I go to Canada every year and spend at least a month in a forest in the middle of nowhere. The deprivation of the modern world takes time to wear off. After a full week of no stimulation, the effects take hold and suddenly I feel like I can talk with the wind. Every moment seems more alive and worth living. James experienced this at an In the Dark event in London, described as “like a prayer” when you go all-in and listen to music in the dark. Something similar is now being reported by science.

A woman lived in a dark cave for five days and her senses became more alive. Food was tastier.

It all started in November 2024, when bioengineer Kiana Aran entered complete darkness. For five days, she lived alone in a cave-like chamber in rural western Poland, cut off from light, sound, and time. She was fitted with a suite of biosensors. (Poland has wonderful underground salt caves, as well, for other health experiments.)

The experiment, later reported in Nature as part of its Sensors Spotlight, was a scientific inquiry into how the human body recalibrates in the absence of external stimuli.

Aran, a scientist at the University of California, San Diego, tracked herself continuously using wearable and molecular sensors, including EEG monitoring, a glucose sensor, an Oura Ring, and multi-omics sampling before, during, and after the retreat.

On entering the cave, my taste perception changed drastically. Food was intense and delicious. I never knew exactly what I was eating, but I remember certain foods by texture alone: the firmness of broccoli, the smoothness of soups, the crunch of nuts. My proteomic data, measured later, confirmed what my senses had been trying to tell me: proteins linked to taste receptors had shifted significantly, mirroring my heightened perception.

What emerged was a rare, data-rich portrait of biological adaptation. With no circadian cues, Aran’s sleep became fragmented, with REM and dream-like states appearing throughout the day. Her glucose levels remained unusually stable, even after consuming sweets, suggesting more efficient metabolic uptake when sunlit cues are not available. Proteomic analysis later indicated changes linked to taste perception, echoing her subjective experience of heightened flavor sensitivity in darkness.

Her microbiome responses varied by body site. While gut microbiota remained largely stable, microbial communities on the skin and in saliva shifted rapidly, acting as early indicators of environmental stress and adaptation. Together, the data showed that different biological systems respond to isolation on very different timelines, she reported.

“The darkness also gave me dreams that were so vivid they felt real,” she said. “One night, I saw my mother, my cousin and my late grandmother, who had long since passed, sitting together, laughing softly over an iPad. They looked so alive, so close, separated from me only by a glass door.”

Beyond physiology, the experiment underscored the communicative power of environment. While Aran’s internal experience of darkness was deeply personal, marked by vivid dreams and altered perception, the data allowed her to translate that experience into something shareable, analyzable, and comparable.

In an era when sensors increasingly mediate how we understand health, cities, and the environment, the cave experiment offers a striking reminder: technology does not replace human experience, but it can make the invisible visible.

Or as Karin Kloosterman from Green Prophet says: use some common sense and just get out in nature. Drop the sensors — and the need to biohack your life better than the next guy.

The post Everything is better when you spend 5 days in a cave appeared first on Green Prophet.

We used to think climate work lived in laboratories, policy rooms, and protest signs. But these days it’s living comfortably inside Jewish thought. The Jewish Climate Trust is quietly proving that climate action doesn’t sit outside Judaism — it grows from it. Jewish Climate Trust (JCT) isn’t a think tank that lives only in theory, and it isn’t a charity that writes checks without strategy. It is a values-driven investment in how Jewish life — and Jewish responsibility — shows up in a world already shaped by climate change.

The starting point is simple and uncomfortable: the climate crisis is real, measurable, and accelerating. Denial is not a Jewish position. Despair isn’t either. Judaism teaches obligation without guaranteed success. You are not required to finish the work — but you are not free to abandon it. JCT lives inside that idea: it insists on action without pretending to own the ending.

The focus of the JCT is twofold: putting less carbon into the atmosphere and preparing communities for what is already unfolding.

But there is a third layer that feels distinctly Jewish: co-benefits. Every climate action should strengthen human relationships — between Jews and Jews, Israel and the diaspora, and across borders between people. We see that work in action in Israel’s Arava Center, a cross-border environment research study center that funds desert research, water, cleantech, advancing partners for peace along the way. Climate work, according to the JCT is not only environmental; it is social, political, spiritual, and it’s the moral thing to do.

In North America, JCT has made the largest climate grant ever given in the Jewish world, funding Adamah to accelerate Jewish climate leadership. This includes expanding the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition, building regional hubs, and integrating climate into young leadership training. They also helped launch a Green Business Network, which is growing faster than anticipated.

Green Prophet founded a chapter of Green Drinks in Israel in 2009. Adamah is continuing the spirit with their next meet-up in Boston in February.

The goal is cultural change — not a single project, but a shift in how Jewish institutions understand responsibility.

In Israel, JCT is funding major research on climate preparedness and security. Climate awareness in Israel is not only about nature — it is about stability, health, migration, food systems, and national resilience. The JCT is pushing Israel to think ahead rather than react too late.

Regionally, JCT is supporting the Center for Applied Environmental Diplomacy at the Arava Institute — one of the most important cross-border environmental cooperation platforms in the Middle East. When USAID funding was lost, years of trust-building between Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, and international partners were suddenly at risk. JCT stepped in with a significant multi-year commitment, joined by private stakeholders, to keep this fragile but vital ecosystem alive.

Jewish Climate Trust has quickly attracted the attention and support of some of the most influential voices in Jewish philanthropy, drawing backing from prominent family foundations and business leaders connected to the Bronfman and Schusterman philanthropic networks, alongside climate-focused investors and community builders aligned with founding leader Nigel Savage. Together, these donors have committed many millions of dollars to build a serious, long-term climate platform for the Jewish world — not as a symbolic gesture, but as a strategic intervention in one of the defining challenges of this generation.

::Jewish Climate Trust

The post What is the Jewish Climate Trust? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Playgrounds have long acted as social hubs for both adults and children. They bring people from all walks of life together, and they promote health in many ways. Now, however, they are advancing into the future as the environment demands. More citizens are insisting their parks are clean, green, sustainable spaces. And of course, eco-friendly playgrounds have a huge role to play in this movement. Here are the top ways in which these playgrounds are reshaping community green spaces for the better. 

They Act as Outdoor Classrooms

Children are struggling to learn more now than ever. More children are diagnosed with learning disabilities, and many others find it difficult to sit still. Much of the reason for that has to do with being stuck inside a classroom. For thousands of years, human children ran and played in their early years. It makes sense that they would learn better in spaces that encourage this kind of movement regularly. 

One of the most obvious ways in which these eco-friendly playgrounds transform green spaces is by acting as learning hubs. Because the playground equipment is typically made from recycled rubber, plastic, and wood, it integrates well into the natural environment. There, children can learn about the ways their playgrounds are good for the earth and what recycling looks like in real-time. And they can run, jump, and play all the while. 

Sustainable Materials Minimize Costs

The next, and perhaps most obvious way eco-friendly playgrounds impact community spaces is through cost savings. Many cities are on tight budgets and are even under-resourced. They can barely make ends meet when it comes to roads, streetlights, and emergency services. They’re unlikely to be able to spring for a brand new, state of the art playground plus the surrounding park trails, plants, and water features. 

An eco-friendly playground goes a long way toward saving the city money. This is obviously also true for schools and churches that want to create new play spaces for the kids. The equipment can come in at a lower cost because the materials have been repurposed. They’re also usually cheaper to maintain because the equipment is designed to last in a natural environment over time. Thus, the entire green space ends up being a good investment for the community. 

Energy Efficient Materials Reduce the Carbon Footprint

Sadly, landfills and trash have become overwhelming on the planet to the point of microplastics running through virtually every space. This includes in our water and even in our bodies. There are islands of floating trash in virtually every ocean, and humans continue to buy and dispose of items every day. The best move municipalities can make is to encourage citizens to reduce, reuse, and recycle, And the best way to do that is by example. 

That’s where recycled materials for playgrounds come in. When eco-friendly playgrounds are made from recycled tires, old wood, bamboo, and hemp, the spaces have a much lower carbon footprint. They last much longer, manufacturing them doesn’t harm the environment, and even when they do end up outliving their purpose, they can be recycled and reused again for a new product. The carbon footprint of a playground like this is incredibly low. 

