Category Archives: burning reduction methods

Sikhism and the Environment? I got my doubts.

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I may be wrong but after yesterdays frustration I am coming to the realisation that maybe there is an enabling level of adherents. That is maybe there is a threshold of the number adherents to a religion reached before they take on “side issues”. But it also could be an access to technology issue. Maybe the ATR’s don’t have easy access to the web. Whatever the reason I found not one (bumpkis, nada, zero zilch) African Traditional Religious groups involved in Environmentalism. If I strike out today, I may be done with religion for now. 

Sikhism (IPA: /?si?k?z?m/ (help·info) or /?s?k-/ (info); Punjabi: ?????, sikkh?, IPA: [?s?kk?i?] (info)), founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Northern India, is the fifth-largest religion in the world.[1] This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally the counsel of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharma. Sikhism originated from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root ?i?ya meaning “disciple” or “learner”, or ?ik?a meaning “instruction.”[2][3]

The principal belief of Sikhism is faith in V?higur?—represented using the sacred symbol of ?k ?a?k?r, the Universal God. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-anthropomorphic concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the Universe itself. The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture entitled the Gur? Granth S?hib, which includes selected works of many devotees from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The text was decreed by Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, as the final guru of the Khalsa Panth. Sikhism’s traditions and teachings are distinctively associated with the history, society and culture of the Punjab. Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs (students or disciples) and number over 23 million across the world. Most Sikhs live in the state of Punjab in India and, prior to the country’s partition, millions of Sikhs lived in what is now known as the Punjab province of Pakistan

Then again maybe I was wrong. I found this neat site and it lists Jains and the B’hai as well so I will be at it for a couple of days at least.

http://www.arcworld.org/faiths.asp?pageID=57

 But first the Pretty Pictures

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Way to go Punjabians.!.

Realisation of Truth and Truthful Living for all.
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Do Traditional/Diaspora Religions of Africa Sponsor Environmental Groups?

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This such an overwhelming topic at one level that I feel inadequate. At another level, its a simple question? Are there any?

Africa is home to the first Human, the first Library, the first University and the first Art Gallery. Does African Tradional Religion currently involve itself with Environmentalism? 

http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/

 

 1. Introduction

In many African societies ancestral veneration is one of the central and basic traditional and even contemporary forms of cult. As is indicated by the title, this essay intends to expose briefly the main features of that type of veneration in black Africa, South of the Sahara.

2. Ancestral cult in Black Africa

African ancestral cult is deeply rooted in the African traditional worldview so much so that a proper and adequate understanding of that cult cannot be achieved without examining it in its intimate link with such worldview. Hence, before exposing the main features of ancestral veneration, it is useful to give first a brief survey of the African traditional worldview, in the light of which the former will and should be envisaged.

2.1 Brief Survey of African Traditional Worldview

As can be gathered from anthropological and ethnological data most of the elements found in the African worldview can be reduced to four main headings:

2.1.1 Dynamism and vitalism, comprising an existential, concrete and affective way of approach. Reality is seen and judged especially from its dynamic aspects closely related to life. The farther a being is from these elements, the more unreal and valueless it is conceived to be. Hence the emphasis on fecundity and life, and the identification between being and power or vital force. Indeed, the ideal of the African culture is coexistence with and the strengthening of vital force or vital relationship in the world and universe. Above all forces is God, who gives existence and increase of power to all others. Next come the dead of the tribe who, thanks to their transition into the other world, are endowed with special powers. The living form a hierarchy according to their power. The different manners of being are distinguished by their mode and degree of participation in the Supreme Force (God) and in superior forces of other “spiritual” beings.

The craving for power, safety, protection and life is the driving force in the African religion. This craving originates not so much from logical reflection, but from a feeling of incapacity and an obstinate desire to overcome it. Many individual needs are believed to be satisfied by dynamism and spiritism. Amulets and talisman are vehicles of vital energy. This ethic is based on the belief that every act and custom which strikes at the vital force, or at the growth and hierarchy of man is bad. What is ontologically and morally and juridically just is that which maintains and increases the vital energy received from the life-Giver, the Creator of force and the Fount from which all forces flow and are under His control.

http://afgen.com/vodoun.html

 

 Animals are sacred in African Religions, and are used (as in ancient Biblical, Hindu and Holy Koranic texts) as offerings to our gods and ancestors in both our healing, initiation, and atonement ceremonies.  Additionally, contrary to the Hollywood hype, animals are not the focus nor the center of our ceremonies.  They are merely consecrated offerings, made sacred for communal meals by the initiate, to share with their gods and ancestors.  The “rituals” surrounding this routine event are no more spectacular than the preparation of foods and farm animals for a family meal, or the Jewish ritual of kashrus (Kosher slaughtering) in making an animal sacred for offerings and consuming.  Animal offerings are a sacred, humane, and essential religious rite that has been in practice in many cultures all over the world for thousands of years, even up until the present.  

For example, because all aspects of African ritual and religious practice has been routinely demonized and maligned, few realize that their ritual practices are no different than (for example) the animal offerings used in tantric yoga.

 

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/brill/exch/2006/00000035/00000002/art00003

 

HOW ENVIRONMENTAL IS AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION?

Author: Nisbert Tarringa

“…about the Shona religion of Zimbabwe…At a theoretical level a romantic view of Shona attitudes to nature, it is possible to conclude the Shona traditional religion is necessarily environmentally friendly. The strong belief in ancestral spirits (midzimu) pan-vitalism, kinship, taboo and totems have the potential to bear testimony to this…I argue that the ecological attitudes of the African Traditional Religion more based on fear or respect of ancestral spirits than on respect for nature itself”

But what about actual organizations or web sites?

 

http://library.stanford.edu/africa/eco.html

 

This site lists 170 literature or organizations that do conservation work in all of Africa, and I am sure that there are a lot more organizations out there that this site does not list

.

This web site starts with a prayer but it is Christian in nature:

 

http://waado.org/Environment/EnvironmentPage.html

 

After 6 hours of looking the closest I could get was something like this:

 

http://www.awish.net/Africa/ecogarden.htm

 

 

eco_garden3.jpg

 

Eco-Garden Kenya

 

 

 Project Summary

Eco-garden is a community based organization dedicated to educate the people of Kenya by mobilizing and working with communities to sustainably use, manage, and conserve natural resources for the benefits of current and future generations. Eco-garden integrates food production and gardening within the principles of nature in ways which preserve the holistic functions of ecosystems and the existence of biological diversity

Environmental conservation and organic gardening projects are facilitated specifically to provide technical knowledge to community groups developing on-farm and on-site conservation practices by sustainably using natural resources such that they will be available for both wildlife and human generations in the future. Eco-garden has taken the challenge to educate these communities about the values of their remaining natural resources (wildlife, fertile soil, patchy indigenous forests, and wetlands). The project targets farmers, women and youth groups, and young farmers’ clubs in both primary schools and high schools. Because the transfer of knowledge and information from government agencies (Ministry of Agriculture) has collapsed, farmers are left on their own, and no environmental conservation classes are offered in schools. Therefore, by working with school kids, Eco-garden hopes the students will pass the information to their parents. Lastly, the project aims to educate and encourage local groups to provide future training to community members through hands-on practical approaches and participatory planning.

eco_garden1.jpg

May Your Journeys Be Smooth 

As a bonus Austin Arensberg also lists a group of Chinese Energy Advocate Groups

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WOOHOO I love this guy now if he would just cover the Sikhs, the Jains and all the rest that I have as yet to do…

http://www.austinarensberg.com/?page_id=313

China Energy Conservation Association

Gansu Province Solar Home System Project

http://www.nrel.gov/international/china/gansu_pilot_project.html
South-North Institute for Sustainable Development
http://www.snisd.org.cn
Global Village Beijing
http://www.gvbchina.org/
Energy Foundation
http://www.efchina.org
BP-Tsinghua Clean Energy Centre
Shangde Solar Energy Power Company
BECon – The Beijing Energy Efficiency Center
http://www.beconchina.org/
Shanghai Energy Conservation Science and Technology Center
Alliance to Save Energy China Program
http://www.ase.org/section/program/eeip
China Energy Group
http://china.lbl.gov/
Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association
http://www.creia.net/

Chinese Traditonal Religion Operates An Environmental Group? How do I write about this and avoid racism?

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If you go back and look at the original list of the WORLD’S RELIGIONS there are roughly 1.5 billion people that fall into 2 pretty blurry categories. Easiest to deal with are th 1.1 billion,

Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion

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Because I write about them everyday when I am not writing directly about Energy Issues, I am not going to do a post here.. The Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth and most of the other environmental nonprofits are of this group. Much harder to discuss though are religions like those of mainland China.

