* Letter No.3 * January 2018 *
Happy New Year!
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Hi humans! I hope you're having a refreshing start to 2018. I don't know about ya'll, but personally 2017 was an intense year and I was relieved to put it to rest. Still, it was a big year of growth and learning for me & for this project known as Church of Earth.
Some Highlights:
• Organized the Earth Day Art Show in April which featured 20+ artists along with workshops, meditation classes, and an open mic!
• Collaborated on several art shows & community events focused on climate change and/or healing, and built new connections with environmental & social justice groups in Colorado.
• Facilitated two Vision Board Art Parties thanks to The Geller Center and the Downtown Artery!
• Started an Online Shop, a Facebook page, and this Newsletter!
I started Church of Earth in 2016 out of a deep need to have conversations about the state of our world and find healing & solutions. It's exciting to see the many different forms this project has taken, and I am so grateful and humbled by the support it has received. Thank you with all my heart to everyone who has participated in an event, bought an Earthling shirt, provided space & resources, subscribed to this newsletter, helped me brainstorm, and everything else. At the end of the day this is a community endeavor and I really appreciate you.
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!!!!!SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!
EARTHLINGS UNITE! Art Show & Community Gathering
I am excited to share that for the 3rd year in a row, there will be an Earth Day group art show at the Art Lab in Fort Collins, CO!! This will be similar to last year's show but more Action Oriented. In addition to all the beautiful art, I want this to be a place for people to gather information, connect with each other, and really envision the beautiful world we can create. Everyone is welcome to contribute -- you are invited to share your artwork, ideas, performances, teaching skills, poems, projects, research -- anything inspired by the words "EARTHLINGS UNITE!". Feel free to email me for more info/to share ideas (earthling055@gmail.com).
Tentative deadline for completed works is April 1st, but definitely talk to me before that if you're interested.
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GOOD NEWS TODAY ON PLANET EARTH:
1. Costa Rica has run entirely on renewable energy for 300+ days! The country is being powered primarily by hydropower in addition to wind, geothermal, and solar. They are also working to be the first country to eliminate single-use plastics.
2. Electricity in Germany was free recently due to surplus of wind power! Some customers were being paid to consume power as the price went negative.
3. Republican Mayor of Georgetown, Texas shows that renewable energy doesn't have to be a bi-partisan issue. Dale Ross led the city to commit to 100% renewable energy in 2015. “The revolution is here...And I’m a good little Republican, a rightwing fiscal conservative, but when it comes to making decisions based on facts, that’s what we do.”
4. World poverty is on the decline. Less people are illiterate than ever before, and more people are getting access to electricity and clean water every day. Obviously there's still plenty of work to do, but we are continuing to make progress in overall human health and education.
5. A reminder that "it's very simple to be kind." Check out this video about an awesome U.K. kid named Jacob who organized his community to gather supplies and backpacks for the homeless.
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DIRECT ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:
1. Consider integrating zero-waste practices into your lifestyle.
Human beings produce a lot of waste through our modern consumption habits, and the majority of it is likely unnecessary, not to mention destructive. The zero-waste movement is a response to that, offering lots of healthy, beautiful, & smart alternatives to the habits we've grown used to as a society.
Lauren Singer is a pioneer of this movement and has a really awesome Ted Talk that explains how & why she was able to keep all the trash she produced over 3 years in one mason jar!! Also check out this article from her site for ideas about where to start. It might seem daunting to integrate some of these changes, but I honestly get a lot of joy & satisfaction out of re-purposing things rather than throwing them away, bringing my re-usable bag to the store, and finding sweet stuff from thrift stores. The time I actually remembered to bring my own container to a restaurant for leftovers was weirdly thrilling. Gotta celebrate the little things!!
2. Watch: Awake, A Dream from Standing Rock
This is a really beautiful, inspiring documentary about the Standing Rock "protest"/revolution in North Dakota last year. It's a great reminder of the courage, resilience, & dignity of human beings and the power we all have to protect our earth and each other. It's available on Netflix right now but you can also buy it & learn more about the film here.
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Yay! Thanks so much for subscribing and reading. You are all awesome. I think it's going to be a powerful year of action and healthy changes! Feel free to contact me if you're interested in contributing to the EARTHLINGS UNITE! show in any way, I'd love to hear your ideas.
with gratitude,
Rachel
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