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ARCHITEC TURE
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DESIGN
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ENVIRONMENT
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WELLNESS
architect
Noah Walker
breathtaking modern structures that utilize natural elements
modern meets
Boho Patio spr i ng
2017
CH A R LOTTE CA RSON
Editor’s Letter
Founder, Editorial & Creative Director
As the Days of Trump are counted down on every-
R ICHI EL CH A A R
JUDITH STA PLETON
Corporate Director
Senior Editor
HOLLI K ENLEY
EMILY FAUSTINO
Y EHJEA N YA NG
STEPH A NIE WA N
Steered by the rudder of Sustainability, Clear Life imagines
one’s f ingers, CL is determined to look at the world how the Pacif ic Rainforest Region could be toast if close up and far away, because what happens in the politics of LNG proceed in Sustainability Means Washington doesn’t stay in Washington. Mario Cucinella has joined the UN Development
Never Having to Say You’re Sorry, by our Senior Editor. We take a look attwo artists, Ana Paula Ruiz Galindo
Agency in an unprecedented school project to bring and Mecky Reuss, who are collaborating in the muchgreen back to Gaza and education back to 800 young anticipated XIX Powerball 2017 at the Power Plant on students. Every feature of this inspired design harvests the Toronto Lakeshore, an event that is foundational
Wellness Contributing Editor
Art Director
local natural elements, recycling rainwater, heating to the art landscape. and cooling through thermal mass and shady palms,
In our Wellness Section the question of saving the stem
and local construction materials that must by law be cells from your newborn’s umbilical cord are addressed sourced through Israel.
by our Senior Editor in Baby Bullion in the Bank, and
Pope Francis faces off with the Devils of global therapist and author Holli Kenely traces the roots of catastrophe in Yearning for Moral Honesty by Judith recovery from emotional breakdown in Sheets of Rain. With Stapleton. We take a sober look behind Oz’s Curtain a like mind about renewal, we have eight Getaways that (may to find the victims in the Middle East, as usual, are the very well) Redefine You, by Kiki Athanassoulias. children. Brace yourselves; this is not an easy picture.
2 | clear life
Charlotte Carson
Graphic Designer
Web Coder
clear life | 3
C ONte NTS
architecture & design
10 ANSWERING THE CALL
18 GOING GREEN IN GAZA 28 MODERN MEETS BOHO PATIO 34 POWER BALL XIX STEREO VISION
environment
40 BEE KIND JCrew’s Garment for Good keeps the J world sweet 44 GLOBAL WARMING GOING TO HELL DOWN J UNDER The Ostriches are Running Australia 52 OZ BEHIND THE CURTAIN Childhood Hunger J and Its Implications 60 YEARNING FOR MORAL HONESTY: The Pope’s J Mission to Save the Planet 68 SUSTAINABILITY MEANS Never having to Say J You’re Sorry
wellness
80 GETAWAYS THAT REDEFINE You Only the Most J Epic, Life-changing Events Please 86 TOP ORGANIC BEAUTY PICKS 90 MOUNTAIN AIR 98 BABY BULLION IN THE BANK: Why We Should Save the Cord
Answering the Call
photography, Joe Fletcher 4 | clear life
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C ONtriBUTORS
Lorella Zanetti, photographer, with a career spanning over twenty years, Lorella Zanetti is known for her intimate portrait work including Robert Duvall, Viggo Mortensen, Deepa Mehta and Brandon Cronenberg and her dramatic still life images. Lorella has worked with such clients as WWD Magazine, AbsolutVodka, The Body Shop, Holt Renfrew and Maybelline Margaret Swain, journalist, has been writing regular columns in the National Post newspaper since its inception. Her most recent is Forks & the Road on culinary travel. She also writes the bi-monthly Global Gourmet column for www.travelindustrytoday.com. She is a principal critic and spirits columnist with www.WineAlign.com and pens feature articles for many publications including Zoomerm USA Today, The Globe and Mail and American Express Travel. Paige McPhee, journalist, began her career writing children’s book and play reviews for The National Post in 2007. Since then, she has created content for the likes of PromCanada Magazine, Narcity Media and The Mizrahi Collection among others. Paige is currently finishing her honours Bachelor of Arts degree at The University of Toronto in Communication, Culture, Information, Technology and Professional Writing. Her first book, I’m in Like with You, will be released in June 2017 with Life Rattle Press. Chad Burton, props & fashion stylist, from the neon lights of Seoul to the fashion capitol of London, England, Chad has created editorial content around the globe. Now based in Toronto, Chad works with clients as diverse as Holt Renfrew, Nike and Shoppers Drug Mart. Kiki Athanassoulias, journalist, Kiki Athanassoulias is a holistic health advocate and passionately spreads her enthusiasm & knowledge for all things superfoods, superherbs, and supercharged - crystals. She is founder of Mindfully Edible, a resource for learning how to consciously upgrade your life through recipes, readings, videos, as well as indulgently fabulous (yet educational) retreats. Kiki is also Director of Community at Meal Garden, a health-focused digital recipe app, & she is a fellow in Venture for Canada, a not-for-profit with the mission of fostering entrepreneurship.
Modern Meets Boho Patio
photography, Lorella Zanetti 6 | clear life
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Architecture & Design
A
nswering the Call by Paige McPhee photography, Joe Fletcher
how N oa h Wa lk er listens to nature before designing dream homes
“The most important thing about a design strategy is letting the house take second to the space,” says Noah Walker, President and Founder of Walker Workshop – a Los Angeles based design firm made famous for its breath-taking modern structures. Walker Workshop specializes in creating minimalist spaces that utilize the natural elements of the surrounding space. One of the Walker Workshop’s most captivating projects, The Oak Pass Home, brings California’s famous valley landscape and Coast Live Oak trees into the spotlight. “It would have been easy to make a 10,000 square foot house on the top of the ridge – but it would’ve blocked all the views of this unique property. Even though we’re designing a home, we don’t want the project to take attention away from the environment around it. We created a more minimalist pavilion at the side of the property and put the rest of the house underground, so as not to block any views or trees or existing topography.” “The client purchased the property and thankfully wasn’t in a rush. We really got to take our time developing the design to f it the landscape of the site. We had the wonderful opportunity as designers to have barbeques out on the 3-acre property, really getting to understand the space. There were a ton of old oak trees, one hundred and thirty total. In Southern California oak trees are protected, so we treated them as a part of the design from the beginning.” A huge component of the Walker Workshop’s design aesthetic is the utilization of natural light and landscape; the Oak Pass Home is no exception. Walker’s design compliments the surrounding foliage to a tee, as the rooftop herb garden seemingly blends with various types of crawling grass and moss on surrounding rocks. While a typical home would have a front door as a focal piece on a main level, one enters the Oak Pass Home from above. Walker and his team designed the home ‘upside-down,’ in that the larger and social spaces such as the kitchen, living and dining rooms, are on the main f loor, whereas the bedrooms and more intimate spaces are laid out down below. Reminiscent of Pierre Koenig’s Stahl Home from 1950’s Hollywood Hills, the Oak Pass Home contains the same panoramic views and f loor to ceiling glass walls. It’s a cinematic experience, transitioning from the public to private spaces of the home. As a pedestrian strolling through, one is constantly being reoriented with the lay of the land as the house follows its contours. 12 | architecture & design
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“The house answers what nature already has out there, instead of forcing a layout onto the land,” Walker explains. Like a director, he sets up scenes and conveys mood with structure and material. “All of the rooms in the house have some sort of scenic view – what with valleys on the one side and canyons on the other. Except for one: the courtyard on the lower level, that services the bedrooms. It acts as a special anecdote to the house, almost zen like. No windows, concrete walls, a f ire pit. Rather than have 50 or 60 feet of windowless hallway, we added this light well so that the space would still have a connection to nature despite being underground.” “As far as sustainability goes, there’s
“Almost 50% of the house is under planting material which is a very green concept in reducing the urban heat island effect, while also allowing the owner access to vegetables or fruit in a garden.”
