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Interfaith harmony: Implementing the transformative agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals UN Photo/Manuel Elias World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) is an annual observance that takes place the first week in February. It was first proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010, through a resolution. "The week provides an opportunity for people of different faiths and beliefs to come together and promote dialogue, mutual understanding, and cooperation." In recognition of WIHW, Charter for Compassion is offering two events: February 2, 2024 at 3 p.m. PST - Introducing ‘The Letter’ with Kate Trnka - film and discussion of The Letter: A Message For Our Earth. Register here. The movie tells the story of the Pope’s call to care for our planet. In 2015, Pope Francis wrote Laudato Si’, a letter to every single person in the world! There are four ‘voices’ that Pope Francis calls specifically for in Laudato Si’: the Voices of the Poor, the Indigenous, the Youth, and Wildlife. "This documentary follows their journey to Rome and the extraordinary experiences that took place there and is packed with powerfully moving personal stories alongside information about the planetary crisis and the toll it’s taking on nature and people." The Letter is also available through a PBS Documentaries subscription or as a rental from Amazon Prime. February 5, 6, & 7, 2024 at 9.15 a.m. PST - Be still. Listen. Know with Kate Trnka - "It is in the stillness that we are connected to the sacred. It is in the silence that we hear. It is with our senses that we know and experience a oneness with all that is. Open up to the wonder, beauty, and spirit of the natural world as we tune into our fifty-four natural senses and cherish each “now” moment. Take part in a variety of interactive activities that engage your senses as you delight in the exquisiteness of nature through this live online event. Each of the three days will provide different activities for you to engage in allowing you to immerse yourself in the awesome wonder of nature." Register here. The Charter for Compassion offerings for the World Interfaith Harmony Week 2024 are part of their RISE (Religion, Interfaith and Spirituality on Earth) sector activities. This year it will comprise of a 7-day series of Round the heart(h)fire - 7 days sharing stories & spiritual practice. February 1 to 7, 2024 at 7 a.m. PST "Gather with us around the Heart(h)fire to explore how to manifest peace in our lives and our world." Here are the themes for each day: Day 1 - Empowerment - with Jamal Rahman Day 2 - Oneness - with Steve Kramer Day 3 - Unity - with Merida McCarthy Day 4 - Cooperation - with Anum Mulla Day 5 - Abundance - with Diana Ketterman and Jan Chase Day 6 - Love - with Steve Kramer Day 7 - Faith - with Jamal Rahman and Merida McCarthy You only need to register once and you'll get the link to all sessions, as well as a reminder each day."

May 18, 19, 25. and 26, 2024 - The Guild for Spiritual Guidance, and the Human Energy Project are co-sponsoring a webinar series with Dr. Emily DeMoor Intersubjectivity and the Noosphere: Love, entanglement, and Convergence. This is an exploration "that goes beyond boundaries, offering hope on the edge as a guiding light toward a brighter, interconnected future." "Dive into the profound exploration of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s visionary concept of the noosphere, with a groundbreaking fusion of science and spirituality. Dr. DeMoor will unravel the threads of interconnectivity in both non-human and human relationships, drawing from the realms of the Human Energy Project, literature, psychology, and the teachings of influential figures like Thomas Berry, CGJung, Ilia Delio. and mystic Ramon Panikkar." Register here. Program fee: $75.00 Registration deadline: April 17, 2024 Dates and times of the program: May 18, 2024, from 8-10 a.m. PDT; May 19, 2024, from 1-3 p.m. PDT May 25, 2024, from 8-10 a.m. PDT; May 26, 2024, from 1-3 p.m. PDT Dr. Emily DeMoor has a Master of Arts in Musicology from Tulane University, a Master of Pastoral Studies with a focus in Religion and Ecology from the Loyola Institute for Ministry, and a Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana State University, She brings a multidisciplinary approach to all she does. Through her teaching, retreats, publications, and presentations she has reached national and international audiences. Her research interests include process theology, eco-theology, intersubjectivity, and the role of hope and love in shaping attitudes and actions toward the natural world amid climate change. Dr. DeMoor serves as Director of the Caritas Center at Brescia University and as Director of Christophany Groups for the Center for Christogenesis and does curriculum development for the Human Energy Project."

