Camellia Trees – Winter 2024 – Los Angeles – Southern California
After the hottest year on record, we’ve had another unusually wet winter. Our garden turned a luxurious green with joy. Red camellias, in the captioned photo, blushed as we passed by on the way to and from the parking area. With a few exceptions, the succulent plants have also responded well to the soaking.
The growth of the potted Aeonium Mint, shown below, was impressive. Just two plants! Compare its growth since October 2023.
Aeonium Mint February 2024Aeonium Mint October 2023
Other large potted plants in this open area, shown below, have also responded well to the drenching.
The Aeonium Kiwi, one of my favorite succulents, is also happy. Thankfully, the open area did not flood and drained well.
Front Cover: Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race by Shanna H. Swan, PhD with Stacey Colino Photo Credit: Simon & Schuster, New York, USA
It’s not only that sperm counts have plummeted by 50 percent in the last forty years; it’s also that this alarming rate of decline could mean the human race will be unable to reproduce itself if the trend continues…. In animals there have been changes in mating behavior, with more reports of male turtles humping other male turtles, and female fish and frogs becoming masculinized after being exposed to certain chemicals.
How and why could this be happening? The answer is complicated. Though these interspecies anomalies may appear to be distinct and isolated incidents, the fact is that they all share several underlying causes. In particular, the ubiquity of insidiously harmful chemicals in the modern world is threatening the reproductive development and functionality of both humans and other species. The worst offenders: chemicals that interfere with our body’s natural hormones. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are playing havoc with the building blocks of sexual and reproductive development. They’re everywhere in our modern world—and they’re inside our bodies, which is problematic on many levels.
Excerpt from Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race by Shanna H. Swan, PhD with Stacey Colino, Simon & Schuster, New York, USA, 2020 (Chapter One: Reproductive Shock, pp. 7 & 9).
Shanna H. Swan, PhD, is an award-winning scientist based at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, and one of the world’s leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologists.
Stacey Colino is an award-winning writer specializing in health and environmental issues. Her work has appeared in such magazines as Newsweek, Time, Parade, National Geographic, and Good Housekeeping.
Jem Bendell uses the word “control” in e-s-C-a-p-e ideology to describe the idea among modern cultures in the West and worldwide that it is possible for the human, both individually and collectively, to control the environment and others, and that it is good to do so (Bendell, p. 131). As evident in the vast urban centers worldwide, we humans have succeeded in transforming our natural world to fit our needs. Yet, given global ecological collapse underway and the frequency of extreme global climate events as our planet grows hotter, it should also be evident that we are not in control of our natural world upon which our lives depend.
When the dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Ian struck the west coast of Florida on September 28, 2022, with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles (249 kilometers) per hour and a storm surge of 12 to 18 feet (3.6 to 5.5 meters), the people in its path had to get out of its way or hunker down, hoping for the best. Not everyone who sheltered in place survived Nature’s fury. Others returned home to find their neighborhood trashed beyond recognition. Faced with such a life-altering event, we realize that our control is lost in the rubble.
Rosaliene’s Succulent Garden – Los Angeles – Southern California – August 21, 2022
Eighty-one days have passed since emergency drought restrictions went into effect in Southern California. In an August 16th Press Release, Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) that supplies our neighborhood with water, announced that discussions are in progress regarding the effort of the Colorado Basin States to develop “an aggressive but realistic plan to reduce demands” on the Colorado River by 2 to 4 million acre-feet. The MWD imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies.
“As these discussions continue, we urgently call on everyone who relies on Colorado River water, including communities across Southern California, to prepare for reduced supplies from this source, permanently,” Adel Hagekhalil said. “This is not simply a drought that will end, allowing reservoir levels to recover on their own – this is a drying of the Colorado River Basin. We are going to have to live with less. Working together, we know we can meet the challenge.” (Emphasis mine.)
So far, we have received no new directives from the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) regarding any further reduction in water allocation of about 80 gallons per person per day. Meanwhile, I have found ways of saving and reusing domestic usage for watering my small vegetable garden. Caring for my succulent and other ornamental plants remains a challenge.
