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Loretta J. Ross wants to build a world that "invites people in instead of pushing them out." Instead of being angry at those with whom one disagrees and treating them as an enemy, seek to become friends with those who are open to agree. In other words, don't criticize, villify and attack, as many politicians do, but offer an alternative worldview based on shared values. This is not easy and I often fail, but it seems like a better way to build a positive social movement. Jonathan Haidt in his book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion references Dale Carnegie and his classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People: "Carnegie repeatedly urged readers to avoid direct confrontations. Instead he advised people to " begin in a "friendly way," to smile," to"be a good listener," and to never say "you're wrong. The persuader's goal should be to convey respect, warmth, and openness to dialogue before starting one's own case. Calling out or "cancel culture" presumes that if someone had done something wrong they should be held accountable and punished for it. But blaming and shaming just invites others to a fight, not a conversation, because you are publicly humiliating them. We are encourage to be brave and speak truth to power. If something feels unfair should be be silent or speak out? "A call-in is a call-out done with love. If you calmly respond "that's an interesting viewpoint, tell me more" you've invited them into a conversation instead of a fight. Doing so reaffirms your optimism and hope that you can make a difference in the world. “Fighting hate should be fun, It’s being a hater that sucks.” ~ Loretta J. Ross Note: TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy.

PBS FRONTLINE examines the fossil fuel industry’s history of casting doubt and delaying action on climate change. This three-part series traces decades of missed opportunities and the ongoing attempts to hold Big Oil to account. "The docuseries traces that history across 40 years and multiple presidential administrations, investigating the lengths to which the industry went to cast doubt on the science, influence public perception and block action from the 1980s to the present day." Part 1 Denial aired April 19, 2022 find on the Frontline YouTube channel Part 2 Doubt aired April 26, 2022 Michael MacCracken, A Government Scientist Warned About Climate Change in 2001. Exxon Mobil Sought to Have Him Removed. Part 3 Delay aires May 3, 2022 at 10 p.m. on Southern Oregon PBS

The next Creation Justice webinar on May 11, 2022 at 10 a.m. PDT is entitled Climate Migration: Responding with Faith, Care, and Equity. Register now! "According to a recent UN climate report, 20 million people have been displaced each year since 2008 due to extreme weather that is often exacerbated by the climate crisis. There is much we can do as people of faith in responding with deeply held values to this critical situation." To inform and guide us, this webinar will feature Drocella Mugorewera from Bridge Refugee Services, Tomas Matom Ramirez from the Indigenous Maya Ixil people, and the Rev. Irene Hassan from the UCC’s Minister of Refugee and Migration Services. Even if you can’t make the scheduled time still sign-up, and Brooks Berndt will send you a recording.

Voters ballots are due May 17, 2022 for Oregon's midterm primary election. Much of the past action addressing our climate emergency came from Governor Kate Brown's executive actions, because of a stymied legislature. That reality makes this race for the Governors office is particularly important. Fifteen Democrats are on the ballot for Governor, but The Oregonian says that House Speaker Tina Kotek and state Treasurer, Tobias Read "were the winner and runner-up in a straw poll of party faithful at Oregon Democrats’ 2017 summit" and "a recent survey commissioned by Read showed the two Democrats in a tight race, with Kotek in the lead and more than 50% of likely primary voters undecided." Kotek says she "voted to put Oregon on a path to 100% clean electricity." Read says "he’ll accelerate our investments in clean energy to battle climate change and prevent wildfires." Click here for a list of climate related actions Kotek proposes; Click here for Read's priorities regarding climate change. Oregon Republican voters must choose from among 19 candidates for governor. The Statesman Journal says that "six have set themselves apart with their fundraising success, each raising more than $500,000 this election cycle, according to state campaign finance records:" Christine Drazan, Bob Tiernan, Bridget Barton, Mayor Stan Pulliam and Jessica Gomez. Christine Drazan is explicit in proposing to "end the costly cap-and trade program - In March of 2020, Governor Brown signed an executive order establishing a cap-and-trade style program in Oregon. This overreach is going to harm critical industries like timber, manufacturing and trucking and result in price increases across the board for Oregonians. I will repeal Governor Brown’s climate scheme on my first day in office." The websites of Bob Tiernan, Bridget Barton, Dr. Bud Pierce , Mayor Stan Pulliam and Jessica Gomez focus entirely on other issues - they may mention forest management and wildfires but do not specifically address climate change as a major issue. Voters will elect Oregon's next Governor based on multiple factors even though climate change poses an existential issue. There are many other issues: gun violence/gun ownership rights; safe streets/homelessness; criminal justice reform/supporting police; mental health/drug abuse; women's reproductive rights/anti-abortion, right to life; wildfires; education; jobs; housing, health care....