On March 6, 2024, President Biden delivered his 68-minute State of the Union address to Congress. It was a partisan message intended to dispel worries about Biden's age and vigor and to contrast differences in his agenda with his November rival. The State of the Union was rich in Biden's aspirational policy agenda. On March 9, 2024, the White House released The President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which: Lowers Costs for the American People Lowers Drug Prices and Expands Access to Prescription Drugs Cuts Taxes for Families with Children and American Workers. Lowers Child Care Costs for Hard-Working Families. Increases Affordable Housing Supply to Reduce Housing Costs. Expands Access to Homeownership and Affordable Rent and Reduces Down Payments for First-Time and First-Generation Homebuyers Reduces the Cost of College and Lifts the Burden of Student Debt. Lowers Health Care Costs. Reduces Home Energy and Water Costs. Protects and Strengthens Social Security and Medicare Protects the Social Security Benefits that Americans Have Earned Ensures That Americans Can Access the Benefits They’ve Earned Cuts the Deficit by Promoting Tax Fairness Requires Billionaires to Pay at Least 25 Percent of Income in Taxes Raises Tax Rates for Large Corporations Cracks Down on Tax Avoidance by Large Multinationals and Big Pharma Denies Corporations Deductions for All Compensation Over $1 Million Per Employee Ends Capital Income Tax Breaks and Other Loopholes for the Very Wealthy Ensures That the IRS Can Continue to Collect Taxes Owed by Wealthy Tax Cheats Invests in America and the American People Supports Family Planning Services, Maternal Health, and Health Equity Saves Lives by Advancing Behavioral Healthcare Drives Healthcare Innovation to Discover New Treatments and Improve Health Outcomes Expands Healthcare, Benefits, and Services for Environmental Exposures Prioritizes Veterans’ Mental Health Services and Suicide Prevention for Veterans and Military Servicemembers Supports America’s Workforce and Prepares America’s Economy for 21st Century Challenges Continues Implementation of the President’s Investing in America Agenda Provides National, Comprehensive Paid Family and Medical Leave and Calls for Paid Sick Days Empowers, Protects, and Invests in Workers Confronts the Climate Crisis While Spurring Clean Energy Innovation, Increasing Resilience, and Protecting Natural Resources Lowers Energy Costs and Catalyzes Clean Energy and Economic Growth in Rural Communities Invests in Clean Air and Reduces Health and Environmental Hazards for At-Risk Communities Creates Jobs by Building Clean Energy Infrastructure Strengthens Climate Resilience in Communities and Ecosystems Supports and Expands the American Climate Corps Doubles Down on America’s Global Climate Leadership Invests in America’s Families Supports a Strong Nutrition Safety Net Builds a Strong Foundation for Families with Universal Pre-K and Head Start Expands Opportunity and Advances Equity Advances Efforts to End Homelessness Honors Commitments to Support Tribal Communities Expands Access to Capital for Small Businesses Promotes Equity in Education and Builds a Diverse, Capable STEM Workforce Protects Americans at Home and Abroad Secures the Border and Strengthens the Immigration System Tackles Crime, Reduces Gun Violence and Makes America’s Communities Safer Prioritizes Efforts to End Gender-Based Violence Combats Narcotics Trafficking Reiterates the Administration’s Request for Immediate Funding for Urgent National Security Priorities Related to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific Supports Ukraine, European Allies, and Partners Promotes Integrated Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and Globally Ensures Readiness Across America’s Armed Forces Invests in the Submarine Industrial Base Provides Life-Saving Humanitarian Assistance and Combats Global Food Insecurity

Earth Month Ecochallenge is an effort to expand Earth Day awareness and activism over an entire month. Running from April 1st to April 30th, the 30-day program is "focused on environmental and social engagement. During this month, you're invited to select actions that resonate with your values, committing to them for 30 days to foster and reinforce positive habits. Each action you complete earns points and generates real-world impact. Your efforts, combined with those of your team, contribute to a significant collective difference." Register here. This year's theme, Conserving Every Ecosystem, Caring for Every Creature, "highlights the intersection of conservation and behavior change. By focusing on daily actions and continuous learning, we aim to create a sustainable and just world, not just for humans but for all species and ecosystems we rely on." Last year more than 17,000 people joined Earth Month Ecochallenge, committing to bring the UN's Sustainable Development Goals to life. "This year we're taking action for our ecosystems and everything living in them, no matter how small. And remember, Earth Month Ecochallenge isn't about individual action – it's about the collective positive force of thousands of people, just like you, joining together to create a significant impact." According to their website, "Over 110,000 people from 139 countries have used the Ecochallenge Platform, and have engaged over 325,000 people throughout our 30-year history." "Ecochallenge is a digital platform, based in Portland, OR that "gamifies behavior change." Fun challenges encourage new habits. Small steps lead to big change. Together, we build a more sustainable world. Ecochallenge.org is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit under EIN 93-1075047. Donations are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated. Follow Earth Month Ecochallenge on their Facebook page. Their Instagram account has images you can like and share.

On January 27, 2021 President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order directing the Interior Department to outline steps to conserve at least 30% each of our lands and waters by the year 2030." This Order was designed to "help restore balance on public lands and waters, create jobs, and provide a path to align the management of America’s public lands and waters with our nation’s climate, conservation, and clean energy goals." On February 12, 2024, the America the Beautiful for All Coalition, a historically broad and diverse coalition of 250 organizations announced the release of "a unified and ambitious 2024 National Policy Agenda aimed at conserving 30 percent of U. S. lands and waters and ocean by 2030." 30x30 - Conserve, connect and restore at least 30% of land, water, and ocean in protected areas by 2030 to avoid massive species loss, secure equitable access to nature’s benefits, and prevent and repair the impacts of the climate crisis for all communities. JUSTICE40 - Implement a Justice40 metric for the America the Beautiful Initiative to ensure at least 40% of the investments are made in communities of color and frontline communities that have historically seen little to no investment in conservation and equitable access to nature. On February 29, 2024, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. PT. - Creation Justice Ministries is presenting a six-part webinar: Tools and Resources for Climate Care. This is part of the Faithful Preparedness, Faithful Resilience webinar series co-hosted by Creation Justice Ministries and SBP. "The February 29th webinar will discuss support tools and resources to grow faithful resilience from the physical, social, and spiritual storms of climate change. Attendees will learn about the Faithful Resilience Guide, a 6-part spiritually-rooted resource on planning for climate change in congregations. Attendees will also tour the newly launched Faithful Resilience Story Map Collection, which utilizes mapping technology to connect scientific data with spiritual direction. Finally, The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox, will share how her congregation is actively implementing climate care initiatives in their community, serving as an inspiring example of faithful resilience in action." This event is free, but they welcome donations to cover the cost of hosting this event. Register here. Register for the other webinars in this series: Apr 25, 2024: Culture of Preparedness: Register Jun 27, 2024: Democracy as Climate Resilience: Register Aug 22, 2024: Disaster Preparedness in Your Communities: Register Oct 24, 2024: Mental Health Preparedness: Register Dec 12, 2024: Building Disaster Resilient Communities: Register

