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Northern Oregon, east of Mt. Hood has recently gained some attention as a leader in renewable energy with Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility - the first wind-solar-battery hybrid plant in the United States. Located in Lexington, Oregon this facility is owned by Portland General Electric and NextEra Energy. The Bonneville Power Administration which constructs electric facilities necessary to transmit power, is also the federal marketing agent for power from all of the federally owned hydroelectric projects in the Pacific Northwest including the Bonneville Dam located on the Columbia River. BPA now markets the electricity from thirty-one federal hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River and its tributaries, as well as from the Columbia Generating Station, a nuclear plant located on the Hanford Site in eastern Washington. The map above shows the location of Oregon's electric power generation by type and major transmission lines in FEMA's Region X . It also shows a threat to the electric power grid from a future megathrust earthquake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) . The FEMA report gives this dire warning: "During the 2016 Cascadia Rising Exercise, which considered a catastrophic 9.0 earthquake and tsunami event that resulted in the destruction of the infrastructure of the Pacific Northwest coastline, the unprecedented challenges associated with the restoration of energy infrastructure were recognized. It is expected that a complete societal collapse could result from an extended mass power outage lasting longer than several weeks to months. Extensive mass care support and requests for life sustaining services can be expected to be overwhelmed in a catastrophic event." According to OEM, the last major (8.0-9.0 magnitude) Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami occurred in 1700. "History has shown, and scientists confirm, this quake occurs, on average, once every 200 to 500 years." The Oregon Department of Energy has links to help you Get Ready. Also isit ready.gov to learn more about emergency preparedness. The Great Oregon ShakeOut will occur this year on 10/20/22 at 10:20 a.m. Your involvement inspires others to practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On or other protective actions and to become better prepared to survive and recover! Register here. Download the FEMA Mobile App, which allows you to receive real-time weather alerts, send notifications to loved ones, locate emergency shelters in your area, and more.

October 1, 2022 at 12 p.m. PDT on Zoom, the Work That Reconnects Network is presenting a webinar Ecological Civilization: Humanity's Transformational Alternative. Register Here.* October 2 to November 6, 2022 - GreenFaith is organizing Faiths 4 Climate Justice, a month-long, global, multi-religious campaign to address climate justice. October 4, 2022 11 a.m. PDT on Zoom. - Pushed to Poverty: Women, Girls, and the Climate Crisis. Richenda Fairhurst's Faiths4Future welcomes international human rights attorney Nesha Abiraj, Diplomatic and Advocacy liaison to Stop Ecocide International who works with communities of faith to address the climate crisis by ending ecocide. Register here. October 4, 2022 4 p.m. PT on Zoom - Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth presents Fighting Climate Change - Student Movements Globally. Hear how your voice and your congregation can be a critical part of the advocacy for change. Register here. October 4, 2022 7-8:30 p.m in person - Candidates Forum on Climate and Environment. at Medford Public Library, 205 S. Central Ave., Medford. Meet & Greet from 8:30-9:00 p.m. Organized by SOCAN. Invited: U. S. Congressional District 2: Cliff Bentz (R), Joe Yetter (D) Jackson Co Commission Position 1: Rick Dyer (R), Denise Krause (D) Jackson Co Commission Position 3: Al Densmore (I), Colleen Roberts (R) October 6-7, 2022 - BTS Center is offering online Convocation 2022: Imagination and Collective Liberation for a Climate-Changed World. Register here. October 7, 2022 The Climate Reality Project is presenting 24 Hours of Reality: Spotlight on Solutions and Hope. For 24 hours straight they’ll be sharing stories about ways people are tackling the climate crisis in our communities. Register here. October 8, 2022, 10:00 a.m PT at Pony Espresso in Ashland - Southern Oregon Chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby gathers for national Zoom link and Stephen Perkins and Quill Robinson from the American Conservation Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing young people around environmental action through common-sense, market-based, and limited-government ideals. October 11, 2022, 11 p.m. PT - Richenda Fairhurst's Faiths4Future presents Nonviolent Direct Action: Why youth are walking out and organizing, a conversation with William H. Morris climate organizer with GreenFaith and Victoria Wingell, forest campaigner for Oregon Wild. Register here. October 12, 2022 10 a.m. PT on Zoom - UCC Creation Justice webinar How Faith Communities Can Benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act. Register here. October 12 & 26, 2022 6-8 p.m. PT on Zoom - Water Solutions Summit - Continuation of a series hosted by the Southern Oregon Pachamama Alliance held on Wednesday evenings. This Summit is an overview of our regional watersheds and water issues. Call 541-530-8454 or email info@southernoregonpachamama.org for more information. Register here. October 18 - November 15, 2022, 2:00-3:15 PT on Zoom - GreenFaith and The BTS Center are hosting a 5-week book study of The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet (2022). Join an interfaith conversation on how to dismantle systems of oppression to protect people & planet. Intersectional Environmentalist (IE) is a non-profit, "climate justice collective radically imagining a more equitable + diverse future of environmentalism". "IE focuses on achieving climate justice, amplifying historically excluded voices + approaching environmental education, policy, and activism with equity, inclusion and restorative justice in mind." Register here. October 18, 2022, 7-8:30 p.m PT in person - Candidates Forum on Climate and Environment at Medford Public Library, 205 S. Central Ave., Medford. Meet & Greet from 8:30-9:00 p.m. Organized by SOCAN. Invited: Senate District 3: Jeff Golden (D), Randy Sparacino (R) House District 4: Christine Goodwin (R) House District 5: Sandra Abercrombie (R), Pam Marsh (D) House District 6: Dan Davis (D), Kim Walden (R) House District 56: Jonathan Chenjeri (D), Emily McIntire (R) October 20, 2022, 6 p.m. PT on Zoom - Circle Faith Future and Faiths4Future are hosting a special meet the authors event: Wake Up, Take Heart: A Creation Care Study for the Local Church. Authors Rev. Bob and Anita Dygert-Gearheart will join us for a virtual conversation about the curriculum Wake Up World, sharing about what inspired them and how the curriculum could be used in community. Register here. October 25, 2022, 6:09-7:00 p.m. PT - SOCAN Monthly Meeting: Climate-induced Forest Change. Register here.