On Thursday, April 28, 2022 International artist, and filmmaker Imogene Drummond shared how her growing awareness of our integral connection with the Universe influenced the development of her art in diverse media, including film, video installation, and an educational program that combines self-worth, creativity, and the Cosmos. Watch part 1 here. Watch part 2 here Due to her painting expeditions around the world, Drummond was invited to join the Society of Woman Geographers (for women who know not boundaries), whose membership includes explorers of ideas as well as geography, among them Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, and Jane Goodall. Her experience, talent, and vision converge in Art Sparks. Her article Options for the Future; is the closing piece in the thought-provoking 2006 anthology The Rule of Mars, on patriarchy. Drummond's work has been influenced by Thomas Berry, Brian Swimme, Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim. Her review of her Options article in Deeptime Network applies this evolutionary perspective to: Art, Current Issues, Ecology/Sustainability, Education, Government, Law, Other (Cultural Transformation), Religion/Spirituality and Social Justice. "Real social change can flourish only when we understand that our primary context is not political, racial, religious, gender or other identification. but the universe." ~ Orla Hazra

The announcement of Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter has caused a firestorm of debate about free speech and misinformation. Will conservatives who have been banned from Twitter find a more friendly platform? Will Donald Trump, who told Fox News that even if Musk lifts his ban follow through he will "not go back to Twitter" and stay with Truth Social* (Trump's new social media site)? Will Twitter continue with "pre-bunks" (hubs of credible, authoritative information, available in the Explore tab, Search, and Trends.)? Will Twitter "ban climate misinformation in ads" as Google said it would in October 2021? Joseph Winters of Grist's The Beacon writes: "Just days before the announcement that Elon Musk would purchase Twitter for $44 billion, the platform announced new steps to address the escalating urgency of the climate crisis. In a statement on Friday [April 22, 2022], the social media giant said it will ban ads that “contradict the scientific consensus on climate change.” Tristan Harris, of Center for Humane Technology's Your Undivided Attention Podcast says "Now the opportunity is, if Elon were to take the company [Twitter] private, to make it no longer beholden to these quarterly earnings reports and having to grow each quarter to the public market." Sean Boyle, Twitter's Director of Sustainability, wrote in the Twitter blog about Accelerating our climate commitments on Earth Day "Tackling the climate crisis requires meaningful, sustained collaboration. Through #AdsForGood grants, on-service support, trainings, and more, we’re partnering with organizations committed to environmental conservation and sustainability.:" Earth Day Network United Nations (UN) Environment Programme UN Framework Convention on Climate Change UN Development Programme Greenpeace Voice for the Planet Let Me Breathe WWF 350.org FridaysForFuture We Don’t Have Time Climate Reality Project and others. It's not easy to find the truth. Since we live in a culture of disinformation Rev. Roger Wolsey wrote Church Members Need Help Navigating Our Rapidly Changing World saying "before you share information, search (“Google”) to see if those claims have been verified or debunked." Here are some fact check sources: https://www.reuters.com/fact-check https://apnews.com/hub/ap-fact-check https://www.usatoday.com/news/factcheck https://www.snopes.com https://www.politifact.com https://quoteinvestigator.com Be sure to watch PBS Frontline's three-part series which premiered Tuesdays, April 19, April 26 and May 3, 2022 The Power of Big Oil, Part One: Denial It examines the fossil fuel industry’s history of casting doubt and delaying action on climate change. "What the geniuses of the PR firms who work for these big, big fossil fuel companies know is that truth has nothing to do with who wins the argument. If you say something enough times, people will begin to believe it.” ~ John Passacantando *Interestingly, Elon Musk tweeted on April 27, 2022 "Truth Social (terrible name) exists because Twitter censored free speech... Should be called Trumpet instead!"

