Sorry, not sorry

Great video from Prince Ea on alternate future scenarios, and how sustainability is about looking upstream to root causes, tying everything together:





Stay going.
--

The most interesting sustainability report you'll never have to read

There's no doubt we need art if we're going to make the progress toward sustainability on the timeline we need to avoid big trouble.  Cheers to Heineken:



Stay going.
--
.

Create Stillness

by Emilie Oyen. Originally published on The Flame Tree. 

I'm looking at a painting on the wall that my friend made. It's so beautiful. When I wake up and throughout the day, it makes me happy. It reaches out to me and reassures me too. I love it. My friend is an artist and she's influenced by Japan and Buddhism and other things. The painting is seven or so sweeping, black brushstrokes. It took her probably ten minutes and her entire life, and also her ancestor's lives and all the Buddhists in the world to create it. How can you create a whole narrative, an entire novel, with seven strokes? How did she do that? There is yearning, there is love, there is tension and conflict. There is a tremendous rush and a turbulent fall. There is death and resurrection. There is escape. All in seven strokes.

To create art----do you remember that feeling? Do you remember that time of discipline, self-absorption, patience and wondering for a few months or maybe for years and years and then: one perfect brush stroke. And it is beautiful. It was not so long ago before children, work dinners, cell phones, music television dishes buses began to erode that time of creating.

It requires so much fortitude to create stillness in our lives today. It requires so much trust and patience to dwell in that stillness. To create space, stillness, enter it----and then to listen. That is the act of creation. That is also, I believe, the act of prayer. 

God is the poetry in your blood. Step aside, and listen.

ARTSTRIKE: Don't know how we'll make it

Today is ARTSTRIKE -- an effort spearheaded by Rebuild the Dream which describes it this way:

We're using culture as a tool to change people's hearts and minds, in a way that only art can.

Artstrike aims to "expose" the fiscal cliff, as a "fiscal bluff" and using it to highlight the growing, and dangerous levels of inequality in America today.

Systematically increasing levels of inequality undermine the strength of our social fabric, and undermine people's capacity to meet their needs. That's unsustainable, and is bad for all of us, rich or poor.

Art and culture are great ways -- maybe the only ways -- to bring about the kinds of transformational cultural shifts needed to lead a peaceful and relatively smooth shift to sustainability.

Here's a video of one of today's art works that I thought was particularly powerful:


Stay going.
...

350 eARTh Video

A great re-cap video of the eARTh project organized by 350.org last month.  Check out their new year-in-review webpage too.



Stay going.

Tweet

eARTh 350 kicks off

On Friday I wrote about the launch of eARTh 350.  Well, it's launched.  The AFP article below tells the story, and has been reposted on some 2,420 news sites and blogs, I just wanted to make it 2,421.  And show you some of the early pictures taken from the satellite:

350 Earth - Los Angeles

350 Earth - Santa Fe

350 Earth - Santa Domingo, DR

350 Earth - Mexico City

350 Earth - Delta Del Ebro, Spain

Art on planetary scale shines spotlight on climate change

(AFP) – 1 day ago

LOS ANGELES — The first global art show on climate change kicked off this weekend, launching several symbolic performances seen from space that bring people and planet together to highlight the hazards of global warming.

From the US southwest to spots in countries like China, Egypt, India and Spain, thousands of volunteers were coming together for the weeklong photo-performance project that ends November 27, just ahead of UN climate talks in Cancun, Mexico.

Using human bodies as the main media, the show was organized by US environmentalist Bill McKibben and his 350 Earth advocacy group, whose name points to the number of parts per million that most scientists agree is an acceptable upper level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Currently, that level is about 390 parts per million.

The group brought the global project into focus Saturday in the United States and Spain.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, more than 1,000 Girl Scouts and other residents holding blue posters crammed into a dry riverbed to form a human "flash flood" depicting where the Santa Fe River should be flowing.

"It's hot in here, there's too much carbon in the atmosphere!" the volunteers chanted.

At 10:53 am, participants flipped their cardboard posters to the blue side so a passing satellite could photograph them from orbit.

People also gathered in Delta Del Ebro, Spain to walk through a huge maze conceived by artist Jorge Rodriguez Gerada, while in New York a painting depicting the New York and New Jersey coastline after a seven-meter (23-foot) rise in sea levels was unveiled on a rooftop and photographed from space.

Thom Yorke, lead singer of rock supergroup Radiohead and an advocate of climate action, put a succinct message about the 350 Earth project on his band's website.

"The plan is to make images visible from the skies to remind those in Cancun that we are running out of time. We can't keep putting this off," Yorke wrote.

On Sunday thousands were gathering at a state park outside Los Angeles to form a giant image of an eagle taking flight over a field of solar panels, while on Monday in Mexico City, thousands of children will create a huge hurricane, with the number 350 depicted in the eye of the storm.

