As the Paris Summit on Climate Change came to a close this weekend, we recognized that this is not an end point, but rather just the beginning of a new worldwide cooperation that will need our continuous support.
The Paris Agreement recognizes “that climate change represents an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to human societies and the planet and thus requires the widest possible cooperation by all countries, and their participation in an effective and appropriate international response, with a view to accelerating the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions.”
We too have reflected on what is needed in the world and our answer, in large part, is gratefulness; the “great-fullness” which allows us to see the wonder, complexity and uniqueness of our home planet along with every one of its human and non-human inhabitants. Gratefulness compels us to honor and care for our environment, recognizing the extraordinary gift that is life on Earth. Part of the mission statement of A Network for Grateful Living holds that “grateful living (is) an engaged mindfulness practice, grounded in both wisdom and science, which supports our ability to see the wonder and opportunity in every moment, and motivates us to act boldly with love, generosity, and respect towards one another, ourselves, and the Earth.” As such, we are eager to join with our sisters and brothers around the world in sharing our energy, resources, connections and insights so that together we might “act boldly” in service to our beautiful planet Earth.
Not a small factor in the degradation of the Earth’s resources is our consumption of far more resources than we need. On an individual level, living simply has an impact.
We offer the following for inspiration, motivation and practice:
Books Related to Simple Living
Appreciating Sufficiency: A Grateful Living Practice
The Earth – A Living Creature (NASA video)
Our friends, at Earth Holder’s Sangha, (sangha is sanskrit for a community of practice) have been engaged throughout the climate talks and urge us all to be accountable to hold sacred and preserve our Earth with these calls to action:
- Wear Green Ribbons to build awareness – The new website even offers instructions on how to make them. Make it a fun group activity.
- Nourish Your Compassion – Support one another in going vegan for the next week, or at least eating a dairy-free, vegetarian diet. Eve Heidtmann offers this wonderful mindful cooking site.
- Get Together – Organizing a weekly sangha gathering around the Call to Action is a great way to do this. In Pittsburgh, the Facilitator read Thay’s Falling in Love with the Earth. She followed by passing the “bell Inviter” around, and everyone shared about an experience in life where they felt particularly in touch with the Earth and with other species.
- Make A Personal Commitment – the Act Now page of the www.earthholder.org website is a great place to start. We also really urge you to share your commitments not only with one another in your sanghas, but with everyone on the Earth Holder Sangha Facebook Page. Let us build our excitement, and share our joys.
However you choose to join this worldwide cooperative effort, we hope you recognize that YOUR engagement matters.
We humbly offer additional resources here. And invite you to let us know of other websites, books, videos and materials that we might share to promote living and acting toward our shared vision at A Network for Grateful Living: “a peaceful, thriving, and sustainable world – held as sacred by all.”