What's the Missing Link in Emotional Intelligence to Reduce Nature's Climate Change?

 

What’s the Missing Link in Emotional Intelligence to Reduce Nature’s Climate Change?

How is it possible that the most intellectual creature to ever walk the planet Earth is destroying its only home? – Jane Goodall

As a teacher, student of nature, and new eco-fiction writer let me try and make a case that emotional intelligence may be a missing link to help bring attention to nature’s climate change. There is no disagreement that climate change is impacting the environment and human communities in many ways and only our action can reverse its acceleration and maintain some normalcy within our biosphere. The main question is how many ways can we react to this crisis to retrain our behavior and focus on long term results with simple things we can today.

To keep things simple, I will make my case with 2 contenders:

1. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) or how to learn thoughts to understand self-awareness, logic, reasoning, creative and critical thinking and problem solving.

2. Emotional Quotient (EQ)  or how to use emotions to guide thinking, adjust and manage environments to achieve one’s goals.

There are so many reports where high degrees of intelligence are needed with backgrounds in biological and engineering sciences that would be helpful. The few scientific literate get it, but as a lay person how do I begin to understand these various topics of greenhouse effects, permafrost methane, advent of green economy, sequestration and carbon sinks, a personal carbon footprint calculator, and ecosystem integrity? What does it mean to limit global warming to less than 2ºC by reducing or capping greenhouse gas emissions?

A recent suggestion noted that the term climate change night be a marketing problem because people don’t have the long-term psychology to relate to the big picture over many years of incremental changes. They can deal concretely with personal daily changes and react within reason but how can you worry and make plans for decades from now?

The dilemma asked recently is how can we surpass intellect and appeal more to values to showcase imminent climate change.  My suggestion is to embrace emotional experiences to form long term memories but how can we do that?  Think about this: who easily forgets a story that touches your soul or a powerful movie?

Teachers know that many concepts (cognitive development) are formed based on our perceptions (visual input), our language and psychology of what is right or wrong and all the inferences in between.  The brain is uniquely organized where the emotional relay center (the amygdala) is in the middle which manages all emotions between signals from the back sensory visual cortex to the associative frontal cortex for reasoning and planning.

So, the question needs to be pondered: How can we stimulate the emotional amygdala to relate to climate changes for long term memory retention?

Quickly, here is how I changed my emotional IQ to nature versus cognitive awareness. Nature means the world to me as a living process. Seeing a bumblebee in early spring brings  feelings of joy and belonging. Nature is my friend, I will seek to respect its cycles and challenge any threats of climate change.    

In the beginning  there was a natural affinity raised on a farm within a woods by a creek and marsh where my childhood was filled with sights and sounds of Nature’s incessant activity.

Then I grew up and moved to the city to work where the practicalities of career overtook other different busy directions.  Even then, I read articles as many people do, but who had time to worry about species becoming extinct or warmer temperatures as long as our lifestyles remained normal.  

Then I retired and returned to my roots in the country to the splendor of my mountain valley when I started my pursuit of writing about nature. A deeper emotion started to develop with more research even at a basic level of understanding.  There were so many ecosystems, alive and  functioning well at four levels of interaction, each particular to its species and surroundings all encompassed by the subject called ecology. The ecological principles were the most profound too important not to share. If Nature could have all living things work together, without ego, with adaptations, in great diversity, even democracy, why couldn’t human societies learn some principles to also survive in balance?

This was not a lesson plan but a job for imagination to personify Nature as a living thing with feelings, connections, fears and hopes.  Nature’s first-person narrative could foster more emotions, to correlate the unexpected with the science and personalize new experiences with the reader. The emotions would undoubtedly beget friendships with fascinating ecological characters each with an important role to play.

Perhaps  good storytelling with imagination based on science would help children and others to become more curious about the significance of the Big Picture of Nature working its splendid synergy. Even better yet, a movie with sights, sounds and music would stimulate the amygdala for many years of  thoughtful recollection. 

What if you could share the emotions of a water sprite on his water cycle journey as he discovers other cycles to maintain live on Earth?

What if a tree could talk about his spirit, families, communities, future and sad interaction with humans and his succession long after he falls?

In conclusion, how do you develop emotional intelligence for cognitive bonding … I believe the missing link may be found in one's vibrant imagination discovering the wonders of the ecosystem. Even Albert Einstein once said: 

 "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."

Do you have any emotional encounters with Nature that you think about again and again that give you peace of mind and reflection? 

Comments are always appreciated. Please leave a convenient time to chat 833 471 4661 

Annemarie

amarie10@gmail.com

https://helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com

PS: In the spirit of believing that the Universe receives what is put into it, please note this blog: In Praise of Walt Disney’s Nature Advocacy and What May Be Missing with 4 Questions

In Praise of Walt Disney’s Nature Advocacy and What May Be Missing with 4 Questions

 

In Praise of Walt Disney’s Nature Advocacy ... What May Be Missing with 4 Questions

“How could this Earth of ours, which is only a speck in the heavens, have so much variety of life, so many curious and exciting creatures.” Walt Disney

There is no doubt that Walt Disney was an advocate of nature and conservation. Even at the beginning, he brought live deer into the studio so Bambi could be characterized correctly. He brought to life animals, birds and fish photographed in living color to capture every move and emotion. He helped us to walk with elephants, hunt with jungle cats, swarm with dolphins and wait patiently as penguins survived another blizzard. There is no doubt through his nature documentaries and feature films, we were educated, affiliated, bonded and even protective of our wildlife neighbors.

Perhaps more than anyone he highlighted the meaning of Anthropomorphism which attributes human characteristics, emotions, and behaviors to animals or other non-human things including objects, plants, and supernatural beings.  Who hasn’t watched the Lion King and shared the emotions of youthful exuberance and curiosity,  angry and jealous family tensions, unknown overwhelming dangers, and the redemption of the circle of life? My 5-year-old niece cried inconsolably, but so did I share a few tears of joy. The spark of sublimity was lit for lions for all time.

No doubt his cartoons of Mickey Mouse brought to life a walking talking mouse with his family, friends, adversaries, a nice home with everyday problems. He was cute with big round eyes, button nose, normal  tail, an outlined plump body dressed in red shorts and wearing large yellow gumboots. As onlookers we could relate to everyday people problems but may not look as kindly at a real mouse occupying our own house.

But a mouse is not a human character who worries about shopping, driving or partying. The cartoon did not help to explain how a mouse lives and struggles in the real field … his burrows, food supply and food web, his numerous offspring, his lifespan and purpose in the environment. Only a basic understanding of ecology could validate his existence and worth to his true community.

Perhaps, too many Disney fairy tale characters are flawlessly pictured that may imply to children that a perfect face and body can live happily ever after.  Perhaps, too many of the fire-bolting, muscular exaggerations of mighty superheroes may imply that supernatural powers are needed for success...the bigger the better.

The timeless power of nature in its collective multidimensional forms is the strongest of all forces that dominate our Earth’s life support without which we couldn’t survive.

The more you learn, the more you understand the good news that Nature follows ecological principles which means that its real power is not about might, disorganization or destruction,  but about managing connections and restoring balance and unity.

Only interactions with humans disrupt these cycles. Could it be because they just don’t know enough synchronicity from the soil up to the clouds? Or how the missing link of a small honeybee could seriously limit the world’s food supply?

We need to hear this message loudly and clearly because ecological emergencies must be reduced all around the planet before natural cycles can’t redeem the imbalances or mediate the suffering of all living beings. Only a diversified communication mass media conglomerate like Disney can share the information creatively with facts and fantasy … combining science with creative art.   

What may be missing is a character from an eco-fiction source. Imagine if water could talk about its survival or a tree celebrate its partnerships and succession?  

Eco-fiction is a story that talks about the relationship between natural settings and human communities. The characters inhabit an ecosystem based on ecological principles that call attention to act responsibly to be good ethical stewards of the Earth. They share the reality of microorganisms, photosynthesis, food webs, carbon dominance, pollution, and changing weather patterns as first-person experiences. They share their joys, fears and hopes. They give warnings of dangers to ignore their messages.

A good eco-fiction asks 4 key questions:

1. Can storytelling help to change societal norms and feelings about conservation and sustainability?
2. Why is biological diversity so important to environmental sustainability?
3. Why are cycles the language of nature from nitrogen to carbon to nutrients to pollutants to greenhouse gases and more?
4. Why look at the environment as a work in process … not a given constant or photograph?

So, here is an eco-fiction idea for consideration called The Incredible Journey of a Water Sprite with Roots.

In a culture where fantastical superheroes and Mickey Mouse abound, maybe it’s time to meet a real superhero whose live is essential to sustain all life on Earth.  His mission is to discover Earth’s Cyclical Truths with natural affinity as both a water element and plant that makes him a primary consumer in the ecosystem.  He narrates his personal journey as he walks and talks through his  many experiences with lifeforms essential to ecology and shares his amazement at several natural cycles. He falls in love twice ... the impossible and the probable. It is only when he encounters humankind that he feels a loss of self; and learns consciously, and sometimes painfully, the truth for the need for preservation of balance in nature. 

What is more important to Earth’s survival than fresh clean water?

What is more important than a fresh, clean water cycle?

Disney is a natural fit to produce a movie like this but there may be other production companies who may be interested in an eco-fiction movie to help educate the masses and preserve our fresh water supply?

"No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced."  Sir David Attenborough

Please comment about your favorite Disney movie or documentary. 

Questions and comments are always welcome.

Annemarie

amarie10@gmail.com

833 4471 4661 (please leave your best time to talk)

Excerpt... the water sprite returns to the pond now polluted...

Then I stop, unblinking and unthinking in shock. What I see is more frightening than the strangest invasion of any alien beings, I'm sure.

A new colony has appeared on the bottom sludge. A series of finger-like tubes are projecting out of the mud with long bluish grey worms twisting and turning their way to the top. Moving through and around the tube worms are other blood red worms, wriggling and waving back and forth with lapping tongues clearly seen in their open mouths picking up any food particles on the currents. Is that saliva dribbles I see floating by?

.

 

...these are actual biological changes in polluted water with less oxygen

Announcement: Special E-Book is Now Available on Kindle....What Do You Want to Know about The Water Sprite with Roots?

Announcement: Special E-Book is Now Available on Kindle...What Do You Want to Know about The Water Sprite with Roots? 

I wonder but I really don't know. I wonder if anybody knows, even humankinds who are probably too busy with no time to dig deeper into what the right connections can mean to us all. But I care. Is caring a cycle? If you care enough about something, is that caring returned to you? If responsibility is given or taken, is that responsibility respected and used well? Generally speaking, do humankinds believe in being responsible at least, if not appreciative, of how past, present and future actions are all connected?

Excerpt: The Incredible Journey of The Water Sprite with Roots.

I am pleased to announce the Kindle publication of my e-book, The Incredible Journey of a Water Sprite with Roots on his mission to discover Cyclical Truths for all ages who care about Earth's ecosystems.  

Here is the Kindle blurb:

There is nothing more powerful than creative writing which mixes science to express facts and feelings about our Earth’s ecology.  Welcome to a powerful credible first-person narrative about a living, feeling, talking water sprite with roots so you can share his experiences on his water cycle and discovery of several crucial natural cycles we may not talk about but cannot be taken for granted.  

His story combines imagination and fantasy with scientific reality.  Because he shares an affinity with any organic life form derived from carbon and hydrogen, he can communicate with other beings and express their stories from their realities. He empathizes with all habitats and inhabitants from microorganisms to hydrocarbons of all forms. He connects the dots between climate, pollution and food production.

He is a living, feeling, talking water drop who narrates his experiences in present tense as he discovers several important cycles to maintain a healthy ecosystem, a healthy biodiversity and a healthy humankind society. Most importantly, he helps to explain the Cyclical Truths that are very real and essential to the Earth's ecology as he embodies the words ‘sustainable development’ and ‘ethical consumerism.’

There can be no more precious bonding than to consider water as a valuable friend, as a person and necessity for survival? You wouldn't hurt or bully a good friend, right?

In the end, science and imagination weave a fascinating story that only a water sprite with roots can tell; that in order to survive, we need to balance our Earth’s Cyclical Truths  and protect the diversity found in ecological ecosystems from the smallest to the largest.

Most importantly, the hope is for children of all ages to accompany him and respect our natural environment even more around every chapter. At the end, we should all  care deeply for his manners, fears and hopes. 

What an amazing friend especially for children to get to know.

 

Check it out today ...read the first two chapters. Let me know what you think. 

Sincerely,

Annemarie 

amarie10@gmail.com

833 471 4661 (leave a message)

https://helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com

As well, I am always interested in podcast interviews to discuss our Earth's ecology, problems and solutions. Our footprints matter. 

See list of 12 questions...two have been answered.