def initely a connectivity between nature and this home. We designed the home in a way that it’ll be climatically responsive. It has an extensive green roof. Earth materials act as great insulators to keep the lower levels cooler in the summer. Almost 50% of the house is under planting material which is a very green concept in reducing the urban heat island effect, while also allowing the owner access to vegetables or fruit in a garden. Sustainability also
ties into the longevity of a home. Although it can be sad to part ways with a project, it’s a great feeling knowing that it’ll continue to stand and adapt to its environment and owners as times goes on.” Perhaps the Oak Pass Home will live as long as the trees that frame the home from every angle, providing a shadow of majesty and intimacy. The design of the home highlights one tree in particular, one of the oldest and largest oaks on the property. The tree could almost be mistaken for some type of bonsai if one were looking at it from the 75-foot inf inity pool – stretching from living room to property’s edge, its branches intricate, lush and crawling, the large trunk hidden by the lower layers of home. Walker admits to designing this moment in particular – dramatic and impactful, yet beautiful and serene. An image of harmony between man and nature, where sustainable design achieves its optimal success. 14 | architecture & design
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Going
GREEN in Gaza
An unprecedented UN initiative to build environmentally friendly schools in Gaza by Judith Stapleton
M
ario Cucinella and his Bologna-based f irm have once again taken the lead
in creating liveable landscapes even in the harshest environments. Cucinella was recognized with an Honorary Fellowship this year by the American Institute of Architects for exceptional work and contributions to architecture and to society on an international level, and this award follows closely on the heels of last year’s similar recognition by the Royal Institute of British Architects, among many others. Perhaps the most notable example of Cucinella’s dedication to making architecture of sustainable service to human needs is his joint venture in the Gaza Strip. In response to the Italian government’s request to get involved in Gaza, Cucinella v isited the Palestinian Terr itor ies, and, in collaboration with the UN Relief and Works Agency and the Kuwait Fund for A rab Economic Development, inspired his team to design a green school for 800 students, that could be entirely self-sustaining in this energy- scarce, water-poor, and conf lict-ridden region, and serve as an educational oasis to thousands of children desperate to belong to the future. The UNRWA is entirely responsible for prov iding health, educational and temporar y resident ial infrastructure to the people of the Palestinian Territories, and under Israeli law, they are only permitted to use materials bought from Israel. This constraint prevents the use of all sorts of
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building materials taken through the tunnels throughout the Territorities in efforts to keep up with the Israeli destruction of Palestinian communities. Cucinella’s green design entails capturing the 100–600mm of annual rainwater, and recycling waste-water, so that the school can provide potable water all day every day. Temperatures here can average 38 degrees, so it is hard for children to concentrate on their studies. The new school uses suff icient thermal mass to store energy and regulate it. These are simple architectural features that are easily pre- fabricated. The diff iculty is that everything that comes from Israel comes slowly. Solar panels and thermal technologies help keep the school entirely off the power grid, which is controlled by Israel and usually reduced to two hours supply a day. When interviewed about the concept of a green school in the Middle East, Cucinella replied:
In the beginning it was a little difficult as people are naturally reluctant to change but after you explain the case and the changes that the school could have on the conditions the children study in, they recognize the benefits of the project. In fact, when we presented the project at a conference I was surprised how optimistic and enthusiastic people were and they were saying if you can do this project in Gaza, you could do any project anywhere 22 | architecture & design
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in the world! I mean we worry about this catastrophic vision of the world where there are no resources, no money, no energ y and basically you don’t have to dream that in Gaza — it’s already like this. In a way, what I came away with is that the frugality of people is greater than any oppression — people are strong and are able to adapt to really difficult situations. For me, it was also really exciting talking to the engineering students in Gaza — these people don’t really have any future, there is no work in Gaza and yet they go to school, they go to university and study engineering because they hope that something will change. For me, that was really inspiring. And I guess one day or another, this story of conf lict will be finished. Maybe that day will be tomorrow or maybe it will be in another two hundred years but it will be over. Also when you are there you feel that the people of Gaza are more optimistic about their future than the people on the outside. To design new schools and imagine a new life for the people of Gaza is a dif ferent approach to humanit arian action, and to the whole concept of sustainable living in spite of environmental and socio-political pressures.
The f irst zero-emissions school will
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cost $2 million, and this is no more than UNRWA usually spends on an educational facility in the region. A lthough the current focus remains on building schools in Gaza, UNRWA also operates in the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, where it is hoped 1/2 a million refugees will eventually have access to a bright green education! Riding this creative wave of hope for life in Palestine, MC Architects’s greening of Gaza includes an off-grid Women’s Centre, whose roof includes an array of skylights that regulate daylight and solar gains in the interiors, and where rainwater is harvested by the roof itself, and stored in tanks buried in the earth walls. Life in the desert has never been easy. But architecture that embraces the local elements offers an oasis for the people who must f ind a way to live there.
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moder n meet s
Boho Patio Clearlife bridges the outdoor-indoor divide to create a serene and st ylish patio oasis.
photography: Lorella Zanetti stylist: Chad Burton, Plutino Group
Acapulco Chairs, $495, at eltemkt.com; Plexiglass side table, $275, Gus Modern at stylegarage.com; Timor Ornament, $1180, Oly, South Hill Home at southhillhome.com; Woven Gold Floor Mat, $465, Chilewich, at elte.com; Shaggy Dog Cushion, $260, Mourne Textiles at mjolk.ca; Grey Pouf, $129.99, at eq3.com
Marfa Torch Light, $200, Claesson Koivistro Rune, Tyndall Vessel, $230, Thom Fougere, Bronze Glazed Tri-top Vase, price on request, Alissa Coe, all at mjolk.ca; Ball Candle, $9.99, Peggy Side Table, $79, at eq3.com; Dried Lavender at theflowerroom.com; Stepping Stone White End Table, $124, at vdevmaison.com; Orion Marble Candle Holder, $2490, Ooumm Paris at southhillhome.com; Ikat Deep Grey Floor Mat, $229.95, Chilewich at elte.com
30 | architecture & design
Striped pillow, $250, Hedge House, Lantern, $95, both at stylegarage.com; Swiss Cross Linen Cushion, $69.96, at eltemkt.com; Canoe Cushion $168, at Cottage Cloth Co.; Røros Tweed Naturpledd Blanket, $345, Kristine Five Melvaer at mjolk.ca; Light Grey Chunky Throw, $168, Ellery Patterned Cushions (on f loor), $52, at vdevmaison.com
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Taavi Chair, $750, LOLL, Caribou Rug, $325, at stylegarage.com; Raphael Jute Rug, $26, at vdevmaison.com; Hexagon Brick Accent Table, $495, at eltemkt.com; Pebbled Leather Tray, $720, RY Augousti at southhillhome.com; Grass at theflowerroom.com; Bronze Glazed Hexagonal Vase, price on request, Alissa Coe, Pewter Flower Shaped Dish, $210, Masanobu Ando both at mjolk.ca; Coffee mugs, $45, Jennifer Graham, Enamel Spoons, $12, Utilitario Mexicano both available at easytigergoods.com; Vintage Linen Towel, $28.95, at elte.com
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O
n June 1, 2017, The Power Plant, Canada’s leading contemporary art gallery,
will present the most notoriously innovative art party in Toronto: Power Ball XIX. The 19th annual event, presented by fashion house Max Mara will transform The Power Plant into an immersive and modern art experience fusing music, ambiance, food, fashion and society. This year’s event, themed Stereo Vision, invites guests to explore the hidden worlds, alternate realities and unseen universes that may exist parallel to our own, whether it’s virtual reality, the spiritual world, cyberworld, dreams, quantum theories and more. Stereo Vision also plays with the roman numerals XIX as a visual palindrome that speaks to the notion of mirrors and multiple dimensions. Pedro&Juana, the remarkable Mexico Citybased architecture and design studio are the highly-anticipated artists for the VIP portion of Power Ball XIX. Founded by Ana Paula Ruiz Galindo and Mecky Reuss, the well-respected and praised architects have worked on countless projects across the world, ranging from public installations to dynamic interior spaces and furniture designs. To coincide with this year’s theme, Ana and Mecky are creating an interactive environment for guests to experience alternate reality vignettes and
clear life takes a look at the highly anticipated artists, Ana Paula
Ruiz Galindo and Mecky Reuss, behind the ���� Powerball
discover the juncture between the real and represented.
The talented duo are also partnering with notable performance artist Francesco Pedraglio, who will create a narrative to guide guests through Pedro&Juana’s installation, as well as incorporate elements of surprise through popup performances by local Toronto actors. By combining art, design and architecture, Ana and Mecky showcase the intersection of multiple disciplines and artistic thinking, a common principle throughout their work. From its inception in 1999, Power Ball has thrived as an ambitious fundraising event that provides vital funds for exhibitions and public programs at The Power Plant. The party has since set the standard as one of the most inf luential and vibrant art galas in Toronto, attracting a sophisticated “who’s who” of guests, bringing together the worlds of fashion, f ilm, media, music and the visual arts. Tickets start at $175 ($150 if you are a member of The Power Plant).
For more information or to purchase your ticket, visit: powerball.thepowerplant.org
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40
Environment
Bee K ind
JCrew’s Garment for Good keeps the world sweet by Paige McPhee
Bees account for a third of the planet ’s pollination, allowing fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers to grow and flourish. Bees are becoming more and more endangered due to climate change and habitat destruction. To raise awareness for the decline of our fuzzy, buzzing friends, JCrew has partnered with the Xerces Society in the US and Buglife in the U.K. as part of their Garment for Good line to keep those bees busy and alive. Illustrator Donald Rober tson drew up some beautiful tees to benefit the bees, with half of the retail profits going to both Xerces Society and Buglife. JCrew is also doing their part by selling organic honey and building bee-attracting flower walls outside select stores. If you have a window ledge or just a plant pot at your door, consider sowing a few bee-friendly flowers as your personal contribution to the integrated life-cycles of plants and bees. On their busy quest to make honey, they pollinate the planet. A world without bees would be less sweet.Buy a tee for a bee!