Listen to GreenState the 04/22/2022 podcast: Environmental Justice in the environmental and conservation movements and at DEQ. Check out the podcast and show notes here. "To celebrate Earth Day/Week/Month, Lauren and Dylan are talking about environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion - not just in general, but how this conversation is evolving at DEQ specifically. They are joined by three DEQ staff integral to this work: Natalie Nava, DEQ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator Chamille Hartman, Northwest Region Water Quality, also involved in the environmental justice work group Ximena Cruzcueves, Cleanup Program Coordinator, also involved in the BIPOC affinity group, on the DEI Council, and leading the environmental justice work group "This conversation touches on the history of racism in the United State and Oregon have created structures that impact even efforts seen as progressive, like the environmental and conservation movements. Institutions have been undoubtedly influenced by this history, and DEQ has begun work to re-imagine how the agency can protect the environment in a way that represents the experiences and responds to the needs of everyone who lives in Oregon." Listen to the podcast on: SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Creation Justice Ministry's theme for Earth Day 2022 was Weathering The Storm: Faithful Climate Resilience. Click here for stories of resilience and action steps. "We need to be like Noah and use the solution of 'pitch' symbolically, spreading the word about the climate crisis inside and out of every place where God's people gather. We must 'waterproof' everyone and everything that we meet, to enable them to weather the storm of climate change." ~ Rev. Dr. Betty Holley On Monday, February 28, 2022 the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report on climate impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. We took away from the report these three points: 1. Further delay in action will miss the small window to secure a livable future. 2. Climate change is most affecting communities least able to adapt. 3. Urgent adaptation & resilience might prevent widespread suffering. Click here for Creation Justice Ministries response to this IPCC report.

