Category: Renewable Energy (Page 3 of 8)

As We, The People of the World Rise, for Better Balance!

September 7, 2018 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

Although many of us have held the vision for many years to play to transform the world, and we carry forward legacies from past generations, at this moment we each have a choice. How to use each moment to live in better balance with nature? Can we learn from the past, take action in the present, and move towards living into a powerful vision for our future?

Get ready, ACTION! And the action is becoming more coordinated now, and streams of events and activities role out publicly around the world, will you join in? The activities are vast, and actually, give us all a chance to take action and there are big things happening with the global climate movement. Your gift to choose to do what you can, whatever that is for you, where you are, thinking of us all, like a great big “World Team,” is key. A World Team that is focused on the goals, the global goals for transformation with 2020 vision beyond, 2030.

Do you want to give of T.ime, E.nergy, A.ction or M.oney for future generations? Will you give a present of your presence, or consciously choose how to give in your life now?

There are events taking place with and for people to gather at a village, community, town, city, state government, and beyond national levels. We probably can agree that change needs to happen at all levels, in a myriad of ways, every voice matters, and each step of action counts. You can get involved with these daily, weekly as we begin the season for change with these events;

Thursday, September 6 Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice: Now is the Time for Action!!
https://actionnetwork.org/events/climate-jobs-and-justice-now-is-the-time-for-action

Saturday, September 8th Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice
https://peoplesclimate.org/ &
September 8th Rise for Climate
https://riseforclimate.org

September 8^th 10 AM Rise for Climate, Jobs & Justice in San Francisco
Four Embarcadero Plaza, San Francisco, CA 94105
https://ca.riseforclimate.org/

September 8-14^thSolidarity to Solutions Week
Climate Justice Alliance
https://climatejusticealliance.org/solidarity-to-solutions-week/
http://ittakesroots.org/sol2sol/rsvp/

Sunday 9^th 9:00 am: Intertribal Prayer, Teach-In and Direct Action Training
The event will be followed by a non-violent direct action training. Directions and details here.

Sunday 9^th 12:00 noon: Expansion and Resistance: The Fossil Fuel Industry in the Bay Area
Soil not Oil panel featuring Amazon Watch campaigner Zoë Cina-Sklar and other local activists discussing the impacts of oil refineries and other fossil fuel infrastructure in the Bay Area. Tickets available here.

Sunday 9^th 4:30 pm: Aerial Mandala for Climate Justice
Join Dancing without Borders and Spectral Q at Crissy Field to co-create a visual message in support of climate justice. This iconic image will be captured from the sky and will send a message to world leaders about the need to join with us in creating a more just and equitable future. RSVP here.

Monday-Tuesday September 10 & 11: Ocean Hack
Salesforce headquarters, 415 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 San Francisco
As part of the build-up to Global Climate Action Summit and in pursuit of Global Goals 14, Life Below Water, Sustainable Ocean Alliance has partnered with One Ocean Collab and Salesforce to host a 48-hour pop-up innovation lab for the ocean.
http://globalclimateactionsummit.org/events/ocean-hack/
https://www.cognitoforms.com/SustainableOceanAlliance1/OceanHack

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10^TH 8:00 am: Rise Against Climate Capitalism
You are invited to join us in a non-violent action that will include prayer, a teach-in, painting a street mural and direct action at one of the places where climate profiteers will be meeting prior to the Global Climate Action Summit. Details here.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10^TH 12:55 pm: Keep it in the Ground: Building Movements for Climate Justice
Soil not Oil panel featuring Amazon Watch Executive Director Leila Salazar-López, a leader from Sarayaku, and and other organizers about inspirational campaigns to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Tickets available here.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11^TH 10:00 am to 8:00 pm: Solutions to Solidarity Summit
This day-long assembly will highlight frontline communities’ solutions that address the interlinked crises of climate, economic, and racial injustice through interactive workshops, art, and music. More info here.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11^TH 1:00 pm to 8:30 pm: Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice
Join the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International for “Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice: Women Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change” – a gathering of extraordinary women leaders from across the United States and around the world joined in solidarity to speak out against environmental and social injustice, draw attention to root causes of the climate crisis, and present the diverse array of visions and strategies with which they are working to shape a healthy and equitable world. Amazon Watch and indigenous leaders will speak at the following panels:

