first my Dad working in our garden, shirt off and hoeing between the rows of his 1/4 acre garden, all of which was either canned or frozen by my Mom and Gram. Then we took a local trip to a farm where the air was redolent with the smell of maple syrup. Here they tapped their trees and we bought the most delicious syrup and became friends, of course, with the family. In Pennsylvania we bought our milk from a family farm just “over the ridge”. Mom sterilized the glass milk bottles in the dishwasher, and we bought raw milk from the dairy. In the course of moving all up and down the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers, at every new home, Dad and my first project was installing a fruit cellar into the basement.
The point being is it was an “organic” existence. We ate locally all the time. When peaches came into season, I can recall Mom and Gram discussing whether they should buy a bushel or two? When tomatoes came into season, the same discussion. All our fresh vegetables were purchased at the local farm stand. In those days there was no question that he or his wife had actually grown those vegetables. For about 5-6 years of my life, once Dad stopped gardening, I took up the post and grew food for us.
Recently I went to Trader Joe’s Market and purchased some “organic” garlic as my own home grown stocks were depleted. When I got home I read on the label that this garlic had been grown in China. CHINA!!!! “Why?” I heard myself saying aloud. Gilroy, California is not far and the garlic capital of the world.
Kingsolver’s point to the book is how much petroleum fuels are spent in flying exotic foods all over the world. If we would adjust just 10% of our buying we could make a huge difference.
My point is that we each one can make a huge difference if we just pay attention. The benefits of eating locally from local organic growers is huge.
The nutritional factor is the biggest benefit. Organically grown foods have to develop “muscles” in order to survive. These muscles are in the form of antioxidants. All organically grown foods have as much as 60% more nutrition that industrially grown foods, and that’s just for starters. So when you balk at paying more for organically grown – think about it this way: you can pay now or pay later. You can pay now for the Quality you deserve and require for a healthy body and immune system, or you can pay later with supplements and even later with poor health and medical bills.
The benefits to buying locally and even growing a few plants yourself – well, you have to do it to understand the benefits of gardening, reconnecting with the dirt, the quiet of your garden, and the myriad miracles that happen out there. Critters come to play with you. You see the first flowers, the bud, the fruit. The absolutely orgasmic taste of the first tomato of the season. I promise you, if you grow your own heirloom tomatoes, you will absolutely never buy one in the market again.
The land, the dirt, the air, the food, you are all so connected. Every decision you make, with your dollars, with you time, with your choices matters and ripples across each and every one of us. When you choose more quality for your life – be it food, be it the products you use, the car you drive, the books you read, the movies you see, the conversations you have and choose NOT to have, the thoughts you think and the thoughts you choose NOT to think…it all ripples through to either add more Quality into the world or not.
When my boys were small I used to tell them “Garbage in, garbage out.” “Quality in, Quality out.”
Choosing Quality for yourself in every single tiny detail of your one life will make a huge difference in the Quality of this world. You Do Matter. This is Applied Spirituality in Action. Knowing the Value of You and honoring that with each and every choice….choosing what feels best and moving always towards that. Your Godchip is constantly beckoning you to come this way, it’s easier, it’s more loving, it’s full of more goodness, it’s better for you, there’s more joy this way, it’s more abundant here……follow your heart always. What you may start with your head (saving money and fuel) will end in a love affair of Life.
Thanks for reading,
Kath
additional resources for this topic: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan
