|
Pagan Institute Report |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Green Witch Environmental Guide |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On this page...Greener Consumerism |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Green Witch Gardening
|
|
Tools for Saving the Planet!Reclaiming Land, urban agriculture, biofuels, more:
|
|
A call to eco-magickal activism!
Oak Death by Adrian Harris 'Sudden oak death' is a new disease which has sparked fears that the English oak may be wiped out in Britain. The government has banned plant imports from parts of America where the disease is rampant. The alarm was first raised in the US where oaks have been dying in their thousands over the last two years. Roddie Burgess, head of plant health at the US Forestry Commission, said "We do not know how great the threat is but there is a severe mortality rate among American oaks. It is possible that English oaks may have resistance but we just do not know." The disease is caused by a fungus, Phytophthora ramorum, which occurs in garden shrubs as well as oaks. The disease first appeared in the UK in April 2002. Since then, the fungus has been found in horticultural premises across the country. As yet, thankfully, it has not been found affecting UK trees. What's especially worrying is that this is a new species of Phytophthora, never before identified. It's airborne and aggressive, with no known natural enemies. "For the first time we have an organism that can infect a broad host range of plants in this country, with a biology that's completely unknown," says Matteo Garbelotto, a forest pathologist at the University of California. "It's like all of a sudden finding a very poisonous snake that can fly." Scientists are desperately looking for a cure. They're studying chemicals that might prevent infection, testing protective trunk coatings and trying to develop ways to boost a tree's own defensive response. But nothing yet has proved to be the 'magic bullet', so maybe Pagans can help.... The Dragon Environmental Network is calling for eco-magic work to try to stop the disease spreading: Eco-magic Action We have been discussing this issue, and several possible approaches have been suggested: (a) Increase awareness of the issue in governmental circles & in general. (b) Direct 'bursts' of inspiration /creativity at those who are trying to understand the origins of the fungus or otherwise helping to protect threatened tree species. c) Try to enter a dialogue with the fungus and/or the oak tree Spirit to find out the best way forward. d) Magically build up the oaks' immune system e) Call to a bacterial predator of the fungus. This last strategy deserves some explanation: Oak trees thrive in old forests which have thick layers of rich soil. This kind of soil has billions of diverse organisms in every handful, so suitable predators which live in the UK shouldn't be too far away. Statistically, it's very likely that the UK has a local bacteria some-where which can eat the fungus. The problem is getting the two together, leading a horse to water! Or to put it another way, it's a bit like cursing the fungus with a bacterial illness whilst specifying that the bacteria has to occur naturally in the UK in an oak forest environment. To help this happen, we suggest you contact the collective spirit of bacteria which live in oak forest soil which could become predators of the fungus, and persuade them to go get it! The Dragon campaign page has more information and web links: www.dragon.gn.apc.org/sodfr.htm Accessed April 5, 2004 at http://www.capallbann.co.uk/information.cfm Used with permission. Editor's Update: |
updated
October 2, 2008