The United Church of Christ’s Creation Justice Webinar series, on the second Wednesday of each month, "brings leaders in the field of environmental justice into conversation with an interfaith audience seeking to put their values into action as caretakers and protectors of God’s creation." The topic of this month's Creation Justice Zoom Webinar on Nov 9, 2022 at 10 a.m. PT is Centering Africa at COP27. Register here. This webinar will "center the climate concerns and issues faced by Africa, the continent that bears the least responsibility for the climate crisis yet is most vulnerable to its destructive impacts." The United Nations Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Conference COP27 will take place November 6-18, 2022 where leaders from the world’s nations will be convening in Egypt. While this summit has been described as "the African COP," activists from the continent have asserted that they are already being shut out." "A prominent concern for African nations at COP27 is the matter of who will pay for the increasing losses and damages inflicted by the climate crisis. Over the past 50 years, climate exacerbated drought has led to a loss of an estimated $70 billion in the Horn of Africa and southern Africa, while the cost of rising sea levels is projected to reach $50 billion by 2050 for islands and coastal areas." "Of far greater significance than what can be expressed in monetary amounts is the enormous loss of life that has occurred. Over the past 50 years, drought led to the loss of over a half million lives, while flooding has claimed the lives of 20,000.." Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt, Minister of Environmental Justice for the United Church of Christ and Rev. Michael Malcom, Executive Director for Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People's Justice Council will moderate these three panelists on November 9th: Ineza Umuhoza Grace from the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition Dr. Tinashe Gumbo from the All Africa Conference of Churches Rev. Michael Kalito from Theological Education by Extension in Zambia (TEEZ). Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time, still sign-up, and UCC Creation Justice will send you a link to a recording of it.

Greenfaith is promoting a Multi-faith Climate Justice Symposium on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, 7-9 a.m. PT Register here. This event is organized by the Laudato Si Movement, GreenFaith, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, and Supreme Muslim Council of Kenya, and co-sponsored by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). This half-day symposium will introduce the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, its pillars, and the religious foundations for its support. Treaty Initiative is an emerging campaign for a binding international agreement that would be a complement to the Paris Agreement. Such a Treaty would require: An immediate end to new fossil fuel projects A rapid transition to 100% renewables and a fair phase-out of fossil fuels A just transition to an environmentally sustainable future for workers and communities most affected by climate change and by this transition These three pillars are what is required to address the climate crisis in a manner that reflects widely shared religious and moral values and consistent with what science tells us must be done to avoid truly disastrous climate change impacts. The Treaty Initiative has already attracted support from over 100 Nobel Laureates; 40 cities including London, Paris, Los Angeles, and Sydney; 250 parliamentarians including elected representatives from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan; over 1,000 NGOs and 2,500 scientists and academics. Interpretation for this event will be provided in Swahili, Spanish, and French. Register today to reserve your spot!

