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Thread: [EcoDharma] Living Earth

  1. #151
    Quote Originally Posted by Heiso View Post
    I thought there was something beautiful about this short film. Shades of Cold Mountain:



    Gassho

    Heiso
    StLah

    Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

    Lovely

    Doshin
    St

  2. #152
    Doshin, what a beautiful movie,
    beautiful silence .
    Thank you so much for sharing, will watch this many times for sure .

    Gassho,
    eva
    sattoday

  3. #153
    I started this thread with a similar report.

    Note in article there is a documentary airing this weekend in the UK.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/science-env...8b6bc-45431046

    They talked of grief in the Ecodharma course yesterday, this is what it meant to me.

    Doshin
    St

  4. #154
    Quote Originally Posted by Doshin View Post
    I started this thread with a similar report.

    Note in article there is a documentary airing this weekend in the UK.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/science-env...8b6bc-45431046

    They talked of grief in the Ecodharma course yesterday, this is what it meant to me.

    Doshin
    St
    We watched the documentary on Sunday, it was incredibly moving and powerful a lot of people seem to be talking about it though which is a good thing.

    Gassho
    Heiso
    StLah

    Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

  5. #155
    Quote Originally Posted by Doshin View Post
    I started this thread with a similar report.

    Note in article there is a documentary airing this weekend in the UK.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/science-env...8b6bc-45431046

    They talked of grief in the Ecodharma course yesterday, this is what it meant to me.

    Doshin
    St
    Hello Doshin ,
    thank you for your work with EcoDharma and sharing with us .

    I admit, I rarely watch these kind of documentaries since it hurts just a bit too much . I'm ashamed to be called a human , seeing the devastation .
    I'm grateful for every person who does in any scale anything that helps our co-existence and promotes all life .

    Gassho ,
    eva
    sattoday and LAH

  6. #156
    Quote Originally Posted by Heiso View Post
    We watched the documentary on Sunday, it was incredibly moving and powerful a lot of people seem to be talking about it though which is a good thing.

    Gassho
    Heiso
    StLah

    Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk
    I am trying to see how Incan view it in the States. Thanks for your feedback

    Doshin
    St

  7. #157
    Quote Originally Posted by Eva View Post
    Hello Doshin ,
    thank you for your work with EcoDharma and sharing with us .

    I admit, I rarely watch these kind of documentaries since it hurts just a bit too much . I'm ashamed to be called a human , seeing the devastation .
    I'm grateful for every person who does in any scale anything that helps our co-existence and promotes all life .

    Gassho ,
    eva
    sattoday and LAH

    I understand Eva.

    In 1970 I was in the middle of my education in Ecology and celebrated the First Earth Day with great optimism. On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day this year I felt less so since the wildlife on the planet has declined by half. If the work of so many had not been done that number would be greater. Though my flames of hope burn cooler I see no other choice than to continue forward and add where I can.

    Sorry to be long but I could not condense my feelings more than I did.

    Be Safe Stay Well
    Doshin
    St

  8. #158
    Quote Originally Posted by Doshin View Post
    I understand Eva.

    In 1970 I was in the middle of my education in Ecology and celebrated the First Earth Day with great optimism. On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day this year I felt less so since the wildlife on the planet has declined by half. If the work of so many had not been done that number would be greater. Though my flames of hope burn cooler I see no other choice than to continue forward and add where I can.

    Sorry to be long but I could not condense my feelings more than I did.

    Be Safe Stay Well
    Doshin
    St
    Thank you Doshin,

    well is n't it a Dukkha of hope, we carry in our hearts ? Sometimes it does feel so ..

    Gassho,
    eva
    sattoday and LAH

  9. #159
    So https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/an...7cec3-45431046

    Some good news (I want to believe)

    Doshin
    St

  10. #160
    Quote Originally Posted by Doshin View Post
    So https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/an...7cec3-45431046

    Some good news (I want to believe)

    Doshin
    St
    Also, this ... not there yet (and, boy, they could try harder to pour research into this) ... but perhaps some hope for one leg of a solution here ...

    Could we ever pull enough carbon out of the atmosphere to stop climate change?

    Nature has equipped Earth with several giant "sponges," or carbon sinks, that can help humans battle climate change. These natural sponges, as well as human-made ones, can sop up carbon, effectively removing it from the atmosphere.

