Plant Spirit Shamanism - What's Up With The Weather?

Plant spirit shamen - natural therapists who work with herbs, ritual, and the elements - have got got long known that the human race is not made up of distinct and separate parts, but that we are all one: that the butterfly consequence of a single other driblet of H2O released from a cloud into a Gloucestershire river could eventually take to implosion therapy in the distant streets of London.

Through Gaea Theory and a more than informed apprehension in recent old age of how the natural world, the environment, and the clime really works, some men of science are also coming unit of ammunition to the shaman's age-old view of the connexions between all things.

How might these men of science and the shamen counter some of the current agnosticism about 'carbon footprints' and clime change, and what might they state about the 'freak weather condition conditions' many of us have been experiencing lately? What are the expostulations of the sceptics, what are the facts, and what are men of science and modern-day shamans saying?

DOES carbon dioxide (CO2) cause GLOBAL WARMING?

The skeptics state there is no "proof" of this. But cogent evidence is not the occupation of science, which deals, in fact, with the fine art of probabilities. Scientists, that is, do hypotheses ('best guesses') which are there not to be proved, but to be disproved - if possible.

The current best think – that CO2 makes make a Greenhouse Consequence by trapping solar radiation in the ambiance and causing temperatures rises on World – have been around since 1829, when Chief Joseph Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier first put option forward this hypothesis – and no-one's proven him incorrect yet.

Indeed, a recent study of almost 1,000 peer-reviewed scientific articles could not happen one which disagreed that clime alteration is a man-made phenomenon and that our end product of CO2 dramas a big portion in this.

Even those with a vested involvement in proving the men of science incorrect – like oil companies Exxon-Mobil, Shell, and BP – have all issued statements recently agreeing with the evidence: that clime alteration is taking place, that is happening as a consequence of our activities, and that CO2 is a factor.

One topographic point you can work out your ain C footmark is direct.gov.uk/ActOnCO2. You might be surprised at just how much you contribute.

If you'd then like the opportunity to something positive and practical to cut down it, another land site to check up on is http://www.thefourgates.com/villagefundraisers.html#earth thefourgates.com – then follow the nexus from The Village page to the fundraisers page and chink on the World C.O.S.T. link: Carbon Offset to Salvage Trees).

WHAT ABOUT SOLAR RADIATION? DOESN'T THAT cause clime CHANGE?

The current counter-theory to CO2 as the cause of planetary heating and climate alteration is one which seeks to put the incrimination on solar radiation. It looks at best, however, to be a no-theory. It have been known for many years, that is - and commonsense should state us in any case! - that solar radiation plays a portion in keeping the planet warm, because when the Sun radiances we all acquire a tan!

The science, however, demoes that the Sun plays a much littler function than nursery gasses in the state of affairs now facing us.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER 'NATURAL CAUSES' – LIKE animals AND water VAPOR?

Water vapor is a known portion of the Greenhouse Consequence – but it responds to alterations in clime rather than causing clime change. Vaporization and precipitation is a rhythm and any H2O in the ambiance doesn't remain there for more than than a few weeks.

Nature itself, in its widest to its narrowest forms, is also cyclical: the rhythm of life and death. Animals and works live, die, and go nutrient for others, and the CO2 they make acquires used up elsewhere as a consequence of this natural cycle.

Humans meanwhile, pump six gigatonnes of CO2 into the ambiance every twelvemonth and take small if any out. Nor make we set any fresh air back. We could make through activities like tree planting, since every tree naturally beginnings 650 kilogram of CO2, transforming pollution, offsetting carbon, and giving us back fresh air. The job is that few people are planting trees and, in fact, deforestation – the contrary of what we should be doing – is a major issue.

In 1600, for example, over 12% of Eire was covered by broadleaf forests. By 1800, the figure was down to 2%. Since then, the state have been working to reconstruct its woods but, by 2000, only 7% of forests had been returned. And, in the urgency to set trees back, the majority of planting have been non-native trees. Many of these – like the iroko, from Occident Africa - are being logged in such as an unsustainable manner that if the present charge per unit of depletion goes on the woods there will be gone in five years. The result is deadlock (at best).

It is for these grounds that The Village have introduced the World C.O.S.T. Program to works a new wood of indigenous trees at its Centre for environmental and personal healing.