US Drought Monitor – California – May 31, 2022 Source: US Drought Monitor
Gardening on the weekends has been my lifeline since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in March 2020. When I am outdoors among the trees and plants, all my cares and fears disappear. I am fully engaged. I am present. I am at peace.
Since drought is a recurring issue here in California, I have planted mostly succulents that are quite content with watering once or twice a week. Some succulents prefer even longer periods of ten to fourteen days between watering. But a sudden rise in temperatures can shock even the sturdiest of succulents. In March, when we experienced two days of high summer temperatures, a branch of my largest, three-foot high, jade plant collapsed with heat stress. With summer almost upon us, there will be no respite for several other plants that need extra water for giving their best.
Rosaliene’s Garden Plot with Succulents – City of Los Angeles – California – June 3, 2022Continue reading →
In her article “The State of the Earth 2022,” published on her blog Green Life Blue Water, American environment lawyer and author Pam Lazos provides an unsettling critique of where humanity stands when it comes to dealing with the inconvenient truth of our climate crisis and the threat to life as we know it on Planet Earth.
Not your typical Earth Day post
There are only two roads in life, growing and dying. Tolbert McCarroll, Notes from the Song of Life
As we begin 2022, OneNature views this moment of crisis as an opportunity to rebuild our society and economy in a way that makes people happier by protecting abundant wildlife and a thriving planet. We believe that the key to a new and better future is shifting away from an economy based on unsustainable and inequitable economic growth toward an economy that values well-being. We argue that wildlife conservation must be central to this vision of wellbeing, because species diversity is crucial to sustaining the natural world as well as less tangible forms of human flourishing. And we aim to put these beliefs into practice in partnership with Indigenous and local communities, using wellbeing to articulate the shared values that ground effective and equitable wildlife conservation practices. Building a new, more sustainable future does not have to mean sacrifice. OneNature believes that our future has the potential to be abundant in what really matters, a thriving natural world with flourishing well-being for all.
Beth Allgoodis the founder and president of One Nature Institute, a non-profit organization founded during the 2020 pandemic. With more than 25 years of experience in conservation, animal welfare, and community development, she is a passionate advocate for policies and practices that promote well-being for people, animals, and the planet. Learn more about the mission and work of One Nature Institute at https://onenatureinstitute.org/our_story/
Documentary Film, Fantastic Fungi, Released March 26, 2020 Photo Credit: Fantastic Fungi
I recently watched the documentary film, Fantastic Fungi, streaming on Netflix. The film aims to change our consciousness about the mycelium network and “takes us on an immersive journey through time and scale into the magical earth beneath our feet, an underground network that can heal and save our planet.”
The renowned scientists and mycologists featured in the film have identified 7 significant pillars where mycelium greatly benefit our lives. Their mission is “to connect, unify and support each other, following the mycelial network’s guide to a better earth for all.”
The following are excerpts from each of the 7 pillars presented on the Fantastic Fungi website:
Consciousness / Spirituality Throughout the ages of time, religions, as a form of spirituality, have worshiped entities including mushrooms and have used mind altering sacraments, including psychoactive mushrooms, as a form of divination.
Mental Health / Therapeutic There are currently no medications that have proven effective in dealing with the massive amounts of addictions, depression and suicidal ideation. Psychedelics are showing extraordinary results in clinical trials, and are on the fast track to becoming one of the most powerful transformative tools of our time.
Foraging / Food / Culinary When we realize that mycelium is critical to life on earth, this intersection between the animal and plant kingdoms that gives us food, shelter and the medicine we need, what will we do to form a stronger and interconnected relationship with it?
Innovation / Solutions We have only begun to explore the use and intelligence of the mycelium world and our current challenge requires us to break from old paradigms and innovate!
Environmental / Biodiversity We have a partner that has traveled in time with us through our evolutionary process here on earth and they are perhaps more intelligent than we are in solving the very issues that mankind has created and is now facing.
