Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we have ever known! Carl Sagan
Can’t wait to see the first butterfly. This is the mourning cloak, usually the earliest butterfly
Be kind to our Earth and to all people and all life!
Yay, April, the best month of the year. It is a month of Hope and Joy. It is Earth Month, calling us to action to protect our Earth. It is native plant month and Arbor Day and Earth Day. It is a month to watch for migrating birds, clean up our yard and finally ride our bikes. April is a month to spend outside!
Unfortunately, my country is at war. We need to be concerned and speak out against killing people, wasting money, and harming our earth, but we can’t allow a few silly men to destroy our joy.
Every day I spend time outside; I look for new spring happenings, I look for new buds, new birds, new sounds, and new life. I focus on what is joyful and good and spend time with good people. I work daily on reducing the plastic we use in our home, we drive minimally, clean storm drains, and strive for creating zero waste.
The New York Times has a new, “Look for the Good newsletter sign up to get next week’s sent to your inbox.
Important: The Earth is not merely a resource to be exploited; it is sacred ground, our shared home. What we do to the Earth, we do to ourselves and to all of those who come after us. What exactly do religions teach us about Earth Stewardship? Read more: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/…/sacred…
Be kind, be safe and enjoy your time outside. PEACE on EARTH
“I have the power yo make me happy or unhappy. I can choose what it will be!” Dalia Lama
These are the results of this year’s World Happiness survey. The United States fell to 24th behind Saudia Arabia.
This year’s findings include:The Nordic countries retain the top spots in the world happiness rankings, Finland is No.1 (again!), followed by Iceland then Denmark; Costa Rica has jumped to 4th place. Young people’s happiness is falling in English-speaking countries. In places like North America and Western Europe, young people are significantly less happy than 15 years ago, unlike most of the world, where youth wellbeing has improved. Heavy social media use is linked to lower wellbeing. On average, those who use social media for longer periods report lower life satisfaction than light users. Not all screen time is equal. Activities like messaging, learning, and creating content are linked to higher wellbeing, while passive scrolling, gaming, and “browsing for fun” are linked to lower wellbeing. How social media is designed really matters. Platforms that encourage connection tend to support happiness, while those driven by algorithms, influencers, and comparison tend to harm it Many people feel ‘trapped’ using social media. A lot of users say they’d actually prefer social media didn’t exist, but they keep using it because everyone else does. Connection in real life matters far more. Feeling a sense of belonging (e.g. at school or in community) has a much bigger impact on happiness than reducing social media use alone.
The research is clear – we need to prioritise connection and community over scrolling and disconnection.
If you’re coming to Minnesota, wears some flowers in your hair!
An English family, the Marsh Family, wrote a song for Minnesota. See them sing below. Thank you for the support. People living in Minnesota are being attacked by their own government. The number one job of government is to keep people safe. What is going on?
Our American government has created chaos and fear in Minneapolis and some parts of greater Minnesota. People living in the United States of America are disappearing.
My city is under seige from our own federal government. Our immigrants and people and children that aren’t white have gone into hiding. Last week students at one Minneapolis high school were pepper sprayed. Safety mandated our children not attend school, walk on the street or go to playgrounds. Many helpers are delivering food to families confined to their homes. Many helpers are also monitoring minority business and neighborhoods. doing what they can to keep everyone safe.
A city’s limit (From the New York Times) Minneapolis is on a knife’s edge. One week after a federal agent shot and killed Renee Good, aggressive arrests have enraged residents. The Trump administration has redoubled its effort to deport illegal immigrants, sending officers into residential neighborhoods and the parking lots of big-box stores in search of people to grab. They’ve also detained — and roughed up — several U.S. citizens, and social media is awash in viral videos of the confrontations.
Meanwhile, activists have sought to observe, document or impede the agents, Julie Bosman reports. On WhatsApp, neighbors watch out for immigration officers and run from their homes to shout at them. “It feels like our community is under siege by our own federal government,” State Representative Michael Howard, a Democrat, told The Times.
The encounters can be terrifying. My colleagues verified images circulating this week that show agents tackling a man at a gas station and shoving Elliott Payne, the president of the City Council. Payne told my colleagues that there were federal agents equipped with assault rifles and combat gear patrolling the streets, repeatedly unholstering their handguns. “It feels like a military occupation,” he said. Some of the stops go beyond ordinary law enforcement. In a few of the run-ins, you can feel the animosity building between federal officers and citizens they serve. One man The Times spoke to said he was glad that there were other people around to film his encounter with federal agents, which occurred after they rammed their car into his, forcing him to a stop.
He said he believed the presence of people with cameras had helped lead the agents to let him go. But as the crowd grew — the crowds always seem to grow now — and began to yell at the officers, he worried that the situation could tip over into something darker, something violent. “It makes them act different. NYT
Yes, we all can make a difference. Small changes can lead to big changes.
A great thought for the day. How can we have more control? The world can be a discouraging place. Especially when we have elected officials that are taking us in the wrong direction and wasting taxpayer dollars. The only thing we have control of is our own behavior, and instead of being angry we can use that energy to make a positive difference. Below are some ways you can make a positive impact without much effort. Good Luck. Below is from the Carbon Almanac:
When countries and companies lessen their commitment to targets and activities for climate change, it can be disheartening as systemic change is critical for big impact. If you feel powerless to influence systemic change, you can start where you are.
Some ideas of how to start:
Start by having a conversation with friends
Start by taking one less trip in a combustion engine vehicle
Start by shopping at a thrift store
Start by buying produce that is not wrapped in plastic
Start by bringing a reusable mug to your favourite cafe
Start by finding a local environmental group
And my list to get you started:
*Always carry reusable shopping bags
*Never idle the engine of your car
*Write letters to elected officials and newspapers expressing your opinion (positive and negative)
*Plant a native plant or a native tree
*Listen, smile and be kind
The key is to start (or keep) taking action. One action can lead to another and then another. And by sharing what you are doing, you can inspire others to join.
A Tribute to The International Day of Peace. Please Live Peace, Be Peace, Push Peace, Vote for Peace and Meditate or pray for Peace. These wars in Ukraine and Gaza just can’t continue!
Last night I had the Strangest Dreem by Ed McCurdy
Last night I had the strangest dream I ever dreamed before I dreamed the world had all agreed To put an end to war
I dreamed I saw a mighty room The room was filled with men And the paper they were signing said They’d never fight again
And when the papers all were signed And a million copies made They all joined hands and bowed their heads And grateful prayers were prayed
And the people in the streets below Were dancing round and round And guns and swords and uniforms Were scattered on the ground
Last night I had the strangest dream I ever dreamed before I dreamed the world had all agreed To put an end to war
Sun Day
Sun Day is a day of action on September 21, 2025, celebrating solar and wind power, and the movement to leave fossil fuels behind. Solar energy is now the cheapest source of power on the planet – and gives us a chance to actually do something about the climate crisis. But fossil fuel billionaires are doing everything they can to shut it down. We will build, rally, sing, and come together in the communities that we need to get laws changed and work done.
On July 24, we had used all the resources that the Earth can generate in a year. We are using more resources than we can replace, or living on borrowed time. The day we want to reach is December 31.
How can we use ;ess resources
From the Carbon Almanac. On July 24 we hit Earth Overshoot Day for 2025. Earth Overshoot Day is noted every year and the date is announced on World Environment Day. It marks the day when “humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services … exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year”. Global Footprint Network, a research organization focused on the operation of the human economy within the Earth’s ecological limits, hosts and calculates when Earth Overshoot Day will occur, with this year showing that humanity is using the planet’s resources 80% faster than ecosystems can regenerate. July 24 is the earliest in the year that Earth Overshoot Day has fallen, with past dates going back to 1971. In those 54 years, humanity reached its overshoot day on December 31 once, in 1972.
Calculations for overshoot day are based on the National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, and this year’s calculations revealed that due to the ocean’s reduced capacity to store carbon, an increase in per capita Footprint and a reduced per capita biocapacity, Earth Overshoot Day fell eight days earlier than it did in 2024. In addition to Earth Overshoot Day, Country Overshoot Days are also calculated each year, seen here. These dates represent when the planet’s ecological resource budget would be used up if every place on Earth consumed at the same level as residents in that particular country.
A campaign working to reduce the strain on the Earth’s resources and bring humanity’s consumption into better balance is #MoveTheDate. The goal is to move the date of Earth Overshoot Day to December 31 or later every year, ensuring that the resources taken from the planet can be sustainability regenerated by the ecosystems. Solutions range across five major areas: planet, cities, energy, food and population. This solutions map tracks solutions being implemented across the world. Check it out to see if there are any near you.
Visit the Earth Overshoot Day website to learn more about how it is calculated, as well as the economic and ecological implications of humanity’s continued overuse of resources.
My Five things you can do:
Strive for zero waste–Reuse, Reuse, Reuse and Refuse!
Drive Less
Reduce your plastic footprint–No single use plastic!
Plant native plants and raingardens without chemicals!
What a crazy start to summer. First a scary high windstorm came through, knocking out power and downing lots of trees. The winds shifted from the north to the south and it became extremely hot and humid. There were warnings to stay inside it was so hot. Even worse the United States bombed Iran.
A cold wind coming across the big lake
The power is back on, the birds are back singing and the butterflies seem to have survived the storm, and we will never know the harm the United States did to the people of Iran.
I hope your summer is special, that you are able to spend time outside, and enjoy the long days. Everyday work for peace and justice and speak out!
Minnesota lost an incredible leader by horrific violence on June 14. She cared deeply for the people of Minnesota and was always respectful and thoughtful.
Sign made by my niece.
Here’s an excerpt from a statement from Sophie and Colin Hortman, the children of Melissa and Mark Hortman:
“If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following:
Plant a tree.
Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.
Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.
Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.
Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.
Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.
Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.
…The best way to honor our parents’ memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.”
y J. Patrick Coolican | Editor-in-chiefSATURDAY, June 14, 2025
The American nightmare has arrived in Minnesota. Democratic House leader Melissa Hortman was shot and killed . I knew Melissa Hortman well. Michelle and I sat down with her Thursday for a 30-minute off-the-record conversation. I respect a lot of elected officials, but I admire few. I admired Melissa Hortman. Despite her achievements, she was never self-important. She knew that average Minnesotans had no clue who she was, but that didn’t stop her from doing everything she could to make their lives better. She could be wonderfully blunt. Among my first interactions with her when she became minority leader in 2017, she commented on a profile I’d written of a Republican political operative, calling it, “the journalistic equivalent of a,” well, I can’t publish it, but you can imagine. After I wrote a column in 2019 that proclaimed it was time to stop underestimating Melissa Hortman, she told me, “Whew, I needed a cigarette after reading that one.” She had a wonderfully salty mouth and sense of humor. In the political and legislative sphere, she cared about the work and only the work. And when the work was done, she cared about her family and golden retrievers. We lost a good one. J. Partick Coolican
We need to work harder to protect our nation’s water!
Water is life It is so important for healthy living. Every day each of us must do what we can to protect our planet’s precious water.
It is shameful the poor job we do to take care of our fresh water. Our fresh waterways are teaming with microplastics, nitrates and forever chemicals. None of these are safe for human exposure.
Today I am focusing on two crucial pollutatnts to our water. PFAS chemicals and nitrates. In 2023 the Minnesota legislature passed a strict law restricting PFAS (fovever chemicals) Unfortunately, many companies with PFAS in their products are trying to weaken Minnesota’s PFAS legislation. Read more about it below:
First, here is information on efforts to weaken Minnesota’s new PFAS(forever chemical law)
At least 70 million Americans get their water from a system where toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” were found at levels that require reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s according to new data the EPA released in its ongoing 5-year review of water systems across the nation. The number will almost certainly grow as new reports are released every three months. USA Today, March 21.2024
Amara’s Law is being implemented well, and Minnesota is better for it. We are incredibly grateful for our allies, whose hard work and determination helped pass such monumental legislation. But now, Amara’s Law is at risk once again. Bills HF 1627 and HF 81, authored by Rep. Josh Heintzeman, R-Nisswa, plan to irresponsibly gut the law, continuing to put polluters before people.
Finding safer PFAS alternatives has the potential to be profitable for businesses of all sizes. Capitalism is meant to push society forward, driving change and fostering new ideas. It was not built to just accept the first product that completes a goal, especially when it poisons people and the environment. We have met innovators and entrepreneurs who are creating effective alternatives to PFAS — they just need support. But they don’t get a chance because large corporations come and try to pick apart critical legislation. Minnesota continues to be poisoned, people continue to get sick, children like Amara continue to die.
Second, we have been unable to control farm run off. This pollutes our ground water our streams and people’s wells. It is dangerous for people, fish and animals. There is no excuse for letting this go unchecked! Nitrate pollution in water is caused by excess nitrogen from agricultural sources. Nitrates and organic nitrogen compounds from fertilizer and manure enter groundwater through leaching and reach surface water through runoff from agricultural fields. Nitrate contamination occurs in surface water and groundwater, leaching into the soil and from there into the water supply from various sources. A high level of nitrate makes water unsuitable as drinking water.
73 percent of Minnesota nitrate pollution comes from cropland, primarily through agricultural drainage systems below cropped fields and by nitrate pollution leaching into groundwater, and then moving underground until it reaches streams. 78% of nitrate pollution to the Mississippi River in our state is fr…See more on fmr.org
Read more: 
https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/…/sacred…
Health4earth 