The Rites of Spring in the High Rocky Mountains.

The sunny birds have stirred me from my winter hibernation to embrace the fertility of Spring. Immediately my eyes lift heavenward to the Rocky Mountains towering above. My heart is like a magnet, as it yearns to be reunited with the wilds of my youth. As soon as I could walk on my own, I was introduced to the near-by mountains and have gone back again and again for the rest of my life. I feel such a strong and peaceful bond with all of nature. It ignited a life-long passion for nature that burns brighter with each passing year. Soon, it will be time to perform my "Consecration of Spring" ritual.

It involves finding a secluded woods far away from camp sites to strip naked. Nudity is our natural form--it is what Mother Nature intended us to wear in our natural habitat. But, since we can't walk around naked all the time, I like to incorporate it into many of my Neo-Pagan rituals. In those hidden woods, I dig a small hole with my hands. I don't use a man-made object because it lacks the personal connection to the fertile dirt that feeds us and gives us resources for shelter and fuel.

I like to raise a scoop of dirt in my hands to my nose and smell of its richness. It is a gesture of respect to the soil's power. At the same time, it's soft yet rich scent relaxes my body and mind, allowing the chaotic stress of modernity to melt away quicker. It's a ritual that shakes the grime of city life off my mind so I can get into spiritual state worthy of Mother Nature's beauty. It's a ritual that reminds me I don't have to carry the baggage of my daily life out in nature. It disintegrates the knots of stress, so that I can fully embrace the experience of nature. I don't believe in rituals without preparing your spirit first because otherwise you rush through it and miss the messages Mother Nature has for you because you weren't in the right frame of mind.

This is where I will be adding some new rituals to my "Consecration of Spring" ceremony. I like to bath in mountain streams when I go backpacking far away from human contact. So, I was thinking that before I strip naked in a secluded grove, and dig the hole that I'll bath in a mountain stream to ritualistically cleanse the grime of materialism from my body. Then when I'm naked I am pure for the rituals to come. Finally, upon completion of the bathing and digging, I drop some wildflower seeds in the hole. Then, I begin to masturbate.

I really loose myself in it, without drawing too much attention. I thank Mother Nature for giving me such a beautiful tool, as my aroused phallus to spread fertility. I thank her for making me a man and with it the enjoyment a sexually horny male can enjoy. I dedicate myself to supporting all ideas that further the birth of revolutionary changes that improve life for humans and animals. Then, when I've extended my masturbating for as long as I can, I unload my streaming man seed (cum) into the hole (womb) as a symbolic ritual of rebirth.

A dedication to a Springtime of renewal and stewardship of nature. It is a ritual where I symbolically impregnate nature and thus feel a deeper bond to the land--and to protect it like I would my own family. It represents a renewed hope and dedication to give birth to new and positive changes in my life. It helps me feel like I am re-connecting with my "natural man" instincts, too. Then I fill in the hole with the soil dug out and cover the sacrificial area with leaves, in a nod to the environmentalists creed, "Leave nature as pristine as you found it." Leave no trace of human activity behind. Feel free to adopt anything that calls to from my "Consecration of Spring" ritual...I believe in communal co-operation and sharing of spiritual expression. That's all for now...

~The Green Man Has Spoken~

John Muir: Attached to the Rest of the World.

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." -naturalist, John Muir

John Muir was a tireless defender of Mother Nature, Mystic of the Woods, and Advocate for the preservation of our Sacred Temples of Earth. As with a shaman, Muir survived a brush with bodily harm, which beckoned him to a higher calling of the spirit. After a sawmill accident nearly left him blind, John received a revelation, "he saw the world—and his purpose—in a new light," wrote author, Amy Marquis in her book, "A Mountain Calling."



