As animal control officers in San Jose, CA continue to investigate a case where a cat was tortured so badly that he had to be euthanized, officers now say there is “some indication there may be another cat out there with a partially lost tail.”
The mission of Amazon Watch is: “to work with indigenous and environmental organizations in the Amazon Basin to defend the environment and advance indigenous peoples’ rights in the face of large-scale industrial development-oil and gas pipelines, power lines, roads, and other mega-projects.”
If you work in San Francisco and want to take an inspirational lunch break tomorrow, pounce on over to the Amazon Watch Celebration Luncheon from 12 noon - 1:30 pm at the Green Room, War Memorial Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue, Second Floor. Entry is complimentary, but just to be sure call and reserve a spot: 415-487-9600. The hour and a half lunch will celebrate recent victories in the Amazon and protecting the wildlife and indigenous peoples inhabit it. Luis Yanza (the Goldman Environmental Prize winner from Ecuador) will be speaking. Read the rest of this entry »
In the small town of La Plata, Missouri, something of a revolution is beginning. A brand new intentional community has recently formed, and its aims and message are radical, inspiring, and daring: the Possibility Alliance is a completely car-free, petroleum-free, and electricity-free community striving to raise a new level of awareness regarding sustainable, cooperative, and compassionate living.
Currently composed of a small handful of members, the Possibility Alliance is totally off-the-grid and uses candlelight and wood stoves for heating and cooking, and it owns no vehicles. Instead, members use bicycles as their main mode of transport. (See above for an example!) Another of the group’s goals is to depend entirely on 100% local food, so that whatever is not grown by the community is obtained within a 200 mile radius. The Possibility Alliance hosts students, visitors, and guests and provides educational workshops free of charge on topics such as permaculture, bicycle maintenance, gardening, etc. Although the group might use the term “radical simplicity” to describe the lifestyle they have taken on, they see it as more of a return to what makes sense for humans living harmoniously with the earth.
Last week, I wrote about the Superheroes bike ride which is currently traveling through Missouri. I spoke at length with friend and communitarian Ethan Hughes, who is heavily invested in both the Superheroes and Possibility Alliance projects. There is a strong bond between both movements, as Ethan explains in this interview about the project. We discuss at length what it means to live sustainably, and what the sustainability community needs to do to take the next step in progressing the ecological movement.
Representatives from South Florida’s Monroe County are going to make a pitch this week for undeveloped private land in the Florida Keys to be bought with federal and state money, and then turned into a national park. While I’m all for more protection of beach and ocean areas in the Keys, I think this is a terrible idea for several reasons.
The group in favor of protecting the private land from development plans to ask for $1.2 billion from both the U.S. government and Florida State government to cover the cost of buying the property from its landowners. About 7,372 acres of land that contains sensitive vegetation would be bought and would comprise the national park– not the entirety of the Florida Keys. A lawyer who represents some of the landowners has already said that it’s “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Read the rest of this entry »
This most recent weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting about two dozen different superheroes. These weren’t your typical eye beam-blasting, web-slinging, high-flying superheroes, though. Instead, they were bicycle-riding, service-providing, and compassion-inspiring superheroes with names like CompashMan (short for compassionate man), Believe-Oh, Love Ninja, Queen Bee, Atomic Calm, and Super OK With Himself Guy. They were all part of The Haul of Justice, an extraordinary event in which regular folks dress up as superheroes and hit the roads on their bicycles for a month-long journey, providing service to the public with no agenda, and no pre-established course or plans .
Once or twice a year since 2000, the Superheroes have assembled to bike through a specific location (usually a particular state - 23 states and five other countries have been ridden through thus far). On their journey, which is totally unplanned, these Superheroes stop in random towns and cities, and provide service to people in need. Usually, it’s a simple matter of asking people if they need help with anything. As you might expect, people are often surprised by the appearance of twenty-some-odd bikers dressed up in capes and costumes.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Ethan Hughes (a.k.a. The Zing), a friend and fellow communitarian based out of The Possibility Alliance of La Plata, Missouri, who helped to inspire and start the biannual movement. Speaking with him during the Superheroes’ first stop at the tri-communities area (Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, Sandhill Farm, and Red Earth Farms) of northeastern Missouri , I learned a great deal about the history and inspiration for The Haul of Justice, Ethan’s thoughts on activism and public service, inspiring change, and ultimately, helping to create a healthier, more compassionate world.
Brian Liloia: How would you summarize the overall mission of the Superheroes bike ride?
