Today is daffodil
blooming day at our house! Those bright yellow spring flowers are
finally peeking out of their green casings. I am always interested
in how micro-climates change in significant ways even by ten miles.
The daffodils at church bloomed over a week ago. And this year our
flowers are a couple weeks later than they were a few years ago—as
evidenced by dated photo records on my laptop.
Thinking about the climate makes
me think about climate change, and the activists who are working to
change our relationship to the earth from that of “maximum
extraction and destruction,” to that of “mutually beneficial
partnership.”
This
week in Washington DC, a group of ranchers and indigenous people from
western states, called the “Cowboy Indian Alliance,” are bringing
a message against the Keystone XL pipeline which would transport Tar
Sands Oil from Canada down to Texas for processing. When I was a
kid, we played battles as cowboys and Indians—though in our family
we thought it was funny because my dad was sometimes a cowboy and my
mom was part Indian—but now they are working together to protect
the earth. Aside from the environmental hazards of a pipeline, the
message is that we can't take that oil out of the sands if we want to
preserve a climate that can support human life. You can find out
more, and see photos of the teepees on the mall at
http://rejectandprotect.org/
It
was recently announced that President Obama is delaying his decision
about KeystoneXL, probably until the fall, so that gives us more time
to keep working against it. Some of us at A2U2 have signed on (with
100,000 others) to the Credo Pledge of Resistance. It says, "I
pledge, if necessary, to join others in my community, and engage in
acts of dignified, peaceful civil disobedience that could result in
my arrest in order to send the message to President Obama and his
administration that they must reject the Keystone XL pipeline."
I
have participated in civil disobedience before in my life, though it
was a long time ago. I was inspired by the groundswell of resistance
to KeystoneXL, and the terrible importance of this work on behalf of
the future of our planet and all its creatures. I am attending a
training on the morning of May 3rd
(before coming down to Ferry Beach for our retreat days) to
participate in the civil disobedience, should it be necessary. If
you are interested, email me at revmyke at a2u2.org
if you'd like more information.
In
the meantime, work is continuing at A2U2 on our own relationship to
our land and its structures. Tonight
is the final meeting of the group of 20 or so members of A2U2 who
have been part of the Permaculture Design Short Course with Lisa
Fernandes. Mini-groups have been doing research about various areas
that were identified as priorities in the congregational survey a few
months ago. Issues like how to fix the parking lot, improve our air
quality, and improve the bathrooms, along with hopes about how to use
more renewable energy, increase energy efficiency, and how to create
earth friendly habitat in our landscaping. I am sure that work will
continue, and you'll hear more about it as we come up with some
viable ideas. But you don't have to wait—if you want to get more
involved, you are always welcome. Contact me, or even better,
contact Harold McWilliams, at haroldmcwilliams at gmail.com,
who has been doing a great job of coordinating our efforts. A great
big thank you to Harold!
Happy Spring,
Rev. Myke
