Privatizing Nature

By William T. Hathaway

The financial wizards of Wall Street have devised a new way to profit from Mother Nature. They’ve created a class of stocks called Natural Asset Companies that will control the earth’s resources such as water, wildlife, forests, minerals, and farmland. The project was developed by the Intrinsic Exchange Group in partnership with the New York Stock Exchange, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the investment firm Aberdare Ventures. (more…)

Sacred Living

By Niánn Emerson Chase

Being raised by a spiritual, scientific father who was a water and soil conservationist on four different Indian reservations in Arizona (where I freely roamed the surrounding wild lands), I grew to understand the interdependence of humans with the natural environment and to hold sacred not only the life and health of human beings but also all life—plant and animal—and the ecosystems that keep us all alive.

In college and the ensuing years, I increasingly realized that it was almost impossible to live in the sacred manner I desired under the influence and control of the dominant culture of materialism and the conquer-all-in-nature mindset. And so in my 20s and 30s I lived in a conflictive state of compromise within mainstream society, doing what I could to live simply, buy minimally and responsibly, conserve water, recycle, repurpose, garden, participate in a cooperative where we bought organic foods in bulk and split among ourselves, and so on. I constantly researched and learned of better ways to live sustainably and attempted making changes within my nuclear family unit, which was at times challenging when certain family members did not want to participate. (more…)

Renderings of Realizations

by Niánn Emerson Chase

It has always impressed me, in my study of the life of Jesus (as found in The URANTIA Book), that he often spent time in nature, away from the energies of busy towns and bustling people. In a family of several children, as the eldest son—who (at the age of 14) took the place of a father figure when their father Joseph died in a work-related accident—Jesus often took his younger siblings out on walks in the surrounding hills, pointing out various things they came across, teaching the children not only about the scientific facts of the natural world but also bringing in practical, moral, and spiritual lessons that related to what they observed in nature. (more…)

Mitakuye Oyasin

The Wisdom of the Ancient Ancestors Moving Into the Twenty-first Century

by Gabriel of Urantia

Throughout history, the wisdom of the ancestors of many indigenous peoples has been passed on, generation after generation, family after family.  As we look at the crises happening across our strife-torn world today, we find ourselves searching like never before for solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems.  Yet I believe the ancient ones had a key:  in Lakota it is said, “Mi Ta Ku Ye   O Ya Sin,” — “we are all related.” (more…)

God is the First Environmentalist of the Universe

Niánn Emerson Chase

God is not just a "First Source" or "Spirit" or "the Universe" or "the Creator" or "Light." God is all of those and so much more, including a “Trinity,” a “Father,” a “Mother,” and a “Son.” However, in this writing I will focus on the “Father” aspect of God.

In the Fifth Epochal Revelation (The URANTIA Book) the first five papers are focused on explaining God, and Paper 1 is titled "The Universal Father," establishing immediately the primal nature of God as a Person and a Parent. It is stated in that paper:

The eternal God is infinitely more than reality idealized or the universe personalized. God is not simply the supreme desire of man, the mortal quest objectified. Neither is God merely a concept, the power-potential of righteousness. The Universal Father is not a synonym for nature, neither is he natural law personified. God is a transcendent reality, not merely man's traditional concept of supreme values. God is not a psychological focalization of spiritual meanings, neither is he “the noblest work of man.” God may be any or all of these concepts in the minds of men [and women], but he is more. He is a saving person and a loving Father to all who enjoy spiritual peace on earth, and who crave to experience personality survival in death. (The URANTIA Book, Paper 1, Section 2, Paragraph 2) (more…)

Creating a niche to save the rainforests

Interview with David Seaborg

by Monte Leach

The World Rainforest Fund, a nonprofit group founded in 1984, is dedicated to preserving biodiversity and saving rainforests worldwide, primarily tropical rainforests in Latin America. The group's focus is on the Brazilian Amazon, the largest intact rainforest on Earth. The fund helps indigenous people save their rainforest homes; gives grants to nonprofit groups carrying out projects of special value to conserve rainforests; and educates the US public on the importance of preserving rainforests. David Seaborg, founder and president of the World Rainforest Fund, is an evolutionary biologist and a long-time environmental activist. Monte Leach interviewed David Seaborg for Share International. Source: © Share International (more…)

A global responsibility

Interview with Charlie Mayhew by Jason Francis

The Tusk Trust is a nongovernmental organization formed in Britain in 1990 that promotes and finances grassroots conservation programs throughout Africa. Tusk Trust has started and funded numerous conservation, community development and environmental education programs on the continent. Charlie Mayhew is the group's Chief Executive. In 2005 he was awarded the MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II. Jason Francis interviewed Charlie Mayhew for Share International.
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What’s Your Wild Soul Story?

Perhaps as a child you played by a creek entranced by the tiny tadpoles that swam in the flickering depths. Or there was a favorite tree you could never pass without swinging from her branches. Perhaps, caught in a thunderstorm, your spirit rose to the immensity of energy that swirled and crashed around you.

In these moments, we feel a deep connection to the natural world. We feel part of something alive. We are living our Wild Soul Stories.

Our Wild Soul Stories can occur at any time, from childhood to the present.  Often they catch us unawares, as when, after a long, hard day, we watch as the setting sun splays purples and pinks across the sky and we are touched, unexpectedly, by a sense of awe. (more…)

The Cost Of Being An Activist

by Gabriel of Urantia 6/11/14

I’m sure that many of the activists in neighboring Arivaca (of Pima County, Arizona) can identify to some extent with this article and my experiences. I am very proud to live in Santa Cruz County—a county that has a good number of activists for a variety of worthy causes. And I want to honor Mayor Garino of Nogales, Arizona for his valiant stance for prayer before the council meetings—a nationwide issue that went all the way to The Supreme Court.

It takes both courage and humility for the Mayor to stand up for the right of city officials to pray for some assistance higher than just themselves in meeting the many challenges of local governments. Even more ideal is when the various belief systems of the local area can be represented in these prayers. No one has to personally participate in the prayer who chooses not to, but I think providing the opportunity for those who want to appeal to a Higher Source is wise, for many reasons. (more…)

An uncontrolled experiment with the Earth

Renowned climate change expert, Michael Mann, says the burning of fossil fuels has brought humanity past the critical 400 parts per million threshold of CO2 in the atmosphere, and urges citizens to make their voices heard on the climate change issue.

Jason Francis interviewed Michael Mann for Share International, November 2013

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