Sacred Trust: Our Children’s Right to a Livable Future is a program of Interfaith Power and Light during Faith Climate Action Week from April 22 to May 1, 2022. There will be two zoom screenings and discussions of Youth v Gov, a climate change ‘superhero’ movie, in Medford, Oregon during Faith Climate Action Week. You are invited to a Zoom showing of the movie YOUTH v GOV: When: Apr 29, 2022 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) You must register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYuf-qrrjMsHdA9US0ZDngtMT-MeRgeLIjM After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.. “Exercising my ‘reasoned judgment,’ I have no doubt that the right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life is fundamental to a free and ordered society.” ~ U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken From Wikipedia: "Juliana, et al. v. United States of America, et al. is a climate-related lawsuit filed in 2015 by 21 youth plaintiffs against the United States and several executive branch officials. Filing their case in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, the plaintiffs, represented by the non-profit organization Our Children's Trust, include Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, the members of Martinez's organization Earth Guardians, and climatologist James Hansen as a "guardian for future generations". Some fossil fuel and industry groups intervened as defendants, but were later dropped at their request following the 2016 presidential election. They assert that the government has knowingly violated their due process rights of life, liberty, and property as well as the government's sovereign duty to protect public grounds i.e. the Public Trust Doctrine by encouraging and permitting the combustion of fossil fuels. The plaintiffs call for the government to offer “both declaratory and injunctive relief for their claim—specifically, a declaration of the federal government's fiduciary role in preserving the atmosphere and an injunction of its actions which contravene that role.” The case is an example of an area of environmental law referred to as "atmospheric trust litigation", a concept based on the public trust doctrine and international responsibility related to natural resources. In January 2020, a Ninth Circuit panel dismissed the case on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue. On February 10, 2021, the en banc Ninth Circuit issued an order without written dissents denying the appeal. As of December 2021, the case is awaiting the district court's ruling on plaintiffs' motion for leave to amend their complaint." Take Action Now - Click here for a list of 13 things you can do to to support the work of Our Children's Trust. The IPL Sacred Trust program (outlined below from their website) examines our responsibility to safeguard our Earth for generations, and how our faiths call us to respond with bold and just solutions. Our faith traditions call us into a holy covenant of Sacred Trust to care for one another in a relationship of mutual accountability. One way we care for one another is to care for our Earth, our common home. Intergenerational climate justice calls us all to a sacred duty to care for the Earth and preserve our common home so that future generations may thrive. For instance, the Seventh Generation Principle is based on an ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) philosophy that we should consider how today’s decisions impact those seven generations from now. Many faith traditions speak of honoring future generations with equity and justice. Abrahamic scripture places each generation in relationship with past and future generations; in genealogies, histories, and prophecies. This outlook expressed in Genesis 17:7, “I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” implies responsibility of the believers to maintain this continuum. Working to ensure a safe and stable climate for future generations is foundational to the mission of Interfaith Power & Light. Intergenerational injustice, racial injustice, and climate injustice converge to have a disproportionate impact on Black, Indigenous, communities of color, and low-wealth communities. These communities are suffering the most from climate change impacts that will only worsen with time. To ensure a livable climate for the next seven generations and beyond, we need to advocate for equitable systems that care for these communities who are on the forefront of climate change. "Our children have a sacred right to a livable future – to air they can breathe, water they can drink, land they can grow food on, and a stable climate. This future is being threatened by our climate crisis – with more extreme floods, droughts, storms, and wildfires – our air, water, and land becomes more polluted, less resilient, and less capable of sustaining life. It is our responsibility to respond to the call of our faiths and ensure a healthy environment for those who come after us." ~ Interfaith Power & Light Learn Our children not only have a moral right to a safe and livable climate, in the United States. We have legal provisions that protect the rights of future generations to a healthy environment. The “public trust doctrine” calls the government to protect certain natural resources for the public good. A U.S. District Court judge ruled that this principle applies to the atmosphere, “Exercising my ‘reasoned judgement,’ ... I have no doubt that the right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life is fundamental to a free and ordered society.” The Bill of Rights of our constitution protects our “fundamental right to life, liberty, property”. Climate change poses a threat to these rights, destroying lives and property with extreme weather events such as floods, wildfires and heat waves, or incremental changes such as sea rise. Our government has knowingly taken action to cause climate change through such actions as subsidizing fossil fuels, even after the scientific evidence became clear that the burning of fossil fuels drives climate change. There is precedent for our court system initiating broad societal changes. For instance the Brown vs. Board of Education court decision successfully ordered desegregation when other branches of our government failed to provide an equal right to education to people of color. Learn about the role of courts to address climate injustice by hosting a screening and discussion of the film, Youth v Gov. It follows the landmark lawsuit that 21 youth have filed against the United States government for its role in causing climate change and violating their rights to life, liberty, and property, while also failing to protect essential public resources. Historically, young people have led social and political change movements: civil rights, anti-war, immigration, and now climate change. Even very young children are speaking out for a livable climate. We must seek young people out, invite them to lead, work with them, and support them. Resources See this list of additional resources compiled by IPL that includes resources for worship, sermons or talks, climate study for youth and adults, short films, Joanna Macy’s intergenerational exercise, and more. Click here: bit.ly/resourcesIPL For example, the series of short films from Our Children’s Trust, based in Eugene OR, feature motivations of the young people who are the plaintiffs in the case Juliana v United States, such as 11 year old climate activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, of Aztec heritage, who speaks articulately of the devastation wildfires have caused in Colorado, and Nelson Kanuk, a native Yup'ik Eskimo from Alaska who speaks movingly of the melting ice and rising sea levels threatening his village’s homes and hunting way of life. Check out their Facbook page: https://www.facebook.com/youthvgov ACT Let your actions be interactive and intergenerational - youth and adults learn and act together. However, know that the voices of young people have an outsized impact when they speak about how climate change imperils their future. So be sure to make space for them to speak, and remember they need the support of their adults to find their voice and ensure a positive experience. Consider these three options for your congregation... 1) Educate Learn about climate impacts in your area on future generations, communities of color, and low-wealth communities. Consider a field trip to see local climate impacts such as flood damage. Work with people in that area who want to share their story, and consider taking action with that community to help solve the problem. For example MN IPL took youth to visit the Line 3 pipeline resistance camp to learn about the struggle and how they could participate. Organize a field trip to see climate solutions like a solar installation or take a ride in an electric car. Offer a safe space for children and youth to integrate what they are learning. Answer their questions truthfully but with care. Climate change is an existential threat, but solutions are at hand. Reassure them you are working on it and will support them in working on it. Together we can. 2) Respond IPL invites youth and children to respond to the theme of Sacred Trust, the film Youth v Gov, or local environmental issues by imagining a beautiful, livable Earth that we want to see in the future. Watch this video, Imagine the Future, by climate activist Xiye Bastida bit.ly/3wBYOYL with your youth and children, then make art to submit to the #imagineIPL campaign by posting the art to IPL’s Facebook (honoring your family’s or community’s social media protocols). Paint, draw, write a poem or a story, create a meme, a short movie, write a new song and film it, etc. OK for adults to collaborate with children on a project, but be sure the childrens’ voices are heard. 3) Support Help the youth in your congregation identify a local grassroots climate action to take part in, being mindful that their participation is a positive activist experience. Take part with them. Build relationships with this grassroots effort, don’t try to take it over. Connect with your state IPL affiliate to learn about local or state opportunities. bit.ly/yourIPL Here’s one idea: Help your youth and children present to their congregation, school board, or city council with the moral call to act on climate. It doesn’t have to be heavy on science or solutions, just kids asking grown ups to make a plan to reduce emissions. See this short film on how kids and adults worked together to pass a local plan to address climate change. ourchildrenstrust.org/short-films Bless them in your congregation’s worship service before they head out to take part in climate action (see enclosed blessing). Preach or give a talk about intergenerational climate justice, the efforts of youth and children in your congregation acting to heal the earth, the court case Juliana v United States, or the case in your state. Find sermon/talk resources here: bit.ly/resourcesIPL and here: bit.ly/worshipIPL Encourage youth by sending supportive messages in letters, in announcements during worship services, in congregational newsletters. Express your appreciation for their efforts to care for our common home. The bond of sacred trust between generations is strengthened as we work together to create a livable future for all our children, grandchildren, and future generations. We are nurturing new leaders and demonstrating our commitment to ensure a stable climate where people live in right and just relationship, interconnected with a healthy and thriving natural world. Add your public events to the national calendar to show the world that as people of faith and conscience we are all doing our part: faithclimateactionweek.org/host-an-event/ For more information contact programs@interfaithpowerandlight.org Quotes “People of color, indigenous communities, low- income communities and young people face a significantly higher risk of experiencing the impacts of climate change.” ―Vic Barrett, plaintiff in Juliana v. United States “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” "No voice is as morally powerful and persuasive as that of youth. One of the most important acts a pastor or youth minister can take to address our climate is to hand over the microphone and the pulpit to a climate prophet of the younger generation." ~ Brooks Berndt, UCC, Environmental Minister “It is in our nature to want to fight for the health of the planet. This life is a gift and it is our responsibility to respect and protect that which gives us life.” ― Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, hip hop artist and former youth director of Earth Guardians“We youth are going to fight for our future. You have to be there to support us, to be allies, and to make sure our voices are not being stepped on” ~ Aniya Butler, Youth v the Apocalypse "When the Earth is hurting, human beings are hurting as well. It's important to act on that interconnectedness." ~ Noa Gordon-Guterman, Jewish Climate Action Network "You're never too young to take action. You're never too young to be involved," ~ Alexandria Villaseñor, Fridays for Future “The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves its children.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer "Our government makes profit a priority over protecting our right to a sustainable future. My generation, without voting rights, hasn't been fairly represented in making decisions that will affect our lives." ~ Nathan Baring, Fairbanks, Alaska, plaintiff in Juliana v. United States “We often think of future generations when talking about climate, but my generation is already feeling the impacts of climate change. If we want a livable planet for all, we need drastic action now.” ~ Sofia Gilani, Climate Action Advocate, Green Muslims

