Re-Gain

Conservation is the foresighted utilization, preservation, and/or renewal of forest, waters, lands and minerals, for the greatest good of the greatest number for the longest time .  Gifford Pinchot Ecology comes from the Greek work oikos meaning household.   Future prosperity is all about good housekeeping. A new environmental seed is sprouting that will uncover a cloak of darkness that befalls us now.  There is a silent war where increased consumption represents a form of terror.  Can we excel science and politics recapture the 11 billion tons of resources yearly Americans use, not including nuclear and hazardous waste? The renewal of the American spirit will happen when we demonstrate that recapturing resources illustrate that that non-violence works.    Let’s celebrate things that support life.  Clean renewable energy, efficient transportation, non-toxic production and measures that protect of our forests, oceans, grasslands and wet...

For the last few weeks I have explored sitting with my bare feet touching the soil. Feeling the soft earth beneath my feet renews my soul. When I venture outside and discover the wonder of the universe, I feel a greater whole and less pain. Such visits into the wild both refreshes and rejuvenates my spirit. A journey into a forest under a canopy of trees or to a local watershed provides me with a growing sense of well being John Muir once said, "By going outward, I am going in."As I become more intimate with my earth, I feel closer to my beloved home. Never has there been more people, anxiety and stress. This is why  I explore greater ways to mend my soul. Healing occurs for me when I become more intimate with nature. I find a greater self when I go outside my personal ego story. Insights come to me from many non-ordinary experiences when I am in nature. I transcend ordinary perceptual boundaries. Being in nature connects me to the spirit of being. Otherwise, it is easy...

There is nothing more conservative than conservation - Russell Kirk What can America afford today? Can all of us agree that is it better to waste less and save more? Recovery equals new discovery when we all realize conservation is an investment into a better life here in the United States.  Independents, Republicans, and Democrats all benefit when we invest in profiting from pollution prevention. Political consensus on our improving our economy is essential to our future prosperity . Leadership not special interest posturing is imperative.  Shakespeare once said, " action is eloquence ". Let's agree to lessen some of our social gridlock. This political civil war of wing nuts hinders our development. Conserving is similar to a mother protecting her child.  Wise resource use only will happen when we shift from being consumers to becoming conservers.  Also,we will excel democracy and future opportunities. Our country will sustain us only if we sustain it. Le...

Worldwide handling our collective excrement there is no one silver bullet.  Each person disposes of 1/4 of pound of feces each day and about a quart of urine. Promoting best management practices (BMPs) for these biosolids—also known as sludge--will lessen water pollution and safeguard public health. Yes it a Herculean  issue.  No longer do we have the fifth labor of Hercules.  Just in one day he cleaned the stable of 3000 cattle for King Augeas breaking two walls and diverting the river through cattle yard  that had been there for three decades.   In 2013, with almost 7 billion people worldwide, this amounts to about 400 million metric tons a year. Add to this add 1.4 billion cattle, 19 billion chicken, 1 billion pigs, and 1.8 billion goats and sheep or 14 billion metric tons of animals. This does not include all the wildlife that also adds to this crap.  If you address the major public health issue about one third of population...

What life choices you make is linked to your very freedom.  Prosper and become lean and green. A green liberation awakens us to become economically, and ecologically responsive. Simply, if you engage in wholesome action that is beneficial to all, your become less imprisoned by your harmful habits. Let's shift from being consumers to becoming conservers.  Embrace a green diet, lessening both our waste and waists.  Yes, be green and lessen your chances of HEART ATTACK with a more wholesome diet for the sake of our planet. When you take care of the world, you also help yourself. Since what goes around, comes around, our individual actions directly have consequences that reflect back on us. Over-consuming on our planet creates lots of personal and global suffering besides breaking our collective heart.   Your courage becomes evident once you quiet your mind and listen to your heart.  Show reverence for conserving by taking the H from the end of eartH and pl...

Addressing climate change is our greatest challenge.  It directly threatens hundreds and millions of people and shortly billions will be impacted. Water, food, housing, health and human rights are all in peril. Every person on this planet will be affected. However the less fortunate are most vulnerable.  It is up to the rich to champion climate justice and lessen this risk for future generations. The developing world needs both support and tools for a carbon neutral world. In today’s climate of despair humans must invest in seeds of hope. Can we wake up to face our environmental challenges with responsible bold action?   On many fronts our world is encountering polarization and unresolved questions. Also the present information and debate of what currently is happening is distorted. Not only is their increase greenhouse gas emission there is an affluent leadership omission.  Can we foresee and forestall this crisis? Sustainable economic measures and a comprehens...

"Researchers at the University of British Columbia are concluding that trees are interacting with one another in a symbiotic relationship that helps the trees to survive. Connected by fungi, the underground root systems of plants and trees are transferring carbon and nitrogen back and forth between each other in a network of subtle communication. Similar to the network of neurons and axons in the human brain, the network of fungi, roots, soil and micro-organisms beneath the larger ‘mother trees’ gives the forest its own consciousness."  Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8V0IJ11CoE

We human beings accord intelligence to our abilities to communicate, remember, reason, intend, plan, exercise free will, and to know.   Some scientific investigators of today are discovering that plants and communities of plants exhibit just such human-like brainy behaviors, including memory, decision-making, and other survival skills.   Since plants are rooted to their spots, they have highly sophisticated systems of sensations, food gathering, and protection.   Plants exhibit fifteen to twenty specific senses beyond our simple five.[2]   From root to leaf, they respond to chemicals, light, gravity, moisture, touch and other environmental stimuli, even collectively responding, communicating, and sharing resources.   Plants can change their molecules to disarm threats, can emit chemicals to repel predators and attract allies. Some plant scientists maintain “no brain; no intelligence, no abstract thought, judgment, or reason.” In contrast, Socia...

