Tag: resiliency

Join Us For Ocean-Float Skate-Roll Clinics!

 

© 2023 Suzanne Maxx All Rights Reserved

Here in Kauai, Hawaii, the Ocean Tide is coming in for us collectively with organizing our summer Ocean Float and Skate-Roll Clinics and curricula.  The tide is augmented with UN’s World Ocean Day, Coral Triangle Day, UNESCO Decade of Ocean— all on the heels of World Environment Day moving into Solstice June 21st. “Gratitude” is still our font for the OCEAN!

We have some exciting news to share about the summer clinics, “Ocean-Float” and “Skate-Roll,” also with private custom experiences we are inviting you to join us in Hawaii this summer for a Clinic, Private/Group “Experience” or Certification.

These two themes of the blue on World Ocean Day and the green every day and from World Environment Day, are very close to our hearts as World Team Now grows. The idea of everyone altogether beyond the confines of time, distance, borders, or even days; yields the spirit’s freedom in each breath…

With the Ocean-Float, Skate-Roll Campaign we are training, and coaching to build out “movement” of people loving nature, and living in action with more intimacy of the Ocean and Land. We offer certification for in-line, and roller skating on already paved or surfaced land. A certification to teach the original Ocean-Float therapeutic whole-being workout is offered, to do more than reset your vagal nerve for a somatic approach to healing.

The Ocean Float Sessions are in calm waters either past the Ocean’s break or in a cove.  The entire 1-3 hr. session is done on one’s back.  While floating one’s spine lies directly on the healing Ocean’s surface of the water. This therapeutic modality is being studied closely for neurological healing, as an anti-inflammatory modality, and potential healing of autoimmune conditions, diseases, and more.

During the Ocean Float, we balance between floating in postures for relaxation and whole-being workout of each of the human body’s systems from cardiovascular to metabolic. The Ocean-Atmosphere nexus, the native culture indigenous traditions, physics, and biodiversity are all part of the session’s curricula, too. We also offer a certification, for Ocean-Float, so more people will come to love being intimate stewards of the living Ocean.

By building communities of practice, we play to transform ourselves and the world around us. By growing greater awareness of life on land and in the ocean, we come into better balance of giving back and receiving nature’s gifts. As we learn about the local indigenous culture and the truest sense of Aloha in, the spirit of “Mālama ka ‘aina,” (Hawaiian words meaning, “giving back to the land and the sea”).

By learning from the water’s flow, and adapting to change, we gain flexibility. Outside of rigid structures, there is a freedom beyond measurement that helps us go beyond the expectations of time bounds and other constraints, and embrace a world of possibilities. One’s presence is realized as a gift, breathing life force, “present” by giving and receiving in equal balance. Breathwork, in movement, where one’s body is moving at a different rate from the skate’s roll, or the Ocean’s float through currents; yields greater consciousness, and a somatic healing experience.

The healing of the Earth’s body and ocean has made significant strides this year with a global piece of policy finally on The Law of the Sea, a campaign we’ve been active with since 1992 prior to the start-up of WTN.

The weather and climate are changing, and together we respond to the changes that come up, and we work to embrace what is present. For example, if it is storming we will weave in other experiences that make the most of the moment, flexible, committed yet unattached to the way your flow experience comes…

The Adventure we are inviting you to create is custom-made to be a memorable experience that calibrates us all to be truly present in the moment, on the island, and in the Ocean. We cater to support your journey to be unique and bring a wealth of experience to share.

If you were one of the many people who have given to World Team Now and the World Team project with your time, talent, or treasure over the years, we would like to give back to you. Come join us in clean air surrounded by one of the lushest tropical environments imaginable.

Click here to join us and learn more about our Ocean-Flat and Skate-Roll curricula.

Water! The United Nations Water Conference 2023

By Suzanne Maxx

Water, Water, Water… Water! Can WE all be joyously singing those words?  Will we be able to celebrate Water & what we can all do together by 2030, or 2050?

The United Nations World Water Conference is happening now beginning today, World Water Day 2023, and going three days, March 22nd – 24th, 

 

You can join Virtually and Watch the LIVE UN Events Here: https://media.un.org/en/webtv/schedule

The UN Media Zone (An entertaining/educational talk show format of UN Events);
https://media.un.org/en/asset/k10/k10lcobd8g

United Nations Headquarter Photo Courtesy of Albert Boulanger

The Water Conference is co-hosted by the Governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands with an overflowing schedule of events coming in with the rising tide for collective action. As the increase in water-related disasters, not just drought and flood continue make the case for urgent immediate action, by us all.  To learn, “Every $1 invested in making infrastructure disaster-resilient saves $4 in reconstruction. (UNDRR, 2021) “ was one of the many surprising facts and figures, or read the latest UN report.

Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Maxx

Water not just to place a greater value and understanding on Water (yes, intentionally capitalized), but also, to ensure all have equal access to Water.  Water and Air and the way they live through us changing states, solid, liquid and gas, not easily seen as a vapor, gas—yet like love, Water is more than a most precious resource; of ineffable value. To have love of the other, oneself, and the Divine within and throughout, love as a commodity that is immeasurable like the value of Water.  Now to prioritize Water given for all, being within and making up a large percentage of our bodies, and our common home, on planet earth, and raising consciousness.

