Category: Climate Change (Page 1 of 4)

The Script for Transformation

 

Historic Kilauea Lighthouse. Kilauea Hawaii

Transitions leading to transformation continue to exceed imagined speeds, both globally, and locally. Sometimes it occurs like we are all collectively dancing the “Cha-Cha” or “Tango” going backwards to thrust forward, in a rhythm created by the tension of opposing forces, coming to one. A triune perspective, like the wholeness of the Yin-Yang symbol, helps temper the warming-heating contrast to go forward with momentum needed to better build movement and strengthen a collective consciousness of being in a myriad of crises, on this one Planet Earth.

Aligned in the depths of the mission and vision of what started as a Call for a “World Team” and morphed from Team World Corps, non-profit, and ultimately residing in our named registered; “World Team Now,” says the words of the visions’ priorities.  What if all in the world worked together as a team? Taking action together, teaming-up? The vision was to change the perspective of even divided hemispheres, the Global North against the Global South, but instead a real whole, World Team that united for our collective survival of all species in harmony with one another. Then what would be the goals?  WHO do we play against? What is the equivalent of a global race or game, that needs to be won for our future?  This movement is organically unfolding with little help from the mysterious ways that come from higher up.

Opening plenary, SDG Action Weekend 9/16/2023

The United Nations (UN) “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs) — yes, in one’s brain the acronym tends to get confused with a contagious disease.  The UN speaks the language of acronyms, and this one gets a laugh or cry as we’ve learned when sharing about the goals publically most recently in Kauai, Hawaii USA. World Team Now’s systems solutions work on island resiliency and for the health of waters, especially the Ocean with a curriculum.

Bi-location is something many of us wanted to master, but now the team was growing to have at least one of us physically representing at the UN, and one on an island.  The beauty of these times is we can have a virtual and actual physical presence. Now there are so many people with the common vision each going forward in their own creative way at the United Nations and especially on islands to hold the light for a future.

The ironic laugh or cry in the corridors inside plenaries of the United Nations meeting rooms, on the home island of Manhattan is more about the seriousness of the situation we are in collectively with natural resources to be reprioritized. The Global Goals, targets and indicators to be achieved by 2030 are ambitious.  “Pie in the Sky,” is a remark I heard along the journey of World Team, too, but it is important to have values to aim for, however like regions of the world boundaries divided what divides us can limit us until the division is united by us people.

SDG Media Zone at the SDG Action Weekend & Summit

This Sustainable Development Goals Summit that preceded the 78th UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) was to take a look at our progress and set the tone for the work towards much needed transformation— action, beyond the bureaucratic siloed approach that has contributed to the crises we face, in the effort to aid. The perspective is what was called to check, at this half-time point since in 2015, and how to engage all people.  It is becoming more clear as what was falls away and becomes beyond the future we want, is the future that is Divinely inspired to become us all to remain being human here

Thankfully, these thoughts contemplated over 5 decades ago, are becoming a collective priority, expressed in myriads of diverse ways of action, played out creatively.  Next year more of the movement will play out in the public sphere to inspire all to participate. Out of the opposing tension of contrasting views, beliefs, and values in civil society, governments, corporations, and institutions, births an opportunity to see the light of peace collectively.

Especially prioritized in the hearts of youth today— peace in creative collective action is being demonstrated.  Youth armed with indigenous wisdom passed forward, innovative science and pioneering technology to lead with a Call for “All People”….

All People, those words remind of the lyrics of a beautiful song written by souls called “Voices of the World” gifted to us to use from brothers and sisters, a family of a common Call, as each individual made it to the Earth Summit / Global Forum in Rio Di Janiero for World Team decades ago that forged a bond over the years continuing to build on the collective movement.

Sunset North Shore Kauai

Here is where the Biodiversity Treaty, Law of the Sea, the annual Conference of the Parties COP, and other globally carved out efforts to meet and take on collective global environmental and social challenges rooted in the hearts. Many of these documents of global public policy roots were in those grounds of RIO or Rio+20, and now getting ready for COP28.  So many individuals committed to the long journey to show a resilient world with net zero energy and renewed systems coming back to respect an intimacy for nature-based solutions, for the next generation— for a regenerative future!