As it is, the World absorbs about one-half of our current CO2 but the remainder hangs around as a nursery gas. Cutting back on energy use and planting more trees would help. We cognize this because degrees of CO2 have got been stable for one thousands of old age until the Industrial Revolution began 150 old age ago and deforestation also became rife.

ISN'T clime change JUST part OF A natural CYCLE?

It is true that every 100,000 old age or so the World is subject to climate alterations owed to its celestial orbit around the Sun. This is known as Milankovitch Cycle and its personal effects as well as its timeline are all fairly predictable.

In the 1970s, for example, men of science were already warning of a approaching Ice Age as a consequence of this Cycle, so nothing's changed there - except the timing. We should be able to foretell about 50,000 old age of natural heating as a consequence of the Milankovitch Cycle, that is; the problem, however, is that current heating is off the scale of measurement by a factor of – well, a lot! – if lone the Milankovitch Cycle was the cause.

Climate alteration and planetary heating is speeding the procedure up.

WE CAN'T PREDICT THE weather condition EVEN Type A few days AHEAD sol HOW bash WE KNOW WHAT THE clime OF THE future HOLDS?

Firstly, weather isn't climate. Weather mentions to individual cases of sun or rainfall in specific geographical areas; clime is the norm of all these cases over a larger country and a longer clip period of time. Weather alterations rapidly (which is why it can be so difficult to predict) but clime is relatively stable.

An analogy, if you're a gaming man, is the word form of a peculiar horse. Of course of study you can't foretell (i.e. know) if he'll win the race you've just wager the house on, but if you look back over his form, his public presentation on certain fields, and his fitness degrees now, then mean out his wins against losses, you can acquire an thought of his possible in this approaching race – adequate to do an informed decision, at least, on where to put your bet.

Which conveys us back to our first point, since this is also how scientific discipline works: through educated best guesses. And the current best guess, after studying past word form and looking at the wellness of the planet now, is that man-made CO2 is leading to raised temperatures and to clime change.

WHAT bash THE shamen SAY?

The Siouan medical specialty adult male Black Elk spoke early last century of the "sacred hoop of life", that all things are "one" and that everything is portion of a "great circle of existence". Visionaries like Black Elk, and works spirit shamen today, cognize that life on our planet amounts to far more than than the distinct boxes, capable of control and intervention, that we have got taken it to be until now.

James Lovelock – a illusionist man of science rather than a priest-doctor – have also shown, in our century, through his Gaea Hypothesis, that the human race is alive, aware, and intelligent; a self-regulating being that seeks balance, like our ain bodies.

The occupation of human beings, states Lovelock, is "through our intelligence and communicating [to move as] the nervous system of the planet. Through us, Gaea have seen herself from space and gets to cognize her topographic point in the universe. We should be the bosom and head of the Earth, not its malady".

A low supplication that we might begin taking our rightful topographic point by simply planting a few more than trees.

Why is Tetra Pak Recycling Not Happening?

Tetra Paks are everywhere with two billion used every twelvemonth in the UK, and yet they look to be the 'forgotton rubbish'. Recycling aggregations differ across the United Kingdom with some local government offering a much greater scope of services than others. Tetra Pak recycling, however, is severely lacking on a countrywide basis, with lone a few countries offering aggregation services. Other countries offering recycling banks, but many more than supply no recycling installations for these cartonfuls whatsoever.

Statistics bespeak that lone 4% of the two billion Tetra Paks used each twelvemonth in the United Kingdom are currently being recycled. So why is this? Councils are improving their recycling installations for many products, so why not Tetra Paks? Well, there are seemingly a few reasons. Firstly, the authorities recycling marks are weight-based, which intends that waste material such as as paper and glass travel much additional than light-weight cartonfuls towards meeting these. In addition, there is concern from some councils about the fact that Tetra Pak recycling takes topographic point abroad, thus providing more than than environmental concerns with sees to the transportation system of the waste.

Tetra Pak are currently encouraging councils to offer more recycling installations and have got also been working with Tesco to supply recycling Banks at some of their stores. Tetra Pak also offer advice and aid to councils, who should be taking advantage of this. Recycling installations within the United Kingdom would undoubtedly also do a difference, and perhaps the authorities necessitates to see the wisdom of weight-based recycling targets.

The advantages of recycling Tetra Paks are clear. Firstly, the waste material will then not be heading for a landfill land site but for a recycling facility. And secondly, the recycled cartonfuls can be used to do paper-based products and points such as as garden piece of furniture and resort equipment, reducing the demand for virgin materials.