Mumbai will see schoolchildren group together in the shape of an elephant to represent the "elephant in the room" that is climate change.

In Australia, a torch display will form the number "350," in a warning about the risk of more wildfires if global warming is not halted.

And in Iceland, artists at the foot of a receding glacier plan to arrange red rescue tents in the shape of a giant polar bear.

McKibben acknowledged before the project that technical terms can be weak when it comes to inspiring people to change, but he was confident the images photographed from space would resonate with those who see them.

"One of the things I hope this achieves is to remind people that we live on a planet. Just like Venus and Mars, we are a hunk of rock out in space and our future depends on, among other things, the gaseous composition of our atmosphere," McKibben said.

The UN forum has made dismal progress toward a global deal to reduce harmful emissions, and McKibben said was he not optimistic about the Cancun talks.

"I think it is going to be a longer process than everyone has hoped."

-----

Stay going. 

Tweet

350 Earth Art

Climate art visible from space.  That's what's coming up next from the 350.org crew.  350 Earth will be the first art exhibit visible from space.

Based on the premise that the earth rise photo created an immediate shift in consciousness for humanity - providing a dramatic, visual reminder that we're indeed on a spaceship, and its the only one we've got.

Even if we didn't articulate it this way, it drove a visceral realization that we've got energy coming in from the sun, but materials don't come in and go out (aside from the odd meteor or satellite) - there is no "away" for poisons we create or pull out of the earth's crust (the basic premise behind Sustainability Principles 1 & 2); and that we can't continually use up or destroy the resources faster than they regenerate naturally (SP 3); and we've got to find basic ways to live together, respect each other and keep the social fabric from falling part (SP 4).

A new report from UC Berkeley shows that dire messages about climate change can backfire if presented too negatively - increasing skepticism and inaction.  It says people generally see the world as just (or want to believe it is) - and reject the idea that we would create an apocalyptic for ourselves and future generations.  We all know we're not 100% rational creatures.

As I write I'm listening to Wake Up - the new album from John Legend and the Roots the revisits classic songs that drove social movements in the '60s and '70s.  It's clear we need powerful art like that now.  It's a good thing we're getting it.

From November 20-28 artists and citizens at over a dozen locations will create massive art installations that satellites will photograph from space.

Bill McKibben, in many ways the voice of 350.org said "I think it's going to be very powerful. Art gets to people in ways that science doesn't."

The series of installations are timed to happen before the annual international climate negotiations - COP 16 - happening in Cancun, Mexico in early December.  Most people aren't expecting much to come out of these meetings.  Sometimes that's when things can happen.

Stay going.

Tweet

The Hive Grand (re)Opening Show...

A quick announcement for Cape Ann locals & visitors who will be around this coming Saturday - come out, support local arts, and help build and strengthen the social fabric at the Grand (re)Opening of The Hive at it's new location on Main St. in Gloucester: 

Saturday June 12th from 6-9pm

Come on down to help us celebrate new work & our new location (@Art Haven) on Main Street in Gloucester. If you like what we are doing, spread the word and help us build community through creativity. Local food and beverage provided by Alchemy and Cape Ann brewing. After party across the street at Alchemy.

180 B Main St. Gloucester, MA 01930

email. thehivecapeann@gmail.com

web. www.thehivecapeann.com

Connect with us on on facebook.

Stay going. 

It's electric so it's guaranteed to shock y'all

Another great video from the folks at Green For All - this by Doo Dat. After you check out the video, check out the clip "behind the video" for more about the rapper and the movement.

Stay going.

Hundreds Gather to Fight Global Warming!

Happy Holidays!

Stay going.

VOTE! Free Range Studios' YouTopia Grant

Hi All,

Please take a few seconds to register and cast all three of your votes in the respective categories for the following organizations - all are great groups, run by great people in our network, winners in each category get $15,000 worth of video development work that will be a huge help to each:

• International Development category, vote for: "Village Corps Shorts"
• Sustainable Living category, vote for: "Paradigm-Shifting Economic Social Network"
• Environment & Conservation category, vote for: "Ramping Up The Natural Step"
• Community Development category, vote for: "Sutainability: THE Way of Life"
• Socially Responsible For-Profit category, vote for: "The Wedge Pledge"

Stay going.

~

350 Video

Speaks for itself:

Stay going.

.

One of those moments...

I'm having one of those moments. Moments where I think we might actually do this fast enough. We might collectively wake up and use some common sense. Common sense to protect our global commons ... the atmosphere in particular right now, and specifically getting CO2 concentrations back to 350 parts per million.

The moment's coming from scrolling through the www.350.org site, after just a day of what I'm sure must be an overwhelming job of sorting messages, posting picture, dealing with press and getting the most out of the epic day that was 10/24/09.

Here in Gloucester, we had a great turnout despite the rain, and got some great shots around the "old salt" - the Man at the Wheel fishermen's memorial statue.

