Whole Life Magazine

April / May 2018

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I f our future generations could speak to us what would they say? What would they ask of us? A piece of "Hieroglyphic Stairway" recited to the U.S. Congress written by Dr. Drew Dellinger whispers: When my grandkids ask me this will I be proud of my answer? I've been challenged by this poem ever since I heard Dr. Dellinger recite it. My heart vacillates from feeling that the personal eco-steps I take do mat- ter like the hummingbird to fearing that the bio-issues are too big and the Earth is indeed unraveling faster than people are waking up. I can feel brokenhearted for what this generation is leaving for the next. Most of the time I nd myself somewhere in between and continue to activate my "teeny gi s," never giving up. I sat down with some not so usual Eco-Voice Suspects and asked them to share their ideology and eco-practices in their dance with Mother Earth. We discussed how to "hold" in a responsible way our "place in the sun" and what we can do now that we know. I'm so grateful that there are activists for the environment in places we may not see. Kenny Loggins has been a long-time impactful Eco-Friend in his community of Santa Barbara and beyond. He's very knowledgeable about the science and the solutions. He embodies all of this in his heart- felt songs, as well as his life. Here's a bit of our conversation: Sunny: e Eco-alarms have been sounding, the evidence is every- where, yet many still don't seem to heed the call. What do you see as the challenge in shi ing the disconnect to engagement, even better, activism? Kenny: No matter what science tells us, for some it's not "convenient" to turn away from the dollar. Some choose not to see what is obvious re- garding our environment. e scienti c proof is not convincing enough for those who choose not to feel the urgency. e disconnect happens too easily. e monetary lines blur our common sense. ere is absolute logic to conserving. For example, in Santa Barbara there's a serious water shortage. Most are not willing to do what it takes to shi this problem. e di cult ideology of taking whatever we want, whenever we want it, without consideration for our future generations is an issue of conscious- ness. e connection to each other seems too oblique. e hardship is that we forgot the connectedness of all things. e relationship with Mother Earth is a matter of the heart. e Envi- ronmental crisis is a Spiritual Crisis and it's a matter of waking up which I believe a number of us are doing. By feeling the conviction of our spir- ituality, recognizing our shortcomings, and truly awakening we can rec- ognize we as a species connect to the Earth and each other. I live every day with hope. Sunny: A er the re and mudslide tragedies in the Santa Barbara area, local teenagers became Eco-Activists. ree high schoolers co-produced with you a stunning concert singing the story of loss, sadness, tragedy, love, and hope in beautiful songs performed by a large number of local kids. You supported them very graciously with direction, inspiration, and a kick-ass band. Witnessing that concert, I could feel the many budding activists blooming all over that stage. Manifesting their power in front of a thousand-plus audience was truly magical. Kenny: It was my honor to work with these young people who were so impacted by personal and community loss. I was there merely to support. It was pretty astounding to see their passion and profound desire to help others! We have a new generation of activists everywhere. I haven't seen such powerful youth voices since the '60s with the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war. Kids are putting their mind to change, and they are doing it! **** Another Friend of the Earth is Rickie Byars Beckwith known for her extraordinary global impact through her songs and outstanding perfor- mance chops. What is less known is that she is a grand friend to the Earth. Starting with her own life, she walks the walk sincerely. She shares her true heart with the beautiful Kuumba Shule School and Camp project. Here the children learn gardening, nutrition, music, arts, and connection with the Earth and each other. Another example of her Eco-creativity has been celebrated at her Rhythm and Joy (RAJ) eco-friendly music and arts festivals. **** One of the most successful writer-directors in Hollywood is Tom Shadyac. His wildly popular lms include Liar, Liar; Bruce Almighty; and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. In his deep-diving lm I AM, much is revealed about the way humanity, science, and nature intersect. "Consensus deci- sion-making is the norm for many species, from insects and birds to deer and primates. Cooperation may be nature's most fundamental operating principle," Shadyac o ers. e ways we live our lives in the western world are questioned. Shadyac states in the lm, " ere's a fundamental law that all of nature obeys that mankind breaks every day…. is is a law that has evolved over billions of years: Nothing in nature takes more than it needs and when it does, it dies o ." Shadyac supports youth and environmental organizations. Look for his new lm coming soon. **** Mother of ve children, Tamara Rose Roske, is the Founder of Earth Guardians and a Cross-Cultural educator for the past 20 years focusing on Earth restoration. She had a vision in Hawaii many years ago. "A large group of children created a circle around the top of a volcano. eir love and devotion were so strong, clear, and sincere. ey were in sacred cer- emony for healing all aspects of the Earth." She knew at that moment that the future youth were going to be the ones to change the world and that she was to play a part. Years later she, her ve children, and an ever- expanding community are doing just that. One of them is the environ- mental activist Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez. Roske started Earth Guardians as an accredited high school in Maui focusing on environmental awareness and social movements. ey took action to restore sandalwood forests and shut down the toxic practice of burning sugar cane. EG was expanding rapidly so they relocated to IT'S 3:23 IN THE MORNING AND I'M AWAKE BECAUSE MY GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN WON'T LET ME SLEEP MY GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN ASK ME IN DREAMS WHAT DID YOU DO WHEN THE EARTH WAS UNRAVELING WHAT DID YOU DO ONCE YOU KNEW? Let's Know Every L L N Day is Earth Earth Day! By Sunny Chayes 22 wholelifetimes.com

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