On February 13, 2024, the Washington Post reported that corporate leaders of AI companies agree to limit election ‘deepfakes’ but fall short of ban. Today, February 14, 2024, WP reports "Russia, China, and other U.S. adversaries are using the newest wave of artificial intelligence tools to improve their hacking abilities and find new targets for online espionage, according to a report Wednesday from Microsoft and its close business partner OpenAI." Is corporate self-regulation sufficient to protect humanity from the negative aspects of Artificial Intelligence? What steps need to be taken to ensure that technology will serve humanity well? Here is a brief description of some efforts to have AI for good: The AI for Good Global Summit 2024: Accelerating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, is scheduled for May 30-31, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. "The AI for Good Global Summit is the leading action-oriented, United Nations platform promoting AI to advance health, climate, gender, inclusive prosperity, sustainable infrastructure, and other global development priorities. AI for Good is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – the UN specialized agency for information and communication technology – in partnership with 40 UN sister agencies and co-convened with the government of Switzerland." The AI Now Institute "produces diagnosis and actionable policy research on artificial intelligence." Founded in 2017, the AI Now Institute "develops policy strategy to redirect away from the current trajectory: unbridled commercial surveillance, consolidation of power in very few companies, and a lack of public accountability." Wikipedia says "AI Now Institute grew out of a 2016 symposium spearheaded by the Obama White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The event was led by Meredith Whittaker, the founder of Google's Research Group, and Kate Crawford, a principal researcher at Microsoft Research. The event focused on near-term implications of AI in social domains: Inequality, Labor, Ethics, and Healthcare." Center for Humane Technology (CHT) (which produced the YouTube video above) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit "working to align technology with humanity's best interests." Their work was featured in the 2020 docudrama "The Social Dilemma." CHT offers many free resources: Top Tech Podcast: Your Undivided Attention Free Courses: Foundations of Humane Technology; How Tech Affects Democracy; and How Tech Affects Kids & Youth Research Library: Ledger of Harms Partnership on Artificial Intelligence to Benefit People and Society (otherwise known as Partnership on AI) is a non-profit coalition formed in 2016. The Partnership on AI "brings together diverse voices from the AI community to address important questions about our future with AI. This non-profit organization has released PAI’s Guidance for Safe Foundation Model Deployment, a primer on AI safety. The Partnership on AI sees 2024 as a call to action. after a collective wake-up call in 2023. "Starting with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, we need to set our AI ingenuity and expectations high and engage creatively and inclusively with people and communities to get there." "Artificial general intelligence has the potential to benefit nearly every aspect of our lives—so it must be developed and deployed responsibly." ~ OpenAI Stuart Russell, in his 2019 book Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control, suggests that "we can rebuild AI on a new foundation with machines designed to be inherently uncertain about the human preferences they are required to satisfy. Such machines would be humble, altruistic, and committed to pursuing our objectives, not theirs. This new foundation would allow us to create provably deferential and beneficial machines." Stuart Russell was one of the presenters in the Science of the Noosphere Master Class I took in the summer of 2023. In conversation with David Sloan Wilson and Terrance Deacon, Russell said this about preferences: "There are futures we want to avoid, such as extinction and enslavement and various other dystopias, and futures that we would like to bring about. And this concept of the noosphere is really important to that because we’re not born with these preferences, they result from our immersion in the noosphere. And so understanding the dynamics of that is extremely important because to some extent, our preferences about the future end up determining what future we get.” Journalist Robert Wright, a presenter at Human Energy's N2 Conference last November says, "Artificial intelligence is the crystallization of the noosphere.... if the age of AI is going to work out well, there will have to be at least some movement toward the goals they identified—a more unified global political community and more in the way of international affinity and sympathy." He thinks we should be "looking at AI in its broadest evolutionary context." So do I. I believe technology and artificial intelligence in particular can greatly benefit humanity if we as a society reward positive efforts to harness "AI for good" and provide sufficient global regulations and enforcement to minimize potential harms.