How would you answer these 10 questions in a Podcast Interview? 2 Complete Answers Given

How would you answer these 10  questions on a Podcast Interview…two Answers given

Do you realize that only 40 per cent of surveyed people associate the benefits of biodiversity and nature with necessities of life such as food, water and fresh air? Time to change this.

Here is the background:

We have the moral responsibility to live in harmony with nature, but what exactly does nature give us? At their simplest, nature’s services are things people often take for granted:  the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat all ultimately rely on nature and biodiversity.

But other services are less obvious: nature is the bedrock for the production of the most common goods in our way of life which rely on bio-diverse environments. Oceans and coral reefs provide food and livelihoods to hundreds of millions of people. Forests clean the air, regulate the local climate and retain water for rivers. Healthy soils are essential to grow crops. Mountains and glaciers are key sources of water for major rivers. Increasingly, the fragility of ecosystems poses huge risks to societal and economic stability.

Quite simply, our natural balance is the foundation for a healthy society, fair economy for all, and global security.

I am looking for podcast hosts interested in discussing questions about ecology

Here are two questions answered:

1. What are the relationships between Earth’s biosphere, ecology, ecosystem and environment and us?

Biosphere is a global ecosystem which extends from a few kilometers into the atmosphere to at least 200 meters below the oceans based on water, air, minerals and all living organisms. 

Ecology is the study of relationships, competitions and interactions of all living organisms and fellow beings within its surrounding environment  

Note: Its etymology means study of the house, in this case, the planetary house.

.

Ecosystem is a more functional localized unit with its own energy cycle containing all of the living species and all non-living elements in any particular environment. This energy flows through four levels from the sun through plants, food producers, consumers like animals, and  microorganisms, which ends with decomposition in order to recycle the process again. This can be as simple as puddle, a single tree or a forest. 

Environment depends on sunlight, soil, topography, water, atmosphere which includes energy cycles like food chains, nutrient cycles and ecological succession. Plant and animal communities as well as micro organisms form their self-sustaining habitats.

So, how important is it to relate to the Big Picture? Of course, it helps to better visualize how you and I have an individual footprint in our own habitation which is connected to the entire biosphere. By polluting our home, we add distress to the ecosystem of every other organism extending into our biosphere. When we drink a glass of fresh water, that water is  interconnected to the Big Picture and needs to be protected from its base.

2. What is the relationship between a water molecule and a hydrocarbon character?

I must say that hydrocarbons were some of the most amazing research for this e-book…I had no idea how carbon is one of the  most important elements on Earth

The most common building block for all organic life on Earth is the carbon molecule.  It is found in the soil and sedimentary rocks as well as in the atmosphere where it's a part of carbon dioxide gas emitted when fossil fuels are burned or when living organisms breathe out. It is also found in the ocean sediments developed from decaying hard shells and body parts of marine organisms.

Carbon also comes from photosynthesis which is the light energy that transfers electrons from water (H2O) to carbon dioxide (CO2), to produce carbohydrates and release oxygen.

Carbohydrates  are molecular compounds made from just three elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Smaller molecules are known as  glucose and  sucrose often called sugars. To make proteins, carbon will bind with hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen (and sometimes sulfur).

Just think the food we eat is really a complex amalgamation of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Does it make you wonder how we can ever gain weight?

  

A Hydrocarbon only has the elements of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). The carbon atoms join together to form the framework of the compound, and the hydrogen atoms attach to them in many different configurations. Standard composition for petroleum is 85% carbon 12% hydrogen and maybe a little nitrogen / oxygen.

The water sprite (H2O) has a a natural affinity with a hydrocarbon because they contain hydrogen. 

However, molecular chemistry is not the theme of this story even if it's interesting how bonded we are with other life forms. Almost 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. 

Only about 0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium.

Then you ask Google what is a tree composed of: almost 98% (by weight) of a tree is made up of six elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. 

Because we are bonded together with such common elements, it is vital to respect all forms of life to maintain natural balance. It is not surprising that this unique water sprite with plant features is often amazed with his encounters with different characters, some imaginary, but in real settings; and how many life forms and systems are interdependent where one broken link can affect the whole system.