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Chinese traditional religion: 394 million

Chinese Traditional Religion causes clouds in westerner’s minds. I mean it would be so easy to get all New Earthy here with cliches and stuff. Or make rude references to the television program Kung FU and  being like a “grasshopper” or make fun of Shanghai Knights and Jackie Chan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_folk_religion

Western views

The absence of a proper name for this religion, associated with the absence of any canonical literature, have for a long time caused Chinese folk religion to be viewed by Westerners as a popularized version of an “authentic” religion, in the same way that the cult of the saints is viewed. Both in China and outside, adherents often describe themselves, or are described by others, as followers of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, or a mix among these.

http://www.blurtit.com/q738169.html

Blurtit expands on this definition:

“Worship of animals, the sun, moon, earth, the heavens and stars has been a tradition of this religion. Various devotions in celebration of legends, festivals, folk gods and goddesses has been part of the Chinese culture for centuries. Mythical figures, “saints,” immortals, and demigods are part of the Chinese tradition.”

The real problem for many of the world’s religions from a Jewish/Christian/Islam perspective is that they lack a Messianic Character (Christ); they are largely oral and interpretive in nature; and they are not monetheistic. This is true of a post already put up that dealt with Hinduism, but even more true of Jainism and some others.

Yet many of these religions directly address the environment as being much more important than the current leaders of the food chain, and caution against the over use of resources such as energy.

I rarely ever get lucky, but on this topic I did. a guy named Austin Arensberg put together this enormous list of groups, mostly local NGOs, working on environmental issues in China and sharing a traditional perspective.


A partial list includes:

Green Earth Volunteers

http://www.virtualfoundation.org/about/consortium/greenearth.html

Green Watershed
http://www.greenwatershed.org

Green River
http://www.green-river.org/


Nu River Project
http://www.nujiang.ngo.cn

China Rivers Network
http://www.chinarivers.ngo.cn

Wild China
http://www.wildchina.com

Han Hai Sha: Volunteer Website Dedicated to Desertification in China
http://www.desert.org.cn

China Green Foundation

Green Camel
http://www.greencamel.ngo.cn/

Perspectives plateau

www.plateauperspectives.org
Contact: Marc Foggin
Phone: +86 0 976 889 2104
Email: marc_foggin@hotmail.com

Green Khampa
Contact: Mr. Ding Xiaotao
Phone: +(86) (0) 836 283 9119
gzdingxiaotao@vip.sina.com

Friends of Grasslands
Contact: Mr. DA Lintai
Phone: +(86) (0) 471 4312480
steppecl@eyou.com

Green Campbell – Lanzhou Grasslands Research Institute

Gansu Grassland Ecological Research Institute
Contact: Dr. Liang Tiangang
Phone: + (86) (0) 0931 8662047, Fax: 86 0931 8497314
ggeri@public.lz.gs.cn
Address: P.O. Box 61, 730020, Lanzhou, Gansu Province

Snowland Great Rivers Environmental Protection Association
www.snowland-great-rivers.org
Contact: Gara Sandrup Rokai
Phone: + (86) (0) 971 6116 843, 0976 882 9088
Fax: 0976-8829099
uyohata@sina.com ,

okphone2001@yahoo.com

Upper Yangtze Conservation Development Organisation
China Vetiver Network

China Biodiversity Conservation Foundation
Fujian Bird-watching Society
Fujian Fire Bird?
HongKong Bird-Watching Society
Xiamen Bird-Watching Society
Shenzhen Bird-Watching Society
Wetland of the Dongting Lake?

Center for Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge
(http://www.cbik.org/)
Siberian Tiger Park
Wuhan Baiji Dolphin Conservation Foundation
China Wildlife Conservation Association
Nature and Culture Conservation Club

Green Dalian
Friends of Nature


And a 2006 Worldwatch Institute article makes this point:


http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3870

In this 2006 article by Lila Buckley, titled:

Maturing Environmental Movement Takes Uniquely Chinese Approach

“While many of their issues are familiar to activists around the world, environmentalists in China recognize that they must forge their own path. Speaking at the NGO Forum, Mei Yue, media director for Greenpeace China, explained how her organization tries to take advantage of environmental principles embedded in Chinese culture and philosophy. “Thinking locally in China involves traditional ideas of humanity in harmony with nature,” she said, noting that environmentalists need to stress more broadly the notion that this harmony is out of balance. “Then we can come up with uniquely Chinese understandings of new terms like ‘ecology’ and ‘sustainable development’ in order to solve our problems,” Mei explained.”

Unfortunately hindsight paints a less than hopeful Picture. The main point of the article is that Chinese Environmentalist are ready to dig in and fight. This last year brought global warming to China producing the first Heavey snowstorms during their New Year and ruining everyone’s holidays. The drought continued in the west and their deserts expanded and they drove the price of oil up over a 100$$$ per barrel.

