Introduction
As I sit down to write, I am hoping there will be those who are interested in what I am writing. I am using a journaling method that I learned to use when I was in grad school. It is called a moon journal and the method is simple. You just sit in a quiet place, stare at the moon, and write whatever enters your mind. There is no goal of addressing a certain subject or solving a problem. You just write whatever enters your mind and see where the words lead you. I hope that some of you will find my thoughts interesting.
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Moon Journal Entry #3
As I sit here tonight I find my mind darting in many different directions, unable to focus. However, my mind does seem to be turning to all the violence that has been occurring around the world. I wonder if there is a connection between violence and the heat and low oxygen levels caused by climate change. I notice the traumatic events seem to be affecting both humans and animals alike. I became particularly sad and upset yesterday when I received word that one of the keepers at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was killed in an unprovoked attack by one of the wild bull elephants. This had never happened during their 46 years in existence. Also, on the news, a story about normally gentle sea lions in the San Diego area, suddenly turning on visitors and chasing them out of the water and off the beach. Human and animals alike, everyone seems to have a shorter fuse and violence is on the rise everywhere. Psychologists tell us that hot weather causes more violence. I wonder if it is possible. The planet keeps getting hotter and at the same time violence, especially among people, is increasing.
I wonder if we started doing what the scientists tell us to do, could we turn climate change around and return to a world with a little more sanity than we have now?
Moon Journal Entry #2
Sitting here reflecting on the day’s events I can’t help but wonder how long humanity can survive. I read about temperatures in the US once again of 117 degrees+ and a feel-like temperature in the Persian Gulf of 152 degrees. I read about flood waters washing away complete towns with more rain coming. I read about continuous violence with people shooting and killing each other daily. In addition to the fighting, I also read about people driving their vehicles into buildings. This seems to occur several times a day in any given area.
Where is all this going? Is it going to stop or just keep getting worse? If this continues and even gets worse, what will happen to our children? What will they have to endure? If the heat doesn’t stop, what happens when the food is gone? Heat and floods not only destroy food that is trying to grow, but the nutrition contained in food that does make it declines. Food just isn’t as nutritious as it once was. How do we get the nutrition we need? Maybe we could grow food inside in a cooler environment. Maybe we could eat a plant-based diet. Do we really need to eat meat? Dieticians say we do not. If we grow food inside, we could control the temperature and hopefully then what we grow would be healthier. Doctors tell people in extreme heat areas to stay inside anyway. What will happen to our children with temperatures of 110 degrees+ and no nutritious food? What will our children do?
Moon Journal Entry #1
As I gaze at the moon, I marvel at the beauty that is found in the night sky: the twinkling of the stars, the brightness of the moon, and the clear and crisp feel of the night air. Everything feels so perfect and I begin to wonder about how it stays that way. What does it take to keep our wonderful planet so beautiful?
Then my thoughts turn to the other side of the picture: all of the wildfires that burn thousands upon thousands of forest land, killing not only the vegetation but also the wildlife that live there; the flash floods that destroy everything in their path; and the 110+ heat that is killing people and animals every day.
To me, it feels as if our world has a cancer of unknown origin that is eating it and every living creature. Death seems for sure without some sort of miracle, but no miracle seems to be around the corner. When sitting at a loved one’s death bed people have tried prayer. I can’t remember a time when it worked. Death and tears always come. Must our beautiful planet die too? Isn’t there anything we can do to save her?
How can we keep our planet safe for our children and grandchildren? We are intelligent people. There must be something we can do.