Other relevant ecological questions are:

• What are the 5 parts of the water cycle beyond evaporation and condensation?
• How is climate change affected by the water cycle and vice versa?
• Why is environmental sustainability based on biological diversity?
• What are some amazing Cyclical Truths discovered in a water cycle journey that may be less known?
• How is pollution related to all  5 parts of a water cycle?
• What Is the difference between a natural cycle and a human manufacturing process?
• How can our lifestyles help to protect our water resources?
• Why does the water sprite hero have roots … doesn’t that make him immobile?
• Can scientific facts be understood better through an imaginative creative license as a first person bonding experience?
• Can water teach us about morality?  Does ecology have an ethical base?

Many of these questions can be answered by a living, feeling, talking water sprite with roots  with affinity to all lifeforms as he narrates his discoveries about several important cycles to maintain a healthy ecosystem, a healthy biodiversity and a healthy humankind society.

His story definitely connects the dots between climate, food production and ecosystems, but most importantly, he becomes a friend to the readers to be respected and protected.

What are some questions you would like to know about ecology or environmental sustainability?

Questions and comments are always important ... this finite blue planet is all we have. 

Sincerely,

Annemarie

amarie10@gmail.com

833 471 4661 (leave message and best time to call back) 

Excerpt: The Incredible Journey of a Water Sprite with Roots

 I wonder but I really don't know. I wonder if anybody knows, even humankinds who are probably too busy with no time to dig deeper into what the right connections can mean to us all. But I care. Is caring a cycle? If you care enough about something, is that caring returned to you? If responsibility is given or taken, is that responsibility respected and used well? Generally speaking, do humankinds believe in being responsible at least, if not appreciative, of how past, present and future actions are all connected?

...a friendly micro-organism found in fresh water ponds

How Climate Change Disrupts the Water Cycle via the Hydro-logical System Express Cause and Effect

How Climate Change Disrupts the Water Cycle via the Hydro-logical System Express Cause and Effect

  “It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty, the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living….You realize you are not immortal; you are not a god; you are part of the natural world and you come to accept that.”

  Sir David Attenborough

As the huge cumulonimbus clouds rise along the horizon, there is also rising concern about rising climate temperatures, but have you thought that the primary disruption is happening with the water cycle? This complex integrated system has many parts and functions linked interdependently;  if one part is un-linked, then all the other parts can be derailed.

Therefore, let’s use a concrete metaphor to show the cause and effect of climate change on the water cycle in the form of a large train with linked boxcars and call it the Hydro-logical System Express.  It moves through the Earth’s Ecosystems where all moving parts are connected for Nature’s essential synergy within the Earth’s Biosphere.  As you can quickly see, this road map is much more than a friendly springtime shower.

Water moves around the Earth in a water cycle with immemorial, basic mechanics: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration and surface run-off. Along the way, it affects water supplies, food webs, health, sanitation, and energy production.

Imagine, this natural process is now steaming through a time of Climate Change with huge possible interference by affecting the amount, distribution and quality of available water.  In turn, communities, industries and ecosystems can also be impacted, directly or indirectly.

Here is the Nature's scientific engineering fact: hotter climate causes more water to evaporate from land and ocean water. This also means greater plant transpiration which results in water loss in soil and plants.

Imagine there are five boxcars linked to the water cycle that show cause and effect:

ONE:  A warmer atmosphere can hold more water moisture; roughly four percent more water for every 1 degree rise in temperature.  One result is increased precipitation and runoff, leading to flooding. Another result, depending on geography, is less precipitation and longer drought periods.

TWO:  Mountain melt water and runoff provide more than 50 percent of the world’s freshwater. Therefore, as global temperatures rise, mountain glaciers and snow packs are melting at an unprecedented rate creating greater water stress in the habitats. Just think, glaciers can’t be replaced once they’re gone.

THREE: Valuable groundwater levels will be affected along with accelerated water competition and stress at the surface about its proper use without overusing this limited resource. Water quality will decline within the ecosystems as well. For example, higher water temperatures in lakes, streams and reservoirs result in lower levels of dissolved oxygen which adds more stress on the fish, insects, microorganisms and other aquatic animals that rely on oxygen.

FOUR: More precipitation will cause a greater pollution load to be washed into our waterways, such as nitrogen from agriculture, pesticides, herbicides and even disease pathogens. It’s simply another engineering cycle that all water will return eventually to the coastal ocean waters. This can create blooms of harmful algae and bacteria such as blue-green algae or red tide which, in turn, can damage aquatic life and  produce dangerous toxins for humans and other animals to touch or drink; thereby, hurting the fisheries, shellfish and tourism economies. A new reality called ocean acidification will need further study.