Here's a list of some upcoming online and Rogue Valley in-person eco-spiritual activities that may be of interest to you. Check back as this post will be updated during February as we get additional information and a new calendar listing will come out in March. February 1, 2024, at 1 p.m. PST - Global Kinship is hosting a webinar with Duane Elgin, author, education, media activist, and social scientist, who will speak on Facing Adversity: Choosing Earth, Choosing Life. "Global Kinship, Exploring the Emerging Noosphere, addresses the phenomenon of the complexification of human creativity, technology, and consciousness that has evolved within our species - from the first "Aha!" moments of the earliest tribes to this rapidly rising consciousness and interconnectivity among humans around the world.' Register here. February 4, 2024 - Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is having its 11th annual Oregon Interfaith Earth Summit in faith communities all over Oregon with the theme, “Hope for Our Common Home.” The first part of this hybrid event will be a plenary session on Zoom, with participants watching together from their regional locations across Oregon. Following the plenary, local hosts will facilitate in-person sessions focusing on relationship-building and learning with people of faith in their region. The cost is $25 general; and $10 student rate. Scholarships are available (select the “Scholarship” option on the registration form). Register at emoregon.org/event/earth-summit-2024. February 6, 2024, at 5 p.m. PT on Zoom - Earth Charter International will host a webinar on East and West Dialogue on Ecological Civilization. The speakers will include Mary Evelyn Tucker, Zhihe Wang, Jinfeng Zhou, and Julia Kim. Click here for more information and to register. February 9-11, & 18, 2024 - Unity Earth is convening a symposium Awakening to Humanity’s Sacred Mission. "to bring together like-minded organizations and individuals from around the world to explore what is next for our global network of evolutionary organizations... The international Symposium is a collaboration produced by Unity Earth in deep partnership with the Source of Synergy Foundation, Laszlo Institute, the Holomovement, Unify, Light on Light, SINE Network, Humanity’s Team, Good of the Whole, and other global organizations." Register here. February 15, 2024, at 8 a.m. PT - The Center for Earth Ethics is presenting a webinar: Values, Culture, Spirituality and Ecosystem Restoration: A Dialogue with UN Decade Advisory Board Members. In support of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and global restoration efforts, the Center for Earth Ethics has hosted a series of high-level interventions and community-based dialogues. These events showcase the importance of incorporating values, culture, and spirituality (VCS) in anchoring and achieving ecosystem restoration. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has helped galvanize broad engagement in protecting, conserving, and restoring the natural world.. This webinar will delve into the multifaceted nature of restoration, emphasizing that it extends beyond the hectares restored. Crucially, it involves repairing the relationship between people and the land, water, and air essential for life. The session will also examine methods for meaningfully engaging a community and the role of values, culture, and spirituality in ensuring the success of restoration projects. Confirmed panelists include Thais Corral of Sinal do Vale, Tariq Al-Olaimy of 3BL Associates, Atari Mishra of We are Tomorrow, and Gopal Patel, the UN Decade Advisory Board co-chair. CEE’s Andrew Schwartz will moderate. February 27, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. PT - SOCAN's monthly meeting at the Medford Public Library will bring "Updates from Salem & Home." "The climate catastrophe is approaching faster than many realize; across the planet, 2024 must be the year for meaningful climate action!" March/April 2024 through October/November 2024 - The BTS Center is offering a monthly gathering over Zoom for groups of six: Group Spiritual Direction Circles For Spiritual Leaders in a Climate-Changed World. This is "an eight-month opportunity for spiritual leaders to strengthen their holy hearing and sharing in group spiritual direction/companioning." Each two-hour session is centered on a prompt related to climate change, liminality, or uncertainty. The program fee is $200. For more information and to register click here. March 4, 2024 - Deeptime Network is offering an eight-week course: The Ecozoic Way in Religion, Ethics & Law: Understanding and Applying the Essential Teachings of Thomas Berry. The course, which starts March 4th, will be led by Herman Greene, JD, DMin, who is the Thomas Berry Scholar-in-Residence of the Earth Law Center and co-author and co-editor of the legal textbook Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law—A Guide for Practitioners. Click here for more information and registration. Early=bird pricing of $240 until February 19th. March 17, 2024 - Spring Equinox celebration April 3, 2024 - 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. PDT - SOCAN's Master Climate Protector (MCP) is undergoing a transition to become a new course: Living with Climate Change in the Rogue Valley, offered through the SOU Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Sustainability. The class will be held on the SOU campus and available to SOU students for credit and community members at no or minimal charge. The first offering will be as an Independent study. Alan Jornet and Kathy Conway are coordinating the course, which they will offer together with guest presenters Ray Mallette, Liz Olson, Mike Vergeer, Juie Smitherman, and Ray Seidler. April 19, 2024, from 3:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. PDT - Earth Day 2024 at the Farm at SOU. Join Southern Oregon University and community partners for exhibits, live performances, bike rodeo, art, food trucks, and more, all in celebration of Earth. Here's a link for more information and to Register: https://cglink.me/2xE/r375209 April 22, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. PDT - Earth Day 2024 celebration at Rogue Community College

"A key to combating climate change is action." To this end, NETA offers a series of short documentaries called 50 States of Sustainability, "focused on dedicated people of all ages working hard at corporations, non-profits, startups, and in government to drive the United States towards a more sustainable future." One way of saving the family farm might be Agrivoltaics - producing food in the shade of solar panels and generating energy. In the YouTube video above the founder of The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) reflects on the importance of energy saving energy, and learns from an Ohio 11-year-old about the importance of bees. From Wikipedia: "RMI is an organization in the United States dedicated to research, publication, consulting, and lecturing in the general field of sustainability, with a special focus on profitable innovations for energy and resource efficiency. RMI was established in 1982 and has grown into a broad-based institution with 220+ staff and an annual budget of some $52 million. RMI's work is independent and non-adversarial, with a strong emphasis on market-based solutions." RMI works to "identify the interventions and work to scale transformative change in the global energy system to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 50% by 2030."

