She recently gifted participants of the Partnership in Global Justice Workshop, which took place in California, with her talk entitled “Migration: The Movement of Peoples Throughout the World.” By her poetic and insightful workshop presentations she showed how migration is deeply connected with the sustainability of the universe. Read her book “Out of Wonder: The Evolving Story of the Universe.”

In 1997 a review of the implementation of Agenda 21 of UNCED took place and was called Rio +5.  Five years later the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) took place in South Africa. In SA climate change was noted as a ‘global concern.’ During this 15th session the CSW is focusing on Sustainable development; Industrial development; Air Pollution/Atmosphere; and Climate Change. A review of the First CSD Week has exposed the disunity among the bloc of poor countries as well as between and among the rich and the poor countries. And the rich and powerful countries continue to dominate and use their influence to market the sustainability of fossil fuels and nuclear power as realistic sources of energy.

Just today two women spoke emphatically against nuclear power as a viable solution for today’s climate crisis. Mary Olson’s presentation was entitled “Confronting a False Myth of Nuclear Power: Nuclear Power Expansion is Not a Remedy for Climate Change.”  She pointed out several ways that nuclear power is responsible for CO2 output. Uranium, used for nuclear power, has to be mined, processed and transported. The disposition and decommissioning of nuclear wastes contribute to CO2. Any exposure to radiation results in cancer and releases from U.S. reactors have been shown to contaminate groundwater. Alice Slater told us that the international community has acknowledged that ‘peaceful’ nuclear technology is a gateway to nuclear weapons proliferation. Once a nation has the capability of building a nuclear reactor it has been given the keys, as it were, to a bomb factory.

Both women are anticipating a ground swell that will truly convert the masses to both energy efficiency and the availability of wind, appropriate hydro, biomass and solar to be viable and ready in sufficient quantity to provide for energy needs. An International Sustainable Energy Fund along with shifting massive subsidies and tax breaks away from corporations to the development of safe and abundant energy using sun, wind, tides and geothermal sources are needed NOW. These two paragraphs hardly do justice to the knowledge and passion exhibited in their presentations.

Last Wednesday Sr. Mary Peter, a Loretto Sister, told me that a member of my community was in New York to attend the CSD and that she was staying at St. Anthony’s where Mary Peter lives. Mary Peter was kind enough to take a note to Sr. Marion Matthew in which I asked her to be in touch with me so we would be sure to meet up at the United Nations.

Later on that same day I attended an Earth Values Caucus and identified myself giving my name and my religious congregation. Afterwards another attendee at this caucus enquired about my possible connection with Loretos in India. How delighted I was to find out that this enquirer was none other than Fr. Robert Athickal, a Jesuit from India, whom I had heard about from Evanne. He also told me about Sr. Marion Matthew. I made arrangements to meet them for lunch the next day. And so it was! I met them both in the morning, was ecstatic to meet Marion and we did meet for lunch. I kept speaking of sisters I knew in India but Marion didn’t seem to know them. Finally she turned the cross she was wearing toward me so I could see that she is CJ and so my dilemma was solved!

Father Robert has the title of Secretary General of Tarumitra a word that in both Hindi and Sanskrit means ‘Friends of Trees.’ He has been associated with Tarumitra for some 18 years. He told me that he networks with over one thousand high schools and some two hundred thousand students in India.

Tarumitra Bio-reserve is a tree-sanctuary. This tree sanctuary is the result of a student movement to protect the Environment on Earth that began in 1988. Tarumitra Bio-reserve is born out of a generous gift of ten acres of land in the middle of the city of Patna. Students from all the one thousand schools come to visit at various times and for various lengths of time to plant a forest in these ten acres. Tarumita Bio-reserve has a web site (www.tarumitra.org).Visit it to be inspired and get ideas of what you too might be able to do.

Marion Matthew, from Allahabad Province in India, is a University Professor who is also working on her Doctorate in Environmental Education. Reflecting on her visit to Tarumitra Bio-reserve she spoke glowingly about this forest in the middle of the city. Its environment inspired her, re-energized her Spirit and filled her with welcoming thoughts.  Marion was looking for wisdom from Nature. She found the trees speaking to her and teaching her directly about truths of life and about the close affinity that exists with the Cosmic World. Further, Marion found herself thinking of the responsibility required to uphold the Environment and its Ethics and the challenge required to walk in harmony with Earth, with Nature, toward Sustainable Development.  

On Thursday 10 May, Marion will give a power point presentation at the UN entitled “The Web of Life” which is described as ‘An interesting and informative presentation on the Philosophy of the five grand building blocks of the Universe (space, earth, air, fire, and water) and their significance to human beings.” The flyer continues . . .

Moving towards a sustainable society

 Let us work together to re-establish an environmental ethics. 

From dreams to decisions

From Challenges to choices

From actions to achievements.

So many good people are doing so many good things and so many people are positively affected! 

I think my justification for writing in this way for this Ring of Fire is to point out that we really are interconnected, Canada, California, Ireland, New York and India, IBVM, CJs, and in the midst of our diversity - we really are all ONE living in ONE Earth!