Although not from the present vantage point predictable, the 17 SDGs, aka the Global Goals, are for the higher possibility of what we each could be individually or together for the future transcending our past patterns and systems of organizing life on planet earth, ideally beyond one country.

In each breath, there is a choice to make a difference, in 24hrs/1Day, and/or a lifetime, sometimes we each have a choice of what to prioritize, and we all have in common a capacity to love. How do we make our place where love could be the priority for all by how we live?

SDG Digital, to accelerate the SDGs by digitization Sunday, Sept 17, 2023, UN SDG Action Weekend

With our roots in intercultural New York, state of mind, and at the UN SDG Summit, as world leaders have come together, and with our feet still in the sand, for resiliency in Kauai, Hawaii; bi-location would be of value, as we grow this team.

Holding the vision for World Team amidst a myriad of ways to “organize the world” through crises, allows for something organic to emerge. When not floating on the Ocean, teaching, advocating, and working on the curricula for certification we are virtually building out a World Team.  We hope to show you more soon.

Ocean Float

With the Ocean-Float Skate-Roll we are growing a way to represent and engage our communities in different places to experience more intimacy with the earth, land (A’aina) and Ocean waters (Moana, Kai). We are excited about the Ocean-Float curricula; clear the past out and join us in the Ocean, for the OCEAN, and YOU, and us all.

We have donated some sessions for Ocean-Float and Skate Roll to the auction now taking place virtually to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the legendary CK Chu Tai Chi, in New York, NY USA.  The studio has not only helped transform us, but the neighborhood, and the island of Manhattan.  It is remarkable to witness the energy contributed to Times Square, NYC, where Ck Chu Tai Chi is based, and all who Teamed-up for the transformation of the heart of the city.  Team-up for transformation is key. Hope you can join us in this next chapter of island Ocean advocacy works teaming-up for us as One Body starting with one body— or all parts of us.  Along with one’s mind and spirit and soul there in, we practice being one with all within and throughout.

North Shore Kauai with ideal ocean conditions for Ocean-Float

World Team Now’s approach to the Sustainable Development Goals is like a sampling of small-scale systems solutions organically coming from the island innovation discovered, that is nature-based and rooted in the heritage of indigenous culture‘s wisdom, augmented by technology to boost our capacity to scale.

We are working to pilot systems solutions, consciously chosen.  For example, with transportation, Bertrand Piccard of the Solar Impulse shares the overview of that system vision here.

The action-oriented Summit for the Future, comprising a chapeau and five chapters on sustainable development and financing for development; international peace and security; science, technology, and innovation and digital cooperation; youth and future generations; and transforming global governance.

Specific measurable results with a “Common Agenda” for multilateralism are explained more here.

Together for environmental and social justice, as ONE, as in One People, ONE Ocean, One Body, One Earth. Teaming-up so literally, as the UN slogan goes so “no one gets left behind,” but we become one in the future.

SDG exhibit at the UN Sculpture lawn

An Ocean of Thanks, Giving to Islands

Thank you! Yes, YOU! An ocean of thanks with your kind thoughts, willingness to listen and share over the years with our World Team project, especially with our 501 c3 nonprofit World Team Now.  We appreciate all who volunteer as we embark on the ocean,  atmosphere nexus and giving to islands.   The seeds planted the past decades have  landed in fertile ground, are watered,  and we’ve started to see the change embraced with growth.

Photo shot in Central Park, an example of a Heat Island, temperatures are warmer and the leaves are on trees. in late November now.

I am not only referring only to Climate Change, but the severity of the situation with social and environmental tension climaxing.  May these crises ultimately build greater health  for our world.  There is evidence that humanity is finally considering nature to be a greater priority, and it is about time.

At this “giving” time we are in a flood— yes of Noah’s time’s proportion— of not only information and data, but also incredible organizations all vying for resources.  We are encouraging the prioritization of your own well- being first and to consider where you can make a small change to live more intimately with nature, and plant more seeds of change.

We at World Team Now prioritized small islands in the Global South, as they seemed to have the “least,” in terms of development and yet  are “most’ vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We have realized that when it comes to nature we have much to learn from natural based solutions, to live intimately with the ocean, and in better balance collectively.   Now with the ocean, we all can support resiliency as a priority and together share the resources needed to meet the crises with opportunities.

The ocean reaches us all, and we found ourselves starting at home first these past two years.  If you have resources to give, know they will go to one of our campaigns: our ocean experiential educational curricula, barrier islands, nature-based and renewable systems solutions, our alternative energy and transportation projects, planting seeds, net zero buildings, heat islands programs and biodiversity, beginning with the ocean, and with what floats ( like the mangrove seed). The cheerleader in us says, “give us a T. E.A.M.” T.ime, E.nergy, A.ction or Money, it takes TEAMwork for the clichéd dream to work. We appreciate it if you are able to participate.

Islands also include the “Heat island” phenomena that we are experiencing in large cities, like in New York City. As temperatures rise the quality of life, on the island of Manhattan related to nature; water, air and food, and the amount of pollution and waste to combat, is considerable.  We are a long way from  sustainable development, the SDGs and reaching  global goals. ‘Islanding” can also be caused by power outages, fires, mudslides, floods like we experienced in California and this includes barrier islands too, where we have also been based.  We feel obligated to give back especially knowing the history and the legacy of how land, and many forms of “ownership”  has played out through “civil society”  in his-story, and we all realize it is time for a new story, our story– each story,  us all together.

Purple Phalaenopsis, by Suzanne Maxx

We are still gathering the larger scale resources to use media to tell-a-vision, and we are so thankful to experience the myriad  of options to connect us virtually.   The format of media with advertising, that is used in social media, is what we have to work with now. We are eager for the change and using social media at the request of others. For this campaign we chose a modest amount, in proportion to building World Team to scale. We will be reaching out here more going forward.

More people  are prioritizing these collective challenges, just take a look at the youth moving into action, and indigenous people.

Embracing this conscious change for systems change moves us closer to both the personal and collective transformation needed for the future we want. Yet it will take the whole world to be together as a team to play to transform our selves, and the world.

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed, fulfilling, and peaceful Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

Every Breath We Take

 

Sunrise with the “Blue and Green” Photo by Suzanne Maxx

By Suzanne Maxx ©

Wishing you and your loved ones to be able to breathe in the abundant love that is here for us right now!   Then exhale all fears doubts, and surrender our mind’s idea of life in the past or time. Every breath we take in, can we give back out to the world loving compassion, in a spirit of contribution?

During this pandemic period, we have realized the key is to go within and notice the “pause” between each breath metaphorically— where we each are in our lives here now.

World Team Now continues to find our truth in nature.  The photo also represents our campaigns beginning with: the blue (ocean and sky), and the green (of nature), and the biodiversity in between. Nature and the highest part of our own human nature need to breathe. How do we take greater consideration in our “global economies” for our future?    Learning to better listen to, not only, our own voices within, but also the rising “collective consciousness” is a task for us all.  To live in consideration of the bigger picture that we are interconnected, and each of our choices matter, as everything changes.

World Team Now has focused on demonstrating solutions, but we have been a small handful of people that planted the seeds around the world: a possible “vision” for the future that might have more in balance with nature.  Our public electric vehicle chargers in California, and solar net meters in New York, were a small start. But the vision has been for a literal “World Team,” and the winning of the human race is to truly realize the potential of our species as human “beings”.

Organizing and acting for things we experience as “wrong” prescribes a judgment, that something is “right” when it is meant to merely raise awareness or move us to choose our truth for action or stillness.  The patterns in movement, of humanity, are changing along with the climate. We propose to rise even above what we “own” whether that be a possession, our own creed, which has carried us through this life journey.  We are being asked to remember or envision what indeed is the inspiration for a deep breath.

World Team Now’s stand is to demonstrate solutions that are nature-based, and we are quite enthusiastic about what has grown during this public health pandemic in relation to what we have organic encounters with now; the Ocean (an educational curriculum emerged) and more campaigns on the blue, the green and the biodiversity in between with dolphins; turtles, mangroves, and islands. Emerging is even a greater perspective of the journey’s story about what happened with people around the world when we tried to actually “tell-a-vision” — for a World Team.

We are enthusiastic about our SOS-IS partnership, even though it is at the beginning of coming together.  Our goals are beyond the construct of time, but ideally in the now we can act for future generations.

This week has many events to consider organized around the UN General Assembly.  A kickoff event on Sunday, September 20th is the New York People Climate Movement’s March for Climate Justice Through Racial Justice. World Team Now fundamentality agrees with the group’s statement and letter, call for justice, but has concerns related to naming-names and prescribing actions related to specific people in political power, and the time frame of these actions with consideration of the collective state of most people.

Statue of Liberty & Lighthouse Ponce Inlet Fl Photos by Suzanne Maxx

To shine the light of awareness now, we can only prescribe to be conscious of our choice, and be grateful. We cannot endorse, prescribe action, what to do, or how this moment will “benefit the public” yet.  We can share some awareness of what had motivated us in the past, now, and for the future we want.  This information is meant to just be shared, again we do not endorse the prescribed approaches or judgments to force law enforcement. Here is what we understand to being organized for the public in New York City locally and virtually:

World Team Now, a public beneficiary nonprofit, had to try to decide what is best for the public at large. Given where we are now geopolitically, this seems to be an impossible choice. That just reminds us that we are all in process of realizing what “I’m possible” means.

We encourage conscious choice.  We have been challenged to know what could truly be of public benefit to you all now, and confess we don’t know.  In the past, it has worked to act on a local level, and now it will take each of us within ourselves to just shine that special something only you can give.

Globally it does start with where we are now.  These above are not legal actions please note that if you choose to go.  The march falls on High Holy Days for many people, but it is your choice.

It’s the United Nations 75th Anniversary, and we do support the concept of having Global Goals aka Sustainable Development Goals!  But the “by when” and “how we will realize the SDGs” is up to us all.   We support the idea of the government’s private sector, corporations, civil society, and each of us coming together for something new.

The question of belief, ideology, and what is justice, comes back to “Just” Us,” each of us.

While our goal is to unite: the divisions can only be bridged through each person’s own truth. While there is a “March” tomorrow we had agreed to support in theory, but it is your choice to engage or not. We can just share the information of what is happening and do not endorse the prescribed approach to go up against the law, or law enforcement.  The consideration as New Yorkers to choose to engage or not, given the public safety, and lack of legal permitting, and prescribed measures, has to be one’s own. Your choice is your gift; the “present” of this moment’s possibility.

Where the theory or the ideology lives into the future world we want, how it meets the present with action with respect of the law is the challenge now—  both the crises and the opportunity.  In the effort to share the information we realize that freedom, equality, and conscious breath matters.  May we each trust in the love that breathes through us, and realize we are in the midst of a painful birthing of a new paradigm and way to be with one another and in the world.

Breathing into a New Paradigm
by Suzanne Maxx

 

The Global Youth Climate Strike

By Suzanne Maxx ©

The social & environmental movement (“The Global Movement”) is gaining momentum from voices growing louder and right now it’s the Youth Movement’s time. As the youth around the world rise today March 15th, I am thankful for sixteen-year-old Swedish Greta Thunberg’s bold voice, courage and stand for our future– demanding action for the global climate crisis, and leading the next generation of activists.  Fridays for Future School Strike for Climate, became replicated by youth around the world, who agreed with the logic, why go to school and learn science, if the adults leading the government would not only just ignore science, but choose to deny the science applied to policy?  Youth are making the choice to protect their future and generations to come, by cutting classes for the day and instead they take part in demonstrating and demand action on climate change.  Hear it from their own voices in this article about their motivating story and more from Greta’s Ted Talk here. On the eve of the climate strike she tweeted; “Tomorrow we school strike for the climate in 1769 places in 112 countries around the world. And counting. Everyone is welcome. Everyone is needed. Let’s change history. And let’s never stop for as long as it takes. #fridaysforfuture #schoolstrike4climate #climatestrike

Global Youth Climate Strike at Columbus Circle

The Youth movement rising is naturally programmed with a generation that seems to prioritize the well-being of the planet, and they also come in wired to embrace technology,  science, biodiversity, and nature. With the inner ability to respond to the urgency, the youth are not just adding their voice to the conversation of nature and humanity’s perceived extinction crisis; the youth have built a movement that is gaining momentum.  The youth movement’s motivation is clear; it’s their future, and they want a planet to call home.

