In the race against climate change and ocean acidification, some sea urchins may still have a few tricks up their spiny sleeves, suggesting that adaptation will likely play a large role for the sea creatures as the carbon content of the ocean increases.
“What we want to know is, given that this is a process that happens over time, can marine animals adapt? Could evolution come to the rescue?” said postdoctoral researcher Morgan Kelly, from UC Santa Barbara’s Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology. She is a co-author of the paper “Natural variation, and the capacity to adapt to ocean acidification in the keystone sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.” The paper was published in the latest edition of the journal Global Change Biology.

UCSB Researcher Morgan Kelly. In her hands is a red urchin, close relative of the purple urchin, and one of several marine species being studied in the Hofmann lab for their response to ocean acidification. The other species include coral, algae, and the California mussel.

Easily identified by their spherical symmetry and prickly barbs, sea urchins are found on the sea floor all over the world. They are considered a keystone species, meaning their population has an important impact on the rest of the undersea ecosystem. Too many of them and their habitat becomes barren and other algae-eating species disappear; too few and their predators –– including sea mammals, seabirds, and fish –– lose an important food source.

Due to rising carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere, the oceans of the future are projected to absorb more carbon dioxide, leading to acidification of the water. The change in the ocean chemistry is expected to negatively affect the way urchins and other calcifying creatures create and maintain their shells and exoskeletons.

“It gives them osteoporosis,” said Kelly. Increased water acidity would cause the levels of calcium carbonate –– which the sea urchins require –– to decrease. This, in turn, would result in smaller animals, thinner shells and perhaps shorter spines for the urchins.

To observe the potential effects of future increased levels of carbon dioxide in ocean water, the researchers bred generations of purple sea urchins in conditions mimicking projected environment of the ocean in near the end of the century.

“We exposed them to 1,100 parts per million of carbon dioxide,” Kelly said. Current CO2 levels top off at about 400 parts per million and the levels are expected to increase globally to 700 parts per million by the end of the century. In the California region, however, CO2 levels in the ocean naturally fluctuate because of cold water upwelling, a phenomenon that also brings more acidic waters.
The animals were taken from two locations off the California coast –– a northern site, which experiences greater upwelling, and a southern site that experiences shorter, less frequent bouts of upwelling. Males from one site were crossed with females from the other site. The larvae were spawned and observed in the projected conditions of the future oceans.

The purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, has the ability to pass the trait for higher carbon dioxide tolerance to its offspring. Credit: Gretchen Hofmann

While the larvae reared under the future carbon dioxide levels were, on average, smaller, the researchers also noted a wide variation in size, indicating that some of these larvae –– the ones that remained the same size as they would have under today’s conditions –– had inherited a tolerance for higher CO2 levels. Size, said Kelly, is an important trait. It’s tied to feeding rate and the risk of being eaten by other creatures. The animals that can withstand higher CO2 levels in the ocean will leave more offspring than their weaker counterparts. This natural selection, coupled with the finding that variation in size under more acidic conditions is heritable, points to the rapid evolution of the purple urchin.

“This is what allows us to predict that this species will evolve increased tolerance –– as CO2 rises, urchins that have greater tolerance will have a better chance of survival, and they will pass on their greater tolerance to their offspring,” said Kelly.

The findings suggest that the effects of ocean acidification may not have as deleterious an impact on sea urchin size or population growth rates as previously thought. Good news for the keystone species, and good news for the creatures that eat them. The results also suggest that adaptation is a major factor in the response of ecologically important species to climate change.

“We don’t expect evolution to completely erase the effects of ocean acidification, but we do expect evolution to mitigate these effects. And the more heritable variation there is, the greater the power of evolution to mitigate the effects of climate change,” said Kelly.

Research for this study was also conducted by postdoctoral researcher Jacqueline Padilla-Gamiño, and Gretchen Hofmann, professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology. Similar CO2 studies are being conducted on other marine species in the Hofmann lab, including red urchin, coral, algae, and the California mussel.

Cleaning your house can be a chore, but it shouldn’t compromise your health. Part and parcel with the concept of optimum health is taking care of the environment – including the environment in your home. An entire industry has been built on developing natural cleaning products – everything from nontoxic bathroom cleaner to environmentally friendly dish soap. In addition to the products you can buy from health-food stores and a variety of catalog companies, there are a number of books that describe how you can make your own cleaning products from common household ingredients, such as vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, potatoes, tea tree oil, baking soda and even white bread.