1:30 pm: Women Speak from the Frontlines of Climate Change: Nina Gualinga, Kichwa from Sarayaku and co-founder of Hakhu Amazon Design
5:55 pm: Keynote address by Mirian Cisneros, President of the Kichwa people of Sarayaku and Leila Salazar-López, Executive Director of Amazon Watch

More info here.

Tuesday SEP 11 6:30-11PM Ocean Solutions Gala
California Academy of Sciences 55 Music Concourse Drive San Francisco, CA 94118
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-ocean-solutions-gala-tickets-48003146704

Wednesday-Friday Sept 12-14 Global Climate Action Summit
https://globalclimateactionsummit.org/
http://globalclimateactionsummit.org/program/

September 12, 2018 San Francisco City Hall Cities4Climate: The Future is Us 1PM-4:35PM
Co-hosted by C40 Cities, The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, and the City of San Francisco https://www.c40.org/events/cities4climate-the-future-is-us

Wednesday, September 12TH 4:00 pm: Grassroots Climate Leadership
From California residents working to create a just transition off fossil fuels by solarizing their neighborhoods to Indigenous peoples protecting their territories from oil extraction in the Amazon, many of the most innovative solutions to climate change come from those most impacted by climate change and fossil fuel extraction. Come hear an Indigenous leader from Ecuadorian Amazon, a community organizer from California, and a First Nations activist from Canada speak to their experiences defending their lands from fossil fuel development and finding innovative ways to accelerate a just transition to renewable energy. RSVP here.

Wednesday, September 12^TH 5:00 pm: Following the Money: Holding Big Banks Accountable for Financing the Climate Crisis
Join a panel grassroots climate leaders to learn about the growing international movement holding financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase accountable for their central role in perpetuating the global climate crisis by financing big oil and gas. RSVP here.

Thursday, September 13^TH 7:00 am: Stand with Communities, Not Corporations
Jerry Brown’s promotion of continued fossil fuel production, carbon trading markets and other incentives to oil, gas and other polluting corporations, perpetuates climate change and decimates Indigenous communities, communities of color and other working class peoples throughout California and around the world. Join us for a family-friendly direct action to demand that the Governor and other politicians stand with people not polluters. More info here.

Thursday, September 13^TH 7:30 pm: The Eagle and the Condor (Closing Night of the San Francisco Green Film Festival)
Four Indigenous leaders embark on an extraordinary trans-continental adventure from the Canadian plains to deep into the heart of the Amazonian jungle to unite the peoples of North and South America and deepen the meaning of “Climate Justice”. This film documents the stories of these four well-known Native environmental spokespeople who are at the forefront of a perspective shift in the identity of their people, from forgotten voices to strong shared communities with the power to bring change to the entire world. Their path through the jungle takes them on an unexpectedly challenging and liberating journey, which will forever change their attachment to the Earth and one another. RSVP here.

Friday, September 14^TH 1:30 pm: Primary Forests: Key to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
Primary forests, particularly intact tropical forests, serve a critical role in regulating global weather patterns and sequestering carbon dioxide, house about half of the world’s biodiversity and are home to hundreds of indigenous peoples and traditional communities. These peoples have been stewards of their lands for millennia, but their forest territories face increasing pressure from industrial development and agribusiness. Tune in to our live stream: of a panel featuring indigenous leaders, journalists, and advocates discussing these issues and their work to protect forests. More info here.

