Sunset Illumination
Ah .. the shoreline, the water base .. the viscous quality that makes up 76% of our spinning blue planet. The marble headed to the beach for sunset .. met up and was gifted to Cathy Cox and Carlos Mendizabal. Together we watched as the earth turned away from the sun and slowly our water world drifted toward darkness.
Cathy Cox
Carlos Mendizabal
Sustainability .. Balance and harmony with the sea. What an apt place to explore ways to commit ‘random acts of ocean kindness’ than with the sushi chefs – and staff – and patrons – at “O” Sushi in Laguna Beach. What was delightfully surprising was the depth of their relationship and commitment to the sea. For the chefs and staff, the health of the ocean and the planet supports their livelihood. For the clientele, healthy seas mean a healthy planet .. and in the case of a sushi bar, a place to gather and eat healthy – clean nonpoisonous foods. Everyone loved the gift .. and was excited to play it forward.
Associated Press Photograph from Huffington Post
More oil drifting. More of man’s madness on display. The blue marble weeps ……
The spill in the Gulf of Mexico has already begun it’s deadly march. Tendrils of oil spread toward the shoreline – reach down to the depths where they cannot be seen – fouling the marine life chain – threatening endangered species – killing off life.
Officials have estimated that the leak is gushing oil at a rate of 5,000 barrels a day. But if things go badly, representatives for the companies worried that that figure could turn into 60,000 barrels a day, or 2.5 million gallons. Just four days at that rate would exceed the amount of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez off Alaska, the worst spill in U.S. history.
I feel ashamed to drive my car. I feel ashamed to consider hopping into a plane. I am embarrassed that I haven’t converted most of my house to solar or wind, that I am a part of the addiction to fossil fuel. I pledge to do more to reduce my own footprint. I pledge to be a better citizen and to work tirelessly to bring a measure of sanity our human resource consumption.
“Grey whale, show us the way to another fate”
–Homero Aridjis
One can only speculate what deals have been made behind closed doors, what debts called in, what people have been bought off – to let the man (because at the end of each day he is a man with wife and children and a planet to protect) – even contemplate selling out to oil drilling and the hunting of whales.
There are so many battles to be fought to ensure the future of the earth and her seas, her air and her forests, that those who come behind us may luxuriate in the magical planet called earth. It seems heinous, that we have to go back, rally our intelligence, plead our cases to simply hold previously gained ground.
These rumblings – these undercurrents – remind me that vigilance must remain a constant. That there really is no peace – no way to sleep – always someone who has no consciousness and cannot see, someone who has lost the light that was his/her birthright – that always we must be warriors in protection of our spinning blue home.
It is, after all .. a blue planet 🙂
The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao. In dwelling, be close to the land. In meditation, go deep in the heart. In dealing with others, be gentle and kind. In speech, be true. In ruling, be just. In business, be competent. In action, watch the timing. Tao Te Ching ~
Marble at sunrise ....
Daylight whispers through translucent clouds, painting a carpet of color across the surface of the sea and wet sand. We walk together in contemplation of oceans and marine life. What can we do to protect the habitat? The species? What skill set can we bring to the table to increase awareness of the human population’s actions?
So many concerned citizens of earth. So many seemingly blind, deaf and dumb to their actions. A greater number more concerned with the bottom line – with immediate profits and corporate success – than with the long term viability of marine life – which ultimately affects all of life on our spinning blue planet.
Sei Whale
No doubt about it, we are on the top of the food chain – unless we happen to be caught on the African Savannah in the jaws of a hungry lion.
We have commanded this position for such a long time, and in most cases, have been unconscious of the affects of our activities. Not to go on a tirade about knowing where one’s food comes from, but how many of us would actually bite down into that steak or burger if we had to kill the cow or steer that is it’s source? Not many. I think the world would be more vegan if the real connection between what we eat and how it gets to us were more visceral.
When the story broke this morning, linking Typhoon Restaurant in Los Angeles with serving sei whale meat, bits of my heart broke – and I could hear the marble sobbing. This particular whale is an endangered species, aside from all other issues surrounding the killing of whales, it shocked me that a restaurant so close to home was serving up one of my treasured friends.
From Surfrider Foundation:
Have sewage or stormwater recently polluted the water at your favorite beach? Did you know that many of the 2 million miles of pipes in our drinking and wastewater infrastructure are now operating 50 – 100+ years beyond their predicted lifespan? In addition to their age, these systems were originally designed for populations half their current size. While these pipes might be out of sight and out of mind, the dirty, polluted water that can end up on our beaches is often hard to miss.
Over the next two decades we would have to spend $500 billion more than we are currently spending to fix all of the problems with the water infrastructure in the US. Our state and local governments are not going to be able to afford these costs unless we find a new source of revenue.
The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009 would establish a trust fund dedicated to fixing our clean water infrastructure and supporting other clean water initiatives. Ask your Representative to support this bill. Just click here.
To learn more about this bill and America’s water infrastructure crisis, visit the Know Your H2O Blog.
Travels of the Blue Marble 