    But what does this sci-fi-like act really entail? And how much will it actually take — and cost — to make a difference and slow climate change?

    ... With direct air capture and carbon storage, for instance, a chemical process takes carbon dioxide out of the air and binds it to filters. When the filter is heated, the CO2 can be captured and then injected underground. There are currently 15 direct air capture plants worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency. There's also bioenergy with carbon capture. With this method, plants and trees are grown, creating a carbon sink, and then the organic material is burned to produce heat or fuel known as bioenergy. During combustion, the carbon emissions are captured and stored underground. Another carbon capture trick involves mineralization; in this process, rocks get ground up to increase the surfaces available to chemically react with, and crystallize, CO2. Afterward, the mineralized CO2 is stored underground.

    However, none of these technologies have been implemented on a large scale. They're extremely expensive, with estimates as high as $400 per ton of CO2 removed, and each still requires a lot of research and support before being deployed.

    https://www.livescience.com/can-carb...te-change.html
    What saddens me, in my own neighborhood, is that local folks have taken to cutting down large and dense stands of trees ... to put in rows of solar panels! That, even though there is already open land all around here. Argggh.

    Gassho, J

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  11. #161
    I found this a beautiful and simply explained presentation, recommended to all ...


    https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/...ing-time-bomb/

    Gassho, J

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  12. #162
    Hello Jundo,

    Enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing the link. I think it highlights some good ideas. Unfortunately, I have really quite old kit (both my laptop and my phone) and don’t think the media from the link was playing properly or completely. But I’m guessing the gist is that there are lots of ways to sequester carbon. It’s going to take a myriad of solutions to stabilise the temperature of the planet. There’s no single answer.

    From what I was able to see they were presenting mangroves and peat bogs as particularly good ways. Very Nice. Did they mention sea grass? Have heard a lot about planting activity in this area recently too. Here’s a link https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51804404

    Have been knocking around Treeleaf for a little bit now, reading various forums and this Living Earth thread seems to be where I’m at. Have enjoyed all of your posts on this sometimes very painful but vitally important matter. I hope it’s cool that I join in with all of you here.

    The work in this area resonates with the koan Ta Lung’s Hard and Fast Body of Reality, which is the eight-second case in the Blue Cliff Record:


    A monk asked Ta Lung, “The physical body rots away: what is the hard and fast body of reality?”
    Lung said, “The mountain flowers bloom like brocade, the valley streams are brimming blue as indigo.”


    The earth will survive one way or another, with or without humans and lots of other species. What I believe we are trying to do is to ease the suffering on our living earth, which is a manifestation of the Bodhisattva path.

    My big thing is planting trees. I live in Bristol, England and with my friends in the local gardening groups we’ve planted a couple of orchards as well as other garden patches on disused pieces of land. It gives one a great feeling of hope and fellowship participating in these types of projects and, if you can, I heartily recommend it.

    With deep bows to you all,

    Guy
    Sat today

  13. #163
    Quote Originally Posted by Guy Malkerson View Post
    Hello Jundo,

    Enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing the link. I think it highlights some good ideas. Unfortunately, I have really quite old kit (both my laptop and my phone) and don’t think the media from the link was playing properly or completely. But I’m guessing the gist is that there are lots of ways to sequester carbon. It’s going to take a myriad of solutions to stabilise the temperature of the planet. There’s no single answer.

    From what I was able to see they were presenting mangroves and peat bogs as particularly good ways. Very Nice. Did they mention sea grass? Have heard a lot about planting activity in this area recently too. Here’s a link https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51804404

    Have been knocking around Treeleaf for a little bit now, reading various forums and this Living Earth thread seems to be where I’m at. Have enjoyed all of your posts on this sometimes very painful but vitally important matter. I hope it’s cool that I join in with all of you here.

    The work in this area resonates with the koan Ta Lung’s Hard and Fast Body of Reality, which is the eight-second case in the Blue Cliff Record:


    A monk asked Ta Lung, “The physical body rots away: what is the hard and fast body of reality?”
    Lung said, “The mountain flowers bloom like brocade, the valley streams are brimming blue as indigo.”