John Muir recalled, "This affliction has driven me to the sweet fields. God has to nearly kill us sometimes, to teach us lessons." According to biographer Donald Worster's book, "Passion of Nature," he saw that purpose to be, "saving the American soul from total surrender to materialism." Thus, disillusioned by the addiction to materialism that belched forth during the Industrial Revolution, Muir disappeared into the woods to be embrace Mother Nature's spirituality. To many in that era, the idea that nature was spiritually on par with "God" was heresy. At the time, unlike past eras, much of Christianity saw nature as something to be tamed and exploited. It was a careless attitude that stemmed in large part from a ego-distorted view of the Biblical verse granting humanity dominion over the Earth.



As he wandered the land, John Muir stood at the feet of the cathedrals of nature and proclaimed that no temple made by the hand of man could compare to those within the environment. As he explored further, Mother Nature opened up and revealed a realm of such complexity, grandeur and interaction that Muir was understandably humbled. It was dramatically clear to him that humanity was but one spoke in a giant wheel of environmental interdependence and not its master. Mother Nature spoke to him through the whispering pines and the singing rivers that these natural sanctuaries could heal the wounds of the world. It was a world that was poisoning itself with urban pollution, dehumanized by rampant greed and spiritually lost.



Yet, the magic of these natural worlds were quickly disappearing within the so-called jaws of "industrial progress" and John Muir understood what was to be done. He hoisted the banner of Mother Nature and beckoned a war-weary country to be healed by her powers; and the people came. He extolled the virtues of the land and guests to those temples left converted protectors of those rediscovered treasures of Earth. I guess you could say that John Muir was the Savior of the American Wilderness. May we honor the gift he has given us by passing on his wisdom to future generations.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

BP-Halliburton-Transocean Oil Gusher Video.

No wonder they can't cap this pipe!! This thing looks like one of those natural "smokers" down at the bottom of the ocean. Emphasis (of course) on natural:

Now the REAL "Black Smokers" (below):

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Still Affecting Alaska Communities.

(Green Man's commentary follows the news article below):

From Dan Simon and Augie Martin, CNN

Cordova, Alaska (CNN) -- For third-generation fisherman John Platt, the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill is a financial and psychological nightmare that won't end. Three years after the 11 million-gallon spill in Prince William Sound blackened 1,500 miles of Alaska coastline, the herring on which he and other Cordova fishermen heavily relied disappeared from the area. Platt and some others stuck around, fishing for salmon and hoping things would improve. The herring never returned to Cordova. Platt's income plummeted, severely straining his marriage and psyche. He dipped into his sons' college funds to support his family.

"I wasted 20 years of my life," he said. Platt and other people in the Alaskan village of about 2,500 people say they still are suffering economically and emotionally 21 years after the oil disaster. The herring loss alone has cost the region about $400 million over the past 21 years, according to R.J. Kopchak, a former fisherman who is now developmental director at Cordova's Prince William Sound Science Center. The average fisherman suffered a 30 percent loss in income after the spill, but those who specialized in just herring lost everything, Kopchak said.

The surface oil from the spill had largely disappeared within three years of the spill, according to studies conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Response and Restoration. But oil residue still can be found on the shore. "It is a lingering problem, as they say, with no easy solution," Kopchak said.

Money from Exxon hasn't made the fishermen's problems disappear. Besides the $2.5 billion that Exxon is estimated to have paid for the cleanup, it reportedly paid $300 million soon after the disaster to 11,000 fishermen, fish processors and others affected. In 1994, a federal jury ordered Exxon to pay $5 billion in punitive damages, but appeals reduced that award to $507.5 million. Last year, a federal court ordered Exxon to also pay $470 million in interest on the punitive damages. Platt says he has received about $600,000 from Exxon. But most of it was used to clear liens on his fishing permits and boats, he said.

Green Man: This makes me think about all this talk about "cleaning up" these oil spills. We need to be careful when talking about "cleaning this up" because it will never be fully cleaned up, and after the cameras and journalists go away the people who live there can't as easily leave. Their whole lives are there in that region (families, friends, churches, schooling, etc) and their way of life, (whether it be fishing or farming) is all they know how to do.