University of California Davis' Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy is offering a Zoom webinar: Air Quality Impacts of the Proposed Expansion of Oregon's Clean Fuels Program on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. PDT Here is the UC Davis Webinar Invite – please use this link to register in advance for the meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. "As part of a state-wide effort to reduce carbon emissions, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is considering an expansion of the state's Clean Fuels Program (CFP). Adopted in 2015, the CFP sets a state-wide target for the average amount of carbon intensity (carbon emissions per unit) for transportation fuels. This target declines over time, and creates an incentive for fuel suppliers to bring cleaner, renewable fuels, like electricity, biodiesel, renewable natural gas, or ethanol, to the Oregon market. In addition to being lower-carbon emissions, these fuels also typically reduce emissions of other air pollutants, like particulate matter, and chemicals that contribute to the formation of Ozone or smog." Researchers from the University of California, Davis, have modeled the air quality impacts of the vehicles and fuels that could be used to meet an expanded Clean Fuels Program in Oregon. This webinar will discuss the methods used for modeling, as well as the results of this research, and give community members an opportunity to speak with members of the research team. Additional Information To learn more about this rulemaking in Oregon you can view the rulemaking web page at: Clean Fuels Program Expansion 2022. If you want to receive future email notices about this rulemaking, you must sign up at: GovDelivery. You can also obtain more information about this rulemaking by contacting: Cory Ann Wind Cory.Ann.Wind@deq.oregon.gov 503-869-1326