Water is not only a resource, but also, a human right. International human rights law obliges States to work to achieve universal access to water and sanitation for all, without any discrimination, while prioritizing those who need water most.  If we can mind the Water gap working together across borders for our common home and not merely for profit, but for public benefit is that not a higher good for all?

There we many seeds planted, that bloomed with ideas brought forth to the collective World Water Day, the Biodiversity Treaty, Law of the Sea, that are now finally getting some movement after being introduced in 1992 during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The UN Earth Summit/Global Forum, was where I came to better interact with the United Nations.

It’s a watershed moment today with World Water Day, UN Water Conference, Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Goal #6 is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals created officially inside the Paris Accord established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. Although we are way behind the Global Goals being achieved, Clean water and sanitation for all, may have a better chance to flow as a reality with coordinated watershed moments with the Decade of Water” 2018-2028, plus the Decade of the Ocean 2021-2030. Hopefully, this “Rip Tide” of trajectories with both Decades related to Water also overlapping, with World Water Day, will pull us out of this mess, and into the deeper Water of collective consciousness.

Albert Boulanger United Nations, New York Photo Courtesy of Brigid Tucker

We have a team registered at The United Nations Water Conference representing World Team Now at United Nations in New York.  World Team Now is being represented for this Water Conference at UN Headquarters by VP and Director of Technical Strategy, Albert Boulanger and Youth Leader Advocate, Brigid Tucker, in her junior year attending my Alma Mater,  Sarah Lawrence College. Her voice, regarding the Water Conference, is something we can all look forward to hearing with her first UN experience…Walter Andrews, WTN Director of Water, Energy and the Environment for WTN, along with others are grateful to have the choice to participate virtually.

Ha’ena where the fresh Water meets the Ocean’s salt Water-Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Maxx

I’m learning again and again, the clichéd, the change starts within– getting that glass water thermos, filling it with fresh water that came down from the mountains and up through lava. I haven’t been able to test the water yet, but legend Aunties, Elders, Nature, and Science say, it is as good as I may get in the USA, now.  I’m committed to kicking the plastic bottled water habit, when I’m not in Fiji, and can get Water from a reliable natural source.  “Be the change you want to see in the world” Mahatma Gandhi.

I have remained on the small Island where we have been working on resiliency with small scale systems solutions, and Ocean projects locally on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, (it’s still World Water Day here, HST). The projects we are working on are in a flood zone which often is cut off from power, with also unique Ocean conditions. The Sports and play aspect build on physical movement: that might better build collective MOVEMENT!  One by one, hearts are opened, minds are inspired to learn more, and bodies move in action!

World Team Now is organizing an educational approach to socialize and demonstrate cutting-edge solutions.  Our goals include advocating to meet Water challenges on a small local scale, on islands.  We are beginning with one section of an island community. We plan to address challenges related to drought, flooding Water as a resource related to policy, purification, mitigation, energy, catchment, and wastewater up-cycling and best practice of sustained use. The ineffable mysterious territory, the consciousness of Water, will be explored through World Team Now’s upcoming Open Ocean Educational Curricula. The Tide is coming in for transforming our future, and that means the chance for each of us to choose to prioritize rising!

Water, Water, Water… Water! Again, can WE all joyously sing those words?  Instead of the “mean green” lyrics of the song Money? “Money, Money, Money…  Money!” May we be singing; “Let them Come to the Water”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Orangetown Green Microgrid-World Team Now

by Suzanne Maxx

 

6760135001_14c59a1490_oWorld Team Now found a rare opportunity in New York State for our renewable energy demonstration project after exploring projects in California, Colorado, Hawaii, and other islands, for the whole World Team project’s development.   We searched for a project to team-up on, and lead with the goal to serve a local community to show a real big change. The project that is moving fast forward is rooted back in New York, in the town of Orangetown.  We have teamed up extraordinary partners and are now leading the community project the “Orangetown Green Microgrid”.

The NY Prize and more…

New York happens to be leading with very interesting and creative approaches to renewable energy policy, and public adoption with both the New York Prize and the efforts to Reforming the Energy Vision, (REV) – both of which are designed to be game changers for energy generation with utilities, and for communities. We were looking for the right opportunity to execute the plan to deploy multiple renewable energy distributed generation systems, and link them together within a community, to make a model for others around the world to replicate for greater energy independence.  Our goals happen to now coincide with numerous funding opportunities, such as the NY Prize for Microgrids, among other programs in New York State, and nationally.

World Team Now is planning to create a distributed energy community demonstration project, called a “microgrid”, that will be part of World Team’s pilot project to bring many potential benefits besides economic savings to the town of Orangetown.

For those who wonder what is a microgrid? The Department of Energy’s (DOE) defines a microgrid as;

“A group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources (DER) with clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid [and can] connect and disconnect from the grid to enable it to operate in both grid connected or island mode.”