The ecoAmerica report, Mental Health and Our Changing Climate, produced with their partner the American Psychological Association, takes a revealing look at the anxiety that climate change has created in our nation’s youth as well as adults. At a time when positive action is most needed, it offers concrete, helpful suggestions to strengthen resilience. "A majority of Americans support action to ensure a healthy future for ourselves and our children. America has the wherewithal to lead our nation and the world to ensure that the social determinants of health — and mental health — are supported versus hindered by the state of our climate, communities, and natural places." ~ ecoAmerica To hear the major findings of this report from the authors and to preview the action steps for communities, individuals, practitioners, and policymakers watch the video. Read the full report HERE. and share on Social! "Now is the time to elevate faith’s leadership role in providing inspiration, hope, and commitment with respect to our duty to care for creation." ~ Blessed Tomorrow Additional Mental Health and Climate Resources Mental Health - Our Changing Climate Impacts, Inequities, Responses (2022) American Climate Leadership Summit session 5 Steps to Effective Climate Communication resource and handout My Neighbor is Hurting: How to Serve Those Experiencing Climate Stress and Grief (A Blessed Tomorrow Let’s Talk Climate episode) May is Mental Health Awareness Month blog featuring guidance for building community resilience against the climate change impacts on mental health #ClimateChangesMentalHealth, #MentalHealth #ClimateChange

On November 3, 2022, 9 a.m. PDT on Zoom - Institute For The Future (IFTF) is having a Foresight Talk: How to Forecast Environmental Change without Being an Environmental Scientist. Register here "How do you comprehend the future of climate change at a planetary scale? Join IFTF Distinguished Fellow Mike Liebhold to learn how he uses combinatorial forecasting and systems thinking to track changing ecosystems, behavioral systems, and core technologies such as green computing and climate modeling. Drawing on his decades of experience, Mike will walk us through the current planetary crises he’s tracking and share a few concrete methods for tracking them." "Mike Liebhold is now retired but actively researching the applications of technology to restore future planetary environmental health. Previously, Mike served from 2003-2019 as Distinguished Fellow and senior technology researcher at the Institute for the Future, interpreting technological underpinnings of tomorrow’s world, including whole systems, data networks, immersive media, spatial and contextual computing." ITFT has has a newly redesigned website. Check it out. You will probably want to download ITFT's 2021-2031 Map of the Decade called Building Climate- Positive Organizations. The Map is a series of deep-dive forecasts designed to help your organization identify opportunities for transformation that you can act on today to become climate-positive." IFTF offers courses on Futures Thinking, Collaborative Foresight, Forecasting Skills and Urgent Optimism on Coursera. Coursera also has nearly 200 courses on climate change from various universities, some of them free! What a great resource!

Tuesday, October 18, 2022 is the deadline for Oregon voter registration for the November 8, 2022 General Election. If you are already registered you will have received a Voter' Pamphlet from the State of Oregon. Oregon Ecumenical Ministries (EMO) has also published in The Voice it's Voters Guide to 2022 Oregon Ballot Measures where they explain why they recommend YES votes on all four measures: Right to Health Care - Vote YES on Measure 111 Remove Slavery as Punishment for a Crime - Vote YES on Measure 112 Government Accountability - Vote YES on Measure 113 Reduction of Gun Violence - Vote YES on Measure 114 EMO has adopted a Statement of Social Principles that guides their public policy work. In this statement, they have identified core principles and areas of social concern, including: Peace and Global Justice Human Rights & Religious Freedom Environmental Stewardship Economic Justice Family and Community Well-being Public Witness and the Common Good "Our faith traditions call us to be thoughtful and active advocates for peace, social justice, human dignity and environmental stewardship. EMO seeks to empower people of faith and all Oregonians to fulfill their role in the democratic process." Please thoughtfully consider arguments offered by both supporters and opponents of each measure. Engage the wisdom of your own tradition and engage in a thoughtful process of discernment in exercising your civic duty to vote, "Voting is not only our right, it is our power.” ~ Loung Ung Oregon League of Conservation Voters has also recommended YES votes on statewide ballot measures 111, 112 and 113 as well as endorsements for other political candidates. Vote411 brought to us by the League of Women Voters Education Fund has personalized voting information if you enter your address. Note: Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon does not speak for The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; they release all public policy statements through the Oregon Catholic Conference.

Two great spiritual teachers (Matthew Fox and Andrew Harvey, join to discuss Our Global Dark Night With Joy, Resolution, and Passion on April 9, 2022 10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. PDT and 2 - 4:00 p.m. PDT with an Integration Session April 23, 2022 10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. PDT. "Our workshop is an unique opportunity to merge our interconnected visions." ~ Andrew Harvey As longtime spiritual friends, both of these master teachers welcome this unique opportunity to merge their interconnected visions of how to meet our global dark night with joy, resolution and passion: to put love into action, to preserve both our planet and the democratic institutions and practices that can still effect vibrant solutions and birth transformative possibilities. Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to come together with like minded people concerned with humanity during this volatile time. For details and registration click HERE

