Human to Human

Just got word of this one. A sustainability movement that began in Australia in 2007. It went global in 2008. It goes global global in 2009. The action is simple — turn off the lights for an hour in your local time zone, March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm.

What I love in this is the simplicity of step. I don’t know the energy conservation impact of turning off the lights for that time. However, the shared identity, the common identity as citizens on the planet, on our earth, feels very impactful.

The three minute video is here. The website for more information and participating cities and countries is www.earthour.org.

A bit by the numbers from www.earthour.org…

10 million—total combined readership for magazines committed to running Earth Hour advertisements over the coming month. Includes: Martha Stewart Living, National Geographic, Oprah Magazine, Allure, J14, Health, Family Circle.
746,698—unique visitors to www.EarthHourUS.org.
105,727—registered participants on the Earth Hour US website to date.
48,000—letters sent to elected officials asking for action on climate change via the Earth Hour website.
29,000—number of times the official Earth Hour video has been viewed on YouTube in the past 90 days. Average is 1,500 views a day.
1,000—new friends signing up to WWF’s Facebook page each day as a result of Earth Hour.
8,000—blogs mentioning Earth Hour to date.
4,314—unique visitors to the EarthHourKids.org site.200—stories about Earth Hour on prominent online sources in the US (not including blogs). Highlights include Huffington Post, Boston Globe, Sprig and Blender.
78—countries taking part in Earth Hour. Nearly 700 cities have already signed up.
75—TV news stories in the US featuring Earth Hour.
28—US cities now pledged to turn out for Earth Hour.
20—seconds that elapse before someone new views the Earth Hour video.
7—seconds that elapse before “Earth Hour” is mentioned somewhere on the web.
4—US TV networks planning coverage.

I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS: Support for Earth Hour is building among organizations across many sectors, many of which have committed to reaching out to their own constituents to build greater awareness. The list includes:

American Federation of Teachers
American Institute of Architects
Association of Science-Technology Centers Inc.
Astronomical League
CarbonfreeDC
Energy Action Coalition
Environmental Defense Fund
Goddard Schools
Green School Alliance
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Program
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Conversation on Climate Action
National Education Association
National Science Teachers Association
Natural Resources Defense Council
Newspaper Association of America Foundation
Reading Is Fundamental
U.S. Conference of Mayors
Unitarian Universalist Association
United Church of Christ
World Organization of the Scout Movement
Youth Service of America

CAN WE TALK?: One great way for communities to translate Earth Hour into action that will last beyond March 28th is to take part in the National Conversation on Climate Action, organized by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Earth Day Network and AmericaSpeaks. The National Conversation is an unprecedented community engagement effort that is designed for and driven by local governments. Communities can register at www.climateconversation.org.

Michael Jones brought this insightful interview to my attention. It is Bill Moyers interviewing Parker Palmer. It includes commentary on the Obama approach to organizing.

“I don’t remember until the Obama campaign a presidential campaign which we were not asked, I was not asked, to buy a presidential candidate as a commodity in a consumer culture. The Obama campaign did not ask me to buy something. It asked me to tell a story. And in that movement it turned me from being a consumer of a political commodity to being a citizen, a voice.”

The entire interview is very insightful and is here. Much to learn here about opening possibilities of community.

In the Crease, by Dick Irwin — This was a fun book to skim. Written by legendary hockey announcer Dick Irwin, the voice I new of the Montreal Canadians when I was a young boy, it connected me to many boyhood memories of NHL goalies and stories of legends in the game. Reminded me of the masks I used to paint and wear in the basement playing with my friends. To think that there used to be only one goalie per team and that was one not wearing a mask. Also has me paying attention to Martin Brodeur who is about to break the record for most career shutouts ever. At the time of writing the book, Irwin described Terry Sawchuk, the current record holder, as holding a mark that would never be beaten. It is about too!

Einstein’s Dreams, by Alan Lightman — Really quite a lovely collection of images and stories of time. I found myself thinking of those who I know that have a different relationship with time. Chris Corrigan on kairos and chronos reminded me of “body” and “mechanical” time described by Lightman. And I loved the expansiveness with which the author names the relationship between time and other cultural norms. “A world in which time is absolute is a world of consolation. For while the movements of people are unpredictable, the movement of time is predictable. While people can be doubted, time cannot be doubted.” There is also a chapter that I really enjoyed on time standing still, as if the center of time is where time doesn’t move. It’s worth reading and enjoying.

New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer — Read this one with my daughter Zoe. Vampires, werewolves, and a love story for young readers. Author went to local university here, BYU. Good reading with Zoe.

I am feeling very schooled in dream space. It has been about a year since I started more deliberately trying to catch my dreams. Just simple description when they occured. It has been about three months since I started seeing more in them. The universe finds ways to speak with us in the subconscious and in the language of symbols. Feeling awe for this – when the student is ready, the teacher appears…

This morning I woke from a dream that spoke several questions. The language builds on what Toke Moeller shares here from a previous post on powerful questions. I haven’t tried to match those. Rather, just write what showed from my dream.

I think of these as root questions – good to ask a round from the “I” and a round from the “we.” This also builds on what Teresa Posakony and Chris Corrigan and I have been sharing with clients on core intentions of conversations that matter: learn / work / build relations.

How could we strengthen our ability to stand in this journey?
– it isn’t one that all will take or can take
– it has many qualities of the unknown
– sometimes we take the journey on behalf of others, as a gift to the whole
– we often stand in what feels like a minority

What is at the center of this journey?
– glimpses of the biggest vision we see
– might come to see more of this together

Who can help us along the way?
– notice the people able to work in beauty
– may be quiet people
– may be people of deep knowing and ground

What will we need to let go of?
– redefine “other”

How might we be more wise together?
– now
– in the future
– what do we need to learn

How might we be more compassionate?
– honoring people where they are