I'M GOING ON A RETREAT

Looking Within -- photo by Lou Gold

Yup, I'm going to empty my cup of the Internet and take a look at what's been growing within. I've been really wanting a pilgrimage to places beyond my current knowing. Now, I'm going to do it with a deep sense of love, joy and a full heart for all.

I should be back online by April 15th. Perhaps, there will be some good stories or maybe not. We'll see. I'd be very grateful if you'd stay tuned.

Tree hugs and blessings,

lou

BIG BIOCHAR EXPERIMENT IN UK

Profile: The Big Biochar Experiment; using widespread biochar trials for citizen-powered science in the UK

 
The Big Biochar Experiment is a UK-wide initiative and is the largest study on the use of biochar on British allotments to date. The Experiment aims to gather data to assess the effects of biochar on plant productivity and soil health of widely used fruit and vegetable varieties in the UK. The team is comprised of members of Oxford Biochar Ltd, Earthwatch, the Environmental Change Institute (Oxford University), and the UK Biochar Research Centre. Project partner Dr. Dan Bebber of Earthwatch said, “Biochar holds great potential for addressing some of our greatest challenges, including climate change and food security. This novel experiment will provide important insights on biochar's applicability to the UK farming industry, and allow people to get involved in real science."

THE DAILY VIEW

Flood in Acre -- photo by Sérgio Vale


The Taquari neighborhood in Rio Branco -- photo by Sérgio Vale

[UPDATE: View more spectacular new flood photos here and here.]

At 9 am this morning the water level reached 17.45 meters in Rio Branco and it is still rising. The all-time record is 17.66 meters. Expectations are that a new record high will occur in the next days.

MOVING BEYOND SEPARATION OF HUMANS AND NATURE

We are connected and "... that is true ... that is true ..."



Moving beyond the idea of ‘environment’ and falling back in love with Mother Earth. Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh explains why mindfulness rather than economics is needed to protect nature and how a spiritual revolution is needed if civilization is to avoid being destroyed by climate change.

(Filmed in Plum Village, France on the 22nd of December 2011, which, coincidentally, was the anniversary of the 1988 murder of Chico Mendes who is an icon of the save-the-forest movement in Acre and Brazil.)

LATEST RIO BRANCO FLOOD PHOTOS

All photos are by Gustavo Ferreira. They are taken near an important cultural and tourist center on Monday morning. The steel bridge has been closed to vehicles and the base of the city's iconic Acre State flag pole is under water.

WAY COOL INTERACTIVE WORLD MAP

Current national demographic and environmental data plus maps and photos, all on an amazing interactive world map created by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Click on the image above to get started.

BEAUTIFUL PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

Tatiana Cardeal, whose is my favorite Brazilian documentary photographer, has been showing us how to produce impressive images with a smartphone. Here are some samples:

RECORD HIGH WATER IN RIO BRANCO

Brazil's western-most state of Acre has been the epicenter of recent extreme droughts. Now, it is experiencing near-record flooding.


Flooding in Rio Branco - Foto: Marcos Vicentti

[UPDATE- 12:40pm - Sunday 19 February: The Acre River has reached 17.15cm (the record high water is 17.66cm) and is expected to keep rising as the headwaters tributaries continue to discharge. There are 4,115 homeless people who are under the responsibility of the Civil Defense in makeshift shelters. More than 12,000 homes and more than 49,000 people have been affected by flooding, according to estimates by civil defense. More at the blog of Altino Machado.]

Extreme events are what the models of global warming have predicted and every year the extremes seem to get worse. During the long dry season the soil loses porosity, compacts and becomes less permeable. When the rainy season arrives, the water is not sufficiently absorbed and flooding is the natural consequence. Last August Acre experienced near-record low water. Now, only 6 months later, the forecast is that the flood of 2012 will produce record-breaking high water.

A FLASH FROM THE PAST AND FUTURE

Jasper Neale going hiking with Lou Gold -- photo by Shane Jimmerfield

SAVING A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY OLD OREGON HOME

The tiny town of Williams in Southern Oregon lies over the mountain ridge from the community of Takilma where I lived for more than 20 years. We always thought of Williams as our sister community in the never-ending struggle to protect the local forests, mountains and rivers. Now, Williams is facing a big threat and a great opportunity. The community wants to buy an important parcel of land.  The chainsaws are scheduled to start buzzing as soon as early March and the land is expensive but they are undaunted. With our help (large and small) they just may do it an set a model for the future.

