Local issues usually do not occur in isolation, but rather as local expressions of global trends. Yet we can often become so involved in the details of a local situation that we lose sight of the larger context of the struggle. A local logging issue, for example, may involve some issues distinct to a particular local community, but, of course, it is also connected to the global issue of forests vanishing everywhere. Becoming aware of how this is happening globally helps us to understand more clearly how it is happening locally, and what is really at stake.  In this section, we will provide links to the best web sources we know of for information about global trends for major social and environmental issues. What are the most up to date sites about global warming? Species extinction? Water issues?

It can also be helpful to understand the issues we face in a historical context, that is, by grasping the broad patterns of history and evolution that have brought us to this seemingly dramatic moment of global crisis/opportunity. Understanding the big picture of how we got to this point (through the works of leading visionary philosophers, cosmologists, and futurists) can provide a crucial sense of perspective that can help us to maintain our equilibrium during these turbulent times.  In this section we will present the works of several brilliant visionary thinkers and teachers, including those whom we have had the great blessing to study with in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco (http://www.ciis.edu/pcc). 

(Stay tuned…)