The theme of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) 8th Greening Ramadan Campaign 2022 is "Raising Earth Care." to encourage Mosques and Islamic Centers to participate.

The 2022 American Climate Leadership Summit (ACLS 2022) provided an opportunity where your climate leadership can inspire more Americans to climate action! This four day, virtual event held, March 28-31, 2022, included climate science, solutions, action, and activism. ACLS, now in it's 11th year is "the only national convening exclusively dedicated to building broad public support and political resolve for climate action. ACLS 2022 welcomes climate leaders of all levels–particularly those who are new and active at the local level. Faith Speakers Include: Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., Katharine Hayhoe, Bill McKibbon, Rev. Erica Williams, Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Rev. Dr. Leah Schade, Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley, Nellis Kennedy-Howard, Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Hannah Malcom, William Barber III, and so many more - Check out the full Agenda and List of Speakers. If you were unable to join live you can access all the recordings from the summit on ecoAmerica’s YouTube channel now, including all of the National Faith + Climate Forum sessions.

"At this moment, our power lies in community. It’s about changing our societal pronoun from “me” to “we.” We know the solutions residing in nature surpass our conception of what’s even possible, and we know that human creativity is rising to solve the fundamental crises we face. There’s a window through, and we'll open it together. ~ Bioneers This year the 2022 Bioneers Conference May 13-15, 2022 will be an in-person gathering hosted at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, accompanied by a live-streamed virtual conference option. Bioneers also has an extensive collections of videos, podcasts, articles: Biomimicry, Carbon Farming, COVID-19, Decolonizing Thanksgiving, Dismantling Systemic Racism, Ecological Medicine, Green New Deal, Intelligence in Nature, Regenerative Agriculture, Rights of Nature, Seeding the Field, Plant Consciousness, Psychedelics

Spirituality & Practice offers a recommended list of The Best Spiritual Books of 2021 They also have an online book club, e-courses and book reviews.. A “We the People” online book club began in 2018. This year-long, book-a-month program gives us an opportunity to strengthen our vision of democracy and our connections with others, as we contemplate America’s past and possibilities through classic and contemporary literary voices. This book club is being offered by The Practicing Democracy Project a collaboration between The Center for Spirituality & Practice and the Fetzer Institute. It affirms two principles: Reading itself is a spiritual practice. It requires inner work of quiet and stillness, attention to detail, and empathy as we imagine lives other than our own and root for characters to resolve their struggles. Engagement – When this inner work inspires engagement with our neighbors and communities — as happens in book clubs — it becomes deeply democratic. Book club members passionately share responses to a text. Connections are forged, consensus arises, differences are respected, and unity is built as each person has a chance to speak and be heard. Fetzer Institute