    The earth will survive one way or another, with or without humans and lots of other species. What I believe we are trying to do is to ease the suffering on our living earth, which is a manifestation of the Bodhisattva path.

    My big thing is planting trees. I live in Bristol, England and with my friends in the local gardening groups we’ve planted a couple of orchards as well as other garden patches on disused pieces of land. It gives one a great feeling of hope and fellowship participating in these types of projects and, if you can, I heartily recommend it.

    With deep bows to you all,

    Guy
    Sat today
    Hi Guy,

    I think that most of the posts in this thread are actually by our long time friend, and naturist/biologist, Doshin, and he deserves the thanks.

    Gassho, J

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  14. #164
    Appreciate the clarification, Jundo.

    Ahhh, Doshin, your work as a naturist/biologist must be very interesting. Thank you for your posts and Eco Dharma stuff and to everyone for keeping it going.

    I look at the Living Earth and Zen Buddhist practice as being entwined. There are so many entwined teachings: The Buddha gained realization under the Bodhi Tree; Ch’ang Sha wandered in the mountains; Pai Chang’s encountered wild ducks. At the moment am enjoying making my way slowly through Master Dogen’s Eihei Koroku and he frequently cites the living earth like fully pervading mountains and surveying rivers. It’s all thusness.

    With deep bows,

    Guy
    Sat today

  15. #165
    For

    For those who have access to BBC

    Doshin
    St

  16. #166
    Quote Originally Posted by Doshin View Post
    For

    For those who have access to BBC

    Doshin
    St
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  17. #167
    Hi Doshin,

    Thanks for the heads up on David Attenborough’s Perfect Planet series. I watched the first episode on volcanoes this evening. It’s all so beautifully shot!

    Loved seeing the bears enjoying their caviar!! Was a bit shocked by the vampire finches though...

    Totally agree with Sir David’s assertion that people must stop producing so much carbon in order to rebalance the planet. One big solution to this would be if there were not so many people. Another campaign that Attenborough is a part of https://populationmatters.org/

    Cheers & big gasshos,

    Guy
    sat today
    Last edited by Guy Malkerson; 01-05-2021 at 08:57 AM.

  18. #168
    Guy,

    I am awaiting for the show to come to US so I may enjoy it. I share your concern of population growth.

    Doshin
    St

  19. #169
    Hi Doshin,

    I think you’ll enjoy the series when it gets stateside. It is quality and reminiscent of the Jataka Tales – at least what I’ve seen so far. Looking forward to watching more.

    My partner Liz likes watching ice skating and we settled down to watch another show on British TV (this time on ITV so it might be available stateside???) with Torville and Dean where they headed to Alaska to do some wild ice skating. I was surprised by the heavy environmental angle of it.

    The show was like a travelogue where the two former Olympians tried find some ice to do their Bolero number on. Due to climate change, conditions were too warm almost everywhere. Lots of insights from the local folk about climate change and a very revealing conversation with an Inuit fellow about how houses in his birthplace are collapsing due to climate change were quite revealing.

    His community have always lived on an island that was protected by frozen ice flows from the sea. However, now those ice flows are melting and the sea is pounding their island home, causing erosion. This means that houses are actually tumbling down over steep banks. Change is coming quickly there now and they may have to evacuate. This is not an isolated incident. Many island communities around the globe have seen their homes disappear under the sea recently.

    Here’s a bit about that show https://www.itv.com/news/2020-12-28/...climate-change

    Gassho,

    Guy
    Sat today

  20. #170
    It’s tree planting season in the northern hemisphere. Late winter to early spring is the optimum time. This is one of the most positive actions we can take to help the planet. Yesterday my partner Liz (who I care for) and I planted a mulberry, which is local to these parts. Lots of fun! It’s very rewarding as over the years you can watch it grow. Where would Zhou zhou have been without his trees in the garden? Zen would’ve been shorted some grand koans certainly

    Here’s a video on how to plant a potted tree that looks pretty good to me

    They do lots of extra stuff in the video like adding a dike. I’ve never done that. Also, they seem to want to water it a lot! I live in England where it seems to rain a little bit (or a lot a bit lately) every day. Watering is super important when you first get a tree in the ground but unless we get a few weeks with no rain, we don’t water them after the initial planting here and they seem to do just fine.

