Newsgroups: bit.listserv.biosph-l
Date:         Mon, 14 Dec 1992 14:19:25 PST
Reply-To:     Melcir Erskine-Richmond <globalcp@CUE.BC.CA>
From:         Melcir Erskine-Richmond <globalcp@CUE.BC.CA>
Subject:      Ozone Layer Healing Plan

Subject: Ozone-Healing Program
       : Ozone Depletion/ Healing Action Research Tests

Hi ---

I am pondering how humanity might collectively develop a Global Ozone
Data-Share/ Healing (including a global meditation) campaign.

I wish to propose organizing local Ozone Healing Action Research Test
groups (around the world), to focus public/media attention/ action
on global OZONE data-share, plus to design a 3-stage global meditation,
to close the hole in the ozone-layer.

CALL FOR DATA-SHARE:

--- A recent TV broadcast on the increasing alarm at the escalating
size of the hole in the Ozone-layer mentioned that the Antarctic
Research Stations are now testing to see if the Ozone-depletion is
triggering any deterioriation in the top-end of the global food-chain.
I wonder if any of you working on the Biosphere, or Phyto-/Zooplankton
have any 'hot' news on this one?

I have encountered an argument which suggested that life-on-Earth
can adapt to the increase in UV rays.  A counter argument would
be presumed valid if the food-chain is found to be suffering.
In such a circumstance, we would seriously question what adaptation
could be possible.  So quite a lot rests on knowing the results
of this reasearch.  So please keep us posted on all your researches!

The following letters have been received in response to my queries
concerning the food-chain/ UV research.

---
Date:         Fri, 27 Nov 1992 10:19:00 PST
Reply-To: "MARINE STUDIES/SHIPBOARD EDUCATION DISCUSSION GROUP"
              <MARINE-L@UOGUELPH.BITNET>
From: "Katie Pirquet" <KPIRQUET@UVVM.UVIC.CA>
Subject:      Re: Phytoplankton/Ozone-Thinning Research
              <globalcp@CUE.BC.CA>

Well, Melcir, I don't claim to be any kind of global phytoplankton
ecology expert, but there is some evidence in the research that
indicates a possible inhibition of primary productivity at the ocean
surface from UV.  This form of energy is very quickly attenuated by
water, however.  And many marine species have protective pigment systems.
So the significance is probably yet to be discovered.

I wonder whether the research you refer to could be James Lovelock's
and Lynn Margulis's Gaia Hypothesis, in which Earth is proposed to
function as a cybernetic system - more like an organism than a machine
in some ways. ...

If Lovelock is on to something, and I think he certainly is, having
followed this line, and that of Margulis regarding the origins and
development of intracellular organelles, then we as part of the system
may flatter ourselves that we have much control over anything.  The
system will react in ways that will tend to maintain conditions that
support life, but not necessarily ours.
No big deal, eh?  If you want your kind to inherit the earth, get born
an insect.

  Of course, we could blow it up, or poison the heck out of it, which would
  probably cause one heck of a shake up in the system.  And chaos theory
  suggests that even small perturbations can cause great cataclysms.  So
  unless we attempt the ultimate experiment, it is probably not possible to
  predict a lot of stuff that we would like to be able to delude ourselves
  that we can predict.  Gaia will respond; we may not like it.  Is our
  concern for the system, or for maintaining the precise conditons for our
  own comfort and delight?  Isn't it fun how science and philosophy converge
  at the edge of the abyss?

 Cheers,
 KT
---

>From <@uvvm.UVic.CA:MARINE-L@UOGUELPH.BITNET> Thu Dec  3 12:26:15 1992
Date:         Thu, 3 Dec 1992 12:32:45 PST
Reply-To: "MARINE STUDIES/SHIPBOARD EDUCATION DISCUSSION GROUP"
              <MARINE-L@UOGUELPH.BITNET>
From: William Bushing <6500BOO@UCSBUXA.BITNET>
Subject:      UV-B and PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Melcir asked for more information on the work being done by Prezelin,
Smith and others in the Antarctic on the effect of increased levels
of UV-B on primary production due to the ozone hole. The citation for
their work is as follows:

Smith, Prezelin, et al, 1992. Ozone depletion- UV radiation and
        phytoplankton biology in Antarctic waters. Science 255(5047):
        952-59.  [February 21, 1992]

That should give you a good starting point. Prezelin tried to isolate
the effects of UV-B from UV-A and PAR to determine the specific im-
pact of UV-B on phytoplankton primary production. The reduction in
carbon fixation was on the order of 6-12% due specifically to increased
UV-B.