The following is an excerpt from a memo on April 13, 2022 from Dr. Edward Viljoen, Spiritual Leader, Centers for Spiritual Living: "We envision a world in which resources are valued and cared for." "We must resist the easy path of quoting from scripture, mediation, or manifestation on one day and then accepting the destruction of our climate the next. We must act on our values and beliefs together, as people of diverse faiths and spiritualities, for our common home.” ~ Greenfaith.org "Holi. Vaisakhi. Ramadan. Passover. Holy Week and Easter. Vesak. Naw Ruz. Ridvan. Billions of people attend these spiritual observances from March 17 to May 6 each year. Also occurring during this time are Earth Day, World Water Day and Equinox, and Centers for Spiritual Living’s recommended global theme for April 2022 is "Living Everyday Wonder: Creativity." "During this season of spiritual observances worldwide, we see the opportunity to join GreenFaith’s multi-faith invitation to connect climate justice and planetary wellness with our spiritual principles, values and CSL's Global Vision. (GreenFaith is a worldwide, multi-faith, climate and environmental movement that encourages spiritual responses to global issues.) " "Although climate change causes continue to be debated, it is still a matter that calls for people across cultures and religious traditions to work together to find a solution. Therefore, we invite our communities to respond to this call in three ways that connect our principles, values and Global Vision to action: Acknowledge the imminent danger to life that global warming poses. (See the resources collection from GreenFaith here. By talking to friends, neighbors and family, we help raise the awareness of something important to all of us." "There is an inherent discomfort in talking about matters so significant in scope and complex in nature. Still, without the potent creative power of sharing our thoughts, concerns and aspirations for our planet, it is easy to let this critical matter remain unattended. An effective way for members and friends to contribute to a solution is to talk about climate change by expressing their thoughts, not as representative of an organizational perspective, but because each voice has something of value to contribute to our understanding. (From the CSL Global Vision: We envision a world that respects and honors the interconnectedness of all life.)" "Encourage political and business leaders to join in a robust and responsible response to global warming. By taking your concern to the people who represent you and who do business with you, you exercise your power of influence for good. Drawing on our core values and in a spirit of compassion, love and justice, we expand the narrative of emphasizing the good to include appropriate action." "We can join our Science of Mind voices with those of our multi-faith friends who call for an end to new fossil fuel projects and deforestation and a rapid, just transition to a sustainable future." "We can add our messages or sacred rituals for planetary wellness to this holy season." From the CSL Global Vision: We envision a world where personal responsibility joins with social conscience in every area of the political, corporate, academic and social sectors, providing sustainable structures.) "And, most importantly, engage in focused spiritual practice with a clear sense that all these actions can and do have a positive, beneficial effect on the future of life on our planet. Members and friends of CSL are activated by a vision of a healthy, loving world — one in which there is an emphasis on sound planetary stewardship. A clear sense of this vision can guide the focus of our prayer, and prayer, we hold, is the primary tool for shifting consciousness." "Therefore, we invite members and friends of CSL to contemplate the Global Vision, to allow it to shape your prayers and thereby inform you as to which appropriate actions are yours to make. If you and your CSL community plan to host a Sacred Season for Climate Justice event and would like to have it listed on GreenFaith.org, please use this online form to register your details: Organize an Event | GreenFaith" Centers for Spiritual Living Global Vision We envision all people, all beings and all life as expressions of God. We see a world in which each person lives in alignment with their highest spiritual principle, emphasizing unity with God and connection with each other; a world in which individually and collectively we are called to a higher state of consciousness and action. We envision humanity awakening to its spiritual magnificence and discovering the creative power of thought; a world where every person discovers their own personal power and ability to create an individual life that works within a world that works for everyone. We envision a world in which we live and grow as one global family that respects and honors the interconnectedness of all life; a world where this kinship with all life prospers and connects through the guidance of spiritual wisdom and experience. We envision a world where personal responsibility joins with social conscience in every area of the political, corporate, academic and social sectors, providing sustainable structures to further the emerging global consciousness. We envision a world where every person has enough food, a home and a sense of belonging; a world of peace and harmony, enfranchisement and justice. We envision a world in which resources are valued, cared for and grown, and where there is generous and continuous sharing of these resources. We envision a worldwide culture in which forgiveness is the norm. We envision a world which has renewed its emphasis on beauty, nature and love through the resurgence of creativity, art and aesthetics. We envision a world that works for everyone and for all of creation. Spiritually Motivated Social Engagement Committee Resources Climate Change Is Threatening the Fight to End Extreme Poverty: United Nations (globalcitizen.org) Why Climate Change and Poverty Are Inextricably Linked (globalcitizen.org) How Are We Going to Kickstart Global Climate Action? (globalcitizen.org) Statement_COP21 (actalliance.org) Loss of Biodiversity: The Burgeoning Threat to Human Health - PMC (nih.gov) The Crisis of Planetary Health: Reflections From the World Religions (georgetown.edu)

If the world’s average temperature will soon shoot past the 1.5ºC target to ensure climate stability, how does one preach about hope? How does one preach about taking moral responsibility for addressing climate change? Focused on these two questions, Rev. Margaret Bullett-Jonas held a lively 30-minute conversation on climate preaching with her friend and colleague Rev. Dr. Jim Antal. Hope Hope is out superpower Live into a new story Be honest to ourselves Process grief in community Courage will begin to take root as we live into a new story Gratitude (for being given the opportunity to make this happen) will keep hope alive “Hope is inseparable from our own actions. [Hope] isn’t given; it’s grown. Waiting to act on climate change until we have hope is like waiting to pick up a shovel until we build callouses on our hands. The hope never arrives until we get to work.” ~ Tim DeChristopher from “Working Up Hope,” in Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis, ed. Leah Schade and Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, p. 148) Moral Responsibility Social & economic justice International justice Inter-generational justice Racial justice Inter-species justice Their discussion also included brief comments on how to preach the lectionary texts assigned for the Third and Fourth Sundays in Lent. Links: Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas’ Website: https://revivingcreation.org/ Rev. Jim Antal’s Website: https://www.jimantal.com/ “Sacred Season for Climate Justice” Climate Crisis Preaching: Selected Resources Margaret’s 2019 sermon on the Prodigal Son Recent climate news: InsideClimateNews.org

"Third Act is people over the age of 60 — “experienced Americans” — determined to change the world for the better. We muster political and economic power to move Washington and Wall Street in the name of a fairer, more sustainable society and planet. We back up the great work of younger people, and we make good trouble of our own." Th!rd Act is currently promoting two Programs: Protect the Vote and Bug the Banks. From the end of March to the beginning of May 2022 is a sacred season when many of the world’s religions celebrate holy days. Because of this, Third Act Faith, GreenFaith, and Exodus Alliance have been celebrating these events by using the symbolism of our traditions to call for the end of investing in the fossil fuel industry. On March 28, 2022, Bill McKibben, Molly Brown, and Rabbi Arthur Waskow were in conversation about ways that people of faith can join in, with Nana Firman from GreenFaith moderating. Th!rd Act has two upcoming events: Let's Get Started - On April 25th, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. PDT to 2::30 p.m. PDT Third Act Lead Organizer Bob Fulkerson will explain Working Groups and how you can plug into Third Act organizing. RSVP for that event here. Monthly All-in Event - On April 27th, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. PDT to 6:00 p.m. PDT join Third Act’s monthly all-in event with special guests, music, and movement highlights. They’ll share campaign updates, what’s up next, and how you can plug in over the coming weeks. RSVP for that event here. Bill McKibben is a contributing author to the New Yorker Magazine titled Annals of a Warming Planet.

Emergence Magazine website has a beautiful, informative, poetic and touching tableau of stories using video, images, music and text about sugar maples, paper birch and red spruce: They Carry Us With Them: "The Earth now has an atmospheric CO2 concentration of 419 parts per million, the highest the planet has seen in three to five million years. In 2019, NASA stated that eighteen of the nineteen warmest years on record had occurred since 2001." "Around the world, scores of species of trees are moving north, or west, or upslope. Some species are losing ground, others are gaining it. In the eastern United States, eighty-six species of trees are currently on the move. Pines, spruce, and firs are generally heading north; oaks and maples are heading west. Here in Maine, seven of the ten most common species of tree are predicted to have moderate to severe reductions in suitable habitat within a century." "What do these changes to our forests mean? What are the trees taking with them and what is arriving in their wake? What is the relationship between the trees’ migration and the ecological systems and human communities that they are leaving behind? What does the movement of these beings reflect back to us in the present and foreshadow for the future?" The primary cause of declining biodiversity, at least in recent times, is the appropriation, colonization, and intensifying use of lands already inhabited, used, and reshaped by current and prior societies." ~ Darren Ranco* Emergence Magazine hosts "a variety of online and in-person programs and events aimed at providing a space where our wider community can connect through the power of story and explore the connections between culture, ecology, and spirituality. Thaey have an online book club, workshops, retreats, immersive leadership courses, gallery installations, conversations with contributors, and live pop-up events. *Ranco is associate professor of anthropology and coordinator of Native American Research at the University of Maine, one of the SSI participating faculty, and a member of the Penobscot tribe—contributed to a paper entitled People Have Shaped Most of Terrestrial Nature for At Least 12,000 Years,

Temple Emek Shalom and SOHEVA are having a Community Earth Day Celebration on Sunday, April 24, 2022, Noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Emek Shalom/Grace Point Church parking lot, 1800 Main Street, Ashland, Oregon. This fun, free, informative event for the whole family offers opportunities to test drive electric vehicles, enjoy food trucks, music and activities for kids. It will feature more than a dozen organizations committed to environmental protection and a healthy planet. “Although Earth Day officially falls on April 22nd, we chose Sunday, April 24th to make our event accessible to everyone – adults, kids, the whole family, This event is a great opportunity to come together, learn, try new technology first-hand, and celebrate the importance of a healthy planet.” ~ Pete Jorgensen, event organizer A major highlight will be the opportunity for licensed and insured drivers to test drive electric vehicles including the Arcimoto FUV manufactured in Eugene, OR, and the Mustang E and Kia Niro EV, which are sold locally by Lithia Motors’ Green Cars division. More than a dozen organizations committed to environmental protection will be on-hand to share helpful information and answer questions about green practices and technology. PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS to date include representatives from: City of Ashland Conservation Division and Conservation Commission Southern Oregon Climate Action Now Rogue Climate Action Team (County High Schools) Southern Oregon Land Conservancy Truth to Power (Ashland High School) Klamath Bird Observatory Ashland Solar Coop Rogue Produce’s Community Compost Program Southern Oregon Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Association ArciMoto of Eugene Lithia Green Cars Piccadilly Cycles MORE FUN: Kids can take home seed kits, and everyone can enjoy CABA Empanadas and Lions ice cream treats from local food trucks, and wonderful music from professional musicians! Bring your water bottle for free refills from Crystal Geyser. IN ADDITION, Learn how La Clinica’s many programs can benefit you. PLEASE SUPPORT THE ASHLAND EMERGENCY FOOD BANK BY BRINGING NON-PERISHABLE FOOD DONATIONS. Add to iCal | Add to Google Calendar Tags:

The Institute For The Future (IFTF) had a webinar today on identifying positive signals of change - evidence of the future that we can find in today’s world. They are "concrete, compelling observations about how the world is changing that give us a hint at where we might be headed." One signal of change is the recent announcement by the owners of Patagonia that they are transferring stock valued at about $3 billion to a nonprofit Trust dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature. Patagonia's website also has stories that inspire activism, like the YouTube above. Molly Kawabata says, "The fossil fuel industry has promoted the "individual carbon footprint" to deceive the public and turned the table of responsibility from those who are causing the problem on to individual users. Instead, we must insist and work for systemic changes (converting our electric system from fossil fuels to renewable energy; public policies that make new technologies affordable to everyone; democracy reform; getting money out of politics; dismantling gerrymandered voter maps; fighting voter suppression...) "We also need to reframe and give people a sense of empowerment and hope rather than using fear, guilt or shame, which tend to not make people freeze rather than act.." Everybody's true power lies when together we see a promise of hope, a zero-carbon economy - a "we" that is working collectively to fight for systemic change; to clean up the air for everyone; to provide clean energy for all; and give our children back their future." If we have any hope of a thriving planet—much less a business—it is going to take all of us doing what we can with the resources we have. This is what we can do. ~ Yvon Chouinard

How can the church become a hub of resilience in the midst of the spiritual and physical storms of the climate crisis? This Creation Justice Ministries virtual workshop published on YouTube is about building climate resilience into worship. Gain tools on preaching climate justice year-round and learn how to weave climate resilience into your church’s worship for this Earth Day Sunday. Speakers include: The Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Episcopal priest, author, retreat leader, and climate activist. Facilitated by Avery Davis Lamb, Co-Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries. Weathering the Storm: Faithful Resilience is the Earth Day 2022 program of Creation Justice Ministries. Creation Justice Ministries educates, equips, and mobilizes its 38 member communions and denominations, congregations, and individuals to do justice for God’s planet and God’s people. Learn more at www.creationjustice.org and @CreationJustice on social media.

The EARTH Club at RCC and Sustainable Rogue Valley are co-sponsoring and Environmental Film and Conversation Series of four short films around the theme of climate action on Zoom Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 6 p.m. PDT Transition to a World Without Oil (Rob Hopkins) How to Turn Climate Anxiety into Action (Renee Lertzman) Greening the Ghetto (Majorca Carter) Three Stories of Local Eco-Entrepreneurship (Majorca Carter) The films will be followed by conversation about how we can get involved in solutions.

