Zorah Staar's Biography & Invitation to Action

This is a revised biography (as of August, 2010) because now we're living in a revised world... of ecological crisis, peak oil (the end of easy oil), climate change/instability, and global financial instability. Who we were is no longer as important as using everything we are - our biggest-loving-connected selves - to help our communities and our Earth.You may think this is over the top, but one of my strongest beliefs is that we need to see very clearly the troubled world we're creating right now, in order to be able to heal and transform it (see "WHAT WE CAN DO..." below).

So what do I bring to the table? Artistically, I've created solo, live-theatre, and choral music, and have now spent the past 5 years focussing on my writing (see home page for more about my live musical and screenplay, "The Goddess Bubble"). Work-wise, I've done counselling, advocacy and community activism with disadvantaged groups, I currently work for a local government Trust that protects rare ecosystems, and I am now also very excited to be helping my community start a Transition Town/Local Resilience initiative, as a response to climate change, peak oil, and global financial instability (see more below and attached). Spiritually, I'm a pagan/buddhist/former new ager, who respects the many paths to the infinite power of Spirit and our own spirits. Personally, I'm a survivor of past abuse, and also now busy raising a young son with my wonderful partner, at a time of extreme world challenges. So what do I do with all that? What might we all do, at this immensely important moment in history? Here (respectfully) is the best I can think of right now.

WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND PEAK OIL

FIND THE COURAGE to respond to the world we're creating right now, by reaching for what's bigger... Nature, Human, and Greater Spirits (all connected), our art, our communities... whatever helps us act from our BIGGEST-LOVING-CONNECTED SELVES in this moment.

UNDERSTAND the reality of climate change and peak oil, which is that we MUST start transitioning to radically lower-carbon and higher-resilience ways of living, or things could be very grim for us and our children, e.g. from sea level and temperature rises, and effects on food, water, and oil supply (www.wakeupfreakout.org and www.climate-change-emergency-medical-response.org).

UNDERSTAND why just a 2 degree Celsisus rise in average world temperature matters so much, because the resulting feedback loops (e.g. ice melting, methane from warming permafrost and oceans, etc.) could then lead to a 6 to 10 degree rise. (www.wakeupfreakout.org).

WAKE UP TO THE PEAK OIL CRISIS, which is about the end of "easy oil", and world oil extraction rates now maxing out and declining. This is exacerbated by continually rising demand, and could mean half as much oil available in 20 years (Google Richard Heinberg and peak oil).

CHECK OUT the exciting new Transition Town/Local Resilience Model (from the UK), for many inspiring and practical ways of transforming our communities and our world, from the ground up (see www.transitionculture.org and one example).

UNDERSTAND how our governments are allowing the fossil fuel, military, and forest industries, the big banks, and other multi-nationals to take us to destruction (e.g. www.stoptarsands.wordpress.com) and STOP propping up this insanity with your votes/purchases/investments.

VIGOROUSLY ADVOCATE about all of the above with your elected representatives and others, and SUPPORT Green Parties, proportional representation, clean energy, and green initiatives.

RADICALLY REDUCE your carbon energy use and INCREASE your resilience, as a community (check out www.transitionnetwork.org), and as an individual by doing your best on the following:

HOME - Live in a modest-sized, energy and water efficient home, near where you need to go (our homes waste way even more energy than our cars);

FOOD - Eat less meat, eggs and dairy (more impactful than an SUV!), more vegetarian/vegan, local, and organic food, and no bottled water;

TRAVEL - Don't drive or fly unless you have to, buy the most energy efficient vehicle and fuel you can, and rely on alternatives (walking, cycling, public transit, car-sharing, telecommuting, etc.);

RRRR - Reduce (don't buy stuff you don't need), re-use, repair, and recycle (plus composting), and buy recyclable, local, and Earth-friendly products (see www.storyofstuff.com for a reality check.

Note: The above is just a brief summary of the many ways we must quickly change how we live, based on ideas from David Suzuki's Green Guide (by David R. Boyd and David Suzuki), and climate change experts Julie Johnston and Dr. Peter D. Carter (www.climate-change-emergency-medical-response.org).

Finally, knowing about current realities, let's act to create a BRIGHTER FUTURE... where we can be more connected with each other, nature, and the land; more resilient and self-sufficient; living lower-carbon, lighter on the Earth, healthier, and with GREATER happiness and community spirit.

If the global picture seems too overwhelming at times, there's always smaller pieces of the world we can work on... a new organic garden for our family or community, a web newsletter to spread climate change or Transition Model ideas, a car-sharing program to help our city drive less, and other positive actions like those suggested above. The possibilities are as limitless as our own imaginations.

In any event, I invite us to radically expand the spirit and love that we bring to each precious moment of our existence here together. Connect our BIG SELVES with COMMUNITY ACTION, and I truly believe we can start earning some major MIRACLES, to transform our world. Though we have no way of knowing what the results will be, we owe it to those already impacted by climate change, and to future generations, to give it all we've got. Blessed be!