    Gassho,

    Guy
    Sat Today

  21. #171
    Guy,

    Small things make a big difference!

    Doshin
    St

  22. #172
    Butterflies declining in Western United State

    https://www.hcn.org/articles/climate...e-disappearing

    Doshin
    St

  23. #173
    Quote Originally Posted by Doshin View Post
    Butterflies declining in Western United State

    https://www.hcn.org/articles/climate...e-disappearing

    Doshin
    St
    Hi Doshin,

    That is sad but not surprising. Here in Bristol we have a place called butterfly junction that has been reduced and neglected for the last couple of years while a road was being built through part of it. We're just getting back to working on it and putting butterfly friendly plants back in, cutting back the ivy that is over growing on the site, etc. Pesticides are a big problem. We don't use them at all.

    A future hope would be for many places to be rewilded for butterfly habitats...

    Gassho,

    Guy
    Sat today - LAH

  24. #174
    “We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes – something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view.”Aldo Leopold

    The above occurred a hundred years ago near where I live. I have quoted him before in this thread and thought it fitting to do again because I attended several Zoom talks this past week about Aldo and agreed to be on a Board for folks who are establishing an Aldo Leopold library at the gateway to the Also Leopold Wilderness (Jundo you may recall as I pointed this region out as we drove through it) where this realization took place. Aldo was one of the most influential conservationist of the last Century.

    The Zoom talks focused on social justice and diversity in the land ethic attributed to Aldo’s writings. A good perspective, long over due.

    Those who would like to learn about Aldo (my first connection to interdependence) there is a documentary available on Vimeo named Fierce Green Fire.
    Doshin
    St
    Last edited by Doshin; 03-14-2021 at 05:14 PM.

  25. #175
    Japan just recorded its earliest cherry blossom bloom in 1,200 years. Scientists warn it's a symptom of the larger climate crisis
    https://us.cnn.com/2021/04/05/asia/j...scn/index.html



    Gasshom J

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  26. #176
    In Texas too. My wife and I walk each day, and we have noticed that the Bradford Pear trees blossomed early. And that Japanese Maples are much more vivid.

    Gassho
    Meishin
    STLah

  27. #177

  28. #178
    Quote Originally Posted by Meishin View Post
    In Texas too. My wife and I walk each day, and we have noticed that the Bradford Pear trees blossomed early. And that Japanese Maples are much more vivid.

    Gassho
    Meishin
    STLah

    This winter I watched ground squirrels and chipmunks visit my bird feeders without ever disappearing for what I assumed was their usual hibernation cycle. It gave me pause....as a wildlife biologist I was trained not to make assumptions but a question now lingers for me. But I have a hypothesis that maybe has already been answered which resides in the literature in some deep corner of an academic library.

    Doshin
    St

  29. #179
    Earthrise

    In 1968 I watched as Apollo 8 left the Earth’s orbit headed for the moon. They were told to document their journey with photos but never instructed to look back towards their home and take photos. They were focused on their destination. Yet when they circled the moon they saw on the horizon the Earth begin to rise. Its colors and beauty were a stark contrast to the barren and apparently lifeless landscape of the moon below them. A beacon of life in a vast and dark universe

    50 years later those three astronauts, the first to see the earth in its wholeness, reflected on that perspective in a short film. You can watch the film “Earthrise” on Vimeo and pause to embrace the Interdependence of all sentient beings. From my perspective there is no practice greater than nurturing that interdependence It is precious that we are here and that realization was evident as the first humans viewed Earth as they circled a lunar object so far away but yet so very close.

    That iconic photo is credited with propelling the environmental movement that led to the first Earth Day.

    Enjoy Earth Day and give Metta for us all.

    Doshin
    St
    Last edited by Doshin; 04-20-2021 at 12:38 PM.

  30. #180
    Lovely, Doshin! Thank you, and Happy Earth Day!

    To add to that, I would like to share some words written by the American astronaut Tom Stafford, who flew on Apollo 10, on looking at the earth from space:

    "The white twisted clouds and the endless shades of blue in the ocean
    make the hum of the spacecraft systems, the radio chatter, even your
    own breathing disappear. There is no cold or wind or smell to tell you
    that you are connected to Earth. You have an almost dispassionate platform
    - remote, Olympian and yet so moving that you can hardly believe how
    emotionally attached you are to those rough patterns shifting steadily below."