It's good, honest work but even their strong traditions can't over-come a disaster like this. They're stuck in this oily nightmare for decades at least. Perhaps what's worse though is that the oil guys will have to go back to doing that dangerous and dirty job again because that's what they are trained in. Yet B.P. will recover and be back to making billions every time their CEO takes a breath that they'll be fine. They won't be the one's to feel the brunt of this disaster that they caused.

In a related note, as you know I adore animals and seeing all these sea turtles, birds and fish sick or dying because of this disaster makes me wonder if we can nail these oil bastards with animal cruelty laws. I bet we could. We should be hitting them with every charge we can think of but even then it wouldn't make up for this nightmare. The tooth paste (or oil in this instance) can't be put back into the tube.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

The BP Gulf Oil Disaster: An American Chernobyl.

I heard someone refer to the BP Gulf oil spill today as an "American Chernobyl" which I think is an apt comparison given the scope. I sure hope this injects some steroids to finally getting off oil. Our oil addiction is like a combination of doing heroin while playing Russian roulette. Let's use natural gas as the transition fuel to totally green, clean, alternative energy as it is the cleanest fossil fuel. No more dirty energy!! Our Earth and thus, WE, can't take it any longer. It's killing us all.We need to get back to our roots and return to the ways of our Pagan ancestors who were reliant upon nature to a greater degree than now. They knew that to damage Mother Earth was to damage themselves and risk their own destruction but because of technology we've been lulled into believing that somehow we don't need to worry about nature any longer. We sure like to label our ancestors as ignorantly superstitious but their way of living served us well up until the industrial revolution when we began destroying nature in the pursuit of materialism.We sometimes think that our ancestors lived during a bleak time but their lack of possessions seemed to serve them better than all of our toys do. We have all kinds of gadgets, money and status but without a planet to live on it's all just literally shiny trash. They knew that not all that glitters is gold and they were on to something because when you really absorb nature you begin to see it as pretty damn cool.It's offers better visuals than any computer game as well as having just as good precious art as the best museums. The neighbors (animals) are more exciting and unique than those at the best cocktail party. And the best part is that if we protect it--all that beauty, wonder, heritage, art and richness is free. As a final note, check out this ironic BP commercial about how much they care about the environment:LAST PHOTO: Arenal volcano in Costa Rica. Picture taken by Green Man.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Two Mile Long Scar on Great Barrier Reef After Ship Grounding.

"Even if severe toxic contamination is not found at the site, initial assessments by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority indicate it could take 20 years for the world's largest coral reef to recover, said scientist David Wachenfeld. In some areas, "all marine life has been completely flattened and the structure of the shoal has been pulverized by the weight of the vessel," Wachenfeld said."

Green Man: I don't know much about international law but I hope that Australia sues this Chinese shipping company for all they're worth to help pay for the clean up and loss. If we take protecting our natural treasures then there needs to be stiff penalties for damaging such world heritage sites like the Great Barrier Reef. The other aspect of preventing this again is to end our use on fossil fuels--our oceans are a life-line for millions of people and trashing them is like slowly taking poison. The reef has been in existence since possibly twenty million years ago and so it's shocking how fast this massive yet fragile reef can be destroyed.

For centuries man has seen nature as oppressive, tenacious and something to be tamed but we have finally remembered what our ancestors knew--that as nature goes, so goes our species and every other one. We mocked Pagans and other nature based believers because they worshiped rocks and trees but they lived in harmony with the environment and not only survived but thrived. So, now that we're nearly at the point of no return from environmental degradation we need to remember that our ancestors gave us these precious treasures and the wisdom to live amongst them and yet still thrive.

Yet we forgot and/or discarded these gifts in favor of the Christian belief that nature is given to man to do with it what we please. And that since we bought the idea that "God" gave it all to us we assumed that nature was inexhaustible. Thus we arrogantly felt we no longer needed to live in harmony with it because "God" would somehow take care of any complications along the way. Well, oh how wrong we were and still are!! There are still some that believe it doesn't matter how we treat our environment because Jesus will sweep in on a white horse and save us regardless. Yet with each passing year no one comes--just like in the play, "Waiting for Godot" and our world gets increasingly uninhabitable. I can almost hear the ancestors speaking through the whispering trees saying, "We told you so" but that it's still not too late to return to the ancient ways.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA

The Great Barrier Reef Crashed into by Oil Tanker.