And as usual the pretty pictures too:

indexpicture1.jpg

Hindu Environmental Groups? I know that there are Indian Environmental Groups

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But what about specific HINDU Environmental Groups?

First a note of clarification, Energy Tough Love (ETL) has been suffering from what our Web Diva calls bad code. ETL is more of an accumulator or an aggregator than an original poster. There is so much Energy/Environmental stuff out there that I just pick what interests me at the moment OR occassionally what is the hot topic of the day. We do original blogs on local issues but even then we usually “borrow” from our local newspaper – most notably Tim Landis – who does some of the best writing in the Springfield area and the AP. I have never had any problems with this approach from a production stand point in the 7 months that CES had issued this blog. We can debate the ethics of it over a beer…but besides sizing problems, the nuts and bolts of it has been fairly straight forward. That is until I got to this series on Religious based Environmental Groups…Right – go figure. One of the Muslim/Islam and one of the Jewish Websites had viruses embedded in them!!! Yah and I loaded them up to the blog.

It has taken Web Diva and me the last 5 days to get all of the yuck cleaned out and I am now studying each blog post by the coded line to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

On to the Hindu Environmental groups. Harvard is turning out to pretty much have cornered the market on Religion and The Environment…Why am I not suprised by that?

http://environment.harvard.edu/religion/religion/hinduism/projects/spirit_nature.html

and the requisite pretty pictures:

hinduism.jpg

Hindu Engaged Projects

Spirit in Nature (SpIN) Interfaith Path Sanctuary

pirit in Nature (SpIN) Interfaith Path Sanctuary is a non-profit organization that brings together people of diverse religious traditions to promote reverence and care for the earth. Through education, dialogue, and spiritual reflection in nature, SpIN seeks to awaken people to environmental problems, promote environmental action that is spiritually or religiously rooted, and provide a replicable model for engaging diverse religious traditions in caring for the Earth. Seeking to create an opportunity for people of diverse traditions to meet, meditate, walk, and worship in a setting that is conducive to spiritual reflection on nature, SpIN established a network of eleven “faith paths” in the foothills of the Green Mountains, near Ripton, Vermont. Nine of the paths represent different religions (Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Quaker, and Unitarian Universalist), while the other two, including the children’s path, are inter-religious. The paths meet at a sacred circle, highlighting the interconnections between different religious traditions and between humans and the environment. SpIN encourages reflective walking along the paths, which are marked with “nature notes” indicating special points of interest in the natural surroundings. The paths have benches and quotes from each religious tradition about connecting with the earth. Located on seventy acres of land, the Vermont path center now has six to eight miles of paths with more than 6,000 feet of river and brook frontage. In addition to maintaining the paths, SpIN sponsors public events geared toward stimulating dialogue and action on behalf of the earth, such as its Bread and Soup Speaker Series, Earth Day Fair, discussion groups, guided walks and experiential activities at the path center. Each year SpIN publicly recognizes a person who has contributed to the connection of religion and ecology with its annual Eco-Spirit Award. “Spreading the Seeds” workshops are available for people interested in starting SpIN path centers at other locations, and the quarterly Spirit in Nature newsletter keeps readers informed about events, activities, and political issues related to religion and the environment. The Spirit in Nature Handbook, which contains information about SpIN and the Vermont path center, is available in print and on-line. At present, SpIN has more than 270 members nationwide, about one third of whom are not affiliated with any particular religious organization. New SpIN groups are forming in Boston and western Massachusetts; Norwich, Vermont; and Saratoga Springs, New York.

There is this Blogger:

http://kalyan98.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/setu-violation-of-environmental-protection-norms-and-coastal-peoples-livelihood/

Who sites this newspaper article:

http://www.livemint.com/sethusamudram.htm

Which cites this group:

COASTAL ACTION NETWORK

Contact Addresses

Jesu Rethinam, 546, Selva Prabha Complex, Public Office Road, Velippalayam, Nagapattinam – 611 001.                            

Ph: 04365 – 248674, Tele / Fax: 04365 – 248907; E-mail: coastalactionnetwork@rediffmail.com

Ossie Fernandes, No. 10, Thomas Nagar, Little Mount, Saidapet, Chennai – 600 015.Ph : 044 – 223 53 503, Fax : 044 – 223 55 905,

E-mail – hrf@xlweb.com,

hrf@md3.vsnl.net.in


Then there is this site if you want to get into the hardcore stuff

https://www.himalayanacademy.com/taka/past/2003/June/June_04_2003/

“To the Hindu the ground is sacred. The rivers are sacred. The sky is sacred. The sun is sacred. His wife is a Goddess. Her husband is a God. Their children are devas. Their home is a shrine. Life is a pilgrimage to liberation from rebirth, and no violence can be carried to the higher reaches of that ascent. While nonviolence speaks only to the most extreme forms of wrongdoing, ahimsa, which includes not killing, goes much deeper to prohibit the subtle abuse and the simple hurt. Rishi Patanjali described ahimsa as the great vow and foremost spiritual discipline which Truth-seekers must follow strictly and without fail. This extends to harm of all kinds caused by one’s thoughts, words and deeds–including injury to the natural environment. Even the intent to injure, even violence committed in a dream, is a violation of ahimsa. Vedic rishis who revealed dharma proclaimed ahimsa as the way to achieve harmony with our environment, peace between peoples and compassion within ourselves. The Vedic edict is: “Ahimsa is not causing pain to any living being at any time through the actions of one’s mind, speech or body.” Aum Namah Sivaya.”

Gurudeva

Then there is this report:

http://www.foe.org.au/media-releases/2002-media-releases/mr_25_11_02.htm

November 25, 2002

US Corportions fund Right-Wing

 Indian Hindu Groups

Hindutva, the Hindu supremacist ideology that has under girded much of the communal violence in India over the last several decades, has seen tremendous growth outside India over the last two decades. This report focuses on one US based organization–the India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF), which has systematically funded Hindutva operations in India. “The Foreign Exchange of Hate” establishes that the IDRF is not a secular and non-sectarian organization as it claims to be, but is, on the contrary, a major conduit of funds for Hindutva organizations in India

And if you want to CHAT it up well:

http://www.hindunet.com/forum/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=environmentalism

Sanatana Dharma

Buddhist Environmental Groups? You would just bet that that was the case

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Given the nature of the religion, more accurately called a way of life, you would think that there would be a lot of groups with this point of view. I found a few:

http://www.dharmanet.org/engaged.html

Environment / ecology

  • Dharma Gaia Trust -The mission is to nurture awareness of the complementarity of Buddhism and ecology through generating funds for Buddhist-inspired ecological projects in Asia and the developing world.
  • Earth Sangha [U.S.] – Founded in 1998 as a nonsectarian, nonprofit Buddhist environmental organization, our mission is to encourage the practice of Buddhism as an answer to the global environmental crisis, and to do practical conservation work of a kind that expresses the Buddhist ideal of compassion for all beings.
  • Zen Environmental Studies Center[U.S.] – Formed in 1992 to coordinate Zen Mountain Monastery’s activities in the areas of environmental eduation, recreation, research, and protection.

I apologize for the link to the Dharma Gaia Trust above, I am using a new editing system because of problems with my Internet Explorer. I tried twice to get it right because the source text is not an accurate link but I failed. So here it is:

http://teknozen.igc.org/dgt/

As with the Muslims, Harvard appears to have become a leader in the link between religion and the Environment. Maybe they can shame the world into stopping BURNING the world up! As always the link between burning fossil fuels and the Environment is absolute.

http://environment.harvard.edu/religion/religion/buddhism/projects/alliance_religion.html

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Environmentalists always have pretty pictures.
Buddhist Engaged Projects

Alliance of Religion and Conservation (ARC)

The Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) is a secular group that helps the world’s major religions develop their own environmental programs based on their core teachings, beliefs, and practices. ARC links religions with key environmental organizations, creating powerful alliances between religious communities and conservation groups. The Alliance works with eleven major religions (Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism) as well as the key traditions or denominations within each tradition. ARC recognizes the crucial role that the world’s religions play in addressing the environmental crisis: the eleven religions participating in the Alliance own seven percent of the habitable surface of the planet; if they invested together, they would be the world’s third largest identifiable block of holders of stocks and shares. Combined, these religions reach out to every village and town, have the trust of more people than any other national or international group, and their followers constitute at least two-thirds of the world’s population. By drawing on holy books, sacred sites, traditional farming, education networks, media, and the assets of the religions, ARC helps create environmental projects such as forest management, organic farming, alternative energy, socially responsible investing, educational projects, sacred nature reserves, urban planning, and professional development. Current ARC projects include the founding of an International Interfaith Investment Group (3iG) with the intention of working with the investment arms of religions to create models for positive investment. The aim of this project is for each religion to assess its portfolios with due regard to its beliefs, values, the environment, and human rights “so that all life on Earth can benefit.” Another major initiative, the Asian-Buddhist Network, enables Buddhists from all corners of Asia to share their experiences with environmental projects within their communities.

