Earthcare Working Group gathering this coming Saturday

 I know that the majority of you who read this blog are from places pretty far from Iowa City. So you'd not consider driving to our gathering on Saturday afternoon (May 2, 2:00, Prairie Hill Cohousing). But even so, you might be interested in what we're doing and might decide to do something similar in your own area. The film we're seeing is something you could watch at home. Being on microplastics, it is not a cheerful subject, but it will be good to know more about this reality in our world and have some ideas about how to cope with it. The best thing about monthly gatherings like this, focused on caring for the earth, is how good it feels to be among others sharing the same concerns, and also enjoying the sharing of the good earth-related insights and happenings in our lives. Even though we may sometimes be focusing on difficult realities, the regular coming together of neighbors and friends for the common purpose of learning and honoring our Earth is fortifying and uplifting. So here is our projected agenda. If you're within driving distance of Prairie Hill, you're invited!

  1. Opening Round (share something inspiring and earth-related)
  2. Announcements and upcoming local events or opportunities
  3. Volunteer for snacks next time
  4. Reminder of the book we'll be discussing for our June meeting:  The Light Eaters: How the unseen world of plant intelligence offers a new understanding of life on earth by Zoe Schlanger. (Don't worry if you haven't started reading it yet! There's still plenty of time.)
  5. Our program: We will be viewing the PBS documentary We're All Plastic People Now (2023), an Emmy award-winning documentary that exposes the pervasive, largely invisible global contamination of human bodies and the environment by plastic pollution. It investigates how microplastics are present in human blood, colons, breast milk, and embryos, highlighting links to serious health issues, cancer, and infertility, while arguing that recycling is insufficient.  The video is about one-hour, followed by a few handouts and discussion questions.
  6. Discussion and reactions to the film
  7. Check-out: How can we take out into the world what we have learned today.

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