Eco-Friendly Practices Conserve Natural Resources

The cost of a playground is only one way in which it impacts the community. It also has a lasting effect on the surrounding environment. Maintaining the park’s lights after dark is a hefty cost. Running water to splash pads and restrooms also takes its toll on natural resources. Oh, and the plants need to be watered regularly as well. While most communities have long considered playgrounds and parks worth the drain on the environment, there’s no defying their carbon footprint. 

Until now. Eco-friendly playgrounds can provide myriad solutions to stressed resources. Cities can install sun shades that act as surfaces for solar panels. Any energy used to run the entire park can be provided by those panels. The Parks and Recreation Department can also practice rainwater harvesting and recycling. That way, splash pads, fountains, and features never waste water. And the sprinkler system can run on harvested and stored rainwater to water drought-resistant plants when necessary. 

Increased Interaction with Nature Promotes Health

Finally, the entire purpose of these eco-friendly playgrounds is to be green. If there’s anything Americans need more of, it’s time in green space. People in the United States of all ages are more stressed out, more depressed, and more anxious than ever. It’s no coincidence that those same citizens spend less time outside, less time exercising, and less time in social settings than ever before. 

These playgrounds encourage people to spend more time in nature. Kids can get ample exercise scaling wooden structures, building forts, rolling in the grass, and climbing trees. Meanwhile, parents can walk around a pond, play pickleball on a court, or just relax on a bench while their kids play. And those without kids can meet new friends, have a picnic date, and more. All of these activities and more promote mental, physical, and emotional health of everyone involved. 

In the end, eco-friendly playgrounds are an ideal answer to the problems of climate change and exhausted resources. They both reduce their cities’ carbon footprint and save the cities money, and promote the health and well-being of the members of the community who visit.  And as a bonus, they offer an opportunity for kids of all ages to start learning about the important role of environmental stewardship. They’re heartwarming, welcoming spaces that serve the greater good.

The post How Eco-Friendly Playgrounds Are Reshaping Community Green Spaces appeared first on Green Prophet.

The “Nature Heals” program, run by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) since November 2023, uses nature to help Israelis, particularly young people, deal with mental health challenges after the October 7th attacks. Since the 2023 attack on Israel, over 100 thousand Israelis have gained some sense of peace and calmness through this program. 

See Related Article: How SPNI is Rewilding Cities and Rebuilding Resilience

Traditionally, SPNI is dedicated to conservation and initiatives within Israel’s natural areas. However, SPNI recognized the urgent need to address the widespread psychological distress gripping the nation and particularly Israel’s youth community. 

SPNI is not new to helping the Israeli community. After the destruction of the October 7th attacks, SPNI gave emergency shelter, in their facilities, to over 220 families at no cost. Additionally, schools run by SPNI in Eilat and Ein Gedi partnered with IsraAid and the Ministry of Education to provide space for displaced children to attend school, thereby offering some sense of normalcy during such volatile times.   

The “Nature Heals” program is not only targeting adolescents. They also provide services for displaced families, military personnel, and the general public. Over 4,000 children have already attended the program’s 4-day tours. If someone is unable to participate in a tour, SPNI offers online eco-therapy. Over 30 thousand Israelis have viewed their “Nature at Home” content. The content includes live birds, tours, and lectures. 

The in-person program is designed around a three-phase framework: Respite, Resilience, and Rehabilitation. The respite phase focuses on providing immediate relief through easily accessible natural experiences. The resilience phase, highlighted by the tours, offers an immersive experience that focuses on long-term physiological growth and instills positive beliefs in its participants. Finally, the rehabilitation phase aims to provide therapeutic activities aimed at long-term recovery.

So far, the results have been almost entirely positive. SPNI reports that 92% of teens stated they felt less anxious after attending one of the camps. Additionally, the programs are helping entire families, with 97% of parents reporting that their child had a significant, positive experience due to SPNIs’ work.

The success of the “Nature Heals” program would not have been possible without the support of various forces. Collaborations with local municipalities, therapists, and other welfare programs allow SPNI to reach out and recruit those from the most affected communities in Israel. One example of these positive partnerships is the collaboration with Sheba Medical Center. SPNI, Sheba, and the Eilat municipality have recently agreed to proceed with an eco-therapy retreat for recovering IDF soldiers. The program will provide professional trauma therapy in a natural setting. 

Looking forward, “Nature Heals” does not plan to stop its work after the war is over. It plans only to expand and become a mainstay in eco-therapy in Israel. The program provides a compelling blueprint for trauma response and underscores the profound impact that eco-therapy can have on an individual. The goal SPNI set for itself is to engage over 700 students from the West Negev to Northern Israel at no cost. 

::SPNI

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Young mice seem to try to revive an unconscious cage mate by grooming, biting, and even pulling its tongue to clear its airway. This surprising behavior suggests that caregiving may be more common in the animal kingdom than previously thought.

Large, social mammals, such as wild chimpanzees, dolphins, and elephants, are known to assist incapacitated members of their species. However, these kinds of acts have rarely been documented in smaller animals like mice.

Li Zhang and his team at the University of Southern California (USC) filmed interactions between laboratory mice and familiar cage mates that were either active or anesthetized and unresponsive. Over multiple tests, the mice spent approximately 47% of a 13-minute observation period engaging with the unconscious partner. Their interactions involved three key behaviors: sniffing, grooming, and more intense actions such as pulling at the unconscious mouse’s mouth and tongue.

Zhang explains, “They start with sniffing, then grooming, and then engage in more physical interactions.” These included licking the eyes and biting around the mouth, with tongue-pulling occurring in more than half of the observed cases.

In one test, the team placed a non-toxic plastic ball in the mouth of an unconscious mouse. In 80% of cases, the helping mouse successfully removed the object. “If we extended the observation window, we might see even higher success,” said Huizhong Tao, another researcher from USC.

The unconscious mice that were cared for revived and began walking sooner than those that weren’t attended to. Once the unconscious mouse started moving, the caregiver mouse gradually stopped its actions. Interestingly, the caregiving behavior was stronger when the mice were familiar with each other.

Zhang and his colleagues argue that this behavior should not be seen as an equivalent to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Rather, it’s akin to the use of smelling salts or basic first aid techniques, like ensuring an unconscious person’s airway remains clear. In surgical settings, repositioning a patient’s tongue to prevent airway blockage is also a critical practice.

Related: all about mice

The researchers found that the caregiving behavior was linked to oxytocin-releasing neurons in the amygdala and hypothalamus, regions of the brain involved in caring actions across many vertebrate species.

Similar behaviors in mice have been observed by other research teams, reinforcing the idea that this is a robust and repeated finding. Cristina Márquez, a researcher from the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology in Coimbra, Portugal, points out that while such behavior hasn’t been seen in her lab, the fact that three independent laboratories have documented it suggests it’s not an isolated occurrence. However, she cautions against anthropomorphizing the behavior or assigning human-like intentions to non-human species.

Zhang’s team suggests that this caregiving behavior is likely innate, not learned, since the mice were only 2 to 3 months old and had never encountered unconscious cage mates before. They hypothesize that such instinctive actions help maintain social cohesion and could be more widespread among social animals than previously thought.

Although observing this behavior in wild mice would be difficult, given their tendency to hide and their status as prey animals, Márquez notes that the absence of direct observation does not imply it doesn’t occur.

The post Mice Seen Attempting ‘First Aid’ on Unconscious Companions appeared first on Green Prophet.

Seconds before our bomb shelter alert started my dogs came to paw on the front door to be let inside. It’s as if they know something is coming before we do. “There are many anecdotes about animals being able to foresee disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but hardly any systematic studies,” says Martin Wikelski, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell and professor at the University of Konstanz. “But scientists in this field don’t have it easy, either,” he grumbles. “One can quickly be dismissed as a sort of diviner.”

Related: goats are fire-fighting friends

He would like to test whether animals can be used as biological early-warning systems for natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. He’s even had his idea patented: the project, which he submitted to the European Patent Office with the support of the technology transfer company Max Planck Innovation, is called DAMN (Disaster Alert Mediation using Nature). Insurance companies have already expressed interest.

He tells the story of Rome and that people were lying peacefully in their beds as danger approached from the north. The Celts were marching toward the city, threatening to destroy it. The geese woke sleeping inhabitants with their loud quacking and thus saved the Capitoline.

Today, every guide book on Rome includes the story of the vigilant geese, but this story is by no means the only example of animals prophesying impending doom. Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder, who died when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, reported that birds become restless before earthquakes. In modern times, too, we’ve seen time and again animals behaving strangely before natural disasters – and such diverse species as elephants, dogs, snakes, toads, fish, bees and even ants.