The big story is only beginning.  Greta Thunberg’s recent Noble Peace Prize nomination comes as no surprise, after all, it’s been centuries since a teen, would be positioned to make history leading a revolution, and she just may do that– with a little teamwork.

All are welcome to attend the Climate Strike, adults included; check out the website for more details here.  Find a location near you here. Follow on Twitter to see the ongoing movement through Greta’s eyes here

Meet the youth leaders,  who are organizing the USA national movement for the Youth Climate Strike School Strike for climate and are teaming up globally for this potentially historic event.

With the climate crisis, youth are confronted with a future that their generation may not get a chance to see, living here on planet earth, unless we all make different choices.

This is the moment not only for world leaders to adopt bold progressive climate policy, commit to 100% renewable energy, but to really hear and take into heart all children’s future.  It is a time not just for governments alone but for all sectors of life to get into action and do everything possible for rapid transformation for the next generation.  The burden lives within each and every one of us to grow this movement and act.

I’ve watched the Youth Movement over the years, but last Fall 2018 they started to grow and gain momentum in the organization. With the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan Markel as UN Youth Ambassadors, and the United Nations hosting a myriad of youth events  (more on that in an upcoming article) Certain celebrities, VIP, and leaders have contributed inside that framework. But what Greta did was organic and core and the very spark needed to ignite the movement lit up by her commitment.

The Youth, Women, Indigenous Peoples, The Asian/Pacific Islanders, and a multitude of people, are all voices that need to be heard. The global climate crisis is a reality which can no longer be ignored; it’s time for all people to find a role.

The Youth Movement began for me too, as a grade school student, and I have grown up inside the global social environmental movement with the journey to make the World Team project, and with the nonprofit World Team Now, I founded, along with many other NGO’s in the climate movement since 1989. In grade school, I wrote a letter to the President of the USA, because of my deep concern about the environment, and wanted to know what would happen when I grew up? I actually got a letter back which inspired me to believe that I too with one voice, could make a difference. More is written about the journey in World Team Now’s prior blogs, and in addition this is a differentblog here (and soon to be published in a book). That action was the beginning of many youth projects and events covered around the world.

Global Youth Climate Strike at Columbus Circle

Our Mangrove Day ©

By Suzanne Maxx ©

 

Do you know what [wiki title=”Mangrove”]Mangroves[/wiki] are?  The 26th of July 2018 is what some call the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.  You are probably thinking what, mangroves?  Our Sustainable  Solutions Ocean Opportunities on Small Island States (SOS_IS) joins the UN Ocean Conference Community of Ocean Action on Mangroves today in celebration.

Our approach to mangroves is not to just design an optimal preservation, but to also explore the best way to better educate ourselves and others about the experiential value of mangroves with their role in all that is rapidly changing.

We’ve also done some replanting with youth in Fiji, along the way for conservation.

We’ve educated tourists about the importance of mangroves, not only for the preservation of islands but also as a nursery for most aquatic life’s early years sheltering a host of marine organisms. We’ve witnessed mangroves to be a safe nursery for baby dolphins and other cetaceans to play and grow. We intend to show how mangroves are a breeding ground for baby sharks and other fish.

We are examining other regions in different parts of the world’s mangrove parks and preserves for design, and how they made use of mangrove trees, with gazeboes, providing canopies for this natural arboretum.

The mangroves root system’s water purification has much we plan to look at more closely for bio-mimicry, design, and observation of nature’s critical ecosystem for public education.

We have updated our SOS-IS‘s website here:  http://sos-is.org

Here is a recent relevant blog post on our World Team Now Bloghttps://worldteamnow.org/blog/2018/06/21/for-the-love-of-the-ocean/

 

 

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