I'm not sure what the mechanism was. It may have something to do with
increased production of photoprotective pigments absorbing PAR but
PLEASE read the article and don't rely on my aging brain (I hardly
remember what happened yesterday... which may be a good thing!).

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
William W. (Boo) Bushing  |  Some people say I'm not playing
6500boo@ucsbuxa.bitnet    |    with a full deck, but I only
6500boo@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu  |    need four aces to win!
bushing@lifesci.ucsb.edu  |      - Jonathan Winters
Marine Biotechnology Lab   Univ. of Calif. Santa Barbara
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


  CALL FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION BY GLOBAL HUMANITY TOWARDS A SOLUTION:
    OZONE-HEALING MEDITATION "AROUND-THE-CLOCK/AROUND-THE-WORLD":

The optimum dates for meditative action appear to be during the upcoming
three Uranus/ Neptune planetary conjunctions in 1993.  The first of these
conjunctions will occur on February 2nd.

The particular electro-magnetic fields generated by the shifting focus
between these transiting bodies will, I believe, significantly assist
our earth-situated energies to close the fields of the ozone-envelope.

In the pre-conjunction warm-up period, we should fine-tune our media-and-
corporate-and-organization-links, to help prepare for this unique
opportunity to participate in a 'global-media super-event' -- a 'round-
the-world' 24-hour planetary data-sharing and world-peoples' meditation.
Its purpose? - to actively generate upper-atmosphere electro-magnetic
energies to help heal the ozone-layer.

CAMPAIGN STRUCTURE:

We have until end of January '93, to seek broad public proclamation
of these dates and the collective global mission.  I believe the three
planetary conjunction dates are the optimum time for this to be done.

Using this fact-sheet, each of us can approach meditation groups,
environmental groups, others:
    i. to draw public attention to these dates
   ii. to seek global support from the media (TV/newspapers, etc.),
       and campus-student-faculty groups, to focus global attention
       on the need for public action and corporate self-address of
       problems which may be increasing the size of the ozone-hole
       (which is now larger than the size of the USA).


Dates of the Uranus/Neptune conjunctions:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
February 2, 1993      August 20, 1993      October 24, 1993
19o32 Capricorn       18o48 Capricorn      18o32 Capricorn

2nd LEVEL HEALINGS/FOLLOW-UP:
An ideal follow-up time would be when these 'sensitized'points are
again triggered :

Uranus   18o48   3 November 1993
Neptune          9 November 1993
Uranus   19o32  23 November 1993
Neptune          6 December 1993

-------------------
SUMMARY:

This call to positive action should involve us all - doing our best to
save the human-life sustaining capability of Earth for future generations.
A few days of dedicated nurturing of the planet -- performing a unique
and united human experiment -- and the outcome could be the discovering
of a transformative new human-potential, that of the global mind taking
charge of our collective global home, learning to fend collectively, to
protect the life-sustaining capability of Earth for future generations.
A break-through for the 21st Century .... one which will transform our
undertstanding of human potential and self-awareness.

If you are involved in maintenance of data-bases and have information
on the OZONE THINNING, GLOBAL WARMING, or on THE FOOD-CHAIN, please
let me know.

SPECIAL POINTS:

1. I propose a special list be set-up -- OZONE-L -- for this purpose
   (with full archiving capacity).  Has anyone a suitable site?  --
   (One which already houses a database on these themes may be ideal.)

2. Next, if any of you are active meditators and would like to organize
   local activities either at your campus, in your town or city, or on
   these bulletins, please also let me know.  The importance of this
   meditation is to serve a dual purpose:
   a. to help seal the OZONE-layer
   b. to act as a model for future global meditations to help heal the
      planet

We do not have a lot of time ahead (especially thrugh the holidays) to
develop this campagin.  Your urgent support is requested.

Best to all --- please keep me posted on your ideas, and on any local
action successes out there.

Melcir Erskine-Richmond
globalcp@cue.bc.ca
globalcp%cue.bc.ca@uvvm.uvic.ca
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU