Love Earth Now - Discussion Questions

I'm not sure if we will discuss anything from the last few chapters of Love Earth Now, but I thought I'd post some discussion questions to contemplate.  Also, I'm not sure if you guys can edit this post, but feel free to add your own discussion questions if you can/want to!

1)  What do you think Cheryl meant when she said, "While I've seen plenty of jacarandas in my time, I'd never truly seen one before today"?
     A) Have you ever experienced a similar situation?
     B) What was your reaction? 
     C) Did this have an impact on the way you viewed that thing from then on?
     D) Do you think that if more people stopped to appreciate the aspects of nature that are usually overlooked or viewed as mundane, it could have positive impact on the environment?

2)  Do have any "eco-guilt"?
      A)  Do you take any actions to assuage your "eco-guilt"?
      B)  Do these actions have any negative impacts on your life?
      C)  Is there anything you do to balance this guilt and these negative impacts?

3) Do you agree with Cheryl, that "Earth loves us"?

4)  Does the Earth "speak" to you?  What does it say?

5)  Do you think the methods Cheryl uses to cope would be effective for you?  What would you put on your own list?  Would you add or remove anything from Cheryl's list?

6)  What do you think was the purpose of this book?
      A) Did this book impact the way you view things?
      B) Did you gain anything positive from reading this book?
      C) Would you reccommend this book to others?

Gifts and opportunities

We conclude Love Earth Now today. Cheryl Leutjen ends her quirky testimonial love-letter with a poem about "the holy universe,"

Hidden within catastrophes

are gifts and opportunities;

perhaps we have the chance here

to awaken potentialities within us,

perhaps to live

the most meaningful lives

that we could ever hope to live. 

-David Christopher

And that is a good end-note, pointing forward at possibilities of renewal and even rebirth. It reminds me of the way Al Gore ends his Inconvenient Truth, with an appeal to our generational conscience and the question we don't want our descendants to ask: “What were our parents thinking? Why didn’t they wake up when they had a chance?” We still have an opportunity to forestall that question. If we seize it, we will indeed live up to our potential and enjoy "the most meaningful lives" we can imagine. What a gift that would be, for us and them.

So here was Al on the TED stage, with "15 ways that individuals can address climate change immediately"... (If only he'd been this personable and funny when he ran for president!)

More TED Talks on climate...

Happy Halloween!

Take a base if you wear a costume to class. Take two if you bring the teacher a treat. 

"The modern holiday comes from an age-old tradition honoring the supernatural blending of the world of the living and the world of the dead. Halloween is based on a Celtic holiday called Samhain. The festival marked the start of winter and the last stage of the harvest, the slaughtering of animals. It was believed that the dark of winter allowed the spirits of the dead to transgress the borders of death and haunt the living.

Eventually, Christian holidays developed at around the same time. During the Middle Ages, November 1 became known as All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day. The holiday honored all of the Christian saints and martyrs. Medieval religion taught that dead saints regularly interceded in the affairs of the living. On All Saints' Day, churches held masses for the dead and put bones of the saints on display. The night before this celebration of the holy dead became known as All Hallows' Eve. People baked soul cakes, which they would set outside their house for the poor. They also lit bonfires and set out lanterns carved out of turnips to keep the ghosts of the dead away." WA

“All great things must first wear terrifying and monstrous masks, in order to inscribe themselves on the hearts of humanity.” Nietzsche 

The power of costume... Halloween Horror & Philosophy (TTBOOK)... Trick or Treat with Socrates...Zombies in Philosophy

Update

environment Weekly update ⋅ October 30, 2018
	NEWS
	'Safe' 15 mph zones would be worse for the environment than higher speeds, campaigners warn Telegraph.co.uk 'Safe' 15 mph zones would be worse for the environment than higher ... speeds save lives and help make our streets more liveable environments.”. Flag as irrelevant
	Faux Fur Is Made Of Plastic, And It's Not Helping The Environment HuffPost So, while a few synthetic fibers might not convince you that faux fur is harmful to the environment, just picture the damage when piles of faux fur coats ... Flag as irrelevant
	Watch: Finding common ground on the environment in a partisan political climate Ensia October 23, 2018 — From the Paris Climate Agreement to the Clean Power Plan, environmental issues — and contentious debates about them ... Flag as irrelevant
	Yes, eating meat affects the environment, but cows are not killing the climate The Conversation US Advocates urge the public to eat less meat to save the environment. Some activists have called for taxing meat to reduce consumption of it. A key claim ... Yes, eating meat affects the environment, but cows are not killing the climate - WTOP Full Coverage Flag as irrelevant
	Citizens push back as Department of Environment experts call proposed Hampstead residential ... Carroll County Times And when the public arrived for the Wednesday, Oct. 24, meeting, they were greeted by three Maryland Department of the Environment specialists and ... Flag as irrelevant
	Aiming for the stars to hit the sky UN Environment (press release) Mark Radka, chief of UN Environment's Energy and Climate Technology Branch, said: “Our fast-paced lifestyles can no longer come at the cost of our ... Flag as irrelevant
	China environment facing pressures from economic slowdown: minister Reuters At a meeting last week, Minister of Ecology and Environment Li Ganjie told officials that China's clean-up campaign was becoming “increasingly ... China environment facing pressures from economic slowdown -minister - CNBC Full Coverage Flag as irrelevant
	EPA head says rollbacks will keep environment clean, economy up WHYY “You have been at the forefront of technological advances that has transformed our economy, our national security and our environment,” Wheeler told ... Flag as irrelevant
	What happened Wednesday is the logical conclusion of our poisonous politicalenvironment CNN (CNN) It's easy amid the nearly hourly revelations of new mail bombs being sent to prominent Democrats and others who have been heavily criticized ... Flag as irrelevant
	I-1631 is only answer if you care for the environment The Olympian In my 16-credit program on Introduction to Environmental Studies at The Evergreen State College, I spend a lot of time comparing what we learn to my ... Flag as irrelevant
	WEB
	Trade and the Environment NBER We review recent research linking international trade to the environment, with a focus on new results and methods. The review is given structure by a ... Flag as irrelevant
	Environmental, Social, and Governance Criteria: Why Investors are Paying Attention NBER We find that money managers could reduce portfolio risk by incorporating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria into their investment ... Flag as irrelevant
	Environmental Economics NBER This article provides an overview of the economics of environmental policy, including the setting of goals and targets, notably the Kaldor-Hicks criterion ... Flag as irrelevant
	Bank Liquidity, Credit Supply, and the Environment NBER Flag as irrelevant
	Economic Valuation of the Environment: A Special Issue ACS Publications - American Chemical Society Department of Engineering & Public Policy and Center for the Study and Improvement of Regulation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, ... Flag as irrelevant
	The stocks to consider is a volatile market environment Video - FoxBusiness.com - Fox Business The stocks to consider is a volatile market environment. Oct. 24, 2018 - 2:56 - Lido Isle Advisors President Jason Rotman the opportunities for ... Flag as irrelevant
	Environment Global Citizen #Environment. Article: The World Might Not Have Enough ... They increasingly receive low wages and are subject to dangerous work environments. Flag as irrelevant
	Trade Growth, Production Fragmentation, and China's Environment NBER This chapter first appeared as NBER working paper w13860, Trade Growth, Production Fragmentation, and China's Environment, Judith M. Dean, ... Flag as irrelevant
	Climate of despair: How the state of our environment is affecting my mental health Michael E. Mann Joe Sandler Clarke for The New Statesman discusses how the current state of our environment is affecting is mental health.