Here are some down-to-earth, nontoxic suggestions for cleaning your home naturally with basic household ingredients, for a clean, safe home that doesn’t expose your family and guests to toxic chemicals.

• Baking soda: An all-purpose cleaner; especially effective on glass coffee pots and glassware; removes red-wine stains from carpeting. A paste (made with water) can shine stainless steel and silver; the paste can also remove tea stains from cups and saucers. Make a paste with a castile- or vegetable-based liquid soap and a drop of essential oil (tea tree or lavender) to clean sinks, countertops, toilets and tubs. Pour 1 cup down the sink to clear a clogged drain, followed by 3 cups of boiling water.
• Boiling water: Use weekly to flush drains and avoid clogs.
• Coarse salt: Cleans copper pans and scours cookware. Sprinkle salt on fresh spills in the oven, then wipe off. Sprinkle salt on rust stains and squeeze a lime or lemon over them, let sit for several hours and wipe off.
• Essential oils: Mix lavender or tea tree essential oils with water and spray on kitchen or bathroom surfaces for an environmentally and people-friendly antibacterial spray.
• Grapefruit-seed extract: Add a few drops to water in a spray bottle for an odorless way to kill mold and mildew.
• Lemon juice: Use as a bleaching agent on clothing, and to remove grease from your stove and countertops. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice to 10 drops of (real) lemon oil and a few drops of jojoba oil to clean and polish wood furniture.
• Olive oil: Use to lubricate and polish wood furniture (three parts olive oil to one part vinegar; or two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice).
• Potatoes: Halved potatoes can remove rust from baking pans or tinware – follow with a salt scrub or dip the potato in salt before scrubbing.
• Tea tree oil: Can be added to vinegar/water solutions for its antibacterial properties. Use it to kill mold and mildew, and on kitchen and bathroom surfaces instead of chemical products. Add 50 drops to a bucket of water to clean countertops and tile floors.
• Toothpaste (white, plain): Cleans silver; can remove water stains on wood furniture – dab on, allow it to dry and wipe off
• White vinegar: Cleans linoleum floors and glass (from windows to shower doors) when mixed with water and a little liquid soap (castile or vegetable). Cuts grease and removes stains; removes soap scum and cleans toilets (add a bit of baking soda if you like). Pour down drains once a week for antibacterial cleaning. Add to water in a spray bottle to kill mold and mildew.

Inspired to convert the barren 150-by-10-foot median strip outside his South Central LA home into a food forest, Finley woke up the neighborhood and started a fresh food movement.

He co-founded L.A. Green Grounds to help inner-city residents, with limited access to fresh, affordable food, plant gardens. The grassroots, all-volunteer group plants gardens, hosts classes and nurtures the food justice, anti-hunger, anti-poverty and environmental movements in the city.

“If kids grow kale, kids eat kale.”

Ron Finley

For More Information:

LA Green Grounds
RonFinley.com

Breathing exercises can reduce stress, improve mood, and help you feel energized. Better yet, they are simple, easy, and can be done anywhere.

Breathing To Reduce Stress

Breathing exercises are a wonderful way to reduce anxiety, agitation and stress, while promoting relaxation, calm and inner peace. It may take some practice – and requires some commitment on your part to achieve results. However, the long-term benefits are well worth the effort – a calm and relaxed body and mind are less prone to health issues.

Breathing strongly influences physiology and thought processes, including moods. By simply focusing your attention on your breathing, and without doing anything to change it, you can move in the direction of relaxation. Too much attention on upsetting thoughts may cause anxiety, guilt and unhappiness. Get in the habit of shifting your awareness to your breath whenever you find yourself dwelling on stressful situations. One breathing exercise I highly recommend is the 4-7-8 breath. It is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

1. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
2. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
3. Hold your breath for a count of seven.
4. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
5. This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. The absolute time you spend on each phase is not important; but the ratio of 4:7:8 is. If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio of 4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply. Practice at least twice a day. You cannot do it too frequently. Do not do more than four breaths at one time for the first month of practice. Later, if you wish, you can extend it to eight breaths. If you feel a little lightheaded when you first breathe this way, do not be concerned; it will pass.

Breathing – A Mental Energizer

If you need a pick-me-up or are feeling a bit anxious, try the following breathing exercise; it can help to bring energy and clarity to your mind. The first time, do it for just 15 seconds, increasing the duration by five seconds every time until you can complete one full minute. Always breathe normally between exercises.

• Sit upright with your back straight, eyes closed, and shoulders relaxed.
• Place the tip of your tongue against the bony ridge behind and above your upper teeth.
• Breathe rapidly through your nose, in and out, with your mouth slightly closed.
• Keep your inhale and exhale short and equal. Your chest should be almost mechanical in its movements – rapid, like air is pumping through it.
• Try to inhale and exhale three times per second, if you can, keeping your breath audible.

Ideally, you will feel the muscular effects of this breathing exercise at the base of your neck (just above the collarbone) and at the diaphragm. Put your hands on these areas to get a sense of the movements.

Breathing 101

Breathing exercises are a wonderfully effective way to reduce stress, regulate mood, and feel energized. One way to promote deeper breathing and better health is by exhaling completely. Try it: take a deep breath, let it out effortlessly, and then squeeze out a little more. Doing this regularly will help build up the muscles between your ribs, and your exhalations will naturally become deeper and longer. Start by practicing this exhalation exercise consciously, and eventually it will become a healthy, unconscious habit.

Enlightenment Through Breath

In Buddhist and yogic traditions, people claim to have reached an enlightened state by doing nothing more than paying attention to the rising and falling of their breath. What easier way could there be to reach such a state? Especially since breathing – following the ebb and flow of your breath – is an intrinsic part of meditation. By paying attention to your breath, you will rapidly change your state of consciousness, begin to relax, and slowly detach from ordinary awareness. Try to focus on the point between your in breath and out breath that is dimensionless, and glimpse the elements of enlightenment in that space.

Learn which breathing exercises Dr. Weil recommends.

Magnificent Manta Rays are among the most fascinating creatures in the sea. These ancient beings are among the largest marine species, reaching up to 25 feet in length and weighing as much as 3,000 pounds. Only the shark and whale are larger.

These gentle giants are not harmful to humans. They are often confused with their close relations, the stingray, but mantas do not have a stinger.

Efforts are increasing to preserve Manta Rays. Mantas have recently been included on the CITES Apppendix II (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Measures may now be put in place to regulate the international trade of their body parts. This is essential as manta rays are principally targeted for their highly valued gill plates, which are used in unfounded Chinese medicine remedies.

Also critical is protecting their natural habitat, reducing ocean pollution and the habitat damage caused by global warming.

Reef mantas (Manta alfredi) grow up to 5 metres in wingspan and can weigh 3000 lbs.

Giant mantas (manta birostris) grow up to 8.5 metres in wingpan and over 4000 lbs in weight.

After mating, gestation takes 12 to 13 months.

Mantas give birth to a single pup, and on very rare occasions two, every two to three years.

A color morph reef manta.

This giant manta is coming in from the open ocean to be cleaned at a cleaning station.

Various species of reef fish, including butterflyfish, angelfish, and wrasses remove dead cells and parasites.

The largest Giant manta congregations were recently discovered off the Ecuadorian coast. The Dampier Straits in Indonesia is another hotspot.

These amazing fish live to at least 40 years of age.

Though scientists think they need to study them a considerable amount of time longer before they can ascertain how long they live.

These graceful giants are not protected in many parts of the world and are caught for their gill rakers for use in (ineffective and unfounded) Chinese traditional medicine.

Being slow to reach sexual maturity and having very few young, their populations are dwindling due to fishhing pressure.

Contact the Marine Megafauna Foundation to find out how you can help save them.

Marine Megafauna Foundation

Christopher Bartlett, Ecology Global Network’s Water Science Adviser is a nomadic soul who was led to water and drank it in avidly. From a teenage spear-fisherman in Brittany’s Atlantic Ocean, to ten years teaching at faculties in France, and travels to many parts of the world as an underwater photojournalist, a combination of wanderlust, curiosity, and deep-rooted desire to understand drives Christopher. He has lived in France, South Africa, the UK, and the Netherlands. Christopher is also a qualified field guide and leads expeditions and safaris to Africa several times a year. He organizes tailor-made dive andsafari trips to his favorite parts of the world through www.indigosafaris.com. Some of his favorite images can be seen at www.bartlettimages.com.