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Global Warming Going to Hell
Down Under: The ostriches are running Australia by Judith Stapleton
President Trump is not the only world leader promoting the return of the coal industry. Australia’s political leadership—regardless of which party is in power—cannot get past their short-term vision of an economic heroin hit, followed immediately by the high of re-election. And so, the new Carmichael coal mine in the Northeast is on the front burner again. For the last ten years the Down Under policy has been on a merry-go-round, sometimes seeming to take the climate data seriously, and introducing a carbon tax, and sometimes getting rid of the tax, because its grasp of the facts is shaky and, well, how else are they going to make money! People from all political persuasions here question the reality of global warming, even when they are forced to accommodate the drowning islanders from Micronesia and Melanesia, Tuvalu and Vanuatu— victims of rising seas; even when the bush f ires, like those this winter in Adelaide, are the worst in decades. The national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientif ic and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and the Bureau of Meteorolog y have recently released projections based on 40 global climate models, producing the most robust picture available of how Australia’s climate would change. environment | 45
Unless mitigating action is taken immediately to assurances are covered in the pixie dust of re-elecslash greenhouse gas emissions, Australia could be tion. There would be six open pit mines and f ive on track for a temperature rise of more than 5C by underground mines, a new rail line and port operthe end of the century. And this will outstrip the rate ations on the coast near the Great Barrier Reef, of warming experienced by the rest of the world. conveniently close to the coal’s intended destination According to the report, this “business-as-usual” of India and environs, where it would be burned in approach to burning fossil fuels will sear Australia thermal power stations for the next 60 years. more than the rest of the world, which will average a temperature increase of 2.6C to 5.25C by 2099.
In the same way Tinker Bell swishes sparkle dust from her tiny wand, Carmichael has promised 10,000
In a warming world some of the most profound transformations take place in the seas that surround Australia. Without a reduction in emissions, these waters will warm by a further 2C to 4C. Excess carbon dioxide absorbed by the warming oceans causes the water’s pH level to drop. This acidif ication makes it more diff icult for corals to form hard reef structures and other crustaceans such as oysters, clams, lobsters and crabs to develop their shells. Acidif ication poses a major risk to ecosystems
“Acidif ication poses a major r i sk to ecosyst e m s such a s the G reat Barrier Reef and, according to the report , i s ‘lik ely to impact the e ntire m a r i n e e c o s ys t e m , f r o m plankton at the base to f ish at the top.”
such as the Great Barrier Reef and, according to the report, is “likely to impact the entire marine new jobs, one way or another, and a US$12.5 billion ecosystem, from plankton at the base to f ish at the turnover of land that is now just a cattle station. top.” In other words, everything that depends on
Both Australia’s Conservative Federal Government
the sea will be permanently affected. Need we be and the Queensland State Government, led by the reminded that All life depends on the sea.
rival Labor party, have backed the project and look
But Carmichael has made assurances to the likely to provide subsidies to different parts of it, as Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull— it affects their immediate economic interests. on a see-saw with a one-seat majority—and those
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And they will get lots of support and encouragement
environment | 47
from India’s Adani power company, the largest
Environmentalists warn that several threatened
private power producer in India, with 60% of market species of plants and animals will likely be adversely shares. In 2015, Adani was ranked India’s most affected by the development, which is widely expected trusted infrastructure brand by The Brand Trust to pave the way for even more mines. The effect of port operations relating to coal mining on the Great
“ B uilding ports and mines i s w h a t t h e y d o be st ... T his is their patch of the planet.”
Barrier Reef in general has been a topic of debate for several years. UNESCO has ordered reports on the viability status of the reef, a World Heritage site, which marine scientists say is dying. And many of those scientists blame activities related to coal mining for the reef ’s demise. However, the greatest area of concern over the
Report 2015, an annual Indian study. Building ports mine is the sheer levels of the emissions the coal and mines is what they do best. They already own will produce, which will not register in Australia’s the Galilee Basin mine and Abbot Point port in own accounting of its greenhouse gas emissions since Australia, and the Bunyu Coal Mine in Indonesia. the coal is primarily intended for export. Burning This is their patch of the planet.
of coal from the mine is estimated to produce 4·7
The massive Carmichael mine has drawn criti- billion tonnes of greenhouse gas. Not yet measurable cism from people concerned about Australia’s lack is the warming effect coal particulate (dust) has on of action on climate change, including economists, reducing the ref lectivity of the sea surface, allowing environmental activists, and doctors. With a modest the sun’s rays to penetrate and warm both pelagic population of 24 million people, Australia is yet and shoreline zones. among the world’s highest emitters of greenhouse gases per person.
It is worth recalling here that this patch of the continent has already suffered insult from extreme
Spokesman for Doctors for the Env ironment weather and geological events, and more of the same Australia, David Shearman, has said, “It is a public would certainly cause unintended mayhem when health disaster. A ll the reasons that have been all the carefully engineered infrastructure of port expressed by the government are spurious.”
and rail lines and pits gets hit with the next big
The British medical journal Lancet (thelancet. earthquake. com Vol 389 February 11, 2017) recently published
On Fr iday March 11, 2016 at 6:36pm EDT,
concerns about this coal development, claiming the Geoscience Australia released its revised earthquake effect it will have on public health is “disastrous.” 48 | environment
magnitude assessment of 8.8. That was just last year. environment | 49
“ . ..several threatened species of plants and animals will likely be adversely af fected by the development, which is widely expected to pave the way for even more mines.” On February 27, 2010 at 6.36pm EDT, Geoscience Australia released revised earthquake magnitude assessment of 8.8, followed by a region-wide tsunami alert. The year before, there was a smaller quake but a bigger tsunami. Labor is the opposition party at federal level but in government in Queensland, where the mine will be built. The state government says the project has met all required environmental impact assessments, including measures that would protect the Great Barrier Reef. The state government has declared it “critical infrastructure.” Prime Minister Turnbull’s government did indeed ratify the Paris agreement on climate change in 2016. But he must have misunderstood what that would mean for Australia. Perhaps it is out of embarrassment that his present actions are completely inconsistent with his past words that he has put his head in the sand. In fact, ostriches don’t do this; it’s a myth. But obviously, people do it.
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Now there is an outbreak of cholera. Children need to feed on lessons to prepare for life. The US is all-in on a senseless war that has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies.
The Munchkins, the Flying Monkeys, and is not available to all children. Dorothy’s whole cru are astonished when, thanks
A collaboration of doctors from Alfaisal University
to her faithful dog Toto, they finally get to see College in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and University behind the curtain. She discovers that Oz the of Mississippi Medical Centre, College of Medicine Great and Powerful has been using voice dis- in Jacksonville, report in the January 7 issue of the tortion, pomp and ceremony, chicanery and medical journal, the Lancet, that, because of subterfuge to maintain his bizarre role as com- extreme drought and war, at least half the children mander-and-chief of the Emerald City and its in Yemen are suffering from chronic malnutrition. environs, the countries of Winkie and Quadling. We
Even before the war started, Yemen had
don’t know how long he’s been at it, but he one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the admits it has been a long time since he arrived Arabian Peninsula. It is the poorest country in the by hot air balloon from Omaha.
Middle East. More than 80% of the population
He had ever ybody fooled, even the Good Witch of the North, who reassigns the ruby shoes to Dorothy, still warm and probably stinky from the feet of the Wicked Witch of the West, now melted.
“…it was their faith in the Wizard’s power…”
We learn from this story, which the Library of Congress has declared “America’s greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale,” that for everyone has been in desperate need of humanitarian in the cru—the Tin Woodman, the Lion, the aid for the last two years. Now, according to the Scarecrow, and Dorothy herself—it was their faith in World Food Program, half the entire population the Wizard’s power that focused their desires, of Yemen—about 14.4 million people—are unable to and fuelled their own efforts to achieve their goals. secure their daily food needs. In UNICEF’s analIn other words, they each discovered that they had it ysis, almost half the country is suffering from in them all along. They just needed motivating. Allegory literature is a fundamental ingredient
famine. It is in this context of abject wretchedness that the
of every culture because children need to feed on new Oz Administration carried out it ’s first lessons to prepare for life. But this sustenance military operation, a SEAL raid in which, as one environment | 53
military official told NBC News, “Almost everything talking about the innocent people killed. They went wrong.”
are calling for a complete investigation, and also for
It is hard to know the truth about what happened compensation to the families of the innocent and why because, as we know, Oz produces people who were killed. obfuscation, not truth. First, the White House
Medics on the scene reported that at least
press claimed it was an operation already 10 of the 30 killed were women and children. signed off by the Obama Administration, and
One of the children sacrificed was eight-
they were just “waiting for a moonlit night” to carry year-old US born Nora, the daughter of Anwar out the raid. The motivation for the raid was Al-Awlaki, the Yemeni-American cleric killed in “intelligence gathering.”
a U.S. air strike in Yemen in 2011. Her 16 year
However, in light of the 24/7 drone surveil- old brother, also American, had been killed in lance the U.S. has been doing there since 2009, an earlier drone attack. that explanation seems unlikely. They had to
How has this patch in the fabric of the Middle
have known that there were women and chil- East become the sacrifice zone for nine million dren living in these houses. They carried out children who will never benefit from the lessons this raid anyway.
of allegory? What are the implications of this man-made tragedy for the future of all chil-
“Yemen is the sacrif ice zone for 9 million children.”
dren’s lives? When the US began drone warfare in Yemen, in 2009, there were perhaps 200 members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the group there is called. After four years of these seemingly random anvils from the sky, there were
They first justified the raid by claiming there were over 8,000 people who had joined that group, 14 militants killed. They were sorry that Navy mostly because they were so angry at the US SEAL Petty Officer William Ryan was shot in drone attacks. Now the US Administration is the process. They did not mention the innocent not only using drones, but also using these people who were killed in the raid. That is infor- commando raids. mation that the administration is refusing to
These assaults must be seen in the context
acknowledge. There are, however, not only local of an even more dif ficult problem facing medics but also local reporters, and groups Yemen, which is a civil war between the two such as Human Rights Watch, who have been main Muslim divisions, the Sunni, who are in 54 | environment
environment | 55
the majority, and the Shi’a sect called Houthi.