FIVE: As oceans become warmer along with an increased melt from ice  caps and glaciers, the sea levels will rise. This will drive saltwater into freshwater aquifers affecting the drinking supply as well as irrigation. These threats to fragile coastal communities are alarming as infrastructure and  economies try to cope for a roughly estimated more than 200 million people worldwide who live along coastlines less than 5 meters above sea level; a number that could reach 400 to 500 million by the end of the 21^st century.

Of course, the picture of a Hydro-logical System Express throttling through our land is a caricature oversimplification. There are far greater dimensions and confluences to the survival of the planet itself based on the variable living Ecosystems which aggregate to make the Earth’s Biosphere.

Each ecosystem has its own energy cycle which contains all of the living species and all non-living elements in any particular environment, whether as a single tree, a forest or even a puddle. This energy flows from the sun through plants, food producers, consumers,  microorganisms, and animals which ends with decomposition in order to recycle the process again.  Climate change may force habitat relocation and upset the food chain or contribute to species extinction. It will affect human land development, agriculture, erosion, flooding, droughts, or greater wildfires.

Still larger, the all-embracing and cohesive mother of all, is the Biosphere based on water, air and minerals found on land where all life exists below ground, above ground and at least 200 meters of the ocean and seas. Energy flow is essential to maintain the structure of organisms by the splitting of phosphate bonds. As levels of greenhouse gases increase, including more water vapor, the Earth responds with higher temperatures. As the Biosphere’s temperature increases, it becomes global warming versus climate change which is more localized long-term pattern changes in weather conditions.

There are arguments as to which degree human activity is responsible for climate change affecting the causes and effects of the water cycle. But there is no argument that such a wide range of human activities depend, directly or indirectly, on water and that future climate-driven changes in water resources will affect many aspects of our lives.

So next time you look up at some lazy cloud passing by on a warmer day than usual, or a tumult of clouds building along the horizon, please visualize the all-powerful water cycle connecting all possible links to precipitation, run-offs, surface water, pollution, ocean levels, ecosystems, communities and so much more within the vastness of this blue planet’s Biosphere.

Then, see yourself as one individual who needs to do your part which is morally right and responsible to keep your water in your space to be as pure and fresh as possible to make all life possible.

Questions and comments are always welcome and appreciated to further this discussion. What are some of your questions or experiences with water or lack of?

Sincerely,

Annemarie Berukoff

amarie10@gmail.com

 PS: It gives me great pride to be the author of a special e-book for children of all ages called The Incredible Journey of a Water Sprite with Roots on his Mission to Discover Cyclical Truths …

Read more about the introduction of how and why this story was written:  

Read more about the Most Common Question Asked about the Incredible Journey of The Water Sprite with Plant Roots with a Table of Contents   

It can be downloaded here:

Excerpt: My thoughts wander about the kind of ecology that humankinds believe in, as I have witnessed. Do they get it that natural life begins with DNA in a nucleus, one celled animals and plants, then species and then an ecosystem? Do they know that every small ecosystem is part of the total large biosphere on Earth that connects them all; water, air, food, resources, and shelter? Do they realize that perpetual growth, industry or destruction of any habitat is not sustainable on a limited planet?

A Special Bonding for Children from Researching and Writing this Story About the Water Sprite with Roots

A Special Bonding for Children from Researching and Writing this Story About the Water Sprite with Roots

The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water and air. It is the most precious thing we have, and we need to defend it.” ― David Attenborough

So what did I learn from researching ecosystems and the special bonding I hope to pass on to children as they also learn about healthy ecosystems for a healthy Earth for a healthy people.

Actually, I learned several factors that only grew in significance the more the natural environment opened up.This is not the simple water cycle as first envisioned from the ocean’s transpiration where it starts  to the ocean’s runoff  where it ends. In the middle, there are adventures drawn from co-inhabitants in an ecological balance with a different connection around every bend. What I learned will only help to increase my admiration of a walk in the woods by a pond; or larger yet, the way I view our beautiful blue and finite planet.  It is this journey I wish to share with young people of all ages to create a special bonding and vision for a sustainable community for all species.

 Let's start with the A-List:

AMAZEMENT at the extraordinary biological diversity of life forms that create their own interdependent communities on land and in water.  We are surrounded by such specialized simple lifeforms called microorganisms that live in fresh water, which may be only a handful of living cells but with the ability to sense, feed, propagate and even adapt as required; but without defenses against pollution. 