Also critical is protecting their natural habitat, reducing ocean pollution and the habitat damage caused by global warming. Around the world, people are becoming more aware that taking care of our oceans is at the core of preserving our world and making it a better one for future generations.

Christopher Bartlett, Ecology Global Network’s Water Science Adviser is a nomadic soul who was led to water and drank it in avidly. From a teenage spear-fisherman in Brittany’s Atlantic Ocean, to ten years teaching at faculties in France, and travels to many parts of the world as an underwater photojournalist, a combination of wanderlust, curiosity, and deep-rooted desire to understand drives Christopher. He has lived in France, South Africa, the UK, and the Netherlands. Christopher is also a qualified field guide and leads expeditions and safaris to Africa several times a year. He organizes tailor-made dive andsafari trips to his favorite parts of the world through www.indigosafaris.com. Some of his favorite images can be seen at www.bartlettimages.com.

Some countries are suspending imports of U.S. wheat after an unapproved genetically modified variety turned up in a farmer’s field in the northwestern state of Oregon.

The Oregon farmer discovered wheat in his field that survived treatment with the popular weed killer Roundup. Roundup is made by the seed and chemical company Monsanto.

The company has created genetically modified corn, cotton, soybean and canola crops that tolerate Roundup. Monsanto also had field-tested Roundup-tolerant varieties of wheat. The company never had the modified wheat approved or brought the seeds to market. But Michael Firko with the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the wheat had passed safety inspections.

“Although there are no wheat varieties that are approved for unrestricted planting, we have no safety concerns related to planting of this transgenic wheat at this time,” said Firko.

Monsanto abandoned the genetically modified wheat project largely because customers in Europe and Asia are especially wary of what are known as GMO crops. The discovery of unapproved wheat in Oregon has already prompted Japan and Korea to suspend some imports, at least temporarily.

“Our customers don’t want it. So we, as wheat producers, don’t want to be producing it,” said Mark Welch, an agricultural economist with Texas A&M University. Though the U.S. is the world’s largest wheat exporter, Welch said this incident could affect that standing in a competitive world marketplace. U.S. farmers are at a disadvantage because production costs are higher here than in competitor countries, he said.

“If we’re going to maintain a place in world markets, we have to primarily do it on two fronts: one on quality, and the other on reliability. And this raises a red flag, of course, when something like this happens,” said Welch.

Right now it is not clear how this happened. U.S. regulators are working to trace where the genetically modified wheat came from. While there is no evidence yet that it has entered the food supply, the USDA is working to make tests available to customers seeking confirmation.

Meanwhile, many farmers are taking a wait-and-see approach. We reached wheat farmer Jerry McReynolds out in his spray truck.

“For me personally as a producer it’s not causing any grief at all. Of course, we don’t know what the whole story is.”

What he does know is that he is in the second year of a serious drought that is reducing his harvest.

“We’ve done all kinds of things to catch water when we do get rain. And we will. Someday. And we’re going to be ready. But right now, it’s tough,” said McReynolds.

Tough growing conditions across the U.S. wheat belt are a big factor weighing on the world grain markets, too. So far they seem to be balancing out concerns about the discovery of unapproved wheat, says Kansas State University economist Dan O’Brien.

“So you’re balancing reduced supply with an issue that, on the demand side, may or may not turn out to be a larger issue in the longer run,” said O’Brien.

Prices on global markets have not changed much since Wednesday’s announcement. But O’Brien cautions that it is still early in the investigation. More surprises could be on the way.

Humans have used cosmetics for thousands of years. In recent years there has been growing consumer concern that cosmetics may contain harmful levels of toxic substances. For example, in 2007 the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics published a report drawing attention to the lead content in lipsticks and lip glosses,¹ and in 2009 and 2011 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published its own findings on lead in lipsticks.² A new study in EHP once again turns attention to metals in lipstick and lip products, this time reporting on levels not just of lead but also of aluminum, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, and titanium.³

The researchers purchased 32 lip products and applied optical emission spectrometry to determine their metal content. All the products contained manganese, titanium, and aluminum, with the latter two metals showing up at the highest concentrations. Three-quarters contained detectable amounts of lead, and in nearly half the samples, lead levels were higher than the FDA standard of 0.1 ppm for lead in candy. According to the authors, neither price nor type of product (lipstick versus lip gloss) affected the metal concentrations.

