You asked for it...

Young adult friends--welcome to the April (and Earth Day) edition of You asked for it..., the monthly email from the New Community Project.

I just returned from Brazil, where among other interesting things, I led a session with a class at Sao Camilo University in Sao Paolo--the most populous city on earth (19 million). We had a fine--and at times feisty--conversation, especially around the lack of respect Brazilians feel they get. ("So, how many Americans think the capital of Brazil is Buenos Aires??"--"US environmentalists seem to forget that the Amazon is actually in Brazil--they act like it belongs to them!"--you get my drift...) When it was over, I continued talking with several students, and one confided, "I don't want a really big house or a lot of money...but I do want a car!"

I thought to myself: if this strong young committed woman feels that she needs a car, and a billion other young people like her have the same aspiration, then we have a big problem. But how can I criticize her when we in the US drive as many miles as the rest of the world combined...

Enough verbiage--in this Earth Day edition of You asked for it...:

• Revolution in Nepal
• Where's the beef?
• You're getting warmer...
• Alaska--the last frontier
• Bird's eye view
• Justice Fact, Enviro Fact, Faith Fact

Take care of yourself--and this fine planet.

David

Nepal -- trouble at the top of the world You may remember that I visited Nepal last December on the Around the World trip. You may also be hearing about the citizen's revolution that is taking place right now throughout that country. To make a long story short: Nepal is the poorest country in a very poor part of the world (south Asia); there has been a 10-year long Maoist rebellion in the country; the king dissolved Parliament a while back and recently declared martial law; the people are sick and tired of the whole mess. What you can do:

• Contact the President and your senators and tell them to support the people's demands for a referendum on the monarchy (should there even be a king), the restoration of the Parliament, and an end to the violence against protesters. Find all the contact info you need here: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
• Support NCP programs to empower women and relieve poverty. $50 provides a month's salary for Roshni Rai, a 21-year old we're supporting in her work with our partner Women Empowerment. Here's her picture: http://www.newcommunityproject.org/nepal_we.shtml

• In the Amazon. The most populous large mammal in the Amazon Rainforest? Cattle--57 million head of them. A recent report credits 70% of the six million acres of Amazon deforestation to cattle ranching--and it's mostly for export. 40,000 tons comes to the US.
• A quarter-pounder can require 2 pounds of grain and 2000 pounds of water to produce--or 55 square feet of rainforest if imported from the Amazon.

• 2005 was the warmest year on record for planet Earth
• Thanks to Global Warming, the Greenland ice sheet is losing 200 times more water into the ocean every year than Los Angeles uses in a year. If it ever all melts, this will raise sea levels by 21 feet. Surf's up! 
• By 2050 one-quarter of the world's species could become extinct due to Global Warming.

• Join the NRDC's virtual march against global warming http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/default.asp
• More importantly--get out of that car, cut back on the stuff, eat lower on the food chain.

• We still have a couple slots on our August Learning Tours! On Aug. 12-21 we'll be heading to Denali National Park--we're talking grizzlies, moose, mountain sheep--we even saw a lynx last year! And of course, Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America. And then we do the sealife cruise down iat Seward--and see massive glaciers. Heading up to Arctic Village on Aug. 22-31, you'll meet and learn from the Gwich'in people and camp in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge south of the Brooks Range. http://www.newcommunityproject.org/tours.shtml   Some scholarship money available.

• A video camera is providing a live transmission of a pair of eagles sitting on two eggs in British Columbia, Canada. They supposed to hatch within the week! Take a look: http://forum.hancockhouse.com/staticpages/index.php/20060323 091954727

Justice Fact: The average credit card holder in the US pays $1900 per year in interest--that's more than 75% of the people in the world have to live on each year. Average credit card debt for 23-34 year-olds who carry a balance: $4088 Enviro Fact : "Our lives will be shorter." --Delio, Siona shaman, when asked by our January Learning Tour about his thoughts about the future. He was referring to the impact of spraying coca plants in nearby Colombia and general disintegration of the rainforest ecosystem due to petroleum industry and ranching.

Faith Fact: "Let all you do be done in love." I Corinthians 16:14 (the Bible)