Photo by Torsten Dederichs dederichs.info via Unsplash Zoya Teirstein writes in the January 30, 2024 edition of Grist.: "Climate Change Has Killed 4 Million People Since 2000 — and That’s an Underestimate". This shocking headline gets our attention, but Grist often offers a positive vision of a sustainable future through the use of stories of solutions, progress, and action - Looking Forward, visions of a clean, green, and just future. Grist is "a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future." Grist bills itself as "The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice." Grist reports on topics like Politics, Energy, Equity, and Solutions, and how they intersect with climate. Grist’s Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors short story contest "celebrates stories that offer vivid, hope-filled, diverse visions of climate progress." They offer hope that we can work together to build a more sustainable and just world. Grist's first climate fiction contest in 2021 Imagine 2200 featured "12 stories of intersectional worlds in which no community is left behind." Their second climate fiction contest in 2022 offered 12 "short stories that offer visions of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope." Grist 50 is "an annual list of climate and justice leaders to watch." Fix combines creative storytelling with network-building and events. Their work "amplifies stories of hope and progress, shines a light on bright ideas and the people behind them, and brings together a growing community of visionaries — they call them Fixers — who are leading the way to a planet that works for everyone." You can support the work of Grist by becoming a member or making a donation on their website.

Welcome 2024! Here's a list of some upcoming online and Rogue Valley in-person eco-spiritual activities that may be of interest to you. Check back as this post will be updated during January as we get additional information and a new calendar listing will come out in February. January 4, 2024, at 4 p.m. PST on Zoom - Elders Climate Action is co-hosting with Environmental Voter Project (EVP) a panel presentation: Organizing Older Climate Voters. Join EVP's Executive Director, Nathaniel Stinnett, and a panel of experts. Register here. January 9, 2024, at 1 p.m. PST on Zoom - Deep Transformation Network is having its next DTN Monthly Live Event, offering the opportunity to engage with three luminaries associated with the Earth Charter.  RSVP to their monthly meetings to get it on your calendar January 11, 2024, at 10 a.m. PST on Zoom - The BTS Center is offering a taste of their Ecospiritual Leaders: Encounters with Wholeness. course. This will be an informal gathering with course instructor Kimberly Knight and course host Ash Temin. Register here. January 11, 2024, at 3 p.m. PST on Zoom - Global Ministries is offering an online gathering EarthKeepers Training Info Session w/Q&A to learn details and find answers to your questions about the upcoming March 2024 fully online training. More info here. January 11, 2024,  at 1 p.m. PST on Zoom - The Global Kinship group of Creation Spirituality Communities will have their monthly webinar featuring Stephanie Rearick who will speak on Mutual Aid for a Neighborly Global Economy. Register here. January 12, 2024 - The Oregon Legislative Information System will release information on bills pre-filed before the 2024 Oregon legislative session whereupon SOCAN will be able to preview them for the session starting February 5th and assess which they wish to follow and support, oppose, or seek to amend. Anyone interested in joining the team should contact Alan Journet. January 13, 2024, to June 16, 2024, from 9 a.m. -12:30 p.m. PT - Pachamama Alliance is offering a 6-month course: Cultivating the Visionary Self, a journey where individuals will work with their bodies through what Alixa García calls "Creativity Infused Somatic Practices," which helps move trauma through the body by consciously activating one's relationship with nature and the creative force. Click here for more information and to Register. January 15, 2024, at 5 p.m. on Zoom - Citizens Climate Education is offering a 5-part live Trainers program to learn how to help start a new CCL chapter in your community or another part of the state. They will provide: live sessions and recordings of the session; online resources; and CCL staff support. Email Tamara Staton, Greater Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator by Friday, January 12th if you are interested. January 15, 2024, at 6 p.m. PST on Zoom - Members of the Global Kinship community meet for 30 minutes on Monday evening after each Tuesday webinar. At the gathering through meditation they "invite the focus and vision of the previous Tuesday's presenter to enter our consciousness, expanding the Noosphere." Register here to receive your personal perpetual link. Once you register, your link will remain the same. January 30, 2024, at 6 p.m. PST at the Medford Oregon Library - SOCAN is having their Monthly Meeting – Daunted by Climate Concern? Let’s Explore Our Options. Biologist and policy expert Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson presented at a TED Talk and will present a valuable visual tool for helping us each figure out how we can individually contribute to addressing the daunting climate crisis developed. March 1-16, 2024 - Global Ministries is now accepting applications for their Spring Earthkeepers Training; the application deadline is February 1, 2024.

On January 9, 2024 The Guardian published an article, Emissions from Israel’s war in Gaza have ‘immense’ effect on climate catastrophe. referencing a study that shows the "first months of Israel/Gaza conflict produced more planet-warming gases than 20 climate-vulnerable nations do in a year", The study noted the asymmetry "during the first 60 days of Israel’s military response equivalent to burning at least 150,000 tons of coal compared with Hamas rockets fired into Israel during the same period generating CO2 equivalent to approximately 300 tons of coal." Globally, "militaries account for almost 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually – more than the aviation and shipping industries combined. This makes the global military carbon footprint – even without factoring in conflict-related emission spikes – the fourth largest after only the US, China and India." Steven Böhm and Sian Sullivan are editors of a 2021 online book, Negotiating Climate Change in Crisis which "brings together 28 essays by over 60 researchers from around the world, who are concerned about climate change." The collection includes a 2019 essay: The Carbon Bootprint of the US Military and Prospects for a Safer Climate by Patrick Bigger, Cara Kennelly, Oliver Belcher, and Benjamin Neimark saying "The US military is one of the largest institutional polluters in history, consuming more liquid fuels and emitting more climate-changing gases than most medium-sized countries... the US military operates more than 800 bases around the world through its ‘lily-pad’ network that renders all the globe a potential theatre of war." While "There have been attempts to ‘green’ aspects of its operations by increasing renewable electricity generation on bases... it remains the single largest institutional consumer of hydrocarbons in the world." The Climate and Community Project (CCP) is a US-based climate policy think tank calling for a "cease-fire now and forever... no climate justice without Palestinian freedom and self-determination."

Awakening of Humanity: The Dawning of a New Earth and Unitive Age - Holomovement As the Unitive Narrative is a new E-book by Drs. Kurt Johnson, Jude Currivan, Robert Atkinson, and Douglas King - four interdisciplinary authors (sharing cosmology, theology, evolutionary biology, comparative religion, monomyth, and spiral dynamics integral). From the authors: "This book offers a unitive reframing of the foundational elements, worldviews, and deeper ontological aspects of reality for understanding the universe as a true superorganism." "Integrating theological, cosmological, philosophical, universal wisdom traditions, and interspiritual perspectives, the authors arrive at a universal identity of humanity consistent with our individual and collective roles within the wholeness-in-motion of the entire creation as an invitation that this will lead to further dialogue and exploration in our re-membering who we really are and who we can evolve to become. " "In certain sections of the book, the collaborating authors intentionally favor wording and expressions of the first author Kurt Johnson (the theologian) to facilitate the express purpose of addressing theological narratives." The book is published online by Light on Light Press on ISSUU.

At SOCAN's January 30, 2024 meeting from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. PST at the Medford Public Library, 205 S. Central Avenue, attendees will discuss a short TED talk by biologist and policy expert Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson who has developed a valuable visual tool for helping us each figure out how we can individually contribute to addressing the daunting climate crisis. Rather than asking folks to try to solve the global problem alone, Johnson offers a relatively painless route to identifying personal tactics. Johnson’s plan involves asking ourselves: 'What brings us joy?' She then asks us to identify 'What we are good at?' Finally, we ask ourselves 'What needs doing (and falls within this intersection)?' Last year clocked in as the hottest year on record, placing us very close to the 1.5⁰ degrees Centigrade above pre-industrial conditions that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change identify as our safe upper limit for warming. Those of us concerned about preserving some semblance of life as we know it on our planet must ensure that 2024 is the ‘Year for Significant Action.’ Last year may also be the hottest year in 125,000 years, indicating that we have not yet turned the corner on addressing this looming and daunting crisis. Responding to the crisis by claiming that, ‘it’s all part of a natural cycle,’ that ‘it’s too late to divert the trajectory,’ or that ‘nothing I do makes a difference’ doom us to crossing tipping points beyond which there is no return. It’s time for us all to reinvigorate ourselves and focus on what needs to be done. Through hands-on engagement, SOCAN’s January Public General meeting will help us explore and identify what we can do.  The meeting will consider both individual actions that we can undertake and collective actions we can join that seek to move communities forward. If you are ready to revisit what you can do to make a difference, please join us on the last Tuesday of January 2024. From a press release by Alan Journet, Co-facilitator, Southern Oregon Climate Action Now; alan@socan.eco 541-301-4107; 541-500-2331

January 8, 2024, at 5 p.m. PST Process and Faith (a multifaith network for relational spirituality and the common good) will be offering a free zoom discussion of Ilia Delio’s latest book, The Not-Yet God: Carl Jung, Teilhard de Chardin, and the Relational Whole. Register here. "Entanglement is the inextricable and insuperable relationality of all that is, including God. If pantheism conjures up the collapse of God into matter, then entanglement holds everything together in a relational whole. There is no transcendence without immanence and no immanence without transcendence; there is no God without matter and no matter without God. God and matter form a complementary whole." ~ Ilia Delio Happy Holidays! This is a season of darkness and light. In the YouTube below Sheri D. Kling, Ph.D., Director of Process & Faith with the Center for Process Studies reviews the major holidays in late fall and early winter, noting their significance in each tradition: Diwali, Advent, Hanukkah, St. Lucia Day, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Epiphany, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, and Lunar New Year.

Oregon Climate Action Hub (ORCAH) is on a mission "to empower ALL Oregonians to take effective climate action." Their goal is "to build individual and community capacity. By amplifying what is already happening and inviting more people into action, we move toward a world where climate justice IS business as usual." From the Network For Good website: "Starting early in 2021, a small group of committed volunteers envisioned and piloted a website to connect friends, family, and neighbors with the amazing organizations facilitating powerful climate action across the state. We built ORClimateHub.org as a "one-stop shop" for climate action opportunities in Oregon, welcoming all those who are curious about what's happening, and especially those who are ready to take action." "With your support, ORCAH showcases the entire scope of work that is already happening in Oregon and the opportunities that exist to engage at any level. Together, we are creating a platform that supports effective collective action by helping users understand which action opportunities take the best advantage of the time, energy, and resources they have to offer." Their website map is organized to help one find solutions, events, and locations within Oregon. There you can find a listing of organizations to help you look for work, take action, meet up, change policy, learn more, collaborate, and find good news. Anyone can access ORCAH at any time as a Guest. Guests can see all posts and share or like posts via Facebook or share them via Twitter. If you sign up for an account, you become a User. Click here to find out how to use the site.