Based on usage data⁴ reported by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), a cosmetics industry group, the authors assumed the women ingested all the lip product they applied each day—an average of 24 mg per day, reaching 87 mg per day in the 95th percentile. They estimated intake of each metal based on the concentrations measured in the products, then compared these estimates with theoretical acceptable daily intakes that they calculated based on a variety of public health goals and reference exposure levels set by various government entities. Given these estimates, they concluded that if consumers’ usage was in the higher range, they could be ingesting potentially hazardous amounts of aluminum, chromium, and manganese.

Since many pigment names are derived from formulations used in paints, such as manganese violet, lead white, and cadmium yellow, it would seem plausible that metals are intentionally added to lip products to produce specific colors. And, in fact, the two metals found at the highest concentration may have been intentionally added by manufacturers, says Linda Loretz, director of safety and regulatory toxicology for the PCPC—titanium via the FDA-approved cosmetic color titanium dioxide, and aluminum possibly through the use of additives that keep colors from bleeding. But the bulk of the metals found in the study are contaminants, Loretz maintains.

Although lip products present an obvious oral route of exposure, risk assessment data linked with cosmetics are unavailable for these metals. By its very nature, this type of exploratory research involves numerous assumptions. But Loretz says the authors chose inappropriate standards for predicting ingestion hazards. For example, for manganese ingestion the authors used an inhalation standard, and for chromium, they used a standard for the carcinogenic hexavalent form of chromium, which is not the form expected to be found in cosmetics.

Loretz also objected to the comparison of lead concentrations in lipstick to FDA limits for ingested lead. And referring to the fact that several of the metals (although not lead) are necessary nutrients in trace amounts, she says, “The cosmetic exposure would be so much lower than food exposure. Even the highest levels seen [in this study] were far below the Recommended Daily Intake for these metals as a nutrient.”

With its reports the FDA reached a similar conclusion, finding both times that lead levels in lipsticks were “within the range the agency would expect to find in lipsticks formulated with permitted color additives.”² FDA spokeswoman Tamara Ward says, “Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use with limited absorption, is ingested only in very small quantities. We do not consider the lead levels we found in the lipsticks to be a safety concern.”

Given the assumption that metal contamination is unavoidable, and because the cosmetics industry believes the levels are safe, Loretz says the industry has no incentive to try to reduce their concentrations in lip products. In June 2011 the PCPC asked the FDA to issue a guidance document stating that lead levels under 10 ppm in lip products are safe.⁵ “The industry would like to have FDA set levels for some of these metals to add some clarity and [establish] the fact that they don’t raise health hazards,” Loretz says.

But considering there is believed to be no safe level of lead exposure,⁶ the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics would like to see guidelines for lead in lipstick set to correspond with the lowest detectable levels found in laboratory tests (less than 0.02 ppm), says spokeswoman Margie Kelly. “[Lipstick] isn’t the only exposure, but it’s a deliberate exposure,” Kelly says. “There are companies making lipsticks without lead. It can be done, so we think it should be done.”

Without actual exposure and body burden data, the risk picture remains somewhat clouded. Senior author S. Katharine Hammond, a professor of environmental health in the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, stresses that the current study is preliminary but says there is a cause for concern and definitely a need for additional research. “The big message,” she says, “is the FDA needs to be paying attention and protecting people who use lipsticks.” Says FDA spokeswoman Ward, “While we have not yet had the opportunity to conduct a thorough review of the recently released UC Berkeley report, we will certainly do so. We are also currently taking steps to evaluate cosmetics for possible trace levels of heavy metals.”

Valerie J. Brown, based in Oregon, has written for EHP since 1996. In 2009 she won a Society of Environmental Journalists’ Outstanding Explanatory Reporting award for her writing on epigenetics.

References

1. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipstick. Safe Cosmetics Action Network (Oct 2007). Available: http://goo.gl/71qW9 [accessed 7 May 2013].

2. FDA. Lipstick and Lead: Questions and Answers [website]. Silver Spring, MD:U.S. Food and Drug Administration (updated 7 Dec 2012). Available: http://goo.gl/qT5mm[accessed 7 May 2013].

3. Liu S, et al. Concentrations and potential health risks of metals in lip products. Environ Health Perspect 121(6):705–710 (2013); http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1205518.

4. Loretz LJ, et al. Exposure data for cosmetic products: lipstick, body lotion, and face cream. Food Chem Toxicol 43(2):279–291; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2004.09.​016.