What is the most effective actions that one can take to address the climate crisis? Katherine Hayhoe says "just talk about it." "Getting started can be as easy as getting people talking. Watching a brief video and then engaging in discussion is a great first step.” ~ Jim Antal For churches, Antal recommended a series of nine videos, each 5 to 6 minutes long. They feature climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, one of the American Climate Leadership Summit’s keynote speakers — and herself an evangelical Christian. The topics of the videos range from what the Bible says about the natural world, to how to talk to people with different opinions about climate change, to why “it is not too late” to slow the global rise in temperature." Here are some video links to get us going: Katharine Hayhoe https://youtu.be/-BvcToPZCLI ecoAmerica https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT7JaalNL4aiq9ReL5-uZaw TearFund https://www.tearfund.org A Rocha https://www.arocha.org/en/ Climate Stewards https://www.climatestewards.org Plant with Purpose https://plantwithpurpose.org Operation Noah https://operationnoah.org

"The Enlightenment project swims against currents of human nature - tribalism, authoritarianism, demonization, magical thinking - which demagogues are all too willing to exploit. Many commentators, committed to political, religious, or romantic ideologies, fight a rearguard action against it. The result is a corrosive fatalism and a willingness to wreck the precious institutions of liberal democracy and global cooperation." ~ Steven Pinker Jordan B. Peterson interviews authors Steven Pinker and Johnathan Haidt in the June 2021 YouTube video above. they discuss enlightenment, the righteous mind, truth, Charles Darwin, group selection, Emile Durkheim, Joseph Heinrich, cooperation, cultural evolution and more. In his 2018 book Enlightenment Now Steven Pinker argues that there has been a general improvement of the human condition over recent history brought by reason, science and humanism. "People are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives." If you are not sure you want to read the 556 page book (including detailed references), you can check out the Washington Post article: A Harvard professor explains why the world is actually becoming a much better place. In his 2012 book The Righteous Mind Jonathan Haidt explains Moral Foundations Theory - how morality is shaped by emotion and intuition more than by reasoning, and why conservative and progressive political groups and religious groups have different notions of right and wrong. Haidt's book is organized in three parts around three principles and metaphors: Intuitions come first, strategic reasoning second - The mind is divided, like a ride on an elephant, and the rider's job is to serve the elephant,. There's more to morality than harm and fairness - The righteous mind is like a tongue with six test receptors. Morality binds and blinds - Human beings are 90 percent chimp and 10 percent bee, Haidt draws together Charles Darwin's theory of group selection and Emile Durkheim 'vision of society, favored by social conservatives, in which the basic social unit is the family, rather than the individual, and in which order, hierarchy and tradition are highly valued." He also says "David Hume got it right" in that morality is part of human nature, like language or taste and "sentiment" (intuition) is the driving force of our moral lives, whereas reasoning is biased and impotent, fit primarily to be a servant of the passions." While Pinker is sometimes dismissed as a techno-optimist, Haidt helps us understand group cohesion and the deep psychological basis of differences between liberals and conservatives to better communicate our shared concern for the environment and the habitability of our planet for future generations. Steven Pinker, a Canadian cognitive psychologist and Harvard professor, is author of nine books including: The Language Instinct (1994) How the Mind Works (1997) Words and Rules (2000) The Blank Slate (2002) The Stuff of Thought (2007) The Sense of Style (2014) The Better Angels of Our Nature (2011) Enlightenment Now (2018) Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters (2021) Jonathan Haidt is a moral psychologist, Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University and author of three books written for general audiences: The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom (2006) The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion (2012) The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure (2018) Other recommend resources on truth: Our World in Data is "research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems." HumanProgress is a project of the Cato Institute Gapminder is an independent educational non-profit fighting global misconceptions. Factfulness (2018) by Hans Rosling The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth (2021) by Jonathan Rauch

