Tag Archives: conservation

Seasonal Slowness

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I am currently working on a documentary on slow clothes and have been in contemplation on how hand made items can deeply enrich our lives, how it is a necessity for us to make more of our own goods with 7 billion people cohabiting on the planet with a limited amount of natural resources.  It is a fact that the majority of people in our society have no connection to the items they possess other than selecting them at a store. 

During the winter holidays, when daylight is scarce and our schedules are full, it can be hard to maintain our bliss.  I am coming out of a very busy spell with a schedule that kept me at school working on projects until 1-2 AM several days a week, and sometimes at school 7 days a week.  Now that I have a few weeks off my first instinct is to sleep.  My second instinct is to spend as little time as possible shopping for obligatory gifts and to spend quality time with friends and family, the people who fuel me.  Taking the time for the subtle joys.

bright

The first thing I did with my free time was to buy materials in which I can create with.  For the next few weeks, aside from quality time with loved ones, I am developing skills pertaining to hand crafted textiles.  I am slowing down this season and that does not mean that I will be hibernating.  Aside from catching up on sleep I am going to be less spread thin and more intentional with my time.  As the winter solstice envelopes us with darkness I find my equilibrium, I engage in activities that recharge and inspire rather than distract and deplete.  Moving forward with clarity and focus on what the holidays really represent and not so caught up in the superficial aspects of the winter holidays in North America.

drop spindle

I hope to create more of what we normally consume, always contemplating how to reduce my footprint.  I look at all of the stores selling stuff and I wonder how much of it ends up in a land fill within a few years, barely making a lasting impact on the person who acquires it. I dream of a society that spends more time with peers creating rather than shopping for useless distractions that are depleting our Earth’s resources.  I dream of people learning more traditional skills and combining them with our modern technology and wisdom to truly innovate and revolutionize how we be.

I slow down this holiday season and my mind feels anything but slow.  I feel sharp and inspired.  My heart is full and ready to give.

Truly sustainable textiles consider the land that grows the materials spun then woven into cloth.  It is a human art deeply connected to the Earth.

Filmspiration

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The Vancouver Film Festival is coming to an end. The festival was on while I was in production with an episodic series so I didn’t get the chance to see most of the films I wanted to see. I did however get a chance to check out a few documentaries.

Thinking about some of the things that go on in China sometimes makes my head spin. ‘Waking the Green Tiger’ tracks the rise of the green movement in China and gave me great hope showing the power of documentary activism. I loved this one.

Yoga and documentary, nuff said.

For Sigur Ros fans ‘Inni’ is a must see.

A Revolution for Sustainability?

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For the first time I watched a feature film on my iPhone, fully embracing the convenient technology. It is a noteworthy project, the Zeitgeist Movement a documentary that is brilliantly leveraging the viral video phenomenon and also is ‘non-commercial’.

If you have ever wondered what the world would look like without money then it is worth checking out, it goes into detail on how a resource-based economy would impact the Earth. I think that it is healthy to envision the future of this planet through different lenses in different scenarios to our current socioeconomic model in which we work so hard to transcend. What I like about the ideas presented in this documentary is that they are discussed along with an understanding of human needs, the first section reveals our needs in utero and in the developmental years. It is grounded in a thorough understanding of one of the key components to the critical situation on this planet: PEOPLE.

It is a common thread in many of the documentaries I have watched in the past year; revolutions are a necessary component in world history, they bring about justice and allow us to move forward in our development in a healthier trajectory. In the west we have such a comfortable lifestyle and are bombarded with personal entertainment and consumerism that it does appear that the masses pour their energy into sustaining their lifestyle rather than look deeper for solutions to global concerns. We have become passive and complacent. Sustainability is such a poignant issue it seems alarming that the revolution has been so ineffective. It seems we are all going green though global emissions are still on the rise.

Check out this documentary that has almost 4 million views in just over a month and let me know what you think.

Human Behaviour

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Last week the Vancouver International Film Festival wrapped up after two weeks of film galore. This year the theme for me was documentaries and each documentary that I watched had an environmental spin on it even if it was not an ‘environmental’ film; it is a global topic. All of the films discussed an imminent need for conditions on this planet to shift RIGHT NOW, that we are in need of a REVOLUTION.

Sometimes I think about conditions on our sacred planet and I wonder why people aren’t freaking out and being more proACTIVE. There are some amazing people making a difference, creating a future for us to live in balance and all of these people are my HEROS. Although we are making progress it seems as if a great majority of the population are so passive about planetary conditions and current issues. regeneration-themovie.com discussed how we are plugged into the internet, personal entertainment devices, we are consuming more than ever before and this is leaving us DISTRACTED. Our youth is preoccupied and passive. Even with all of this ‘media’ there is such massive censorship that most Americans have no idea about what really is happening in Iraq, there are no major protests like there were when the US ambushed Vietnam & Cambodia.