Other Buddhist Environmental Resources and Links

Nuclear Guardianship Project (NGP): General Information
Nuclear Guardianship Project (NGP): Library
Pitaka: Academic Buddhist Resources
Shin Dharmanet

On to Weird Bird Friday>>>>>

Peace Be With You

Jewish Environmental Groups? I thought this could be a lot of fun

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While I was working on the last 2 posts, a thought came to me. Are there religious based environmental and energy advocacy organizations around the the country or the world?

http://www.coejl.org/resources/israelorg.php

And quick as you can say Holly Moelly Batman, I find this site and they got pretty pictures too.

banner.jpg

Israeli Environmental Issues and Organizations

Adam Teva V’Din: The Israel Union for Environmental Defense

info@iued.org.il
http://www.iued.org.il
Protection and restoration of Israel’s environment through research, grassroots organizing, litigation, and political advocacy.

Alma – Association for Environmental Quality
A citizens group involved in promoting the use of environmentally-friendly products and organically-grown produce, in encouraging industry to reduce waste, in advancing recycling and in forming an environmental youth movement.

The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (AIES)
Email: info@arava.org
http://www.arava.org/
AIES offers the foremost environmental studies program in the Middle East. Participants come from The Palestinian Authority, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and a variety of other nations including the US, Canada, Sweden, China, and Australia.

Council for a Beautiful Israel
Email: cbi@israel-yafa.org.il
http://www.israel-yafa.org.il/
CBI is active in promoting environmental awareness, protecting the natural beauty of Israel, preserving historical sites, promoting the rehabilitation of run-down urban areas and developing public recreation sites and gardens.

Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME)/EcoPeace
Email: contact@ecopeace.com
http://www.ecopeace.com
A consortium of Egyptian, Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian environmental non-governmental organizations that work jointly to promote sustainable development in the Middle East.

For Bicycles
Email: taba@bike.org.il
http://www.bike.org.il/
Local associations for the promotion of bicycles as a means of transportation in Israel’s cities.

Green Action
Email: info@greenaction.org.il
http://www.greenaction.org.il/
An association fighting against environmentally damaging projects by means of colorful demonstrations, attracting media attention to issues.

Greenpeace Mediterranean
Email: mmedia@diala.greenpeace.org
http://www.greenpeacemed.org.mt

Green Course (Megama Yeruka)
Email: megama@green.org.il
http://www.green.org.il/
Students’ group aimed at promoting environmental issues inside and outside the universities, colleges and other higher education institutes.

Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership
Email: heschel@heschelcenter.org
http://www.heschelcenter.org/about_eng.html
Integrates environmental ethics into Jewish and Israeli education through seminars, teacher training, curricula development, and research.

Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI)
Email: iccijeru@icci.org.il
“http://www.icci.org.il/
The ICCI is an umbrella organization of over 70 Jewish, Muslim and Christian institutions actively working towards interreligious and intercultural understanding in Israel and the region.

Israel Economic Forum for the Environment
Email: ecoforum@netvision.net.il
The forum encourages industry, transportation, agriculture and other economic sectors to incorporate environmental concerns into their development planning alongside economic and operational concerns.

Israeli Green Party
http://www.green-party.org.il/

Israeli-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) (Environmental Programs)
Email: ipcri@ipcri.org
http://www.ipcri.org

Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Email: jcpa@netvision.net.il
http://www.jcpa.org/jep.htm
List of recent Jewish Environmental Publications

Jewish Global Environmental Network (JGEN)
Email: jgen@coejl.org
http://www.jgenisrael.org
The mission of the JGEN is to develop partnerships and collaborative initiatives through which Jewish environmental leaders in Israel and around the world work together toward a sustainable future for Israel.

Jewish National Fund
Email: communications@jnf.org
http://www.jnf.org/
Forestry and land reclamation in Israel; education; Israel trips; campus programming.

Kibbutz Lotan
Email: lotan-office@lotan.ardom.co.il
Email: lotan-programs@lotan.ardom.co.il
http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/
Kibbutz Lotan offers creative approaches for integrating the study of Liberal/Progressive Judaism, kibbutz, desert ecology, and environmental protection.

Life and Environment
Email: sviva@sviva.net
http://www.sviva.net
An umbrella organization to coordinate environmental activities among Israel’s non-governmental organizations.