Transitions US is “an ecosystem of communities building a regenerative and just future!” Their R4 Practicum starts March 21, 2022. It works through and with the themes of Resist, Repair, Reimagine, and Regenerate, to come together in co-creation of an intercultural and intergenerational network of regenerative communities working together to design, adapt, and share the messages, models, and resources needed to reimagine and rebuild our world. Regeneration Nation is a 3 year project that will focus on nurturing a network ecosystem of regenerative communities actively sharing and co-creating the messages, models, and resources needed to reimagine and rebuild our world. Part of the vision of Transition US is “to have every community in the United States engage its collective creativity to unleash an extraordinary and historic transition to a future beyond fossil fuels; a future that is more vibrant, abundant and resilient; one that is ultimately preferable to the present”. “To make that vision a reality we need artists and culture workers. Artists challenge cultural narratives, shift imagery, and inspire emotions in a way that traditional political methods alone simply cannot.” In Change the Culture, Change the World, artist Favianna Rodriguez said “You may attend a rally or vote, but you also read books, listen to music, engage with visual art, turn on the radio and create your identity through culture. Artists are central, not peripheral, to social change. To have the movements that make the wave, you need cultural workers.” “Artists are represented here on the side of ideas, in the “heart space.” Art is uniquely positioned to move people—inspiring them, inciting new questions and provoking curiosity or outrage.”

Welcome to Rogue Valley Voice - an online forum to support each other in "being the change to bring forth a more environmentally sustainable, social just, and spiritually fulfilling human presence on this planet, our Mother Earth." There are many people and organizations in southern Oregon who are already awake to the urgency of the climate emergency and are taking actions every day. So much of media news is negative that it is sometimes a personal challenge to face reality of the challenge and have the courage to take actions and remain hopeful. We will highlight the good. We will focus education about the climate emergency, positive actions that are being taken now toward sustainability and building supportive relationships. Education There are many good resources on the climate emergency that will help us counter misinformation. Positive Action The climate emergency is complex and there are many voices competing for attention that we sometimes remain frozen, not knowing what actions will have the greatest impact. Join The Movement In his book Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation, author Paul Hawkin says "most people in the world remain disengaged, and we need a way forward that engages the majority of humanity... in an inclusive and effective strategy... that creates, builds an heals." How can we work together toward the common good? What would you like to see in these posts? We invite you to join us, leave a comment and Subscribe to receive email notification of posts here.

image from DHS Visible, physical warfare, such as the horrendous bombings in war in Ukraine, should also draw attention to the cybersecurity threat and crisis in the United States The Boston Globe reports “The 2018 assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence ranked cyberattacks against utilities, communications systems and markets as the top threat to the United States.” A “significant cyber incident” is one that is “likely to result in demonstrable harm to the national security interests, foreign relations, or economy of the United States or to the public confidence, civil liberties, or public health and safety of the American people.” The May 2018 DHS Cybersecurity Strategy states that “More than 20 billion devices are expected to be connected to the Internet by 2020. The risks introduced by the growing number and variety of such devices are substantial.” Threats to national and economic security include: resilient national positioning; navigation; timing services; critical infrastructure assets; organizations; systems and functions; and high frequency trading/payments. These threats are classified “high” and “readiness is low” under the various scenarios being evaluated. The risks to public safety issues are classified “medium” and “readiness is higher.” On a local level, computers control traffic lights, sewage plants and electrical grids. The Conversation cites “poor, if not appalling, state of local government cybersecurity in the United States.” Other cyber-crimes include computer intrusions and attacks, fraud, intellectual property theft, identity theft, theft of trade secrets, criminal hacking, terrorist activity, espionage and sabotage. The signing of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018 led DHS to creation of a new agency called the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA.) Cybersecurity Preparedness Part of the challenge of cybersecurity preparedness is the lack of trained specialists. The average IT-related job typically earns salaries at least 50 percent higher than the average private sector job. Even so, the Department of Homeland Security reports that “there are currently over half a million job openings in America in information technology (IT) fields like cybersecurity in the United States.” Hacker conventions are trying to recruit high school students to become interested in cyber security. ShmooCon is an annual East Coast hacker convention focused on technology exploitation, inventive software and hardware solutions, and open discussions of critical “infosec issues”; this year it is being held in Washington DC on March 24-26, 2022. “The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) has been established to… advance cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development.” “Networked technologies touch every corner of the globe and every facet of human life. They have driven innovation, nurtured freedoms, and spurred economic prosperity. Even so, the very technologies that enable these benefits offer new opportunities for malicious and unwanted cyber activities.” ~ National Cyber Incident Response Plan