But a few of the other photos from just a small sample of the 5,200+ events in 180+ countries summoning memories from my own experiences, reinforcing how very personal and how very global this challenge is.

First, The Mountain School - a high-school program on an organic farm that attended, and which had a huge impact on me and my thinking is featured on the front page - their picture is of sap buckets and maple leaves:

And then there is the picture from the slum in Kenya. I visited my sister when she was living in Kenya, and it's hard to describe what the impacts of climate disruption will mean for people already living on the edge (i.e. a huge percentage of all people).

And finally, this one from Butte College in California, which is one of 657 signatories to the Presidents' Climate Commitment that I've been helping to support for the past couple of years, announcing that they're aiming to go climate neutral by 2015.

Raven's Message from Daniel Dancer on Vimeo.

Thanks so much to all of you who came out yesterday - in Gloucester and around the world!

Stay going.

Beds are Burning

A decent remake of a classic for our new climate reality from TckTckTck (sign-up if you haven't yet):

Stay going.

.

the HIVE - sept 4th opening

The hottest new scene on Cape Ann has a couple of exciting events lined-up for next week.

First up: Green Drinks ... Weds. Sept 2nd (7-9 pm): our first venture out of the local bars and into an art space. Come hang out, talk about what ever sustainability issues are on your mind, meet some like-minded folks, and help plan our Cape Ann event for the International Day of Climate Action on Oct. 24th to raise awareness on the need for a target of 350 ppm.

And don't miss the second opening of the HIVE on Friday, Sept 4th (7-10 pm):

Start the last weekend of summer off with a wicked bang! Come check out all the new work from the rapidly expanding Hive members, the original crew and the recycled aquatic creations of Jon Conant- Everlution Forms. Tasty treats and beverages provided by Cape Ann Brewing. Come By and feel free to bring friends.


























Stay going!

Earth Days

Just caught the trailer of a new movie on the history of the modern environmental movement - looks pretty awesome, I can't wait to check it out at the Cape Ann Community Cinema when it makes it to Gloucester in Oct. Check out the trailer here:

www.earthdaysmovie.com



























Stay going.

Newport Folk Festival turns 50, goes green

The Folks behind Folk Festival 50 in Newport - the legendary annual folk music weekend on the water in Newport, RI - are making significant strides to better green their festival, and would love for you to come see for yourself, so much so that they're offering great discounts for sustainability-minded folks. Click here and use the promo code "GREEN".

Tickets for Folk Festival 50, A Celebration of 50 years of Folk Music in Newport, RI are now on sale and New Festival Productions would like to invite you to become one of the "folk" with a special Green Community discounted offer.

Discount is available for a limited time only. Offer good while supplies last. Not valid on previously purchased tickets or at gate.

To receive a discount on Adult Admission, cut and paste the following link into your browser and enter the special Promo Code: GREEN when prompted.

http://www.folkfestival50.com/purchase-information.html

Music Festival Line Up
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 ~ 11:30 am – 7:00 pm
Pete Seeger, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, Gillian Welch,
The Avett Brothers, Billy Bragg, Iron & Wine, Mavis Staples,
Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Ben Kweller, The Low Anthem, Brett Dennen, Tift Merritt, Tao Rodriguez Seeger, Langhorne Slim

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 ~ 11:30 am – 7:00 pm
Pete Seeger with Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Neko Case, The Campbell Brothers, Josh Ritter, Elvis Perkins in Dearland,
Tim Eriksen & Shape Note Singers, Del McCoury, Guy Clark,
David Rawlings Machine, Deer Tick, Balfa Toujours, Dala, Joe Pug

Stay going...

The Hive

Check out the grand opening of the Hive Cape Ann - a local artist gallery / community hub - here's to strengthening the social fabric!









































Learn more at www.thehivecapeann.com

Stay going...

Movies & TV Links

• 11th Hour
• Advertising & the End of the World
• Age of Stupid
• The Ambassador
• America: from freedom to fascism
• Baraka
• Big Picture TV
• Blue Vinyl
• Corporate Watchdog Media
• The Corporation
• End of Suburbia
• Energy Policy TV
• Ethical Markets TV
• Fixing Capitalism
• Flow
• Free Range Studios
• Future of Food
• Go Green Tube
• Green TV
• An Inconvenient Truth
• King Corn
• Koyaanisqatsi
• Life and Debt
• Pangea Day
• Planeten
• The Power of Community: how Cuba survived peak oil
• Supersize Me
• Sundance Channel: The Green
• The Meatrix
• New Dimensions Media
• So Right So Smart
• Story of Stuff
• This Brave Nation
• Wake Up, Freak Out
• What the Bleep Do We Know
• Who Killed the Electric Car?
• The Wisdom to Survive: Climate Change, Capitalism, and Community