Ethan Hughes: There are a couple of guiding principles. The first mission is to be totally open, with no agenda, to just show up in downtown Seattle [for example], and see who needs help. Someone who’s homeless, all the way to a community garden. The second mission is to do that service as mindfully as we can, without preaching. I think the third part is to make service enjoyable, with things like the costumes. Can we go out on the road, with no plan, try to be mindful of the earth and communities, and have fun? And on a good day, we do all of those.
BL: Where did the inspiration for doing this come from? When was the idea formulated?
EH: It grew over time. I read comic books when I was little. I think the myth of the hero is in all cultures. As I aged, I saw that I have heroes like Martin Luther King, and Gandhi. Without blowing people up with eye beams, these people were heroes. So the idea started with a few people dressing up as superheroes for different campaigns. At some point, being an avid comic book reader, I said, well, you know, Daredevil swings around randomly looking for people to help. That’s the element missing. We were picking our campaign. But, hey, let’s get on our bikes in Seattle and bike to Boston, dressed as superheroes, looking for any service to provide to people. So that’s how it evolved.
Response to the Superhero rideBL: How do people respond to your presence? How are they affected?
EH: It’s a huge spectrum. I’d say most of it falls into the “very positive” range. We’ve been in totally conservative towns, in Mississippi, in Montana [for example], and we pull in, and big trucks pull up and ask what we’re about. And we say, what do you need? And it’s a message that very few people can get angry at, if you are authentically asking them “what do you need?” For one example, I went into a bar, and I walked in with my superhero outfit, and there were truckers, and I asked “hey, what do you guys need? Does anyone need any help in this town?” And they all turned, and it was very hostile in the beginning. But I explained that we were people from all over who come together to give help once a year, and within five minutes, people were inviting me back to their homes for dinner, etc.
The final part that helps us is that we actually celebrate local superheroes, so instead of coming in and saying we’re the superheroes, we come in and say we’re here to help you who are full-time superheroes, and then that changes that dynamic. They feel really seen. It’s not, well, we’re the cool superheroes, you’re the losers, it’s we’re here for a day, in costume, and you’re the hero, day by day, you’re running this women’s shelter, day by day you’re running this community garden, etc. That really helps people to receive us.
BL: Why do you think people occasionally respond in a negative way? Is it just because of your appearance, and how you are presenting yourself?
EH: I think that one, it’s appearance. And two, so few mainstream Americans believe someone would actually go out for free, not part of a paid job, and serve, with no ulterior motive. No, “hey, and join this religion”, or “hey, and sign this petition for this politician”. I think we’re in a cynical society that doesn’t just trust someone who comes in, and says hey, I want to help.
BL: How would you describe how the rides are organized? It appears to me to be almost like an intentional community on wheels. How are decisions made?
EH: That has evolved. The first ride was meant to be the only ride. We weren’t planning to carry on for years. During the first ride, the first few weeks were very chaotic. Over time, we have built systems, and there is now a superhero community. There’s over 500 Superheroes now. It is an intentional community on wheels. Some of us have spent over 13 months together doing this. We use consensus. Everyone has an equal voice. There’s wisdom handed over to riders who have been on multiple rides. The group will definitely defer to people who have been in more situations, but in the end, no one has a higher voice. It’s total consensus. What looks chaotic really has a deep intention to function well. If they can create an army for war and be so disciplined, the Superheroes’ goal is to be that disciplined for love and peace. Get up at 6:30 a.m., eat by 7:00, and we’re ready to go out and serve.
BL: It seems like biking is at the heart of the Superheroes movement. Can you tell me about the significance of biking to the movement?
EH: On a bike, you’re the most efficient living thing in the known universe. It’s three times as efficient as walking. You actually become more efficient, which is amazing in nature: that a tool can allow us to become more efficient. It’s a perfect balance. People have argued for us walking. Human power is definitely the maximum. But, the bike allows us to go fifty miles in one day. Bikes enable a great amount of distance and human power without the environmental cost. We believe superheroes would ride bikes. If you can’t fly like Superman or cruise on water like Aquaman, the next best thing is the bicycle. The majority of superheroes are human-powered. Extraordinarily human-powered. We’re kind of embodying that. The bike just fits in so perfectly. We love the bike because we can go 100 miles in a day, and it’s easy to fix. Who could fix the Batmobile? Bikes are a technology that can spread to the masses.
BL: It seems like there are many things that can be said about this Superheroes ride. There’s the biking element, the service element, the community element. But is there any way to summarize, into one message, the thing that you would want people to take away from the Superheroes bike ride?