Did you know that only 3% of our planet’s water is drinkable where half of fresh water is frozen in glaciers or underground? 97% of it is saltwater.

AWARENESS of the diversity of organic Life forms or compounds containing the carbon molecule, the most common life matter on Earth. The sun’s energy called photosynthesis can create a simple sugar molecule as food for any carbon-based plant and animal by combining with water (two hydrogen and one oxygen).  Even the hydrocarbon found in fossil fuels is filled with the sun’s energy which can be used as fuel or manufactured into inert plastics; forever non-biodegradable.  

Did you know that Americans throw away enough plastic bottles in a week to encircle the Earth 5 time and that only 5% of Earth’s population?

APPRECIATION of the numerous cycles required for ecology to be balanced, from sun and water, to nutrients for primary plants, to animals and even decomposing bacteria to recycle matter. For example, the nutrient cycle begins with minerals that include carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen and water among others as these elements recycle to produce food for the ecosystem. The water cycle is immemorial, continually recycling over time. We all live in one huge watershed from beyond dinosaur times. 

Did you know that the leading source of pollution in surface drinking water supplies is polluted rainwater runoff from household products (EPA)?

  

AFFINITY to the wonder of a healthy ecosystem based on four functioning levels which help to clean our water, recycle nutrients, maintain our soil, purify our air and provide us with food and shelter. Every chapter shows how anything that affects one part of our ecosystem will in turn affect others … from the very smallest to the largest. There is a strong link to an ECOLOGY ETHIC where exponential growth is not possible. Nature is not to be contradicted but integrated within our common humanity. 

Do we have a moral obligation to leave an environment worthwhile to live in for our children?

ACCOMPLISHMENT by introducing characters who can relate their experiences of integration and interdependence within their special systems.  Many interesting characters who are defined as micro-organisms really do exist in various water states; but for a change, they are given a voice to talk about their thoughts and fears. A few are imaginary creations in their particular system like glaciers, oil lakes, and plastic manufacturing factories; but all are connected to the water molecule. 

So, on one hand, we can research a factual description of Ecosystems as communities of organisms and non-living matter that interact together where a damaged balance can cause many problems. Or, on the other hand, we can tell a story of a sensitive water sprite with roots who lives through these encounters, imbalances, fears and hopes. He talks the walk through his mission of discovering cyclical truths from the sun to water to nutrients to plants to animals to decomposing bacteria to respecting the biodiversity.

  

The hope is that the reader will form a special bonding with this main water sprite character; thereby, making an emotional connection through his trials, tribulations and inclusions of all lives in a balanced natural environment. As the water sprite falls in love, so will the readers in kinship and motivational affinity to protect Nature at its best.

“No one will protect what they don't care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced..”   David Attenborough

You are invited to check the story here: 

The Incredible Journey of a Water Sprite with Roots

Comments and questions are welcome and appreciated,

Sincerely,

Annemarie

amarie10@gmail.com

Two excerpts: "The mystery of this cycle has slowly unfolded. It's about the power of the sun giving light energy to the chlorophyll in plant cells to split the water molecule, and combine it with carbon to produce a simple sugar compound as food for animals and humankinds. A cycle is what a cycle is; but miss out one tiny piece like a chloroplast found within the chlorophyll, nothing is completed, and life is not possible. So tiny, so simple, yet so complex."

"Also, maybe, there is some misunderstanding about what makes a life-form; especially lesser and smaller beings than themselves. Maybe, being so intelligent and progressive has made them short-sighted and narrow-minded about their own groups only, and prejudiced against other communities which may be different from them. Is this why pollution doesn’t matter to some? What if, I think, amusingly, they can be referred to as kind humans rather than humankinds."

Attack by Giant Amoeba and Saved by A Rotifer

Most Common Question Asked about the Incredible Journey of The Water Sprite with Plant Roots

Most Common Question Asked about the Incredible Journey of The Water Sprite with Plant Roots

“We are at a unique stage in our history. Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about that. Surely we all have a responsibility to care for our Blue Planet. The future of humanity and indeed, all life on earth, now depends on us.”

“I know of no pleasure deeper than that which comes from contemplating the natural world and trying to understand it.”

