Planet Earth gets Acupuncture for Earth Day
Happy Earth Day! The Earth allows us to breath, to eat, to grow, to live. It holds many mysteries and reveals unrivaled beauty. Mother Earth is the only planet known to exist that supports such an array of diversity of life. We live in a an amazing place that deserves our respect, care and love especially on Earth Day!
To honor our great planet, most people recycle, reduce, reuse, plant trees, share information and spread awareness. As for a group of people in Oregon, they decided the Earth deserves a little more TLC. So, they gave their city an acupuncture treatment!
Acupuncture works by moving energy, Qi, through our bodies to regulate any imbalances. Artist, Adam Kuby, is attempting to shift the energetics of the environment of a whole city with 23-foot acupuncture needles.
The artist envisions Portland as a metaphorical body, exploring how energy flows through the city and “needling” parts of the city that correspond to the different acupuncture organs and meridian systems.
“Think of the city as a body the way traditional Chinese medicine does.” says Kuby, “Not only as a physical entity but also as a system of energy that flows in distinct pathways called meridians. The energy, or Qi, needs to be in balance. If a person's Qi is out of balance, disease can set in. The same could be true for a city. This project explores the junction between art, regional planning, the environment, Asian medicine and the health of a city.”
In order to diagnose and devise an acupuncture treatment plan for city of Portland, Kuby consulted with city officials and urban planning coalitions for a list of the cities ailments which included issues such as traffic congestion, the environment, affordability, safety and education.
“By pinpointing Portland’s health problems the project could increase public awareness of these issues, which may in turn lead to actual improvement’s in the city’s health.” Says Kuby.
Creative ideas like these are needed. The earth is drastically changing due to the incredible rate of consumption of natural resources and needless waste that us humans create. One of the most important things we can do as individuals is be informed. Do your own research from reputable sources. When all of facts are clear and in front of you, it is nearly impossible to do nothing.
For a truly inspirational documentary on sustainable housing, check out The Garbage Warrior, a film by Oliver Hodge.
For information on climate change and global warming, read the book The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery.
For a glimpse at how your eating habits effect the planet, check out the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.