One of my favorite sources of news and commentary is the New York Times podcast The Daily, which launched in January 2017 and now gets 1.1 million downloads every weekday.  The Daily is hosted by Michael Barbaro @mikiebarb and you can subscribe for free to these twenty minute podcast published five days a week. Barbaro makes the news feel like narrative storytelling, but in a short form. The The Daily's March 9, 2022 story was Will Banning Russian Oil Hurt Russia, or the U.S.? Although there is bilateral Congressional support for Bidden's recent plan to ban Russian oil and it makes good optics for the President to say that current increases in the price of gasoline is "Putin's Price Hike," unfortunately it will probably have little immediate impact on the war. Clifford Krauss said "It would be an enormous deal if Europe were to stop importing more than three million barrels a day of Russian oil. But they just can’t do that because they depend on that oil. It would be impossible for them to drive their cars, run their transportation systems without oil for many countries in Europe. And so that would be just too much for them to do that." The Guardian reports that "Boycott of Russian gas and oil ‘could cause mass poverty in Germany." "The Green party politician predicted “mass unemployment, poverty, people who can’t heat their homes, people who run out of petrol” if his country stopped using Russian oil and gas." "Few other western economies are as dependent on Russian energy as Germany: 55% of the natural gas, 52% of the coal and 34% of mineral oil used in the country comes from Russia, for which it pays hundreds of millions of euros daily, financially supporting the war machine currently devastating Ukraine." Christiana Figueres asks on the wonderful podcast Outrage + Optimism of March 14, 2022: "Will we gather ourselves around the moral clarity that we need to end the violence by breaking our addiction once and for all?" and argues "Because our addiction is fueling the conflict we are watching our neighbors and our neighbor’s children suffer. It’s time to quit." Figueres offers a brilliant analogy to understand where we are: "Let's entertain the scenario that I am a patient that has been diagnosed with lung cancer caused by smoking, decades of smoking. The cancer is not yet terminal, but getting very close and I have all kinds of medical warnings about that. In addition, on top of that, I learned that the provider of the cigarettes I am smoking is a terrible bully who is using the money I pay him (and it this case it is a him) to do horrible things to other people, literally kill other people, So here is the question, How do I react? How do I respond? What are my choices? So one option of course is to decide is that the problem that I'm actually facing is the bully himself and that I need or want to continue smoking so the solution to that problem is to start planting tobacco in your own back yard and to start my own little home-rolling industry so I can produce my own cigarettes. and that way I no longer have to buy from the bully, I'm not giving him the money, but I continue to smoke despite the immediate treats to my health. That is one option and that is being put forward as an option to the Russia/Ukaraine crisis by some people . The other option that we have is that I can actually use this moment to choose to break my addiction to smoking, despite the fact that it has had me in chains for decades. I can choose to break the addiction altogether and move to healthier habits. That means I will no longer pass the money to the bully; I starve the bully of his income; and I save my own life because I stop smoking and put myself into the recovery treatment that gets me to much healthier status.."

Barrett-Koehler Publishers is offering Women’s Leadership Online Summit: Leading Change at Work and Beyond, a free online event for women, September 20 – September 27, 2018 This will be “8 days for women to grow their influence, transform the workplace, and rewrite the rules of power.” Find our more and register online now. Learn How Top Women CEOs, Community Leaders and Researchers Are Leading Change—And How You Can, Too! Get practical tips to amplify your voice, build your capacity for risk-taking, and overcome barriers to your personal success Equip your team or organization with the best strategies to support women leaders at every level Get the tools you need to dismantle the systemic issues that hold women back Connect with a diverse community of women to access and offer support to lift up all of us