We are living through a critical time; a deficit of consciousness and juncture that leads us ever closer to the edge of environmental catastrophe. We hear daily of new catastrophes taking place all over the world, and in state after state, or close-in within our own neighborhoods. We are drowning in flood water, leveled by fires, and our food and water supplies are already endangered in many parts of the world. Today I heard a PBS report on the California central valley that has been dramatically sinking due to a century of exploitive water extraction since the gold rush.

We may feel our inner alarm signals going off repeatedly as eccentric, unpredictable weather patterns become normal. Our planet is under siege. We know coral reefs, animals, forests, parklands — all living entities are threatened.