Mother Earth


Praised be You, my Lord,
through our Sister, Mother Earth,
who sustains
and governs us,
and who produces
various fruit
with colored
flowers and herbs.

+ Catholic Rural Life:

 + Watch an amazing and beautiful film online: HOME by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

 From the Homeproject website:

A hymn for the planet

HOME is an ode to the planet's beauty and its delicate harmony. Through the landscapes of 54 countries captured from above, Yann Arthus-Bertrand takes us on an unique journey all around the planet, to contemplate it and to understand it. But HOME is more than a documentary with a message, it is a magnificent movie in its own right. Every breathtaking shot shows the Earth - our Earth - as we have never seen it before. Every image shows the Earth's treasures we are destroying and all the wonders we can still preserve. "From the sky, there's less need for explanations". Our vision becomes more immediate, intuitive and emotional. HOME has an impact on anyone who sees it. It awakens in us the awareness that is needed to change the way we see the world.

HOME embraces the major ecological issues that confront us and shows how everything on our planet is interconnected.

CLICK HERE to watch HOME

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More Earth-related links and information to be added . . . .

Brother Wind


Praised be You, my Lord,
through Brother Wind
and through the air,
cloudy and serene,
and every kind of weather,
through whom You give
sustenance to Your creatures.
From the NPR website:
When most people think about wind power, a vast field of gigantic turbines spinning on a ridgeline might come to mind. Well, that's big wind. But another part of the wind power industry is thinking small — as in turbines that are the right size to power a single home or business. And one of the hottest ideas blowing around is the concept of roof-top turbines that generate energy right at the point of use.

+ A Mighty Wind  (a story about wind energy in Texas and the vision of a Catholic priest)

+ Hurricanes and Climate Change
An overview of information on hurricanes and climate from the U.S. Global Change Research Program  and  the National Climate Assessment 

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More wind and weather-related links and information to be added . . . .

Brother Sun



Praised be You, my Lord,
with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
who is the day and through
whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and
radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You,
Most High One.



+ PBS NOVA Saved By the Sun: Is it Time to take Solar Energy Seriously?

From the NOVA website:

As the Earth heats up at a dangerous rate and fossil fuels become scarcer, ordinary citizens and businesses are bypassing the federal government to lead the way in exploring a clean, renewable source of power: the sun. In this report, NOVA shines a light on how and why people across America and the world are "going solar," using radiant energy of the sun to power homes, businesses, and even entire communities. But can everyday people really make a difference by using solar power? And can solar technologies, with their high cost and logistical challenges, truly play a bigger role in powering the future of humanity? The grand hopes, latest innovations, roiling controversies, and practical realities of solar power all come to the fore in this program.


CLICK HERE to visit the NOVA program website, view its resources, and watch the program.

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More Sun-related links and information to be added . . . . .

Sister Water



Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious
and chaste.


+ The Columbia River Watershed: Caring for Creation and the Common Good
An International Pastoral Letter by the Catholic Bishops of the Watershed Region

The Catholic bishops of the Columbia River Watershed offer a pastoral reflection spoken with a voice of faith and compassion, offering insights drawn from the teachings of Jesus Christ and from the Christian tradition through the ages, particularly the developing Catholic social ethical thought of the past century. They teach with the late Pope John Paul II that "Christians, in particular, realize that their responsibility within creation and their duty towared nature and the Creator are an essential part of their faith." (The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility.)

+ Catholic Rural Life: Water A Sacramental Commons for All

+ Streamflow: Natural Variability and Human-Caused Changes
        From the Southwest Climate Change Network:
"Current observations suggest that climate change is altering streamflows in ways that negatively impact water supply for southwestern populations. Many climate models suggest that these changes will worsen as the climate warms, accentuating the natural variability inherent in river flows. Since water is one of the most vital resources in the arid Southwest, the consequences of reduced streamflows and changes in the timing of peak river flows will impact water consumption, agriculture production, economic growth, recreation opportunities, and electricity generation, among other vital services. "

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More Water-related links and information to be added . . . .

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