Hudson quotes Scott Paul from Oxfam on this:
This is not a religious conflict, but rather one A sale of major arms to Saudi Arabia signals of asymmetrical political alliances. Arguably, the opposite — that the U.S. is instead all-in such power imbalances exist in a great many on a senseless war that has created one of the countries.
world’s largest humanitarian emergencies.
In the summer of 2016, soon after the Obama Administration announced the single largest weapons and military equipment sale in US histor y ($1.15 billion) to Saudi Arabia, John Hudson reported in The New York Times on the
“ ...just waiting for a moonlit night”
two single Senate voices against this sale, Rand Paul and Chris Murphy: Citing concerns over
The deal is done. Everyone knew that Yemen
Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, Republican was toast. Senator Rand Paul says he’s looking for ways to
The US endorses the Saudi-led coalition’s
stop a $1.15 billion weapons deal with Riyadh activities in Yemen every day. It helps to make that would include the sale of 130 Abrams assaults possible with refuelling operations and battle tanks, 20 armoured vehicles, and other weapons, and these American ingredients of military equipment.
the stew of war are productive investments for
The State Department offered this lame defense: the American economy— investments that will The State Department defended the proposed only increase under the new Oz Administration, deal, saying it did not amount to an endorse- for reasons that are obvious to everyone. ment of Saudi Arabia’s activities in Yemen.
The US has long had a special relationship
But this is not remotely credible. The sale of with the Saudis. It is about to get even more tanks and armoured vehicles is helping the special in the land of Oz, where nothing is more Saudis every day to replace their losses in the valuable than fossil fuels, not even human war, and by providing them with more mili- life. The Obama Administration did over $115 tary hardware the US makes it easier for the billion—with a B—in arms sales with Saudi Saudis to wage a longer campaign. It reflects Arabia alone. There is no doubt the new Wizard Washington’s uncritical support for Riyadh as will follow in this wake. the Saudis pummel and starve their neighbour.
Last year Canada made money selling
But it also implies that Yemen is not a real armoured combat vehicles to Saudi Arabia in concern for America, or the rest of the West. 56 | environment
a controversial $15-billion arms deal that also environment | 57
featured medium- or high-calibre weapons sup- refuels Saudi planes. They are good with gas. plied by “a European subcontractor.” These
UNICEF this week said that last year alone
sorts of weapons are usually powerful cannon 63,000 children died from preventable causes, designed to shoot anti-tank missiles.
mostly because of lack of access to medical
During his election campaign, Justin Trudeau, care and malnutrition. The Saudi-led coalition father of three, claimed that Canada was just has intentionally targeted civilian infrastrucselling “jeeps” to the Saudis. This deal was good ture, especially food production, which has for London, Ontario, where they were manu- led to mass starvation. The UN has repeatedly factured. In Ottawa and London, there is no child hunger or humanitarian crisis. There is not a whisper of an accusation of war crimes against the Saudis from Western governments. Yet, many reports from human rights groups make it clear that not only do
“T he UN has repeatedly warned that Yemen is on the brink of star vation.”
these inhumane attacks occur with weapons that were sold to Saudi Arabia by the US and warned that Yemen is on the brink of famine. the UK, we now have photo and video doc-
The US finds it convenient to blame Iran. But
umentation (from Human Rights Watch, and this is a war led by Saudi Arabia, with support Amnesty International), in the ruins of hospitals from the US and the UK, against Yemenis, some and homes, that they have used cluster muni- of whom happen to be Houthis, not Iranians. tions in civilian areas.
Now, there is an outbreak of cholera. The Yemeni
According to the UN report released last Government and the UN World Health February, authored by a panel of experts on Organization (WHO), report more than 17,300 the war in Yemen, there have been documented suspected cholera cases and 99 related deaths Saudi-led coalition at tacks on hospitals, between October 2016—when the outbreak schools, civilian homes, weddings, a humani- was first confirmed—and January 23. But poor tarian aid warehouse operated by Oxfam, and access to health care ser vices and ongoing at least one refugee camp. There is evidence “insecurity” compromise humane response. that American and British militar y officials
There is no bedtime story after dinner for
were physically in the command room with these children. For most, there is only a death Saudi bombers when they were choosing their watch. targets. But most frequently, the US military 58 | environment
environment | 59
Distinct from any previous encyclical, last year’s address by the Pope was to everyone, regardless of religion. “Faced with the global deterioration of the environment, I want to address every person who inhabits this planet,” the pope said. “In this encyclical, I especially propose to enter into discussion with everyone regarding our common home.” The pope has praised the global ecological movement, which he said has “already travelled a long, rich road and has given rise to numerous groups of ordinary people that have inspired ref lection.” And in a surprisingly specif ic and unambiguous appeal, he rejected outright “carbon credits” as a solution to the problem. He said they “could give rise to a new form of speculation and would not help to reduce the overall emission of polluting gases.” On the contrary, he said, it could help “support the super-consumption of certain countries and sectors.” Between then and now, the Pope has made increasingly passionate and direct appeals to the UN and to governments everywhere, to put the planet first, in the name of survival. He demanded the UN respect the rights of the environment over a “thirst for power.” “Any harm done to the environment, therefore is harm done to humanity,” Francis said. “The ecological crisis, and the large-scale destruction of biodiversity, can threaten the very existence of the human species.” If this is indeed liberation theology, it is a universal appeal for the liberty of Life itself. And it is the Pope’s trajectory, on this path to save the planet, that has now converged with the direction of the Trump environment | 61
Administration, to destroy everything in the name roused the party with “Hail Trump, hail our people, of savage capitalism, and the planet be damned.
hail victory.” In response, supporters gave the Nazi
On January 20, the same day Donald Trump was salute and chanted in a similar fashion to the Sieg inaugurated as president, Pope Francis gave an Heil chant used at the Nuremberg rallies. interview to the Spanish newspaper, El Pais. In it,
Spencer defended this conduct, stating that the
he compares the new President and the far right Nazi salute was given in a spirit of “ irony and wave that carried him aloft, to the rise of Hitler exuberance.” and the Nazi fascists who rode the wave with him.
In the 1928 exuberant climate of fascism in Spain, a
Chancellor Hitler, after all, did not steal power; 26% priest named Josemaria Escrivá founded a new and entirely of the German people, fed up with the old order, unique element to the Catholic Church—the only “pervoted for him. In the history of church-and-state sonal prelature” in the Church’s long history. It does tyranny, there is no small signif icance that this rock not fall under the jurisdiction of a geographical locawas dropped in the pond of Spain.
tion, a diocese.Rather, it takes its own bishop with it.
Pope Francis has come a long way from obedient Jurisdiction is over the person, at all times, wherever Jesuit servant to Voice For the Planet, but he has he goes. Once you are in, you are in. a very clear understanding of the opprobrium of “savage capitalism,” and he is calling its agents out. In doing so, he has raised the ire of all the alt-right elements in the Trump administration and in the Catholic church itself. Within days of the winning-White House change of furniture, a familiar dark cloud descended over the
“It is the beginning of the new Dark Ages and, as history repeats itself, the Pope’s plea for the planet is being dismissed as “leftist” by the rich and power-hungry”
capital, and began to spread over the environment, the people, and the entire globe. It is the beginning
A Wiki search notes: The personal prelature was
of the new Dark Ages and, as history repeats itself, conceived during the sessions of the Second Vatican Council the Pope’s plea for the planet is being dismissed as (1962-1965) in no. 10 of the decree Presbyterorum ordinis “leftist” by the rich and power-hungry, and some of and was later enacted into law by Paul VI in his motu the popular media. What is emerging will likely be proprio Ecclesiae sanctae. It was later reaff irmed in a f ight to the death.
the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Before 1962, it was
In August, as a campaign decision, Trump appointed simply secret. Breitbart News chair Stephen Bannon to be CEO of
This untouchable and exclusive club in some inner
his campaign. It was Stephen Bannon who referred sanctum of the Catholic Church is populated by lay to Breitbart News as “the platform for the alt-right.” people and secular priests who, by def inition, do After the election, during a celebratory meeting near not belong to a religious institute, and take no vows. the White House, Richard Spencer, who was hosting The club is under the governance of a high ranked the event, used several Nazi propaganda terms and prelate, who is himself elected by specif ic members 62 | environment
environment | 63
and appointed by the Pope. Opus Dei does the “Work of God” and so the organization is often referred to by members and supporters as “the Work.” Its concern is with the material world, not the spiritual or moral realm. Clearly, the Catholic Church itself was found to be inadequate in doing this particular sort of Godly work. Author Dan Brown brought Opus Dei into the daylight in his hugely successful novels, The Da Vinci Code, Inferno, The Lost Symbol, Angels & Demons, and others, and the cult received further exposure in the f ilms that followed. These stories are woven from the satin threads of real Vatican cloth, whose tendrils have been inextricably woven together with wealth and power since the beginning of the Church’s relationships with the royal courts. Over the last 34 years, the privileges of membership in Opus Dei have been extended to many priests whose youth will ensure their strategic ascendance into the future. Today there are 2,000 priests members, but there is no accounting of the membership of lay men. The Archbishops of San Francisco and Los Angeles are Opus Dei. Cardinal Burke, recently of Washington DC, is Opus Dei.