Save Your Children's Future - Use Solar Panels

Solar panels work by converting sunshine into electricity. The scientific discipline behind this transition is known as photovoltaic technology. Photovoltaic Cells or solar cells as they are more than commonly referred to are the major constituents of any residential solar powerfulness system.

Photovoltaic (PV) bring forths electricity directly from the negatrons that are freed when sunshine hits the surface of the PV cell and interacts with the semiconducting stuff material in the PV cell. These cells are wired together to constitute a PV module, which is the least PV constituent sold commercially. The PV faculties scope in powerfulness from 10 Watts to 300 watts.

The natural stuff for the solar panel is silicon oxide (sand). The manufacturing procedure takes all of the drosses and defects, and consequences in a solar-grade silicon oxide provender stock. From there the Si oxide is coated with Boron or Phosphorus to pinch the frequences of visible visible light silicon oxide reacts to.

When sunshine hits the solar cell with adequate energy the photons in the light knocking negatrons free in the silicon crystalline construction forcing them through an external electrical circuit or Direct District of Columbia Load and then returning them to the other side of the Solar Panel to begin the procedure all over again (thus the renewal source).

The flowing of freed negatrons consequences in a electromotive force end product of approximately 0.5v per single crystalline solar cell. The Amperage end product is directly relative to the cells surface country – about 7amps for a 6 inch foursquare solar cell. Typically you will see 30 to 36 cells wired in series or in parallel with other solar faculties to from a complete solar array to bear down your battery bank, within your solar powerfulness system.

The PV faculty bring forths direct current (DC) but your place utilizes alternating current (AC). Therefore, solar panels necessitate that we include a convertor in the system to convert the District of Columbia current to actinium current. This is accomplished with an inverter, a particular piece of equipment that converts or alterations District of Columbia electricity to AC.

Once the solar array (the aggregation of solar panels wired together in your solar powerfulness system) begins producing electricity you can utilize the electrical power, shop it for later utilize or sell it back to your local public utility if your system is connected to the grid. Selling back to the public utility is referred to net-metering.

As more than than and more places convert to solar powerfulness we can anticipate to see major improvements in the efficiency of solar cells just as we experienced improvements in gas milage in autos with carburetors, combustible injection, etc.

In order to hive away the fresh electricity for later use, you will necessitate to integrate batteries into the solar powerfulness system. These batteries function the same intent as the batteries in a car. Every clip you begin your car, the ignition is utilizing the stored electrical powerfulness in the battery to turn over the starter motor motor. Rich Person you ever tried to begin your auto and nil happens? If the starter motor motor is working properly, you cognize that the battery is dead and there is no electrical current available to powerfulness the starter which in bend starts the motor.

Solar batteries shop the surplus PV electricity until it is needed at a future clip to run your contraption or the lights, etc. Once the batteries are fully charged you necessitate to turn off any incoming powerfulness or they will be damaged. The solar batteries are District of Columbia just as the battery in your car. This agency the batteries will be installed in your solar system between the Photovoltaic Cells and the inverter.

Note: You will be better off buying the best deep rhythm batteries you can afford. Industrial deep rhythm batteries can be $200 each, but have got a life anticipation of 5-8 years. Your auto battery will only last 1 twelvemonth in deep rhythm applications.

It is deserving noting that even though Pb acid batteries are not environmentally friendly; the option of relying on dodo combustibles is a poorer choice.

Intelligent Energy Solutions to Today's Problems

We are all aware of issues like planetary warming, pollution and deforestation. Many books and even movies have got been made to convey to our attending the pressing demand to happen solutions to the job on hand. These jobs are very existent and we should be prepared to help. We can make so without even changing our mundane routine. Using option energy solution is one manner to assist and they are many types of option energy solutions.

The best and most common type of option energy is solar energy. Many states offering taxation discount on its use. Solar thermic collectors, usually mounted on rooftops, are used to accumulate the heat energy from the sun. That heat energy can be used to warm up H2O or air in homes, concerns and even swimming pools. Photovoltaic, or PV, is a solar powerfulness engineering that converts visible light from the sun directly into electricity by using solar cells or solar photovoltaic arrays. The electricity can then be used immediately or stored for usage in points like batteries. The usage of solar energy not only profits the environment but it benefits us as well because of the nest egg on our electricity bills.