January 9, 2024, at 1 p.m. on Zoom - Deep Transformation Network is having its next DTN Monthly Live Event, offering the opportunity to engage with three luminaries associated with the Earth Charter: "Mary Evelyn Tucker, who was intimately involved with the genesis of the Earth Charter, is the founder and coordinator of Yale's Forum on Religion and Ecology. Along with John Grim, she was responsible for a 10-volume series published by Harvard on World Religions and Ecology. She has written and co-edited numerous other works on the intersection of faith traditions and ecological consciousness and is a co-creator of the Journey of the Universe project. Mirian Vilela, executive director of Earth Charter International, has been working on the initiative since 1996, coordinating primarily with UNESCO and other UN agencies. Over the years she has led and facilitated numerous international workshops, courses and seminars on Earth Charter-related values and principles. Sam Crowell, an Earth Charter Council member and leader in the dissemination of its principles for over 15 years, is professor emeritus of education at California State University San Bernardino and former director at the Center for Research in Integrative Learning and Teaching." The Earth Charter is "a document with sixteen principles that drive a global movement towards a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. To support the movement, EarthCharter.org Education Center offers courses, resource materials, and network opportunities to turn conscience into action." "The Earth Charter is an ethical framework launched in The Hague in 2000 and endorsed by over six thousand organizations worldwide, including many governments. It was the product of a decade-long, worldwide cross-cultural conversation about common goals and shared values, emerging from the most open and participatory consultation process ever conducted in connection with an international document." "It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations. It is a vision of hope and a call to action." This event will be hosted by Jeremy Lent of Worldview Shift. RSVP to these monthly meetings now to get it on your calendar. You will be asked to join the Deep Transformation Network. Note: this gathering is normally on the first Tuesday of the month, but was changed in January because of the holiday. A fifth annual Earth Charter Conference will take place from April 12-14, 2024 at Rollins College, Florida, "This 3-day conference builds on four previous Earth Charter Conferences focused on education for sustainability and global citizenship, and for planetary well-being. It will bring together a global diversity of educators, activists, and Earth Charter educators, affiliates, and partners, to share good practices and research."

On December 19, 2023, Rogue Valley Times published a Guest Column by Alan Journet urging the City of Medford Oregon to approve a Climate Action Plan. This opinion piece is also published here with the approval of the author. "Across the nation, we are becoming increasingly aware of the threat climate change poses. We understand that ongoing climate change will cause more than merely increasingly intense hurricanes and more frequent and severe wildfires. Indeed, the climate trajectory we are following will, within decades, undermine natural ecosystems across the planet and the biodiversity they support. In addition, our agriculture, forestry and fisheries will be compromised. Ongoing climate change comprises a threat to life as we know it. Those who understand climate science are quite reasonably alarmed. Naturally, therefore, communities across the nation are developing plans to deal with this threat. Regionally, Ashland, Talent and Grants Pass have developed plans to address the climate crisis locally. Meanwhile, thanks to the foresight of the Medford City Council, the Medford Planning Department is developing a Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Plan (CCARP). The Vulnerabilities report was reviewed by the council at a recent Study Session and will be presented to the council in January seeking approval. The fact that Medford is suffering increasing temperatures and reducing snowpack, along with adjusted rainfall patterns, is evident in data from the Weather Service. These trends, if continued, combine to pose problems for our ongoing water security and will stimulate ever more frequent and severe fires. The CCARP reports notes that particularly vulnerable to these climate trends will be the following sectors of our society absent substantial attention to the problem: Natural Systems. Projections for temperature and precipitation shifts may seem small to the non-biologist, but they are sufficient to undermine the health of natural ecosystems across the planet, and especially in SW Oregon. The demise of our Douglas firs, already evident to most residents, is a harbinger of the future of our forests. Many of our trees and other species will assuredly follow the same path. As noted above, our agriculture, forestry and fisheries will be equally compromised. Regional Economy. An economy heavily dependent on agriculture, forestry and tourism will be seriously negatively affected as the biological consequences identified above impose themselves on our region. Built Environment. The heat and cold extremes and increasing flood frequency will likely undermine much of our infrastructure. Public Health. Heta extremes and heatwaves already constitute a severe threat to area residents, especially those working outside. As airborne, waterborne, and vector borne diseases move northwards and flourish in our region, the health of all area residents will be challenged, especially the younger and older among us. Community. Rising temperatures, heatwaves and droughts challenge many residents both physically and psychologically. A resilient community will prepare itself to address these challenges. We applaud the Medford city council for acknowledging that the climate crisis will become ever more severe over time. Though some members of our community are clearly more vulnerable than others, Medford residents, as a whole, are vulnerable to the trends that climate change is imposing on us. We therefore encourage the city council to approve the Medford Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Plan and support efforts that will allow residents to adapt to this ongoing climate trend. While promoting adaptations that allow residents to thrive as these climate changes is essential, we also recognize that, along with residents across the county, the city of Medford through its administrative activities, and its residents should undertake what steps we can to reduce our contribution to the problem. While reduced emissions of greenhouse gases in the city of Medford will not alleviate the global climate crisis, we should acknowledge that solving the crisis requires that individuals and communities across the globe collaborate to address it. We therefore encourage the city not only to do what it can to promote adaptation and resilience, but also take what steps are possible to reduce city and community contributions to the problem. If we wish Medford to thrive as climate change engulfs the region, we should promote adaptation and resilience, while simultaneously mitigating the underlying causes." Alan Journet of Jacksonville is the facilitator of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now’s Medford Climate Action Team.

