A Green Thought in a Green Shade

An Excerpt from The Nature Conservancy website:

"Trees and plants store carbon in their leaves, wood, roots and soils, and, as they grow, remove the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the air, storing it as additional carbon in their tissues as part of the process of photosynthesis. When forests are destroyed, so ends their ability to store carbon dioxide, and the gas is released back into the atmosphere. The Conservancy's climate action projects, safeguard more than 1.7 million acres while reducing the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere."

Check out more of "The Global Climate Change Initiative at Work" at The Nature Conservancy

Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act

Posted by David Roberts

I missed this last week -- and one can argue about how significant this stream of never-to-be-brought-to-the-floor bills really is anyway -- but nonetheless, check out Sen. Jeffords' Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act. Here are the highlights:

· Requires that the U.S. reduce its emissions between 2010 and 2020 to 1990 levels. By 2030, the U.S. must reduce its emissions by 1/3 of 80% percent below 1990 levels, by 2040 by 2/3 of 80% percent below 1990 levels and by 2050, to a level that is 80 percent below 1990 levels.

It has eight co-sponsors, all Democrats. (If only we had a third party to, you know, co-co-sponsor these things ...)
(reprinted from grist.org)

Water crisis hits rich countries - WWF report
16 Aug 2006
Report: Water crisis hits rich countries
A new WWF report shows that a combination of climate change, drought and loss of wetlands, along with poorly thought out water infrastructure and resource mismanagement in developed countries, is contributing to the world's water crisis.

Water crises, long seen as a problem of only the poorest, are increasingly affecting some of the world's wealthiest nations, warns WWF ahead of World Water Week (20-26 August). The global conservation organisation's report, 'Rich countries, poor water', is one of the first comprehensive overviews of water issues in the developed world.

"Economic riches don't translate to plentiful water," says Jamie Pittock, Director of WWF's Global Freshwater Program. "The crisis in rich nations is proof that wealth and infrastructure are no insurance against scarcity, pollution, climate change and drought. They are clearly no substitute for protecting rivers and wetlands, restoring floodplain areas and protecting forested catchments," says Mr Pittock.

The world's thirstiest cities, such as Houston and Sydney, are using more water than can be replenished, and in areas, such as along Australia's east coast, rapid development is proceeding despite clear evidence that water supply limits are being approached. In London, leakage and loss is estimated at 300 Olympic-size swimming pools per day due to ageing water mains...view remainder of article

Baby I want

By AnnaMarie White

Baby I want
to crawl in the crib with you
your turtleswimming legs
cradled in satin
handmade blankets
and mama’s pat and coo
baby I want to crawl
into the crib
with you
tucked clean
to purr and drool and chew
and knowing we’re not orphans
drop our rattles
against the din
let go the long necked giraffe
hook our tiny fingers
and dream.

1996

Visit Magnolia Mundi for more poetry, art work and information on the Magnolia Mundi Market.

An Encouraging Word

Commentary: San Viejo's Journey

By Larry Moffitt
ReligionAndSpirituality.com

WASHINGTON, August 20 (UPI) — There are only two hours of daylight left, so the heat of the day has passed. Still, it's quite warm in Falls Church, Virginia, and there are mosquitoes. Nearly 60 of us are gathered in the backyard of Roman Catholic Priest Bridget Mary Meehan.

What's wrong with this picture?

Actually, nothing. The priest is a woman, newly ordained, and she is about to celebrate her first public Mass.

Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan is one of eight women priests recently ordained in Pittsburgh (There are now five women bishops, 29 priests and 11 deacons worldwide). She was ordained by the laying on of hands from three women bishops in full apostolic succession.

Two of these women bishops (Bishop Gisela Forester and Bishop Patricia Fresen) were secretly ordained two years ago by three male Roman Catholic bishops acting by the power vested in them in full apostolic succession, and in full communion with the Vatican. Bishop Ida Raming, the third ordaining bishop in Pittsburgh, was ordained by Bishop Forester and Bishop Fresen. The spiritual lineage of the three women bishops, going in a straight line all the way back to Jesus' apostles, is legitimate...view remainder of the article

"Dear God, Bless Mommy, Daddy, Rover, and please help us save the earth."

"O Divine Master, Bless Timmy, Mother Jones. Father Jones, Bernie, Duffy, and all my dog friends. Thank you for the meatbones and please save the trees."

"Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the universe: 'I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe....'"
~Doreen Valiente, adapted by Starhawk

Mary and Lucky

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.

Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease....in fact, she was just sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.

The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky?...view remainder of story

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