5. PCPC. Citizen Petition. Washington, DC:Personal Care Products Council (8 Jun 2011). Provided to author by the PCPC.

6. CDC. Childhood Lead Poisoning and the Environment. Atlanta, GA:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (updated 17 Apr 2012). Available:http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showLeadPoiso​ningEnv.action [accessed 7 May 2013].

Japan is positioned almost as a bridge between the East and West. The conviction that Japan has something significant to offer toward creating a more sustainable and happy world was one of the reasons I started Japan for Sustainability (JFS) ten years ago.

Yoshifumi Taguchi is a scholar of the works of Lao Tzu and Chuang-Tzu, two of China’s greatest philosophers. As director of the Research Institute for Integration of Eastern and Western Wisdom, he helps many managers and politicians develop their leadership skills using teachings based on classical Chinese texts. He gives many lectures and seminars to companies, central and local government offices, and educational institutions across Japan. In this article, I would like to share what I have learned from his teachings.

Japan’s Intellectual Heritage Shaped by Geography

One major geographical feature of Japan is that it is an island nation of forests and mountains surrounded by the sea. The Japanese have long believed that an intelligence greater than that of humans exists deep in the forest, and that the ability of people to sense “invisible deities” is sharpened in the dense forests and on steep mountains. Against this backdrop, a unique concept was born, where there are “eight million deities,” with a mountain, a rock, or a huge tree considered to be a deity.

Japan’s native Shinto religion is rooted in the belief of the existence of many deities, not one absolute god. Shinto also has no icons for any one deity. “We see deities in nature” — this is how the Japanese cultivated their acute sensitivity and profound spirituality, which might be one of the reasons why Japanese “anime” (movies featuring animation drawn by hand or computer) is a popular genre around the world.

Furthermore, wherever water is abundant and the terrain is steep in Japan, the rivers flow rapidly from the mountains to the sea, which keeps the water always clear enough to see the river bottom. This kind of natural environment led the Japanese people to develop a mind of clearness, which values clarity and purity. In any business community in Japan, disingenuousness is loathed, and this appreciation of clearness is considered one of the sources of great leadership among the Japanese people.

Another geographical characteristic that defines Japan is that it is located at the eastern limit of the Eurasian continent. While Shinto is a religion that originated in the lands of Japan, the wisdom of Asia — Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Zen — spread eastward and eventually arrived in Japan in waves. These philosophies developed while still retaining their original form, but they also combined to foster a new culture, bringing forth redolent and profound thought and philosophy.

The Eastern Philosophies behind the “Japanese Mind”

The specific geographical features mentioned above are the backdrop of Japan’s cultural foundations, which consist of co-existence with nature, receptivity to and compatibility with other religions, and respect for diversity. The awareness that we are alive thanks to all of nature surrounding us led to the principal of “banbutsu seidou,” which means “everything is equal.” This unique view and relationship with nature differs greatly from the Christian idea of “stewardship,” in which humanity is believed to be entrusted by God to have dominion over nature.

The foundation of Eastern thinking is “enlightenment,” as seen in the name of “Buddha,” which actually means “enlightened person.” Simply put, the truth is not something that exists outside or something that needs to be brought in from outside, but already exists within each person.

Eastern thinking has the concept of “yin and yang.” “Yang” refers to the flow of energy developing, expanding, or going outward, whereas “yin” is the inward flow or the flow toward inner contentment. Responding to situations from the “yin and yang” perspective is a way of living in acceptance of these forces of the universe. For instance, children have a “yang period” and a “yin period.” Adults should encourage children when they are in their yang period to help their energy expand outward, while children in their yin period need to be encouraged to try to achieve inner contentment and be patient so as to build their energy.

It is important also for companies to grasp the concept of yin and yang. Konosuke Matsushita, founder of Panasonic Corporation, excelled in distinguishing between yin and yang. He used to say, “Good times are good and bad times are good, too.” This means that bad times can present the best opportunities, because although no one says yes to reforms during good times, reforms and improvements can come out of bad times.

It is also true that extreme yang leads to yin and vice versa. If the conditions swing extremely to one side, they end up turning the other way round. This is also true of companies. If a company produces ostentatious outward-directed flows by, for example, giving a lavish party because it is doing well, it might adversely change much quicker than expected. This way of thinking teaches us the following: everything is interlinked in various ways; balance is important; and it is important to see things from the long-term and overarching perspective while understanding the going back and forth of things without making judgment by thinking only of the short term or the present.

