Ecomagick

This year WWPN is starting a campaign to encourage greater attendance of Pagan Pride Events and demonstrate and raise awareness of the continued deforestation of our planet. Planting The Seeds of Unity is the collaborative effort of myself and some other members of Pagan Pride Project in various states to create a ceremony to remind us that we are not as alone as we once felt.

To participate in the project only requires that during a ritual at a Pagan Pride Festival a new plant be planted and a statement of acknowledgement of unity that is extended to cover the absent as well as the present. The plant can be a new tree donated to the park or as simple as some seeds thrown in a pot.

I will have some sample acknowledgements up at the behest of some others affiliated with the project, but anyone can write their own acknowledgement.

Unity, like plants, is something that needs work and requires some care. We hope to raise greater awareness of the need of unity, both at the individual and group levels through this public demonstration.

Deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands. The term does not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums or pines. Deforestation has resulted in the reduction of indigenous forests to four-fifths of their pre-agricultural area. Indigenous forests now cover 21% of the earth's land surface.

Of great concern is the rate at which deforestation is occurring. Currently, almost 30 million acres of forests are cleared annually - an area 1,3 times the size of KwaZulu/Natal! Almost all of this deforestation occurs in the moist forests and open woodlands of the tropics. At this rate all moist tropical forest could be lost by the year 2050, except for isolated areas in Amazonia, the Zaire basin, as well as a few protected areas within reserves and parks. Some countries such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Costa Rica, and Sri Lanka are likely to lose all their tropical forests by the year 2010 if no conservation steps are taken. In addition, we lose another 4 million acres of forested land to preventable fires each year.

If you wish to be a part of this enterprise <CLICK HERE>.

Handy Ways To Put Earth First!

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Does environmental impact studies, performs trail maintenance, promotes low impact use of the out of doors. Involved in ozone research, river protection, solar energy use, rare flora and habitat protection, clean water protection, forest land policies, clean air act. Offers classes and workshops from Maine to New Jersey including teen wilderness adventures.

Works to promote ethical business practices. Got over 400 businesses including Home Depot to agree to stop buying or using old growth wood and increase use of recycled materials. Is putting pressure on Wal-Mart and The Gap and other businesses that use sweat shops. Is launching an educational campaign so that minorities, the elderly will avoid the predatory lending practices of large banks that cause them to lose their homes. Publishes The Green Pages, a consumer guide to green businesses.

Has planted over 1 1/2 million trees in the Los Angeles basin in a effort to save water and shade/cool the area. Famous for getting schools to rip up asphalt and replace it with trees and soft ground. They also plant trees in poor neighborhoods, train local people to care for trees through their Citizen Forester program.

Works to stop the loss of farmland to urban sprawl and development. Promotes farming practices that lead to a healthy environment. Works on the local level to educate communities and individual farmers about available options. Seeks to influence federal policy, public officials, farmers and ranchers, conservationists and other citizens to protect agricultural land and landscapes.

The only non-profit citizens group dedicated to preserving America's national parks. Identifies at risk parks where wildlife is endangered, or where historic artifacts are in danger of being lost. Identifies parks where growing visitation is resulting in traffic jams, noise pollution, and degradation of trails. Lobbies legislatures to limit overcrowding, development, personal watercraft, jetskis, snowmoblies, airline overflights and to provide funds for maintenance.

Worked to ban the pesticide DDT and to get major businesses like Mcdonalds to use recyled packaging. Is on the forefront of environmental economics, legislation and grassroots activism. Works to fight global warming. Has a team of scientists, economists and attorneys who created the chemical scorecard website that provides a map of every community in the US by zip code, tells what pollution is in the air and water, where it is coming from, and the health implications and symptoms.

The mission of the Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Has protected more than 11 million acres in 50 states and Canada. Has helped like minded organizations do the same in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Asia. TNC owns more than 1,300 preserves - the largest private system of nature sanctuaries in the world. Famous for buying entire eco-systems and bio-regions in order to protect their flora and fauna.

An independent non profit alliance of 50,000 citizens and scientists. Uses rigorous scientific analysis to work for a healthier environment and a safer world. Founded in 1969 by students and faculty of MIT concerned about the misuse of technology and science in society. UCS is currently issuing studies on and lobbying congress about; Starwars (UCS has determined that the system cannot work), global warming, genetically engineered crops and the need for more testing, overuse of antibiotics, genetically engineered animals and the potential threats such as cross breeding with wild species, health hazards of hormones in milk, increased pollution, gas consumption, and greenhouse gasses resulting from SUV's (they designed and donated an environmentally friendly SUV to the auto industry).