A salvage team could take weeks to remove a grounded coal-carrying ship from Australia's Great Barrier Reef, where it is leaking oil in a pristine marine environment, a state leader said on Monday. The Chinese Shen Neng 1 ran aground late Saturday on Douglas Shoals, a favorite pristine haunt for recreational fishing east of the Great Keppel Island tourist resort. The shoals — off the coast of Queensland state in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park — are in a protected part of the reef where shipping is restricted by environmental law.

Authorities fear an oil spill will damage the world's largest coral reef, which is off northeast Australia and listed as a World Heritage site for its environmental value. "One of the most worrying aspects is that the ship is still moving on the reef to the action of the seas, which is doing further damage" to the coral and hull, the government agency's general manager Patrick Quirk said.

The Green Man: This is why I am so opposed to offshore drilling along the pristine, tropical, marine life refuges off Florida. Our marine system is already under serious attack from rising global temperatures, which are bleaching coral networks that harbor some of the world's most diverse eco-systems. As well as from over-fishing but this recent destruction of the Great Barrier Reef is a real blow as it is the world's largest, and can be seen from outer space. The ship was carrying tons of coal as well, which is leeching into the water. Experts fear further break-up could release larger amounts of that coal into the water around the reef.

They can talk about clean-up all they want but the oil spill by the Exxon-Valdez up in Alaska is still affecting the eco-system negatively. Until the world finally breaks its addiction to oil we'll continue seeing these terrible accidents. The Chinese haven't had the best track record on the environment and while the U.S. has pollution issues too, the Chinese seem to literally have NO standards when it comes to protecting nature. They say that they'll be fined $1 million for this accident but that can't make up for the long-term destruction that this spill has caused for this pristine eco-system. I'm tired of seeing our Earth raped, our oceans treated as toilets and our air polluted with toxins while at the same time to warn people about the dangerous of inhaling cigarette smoke!!

~The Green Man has Spoken~

What Kind of Environmental Nerd are You?

Here at EDF, (Environmental Defense Fund) we value our scientists and policy experts who work to make our planet a healthy and sustainable place to live.

We thought we'd have some fun with this, so we designed an online quiz to help you find out what kind of environmental nerd you are. We foster an atmosphere of creative thinking and scientific rigor. In short, we take pride in our nerdiness!!

Green Man: The different nerd results are: Climate Nerd, Wildlife Nerd, Health Nerd, Sea Nerd. My result was wildlife nerd and it completely fits. Except that I don't buy any meat but I do buy free-range, organic dairy products whenever possible, from a reputable source because I know a lot of "organic" stuff, isn't. Anyway, on with my results:

You love wildlife, from birds to bears to wolves and maybe some of the more slimy, creepy creatures out there. You’ve probably even rescued your own pets. You try to buy free-range meat and dairy products whenever possible. Meet David Wolfe – EDFs Wildlife Nerd. He’s working with Texas landowners to restore and recover endangered species habitats.

Green Man: I don't see, however, how wildlife experts can study and observe fellow magnificent beings and yet go back to the city and eat a cousin of that animal in the form of a cow or a pig? It's their right of course and I try not to be a "militant vegetarian"--I just find it curious. It seems to me that animal loving experts would be vegetarian. Tell me what kind of environmental nerd you are!!

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Saving the Amazon may be the Most Cost-Effective Way to Cut Green House Gases.

An hour outside Manaus, the Amazon's biggest city, the blackened remains of a virgin forest smolder. Chain saws whine. And Jonas Mendes tosses logs, one after another, into his kiln. "I know it's wrong to cut down the trees," said Mendes, 48, sweat streaming down his neck and torso. "But I have no other way to make a living." If the Obama administration succeeds in its pledge to curb climate change, billions could flow from the U.S. to help forest dwellers such as Mendes change their ways. Governors of the Brazilian Amazon's nine states are pushing the U.S. and other industrial nations to invest in projects under rules known as REDD -- or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation -- that are being designed through the auspices of the United Nations.