Futurist Bob Johansen, who was President of The Institute For The Future (IFTF) from 1996 to 2004, says: "We are in a time of accelerating, disruptive change." ~ Bob Johansen Bob is the author of several books aimed at organizational leaders including: Full Spectrum Thinking: How to Escape Boxes in a Post-Categorical Future (2020) The New Leadership Literacies: Thriving in a Future of Extreme Disruption and Distributed Everything (2017) Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World (2012) Get There Early: Sensing the Future to Compete in the Present (2007) An excellent written summary of his 2021 zoom presentation (above) to Founding Fuel is found here. Notes from Johansen's books and other videos: We live in a VUCA world that offers both threat and opportunity: THREAT            OPPORTUNITY Volatile               Vision Uncertain           Understanding Complex             Clarity Ambiguity           Agility Leaders Make The Future: Ten New Leadership Skills For an Uncertain World covers 12 topics: Maker Instincts Clarity Dilemma Flipping Immersive Learning Ability Bio-empathy Constructive Depolarizing Quiet Transparency Rapid Prototyping Smart-Mob Organizing Commons Creating Future Immersion for Leadership Development Learning the Ten Future Leadership Skills Yourself Notable quotes from Bob: Forecasting - The purpose of forecasting is to provoke, not to predict. Listening for the future is hard work. Leaders have to listen through the noise in a VUCA world." "Leaders need to be simple, but not simplistic." "The future is already here, it is just unevenly distributed." "It sometimes takes 30 years for things to be an “overnight success.” "The global rich-poor gap is getting bigger, faster." "Leaders need great clarity about where we are going, but also great flexibility in getting there." "Leaders of the future must be digitally based – blending digital with the physical world." Three Step Process Foresight is preparing your mind. Insight is discerning and those discerning questions are really dilemas. Action – Faith lives between Insight and Action! "Smart mob organizing (using social media as well as face to face) is the wave of the future. Today’s social media is now rather trivial. It’s a great time to get into it – but don’t try to catch up, leapfrog! Go for tomorrow’s Facebook and Twitter." "Fail Often; Fail Early; Fail Cheaply." "Leaders will thrive in the space between judging too soon (the classic mistake of the problem solver and the fundamentalist) and deciding too late (those who are passive.)" "Augmented Reality is our future in the upcoming decade. Cloud-served supercomputing will have no computer, no mouse and be operated all by gesture. Your only choice is what filter." Old Marketing - Old fashioned notions of consumers; marketing; and advertising are all obsolete. The user in the future is going to filter those out. Virtual Reality - a virtual overlay using geo-coding and tagging Digital Physical Blends - We will have blended realities and continuous filtering. Body Hacking - media will be blended in with our bodies and our lifestyles. The Cloud - We are moving from today’s internet to tomorrows cloud. Digital Youth - If you are older than 16 you are off unless you are on (digitally connected.) If you are younger than 16 you are on unless you are off. Digital natives are going to leapfrog with the kids and military training techniques. Look for what you have in common, not what you are polarized about. Create a "Story of the Future" that provokes insight into the future. Sources of provocation: The Vuca World Extreme Climate Variability The Rich / Poor Gap Personal Empowerment Grassroots Economics Smart Networking Polarizing Extremes High-Impact Religions Health Insecurity Body Hacking Boomers Reinvent Aging Digital Youth Urban Wilderness Digital Physical Blend Dilemmas of Difference Three Big External Future Forces 1. The next big economic driver will be the “global well-being economy” (meaning and faith will be core to well-being). This is more than sick care. We are not very good at wellness health and well-being. This coming decade will be led by biology, physical, social, community, and spiritual well-being. Neuro science and happiness will be understood better. The next decade the brain gets practical – i.e. Last spring when the new food pyramid was introduced, Dan Siegle developed The Healthy Mind Platter: Sleep Time; Physical Time; Focus Time; Time in; Down Time; Play Time and Connecting. 2. Digital natives (16 years of age and less in 2012) will create new practices of engagement through gaming. Theological education will need reverse-mentoring from the digital natives and create intense immersive learning experiences. Generation - is now about 6 years (if you are 25 or less) … AND SHRINKING. Digital Natives - by 2021, anyone who is 25 or less – rich or poor will be a digital native! The younger you are, the stronger the effect. Disruption in the pattern. The mind of the digital native will work differently (e.g. “continuous partial attention”) - but we don’t yet know just how differently. Frustration - Unless the rich/poor gap improves a LARGE number of digital natives will be very frustrated - they will be very connected and able to see the very rich. Games “are obstacles that we volunteer to overcome” Jane McGonigal – Reality is Broken –  engagement at the moment of the epic win. The opposite of play isn’t work – it’s depression. Fun is not the enemy of work – this is what an immersive learning experience is. Reverse mentoring - Church youth groups today should be structured around digital natives teaching adults about gaming. 3. Reciprocity-Based Innovation (amplified by the cloud) will change the nature of economic and social engagement. Reciprocity will be the currency of theological education and faith communities. Transactions - the currency of the internet is transactions; Reciprocity – the currency of the cloud is reciprocity - giving things away in the trust (faith) you will get more back. The failed rollout strategy for the Kinect became an example of involuntary reciprocity-based innovation. The Logic of Giving and Reciprocity "The happiest people are those who give; the happiest of the happiest are those who forgive. The least happy are those who carry a grudge." ~ Kelly Traver – Healthiest You. External Future Forces and the Church When you have the time, check out this great one hour video on Vimeo where Bob spoke to seminary students at Pacific School of Religion in 2012 on the topic of “External Future Forces,” to help them prepare to become future leaders. A Book of Provocation, was written for the Episcopal Church by IFTF. It highlights the 15 sources of provocation for the church (listed above) from a custom ten year forecast map. For each provocation the authors suggested dilemmas that are likely to be raised for churches if their forecast comes to pass. They suggested discerning questions for church members to consider; members are encouraged to generate their own discerning questions – based on individual reactions to this forecast for the next decade.: Steve Brimmer uses future scenarios to stimulate conversations about four alternate, possible Church Futures. Tags: #Bob Johansen, #IFTF, #VUCA, #Full-Spectrum Thinking, #Leadership Literacies, #Mindsets, #Skills, #Future, #Provocation, #Disruption, #Reciprocity, #Foresight,#Insight, #Action, #DigitalNatives, #AugmentedReality, #ImmersiveLearningExperience, #Games