    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-

  31. #181


    Gassho
    Meishin
    STLah

  32. #182
    Dear all

    Apologies if it has been mentioned before but I just discovered this virtual sangha of environmental engaged Buddhists: https://oneearthsangha.org/

    I am just exploring them at the moment but David Loy is involved which seems to me a good sign both of their depth of dharma knowledge and commitment to environmental activism.

    They have an Ecosattva course to explore issues and actions we can take as engaged Buddhist (https://oneearthsangha.org/programs/...a-training/v3/) and you can do that as a group so I wonder if that might be something we could organise here at Treeleaf for interested folk? I think the registration fee is $150 but there is a group discount.

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-

  33. #183
    Hi all,
    I just saw notice of an online talk by David Loy, Wednesday, May 5th, 7:30pm Eastern Time/US-Canada.
    "How Can Buddhism Help Us Respond to the Ecological Crisis?"
    A Talk and Discussion with DAVID LOY
    Wednesday, 5 May 2021, 7:30-9PM US ET
    Via Zoom. Registered required here: https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/.../tJ0odO...
    The ecological crisis—which includes the climate emergency but is much bigger than that—is the greatest challenge that humanity has ever faced. What does Buddhism offer, if anything, that can help us understand and respond appropriately? Most of all, what does the eco-crisis mean for how we understand and practice Buddhism (or follow any spiritual path) today? What is the role of the bodhisattva/ecosattva today?https://www.facebook.com/events/3900...eate&ref=notif
    Gassho,
    Naiko,
    st-lah
    Last edited by Naiko; 04-25-2021 at 08:38 PM. Reason: autocorrect fail!

  34. #184
    Thanks Naiko. I listened to David give a similar talk on Earth Day. I will listen again to learn more.

    Doshin
    St
    Last edited by Doshin; 04-25-2021 at 11:49 PM.

  35. #185
    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    Dear all

    Apologies if it has been mentioned before but I just discovered this virtual sangha of environmental engaged Buddhists: https://oneearthsangha.org/

    I am just exploring them at the moment but David Loy is involved which seems to me a good sign both of their depth of dharma knowledge and commitment to environmental activism.

    They have an Ecosattva course to explore issues and actions we can take as engaged Buddhist (https://oneearthsangha.org/programs/...a-training/v3/) and you can do that as a group so I wonder if that might be something we could organise here at Treeleaf for interested folk? I think the registration fee is $150 but there is a group discount.

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-
    Thanks Kokuu, that looks really interesting, I'll take a look.

    Gassho,

    Heiso

    StLah

    Sent from my RMX2001 using Tapatalk

  36. #186
    A little off topic but I thought this article might resonate with the contributors to this discussion.

    https://theconversation.com/billiona...-growth-164511


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah
    泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful Woods

  37. #187
    Quote Originally Posted by Tairin View Post
    A little off topic but I thought this article might resonate with the contributors to this discussion.

    https://theconversation.com/billiona...-growth-164511


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah
    A good read. Thank you.

    Doshin
    St

  38. #188
    Very interesting, thanks. There is something really chilling about deciding we're going run out of resources on this planet so let's go find another one. And of these billionaires spending fortunes on vanity flights while people lose their homes to not only covid but the impact of climate change.

    Gassho,

    Heiso

    StLah

  39. #189
    For want of a better place to post this, awards for nature photography were announced ...

    This is captioned "Kuwaiti photographer Majed Ali's shot of a mountain gorilla enjoying the rain won the "Animal Portraits" category." However, if that ain't a gorilla cousin sitting Zazen, then (I resisted the temptation to make an "I'm a monkey's uncle" reference) ...

    https://us.cnn.com/travel/article/wi...scn/index.html

    Or maybe it is just enjoying the rain. Or maybe it is all the same.


    Gassho, J

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  40. #190
    Sadly, there seems to be a solid factual basis behind this report, with real geopolitical concerns, and rare minerals disputes are already causing military tensions ...

    ... although, also sadly, the report does remind me also of the kind of news reporting and science muddling that the petrochemical and auto (and tobacco etc.) industries have sponsored when they want to put the breaks on changes ranging from lead paint to seatbelts to cigarette smoking ... so I am a little cautious too ...