Our feet in both worlds the key thought for me, leveraging our connectivity and unplugging on a regular basis. Remember that we CAN make a difference. Make time for community, don’t wait for someone to do something. MOVE. I am certain that we are capable of pulling up our socks and focus more effectively at transformation and have ecstatic fun while doing so. Immerse yourself in love, remember that when we keep our vibrations high we have more energy to focus our thoughts and actions, magnetizing momentum.

Irresistible.

Economic Alternatives to Oil

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Last night I exploded into bliss at a RAVE. The Great Bear Rainforest RAVE (Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition) premiered at the MOV and showcased the photographic works of 9 of the world’s top conservation photographers who partook on an expedition around BC’s pristine Hartley Bay and the mighty Great Bear Rainforest, an ecosystem completely intact with indigenous villagers still harvesting off the land.

Enbridge Inc. wants to pipe oil from Alberta’s very controversial Tar Sands to this precious coastal land at great risk to the biodiversity of the world’s largest coastal temperate rainforest. The images captured by the lenses of the iLPC photographers on display last night were unreal. This project is a lens which can create a real connection to to the Great Bear Rainforest for all of us that don’t have the opportunity to travel to this remote location along BC’s bountiful coast. The images and video produced by this project moved me deeply, I crave a connection to the delicate creatures that live on our coast and to the intense perfection that presents itself in the natural world. I feel that if we can’t use our current technologies to connect ourselves to the natural and magnificent world that is still intact to cultivate our reverence then we need to re-focus ourselves.

If a pipeline was pumping crude oil to these lands then there would be a risk of an oil spill, they do happen. I met a man that biked, hiked, and kayaked from the Tar Sands to the coast along the proposed route of the pipeline. They traversed terrain so remote that it would not be immediately accessible if there was a pipeline rupture. And with all of the tankers coming through the rugged passages it would be certain to disrupt the habitat for so many species, without even an oil spill. That expedition will be made into a documentary, check out their website HERE.

The most moving part of the evening was to hear stories from some of the photographers and their experiences in this special place. Gerald Amos, from Hartley Bay, moved many in the crowd to tears with his heart felt talk. He passed along his belief that our most important right is the right to be responsible. It is not rocket science: our way of life is at stake and we need to talk about it and do something about it.

In his tribe it is a law to welcome anyone who enters their land hospitably and take care of them. He welcomed us all aboard his magic canoe. His canoe can fit as many people who want to come on board. I have been waiting for a magic canoe, an embodiment of inclusiveness, my whole life. The wisdom from the BC Native communities has got my attention, every thing I hear moves me deeply and strikes a chord that this view and this wisdom needs to be heard, this wisdom can correct our societies perversion which has created conditions on our planet to get funky.

This land and its inhabitants have survived many storms, but it surely would not survive an oil spill. The question to get to the root of is: WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVES TO OIL? This is our challenge and I know we can find them.

This summer, for the first time since I moved back to Vancouver with young children, I took my car off the road for 6 weeks. I fully embraced cycling in the beautiful city of Vancouver and it brought experiences I would otherwise not have had. I felt so much healthier for it. As I accustom my children to relying on pedaling themselves around the city rather than me driving them, I plan to take my car off the road on a regular basis. It was a rewarding experience.

The pinnacle of last nights RAVE was the Gerald Amos saying that he was filled with hope for the future. I too have moments where I am flooded with hope that we can achieve a more sustainable and harmonious existence on this planet. To hear this wise man share his hope fortified mine. I am not afraid to change. Bravo to everyone who was involved with the creation of this inspiring project, and bravo to all of the people out there finding solutions to conserve and restore nature and for discovering economic alternatives to oil. You are my heroes.

Please support:
http://tidescanada.org/about/gbr-rave

Tibetan Dance

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I have a friend from Tibet who gave me some footage to edit that he filmed in 2002. This segment is from a ‘Tent Festival’ where thousands of Tibetans gather for a festival in the summer once every 12 years.

Here is a sample of some of the dancing competition. I get swept away by Tibetan dance, I have performed it in the past and hope to one day further my studies of this dramatic dance in Tibet.

Long sleeves that connect arm movements to the earth and to the sky, bringing sacred awareness to the environment that sustains us. Individually and communally moving with grace, bending with force.

“May all the virtuous accomplishments arise miraculously and spontaneously!”

Pandora on Earth

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This past week I broke a personal record and saw Avatar for the second time. I have never seen a film in the theater twice so this is an impressive feat. James Cameron brilliantly revived the theater experience by developing a new method of filming and the result is beautiful, I am sure you have experienced it for yourself. The second time I put on the 3D glasses and immersed myself into the luscious lunar landscapes of Pandora I was further enchanted by the beauty of the animated jungle environments and the sensuality of the Nav’ii, how they interacted with their environment with such agility and grace. The movements and expressions were exquisite and made up for a story that could have been further developed in many ways.

Nav'ii glow

The message of the film is totally required and relevant to this moment on Earth and has been well received by the masses having raised more at the box office than Cameron’s Titanic. As well as living in harmony with their environment, the Nav’ii lived in peace as a spiritual community “seeing” each other with a deep connection to the divine. So evolved, so primitive. It was so refreshing for my eyes to take in the exotic Nav’ii’s reverence for all life. According to Mayan prophecy, this is where we are heading; we are ready for these shifts!