Under pending legislation to cap greenhouse gases, the U.S. government would auction emission allowances, funneling as much as $3 billion from the annual proceeds into rain forest protection. U.S. companies facing carbon controls could meet part of their obligations by investing as much as $13 billion a year by 2020 to preserve forests. The reason? Slash-and-burn deforestation accounts for about 15% of humanity's carbon dioxide emissions. Despite activists' efforts, forests have been disappearing at the rate of about 34 million acres a year for the last two decades. Globally, Indonesia and Brazil are the third- and fourth-largest emitters respectively of greenhouse gases, after China and the U.S., because of their breakneck pace of forest destruction.

Saving the Amazon, Earth's largest tropical jungle, can be a cheaper and faster way to avoid greenhouse gas emissions than replacing coal-fired power plants with renewable energy or switching to electric cars -- although all such measures are considered necessary by climate experts.

Green Man: I first heard about this idea when the government of Guyana announced that some European countries are buying emission allowances to protect the forests there, which are some of the last virgin stands in the world. Some people in the United States though don't see the upside to this idea--they think we're just redistributing wealthy to poorer countries with nothing in exchange. That is a myopic way of looking at the situation though because if we just continue to allow the free market to go unfettered without pollution controls then there will be no world for these companies to live in, work, in and enjoy their money upon. In the rich countries we don't see the consequences of our everyday actions so much as the places who are getting hit first with environmental degradation. We don't see on a daily basis the island nations whose rural livelihood is being directly threatened but yet they did nothing to bring such trouble upon themselves. Yet in the cruel twisting of fate they have to pay for our mess first.

What's in it for the wealthier countries? A clean environment where our children and grandchildren can thrive. I never understood how the American Conservatives are so against protecting the environment when it has direct repercussions for their families. I say this because, ironically, they are very much in support of strong families and protecting their posterity!!

The Amazon along with all the other big forests around the world are our lungs as well as our liver and kidneys, filtering out the toxic gases and it should be starkly clear that any organism can't survive without its physiological systems intact. Well, the Earth is just as alive as any other being on Earth. It's constantly moving, growing, changing and just like all organisms it can get sick. The Earth has "physiological systems" at work in the air, water, earth and fire. It all has to be balanced or the perfect conditions for ALL life to thrive within will die. This should have been plainly made clear in school for most people when discussing the basic "food chain" concept. If one of the animals in the food chain goes extinct (say a predator) then it throws the balance of nature completely off and you get over-population of species, which in turn depletes the grasses and on and one the domino effect goes. How would it be any different for the plant life growing on Earth?

We need to stop looking at the environment as optional and realize that NOTHING, literally NOTHING else is possible in this life without it. I don't care how big your house is, how much money you have or how healthy you are right now because if we don't clean up our environment and get the cycles back in order then we'll all be dead. I'm not being hyperbolic on this--It's a really crisis. There won't be another chance to make up for missing the boat on this one. It's not like we can always revisit the issue like other issues before governments such as health care programs and such. We have one shot, one opportunity and it would be a shame if we humans were the ones to fuck it all up. It would be shame because it would be our own damn fault. We'd be nothing better than a stupid parasite who killed off its host and thus it as well.

And isn't it better to be safe than sorry? If for some reason ALL the scientists in the world are wrong and Earth will be just fine then at least we protected the last natural places on the planet. Open air museums for our children and grandchildren to visit. And if nothing else we will have created a whole new economy for the world in green energy, which will also free us from foreign oil imported from countries who don't like us anyway!! It's win-win situation either way if you ask me!! I really encourage you to read the rest of the article because it goes into so many great points that I don't have space or time to extrapolate upon them here. Click here for the full article.