In February 1975, near the Chinese metropolis of Haicheng, numerous snakes were seen that had slithered out of their hideaways in the middle of winter and frozen to death in the snow. Shortly thereafter, the city was rocked by earth tremors with a magnitude of 7.3. The residents were evacuated in time due in no small part to the reptiles’ abnormal behavior.

Related: earthquake equipment can predict conflict an

In March 2009, at San Ruffino Lake in Italy’s Abruzzo region, the toads that are normally found here in great numbers suddenly disappeared in the middle of the spawning season. A few days later, an earthquake destroyed the nearby town of L’Aquila.

“When animals go crazy, run away from the sea and go to the highlands,” advises an Indonesian children’s song. It comes from Simeulue island, off the coast of Sumatra, close to the epicenter of the quake. Because the inhabitants had learned from their ancestors to correctly interpret the behavior of chickens and water buffalo, they were able to save themselves from the tsunami. Despite enormous property damage, there were only a few deaths on Simeulue.

Wikelski records animal migrations and behaviors around the globe. His focus isn’t restricted to migratory birds, but includes a broad range of wildlife. Using radio transmitters, he tracks storks on their way from Europe to Africa, monarch butterflies on their journey from Canada to Mexico, and the wanderings of rodents that disseminate seeds in the South American rainforest.

The small tachographs the scientist uses for this can not only report the exact GPS coordinates of the wearer, but also measure acceleration in different directions. This enables the researchers to draw conclusions about the animal’s behavior.

“This technology allows us to conduct our observations around the clock,” says Wikelski. “If we attach transmitters to different animals in regions prone to natural disasters and record their behavior, we can subsequently find out which animals would have redicted, for example, a volcanic eruption or an earthquake.”

Wikelski and his colleagues launched an unusual field trial in April 2011. “If we want to study how animals behave before a volcanic eruption or an earthquake, we can’t do it in the lab,” the researcher explains. “We have to actually wait for such an event to occur.”

Although Etna is one of the best researched volcanos in the world, it has not yet been possible to reliably predict such events over the long term – especially as regards the intensity of the eruption. Martin Wikelski and his colleagues thus wanted to find out whether there are animals that can do this better.

In their search for suitable candidates, the scientists also turned to ancient myths for inspiration: “Originally, we really did consider geese,” recalls Wikel ski. “Then we asked locals who have been living with their animals at the foot of Mount Etna for generations. They said: Forget the geese, use goats instead!”

The people in the region knew their animals extremely well and thus knew that they have a keen instinct for impending natural phenomena. “A shepherd then promptly made eight goats available to us,” reports the behavioral scientist.

Most of the time, the animals live in small herds on the slopes of the volcano. They are driven into the valley only twice each year. The scientists used one such opportunity to fit the goats with transmitter collars in place of the bells they would normally get. Weighing 390 grams, the devices, which Wikelski had specially produced for the experiment, record both the exact GPS position and the acceleration on three axes and allow the data to be read via a local radio network.

Back home on their computer, the researchers can access the data and, using special software, visualize the movement patterns and the behavior of the goats on the monitor.

Whether the animals sleep, eat, run or jump over the lava rocks – each of these behaviors produces a characteristic acceleration pattern.

They confirmed that Wikelski’s idea actually worked: whenever a major eruption was imminent, the animals were already perturbed hours before, running up and down or hiding under bushes and trees when they had the opportunity.

The International Space Station is about to receive a small antenna to carry out the work to try and measure and understand nature’s 6th sense.

::ICARUS

(This article was summarized from an article produced by the Max Planck Institute for ICARUS)

The post Can goats predict earthquakes? Dogs a volcano about to blow? Scientists say yes appeared first on Green Prophet.

Happiness can sometimes feel elusive, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are a multitude of simple things you can do to cultivate happiness in your life. Here’s a small handful: 

1. Eating meals outdoors with loved ones

   

 There are numerous physical and psychological benefits associated with cooking outdoors backed by science. For example, research shows that when people share meals together, they’re more likely to feel happy and satisfied with their lives. Combined with the benefits of being outdoors, sharing meals with others outside can do wonders to increase happiness.

2. Going for walks

If you have a dog, you know that going for walks is the most exciting part of their day, and it can be that way for you, too. Walking will get your heartrate up just enough to give you some health benefits, and will also make you breathe deeper, pulling more oxygen into your system. This alone can lift your mood quite a bit.

3. Deep breathing

The mind is always moving a mile a minute, and when you learn to slow down your thoughts, you experience more peace and lower stress and anxiety. Engaging in deep breathing exercises for just ten minutes a day can do wonders to make you feel happier. 

4. Sleeping well

You don’t realize how much sleep quality is tied to your mood until you have a rough night and feel irritable the next morning. When you don’t sleep well, your mood suffers. If you can improve your sleep quality, your mood will also improve. Over time, when you get settled into a proper sleep routine where you’re able to stay in the deeper REM cycles long enough, you’ll wake up feeling rested and happier.

5. Talking with friends

 Sometimes just talking with someone about what’s going on in your life is all you need to feel good. You don’t have to share too many personal details to enjoy a meaningful conversation. Often, it’s enough to just enjoy the company of a friend and talk openly together.

6. Helping others

Many people derive a strong sense of happiness from helping other people. If that appeals to you, start volunteering your time with organizations that do the kind of work you support. For instance, you might want to work in a soup kitchen or help a nonprofit organization deliver supplies to homeless shelters. Or, you might prefer spending time with animals living in a shelter. Do whatever excites you the most, because that’s what will make you the happiest. 

7. Drawing, singing, and other creative acts

Being creative is about more than just creating something fun – it’s an outlet for self-expression. Although art is often appreciated by others, artists need to express their craft to feel alive. If you’re the creative type, but you haven’t pursued anything artistic in a while, try to find a way to express yourself. Sometimes that blocked energy can stagnate and suppress happiness. Once you find an outlet for self-expression and get into your flow, you’ll feel a lot happier.

8. Meditating

Just like deep breathing exercises, meditating can have a profound impact on slowing down your thoughts and bringing you into the present moment. During meditation, your brainwaves first enter the alpha state, which makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. When you allow yourself to go deeper, your brain will enter theta, which feels like a blissful experience. 

9. Spend time at the beach

If you’re fortunate enough to live within a reasonable drive to the beach, start visiting more often and dig your toes into the sand. If you don’t like to swim in the ocean, you don’t have to – just getting your feet wet is enough.

Most people know they feel great at the beach and the smell of the salty air feels uplifting, but can’t explain why. It’s actually because there is an abundance of negative ions in the air created because of the way sunlight and moisture break apart and reform while gaining electrical charge. High concentrations of negative are associated with a positive mood and even higher energy levels. Many people claim going to the beach has helped to alleviate depression, stress, and anxiety.

Happiness isn’t hard to find

 Although society constantly trains us to look outside of ourselves for happiness, the truth is being happy is an inside job. Increasing the happiness in your life doesn’t have to be hard. Start small by incorporating a couple of things on this list into your daily routine. With some experimentation, you’ll find something that works for you.

The post 9 Simple Activities That Can Make You Happy appeared first on Green Prophet.

Normally, I am upbeat about all this environmental stuff, but today, I feel glum. Maybe I am hung-over from the session of wine and talk with my friend, last night. We were up until all-hours discussing the abruptness of climate change, biosphere collapse, and the near total absence of transition to a sustainable global economy. 

Fortunately, I know this glumness will soon pass because I have a powerful antidote to the sadness that comes from being awake to the reality of the Anthropocene. 

You see, I am Vitan which means that I follow Vita Sapien Organization (VISO) that advances Vita Worldview, Lifewise Philosophy, and Vita Religion.

Vita is very different from the normal sort of religion we are familiar with as it doesn’t hold a position on the existence of God/s or an eternal soul. Instead, it is a nature-based religion devoted to our Living Planet.

Vita Religion teaches all life on Earth – plus the ocean, atmosphere, and soil – form part of a single living being called Vitae-planeta, of which we humans are part. Some readers will recognize this concept by other names such as Gaia, Mother Nature, Pachamama and so one. It’s the idea that the biosphere is a single living entity

Vita Religion teaches that all the living things on Earth – including we humans – are cells in the body of Vitae-planeta and that she maintains the temperature and chemistry of the ocean and atmosphere to foster an abundance of life on Earth. She has been doing this successfully for billions of years. 