    The big hurdle to jump-starting solar, wind energy and electric cars

    Although our planet's surface is blessed with an endless supply of sunshine and wind, we have to build solar panels and wind turbines to harness all that energy -- not to mention batteries to store it. That will require vast quantities of raw materials from beneath the earth's surface. Worse, green technologies rely on certain key minerals that are often scarce, concentrated in a few countries and difficult to extract.

    This is no reason to stick with dirty fossil fuels. But few people realize the huge resource demands of renewable energy. A recent report from the International Energy Agency warned: "The transition to clean energy means a shift from a fuel-intensive to a material-intensive system."

    Consider the low-mineral requirements of high-carbon fossil fuels. A natural gas power plant with one megawatt of capacity -- enough to power over 800 homes -- takes about 1,000 kg of minerals to build. For a coal plant of the same size, it's about 2,500 kg. A megawatt of solar power, by comparison, requires almost 7,000 kg of minerals, while offshore wind uses more than 15,000 kg. Keep in mind, sunshine and wind aren't always available, so you have to build more solar panels and wind turbines to generate the same annual electricity as a fossil fuel plant.

    The disparity is similar in transportation. A typical gas-powered car contains about 35 kg of scarce metals, mostly copper and manganese. Electric cars not only need double the amount of those two elements, but also large quantities of lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite -- over 200 kg in total. (The figures here and in the previous paragraph exclude the biggest inputs, steel and aluminum, because they are common materials, though they are carbon-intensive to produce.)

    All in all, according to the International Energy Agency, achieving the Paris climate goals will mean quadrupling mineral supplies by 2040. Some elements will have to rise even more. The world will need 21 times as much cobalt as it consumes now and 42 times as much lithium.

    This will not be easy. Geography is a big part of the challenge. Roughly 70% of the world's cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a war-torn nation with minimal environmental protections and a history of exploiting child labor. Sixty percent of so-called "rare earth" elements such as neodymium, used for magnets inside wind turbines and electric vehicles, are extracted in China.

    https://us.cnn.com/2021/10/12/opinio...der/index.html
    Gassho, J

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  41. #191
    Half Earth Day

    This event is Friday (In US) October 22. There are a variety of presentations, panel discussions and world notables in Biodiversity Conservation speaking (eg Sir David Attenborough, E.O. Wilson)

    https://half-earthday2021.brandlive.com/half-earth

    Doshin
    St

  42. #192
    This event is Friday (In US) October 22. There are a variety of presentations, panel discussions and world notables in Biodiversity Conservation speaking (eg Sir David Attenborough, E.O. Wilson)

    https://half-earthday2021.brandlive.com/half-earth
    Thank you for sharing, Doshin. E O Wilson has been a huge inspiration to me.

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-

  43. #193
    Half Earth Day follow up….

    I viewed many of the presentations yesterday and learned they will be posted on Vimeo. I will provide a link when they do so

    Half Earth refers to the concept of protecting half the earth to ensure the continuance of a majority of the species we share this planet with. This does not mean excluding humans but focusing on maintaining healthy functioning ecosystems. EO Wilson published a book several years ago with the title Half Earth.

    I hope to post some highlights and links to the talks later for those interested. There were several presentations that highlighted the link between biodiversity and climate change. Not just that biodiversity is affected by climate change but how biodiversity has also mitigated impacts of climate change. They are interdependent which is no surprise to those who study the dharma.

    I learned a new acronym from the talks. It summarized the threats to biodiversity…HIPPO

    Habitat destruction
    Invasive species
    Pollution (mostly aquatic systems)
    Population growth
    Over harvesting (commercial fishing and hunting)

    As to impacts of climate change? It exasperates many of these threats if not all.

    Doshin
    St

  44. #194
    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    Thank you for sharing, Doshin. E O Wilson has been a huge inspiration to me.

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-

    Yes…I remember when his book Sociobiology came out in the 1970s and how controversial it was. Some vilified him. One of my graduate courses focused on the book. I have heard him speak at a few conferences over the decades He has made many contributions to biology and conservation.

    Doshin
    St

  45. #195
    Quote Originally Posted by Doshin View Post
    Half Earth Day follow up….