Friday, September 14^TH 3:00 pm: The Tortoise and the Tapir

Haunted by images of empty water reservoirs in the Brazilian southwest, filmmaker Eliza Capai tries to understand the gigantic constructions being built in the middle of the Amazon forest, including the imposing Belo Monte dam. Upstream, she finds spirited victory against hydro dam: projects in neighboring Peru led by Goldman Environmental Prize Winner Ruth Buendia. Tickets available here for this screening, part of the San Francisco Green Film Festival.

This just the beginning stay tuned for much more to come.

Our Mangrove Day ©

July 26, 2018 / Suzanne Maxx / 2 Comments

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 Blog: https://worldteamnow.org/blog/2018/06/21/for-the-love-of-the-ocean/

The Vision for the Environment and EPA’s Leadership

July 5, 2018 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

By Suzanne Maxx ©

The Environment, our collective home and in the USA the leadership of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has undergone a much-needed change— Scott Pruitt has resigned. Read more here:

For me, this event touches both the personal and professional areas of my life. As I’ve shared in prior blogs “Growing Up With EPA” and “EPA in Action-Moving Forward” here:

Growing Up With EPA

EPA in Action-Moving Forward

The question I asked as a child under the age of 10 still remains unanswered, in honest. “Who is in charge of the Environment?” The answer brings up a huge inquiry that we are collectively beginning to prioritize and bear witness to—what role does humanity play with the environment? How important is the environment to humanity?

This controversy with the United States “Environmental Protection Agency” is serving to awaken more people to the challenge of how to manage governance of collective resources. Does it truly serve us all to have one agency that is influenced by national politics? We know that we humans can imagine better systems for our earth and our environment. We are so thankful more people are awakened to this issue, and unfortunately, it all too often takes a crisis or scandal, to arise to do better. Surely the investigation of the present EPA leadership will continue, and now the second in command will temporarily lead with the same mandate, but as the drama unfolds our hope is that more people will be engaged in understanding, participating and get into action to show respect for our common home.

Yet in contrast, on the other side of the planet in the Pacific Island Region, during the annual session of the Forum Fisheries Committee Ministers Meeting in Raratonga, Cook Islands, someone who brings knowledge and experience for the people and the environment was given an opportunity to serve. The next Director-General of the Forum Fisheries Agency was just awarded to a well-qualified dedicated professional woman, Dr Manumatavai Tupou-Roosen. Secretary-General Dame Meg Taylor said, “I am very proud that a daughter of the Blue Pacific has been appointed Director General. The Forum Fisheries Agency plays an extremely important leadership role for our fisheries, one of the most important resources for our people.”

Our vision is that one day there will be a leader who can lead with the mandate of an agency like EPA—to protect the environment. Maybe they will even enroll others beyond country to follow. It brings to question, does it truly work to have our collective environment regulated by individual countries?

Perhaps there is a better model of a representative from each region of the world that could join together to address these collective challenges with our common oceans, sky, and earth.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on a track to explore opportunities to unite beyond country through 2030. Can we address and organize quickly enough to respond to the changes happening in our environment through political structures?

Will people rise to explore what “We the People…” really means beyond country? What role will people play, with our environment ultimately? These are questions our World Team project has been and continues to explore with our non-profit World Team Now, and in the future with World Team®.

Other blog postings that mention the EPA:

“Key” Pres. Obama’s Veto of KeyStone XL Pipeline- ECO Legacy FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Grateful for the United Nations NOVEMBER 27, 2014
The 8th annual AltCar Expo SEPTEMBER 21, 2013
COP15-COPENHAGEN, Denmark: Outcome Fluctuates Like Extreme Climate Change © DECEMBER 25, 2009
Now is the Time-Copenhagen COP15 DECEMBER 8, 2009
Freedom, Choice – Independence Day JULY 4, 2009

Feet in the Sand, to Transform Life on an Island in Fiji ©

November 14, 2017 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

By Suzanne Maxx

While Fiji is leading the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) @COP23 in Bonn, Germany, World Team Now has our feet in the sand on an outer island in Fiji.