“Opus Dei does the “Work of God”... the Catholic Church itself was found to be inadequate in doing this particular sort of Godly work .” A number of media outlets, the NY Times and Washington Post among them, have made a point of dismissing any meaningful relationship between Cardinal Burke and the White House. But there is no denying that there is a cloud of déjà vu in the present circumstances of such a powerful and secret church-and-state friendship. In a recent interview, Mathew Fox, Jesuit priest and author 64 | environment
environment | 65
of more than a dozen books, described his concern
Mathew Fox suggests this may well be a “one way
about the inf luence the Opus Dei movement is having ticket.” He suspects Francis will pay dearly. now on the direction of the US Administration. He said:
Francis has challenged the theological-military-industrial complex as an essential element in the
[… “these guys are going live longer than Pope campaign of defence of the Judeo-Christian West Francis. So, it’s going to be very interesting what against global Islam, or anything that challenges happens after Pope Francis dies. He’s tr ying to American supremacy. It is an apocalyptic clash in the appoint new cardinals more in his mindset, but it’s Church and on the planet. With the contact between kind of a slow process.
Bannon and Burke (and also Burke and Italian xeno-
But, there’s no question, I mean, if Burke is on the phobe and Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, phone and e-mail with Stephen Bannon, which he is, who likes to say, “My pope is still Benedict XVI”), then clearly the right-wing has a lot of power…[and] the dangerous extremism is revealed. of course, a lot of money, a lot of right-wing money,
As the most grandiose and vocal representative
follows the Opus Dei movement in the Catholic of that campaign, to exclude the 99% and the Church, and people like Cardinal Burke.
environment and promote “Trumpian” Catholicism—
And Burke is really the lightning rod to attract all Islamophobia, bigotry and savage capitalism, Burke the extreme right-wing forces; he’s kind of risen to and his fellow ideologues are not traditional at all, that status.”
or even traditionalist. In the imaginings of Stephen Bannon, t he Dig n ita l is Humanae I nst itute —
“T here is no longer any time to waste in saving the planet from the tyranny of climate denial and the “savage capitalism” that oppressed all humanity.”
“supporting Christians in public life”, and in the Twilight Zone of the Trump Administration, only American supremacy is a tradition worth f ighting for. The agenda of the Trump administration is clear, and protecting the environment is not on it. On the contrary, the newly conf irmed EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, whose nomination was forced through
In Pope Francis’ liberation theology, there is no longer without the evidence of thousands of secret emails any time to waste in saving the planet from the tyranny of between him and oil and gas companies, made clear climate denial and the “savage capitalism” that oppressed that the Clean Power Plan is going away. Climate all humanity. But this is not a view Cardinal Burke, or change was not mentioned in his f irst speech, and anyone in Opus Dei shares. It is obvious now that it is being wiped from internet sites that normally no one in the Trump administration shares it either. feature climate data and alerts. In a move that can only be seen as strategic, Pope
Corruption in high places, collusion of church and
Francis has suddenly sent Cardinal Burke away from state, secret agreements and deals, arrests of jourWashington, on an assignment to Guam, where he nalists, and denial of the truth… Where have we will hear issues involving sexual abuse. 66 | environment
seen this before? environment | 67
Oregon is waiting for its next big ear th- into a huge hill, then promptly collapse. One side quake, and it will be the largest earthquake will rush west, toward Japan. The other side will and tsunami in American and Canadian history. rush east, in a seven-hundred-mile long liquid A mirror image of what happened in wall that will reach the Northwest coast, on Fukushima, Japan, Oregon is on the Cascadia average, fifteen minutes after the earthquake Subduction Zone, where the Pacific plate and begins. By the time the shaking has ceased and the Nor th American plate are rubbing up the tsunami has receded, the region will be against each other.
unrecognizable. Kenneth Murphy, who directs
These geo-physical plates crack on average FEMA’s Region X, the division responsible for once every 250 years, at a magnitude 9. The Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, says, last time this event happened was 317 years “Our operating assumption is that everything ago, in the year 1700. Clearly, we are overdue. west of Interstate 5 will be toast.” In this quake event, the earth will liquify, and
In Oregon, it has been illegal since 1995 to
anything flammable in the vicinity will explode. build new hospitals, schools, firehouses, and You might think that this would be a terrible police stations in the inundation zone, but any location to build a Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) other new construction is permissible: energy pipeline export terminal. But a small number facilities, hotels, retirement homes. In those of politically well-placed people are determined cases, builders are required only to consult to build it anyway.
with Department of Geolog y and Minerals
When this quake occurs, the Northwest edge (DOGAMI) about evacuation plans. Their chief of the continent, from California to British scientist, Ian Madin, says, “So you come in and Columbia, and the continental shelf to the sit down, and I say, ‘That’s a stupid idea.’ And Cascade Mountains, will drop by as much as you say, ‘Thanks. Now we’ve consulted.’ ” six feet and rebound thirty to a hundred feet to
In March of last year, Before Trump (BF),
the west—losing, within minutes of the quake, the Federal Energy Regulator y Commission all the elevation and compression it has gained rejected plans for a massive Liquified Natural over centuries. Some of that shift will take place Gas export terminal, called the Jordan Cove beneath the ocean, displacing a colossal quan- Energy Project, located in Coos Bay, Oregon, tity of seawater. The water will surge upward right in the middle of the quake-tsunami zone, environment | 69
but not because it was a dangerous, ludicrous at the Centre for Sustainable Economy, Ted idea.
Gleichman, says, “Liquefied natural gas is
Despite political assurances from Canada, the biggest piece of the United States energy there were no signed commitments from poten- program that most people know almost nothing tial buyers of the LNG that would be carried about. It is all fracked gas, like all natural gas by the pipeline, owned by Canadian energy that ’s being used now, that is being either company Veresen Inc. and its subsidiary col- shipped to the coasts for export, or put into laborator the Williams Partners. The Federal smallerscale facilities that are just being built Commission regulators said they were required around the country now for local use and for to balance the need for any project against any utility management of their gas plants. So it is adverse impacts it would have on landowners a massive, massive program at this point—hunor the environment. The need for Jordan Cove dreds of billions of dollars.” was based entirely on demand for natural gas from customers in Asia, particularly Japan and South Korea. With those markets in upheaval, Jordan Cove’s backers of the state-crossing pipeline and the export terminal on the fragile shoreline have yet to demonstrate that the demand exists.
“ B y the time the shaking has ceased and the tsunami ha s receded , the reg ion will be unrecognizable.”
“Because the record does not support a finding that the public benefits of the Pacific Connector
What is especially disturbing about the
Pipeline outweigh the adverse effects on land- structure of the Federal Energy Regulator y owners, we deny Pacific Connector’s request... Commission, or FERC, is that it has regulatory to construct and operate the pipeline,” the responsibility as an independent agency, part commission’s order said. The absence of com- of, but not subject directly to, the Department mitted buyers for a product not yet available of Energy. Five commissioners appointed by the might have been called “evidence” a month ago. President, and then approved by the Senate, But that was BT.
constitute the FERC Commission. It has respon-
Under the new Secretar y of Energ y, Rick sibilities for electricity, hydro-electric power, Perry, we can expect that, all evidence to the natural gas and oil, and with what the industry contrary, anything to do with fossil fuels is a likes to call “the shale gas revolution.” Go. We know this because even the Keystone
Under federal law, they are required to
XL and Dakota access pipelines have been put approve all new natural gas pipelines—their back on the table by the new administration. numbers are growing daily—and any LNG Rick Perry is all over fracking. Policy advisor to the Climate Justice Program 70 | environment
export facility. An elemental part of what they are supposed environment | 71
to do is operate in the public interest. The Air Act and the Environmental Protection Act, problem is, they are 100% funded by the too. In fact, there is not a single patch on the industry that they are supposed to regulate. So horizon of energy—be it nuclear, hydro, fracked this is not merely a matter of the fox guarding gas, oil, or coal—that is not squarely in the the henhouse. This is the only place the fox sights of the FERC. shops.
Concerning the Commission’s involvement in
Within the annual federal budget process they keeping unfit nuclear power plants open, the have a zero budget status. Every year, they Nuclear Energy Institute noted in its recent charge back all of their costs to the industry newsletter, “Maybe if FERC and its stakeholders in proportion to what they ’ve done for the could figure out something different…[but] industry.
the financial stress put on nuclear plants has
Gleichman explains: “It’s a two-step program. the clear potential of precipitating a ruinous They get money at the beginning of the year outcome. FERC doesn’t—can’t—want that. It’s and then they charge it back to the industry at not just a nuclear energy issue; it’s an existenthe end of the year, so it’s a wash over a two- tial issue.” year period for the federal budget—a win/win
“FERC is all about the money,” Gleichman says.
in Washington terms in our current dysfunc- “Just in the same way that for their own budget tional government.”
that ’s where it ’s at, that ’s also how they are charged under federal law, under the Natural Gas Act, with managing gas facilities. If some-
“ I n t h i s qu a k e e ve nt , t h e e a r t h w i l l l i q u i f y, a n d a n yt h i n g f l a m m a bl e i n t h e v i c i nit y w ill ex pl od e . You mi ght t hi n k t h at t hi s w o ul d be a t e r r i bl e l ocation to build a Liquid Natural G a s ( L NG) pipel i n e ex po r t t e r mi n al .”
body says that they can make money by selling gas in the market, then they have a right to apply to pipelines that can include things like eminent domain, across the homes of people who had no idea that this was coming at them, and there are thousands and thousands of people throughout the United States who’ve been dealing with this as the shale gas revolution has proceeded…This pipeline—232 miles across two mountain ranges, five rivers, 400 other watercourses, big chunks of old growth forest and second growth forest in national forests and other federal lands—would devas-
This President-appointed group has powerful tate this part of southern Oregon.” leverage in all decisions that might conceiv-
Gleichman’s assessment is terrifying to contemplate.
ably serve the public interest under the Clean He says, “If approved, it would be constructed 72 | environment
environment | 73
on a sand spit on the Pacific Coast that will —oil and natural gas and coal.
Alaska’s was 9.2; in 2004, Indonesia’s was 9.1; quietude on the coast since the big quake in
liquefy when the earthquake hits, and then
Japan, in 2011, experienced a 9.0 quake.
There is no fossil fuel solution to the fossil
the pipeline itself running across all of these fuel crisis. We can all see the climate degrade earthquake-prone mountains and forests and around us. We all know that this is not the through farms, homes, woodlands that people climate we grew up with. We are living through have operated for generations, [would cause a slow-motion emergency that becomes an explosions and fires], which is why they didn’t urgent catastrophe whenever extreme weather sign easements and why eminent domain would events hit. Any job that helps contribute to that be required on an unprecedented level.”
disaster cannot be defined as a “good job no
In fact, about 90% of the Oregon prop- matter how much it pays. erties through which the pipeline would be
In the small, charming community of Seaside,
“ A lmost all of the world’s most powerful earthquakes occur in the Ring of Fire.”
1700, the evidence is clear. But this timespan is dangerous, both because it is too long—long enough to build a civilization on the continent’s worst fault line—and because it is not long enough. “When that tsunami is coming, you run,” Jay Wilson, the chair of the Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission (OSSPAC),
It was not until the late 1960s, with the rise says. “ You protect yourself, you don’t turn of the theory of plate tectonics, that geologists around, you don’t go back to save anybody. could explain this pattern. In spite of the long You run for your life.”
built, would have to be expropriated under Oregon, the superintendent of schools, Doug “eminent domain.” A swath of forest as wide as Dougher y, oversees four schools which lie a freeway—about 100 feet— would be cleared almost entirely within the tsunami-inundation around the pipeline. For a logger in need of a zone. There are 1,600 students in his domain job, this would be a tough gig. And that angst of responsibility. Three of the schools sit only is true about all the employment promised in five to fifteen feet above sea level. When the all the pipeline projects, where construction tsunami comes, they will be as much as forjobs are temporary and come with no health ty-five feet below it. The only place to go is benefits and no security for raising a family.
a small ridge just behind the schools. At its tallest, it is forty-five feet high—lower than
“ T h re e of t h e sch ool s s it o n ly f i v e t o f i f t e e n fe e t above sea l e vel . W he n the t s u n a m i co m es , t h e y w ill be a s m u ch a s fo r t y-f i ve fe e t bel ow it .”
the expected wave in a full-margin earthquake. For now, the route to the ridge is marked by signs that say, “Temporary Tsunami Assembly Area.” Dougherty’s answer to questions about the state’s long-range plan is stark. “There is no long-range plan,” he says. Almost all of the world’s most powerful earthquakes occur in the Ring of Fire, the volcanically
For Gleichman, the $21 billion aimed at shipping and seismically volatile sweep of the Pacific that fracked gas out of Oregon is the kind of money runs from New Zealand up through Indonesia
For several points of analysis, I am grateful to Kathryn Schulz, staff writer for The New Yorker since 2015,
that needs to be spent on renewables: solar and Japan, across the ocean to Alaska, and
who won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing and a National Magazine Award for “The Really Big One,”
thermal, solar photovoltaic, solar electric, wind, down the west coast of the Americas to Chile.
her story on the seismic risk in the Pacific Northwest. ( July 2015).
and the storage systems to allow those renewables The Ring of Fire is really a ring of subduction to replace the old sources that create electricity zones. In 1960, Chile’s quake was 9.5; in 1964, 74 | environment
environment | 75
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Wellness
GETAWAYS that
redefine you. Only the most epic, life-changing events please. By Kiki Athanassoulias
If you could go anywhere and do anything, what exactly would that look like? For me, a divine dream-wor thy getaway offers the following: • Physical, emotional, and spiritual strengthening as well as purification – a complete “reset ”. • Opportunities to discover a new (greater) sense of self in an unfamiliar setting. • Should be downright totally rad and Insta-worthy. Why carve out the time in your already hectic schedule for some regular-old getaway? Chilling on a beach or going on a wine tour has been way overdone – we’re better than that. These events, on the other hand, deser ve putting life on hold.
Goddess Camp The Aerie Collective
Yoga at Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm Brooklyn Grange
Do you have something to share? The answer is yes – for each and every one of us, no matter what you might think (or fear). This epic gathering of women hosted by the spiritual goddesses behind The Aerie Collective invites you to inspire, educate and connect with the leaders of tomorrow – and that includes yourself. Each guest is a host to their very own ‘WisdomShare’ workshop, whereby the purpose is to create a space in which everyone is a master of something, kindly reminding us that we are all teachers as well as students. You are surrounded by nature, nourished with only the finest edible creations from holistic nutritionists, and empowered by your fellow women-identified warriors. This is the way you want to spend your Labour Day long weekend in Northern Ontario, Canada.
Instead of driving out to the booneys to get acquainted with farm-life, how about you stick around NYC – only elevated. Literally, the world’s largest rooftop farm just so happens to be smack-dab in Brooklyn NY, and they’ve got even more to offer than the already admirable organic produce and naturally managed honey bee hives. Yoga. You thought you were zen before! If doing a downward dog sky-high while watching the sunset kiss the NYC skyline – all the while immersed in an eco-system of CSA organic agriculture - doesn’t make you the hippest urban yogi ever, I’m not sure what will.
“Rough it” at a Treehouse in Costa Rica Tree House Lodge
Join David Wolfe in Iceland for the Summer Solstice David Wolfe Adventures
There’s going to Costa Rica and being adventurous and outdoorsy. Then there’s renting out the most fabulous (& sustainable) treehouse in the jungle and showering within the shelter of a 100-year-old Sangrillo tree. For the thrill-seekers who can also appreciate the luxury of “glamping”, this wicked spot in the jungle has the perfect combination of nature while offering that cozying-up feeling of being nestled away high in the trees. It’s the perfect backdrop to set the scene for a weekend where you can get reacquainted with your wild side and release inspiration and creativity that lies within you.
Do you really know everything there is to know about superfoods and superherbs? There is most likely some powerful medicinal mushroom that you’re missing out on. Trust David Wolfe to show you the light – and what better way and place than in Iceland for the summer solstice?! This summer fun is guaranteed to be endless - literally, the sun doesn’t set. Alkaline, living spring water is where it’s at these days – and you’ll be drinking it as well as bathing in it during this yoga & hiking-filled adventure. Hosted by the nutrition and health guru with a personality to keep things hilariously entertaining. “Cleanest water ever”, “cleanest air ever”, “cleanest food ever”. This will be, as only Mr. Wolfe can declare: “THE BEST EVER”.
Sean Stuchen Photography 82 | wellness
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Yurt it up on an Organic Farm in Malibu Airbnb What’s the top ranking Airbnb in Malibu? It’s not what you’re thinking – it’s better. It’s a “zen retreat” nestled in an organic farm on an eco-friendly Yurt. Just FYI: yurts are tents but a whole lot stronger, and a whole lot cheaper (and sustainable) than ordinary living – hence their recent comeback from the 70s. You’d never guess this gem was collapsible, offering a fully functioning kitchen with an en-suite bathroom and shower. You will be well set-up – and indeed fed, with only the finest 100% farm-to-table home cooked meals. Like mama used to make – but better because you’re in Malibu and the Pacific Coast Highway is at your doorstep. And don’t worry: when you’re not picking Meyer lemons or avocados from the orchard, you can connect to WiFi instead (available 6am -11pm each day).
Detox at this farm in the Philippines The Farm at San Benito Sure, lemon water in the morning is healthy – maybe you’ve even ordered one of those green juice cleanses. But let’s face it: detoxing and fasting is really life-changing if done outside of the realm of our normal day-today lives, and in a serene space where the stressors of everyday can’t get the better of us (and god forbid mess up our cleanse regimen). The Farm at San Benito understands that, and they provide a fully comprehensive program that will have your colon, liver, and kidneys loving you back in 1, 2 or 3 weeks – you choose. Put down the kale juice and get acquainted with rectal wheatgrass infusion therapy – its socially acceptable here (and furthermore prescribed).
Go on this bike tour in New Zealand Backroads
Indulge in a sunset food tour Eating Italy
There’s only one right way to see glaciers, the rainforest, and the ocean – all in 10 days, all the while being incredibly fit and not surrendering to typical forms of unsustainable transit. Biking. Not just any ride, but a bike tour that’s capable of proving to yourself (& your friends) that you understand what it means to be daring; this epic trek across New Zealand takes you from ocean geysers to vineyards all the way down to the country’s adventure capital, Queenstown. Spinning and burning all those calories will work up an appetite, and that’s exactly what dining at a luxurious forest retreat in the quaint coastal village of Okarito is for. It’s the perfect mix of exercising as well as indulgence.
What’s better than roaming the hippest cobblestone streets of Florence, Italy while watching the sun go down? Doing it on a full stomach. But not just pasta and spring water – if you’re going to do a food tour, you better hope every edible bite is a work of art. This one sets the scene of that overwhelming excitement you feel when you walk into one of those gourmet grocers, and suddenly your standard for cheese goes up a notch (or 10). Artisanal truff le cheese paired with the perfect local vino, and you don’t even have to figure it out for yourself (but of course, you can pretend you knew it all nonetheless). Cheers to an evening filled with comfort food that you aren’t ashamed to post on Instagram.
84 | wellness
wellness | 85
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Hair
Freestyle Texturizer Rahua A natural, high performance alternative to synthetic stylers, made with the most exclusive plant derived ingredients from the Amazon rainforest.
$34.00
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Natural Cleanser & Shave Foam in one John Masters Organics
Moisturizer Triumph & Disaster Gameface is a unique formulation of Jojoba extract, Horopito oil, Ponga fern (Cumungii) and Vitamin E, combined with a subtle infusion of essential oils. + No Denatured Alcohol or Concentrated Menthol
$50.00
A combination of 10 organic oils and extracts. Key ingredients witch hazel & willow bark help protect against shaving irritation with antiseptic & anti-inflammatory benefits. + Made with 12 certified-organic ingredients Gluten-free
$22.00
Men ’s
Skincare Face Foam Body Wash Citrus Mimosa
Graydon
BeautyCounter
This foam cleanser is infused with apple cider vinegar, bamboo, and willow bark to tone and smooth your skin.
Rich in nourishing marula and mongongo oils. + Approximately 1,500 questionable or harmful chemicals on our “Never List” that we never use to formulate our products.
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$24.00
Beard Oil Province Apothecary Sunflower oil*, Jojoba Seed Oil*, Grape Seed Oil*, Evening Primrose Oil*, GMO-free Vitamin E, and therapeutic essential oils of Bergamot*, Lavender*, Black Spruce*, Cedar Wood, and Vetiver. + Cer tified organic ingredient
$36.00
Mask Consonant The DHE mask is a 100% natural mask that has been formulated to detoxify, hydrate and exfoliate. Mineral-rich Manicouagan clay, detoxifies and clarifies skin with the help of willow bark and tea tree extracts.
$18.00
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Mountain Air relapsing and finding the way back ... one breath at a time by Holli Kenley, M.A. Marriage & Family Therapist http://hollikenley.com
In “Mountain Air: Relapsing and Finding The Way Back…One Breath at a Time”, author Holli Kenley shares her personal narrative of emotional relapse and her powerful recovering journey. With a desire to reach others who have felt the shame of falling back into or returning to any kind of unhealthy pattern of thinking, feeling, or behaving, Holli addresses relapse as a universal issue and one of shared suffering. “Mountain Air” is written as an allegory, poetic and metaphorical. Each chapter begins in the present –a time of relapse – and then takes the reader back to a time of sustained wellness in Holli’s journey. Within these flashbacks, readers connect with her timeless healing messages and find hope in the recovering tools provided. In Chapters One through Seven, Holli acknowledges the loss of her wellness, breaks through the restraints of relapse, and courageously identifies its underlying causes. In Chapter Eight “Sheets of Rain”, Holli shares critical lessons of releasing and renewal as she analogizes the process with the power of water and its healing gifts.
thunderous tympani roll simultaneously pounds the heavens and shakes the earth announcing the arrival of rain. A few drops start to pelt the tops of trees as well as roofs; then without pause, shimmering sheets of rain begin streaming Spring 2011 Springtime in the Central Valley of California can be quite warm, but the sunshine is a welcome relief from the brisk windy days of winter. The early mornings provide opportunities for solitary walks save the sounds of pop-up sprinklers and noisy rain-birds shooting water across the thirsty lawns. One unusually warm morning as I strode quickly down my usual path of travel, I noticed how the grass glistened when the sun cast its rays at just the right angles. Silky flower peddles that moments earlier were drooping with heaviness perked up and curtseyed, displaying their full beauty. The new arrival of leaves on barren branches created miniature waterfalls as tiny pockets of water filled their cupped formations, overflowed, and then spilled onto fragile but thirsty infant buds. Studying their resurgence reminded me how important it is to remain open to the process of renewal. Even with the hard work of breaking through the restraints of relapse or regression and of reclaiming avenues of wellness, it is essential to provide oneself with a continual source of cleansing and refreshment. Although there were times where I personally struggled with the concept of forgiveness, I knew that releasing oneself as well as others from blame was imperative to a continual recovering process. As I slowed my pace just slightly, I noticed a long canopy of green that laced itself through arched trellises leading to an open green belt. Moving through the space and feeling the misters gently spraying the dry iv y while cooling my skin, I thought of the power of water and of its healing gifts. * * * There is nothing in nature that shares such loud but subtle messages as the quiet summer storms that come up from the Gulf of Mexico and make their way into Southern California. They tend to sneak upon us with wispy cirrus clouds floating in and quickly transforming into dark bulky cumulous cotton balls. As they meander through the skies like shadows longing for their owners, white zippers flash in the distance and dance a sort of jig. Within seconds, a 92 | wellness
down from invisible hooks high above. The crystal clear lines of water fall in unison demonstrating their strength and force. As the sheets descend upon mountain species and man-made structures, octaves of splashing sounds reverberate through nature’s hallways. Just when the senses are able to take in the magnificence of it all, the water pins break away from heaven’s lines and the wavering sheets of rain fall to the ground and disappear into the thirsty soil. With luck and with nature’s fickleness, many more surprise surges from the Gulf will grace us with their gifts before the season is over. They are ours for the taking; it is up to us to acknowledge them, open them, and if we so choose, utilize them for our well-being. The gif t of cleansing is the most noticeable af ter the first of the summer showers. The once tired and wear y pine trees appear refreshed and their posture substantially erect. Near their base lay broken branches and cracked cones snapped from their weakened tethering and millions of weathered pine needles blanket the forest floor. Top heav y poplars and fully developed oaks seem relieved and lightened by the removal of unnecessar y weight as dead dry leaves are tossed into the air and whisked away down the nearby rushing creeks. Overgrown lazy grasses and thick brush are simultaneously sheared and thinned by the force of the falling waters leaving them naturally pruned and poised for renewal. Throughout the forest, evidence of the old and of the ugly is gone. Af ter nature’s giant washing passes through, another astounding gif t that greets us is the sight and smell of the clean air. The baby blue hues in the sky are streaked with the sun’s rays creating a chandelier of clarity. And the crisp fresh aromas emanating from mossy green ground create a potpourri of calm and of peace. Visibility extends far beyond the horizon and the stillness within allows nature’s lens to focus on paths before her. And as She has promised, Mother Nature clears the way for seeds of hope to germinate and take hold. * * * As I continued to walk under the shaded archway, I thought about how I, too, welcomed the opportunity to clean out the old and the ugly. Although there wellness | 93
are many venues which lend themselves to an internal washing, writing was the
the mural of iv y, my mind went back to the mountain storms, envisioning the
tool which came naturally and comfortably to me. Listening to the thunderous
sheets of rain and their relevance to the renewal process. I reminded myself
pulse within and waiting for the lightening to signal its urgency, I began to
that with the washing away of the old comes a window open to the new. It
journal sheets and sheets of words as the storms of release moved in. When
is window filled with possibilities and promise; at the same time, honoring
the pressure mounted and the bulky clouds opened up, the rains of residual
one’s truth requires strength and courage. I opened my eyes, turned around,
anger, sadness, and resentment streamed out of my fingers and onto my paper.
and peered out across the green belt. Far off in the horizon, there was a faint
With each torrent came the washing away of all the remaining carcasses of
outline of a solitary mountain. It tugged at my spirit and I remained focused
grief, shame, and blame. And as the wall of words flowed from my soul to the
on it; it was up to me to claim the truths before me. Returning to my betrayal
tips of my fingers, I felt the remnants of the past dissipate and disappear; I
environment was not a mistake;
felt forgiveness take their place. As each successive storm moved in and then
it offered me the opportunity to
out, the releases came more quickly and more easily as there was less and less
root out internal invaders and to
brokenness to wash away. By the end of the summer storms, my body stood
remove their legacy. Regressing
strong and erect; my mind was lightened and refreshed; and my spirit was
into an old self afforded me the
poised for renewal.
humility from which to release
And just as nature promised, as the cleansing subsided I was overwhelmed by
the past and the grace from
the resurgence of my healing truths and thus the re-emergence of my healthy
which to begin again.
being. The internal and external forces which grounded me re-surfaced and
I stepped out from underneath
awaited my embrace, and a long-forgotten foreign emotion entered my soul –
the canopy and was greeted by
a streak of hope. It was with this refreshing ray that I could sense the aromas
Father Sun. Feeling insignificant
of calm and peace seep into the now cleansed and vacant fissures within. Just
under His every-reaching rays of
as the forest that so desperately welcomed the rains and slowly absorbed the
warmth, I was grateful for this
nourishment deep within its soil, I too, allowed the infusion of renewal to enter
powerful lesson. Our humanity is
gently, and a little at a time, relishing ever y ounce of vision and of purpose.
sometimes our most formidable
As the weeks passed, I began to navigate from a previously familiar position
opponent when it comes to fully embracing our healing journeys. Letting go of
of strength and confidence. To my surprise, my voice returned in full force,
our pain and trusting our Source, in whatever form is meaningful to us, is our
sometimes startling me with its volume of truth and with its intensity. The
greatest strength. It is necessary in order to move forward.
messages coming to me could not be silenced nor could they be ignored.
Returning to my brisk walk and feeling energized by the trust within me, I no
Slowing my pace, I ran my fingers through the soft silky iv y that clung firmly to
longer felt the need to run away – from anyone or anything. However, it was time
the arched trellises which supported its growth. I marveled at the fragility of
for a change; it was simply time to move forward. I longed for the mountains
each leaf and at the strength of the woven mass surrounding me. Reaching the
and for the environment which complimented my way of being so completely.
end of the shaded lush womb, I paused before stepping out into the beaming
Focusing on the lonely mountain silhouette, I recalled the rambling range by
light before me. The newly found stillness within me was forming a solid
our house that sculpted the horizon with its peaks and dips. I remembered how
platform from which to navigate; and yet, my truths maintained a poignant voice
my senses became intoxicated by the crystal clear crisp air that permeated the
and fought for their rightful presence. Before stepping out into the heat of the
skies and lingered through the forest. For the first time in several years, I felt
sun, I glanced back at the rows of misters suddenly playing in unison; I closed
my lungs expand as I inhaled my truths and breathed life into them. Mountain
my eyes and listened. Hearing the splashing sounds of the spraying mist against
Air awaited my return.
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Topics For R efl ecti ve Jour na l ing & R ecover ing Wor k
1.
An essential part of the healing process in any form of recovering is finding a venue to release and/or forgive oneself as well as other individuals, places, and things. Write about your venue or the ways that are meaningful and purposeful for you in letting go of the painful past. Also, describe the feelings and emotions that are important for you to release and why. Talk about who or what you need to forgive and why. As you do this, honor your voice and reclaim your being.
2.
Many times it is our humanity or reliance on self that remains a stumbling block in the process of releasing or forgiving, and thus, arrests our relapse.
However, it is in “our humility to release
the past that we receive the grace to begin again.” Journal about your Higher Power, your Source, your God, your Faith, or your Belief System that speaks to you and moves you into a place of meaningful submission or of a humble acceptance. Write about the transformations you feel as you move through this process.
3.
When we utilize the process of releasing and forgiving, we receive an array of “gifts.” I talked about the gifts of cleansing my spirit and of clarifying my perceptions. What gifts have you experienced or are you experiencing as you continue to clean out the old and make room for the new?
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“Sheets of Rain” “Sheets of Rain” excerpted with permission from the book Mountain Air: Relapsing And Finding The Way Back… One Breath At A Time, published by Loving Healing Press. Copyright (c) 2013 Holli Kenley. All Rights Reserved. To purchase book - Mountain Air
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We have come a long way in the technology of
Then the division of cells begin to produce an
harvesting, storing, and reintroducing human
embryo, which eventually becomes the baby.
cells, and along with the capacity to do it, atti-
Stem cells in an early embryo have the ability to
tudes have radically changed. The first record of form any part of the body by turning into masperm cells donated in a medical setting in the
ture, working cells such as blood, muscle and
US was in 1884 in Philadelphia. Then there is
nerve. But once cells have matured into their
no documentation of its further use until 1945,
assigned role of arm or eye or ear, those tissue
when Dr. Mary Barton, working in London, pub-
cells generally lose the ability to divide into new
lished the first modern account of Donor Insem- tissues and organs. ination (DI) in the British Medical Journal. Her
During pregnancy, the blood in the baby’s um-
paper was almost universally condemned.
bilical cord carries all the nutrients and oxygen
The Pope made it a sin, and over the years great the baby needs to develop. It is physiologically
BaBY BULLiON in the bank: why we should save the cord
by Judith Stapleton
volumes of ink have been spilled wrestling with
and genetically part of the fetus, not the mother.
the ethical questions of messing with Mother
The cord contains two arteries and one vein,
Nature.
in a jello-like protective sheath named for the
Since the development of In Vitro Fertilization
doctor who discovered it, Wharton’s jelly. The
(IVF) in 1978, it has been possible to donate other umbilical vein supplies the fetus with oxygenatreproductive cells, and egg donation was first
ed, nutrient-rich blood from the placenta. In the
performed in 1984. The following year saw the
opposite direction, the fetal heart pumps out
first whole embryo donation. Creating families
deoxygenated, nutrient-depleted blood through
through donation has become commonplace
the umbilical arteries and back to the placenta.
around the world, and in fact, by 2012, it was
The cord is not a direct vessel to the moth-
estimated that five million children have been
er’s circulatory system. Everything is filtered
born using IVF. It may be double that today.
through the placenta. For all new mammal life,
Ironically, after Generation X (the children of
the cord is the conduit of creation.
Baby Boomers), it has become a Generation Y
All parts of this amazing channel of new life—
expectation. Cryopreservation is so well-devel-
both cord and blood—retain a cell-replicating
oped now, using various liquid freezing media,
function indefinitely, if kept properly in a stem
that all kinds of cells can be safely stored while
cell bank.
maintaining high viability and function. Among
To date, only Switzerland and China are on re-
the cells worth preserving are the stem cells of
cord as making this procedure universally avail-
the umbilical perinatal cells, because these em-
able at government expense. It is considered
bryonic stem cells might reproduce any cell type an entirely practical investment for the public in the body, into the future.
good, since so many diseases and traumatic
The fertilized egg, or zygote, is the first stem
injuries can be (and will be in the near future)
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stem cells. There are presently about 130 cord
the promise of tissue repair and regeneration
banks in 35 countries, some in public-private
for the baby into old age. In this way, they are
partnerships, and some managed entirely by
gold in the bank for her or him. But in addition,
pharmaceutical companies.
a sibling’s need for trauma or disease treatment
Canadian Blood Services (previously Red Cross)
has a good chance of being met by these stored
collects two kinds of stem cells for national pub- cells, and, to a lesser but very real extent, this lic access— bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) and is the case with the baby’s parents, and even peripheral (PBSC) blood stem cells. It is pres-
strangers, unaware of her particulars but in-
ently canvassing for persons between 17 and
finitely grateful for this precious donation.
35—especially males, and especially ethnically
The number of certified blood banks run by
diverse persons—in order to increase the sta-
pharmaceutical companies is growing. Pricing
tistical likelihood of finding a match with patient by Healthcord Cryogenics Corporation, based in needs. It does not yet have a nation-wide pub-
Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, is fairly repre-
licly funded umbilical stem cell bank. This is un-
sentative of the industry.
fortunate because these uniquely versatile cord There is a registration fee ($155.00) that comes blood cells contain the hematopoietic (blood)
with a kit and informed consent which lays out
cells which are otherwise sourced in bone mar-
the legal assurance that you own the cells until
row, and are hence, rare when a donor is ur-
your child reaches the age of majority, at which
gently needed. In the growing applications of
point she owns them, and she can have them
stem cells derived from a person’s peripheral
sent to any doctor at any hospital anywhere,
blood (PBSC), North American medicine is be-
with a signed authorization.
hind China and some parts of Europe. However, the recent inclusion of these stem cells in the tool kits of elite sports orthopaedic surgeons suggests that this procedure will soon be coming to a hospital near you. Meanwhile, consider the simple and inexpensive choice of keeping your baby’s cord tissue and blood for the family’s future use.
“Umbilical cord stem cells hold the promise of tissue repair and regeneration for the baby into old age.”
The list of diseases and various sorts of tissue damage that are being treated using stem cells continues to grow. In the event of broken bones, torn ligaments, organ compromise,
There is a processing fee of $795.00, whichever
burns and other injuries, these stem cells can
plan you choose. You can have an annual storage
grow new tissue in whatever part of the body
plan for $125, or you can have the process and
they are needed. Umbilical cord stem cells hold
storage for 18 years for $2570.00. After that,
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“Compared to bone marrow stem cells and peripheral blood stem cells, the cord blood stem cells have a lower incidence of rejection, a weaker immunogenicity and their rate of renewal is 10-20 times higher than the former.”
another term lease. You can have fees distrib-
Some of the Potential Therapeutic Applications are:
uted over 12 months or 24 months payment
• Treatment for tissue repair in Myocardial
you can pay the annual storage for life, or buy
plans, and all plans offer a free medical insurance policy. The stored cord blood belongs to the depositor at all times, and it could only be
infarction (heart muscle repair) • O steoarthiritis, (cartilage repair and other orthopaedic applications)
used on other family members or a third party
• Stroke
with the consent of the owner/guardians. These
• Pulmonary fibrosis
are the same terms used in other countries.
• HSCs engraftment support, (shortens time of
There is no good reason not to do this. As with
engraftment, and reduces immune system
all investments, we can’t know the future. But
complications)
for the family, these cells are like the extra but-
• Immune modulation in Type 1 diabetes
ton you get when you buy a new jacket. In sav-
• Crohn’s disease
ing umbilical perinatal cells, you are certain that • Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD) you have not wasted the birth gift that Mother Nature has given everyone. It may be the best
• Wounds/soft tissue repair of Surface ulcers (e.g. diabetic ulcers)
of all possible grandparents’ gifts.
• Various types of burns
Cordlife Group Limited, the largest Cord Blood
• Tissue trauma
Banking service provider in China since 2003,
• Lining of liver
lists some of the ways cord blood cells are being • Replacement of corneal membrane. used.
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