---The Green Man has Spoken---

2010 Environmental Performance Index Released.

Green Man: Happy Imbolc!! I am posting this in honor of early shoots of Spring:

Environmental experts at Yale and Columbia universities released their biannual Environmental Performance Index at the World Economic Forum. The index ranks 163 nations according to their performance on 25 indicators that fall into ten policy categories, which are as follow: environmental burden of disease, air pollution (effects on humans), air pollution (effects on ecosystem), water (effects on humans), water (effects on ecosystem), biodiversity and habitat, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and climate change. Iceland came in first: Iceland snatched the top spot with its performance on environmental public health, controlling greenhouse gas emissions, and reforestation. According to the Iceland Review, the decision ultimately came down to the fact that nearly all the country's energy comes from renewable resources, such as this geothermal plant:

Green Man: In earning my minor degree in Geography at university I took a class on natural energy and did a research paper on Iceland's use of geothermal energy. It may evoke white winter weather but it is one of the "greenest" countries in the world. In the winter the geothermal energy is so abundant that it actually warms up the asphalt roads near these plants, which helps keep them clear of ice. A quarter of Iceland's energy comes from geothermal and it meets the heating and hot water demands of 87% of Icelanders. However, Iceland's green energy doesn't stop there--75.4% of their energy comes from hydroelectric sources and only 0.1% from fossil fuels. It is one of the youngest places on Earth and also one of the most pristine natural environments in the world. So, it's easy to see why this small but technologically advanced country tops the list. Next, is meticulously clean and beautiful Switzerland:They have done much to invest in and build up environmental infrastructure as well as strong and aggressive policies to increase their green energy use and reliance. It is a mountainous country, which gives them a very clean and clear water source and the recreational options in those mountains and hills offer a great quality of life for the Swiss. As of 2007, Switzerland's overall electric production comes primarily from hydropower at 96.5%. In addition, the European alpine country have laid out an aggressive framework for rapidly increasing and investing in green energy:

In a surprising move, Switzerland has adopted one of the world's most aggressive systems of Advanced Renewable Tariffs. The Swiss, famed for conservative traditions, stodgy bankers and trains that run on time, have joined a growing list of countries using feed-in tariffs to promote the rapid development of renewable energy. Not content to start with a timid program incrementally raising the bar year by year, the Swiss federal government this spring launched a full-system of feed-in tariffs differentiated by technology, size and application. There are tariffs, or payments per kilowatt-hour (kWh), for solar photovoltaics, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass.

Green Man: The final one that I'll mention in this post is the only non-European country in the top three--Costa Rica. It is one of the most bio-diverse environments in the world. Costa Rica has invested aggressively in its environmental tourism, which demands protection of their rain forests:

Costa Rica is looking to capitalize on its forests in ways other than eco-tourism. In 2005, Costa Rica joined a coalition of tropical developing countries that proposed a "rainforest conservation for emissions" deal at the December United Nations summit on climate change in Montreal. The plan, which was accepted by the UN, called for wealthy nations to compensate poor nations for rainforest conservation. Costa Rica already had a similar program in place which protected rainforest by selling allowances to emit greenhouses gases. In 1999, the program generated some $20 million.

Green Man: That's a very smart and understandable way to leverage their assets (nature) to gain business from it while protecting it at the same time. They have become leaders in the eco-tourism business and is part of the reason why my wife and I will be going there for our 10th wedding anniversary in April of this year. We're excited to explore the dense, green, old growth, primal cloud forests and rain forests especially.

It isn't any wonder then why Costa Rica is so proud of its environment and why so many flock to experience it from all over the world. If you go, please do your best to stay with reputable eco-lodges who are actually devoted to protecting the environment rather than cashing in on the "eco-tourism" label. Please leave it the way you found it so that humans can experience this special place for generations to come. It is a jewel in an environmentally devastated world and serves as an example of how to preserve nature while still keeping a vibrant economy.

Avatar Promotes Environmentalism. Deal with It.