Culture / History / Arts The indigenous were, and many still are very connected with the fungi world. They know how to use them in ways that only those who are connected with nature can truly appreciate. It is a skill that many of us have lost.
Health / Wellness / Medical [I]t is challenging if not impossible to realize the potential of the fungi kingdom. However, because of the emerging issues around the loss of effectiveness of penicillin and treatment resistant diseases, there is work being done to study the promising gifts that mushrooms hold for us.
The more I learn about the fungi kingdom, the more I’ve come to appreciate their critical role in our planet’s Web of Life and our own evolution as a species. Their mycelium network is far superior in reach and intelligence than our electronic networks. What’s more, they nurture and care for those in their network and keep on giving. For the fungi, death is not the end; it is the regeneration of life.
Click hereto find other streaming platforms for watching the documentary film.
Earth Day 2021 – Restore Our Earth Official Earth Day 2021 poster by Brazilian Street Artist Speto Photo Credit: Earth Day Official Website
April 22, 2021 is Earth Day. The theme this year is Restore Our Earth, an optimistic outlook given the ongoing challenges humanity faces with a climate emergency, now coupled with yet another year of a global pandemic.
“Restoring Our Earth is about solving climate change through the world’s natural systems, such as regenerative agriculture practices and reforestation, as well as through existing and safe technologies,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of EarthDay.org. “Restoring our planet will also require commitment of our world’s leaders to support climate literacy and civic skill building so that we can create a global engaged and active citizenry, a green consumer movement, and an economy that is just and equitable across all countries and across all demographics.”
There will be three days of climate action, beginning on Tuesday, April 20, with a global climate summit led by Earth Uprising. In the evening, the Hip Hop Caucus and its partners will present the “We Shall Breathe” virtual summit.
On April 21, Education International will lead the “Teach for the Planet: Global Education Summit.” It will be a multilingual virtual summit spanning several time zones. If we’re to solve the climate emergency, we must learn about it. We can’t build a sustainable environment without educating the next generation. That’s why EarthDay.org is spearheading a campaign to have “compulsory, assessed climate and environmental education with a strong civic engagement component in every school in the world.”
Do join me in signing the petition as an individual in support of universal climate literacy.
On the big day, Earth Day Live: Restore Our Earth will be streamed live beginning at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 22. You can tune in on EarthDay.org, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and GEM-TV. For those of us who live on the Pacific Coast, this means tuning in earlier at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
Joining forces with EarthDay.org, TED Countdown will premiere several original TED Talks during the livestream, providing additional top-tier content by climate leaders.
We can restore our Earth with reforestation. It’s one of the cheapest ways to sequester atmospheric carbon and tackle our climate emergency. But reforestation is not easy. It has its pitfalls. Learning from past failures, EarthDay.org developed The Canopy Project.
Human activities have destabilized Earth’s life systems. The signs are all around us. It’s time to restore the balance. Tune in to one of Earth Day’s events. Learn. Engage. Let’s make a difference. Act now.
Stop Sign Extreme Heat Warning – Death Valley – California – USA
It is hot here in California. On August 16th, a heat wave sent temperatures soaring in Death Valley to 130℉ (54.4℃), believed to be the highest temperature recorded on Earth in over a century. With a historic wildfire season threatening life and property, Governor Gavin Newson has declared a state of emergency. On August 24th, as reported by Cal Fire, the state has had 7,002 fires this year, burning over 1.4 million acres…and growing. At the same time last year, 4,292 fires had burned 56,000 acres.
Depending upon where you live, you are probably facing your own extreme weather-related danger. Given our climate crisis, this is our new reality as inhabitants on Earth. Though the COVID-19 global pandemic may have forced our climate activists off the streets worldwide, they continue to press for urgent action.
On July 28, 2020, The Climate Reality Project released a message of hope amidst all the chaos going on around us. Their article, “9 Reasons to Have Climate Hope in 2020,” outlines why we should be optimistic about attaining a just, sustainable clean energy future.
Three Worlds One Vision 