Ellen Gunter - Earth Calling: A Climate Change Handbook for the 21st Century

Copyright 2014 by Ellen Gunter and Ted Carter. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books.

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Cover photos: Nest iStockphoto.com/malerapaso; Earth iStockphoto.com/jimmyjamesbond; Collage by Mary Ann Casler
Cover and book design by Mary Ann Casler

Earth Calling: A Climate Change Handbook for the 21st Century is sponsored by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences, a nonprofit educational corporation whose goals are to develop an educational and cross-cultural perspective linking various scientific, social, and artistic fields; to nurture a holistic view of arts, sciences, humanities, and healing; and to publish and distribute literature on the relationship of mind, body, and nature.

North Atlantic Books publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, visit our website at www.northatlanticbooks.com or call 8007333000.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Gunter, Ellen, 1947
Earth calling : a climate change handbook for the 21st century / Ellen Gunter and Ted Carter; foreword by Caroline Myss.
pages cm
Summary: Nature - Environmental Conservation & ProtectionProvided by publisher. ISBN 978-1-58394-767-8 (pbk.)
eBook ISBN 978-1-58394-781-4
1. Human ecologyPhilosophy. 2. Environmental degradation. 3. Climate changeSocial aspects. 4. Mind and body. I. Carter, Ted, 1956- II. Title.
GF21.G86 2014 304.25dc23 2013034234

v3.1

For Johnny, called home first
E LLEN G UNTER

For my life partner, Greg Bembry, and my parents, Bob and Julie Carter
T ED C ARTER

I f I could, I would make this book, Earth Calling, essential reading for every single person drawing a breath on this planet. There is not one living human being whose survival is not intimately woven into the exquisite ecological systems of this Earth, all of which are designed to support the whole of life. Lets face it, when it comes to the business of living, we human beings are takers. We have to learn how to be givers. We consider it a progression of our conscious awareness to come to the realization that we should not litter or pollute, though we are making meager progress on that front. We still think of recycling as an environmental advancement. Lets be honestwe are still living in a sort of haze about the environment crisis brewing in our atmosphere. Its sort of real, but not really real. A crisis that is represented through statistics and predictions can only inspire people to change so much, right?

Reports of melting ice sheets that will subsequently cause water levels in the oceans to risewhich, in turn, will cause the eventual disappearance of small islands and coastal citiesseem like the makings of a good Hollywood action film. Actually, Hollywood has made several films already capitalizing on the threat of ecological disasters, making them not more real for viewers but, sadly, more make believe. Meanwhile, as film watchers enjoy the fictitious presentation of the breakdown of Earths ecological system, Al Gore continues to trumpet his powerful message, presenting some of the same scenarios being depicted in Hollywood films, only the possibilities and probabilities Gore speaks about are real. While Gore has acquired world-wide recognition and growing support for his relentless efforts to raise global awareness that the Earths ecological system is in crisis nowright nowhe is constantly derided by a largely skeptical public that still wants the facts delivered Hollywood style. And it has to be noted that among those skeptics are Earths major power brokersthat is, those who would have to change their way of making wealth if they actually admitted that their taker lifestyle is contributing to the destruction of the life system of the planet. Weve never had global crimes or global criminals before, but we do now.

The majority of the population, of course, still wants to simply believe that all this business about climate change and a multitude of environmental problemsfrom personal health to the destruction of our soil, our seeds, and our animalsis the stuff of good fiction and great films. I dont blame them. Id love to live in that bubble, too. But I know far too much, and so does Ellen Gunter, who with great care and, I might add, with enormous personal anguish, devoted years of her life to writing a book with the intention of shattering personal bubbles.

I cant tell you how many times I called Ellen and asked, Hows the writing going today? only to find her in a dark, sad place. Perhaps that day or that week she was organizing the data about air pollution in China, the latest oil industry scandal, a disappointing ruling from the EPA, or what GMOs are doing to our health. Every deep researcher of social, political, medical, or any truth experiences a particular type of exhaustion that comes from acquiring an overload of facts that so many people do not know, but should. With Earth Calling, Ellen has been able to pair that with an even deeper desire to find the right words that can inspire people to realize the significance of all that she has learned.

More importantly, Ellen understands that if enough readers actually get the urgency and power of her message, we can shift the direction of the Titanic. We dont have to hit the iceberg this time. We can each do our individual parts, and together we can weave an alternative to endless pollution, underwater water reserves being poisoned by fracked gas and oil, and corporations determining what vegetables you can plant or buy. The list is so long. And its all in this book.

This book owes much to Ted Carters understanding of how the Earth works and how it speaks to us in countless ways. He was a tireless source of wisdom, insight, and clarity, and his steady voice was a constant through this long birthing.

Ellen and Ted gave the book the title Earth Calling, and nothing could be more appropriate, as Earth is a living Beinggranted, the largest living Being you will ever encounterand it is calling each of us to fall back into alignment with the laws of nature. That call manifests through our intuition, through our organic knowing that something is not right with how the forces of life feel. We can all sense this in our bones and in our blood. We can feel the pain in the animal kingdomadmit it. Weve grown more sensitive to the feelings of animals. We are all becoming animal whisperers now, whether we want to be that sensitive or not.

We are all awakening to the understanding that its not okay to do nothing when you know something should be done. No more looking around like some sort of helpless ninny and saying, Someone should do something!

If someone said that to me now, I would hand that individual this book with these instructions: Read until you are fully inspired.

Dont worry; you will be.

Every one of us is living through a historic time, one of environmental and ecological transformation. Earth itself is a participantindeed, the greatest participant of all. If she does not make it, none of us will. As human beings, as spiritual brothers and sisters, we have a calling to participate in this transformation of life that is unfolding before usand within us. We have a calling to walk this beautiful Earth together, to participate in our own and in the Earths transition into a global human community. Perhaps none of us will live to see that, but we must all begin to walk together in that directionits where we are all being called.