This island is a strong candidate to begin our World Team pilot project. We are creating life systems that renew an island, build a resilient village that will be a small-scale experiment of an idealistic utopian island, putting the interconnected global goals into action. This island will be designed to organically be a place that optimizes systems of life that show what is best for human innovation and includes an eco-resort that will do more than using tidal energy.

For those who want to dive into the knowledge of ocean energy, The International Tidal Energy Summit is happening in London tomorrow.

With the USA being the only country to withdraw from the global Paris Agreement, and as the rest of the world comes together, our non-profit World Team Now decided it is best to start and be in action on an island, to “be the change you wish to see in the world,” as Gandhi exclaimed. We are pleased that our two home states California and New York were represented by true leaders in action, with Governor Jerry Brown, Michael Bloomberg, Arnold Schwartzenegger and a team of others in Germany at COP23.

This is the first time Fiji, a small island nation (Republic) leads the UNFCCC, and we hope with the innovation on entrepreneurial mechanisms Fiji will lead not just the UN, but actually the people of the world for a more balanced future. We at World Team Now are starting small hereon an island in Fiji, now.

Here is a little video of our journey to meet with the villagers, made by Ramanu, from Koro Sun Resort.

World Team Follows as Fiji Leads in the Pacific Island Region Part 3 JMC

October 4, 2017 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

By Suzanne Maxx ©World Team Now

Continued; Part 3

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort

So too, our love for the ocean is individual and our work with the dolphins and floating in the ocean is a personal expression, eyes around the world have been opened to the world within the ocean, due to the gifts that Jacque Yves Cousteau passed forward. There are sweet memories of how Jacque Cousteau inspired us with his words and actions at the U.N. ‘s Earth Summit and Global Forum in Rio in 1992, three years into the journey of the World Team.

The grand reopening of the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort (JMC), in Savusavu on the island of Vanua Levu, continues the legacy of ocean exploration that lives on for the whole Cousteau family, with educational programs and experiential activities related to everything that has to do with the ocean. Like sea glass that is tossed in the ocean’s current to become more luminescent and smooth over time, the resort’s transformation mirrors the fabulous recovery after the Category 5 cyclone, TC Winston. The JMC bears the Cousteau name, now an iconic brand for ocean exploration and education, thanks to Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the Marine Biologist, Diver and Explorer, being a true pioneer for the oceans and all species that make the ocean their home.

The ocean philosophy of the Cousteaus, comes alive here at the resort, passing the love of the ocean forward to future generations. The Jacques Yves Cousteau said, “People protect what they love.” This resort and its programs help continue the legacy of giving back experientially, as Jacques Cousteau’s philosophy is more than mere words; “When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.” The experiential educator Jacques Cousteau not only passed down his passion and love of the ocean to Jean-Michel Cousteau (his son) with his non-profit Ocean Futures Society, but his living legacy continues to inspire the next generation of The Cousteau Ocean Legacy. Each Cousteau family member contributes, with a diversity of personalities to express their love of the ocean.

“It takes generosity to discover the whole through others. If you realize you are only a violin, you can open yourself up to the world by playing your role in the concert” –Jacques Cousteau

Down to the next generation, to Aquanaut Fabien Cousteau, JMC’s his grandson, who now carries exploration to new depths with the newly launched Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center. Fabien continues his stand for the ocean as he champions sharks, and most recently broke his Grandfather’s world record, staying underwater for 31 days. World Team Now applauds the Cousteaus’ collective vision, for us each to use our lives, with the gifts we each have, to leave a legacy that embraces, each person, species and what can be contributed to the oceans and our common home. Jean-Michel too has done that and passed it forward. World Team Now aligns with Fabien Cousteau’s approach to ocean education and gave him the “Pioneer for the Planet” award for what he is envisioning now.

Fabien Cousteau

Celine Cousteau, Jean Michel’s daughter, is also doing her part to expand the family legacy with Cause Films and preservation of species on the land and under the water. Her works range from indigenous tribes in the Amazon to exploring possibilities on Easter Island. The legacy of the whole family continues passing forward a wealth of knowledge that has wisdom for us all. The extended Cousteau inspires family’s efforts altogether support our message; that there is a place for everyone.

