Solar Eagle Takes Flight

Photo by Jeff Pantukhoff / Spectral Q

“Solar Eagle Takes Flight”

by Suzanne Maxx

On Sunday, October 21^st I joined my friend and World Team advocate, John Quigley as he directed another global aerial art piece; “The Solar Eagle”,(click here) from the Los Angeles Historical State Park, as part of 350.org’s Global eARTh project, which could be seen from outer space.

World Team Now’s (WTN) constituency was invited to participate, so I went to join the team of people that made up the art, to help create the image of the Eagle using solar materials, backing, copper , and us—human bodies.

On the ground at the event there was a message for all about global climate solutions.  We were inspired to take action in the “Clean Green Energy Revolution” (click here for video). Soaring above from the sky down to the earth, we were there to move people around the world, and especially our leaders- before next week’s UN Climate Conference in Cancun (COP16), into action for binding, enforceable global policy.

This was my first time being a participant in an aerial art piece when I arrived on the site all were fighting the wind to keep the solar backing down on the ground. I brought duct tape, and I wondered if I was really making a difference by being just one more body, it could be anybody (even though I know that each person makes a difference). Working together with volunteers, people of different backgrounds, many I didn’t know, but all were kind, enforced the good in humanity.

The experience was peaceful as we lay on the solar backing our bodies being the font, to make part of the art. The Satellite came over on schedule to capture a photo courtesy of DigitalGlobe’s, and we all were still gazing up at the sky listening to the DJ’s music powered by solar.

After the Helicopter circled for their shot of the image from the air, we cheered and howled and stood up.  John later shared about the arrival of the duct tape, “It was the right thing at the right time,” and hearing those words were helped validate the World Team path.  As it has been so hard to be patient, and to learn to trust the timing, and keep persevering with World Team.

The vision for World Team over these years is a consciousness where all people play together as a team for the peaceful transformation of the world to live in balance with our natural resources.

This global art project is another that WTN has supported by 350.org and is an example of this vision.  We have been blessed to see the global environmental movement really grow, and be a part of that growth through World Team Now.

With people taking action, eventually the leaders will follow, as there is a universal truth about where we are in humanity that each of us knows; we must embrace change, of consciousness and be aware of how we use our energy.

Since our journey to Rio in 1992 for the Earth Summit/Global Forum John has found his self expression in the environmental movement with activism and aerial art (click here for more of SpectralQ) .  We both were in Copenhagen last year for COP15 and with the UNFCC’s COP16 coming up in Cancun next week this was opportunity to raise awareness about renewable energy, especially solar and other renewable energy locally and globally.  The image, the experience and this Global eARTh Project is the true meaning of the expression; “Far out!”