The overall well-being of the USA is tied to how we care for our health—individually and collectively. It’s a daunting challenge given our environment, our systems, and our willingness to overcome so many obstacles for the betterment of all. Today’s stresses, financial pressures and evolving trends do not make wellness advocacy and healthcare efficiency a paramount priority.  A large part of my father’s life was devoted to bettering the healthcare system in the U.S. and it was indeed a challenge.   For the past three years, I have been primarily responsible for my father’s care. At the age of 90, I find it of great interest and benefit to reflect upon his efforts in this area during the major part of his life.  Self-care is hard if you don’t care for yourself and so many neglect their own well-being. Helping others to best maintain their health requires wisdom, knowledge, compassion and determination. Many years ago, the Washington Post referred to my Dad as “the...

A recent PEW poll shows that over 66 percent of Americans believe that humans impact our climate.  Another 67 percent feel that the Earth is getting hotter and 58 percent favor alternative energy. The recent Philippine hurricane and the past weather trends all are factors why we must shift from fossil fuels.  The more we lessen our carbon use the greater we create a better world for our future generations. Greater efficiencies both improve our economic and environmental prospects. Addressing climate change is both wise and prudent. If all Americans can agree that less waste is better then what is stopping us from lessening our impact on this earth and creating incentives to do so?   The challenge is for us to make partisan commitment on how we all can profit by preventing resource loss. Cleaning up our air, water and land requires incentives and pollution controls.  Also such action will send a message to our grandchildren we wish to leave a vital ...

What is our state of mind in reforming health care today?  Crazy first comes to my mind in how we address the symptoms instead of the problem of today’s health crisis.  Health carelessness and mismanagement can be corrected only if we fully embrace wellness, prevention and wise care. Presently our economy totals 15 trillion dollars.  U.S. total healthcare expenditure is $2.7 trillion or 18 percent of GDP.  It is forecasted to reach 34 percent of GDP by 2040.  In 2010 Americans spent $1.3 trillion on health care. Multiple chronic illness cases that make of just one percent of care consume 21 percent of this total amount.  While the last 50 percent of patients account for the 2.8 percent of spending last year.  Contrary to popular opinion only 10 percent of health care dollars are spent in the last year of life.  While increased money is spent in last few months approaching death it is not the massive percentage of medical care dollars that is w...

Increasingly new scientific findings suggest that humans are impacting our planet. However, our ability to best manage the stress of these studies is becoming a huge psychic burden.   Compound this with the increasingly polarization of American politics and it safe to assume things are heating up on many fronts.   People’s passions, fears, despairs and frustrations are running high.   While  change is needed, increased fearful delay increases both the temperature and tensions. What can you as an individual do?  Cool down and become part of the solution not add fuel to this fire . Since our very foundation of freedom is directly dependent on responsible citizen action profiting from preventing further harm is paramount. How can we stimulate public support when our current economic system does not adequately reward such endeavors?  Public demand and bipartisan support are fundamental to bettering our climate with a new awareness, ingenuity! Lesse...

In these difficult economic times we need to recreate the American dream not continue not continue government waste? Especially since Uncle Sam’s fiscal year ends tomorrow. This Sunday’s September 29 th , Washington Post front page article,” Use it or Lose It, “was more than coincidental.  We cut essential social program to buy 71 new jet fighters costing almost $8 billion dollars  for what reason? As more people are feeling economic stress and another government shut-down will further cost us billions of dollars we still foster federal spending insanity. How can we promote cost reduction efforts while in the month of September in the last three years 20% of the spending happens?  For example last September the government spent $45 billion in its last fiscal week.   Back in 1981 as a recycling coordinator for the Nation’s Capital I saw a lot of stuff head south to the Lorton Landfill because “use it or lose it” promotes throwing out lots of good equipme...

Once we understand that both our finances and environment are inter-linked then we may awaken to greater prosperity.   The hidden costs of pollution, population, reckless consumption and climate change all impact our bottom line.    Extreme weather, resource depletion, energy costs, water loss and other environmental costs are reasons we incorporate environmental debts in all facets of our economic decisions.   Increased shortages in food and water are just a few of the examples.     Our culture of reckless credit card spending and denial of present environmental costs of land, water and air abuse all points to the need for sustainable solutions.   Unless we invest in landscape restoration, food production, water management, renewable energy, and stabilize our climate, all will suffer serious environmental debt.   An attitude of carefree, masters of our domain, is no longer viable.  The 2008 Wall Street financial crisis fueled by easy c...

Last week the Washington Post reported that one in four children go hungry in the U.S.   The next day several experts cited no protective financial measures have been enacted from the Dodd-Frank reforms exposing Americans to the same   vulnerabilities we suffered   before the   2008 crash.   Finally the Post reported   the wasteful   multi-million dollar Afghanistan military bases built and not used.      So what do all these things have in common?   No longer are we rational Americans, however, now rationalizing ones.   Individual gain at the expense of millions is becoming the rule not the exemption.   How long we will allow greed, and military insecurity eroding the chances for our future prosperity?   Our founding fathers wished balance ambition with ambition.   Today special interests threaten the very core of democracy.   Are we of the United States or “we the people” when a select few now command...