The Cousteau lineage comes with political will that is a timeless call for the oceans, and humanity’s role in living with what dominates our planet. Cousteau’s stand was successful in influencing two USA Presidents, of different political parties, both to see the value of the ocean and to take action to designate, first, a 1,200-mile chain of Northwest Hawaiian Islands a Marine National Monument, and now, through President Obama, a four-times-expanded protected area of the ocean. Even the adjacent area around the JMC in Fiji has now become a Marine preserve and the Cousteau team is working to create more marine protected areas that will hopefully remain for future generations. Here is a chance to Explore the Pacific Island Marine Sanctuaries with Jean-Michel Cousteau (his most recent book),

In Fiji and other areas of the tropical Pacific, many villages have established marine protected areas where, in order to ensure a healthy ecosystem, the local residents don’t allow fishing. Enforcing the ban on fishing depends on community support for protecting the reefs, which are part of the local culture and can provide economic benefits through tourism and spillover of fish to the areas where harvesting is allowed.

At the Jean-Michel Cousteau (JMC) Resort, there is an ocean experience or program for every age. The JMC rides on the legend of passing the ocean wisdom of stewardship to all in the family, to explore, teach, research, and inspire others with ocean adventures, also in the luxury resort setting. Cousteau’s mastery in passing forward an underwater experience through television, film, and every source of presentation imaginable continues as the heart of the experiential education and woven through the resort experience.

While there, you can go for one of the extraordinary scuba dive adventures. More advanced divers can get their Dive Certification from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, some of the best scuba pros in the world. Leading ecological tourism, Jean-Michel Cousteau created L’Aventure, a flagship dive operation at the ocean side Fiji resort. A leading eco-advantage at the JMC is the resident marine biologist Johnny Singh, who does more than lead incredible scuba diving and snorkel adventures. In the evenings, he gives an educational slide show with topics that range from “Coral Reefs” to “Shark’s Biodiversity.” There are over a dozen dive sites to choose from, and one of the top ten dive locations in the world is Namena Island Reserve, an uninhabited protected area with a fish and bird sanctuary. On a Namena dive, there are fabulous opportunities to see larger species, including reef, white, and black tooth sharks, tuna, barracuda, and stingrays, plus hard and soft coral, which all add up to make this a world-class dive site.

The JMC leads with their numerous ocean programs, for youth and adults alike; diving adventures that now go beyond bringing back a wealth of information pass on stewardship of the ocean to inspire the next generation of aquanauts.

The region is full of beautiful tropical birds that are making a comeback. In the protected Namena Island Bird Sanctuary, you can spot the threatened Red-Footed Booby. These birds can dive up to almost 100 ft. to catch their ocean prey.

The Cousteau team is working to have more marine protected areas. Recently, the Nukubalavu Marine Reserve was formed for the next 20 years from a local initiative. Johnny Singh shared, “I’ve seen a lot of change in the last ten years, but I still see in October the southern Humpback and Sperm Whales which migrate from Australia—they are breeding and calving—and the Silver Spinner Dolphins can be found breaching year around.” Johnny explained that since 2002, with the Marine Protected Areas, the community fights to restock the reefs and repopulate fish. The Ministry of Fisheries has helped the comeback and Dr. Richard Murphy from Ocean Futures Foundation has been another knowledgeable source for their program.

The lessons learned help JMC build a sustainable destination resort with systems that bio mimic nature, and use nature for balance. They use natural plants for pesticide control, which is a leading approach among Eco Resorts. The wastewater filtration system is designed to create a biodiverse natural pond and wetlands environment for natural self-cleaning. The drinking water comes from the village and uses four stages of advanced filtration, and ultraviolet light for purification. The Medicine Walk continues the legacy of Niumaia Kavika, a famous medicine man who worked there to pass on a wealth of knowledge about the use of local plants for their healing and beneficial properties.