The violence in the film I could have lived without though I realize without tension the film would likely not have reached the masses. Thankfully we don’t need extreme science to bring us into the body of a genetically engineered Avatar to learn how to connect to nature in such a profound way, to learn to fly. We don’t need an unspeakable crisis or catastrophe to take a giant leap and start living in line with our deeper potential, though sometimes we need these life altering experiences to gain a new perspective. It is interesting to conceptualize a moon based society that worships the divine mother as female energy is coming into power in our masculine dominant world. I see it all around me, we are waking up and changing our priorities. We are lucky, all we have to do is open our heart and go outside and make a connection to the world around us. Dare to dream and remember how important our Earth is and all of the life she hosts.

In appreciation for the precious flora of my environment I am currently drinking dandelion tea. Thank you for stopping by.

Creative Buzz

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It is hard to believe that summer is coming to an end but alas, the seasons must change. Here in the Pacific North West summer is too short, cliche I know. I must lament, many of the creative projects that I intended to work on or wrap up this summer simply didn’t happen. Though in my failure beauty emerged, beauty in the form of unscheduled spontaneity that resulted in amazing time with family and friends, beauty in the form of downtime that allowed a very deep and profound ancestral healing, the type that you cannot command to happen or schedule in. I feel so deeply calm and focused and although I crave more sun, as we all do, I feel ready to embrace autumn.

summer sunset

summer sunset

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Here is a teaser from the documentary END:CIV directed by Franklin Lopez of submedia.tv based on the works of Derek Jensen. During the winter and spring I had a ton of fun doing some post production on this project.

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Meat consumption is a significant contributor to global emissions, primarily beef and pork. The larger the animal, the heavier the footprint. If you are not vegetarian, consider going veg one day a week to do your part. If the whole planet stopped consuming meat one day a week emissions drop considerably. See if you can go to two days from there, and stick to poultry and fish, although it seems that salmon is not really an option anymore. When I think about how we can carry our existences and pursue our dreams while reducing our footprints on the planet it kicks in my creativity and I get a little buzz from it. Riding my bike around, growing food, consuming less, it has been fueling me as I discover little details that make my day more sustainable, and more magical.

EARTHday Everyday

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I had a conversation with my son today about the EARTH, and we concluded that because there are now an unprecedented number of us humans co-habituating on this planet that everything we do, every choice we make, has to be done with mindfulness. We have been using five planet’s resources, this has to change. We can do it.

I see the current state of the global economy as an opportunity for the less ethical structures to crumble, giving rise to the sustainably focused organizations to flourish. There are artists that are thriving now because their work educates, inspires, raises awareness… they are living in line with their souls purpose.

life blossoming

Earth is a vortex of LIFE, in a barren galaxy there rotates a ball filled with living creatures, large and minuscule. All lifeforms are what should be celebrated, all lifeforms have the opportunity to teleport us into bliss.

I had the wonderful opportunity to be a doula for my friends first baby’s birth. I have only slept for a few hours since Sunday, yet I am so full of energy, and love. As I held her this evening I felt so much peace, so much purity. When I looked at my friend’s baby girl, I didn’t just see a new born baby, I saw a mass of energy so profound, so pure. We all are born with this purity, we all have this vulnerability to us. Please, do your hardest to never harm anyone. And all life on this planet is precious, we must defend it. And yes, I am high from the experience.

Environmental Guidelines by a Buddhist Master

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With great joy I am passing on the link to a downloadable book written by HH the 17th Karmapa, a Tibetan Buddhist spiritual teacher. It was written to ensure all Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, centres and communities are clear on how they can have a positive impact on the fragile Tibetan ecosystem rather than contribute to further destructive practices. This 26 page ‘Archana’ in PDF format clearly defines how to protect our forests, our water, our wildlife, and discusses waste management and climate change. It pertains to Tibet but is applicable to the entire planet and is a must read.

When HH Karmapa gave public talks in Seattle last year I was inspired to hear him say that the world is in a state where it is in danger of being destroyed, and that we have to get out there and do something about it. As meditators we don’t have the luxury of sitting in caves and enjoying benefits of lots of spiritual practice. We have to work hard and bring all of our efforts out into the world. He gave us some very clear instructions on how to do this. And do this I do.

HH the 17th Karmapa

HH the 17th Karmapa

I challenge all religious heads, governments, corporations and collectives to take this issue seriously and implement such guidelines. Hop on board! Collaborate, think about what the obstacles to living on our planet without damaging it are, find ways to live on the land sustainably while bringing it back into a state of balance, and relentlessly support this ambitious endeavor. I feel so relieved after reading this clear manual that these coherent words are accessible.

It is a beautiful book with 4 lovely watercolor paintings that Karmapa painted and you don’t have to be a Buddhist to gain from reading it. So… CLICK HERE to download this free read and think about how you are refining your part.

drinking kava root tea…