The usage of wind energy is used on a big scale of measurement in wind farms. A wind farm have a aggregation of wind turbines in the same place. Person turbines are interconnected with a medium electromotive force aggregation system and fiber eye communication theory network. This medium electromotive force electricity is then stepped up with a transformer to a high electromotive force transmittal system and the electrical grid. These big Fields of turbines bring forth electricity and are distributed to cities, residential places and rural areas. Wind energy is renewable, abundant and clean.

Biodiesel combustible is renewable, biodegradable, nontoxic, essentially free of sulfur and aromatics and cleansing agent than petroleum. It is produced from renewable, domestic resources and incorporates no petroleum. It can be blended with crude oil to make a biodiesel blend. It is legally registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and is used as combustibles in some Diesel vehicles.

Hydrogen, as an option combustible is only in its very early phases of development and not available to consumers yet. It can be used to fuel rider vehicles by powering electrical motors or burnt internal burning engines. Hydrogen is environmentally friendly because it makes not make air pollution when used in combustible cells. It is economically reasonable because it assists to cut down our dependance on foreign oil.

Though many people are concerned about the environment and planetary warming, not much action is actually taken to rectify the situation. Hopefully with the introduction and usage of these option energy solutions, we can assist to make a better, cleansing agent and safer environment not only for United States but for the whole world.

Coca and the Sacred Plants of the Incas - The Timeless World of the Andes

The Incas regarded coca as 'the divine plant' mainly because of its property of imparting endurance, nevertheless its use was entwined with every aspect of life; the art, mythology, culture and economy of the Inca Empire.

Millions of Indians have chewed coca on a daily basis for many hundreds of years, yet never has a plant been so misrepresented and its use so controlled by prejudice and ignorance, including up to the present day. The Conquistadors considered it an idle and offensive habit to be prohibited, but it was soon seen that the Indians could not work without coca even when forced to do so.

The coca leaf has been sacred to Andean people since the dawn of pre-Colombian civilization. Doris Rivera Lenz, a renowned Andean Ceremonialist, healer, and Coca leaf Diviner, when asked about the source of the information she divines from them, she says:

"They give me such a powerful awareness it is as though an energy comes into me from just touching them. I invoke Mother Nature and the spirit of the coca, and with just seven leaves, the answer comes, as though through an open doorway."

Healing

An ancient method of diagnosing illness, still common in Peru, is to rub an egg over the body of the patient. Doris is gifted in this tradition and prescribes remedies which include medicinal herbs.

Much Andean wisdom is based on observation of nature, noting for example, that if the ducks go round in circles, there will be long rains, etc... Involvement with nature prevents the mind from becoming mechanical, can see that it is constantly nurturing us and helping us to grow.

The ofrenda

An 'ofrenda' is the most important ceremony used by Andean Indians to relate with Mother Earth. The ofrenda is a symbol of reciprocity with nature and its purpose is to teach us to reproduce this attitude. Through it we speak back to nature saying we understand the message and concord.

The ofrenda which is also known in Spanish as a 'pago', is not
a 'payment' to nature as the Conquistadores saw it, implying a sinister pact with nature spirits. Additionally, they accused the Indians of being miserly because they preferred to pay symbolically rather than with real money!

An ofrenda is an expression of gratitude, not of debt or obligation.

Neither is it selfish to want things for ourselves as some people see it even today. It is true that urban people in Peru have started to make ofrendas for reasons such as wanting their businesses to flourish, but good business can equally imply good health, and harmony to the community and for the natural world.

In an Andean community realities are closer to earth than they are in the city, it is more important that the cattle do not die than to have more private possessions. Hence in the country there is a better understanding of the shamanic meaning of the ceremony, the re-establishing of relationship to nature. This is why we need a little preparation so that an ofrenda can work for us too.

Pachacuti

We live in a time of the fulfilment of an ancient Inca prophecy. This is the time of the new Pachacuti, a great change bringing with it a new relating to the Earth (Pachamama). Each Pachacuti is a era of time about 500 years. The last Pachacuti occurred with the Conquest in the early 16th century, and the Q'ero (Inca) priests have been waiting ever since for the next era, when order would start to emerge from chaos. The current Pachacuti refers to the end of time as we understand it, the end or death of a way of thinking and a way of being. A new relationship with the living Earth, and an emergence into a golden age of peace. There are many indications that changes in human consciousness are taking place, yet there is still a long way to go. It is part of Doris's vision to show us traditional ways that we can re-engage with the sacredness of life and the Earth so we too can more fully participate in the new Pachacuti.