EH: The wonderful thing about this is that every Superhero would probably say something different. One would say it’s the connection, another would say it’s the service, for another it’s the biking. It’s exciting when you can have this kind of unity with diversity. For me, the biggest message is, start living what’s in your heart now. A few of us had this vision, and we didn’t wait to be a nonprofit, we didn’t wait for any big budgets, we made capes for nothing, and this was our expression of being alive. Imagine if everyone in the world started doing it now. We just jumped in. For me, that’s the biggest message, if we all live what’s in our heart, everything would be covered. It’s crazy, it’s imperfect, but we’re trying. You can do the same.
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If you’re located in Missouri, keep an eye peeled for a group of bicycle-powered Superheroes now through mid-October!
In my next entry, I will look more in depth at The Possibility Alliance, a newly formed intentional community based on the ideals of the Superheroes, founded by Ethan Hughes, partner Sarah Wilcox-Hughes, and other Superheroes. The Possiblitiy Alliance is located in La Plata, Missouri, and is completely petroleum-free, car-free, and electricity-free. The community also serves as the headquarters for the Superheroes bike rides.
To learn more about the Superheroes, contact The Possibility Alliance at:
Possibility Alliance
28408 Frontier Lane
La Plata, MO 63549
Telephone: 660-332-4094
Also, you can read more about the Superheroes and goings-on at the Possibility Alliance in the current issue of Communities Magazine. And to follow along with the Superheroes’ journey through Missouri and other bicycling events, check out the biking revolution news toolbar.
(Image credit: CompashMan and Gratidude)
This past weekend, undercover operatives from Greenpeace tested the DNA of fish served in several London-based restaurants that are part of a chain known as Nobu. The restaurants are partially owned by actor Robert De Niro. The tested fish were discovered to be endangered bluefin tuna. In an incredibly stupid response, Nobu’s principal manager has decided to label the endangered fish with an asterisk on the restaurants’ menu, rather than stopping to serve it. Read the rest of this entry »
Known for a living in a culture that typically disapproves of modern technology, some members of Amish communities are now bucking their traditional ways by increasingly turning to solar power to meet their energy needs.
Philly.com highlighted this transition among the Amish in an interesting article that was published on their website this weekend. What is most surprising to me is that the Amish have fewer doubts about using solar power for purposes that relate to work, than they do for use inside their homes. Read the rest of this entry »
If you are reading this blog, it is likely that you consider yourself “green,” or, at least, you are trying to do your part to be more environmentally minded, environmentally sensitive and environmentally responsible. Whether you are aware of it or not, you are a part of the green movement. And each part makes the green movement what it is — the entity it is — (on the global scale, the national scale, the regional scale, the local scale, and the personal scale).
Throughout the course of our life and our efforts, we have to step back and look at how effective we are at achieving our goals, how far our good intentions are actually taking us, how “green” our lifestyles are. We have to look at how much our green actions are doing to really protect and conserve the environment. At the same time, if we are trying to be a part of this green movement (which is growing in name, in respect, and, to some degree, in overall influence), we have to step back and evaluate the trajectory of the green movement, how effective the overall movement is in making our dreams of a safe, secure, sustainable, lively, and vibrant environment a true reality.
To be honest, I have been involved in the green movement since childhood and am fairly “extreme,” sincere, or devoted in my efforts to be green and to do my part. Nonetheless, I just moved to Poland from the U.S. and I have found that I have habits and ways of thinking that are greatly less sustainable, less environmentally sensitive, than the normal, average Pole who does not have any special care or concern for the environment and may just have the vaguest sense of what the “green movement” or “green living” is.
Why the great disparity in our actions and ways of life, despite the fact that I am the “green”?
Read the rest of this entry »
Japanese schools are serving whaleburgers and whale nuggets dipped in sweet and sour sauce. Some schools take children on field trips to view whale slaughtering. Although whale meat can have toxic levels of mercury and many believe whaling is inhumane, the Japanese government contends that it is part of their culinary cultural tradition.
An International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on commercial whaling has in place since 1986, but has not stopped this practice. The Japanese government states that thousands of whales are hunted each year for scientific research, totaling 23,000 dolphins and small whales.
Many environmental groups believe it isn’t necessary to kill the whales to obtain scientific data. “There is no need to kill whales to study them. ‘Research’ whaling is just commercial whaling under another name,” said John Hocevar, oceans specialist for Greenpeace.
Meanwhile, the majority of whale meat finds its way to supermarkets, restaurants and even school lunches. The health risks are very high as this meat can have up to 16 times the mercury levels advised by the health ministry. Read the rest of this entry »
Toyota is donating 5 hybrid cars and $500,000 to help support Grand Canyon National Park’s educational programs and safety efforts. The donation is part of a larger initiative that the company is sponsoring to help support the National Park Service. In total, Toyota will donate $5 million and 21 hybrid vehicles to help support five different parks. Read the rest of this entry »
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