Go to the Williams project page or continue here

ENVIRONMENTALISM'S FALL FROM GRACE

"Some cypresses still believe in God, and they are happy", photo by el silencio

Paul Kingsnorth has written a profoundly provocative essay. The full piece is a must read. Here is a portion:

I became an “environmentalist” because of a strong emotional reaction to wild places and the other-than-human world: to beech trees and hedgerows and pounding waterfalls, to songbirds and sunsets, to the flying fish in the Java Sea and the canopy of the rainforest at dusk when the gibbons come to the waterside to feed. From that reaction came a feeling, which became a series of thoughts: that such things are precious for their own sake, that they are food for the human soul, and that they need people to speak for them to, and defend them from, other people, because they cannot speak our language and we have forgotten how to speak theirs. And because we are killing them to feed ourselves and we know it and we care about it, sometimes, but we do it anyway because we are hungry, or we have persuaded ourselves that we are.

"STEPPING INTO THE FIRE" (AYAHUASCA)

[UPDATE 16 September 2012 -- Sad news. An 18 year-old California man died as a result of ingesting a brew served during a ritual at the Shimbre Shamanic Center and there was an unsuccessful attempt at a cover-up. Here is the current google news page with links for more information.]



[YOU CAN STILL VIEW THE FILM AT:  Culture Unplugged ]

Very well done! There are many ayahuasca paths and not all journeys are sensational. I have not experienced this particular ritual line but, in essence, everything that is presented rings true within the context of my own spiritual journey. Ayahuasca is not magic; it is a burst of awareness that must be followed with a lot of hard work to create a different self and a different world. This later work -- to make the extraordinary into the ordinary -- is the best work that I know.

EDUCATION: THE PROBLEM AND A SOLUTION

Full disclosure: In the 1970's I threw away my near-to-completion PhD thesis because I saw that education based on institutional certification and passing tests was profoundly dysfunctional, granting the perks of status to a few and abandoning the many.

I already hear you asking, "so, Lou, what is your solution?"

THE WORLD'S LARGEST TREEHOUSE

The always innovative Michael Garnier from my old community of Takilma, Oregon explains his latest creation.

TO THE GODDESS FROM THE HEART

BEHOLD THE DREAM (THE GHOST SONG)

Awake.

Shake dreams from your hair
My pretty child, my sweet one.

Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
The day's divinity

DANCE ME TO THE END OF LOVE

On this special day of Yemenja, I feel something like being in love with life, with Brazil, with nature and people, even with all the craziness. It's time to dance and dance and dance -- at the celebrations -- and to the endlessness of love.





Viva Amor! Viva Paz! Viva Alegria! Viva União!

Salve Iemenjá!

[Note: The video may be blocked in some countries. There are more versions here.]

SALVE! - IEMANJÁ - SALVE!

Salve! Iemenjá e as mães das ãguas -- Salve! Yemanja and the mothers of the waters.


(photo by lou gold)

Today (02 February) is Her day -- Yemanja, Janaína, Oxum, Queen of the Sea, Mother of Life-giving Water, Sirens and messengers of love -- we salute You.

Here's a selection of music videos for Her and the sailors, fishers and people of Northeast Brazil. Of course, it begins and ends with Maria Bethania) ...

IF THERE IS LOVE, DO AS YOU WILL

I've been thinking about Jiddu Krishnamurti, the extraordinary world teacher, who was the gate of entry to expanded awareness for so many, myself included. Of course, the gate was only a beginning, leading on and on and on.



Late in Krishnamurti's life, he was asked in an interview, if he thought that his life of teaching and speaking and writing had made a difference. Without hesitation he said, "Of course, not!" Surprised, the interviewer asked, "Then, why do you teach?" Krishnamurti responded, "Why does the bird sing?"

Krishnamurti was famous for saying, "Where there is love, do as you will." Or, perhaps, it's "do as you are willed." Or, perhaps, there's no difference and that's the difference that makes the difference.