Since yin and yang complement each other to constitute the whole, so it is necessary to consider how to make the most of both. If we can maintain the thinking pattern of understanding both sides of things that seem to contradict each other, we could generate a dynamic, new world, by not choosing between two poles, like making a forced choice between a “cost” or “service” emphasis in business, or between the “environment” or the “economy,” but by achieving a balance between things that appear to contradict each other. As Laozi said: “Everything is based on harmony between yin and yang; harmony is the origin of creation and the most important key to innovation.”

The Root of Today’s Problems

Countries, regions, companies, and individuals are now facing a multitude of problems. I believe that they are rooted in the stagnation of modern Western thought. In the twentieth century, people in Japan and all over the world enjoyed the benefits of modern Western thought. But as “extreme yang becomes yin,” the negative effects of this thought at some point begin to reveal themselves.

The characteristics of modern Western thought that come with adverse effects include a mechanistic view of humanity and an overemphasis on economic rationality. Economic rationality improves productivity, leading to the creation of wealth. But big problems arise when economic rationality rules supreme, and the “efficiency” imperative is applied excessively to medicine, education, and other fields — as we see today — at the expense of other valid values. The twenty-first century clearly requires a new paradigm.

Despite its excellent cultural foundations mentioned above, since World War II, Japan has made light of cultural education and formation of the person, to which much importance was attached to up until the industrial era. In the Edo period (1603-1868), Japanese children started reading the “Four Books and Five Classics” (authoritative books of Confucianism, written before 300 BC) from the young age of around three and studied at “terakoya,” (schools associated with Buddhist temples) where children of various ages studied together at their own pace.

Education in those days was aimed at fostering respectable persons, persons of great discipline. People believed that education was meaningless unless it was useful in life or society. I believe that you can grasp the nature cultural education and formation of the person in the Edo period if you read, say, “Bushido, The Soul of Japan,” written by Inazo Nitobe.

Bushido, The Soul of Japan

Eiichi Shibusawa, a Japanese industrialist active from the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Taisho period (1912-1926), who established a few hundred companies, is called the “father of Japanese capitalism.” It is said that, although his father was just a farmer, but completed the study of the Four Books and Five Classics. Eiichi finished his study of the books when still young and conversed with other children at the dinner table about “The Analects of Confucius.” As in this example, the common experiences that formed the shared norms were based on the family, which resulted in stability in Japan.
The Chinese character indicating the Japanese word “tadashii” (interpreted as right, truthful, proper, etc.) is composed of two written components, one meaning “one” (or a) and the other meaning “stop.” In this respect, a “right” behavior is to determine “a” certain line that should not be stepped over, and “stop” before it. People can live with peace of mind only when they share the same perception of the line that should not be stepped over in society. If the same perception does not exist, each and every person will adopt his/her own self-seeking line as a criterion for judgment. In the worst case, some might ask, “What’s wrong with killing others?” In this situation, the country would degenerate into chaos, whereas society, businesses, and other entities would become unable to function properly.

Japanese society is now losing these very norms, because people have not been taught the important things in life. This was mainly because Japan aggressively accelerated the introduction of technologies after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. At that time, Japan had witnessed the miserable conditions in China, which had been harmed by powerful countries, and thought that Japan needed an industrial revolution quickly, so as not to follow in China’s footsteps. To this end, Japan focused on technology- and knowledge-based education. But since then, it has not resumed education that puts an emphasis on cultural enrichment and formation of the person.

Technology- and knowledge-based education can produce first-class engineers, but not first-class people. Japan must resume education that develops the full person in the most real sense. It may not be difficult to recover from an economic recession, but it will take decades to recover from spiritual degeneration. That is why we must take action immediately.

Aiming at Integrating the Wisdom of East and West

Shozan Sakuma, a leading Japanese philosopher who played an active role in late Edo period, pointed out the strong points of “Eastern morals and Western culture.” People in the East believe that truth exists inside us and head inward to seek out principles like “What is it to be human?” and so on. Pursuing and placing importance on principles — which are the most fundamental of all and will be solid even when the times and society change — are an advantage of the East, while there is a tendency to be weak in practical application.

Meanwhile, people in the West believe that truth exists outside us and look outward to seek it. If someone has his/her sword broken and falls over, another will take over the role. An advantage of the West is to excel in making things universal and to be good at the “art” of getting things done concretely.