― David Attenborough

There is no question that there is abundant interest in key words like save water, water cycles, balance in ecology, water pollution, climate changes, and natural cycles.

People who care to talk, ask a common question: Is this just a fancy way of describing the water cycle...we already know about that.

No, I refer them to look at the Table of Contents that shows this journey is so much more than one taken on the wind to runoff back to the ocean. It is a journey worthy of a heroic movie of acceptance and survival. 

This story delves deep into the systems that sustain life on earth, their interdependence and mutual survival from the microorganism to the cells of plants to the sun’s energy itself. 

Constrain or lose one part, upset the entire planet's cycles. 

It’s true that there are a few fascinating, imaginary creations that hold a scientific base in their particular system like glaciers, oil lakes, and plastic manufacturing factories.

 

The moral is implied that simple life forms within communities have a serious purpose with the right to exist and maintain potential of all ecosystems. Within diversity is found democracy.  

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1     Meet Water Sprite; the Water Spirit; Mission of Cyclical Truths

CHAPTER 2     Caught in Winter Storm; Severe Danger; First Encystment

CHAPTER 3     Learns about Kalundian Glacier; ice-sprites; climate emergency 

CHAPTER 4     Undergoes an operation to save the Ice Princess legacy; glacial lake

CHAPTER 5     Capture by Nitrifying Bacteria for Ransom; Nitrogen Cycle

CHAPTER 6     Helps to Find a Habitat for Bacteria; reaches Bally Pond

CHAPTER 7     Attack by Amoeba; Rescue by a Rotifer called Roti Tellera

CHAPTER 8     Interacts with community; meets Hydra; goes to school with Hydrozoan

CHAPTER 9     Learns from Stentor; threat of pollution arrives; weapon against humankinds

CHAPTER 10   Discuss plan to stop possible pollution; leaves Bally Pond on a mission

CHAPTER 11   Encounter with first young female humankind; meets her father scientist

CHAPTER 12   Examination under a microscope; exposure to microbes; possible escape

CHAPTER 13   Swallowed  into digestive system; exits human body through sweat gland

CHAPTER 14   Filters down to bedrock; meets an Oiler molecule on a mission

CHAPTER 15   Meets Progenitor, oldest life form; Earth's elements; Carbon Cycle

CHAPTER 16   Oil well disaster; hydrocarbon processing into plastics; meets Polymer

CHAPTER 17   Encounter with a tree; hopeful return and re-connection at Bally Pond

CHAPTER 18   Pollution Disaster; Extinction; Attack and Impossible Plastic Savior  

CHAPTER 19;  Reflection on Lessons Learned; Cyclical Truths Mission Accomplished 

CHAPTER 20   Return to Mother Ocean with Cautionary Words on the Wind

As you can, this is far more than a diagram of a water cycle, crucial as that is. It is one diagram near the end of the journey filled with many previous other diagrams that explain how organisms at all  levels of the ecosystems help to sustain each other. 

What are some of the lessons to be learned?

Stop and be amazed at the specialized simplicity and complexity of life forms, especially the micro-organisms that live in fresh water which may be labeled only as a handful of living cells but with the ability to sense, feed and propagate.

Become aware of Organic Life forms or compounds containing the carbon molecule, the most common life matter and compound on Earth including the hydrocarbon found in fossil fuel and inert manufactured plastics.

Start to appreciate the numerous cycles required for ecology to be balanced from sun and water, to nutrients for primary plants, to animals and decomposing bacteria in both a inclusive, co-operative and limited biosphere. 

There is a strong link to an ECOLOGY ETHIC where exponential growth is not possible.

Do you agree this journey is far beyond the water cycle and worthy of an epic movie!

Check out the Table of Contents and more.

I appreciate hearing your thoughts about the different experiences and lessons learned.

Sincerely, 

Annemarie

info@helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com

I am deep in thought now; not so much about the physical reality around that can be seen and heard; but deeper into more abstract concepts that deal with wisdom and spirit, a more ethical domain. Maybe thinking is a cycle unto itself that governs our choices and how we behave. If we change our thinking, we can perhaps change our habits. If we gain knowledge, we will be more understanding. If we understand more, then we will appreciate more the intricate workings of Nature; like being awed by the mechanics of a single leaf. If we are smarter, then we will appreciate the balance designed by Nature. (excerpt from The Incredible Journey of a Water Sprite with Roots.)

Water Sprite enjoying snack time with his rotifer friend