Magical!

I just want to tell you how much I appreciated reading the many wonderful and nourishing articles in the last issue of OPEN EXCHANGE. I particularly enjoyed Megan Woolever's "Living 'The Secret.'" I appreciated her candidness in sharing her personal process and her realizations applying the principles of the Law of Attraction. Catriona MacGregor's article "The Magic and Miracle of Nature" reaffirmed for me the wonders and sacredness of nature, and how we can benefit from tuning into the magic of Mother Earth. My deep gratitude to both writers for voicing their truths and for their inspiring work. Many thanks for publishing the articles from so many practitioners. I love, love, love learning and hearing from them.

How generous for one writer to compliment others! Christine Metawati offers personal coaching under Coaching & Lifework and is also a regular editorial contributor.

Chinese Pollution Ignored

Having moved to China two years ago I have gained a global perspective on environmental issues. China has no natural resources except one: coal. And it's not the low sulfur kind, it's the dirty high sulfur type. Here in Shanghai, I am looking out my window to another smoggy, overcast day. You know what? The smog from China is all the way up in the Arctic as well. A huge blanket of smog covers Asia, created largely by all the coal fired electrical power plants.

So where are all the environmentalists in Asia? Why do we continue to beat up our own nation and let the Chinese and other Asia countries off the hook so easy? Bush wouldn't sign Kyoto [the Kyoto Protocols on capping CO2 emissions] because it didn't require the developing countries to do anything. At the time the Chinese weren't such a major player, so the Kyoto agreement completely skirted the issue. Surprise! In a few years China will be the world's largest economy and is already the largest contributor to green house emissions. Even if the US stabilizes or reduces CO2 emissions, worldwide emissions will continue to increase.

The largest challenge will be scaling back the growth of CO2 emissions in the developing world. Making environmental agreements will be futile unless the economic consequences are addressed. You can't have Free Trade Agreements pushing in one direction and Environmental "Protocols" pushing in the opposite direction. What do you think is more powerful, an Agreement or a Protocol? In the final analysis, the American people vote everyday with their pocket books. Every time they buy something made over here (Asia) they are heating up the planet a little more.

I hate to be so negative, but honestly I would say the global weather forecast is hot and getting hotter.

Mainland China is the single largest CO2 polluter, but the average U.S. citizen produces five times as much greenhouse gas emissions as the average Chinese. So, while we could quibble about Kyoto and who's most responsible for global warming, we agree that this is truly a global challenge!

Let's talk about solutions: Europe is already leading by example. Germany expects to be 33% renewable (solar and wind) within a decade. They have a unique subsidy program which makes it profitable for individuals and businesses to build private solar collectors on every rooftop, backyard, and open space available. France already produces 70% of its energy from nuclear which, despite other drawbacks, at least is not a major CO2 polluter.

In this country, a mix of solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, nuclear, AND conservation could end our dependence on oil and coal within a generation. If we'd followed Jimmy Carter's advice in the 70s we'd be well on our way today. We could be exporting clean technologies to developing countries, reducing global pollution, and averting senseless Mideast oil wars in the process. Better late than never, don't you agree?

Volunteers Rebuild New Orleans

I've passed along this link [visit www.openexchange.org] to my e-mail correspondents. Efforts of this nature reinforce the soul and make for stronger, more secure lives.

CORRECTION: Last issue we incorrectly reported that Habitat For Humanity rebuilt this New Orleans home. In fact, Habitat builds new homes. Volunteers donate labor and residents pay only for materials, about $75,000 per house. Sometimes this creates tension in the community between those who can afford building materials and those who cannot. Habitat For Humanity can't do it all, but you can help. Visit www.habitat-nola.org or www.camphopeonline.com to learn more.

AUTHORSHIP CORRECTION: The author of "'Magical' Moments in Healing Trauma" is Eleanor Lew. Find this excellent article posted online here.