People in both the East and West need to share these advantages with each other to jointly create a new paradigm. After World War II, Japan strove hard to achieve westernization, in which attention was paid only to the short-term, the visible, and the measurable. The nation stopped considering the long-term and hidden linkages between things. Japan became unable to accept the abstractness and complexity that characterize Eastern thought, and developed an inflexible way of thinking that believes everything has a single, absolute solution.

The Japanese need to restore the Japanese and Eastern cultural groundwork we are in the process of losing. At the same time, by integrating the wisdom of the East and the West, we need to co-create a new paradigm for a sustainable world. I believe this is our role as people who live in Japan in the twenty-first century.

One of JFS‘s goals is to become a platform for fostering co-creation between the East and the West and for generating a new paradigm and sense of values. We aim to learn from and regain the wisdom of the East and the positive aspects of Japan and its people.

For your reference, Taguchi’s book, The Managerial Ideas from the East, is available in English and can be purchased.

The Learning Garden at Venice High School, located in westside Los Angeles, is thriving – a “happening” place: for students, faculty, and community; for herbs, vegetables and flowers; for bees and pollinating insects alike.

The magical transformation – from a once blighted, disrespected 60,000 square foot plot of land, into a beautiful and useful garden – began in spring 2001, the same year Venice High School’s 2013 graduating class entered first grade.

“The garden is the students.
Those are the seeds you plant.
Those are the seeds you grow.”

~ Diane Pollock, Horticulture Teacher, Venice HS

Bees love Borage! And gardens love bees.  Often commonly called the “star flower,” Borage (Borago officinalis) is an annual herb, native to the Mediterranean region, that will self-seed nicely – i.e., without being invasive. With velvety, glistening hairs on its  stems and leaves, Borage is especially beautiful in the light of Los Angeles’ famous “golden hour” – i.e., just after sunrise and before sunset.

Walking paths wend and wind through generous drifts of in-ground plantings, and flank all sides of the raised beds, (shown below in spring, before warm season plantings begins.)

The Horticulture Program at Venice High School is taught by Diane Pollock. In 2009 Venice HS teacher Tina Gruen successfully implemented a new academy; the Culinary Arts and Sustainable Agriculture Academy’s “farm to fork” concept for students is realized by way of example and experience. Starting with seeds or seedlings, students gain an understanding of what it takes to grow food, and discover the tastes of fresh, organically grown, unprocessed food. And more!

Open Wednesday thru Sunday from 10am to 5pm, 
The Learning Garden Calendar has times and dates for a wonderful range of community and special events open to the public, including Potluck Lunches every Friday and UCLA Horticultural Deparment’s evening classes. (Shown above, a Saturday morning seminar on “Secrets to Good Soil Management: Designing an Edible and Cut Flower Garden,” presented by APLD Greater Los Angeles.)

Tara Kolla, of Silver Lake Farms, anchored The Association of Professional Landscape Designers’s (APLD) Saturday morning “Secrets to Good Soil” seminar. Tara — perhaps most renowned for her beautiful, organically grown cut flowers — quickly established the importance of healthy soil for beauty and for sustenance. “At our core we work with nature to build biodiversity and soil health, free from chemicals and pesticides. We maintain a waste-free operation by using techniques that allow for continual reuse.”

APLD Chapters throughout America help to advance state-of-the-art practices in 
sustainability and design for public and private gardens, landscapes and environs.

The beautiful white blossoms of a prized Chinese tree peony have a dense, sweet fragrance. Students from Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine holds regular classes and events at The Learning Garden, and have played a major role in the creation of a Chinese medicinal herb garden (i.e., one of several of The Learning Garden’s “gardens within a garden.”)

Native California currants and gooseberries (Ribes spp.) have beautiful, fragrant flowers – that hummingbirds love – and tasty fruits (some varieties taste better than others, but all are edible for we humans.) Shown in close-up, right, the Pink-Flowered Currant in bloom (Ribes sanguineum gluinosum.)

“Gardens evolve. All gardens, school or otherwise, season to season, year to year, they grow, they change, and with the proper care, they prosper.”

~ 
The School Garden Weekly

You can see 
The Learning Garden “in action” in this delightful video and meet many – including 42 Venice High School students – who are responsible for the garden’s happy and healthy diversity of enrichments.