Earth - the movie

Disney will celebrate Earth Day 2009 (April 22) with the debut of Earth , the first feature-length documentary from their Disneynature division. It definitely looks like a film to see on the big screen.

Learning from Nature

I have recently read The Gecko's Foot by Peter Forbes which shows how we are engineering new material from nature through bio-inspiration. Some areas of study include:

• self cleaning properties of the Lotus flower
  
• adhesive properties of the gecko's foot
• underwater adhesive from the mussel
• spider's silk - considered the Holy Grail for researchers
  

I continue to be in awe of what God has created in the natural world. The importance of protecting this for future generations is paramount.

This video of Janine Benyus from the TED Conference provides fascinating examples of “innovation inspired by nature.”

Fewer Songs in the Air

Birds are an indicator of the health of our environment, which makes the recent Audubon report all that more serious. Over the last forty years the population of 20 common birds have decreased by more than 50%.

Some of the reasons for the decline are associated with habitat loss due deforestation and climate change due to global warming. The Audubon website lists some things we can do to help.

Here are a couple of recent books that are available at the Horry County Library.


Dr. Bridget Stutchbury in her book, Silence of the Songbirds, gives a good account of why we are losing our songbirds and what we can do about it.

Even small things can help, like switching to shade grown coffee and using recycled paper.

Interview (mp3) with Dr. Stutchbury from CBC radio.





Miyoko Chu's book, Songbird Journeys, is a fascinating introduction to bird migration.



Interview (mp3) with Miyoko Chu from NPR's All Things Considered.

And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky. . . . and let birds multiply on the earth.’

Genesis 1:20-22

Children and Nature

Last year I read Richard Louv's book, Last Child in the Woods, which refers to the nature-child disconnect as "nature deficit disorder". For too many children the "green space" of the outdoors has been replaced by the "screen space" of TVs, video games, computers and cell phones.


I recently ran across this website, Green Hour, by the National Wildlife Federation. They recommend that parents give their children a "Green Hour" every day, a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. The website gives parents information and inspiration to get their children and themselves outside.

I thought this quote was poignant:

"Today's children have no idea what goes on in the natural world around them. They are the first generation to be effectively cut off from nature."

We need to encourage our church families with young children to take advantage of this information.