When Vitae-planeta is in good health, Planet Earth is an abundant home for humans providing everything that we need to live healthy, happy, and productive lives.

Vita Religion does not regard Vitae-planeta as a God, or a deity. Vitae-planeta is not conscious or self-aware. Vitae-planeta didn’t create the Universe, and Vitae-planeta doesn’t observe you or make judgements about your behavior. 

Instead, Vitae-planeta is an emergent property of the natural laws of the Universe playing out through the tapestry of life on Earth. Vitae-planeta is Planet Earth’s version of Pananima, and there are probably trillions of Pananimas throughout the Universe on planets that are in the Habitable Zone of their star where liquid water exists.

Vita Religion details how you can live a meaningful life, a happy, contented life. Which brings me back to my gloomy disposition, today.

As a follower of Vita Religion, I choose not to close my eyes to what we humans are doing to Living Planet, of which I am a part. 

Fortunately, Vita’s philosophical foundation offers enlightenment on these matters. 

To be enlightened is to understand how things really are, and Vita is a unique religion in that its teachings are grounded in environmental science and framed by ecological spirituality. 

Furthermore, unlike most religions that have a fixed texts, Vita Religion’s texts are continually being written in scientific research institutes around the world. In addition, the core texts are planned to drift overtime to keep in synch with the cultural zeitgeist of the time.

This is important as the adherence to science allows Vita Religion to offer an evidence-based pathway for humans and the other species of Earth to co-exist deep into the Long Future.

The concept of the Long Future says that our planet will be habitable for life for several billions of years if it is not destroyed by human agency, first. 

If we humans can radically change our ways, it is conceivable that our race could exist for millions more years on this Earth. 

However, for this to happen we need to learn how to become wise stewards of the whole Earth system. 

Can we do this? I believe we can. 

Will we do this? I’m listening to the oil men plotting our future at COP28. It’s not looking good, right now.

If you read the science of climate, Planetary Boundaries, and the Anthropocene, you will understand that we humans have triggered a perfect storm that may yet be fatal. We may have already passed major climactic tipping points that will set our biosphere on the path towards a rerun of the Permian Extinction – the Great Dying – that killed-off more than 80 percent of all living things on Earth, some 253 million years ago. 

While this may be the case, it also may not. So, while we are still breathing, we should make haste to implement the antidote for these human-caused woes. The antidote is action, and lots of it.

If enough people believe, know and practice accordingly, we may be able to avert this looming extinction and instead live to enjoy the Verdant Age, the time when humans and the Living Planet thrive in synergy.

It is believed that there are around 53 million people who would adopt Vita Worldview, Lifewise Philosophy, and maybe even Vita Religion once the idea is put before them in a compelling manner. One aspect of this enrolment is fostering rapid, mass-ecophany.

Ecophany is the idea of a spiritual, intellectual, or emotional awaking to the wonder of our Living Planet and the dread of what will befall us if we let her remain in ill health. 

Vita Sapien Organisation is developing Ecophany Programs to help millions of people wake and stand up for the Living Planet. 

53 million people is a lot of people. That’s 8% of the Western Adults. To put this number into context, Extinction Rebellion literature suggests that no non-violent rebellion has failed with 3.5% of the public were actively involved. 

Vita Sapien Organization believes that only a spiritual awakening to nature in tens of millions of people can prevent the heat death of the human race. Vita Worldview, Lifewise Philosophy and Vita Religion can help make this happen. 

::Vita Sapien

The post Meet Vita Sapien’s founder Guy Lane appeared first on Green Prophet.

A must-try location in the Levinsky Market after Tavlinksy in Tel Aviv is Cafe Levinsky. In the heat of an Israeli summer, this is definitely a place you want to stop at. Ever heard of a gazoz? This is the drink to try at Cafe Levinsky. Ask Benny Briga about it, the founder and owner of Cafe Levinsky.

Benny Briga opened Cafe Levinsky because he loved nature. He loved how nature blooms beautiful and delicious fruits which he recalls plucking off of trees as a kid. Benny wanted to spread the pleasure of nature to others, which led him to open Cafe Levinsky.

After finishing in the military and traveling the world, Benny settled down in Tel Aviv. After exploring the hospitality industry and opening his own restaurant, Benny reevaluated his career and wanted to open a place that allowed him to invest in his childhood delights. He opened the tiny shop and bought a tank of CO2 and began storing all sorts of herbs and flowers in the tiny corner shop in Florentin in Tel Aviv. He began storing all it in jars with sugar water and making gazoz.

What is gazoz?

Gazoz is a bubbly seltzer drink made by the fermentation of fruit. (Like beer, Ethiopian honey bee, wine). The gazoz that Benny sells is non-alcoholic, all-natural, and highly nutritious. Similar to soda, gazoz is refreshing and makes the perfect beverage in the heat of the summer.

Gazoz goes way back was originally invented in Tel Aviv in 1909 and has been a popular beverage ever since. Each gazoz that Benny sells includes macerated fruit, syrup, and some type of herb, depending on the gazoz of your choice. For example, the “Green Almond” gazoz is made of arugula flowers, fresh lemon verbena, lavender, and dried licorice root stick. It is fermented with green almonds and syrup, and topped by seltzer and ice.

Benny made me an apple gazoz, which tasted fresh and sweet. Once you finish your gazoz gives free seltzer refills.

Sustainable practices

Cafe Levinsky also practices sustainable measures of service. For starters, the straws are all natural because they are made from apples. You can even eat the straws after you finished your gazoz. In addition, the spoons are made free of plastic. Benny also composts at his farm in Jaffa where they grow all of the ingredients used in the cafe.

A sustainable studio

Benny took me into the studio right around the corner from the shop were the fermentation magic goes down. The beautiful studio is filled with jars filled with all kinds of things, from fruits to herbs.

One of the oldest of which is six years old: the “Quince” is from 2017. A quince is a kind of apple that when cooked becomes pink. Benny thinks it is better the longer something is fermented. Some jars are fermented with sugar and water, while others are fermented with salt and vinegar. He also uses anaerobic fermentation and aerobic fermentation.

Each day, he ferments something new for the gazoz, constantly having new and tasty things for his customers. He also has a wide array of alcohols that are available to buy from the bottle from 5% to 7% alcohol.

The post Gazoz: Cafe Levinsky’s delicious summer time beverage appeared first on Green Prophet.

It’s been nearly 350 years since Sir Isaac Newton outlined the laws of motion, claiming “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  These laws laid the foundation to understand our solar system and, more broadly, to understand the relationship between a body of mass and the forces that act upon it.  However, Newton’s groundbreaking work also created a pickle that has baffled scientists for centuries: The Three-Body Problem. 

After using the laws of motion to describe how planet Earth orbits the sun, Newton assumed that these laws would help us calculate what would happen if a third celestial body, such as the moon, were added to the mix.  However, in reality, three-body equations became much more difficult to solve.  

When two (or three bodies of different sizes and distances) orbit a center point, it’s easy to calculate their movements using Newton’s laws of motion.  However, if all three objects are of a comparable size and distance from the center point, a power struggle develops and the whole system is thrown into chaos.  When chaos happens, it becomes impossible to track the bodies’ movements using regular math.  Enter the three-body problem.

Now, an international team, led by astrophysicist Dr. Nicholas Stone at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Racah Institute of Physics, has taken a big step forward in solving this conundrum.  Their findings were published in the latest edition of Nature. 

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Stone and Professor Nathan Leigh at Chile’s La Universidad de Concepción relied on discoveries from the past two centuries, namely that unstable three-body systems will eventually expel one of the trio, and form a stable binary relationship between the two remaining bodies.  This relationship was the focus of their study.

Instead of accepting the systems’ chaotic behavior as an obstacle, the researchers used traditional mathematics to predict the planets’ movements.  “When we compared our predictions to computer-generated models of their actual movements, we found a high degree of accuracy,” shared Stone.

While the researchers stress that their findings do not represent an exact solution to the three-body problem, statistical solutions are still extremely helpful in that they allow physicists to visualize complicated processes. 

“Take three black holes that are orbiting one another. Their orbits will necessarily become unstable and even after one of them gets kicked out, we’re still very interested in the relationship between the surviving black holes,” explained Stone.  This ability to predict new orbits is critical to our understanding of how these—and any three-body problem survivors—will behave in a newly-stable situation.

The post Two’s company, three is a crowd: solving a Newtonian pickle appeared first on Green Prophet.