Plants are key and the Mangrove Reforestation program works with the seeding and tagging to restore the ecosystems and prevent further coastal erosion. The Coral and Giant Clam Farms are two initiatives that support eco goals too. The coral fragments are collected, regrown, and replanted on reefs. The Giant Clam Farm protects the growing years of the clam in the ocean by re-planting them in protected areas to husband their aging. Giant clams live beyond 100 years, can weigh over 500 lbs. and are overharvested—being a sought-after delicacy has made them increasingly scarce.

There is a lot to take away from this Eco Resort about life’s systems, with age-appropriate experiential learning, which lives throughout all the fun ocean programs of the Cousteau family. The resort makes interactive marine biology accessible to all people of all ages, with programs for Adults, Bula, Teens, and 6–12-years groups. A Mama is customarily assigned to every child guest under the age of five years, for free, and families are well catered to beyond what they learn. At the JMC, all can be pampered, and learn about the ocean.

One thing that helps make JMC unique is Navia Navia, a private island that offers guests exclusivity and privacy, and can be rented for various amounts of time in order to spend sacred alone time in paradise with the one you love. The food at Cousteau is something to write home about. Fifteen years and growing, the organic gardens offer fresh local island vegetables, tropical fruit, edible flowers, and herbs growing on the two acres that are surrounded by island flowers and play areas. Both Fijian style farm- and sea-to-table make for pure culinary heaven, with a global influence. The organic garden is a rarity among resorts in the Fiji Islands, which gives JMC a healthy-body ecology lead. The culinary options are exquisite and scrumptious, with some of the best Asia-fused Pacific fare influenced by the talented Executive Chef, Raymond Lee. Chef Lee supervises the traditional Fijian “Lovo” feast celebrated every week at the resort, with delicacies cooked in the fire pit by hot embers covered with banana leaves. Lee offers a Junior Chef program where youths can harvest the plants for meals and learn about the cradle-to-cradle systems, including composting. The garden and children’s play area is a lovely venue to spend time in and around, with programs to support the growth of all.

The JMC spa massage treatments follow suit, with all-natural and locally harvested coconut oil, gifted therapist hands, native Fijian plant essences, and the Bobo massage.

Eco is incorporated, along with luxury, in all the systems at the Cousteau Resort, in the Oceanside bungalow Bures that are replete with LED lights, solar on-demand hot water, and all the cushy comforts, such as a hammock and huge bath that are needed to thoroughly enjoy island life. Throughout the resort, efficiency is integrated with lighting motion sensors or timers on equipment, and the resort has a comprehensive recycling program. Read more about the sustainability efforts here.

The Cousteau Resort is an ideal place to get married. There are many romantic wedding packages to choose from in an extraordinary setting, and it becomes more economical combining the honeymoon and wedding together at the same venue, with many wonderful activities that can add to the beginning of a loving lifelong adventure, including local fishing, touring in a glass bottom boat, snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, sailing, volleyball, tennis, kayaking, eco-touring, medicine walking, and Fijian storytelling.

The JMC and the local village Nukubalavu balance the tourism industry that supports the local economy by employing villagers, and by having the charity Savusavu Foundation for the village support one another. In Nukubalavu we found; family. Most of the village of Nukubalavu is the driving workforce at the Jean-Michael Cousteau Resort. Guests staying at JMC get to visit the village and see the culture and extraordinary dance. One family from the village of Nukubalavu was instrumental in World Team’s entire journey with Fiji (soon we will share more about the extraordinary people that helped make the journey to Fiji next, but a special shout out to Iowane Ritova and Andrea Fono). I was welcomed to stay in the village and shared a Fijian feast of native delights. I learned of the village’s needs, for water, sanitation, renewable energy, and saw the opportunity for a future project for World Team Now. I met with the local Ratu in the village and shared Kava. We are thankful to the villagers, especially Iowane Rivota who has become a World Team member and has been active in supporting and sharing WTN’s efforts in Fiji. World Team Now gained another partner in the Village of Nukubalavu in our UN Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Sustainable Solutions Oceans Opportunities on Small Island States (SOS-IS).