Believe the hype. "Avatar" has blown the lid off the traditional movie format and set the standard for movie making in this new century. I've seen it now twice and I like it now even more than I did the first time. The visuals are the big attraction and they are spectacular but the story is sometimes lost in the shuffle because of it. There is nothing wrong with the story line at all -- In fact, it presents a good and timely message about how the actions of humans are destroying not just Mother Earth but our own species. It's just that the visuals are so mind-blowing and revolutionary that people seem to talk more about them then the critically important message of environmental restoration and protection.

The alien people in the movie are pretty cool (imagine smurfs on steroids) and they live in total harmony with their natural world. It's beauty is breath-taking and is a place I would love to visit and experience for real but the 3D effects get you there as close as possible. It's a long movie but the time goes by fast and it's easy to get pulled into their world and let the story and images take you away. There are these floating mountains in particular in their world that are just stunning and look like great places for a hermit shaman like myself to live in. I hope that people do hear that message of helping nature and not just exploiting her. It is why that despite some violence that I'd let older kids watch it to teach them the importance of environmentalism.

I'm a tree guy -- a full-blown tree-hugger. So imagine my connection to this story when I realized that have especial reverence for trees!! It's simply a movie that you have to see but a big part of the movie are the 3D images. You'll miss out on the full experience if you don't catch the 3D version of the film. Do whatever you have to do to get a babysitter if you have kids because this one is a MUST. SEE. And I'm rather picky about my movies. Some people don't want to hear the message of being at one with the environment and protecting her by living in a sustainable way. Case in point, I over-heard this lady talking to her husband on the way out of the theater. She said, with annoyance in her voice, "They don't make humans look very good." I thought to myself, "Lady, humans are probably the most destructive species that this planet has ever known." Some people just don't get or want to get it. They think Jesus will come and save everything so why bother protecting anything. It makes me want to slam my head into a wall over and over with frustration.

Also, some people are pissed off that the movie promotes environmentalism and a pagan, earth based belief system. Deal with it people or don't watch the fucking movie!! No one is holding a gun to your head to go watch the evil, blue pagan people (rolls eyes). The level of me-ism in this country is unbelievable. I can't believe that some people are so arrogant and narcissistic that they think they can tell a private business (movie companies) to bend to their beliefs about what should be in movies and what shouldn't!! It's astounding to me and if their narcissism is to that degree then I am not surprised that they don't care if humans rape the Earth and push other cultures out of the way for the sake of "progress."

Anyway, go see the movie already!! I don't think you'll be disappointed. Especially if you're a tree-hugger like me!!

Happy Winter Solstice!!

This is the shortest day and longest night of the year, which is the last blast of darkness before the sun rises slowly but surely to offer longer and longer days and increased sunlight. So it is a day of rebirth and I welcome the rebirth of the Sun with open warms. May it warm our lands and hearts to carry us healthily into Spring. This Winter Solstice I dedicate the next year to fighting harder for protecting the environment. I will also be lighting a candle to burn all day in honor of the Sun and its rejuvenating powers. As this holiday is all about welcoming the Sun I wanted to leave you with something fun about such beliefs. So, I give you George Carlin's comedy routine on worshiping the Sun. WARNING: ADULT LANGUAGE IN VIDEO:

---HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE!!!---

The Color Green.

Ever since I can remember green has been my favorite color. It is soothing yet strong but not forceful. It is obviously the color of nature, life, health and rejuvenation. It is a color for humans for, which we are reliant upon for life, medicine and shelter just to name a few benefits from green. It is a color of growth and rebirth. The word green is similar to the old English verb, growan, "to grow." Some of Earth's greatest spiritual beings have had their deepest connections, experiences and insights from within the sacred spaces of nature. It is a warm color in that it fuels energy to grow but also cool in that refreshes the sensitive eyes and mind. When I have a strong presence of green in my life it calms me and makes me feel at peace with my surroundings. It is the color of wisdom in my view as it represents Earth's oldest secrets and knowledge as found in the vast natural environment. Some of the oldest organisms on Earth are trees. They hold the living history of planet Earth in their green flesh. They are nature's great libraries. It is also a symbol of fertility and thus green can elicit a strong, sensual feeling in some -- like myself, for one. :)