Ministry of Environment
www.sviva.gov.il/

Neot Kedumim
Email: Gen_Info@Neot-Kedumim.org.il
http://www.neot-kedumim.org.il
Nature reserve dedicating to restoring the flora and fauna of biblical Israel; publication of educational materials.

New Israel Fund
info@nif.org
http://www.newisraelfund.org
New Israel Fund pursues an integrated strategy of grantmaking, technical assistance and coalition building to support national and community-based public interest organizations in Israel.

Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI)
Email: international@spni.org.il
http://www.spni.org.il/e, birthright mission: http://israelnature.com/

Israel’s largest environmental organization advocates environmental protection and offers a wide variety of educational programs and tours.

American Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (ASPNI)
email: aspni@aol.com
http://www.aspni.org/

Teva Adventure Israel
Email: info@tevaadventure.org
http://www.tevaadventure.org
Teva Adventure is a new not-for-profit informal Jewish educational organization that combines outdoor, environmental & adventure education with Jewish programming.

SHALOM

Fundamental Christians And The Environment – They do take themselves seriously

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Where some of the Christian Environmental Groups come off as tree huggers and naturists, the Fundamentalists take themselves seriously. It’s a job, damn it!

http://www.creationcare.org/resources/signatores.php

 

And they are not afraid to bring out the heavy guns.

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Some of them are just getting started but these folks take the long view.

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http://christianenvironmentalist.com/

And they got pretty pictures. This one is just getting started, though they have T-Shirts for sale.

The next one seems to have run out of gas in December. Must be the meaning of word “The”.

http://www.thechristianenvironmentalist.com/

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He does list these interesting links:

http://www.gipl.org/

http://www.nccecojustice.org/index.htm

http://www.newdream.org/

http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/

http://www.evaneco.com/

http://careofcreation.org/blog/blog.main.cfm

Go get them, Christians! I especially like the first one Georgia Interfaith Power and Light as a word play on the real Utility.

Christian Environmentalism – I had not posted on this before because I can’t tell how long the movement will last.

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The fact that Christians are finally awaking to their moral duties to the planet in large numbers is great…important…superb, BUT would it last? I think the answer is yes. So I thought I would post some sites that seem to be representative. One even has links and you know how I like links. I may even add some to the blogroll. The first is in honor of my father who grew up in the Episcopal Church.

http://episcopal-life.org/1829_62397_ENG_HTM.htm 

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The environmental movement within the Episcopal Church is deepening its roots and branching out. From grassroots “green building” projects to international conferences, Episcopalians are seeking ways to integrate their faith with care for the environment. Interest is growing, as are efforts to link members and organizations within the environmental movement with each other and with other faith groups, leaders say.“There’s definitely a growing interest,” says the Rev. Fletcher Harper, convener of the Episcopal Ecological Network (EpEN), adding, “It’s still very much a movement in its infancy.” The movement is more than environmental activism.“There’s a theological component as well as an environmental,” says Joyce Wilding, Province IV environmental ministry leader. “It’s not the Sierra Club of the Episcopal Church. It is grounded and rooted in our deep Episcopal tradition.” That’s been true since the beginning, says the Rev. Franklin “Skip” Vilas, founder of EpEN and Partners for Environmental Quality (now GreenFaith) in New Jersey.
“Our commitment does not come out of what you could call traditional environmentalism. It really comes out of a new look at the earth as a gift from God,” he says.“All of our commitments came out of a spiritual commitment, and we made it very clear to everybody — both in the churches and also in the environmental community — that our position would always be in a centrist position. That is, we would try to confer with both the business community as well as the environmental community, because they were all in our congregations.”

The Committee on Science, Technology and Faith
  The Episcopal Ecological Network
  Earth Ministry
  Eco-Justice Ministries
  Enter Now the Reflection, Education, Action Treatise
  Peace and Justice Ministries Office, Environmental Stewardship
  Forum on Religion and Ecology
  GreenFaith
  Interfaith Climate Change Network
  Minnesota Episcopal Environmental Stewardship Commission
  National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Working Group
  NCC programs
  The National Religious Partnership for the Environment
  The Regeneration Project
  TransFair USA
  The U.S. Green Building Council

http://www.cnaturenet.org/

 

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Churches Encouraged to Connect Children with Nature

Church Executive – March 01, 2008
By Rachel Beach

 Many of us first began to grasp the idea of a world much larger than ourselves as youngsters. We wandered in the woods, stuck our noses into rose blossoms, and gazed at the stars in wonderment. Hundreds of studies have shown that discovering the beauty of nature is necessary for a child’s healthy development.