Visual example of a community microgrid courtesty of Innovations Toronto

Visual example of a community microgrid courtesy of Innovations Toronto

The community microgrid will band together facilities in the region to support one another’s energy capacity by creating connected electricity generation, energy systems, energy storage, and loads, so the interconnected group can team up to survive independently on its own, by disconnecting from the utility’s electrical power grid.  The microgrid is capable of operating continuously with a choice of both grid-connection and “island” mode. The resiliency of the microgrid is critical to society, for backup energy generation. This is particularly valuable to all stakeholders, especially during extreme weather events and emergencies, providing an option to disconnect and support vital public services and power to residential customers and critical operators such as hospitals, first responders and water treatment facilities when the utility’s grid is challenged.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR) has announced the availability of up to $40,000,000, under the three-stage NY Prize Community Grid Competition (NY Prize), to support the development of community microgrids. A community microgrid is where the interconnected set is in a community, like a town center.

Our Orangetown Green Microgrid

 World Team Now has assembled an outstanding team of electrical and mechanical engineers, construction firms, contractors, and best-of-breed microgrid technology suppliers.

The Orangetown Green Microgrid plans to be centered on the civic, police, fire department, water and sewage facilities, communication facilities, schools, colleges, commercial buildings, such as conference centers, shopping centers, large stores, hotels, companies, office parks, gas stations and data centers. The town’s properties are being evaluated in accordance with the considered development striving to bring the town additional revenue from land use with the potential for renewable energy generation. Existing backup generators will be considered as distributed generation or load reduction resources. Renewable energy technologies will be evaluated to replace existing systems or we will add new renewable energy generation facilities to reduce the carbon footprint of the overall microgrid and provide energy to balance demand. Energy efficiency technology will be evaluated for all participants to reduce demand. Energy storage will be evaluated in key locations to load shift to balance out load.  Interconnection cables, switchgear, power electronics, command and control equipment, data communication, control & optimization software will be added to tie the microgrid together, to operate, and make intelligent decisions in real time.

 World Team Now’s Journey on the Orangetown Green Microgrid

Early in the fall season of 2014, I remained in New York after our efforts with the People’s Climate March and the UN General Assembly, we found this opportunity for our World Team project. World Team Now’s VP and Director of Technical Strategy, Albert Boulanger’s work at Columbia University’s Center for Computational Learning Systems (CCLS) had their computer servers in Orangetown at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, where he worked prior.  Since our focus is energy efficiency, we saw an opportunity here to explore the concept of bringing a campus to net zero energy usage.  That processes lead us to Orangetown, New York as one initiative the Earth Observatory could do is to join a community microgrid.

The town of Orangetown had our community microgrid proposal on the Town Board meeting’s agenda up for a board vote on April 15th 2015. The first time we presented to the town of Orangetown the opportunity raised a lot of questions about this new concept of a community microgrid.

We got a sense of the community of Orangetown as the locals turn out had filled, not only the meeting auditorium, but the outside hall with people of all ages for core community issues at stake.  Our World Team project, with World Team Now in the lead for the NY prize was up for a board vote.

Representing World Team Now; Albert Boulanger, Suzanne Maxx, Sally Odin, John Bellicicco, Scott Frank

Representing World Team Now; Albert Boulanger, Suzanne Maxx, Sally Odland, John Bellicicco, Scott Frank

Scott Frank, John Bellacicco, Albert Boulanger and I spoke for power resiliency, savings, through our “Green” campaign with our community distributed energy microgrid.  Andy Stewart, the Town Supervisor, of Orangetown made the motion for our community microgrid – he truly has championed this project for the community.  We needed a majority vote out of the five board members. It was seconded, but then two board members, voted “No”, and the last board member to vote, who broke the tie, elaborated on his reservations, and at the end said, “Some other town will take the money if we don’t, so I vote, yes”.  We got the majority, a victory!  But it gives us a sense of the challenges ahead launching World Team here in Orangetown, and actually doing the project with the multiple renewable energy thrusts.  For now, we are doing the first stage – applying for the feasibility study and assessment proposal for the community microgrid.

Orange and Rockland Utility Inc., gave us a letter of support to proceed with the community microgrid after a successful meeting where we presented our team, and our Orangetown Green Microgrid concept.

At World Team Now’s core, we “Team-up” to demonstrate how our species can live in better balance with our resources. We go at projects using the principle of building leading teams, joining up leading companies, individuals, communities and entities for a  more holistic approach to a project.  World Team Now is using its expansive network of renewable energy expert advisers to help shape its execution team along with our Honorary, Emeritus, and Advisory Board Members – our website soon will reflect many of the people on board.

The World Team project has a quarter of a century of development, which includes a team of leading thinkers connected to innovative renewable energy technology, Intellectual Property and our media platform.  We plan to make our Green microgrid economic and ecological, “ECO” friendly. The countdown to World Team’s media platform and pilot has started! Our goal, to actually tell-a-vision, could be a model for many other communities, and ideally our whole world. But the reality is you all, who have helped us to preserve over the years, the team that has believed in the vision—is to who we owe deep gratitude.  Thank you for being able to see the possibility of our World Team project, which is indeed what makes T.E.A.M. work; vision and action together. Thank you! Journey on…

 

 

 

 

© 2024 World Team Now!

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