    I viewed many of the presentations yesterday and learned they will be posted on Vimeo. I will provide a link when they do so

    Half Earth refers to the concept of protecting half the earth to ensure the continuance of a majority of the species we share this planet with. This does not mean excluding humans but focusing on maintaining healthy functioning ecosystems. EO Wilson published a book several years ago with the title Half Earth.
    Please do post once you have the links. My brain is struggling with the Half Earth concept. Is it intended to feel more achievable and less overwhelming than trying to save the whole Earth?


    EDIT: I went off to educate myself and very quickly found this https://www.half-earthproject.org/discover-half-earth/ which very nicely explains some of the math behind the concept.


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah
    Last edited by Tairin; 10-23-2021 at 02:47 PM.
    泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful Woods

  46. #196
    Quote Originally Posted by Tairin View Post
    Please do post once you have the links. My brain is struggling with the Half Earth concept. Is it intended to feel more achievable and less overwhelming than trying to save the whole Earth?


    EDIT: I went off to educate myself and very quickly found this https://www.half-earthproject.org/discover-half-earth/ which very nicely explains some of the math behind the concept.


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah

    Thanks for the link! My understanding of Half Earth is that by targeting key ecosystems and the appropriate size we could hopefully protect 85% of the species.

    Doshin
    St

    PS This YouTube video is a few years old
    Last edited by Doshin; 10-23-2021 at 05:33 PM.

  47. #197
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    Sadly, there seems to be a solid factual basis behind this report, with real geopolitical concerns, and rare minerals disputes are already causing military tensions ...

    ... although, also sadly, the report does remind me also of the kind of news reporting and science muddling that the petrochemical and auto (and tobacco etc.) industries have sponsored when they want to put the breaks on changes ranging from lead paint to seatbelts to cigarette smoking ... so I am a little cautious too ...



    Gassho, J

    STLah
    I believe it was Kermit the frog that said “It’s not easy to be green”.

    In past years ago I challenged a Wind Turbine project. Not because it was not good as a producer of alternative energy but because of where they were going to build it (siting) and it’s potential impact on birds of prey and bats. Another example that comes to mind is hydroelectricity…the carbon foot print is low but the impacts on aquatic systems was great. Today some dams are being removed to allow fisheries migration to occur again and established free flowing rivers that support species not found in a reservoir.

    Doshin
    St

  48. #198
    "Although we say that mountains belong to the nation,
    mountains belong to the people who love them."

    -Dogen in 'Sansuikyō'

    Skot SatUrToday
    Last edited by Skot; 10-24-2021 at 12:07 AM.

  49. #199
    I saw this report and found it very interesting, although I do not know if it is even a workable treatment (not really a solution) to the problem. maybe just a tiny bandage on a battlefield ... :

    Gassho, J STLah

    The world is banking on giant carbon-sucking fans to clean our climate mess. It's a big risk.

    ... Humans have emitted so much carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere that machines like this are being used to literally suck the gas back out, like giant vacuum cleaners, in an attempt to slow the climate crisis and prevent some of its most devastating consequences.
    The Orca plant — its name derived from the Icelandic word for energy — is what is known as a "direct air carbon capture facility," and its creator and operator, Swiss firm Climeworks, say it's the world's largest. ... Scientists say that simply cutting back on our use of fossil fuels won't be enough to avert catastrophe; we need to also clean up some of the mess we've been making for hundreds of years. ... It opened last month and currently removes about 10 metric tons of CO2 every day, which is roughly the the same amount of carbon emitted by 800 cars a day in the US. It's also about the same amount of carbon 500 trees could soak up in a year.
    It's a fine start, but in the grand scheme of things, its impact so far is miniscule. Humans emit around 35 billion tons of greenhouse gas a year through the cars we drive and flights we take, the power we use to heat our homes and the food — in particular the meat — that we eat, among other activities.

    ... "Carbon capture and storage is not going to be the solution to climate change," Sandra Ósk Snæbjörnsdóttir, a geologist with Carbfix, told CNN. "But it is a solution. And it's one of the many solutions that we need to implement to be able to achieve this big goal that we have to reach." She added: "First and foremost, we have to stop emitting CO2 and we have to stop burning fossil fuels, the main source of CO2 emissions to our atmosphere."