On December 20, 2023 the Oregon Court of Appeals found that Oregon’s cornerstone Climate Protection Program was "invalid on procedural grounds" after the oil and gas industry and their allies challenged the rule. A coalition of environmental justice, climate, and business organizations intervened defensively in the case: Beyond Toxics Oregon Business for Climate Oregon Environmental Council Climate Solutions Environmental Defense Fund Crag Law Center Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) On December 20th the above issued the following statement in response to the ruling: “The oil and gas industry just delivered a lump of coal — literally — into Oregon’s Christmas stocking. Today’s Court ruling focused on a procedural technicality. The Court did not undermine the Environmental Quality Commission’s authority to set climate pollution reductions on the oil and gas industry. We look forward to supporting any agency actions to address procedural requirements without delay. Oregon must move forward to protect our communities, especially Black, Indigenous, people of color, low-income, rural, and other communities who have historically borne the brunt of climate pollution and economic disinvestment. We have faced wildfires that have wiped out entire communities, toxic smoke choking our lungs, deadly heat waves, and record-breaking droughts; we will not stop holding the oil and gas industry accountable for the impact it is having on our lives, our families, and our communities. Upholding the cornerstone Climate Protection Program is essential to prevent incalculable harm to Oregon families, workers, and local economies, now and in the future.” More information on the impact of the ruling is available from reporter Alex Baumhardt at the Oregon Capital Chronicle. OEC offers the following background: The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission adopted the Climate Protection Program in December 2021 following an extensive 18-month rulemaking and robust stakeholder engagement process. The Department of Environmental Quality received more than 7,600 public comments on the CPP rules, the overwhelming majority of which were in favor of the program. The CPP requires oil and gas companies in Oregon to reduce their emissions 50% by 2035 and 90% by 2050; establishes first-ever requirements for major industrial facilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and enables millions of dollars annually to be invested in clean energy projects that benefit environmental justice and other communities across Oregon. NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas, Western States Petroleum Association, Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Business & Industry Association, Associated Oregon Loggers, and a dozen industry petitioners filed a challenge to the program in March 2022.

John B. Cobb Jr., is convinced that "humanity’s most urgent task is to live in harmony with and, thereby, preserve the ecosphere on which it depends for its continued existence." So, in February 2022 – the month he turned 97 – he helped to launch the Living Earth Movement. He was "troubled by the way in which the American goal to control the planet was (in a sense rightly) regognizing China as its greatest obstacle." According to their website: "The mission of the Living Earth Movement is twofold. The short-term priority is to get the U.S. and China to cooperate for the sake of all life on this planet. The second and equally important priority is to promote the foundations for a new kind of civilization in which humans would learn to value and cooperate with the rest of the ecosphere." "We need a world in which humans understand themselves as part of a living earth community. We call this an ecological civilization." ~ John Cobb For more information on ecological civilization and the formation of the Living Earth Movement read John Cobb and Jeff Well's booklet Is International Cooperation Possible? A Bold Appeal for a Living Earth. Download it here. Check out their Facebook page for information on upcoming presentations and activities. David C. Korten, a member of the Club of Rome, has also written an important 2021 white paper on ecological civilization. "Continued human viability depends on Emergency action to stop the damage, facilitate Earth’s healing, and advance the Emergence of an Ecological Civilization." ~ David Korten Center for Process Studies has a list of partner organizations promoting process thought around the world. Here are some more links: Claremont School of Theology - a progressive inter-religious theology school California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) - offering 33 graduate and undergraduate programs and certificates in psychology, philosophy, psychedelic therapies, human sexuality, consciousness CIIS’ Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness (PCC) - dedicated to shaping the leadership necessary for profound, progressive transformation of social institutions and individual consciousness Process and Faith - a multi-faith network for the common good Center for Christogenesis - seeks to deepen Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s integration of science and spirituality by providing insights and practices to enkindle awareness of love at the heart of reality. Center for Ecozoic Studies - an education, imagination, dialogue, and action center for an ecological age. Center for Open and Relational Theology - a nonprofit organization that promotes and serves as a hub for people and organizations promoting open and relational theologies Church for Our Common Home - "a non-profit that provides artistic, religious, and psychological services to awaken to the moral and ecologic crisis as an invitation for spiritual growth and creating loving community with all of creation, caring for our common home, Mother Earth." They are located in Dallas Oregon near Salem. Earth Charter - turning conscience into action Emerge - a social systems change initiative led by Perspectiva Flagstaff College - a small, innovative, upper-division college located in Flagstaff, Arizona, Gonzaga University - a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. Homebrewed Christianity - a podcast series established by process theologian Tripp Fuller Institute for American Religious and Philosophical Thought (IARPT) - a community of productive scholars with diverse theological and philosophical perspectives. Institute for Ecological Civilization - Organized by Philip Claton IEC works internationally to support systemic approaches to long-term sustainability by developing collaborations among government, business, and religious leaders and among scholars, activists, and policymakers." Institute for Postmodern Development of China (IPDC) - aims to create and promote new modes of development in China and the West. International Process Network (IPN) - a network of organizations and individuals dedicated to supporting, generating, and disseminating an international discourse on the meaning and implications of process thought.