Spending time outdoors often means taking risks such as climbing trees or walking near a cliff, and in turn encourages children to practice good judgment and be alert to their surroundings. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines for playground safety, “A risk is a challenge we are willing to do.” Unstructured play helps develop a child’s cognitive thinking skills, the ability to learn, and stimulate one’s imagination.

Unfortunately, statistics show that outdoor play has decreased by 75 percent since 1900. But now, some childcare specialists have called upon churches and faith-based organizations to “reclaim nature as a part of the spiritual development of children.” Reconnecting children with the outdoors leads to them becoming good stewards of the environment.

A parable example

Consider the parable of the talents. We have a responsibility to improve the world that was given to us and to pass it on in better condition to our children, who will grow up to be the next generation of stewards. Some responsibility lies on the church’s shoulders to communicate appreciation for and protection of the beautiful world God has given us.

http://www.kidsoutside.info/
I have always wanted to say this…More About God Tomorrow.
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India Is Becoming One Of The Largest Polluters In The World

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But within India there are the seeds of a conservation movement that may yet save our one and only planet.

http://www.communityconservation.org/india.htm

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The forests of the Manas Biosphere Reserve in western Assam, India have been threatened by illegal logging since the early 1990s. In the last 10 years approximately one third to one half of the three Reserve Forests, Ripu, Chirrang, and Manas, encompassing 350,000 acres, have been deforested. These Reserve Forests and the Royal Manas Sanctuary of Bhutan that borders to the north are the main range of the golden langur ( Trachypithecus geei ) , a leaf-eating primate species occurring only in Assam and Bhutan. In Assam, the species also inhabits a number of “island” fragments south of the main range such as the Kakoijana Reserve Forest (RF), Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary (WS) and Nadangiri Reserve Forest.

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or this group:

 

http://www.massfoundation.org/

 

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FUTURE PLANS

 

MASS believes in our Founder Mr. Rajeev Kumar thoughts – “The Faith, Motto and the Strength of our MASS is to enhance and improve the quality of Human Development, Human Right, Human Values, Human Behavior and be the part of our Mother Nature, always………………………………..Forever” More….
Movement and Action for Social Services (MASS ) will shortly open an Educational channel with International perspectives like Gyan Darshan and Gyan Vani. Also MASS have complete blueprint to print a Monthly, bilingual National news paper and Magazine.
MASS 1st Secondary School will Shortly be opened in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.
MASS is committed to run a Training centre for women (For Self employment like Computer, Sewing etc.) MASS will affiliate its centres to National Council for Technical Education (NCTE) or United Nations ( UN )
Currently MASS is associated with many national and International, Governmental and Non-Governmental agencies and Organizations. MASS will present the real and right concept of One Earth-One Being without discriminate to caste, Religion, Sex, Race, Age, color etc.
One award will be given by MASS to topper student in the name of Shri RAM DASS AWARD which will include one shawl, one certificate and Rs.11,000.

Above mentioned points are Future Plans of MASS , MASS will frame out these points after the approval of relevant agencies or organizations

And this organization too. But its slow work…will they get there in time?

http://www.indiatogether.org/2007/jun/env-ccas.htm

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COMMUNITY ACTION
At last, some good news on conservation
India’s community conservation areas (CCAs) are nowhere near prosaic; they are instead heartening and remarkable pools of ecological and biodiversity rejuvenation in a country beset with environmental degradation in its bid to industrialise. Keya Acharya identifies the silver lining.

21 June 2007 – If you use the acronym ‘CCA’, it sounds like yet another dry file on a matter or discussion in, say a climate change conference or a development debate. But community conservation areas (CCAs) are nowhere near prosaic; they are instead heartening and remarkable pools of ecological and biodiversity rejuvenation in a country beset with environmental degradation in its bid to industrialise.

CCAs are forests, grasslands, wetlands or marine areas of various types, small and large, either specific ones set up for conservation, or for cultural and spiritual reasons with some having been around for centuries. They involve village-level efforts at conservation of a varied range of natural resources from wildlife nesting, feeding or roosting sites, threatened wildlife species to water catchment reservoirs and resource reserves.

“Even though some are disappearing and inspite of the difficulties involved in conservation of natural resources for a varied number of reasons, CCAs still remain in the hundreds of thousands countrywide,” says Ashish Kothari, founder-member of environmental NGO Kalpavriksh, who together with Neema Pathak and others at Kalpavriksh has spent years searching for and documenting some of these initiatives countrywide. Kalpavriksh is now in the process of publishing a directory of such community-conservation areas.

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