A hermit crab race is a regular fundraiser event for the Savusavu Foundation striving to give back to the community through various efforts, including raising funds to help build a kindergarten teamwork is needed as all of the villages hard hit by TC Winston can still use support.

The staff at the JMC that keeps the native Fiji Bula genuine comes primarily from the nearby villages of Nukubalavu who live out the Fijian legend of consideration and love of others and bend over backward to make sure every child, adult, and mangrove, is respected and cared for in this Fijian island experience.

A population of 200 village staff work at the JMC. General Manager Bart Simpson explained, “Half of the villagers had lost their homes in the two tidal waves from TC Winston.” A local villager was running for higher ground as fast as he could and confessed, “By God, I think I’m going to die, my house is following me,” because it was being carried by sea 10 meters away from him.

The Cousteau architectural philosophy includes a lineage of interest to build with the ocean, which is the challenge these islands face at this time. To resist the temptation of a rock wall, and move up away from the sea to reclaim land is a challenge. Once the land is underwater there is a question about boundaries. Adjacent Boundaries of National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) is indeed a United Nations conversation about a sustainable future in a process for large ocean states like Fiji. There is a sustainable energy vision for the 25 Bures on the 17 acres at JMC, and future generations of staff, their kids or grandchildren, continue the legacy. “The Ocean is reclaiming land every year” explained Bart Simpson, the Resort’s Manager, who has noticed a change in the eight years since he arrived. Bart said, “Moving towards ecology affected by climate change and sea level rise, we have been losing land in a short timeline… True to traditional Fijian culture, the JMC strives to be sustainable, and multi-cultural.” The Cousteau family’s commitment to the ocean is to demonstrate innovative solutions, educate, and be stewards for all the species that find a home in the ocean.

The Savusavu local arts and handicraft section of the Farmer’s Market share the locals’ use of natural resources, with unique handmade gifts that are sold by village artists, farmers who sell produce, and performing musicians. J. Hunter Pearls provides a rare opportunity to find that precious rarity of a pearl in its raw natural environment because the Savusavu Bay’s underwater oyster farm offers not just the oyster and the pearl, but also ocean wisdom. There are many gifts to take away from this region, but the value of a family’s legacy is immeasurable, as are the experiential souvenirs tattooed on the heart when learning to thrive with and in the ocean. This is ingrained in the Cousteau Resort experience and is a timeless present.

It is hard to leave the JMC without feeling like you are leaving home, a place where all belong.

Category: Renewable Energy (Page 3 of 8)

As We, The People of the World Rise, for Better Balance!

Our Mangrove Day ©

The Vision for the Environment and EPA’s Leadership

Feet in the Sand, to Transform Life on an Island in Fiji ©

World Team Follows as Fiji Leads in the Pacific Island Region Part 3 JMC

Continued; Part 3

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort

“It takes generosity to discover the whole through others. If you realize you are only a violin, you can open yourself up to the world by playing your role in the concert” –Jacques Cousteau

Summary of World Team Follows as Fiji Leads in the Pacific Island Region Posts

World Team Follows as Fiji Leads from the Pacific Islands Part 1 Turtle Island ©

World Team Follows as Fiji Leads in the Pacific Island Region Part 2 Wayalailai Ecohaven Resort

World Team Follows as Fiji Leads in the Pacific Island Region Part 3 JMC

World Team Follows as Fiji Leads in the Pacific Island Region Part 4 Global View

Archives

Continued; Part 3

“It takes generosity to discover the whole through others. If you realize you are only a violin, you can open yourself up to the world by playing your role in the concert” –Jacques Cousteau

Mangrove Restoration

Vita

Mangrove Restoration

Summary of World Team Follows as Fiji Leads in the Pacific Island Region Posts

Archives