    ... Because of the high temperature that is needed for the process, the Orca plant requires a lot of energy. That's a problem that's easily solved in Iceland, where green geothermal power is abundant. But it could become a challenge to scale globally. ...

    ... The machines at Orca are just one way to remove CO2 from the air. Other methods involve capturing the gas at source — like the chimney of a cement factory — or removing it from the fuel before combustion. That involves exposing the fuel, such as coal or natural gas, to oxygen or steam under high temperature and pressure to convert it into a mixture of hydrogen and CO2. The hydrogen is then separated and can be burned with much lower carbon emissions. However, methane emissions could be a problem when the process is used on natural gas. The carbon that comes out of CCS can be used for other purposes, for example to make objects out of plastic instead of using oil, or in the food industry, which uses CO2 to put the fizz in drinks. But the amount that needs to be captured vastly exceeds the world's demand for CO2 in other places, which means the majority of it will need to be "stored." At Orca, this happens just a few hundred meters away from its vacuum in several igloo-like structures where the gas is mixed with water and injected around 800 meters underground. There, the CO2 reacts with sponge-like volcanic rocks and mineralizes, while the water flows away. ...

    ... CCS technology sounds like the perfect solution, but it remains highly controversial, and not just because of the amount of energy it needs. Its critics say the world should be aiming for zero emissions, not net zero. But scientific consensus is pretty clear: some level of carbon capture will soon become necessary. The IPCC estimated that even if emissions decline dramatically, to keep temperature increases below 2 degrees will require the removal of between 10 billion and 20 billion tonnes of CO2 every year until 2100. "I don't think carbon capture is a silver bullet, because there is no silver bullet," said Nadine Mustafa, a researcher that specializes in carbon capture at the department of chemical engineering at Imperial College London, and is not involved with Orca. "It's not that we are going to fix everything by using renewables, or that we're going to use carbon capture and storage and we're going to fix everything with that. We're going to need everything, especially because we're already behind on our goals."

    ... One remaining risk in this technology is the impact that storing the carbon may have on the Earth, or at least its immediate environment. In its special report on carbon capture and storage, the IPCC said that by far the biggest risk comes from potential leaks. A sudden and large release of CO2 would be extremely dangerous. In the air, a CO2 concentration of around 10% is deadly, but even much lower levels can cause health issues. ... Snæbjörnsdóttir, who heads the CO2 mineral storage at Carbfix for Orca, said the mineralization process they use in Iceland eliminates the risk of leaks. And the basalt — which is volcanic rock — around the plant makes for an ideal geological storage.

    https://us.cnn.com/2021/10/20/world/...cmd/index.html
    One particularly interesting note at the end of the articles ..

    Opponents of CCS argue the technology is simply another way for the fossil fuel industry to delay its inevitable demise. While they are not involved in the Orca plant, fossil fuel giants dominate the sector. According to a database complied by the Global CCS Institute, a pro-CCS think tank, an overwhelming majority of the world's 89 CCS projects that are currently in operation, being built or in advanced stages of development are operated by oil, gas and coal companies.Oil companies have had and used the technology to capture carbon for decades, but they haven't exactly done it to reduce emissions — ironically, their motivation has been to extract even more oil. That's because the CO2 they remove can be re-injected into oil fields that are nearly depleted, and help squeeze out 30-60% more oil than with normal methods. The process is known as "enhanced oil recovery" and it is one of the main reasons why CCS remains controversial. Fossil fuel companies are also investing in the newer carbon capture tech that removes CO2 from the air — like Orca's machines do — so they can argue they are "offsetting" the emissions that they can't capture in their usual processes. It's one way to delay fossil fuels' inevitable demise as the world transitions to renewable energy sources.

    There is another way to look at it.

    Fossil fuel companies have the big bucks to invest in this expensive tech, and considering fossil fuels are by far the main driver of climate change, it can be argued that they have a responsibility to foot the bill for what could be the biggest environmental disaster clean-up in human history.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  50. #200
    Quote Originally Posted by Skot View Post
    "Although we say that mountains belong to the nation,
    mountains belong to the people who love them."

    -Dogen in 'Sansuikyō'

    Skot SatUrToday

    I find beauty in that quote. Thank you

    Doshin
    St

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