Jewel of the Month: Empress Wu for Earth Day
Today is Earth Day, marking the anniversary of the birth of the modern day environmental motion in 1970. I do really like a concept, so let us contemplate my Empress Wu dragon ring with its spinning lapis lazuli world.
I established the Empress Wu ring as a image of a effective female, as I described in this previous YouTube video clip. Lately, I see this design in a different way — more ominously — with the Earth facing climate castrophe as the concentrate. With this interpretation, there is a person conserving grace: My model of the globe could be in the dragon’s fangs but the jaws have not completely shut nevertheless. There is continue to time to make a difference. If you are in New York City, one thing you can do is attend the March for Science tomorrow (12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., setting up at Central Park West and West 72nd Road). The march is the finale of 10 times of motion coordinated by the New York chapter of Extinction Riot. I took element in an additional Extinction Riot march previous Saturday, in an unanticipated way. I was not just one of the 13 men and women arrested for nonviolent direct action, viewing as I have a recent New York Metropolis local weather-connected protest arrest under my belt. As a substitute, I was aspect of the Pink Rebel Brigade.
Anna Conkling explained the Crimson Rebels in the Village Voice:
“In a further portion of the group, a team dressed in extended crimson cloaks and headdresses, with black masks on faces painted ghostly white, silently and gradually drifted by, keeping onto each other, displaying signs of grief and horror just before slipping back into 1 one more. They are portion of the Purple Rebels, a overall performance activism group created as a reaction to the global environmental crisis that draws notice to facts this sort of as the UN estimation that 80% of persons displaced by the weather crisis are women of all ages and women. ‘Our information about the local climate crisis is: We are all in this collectively. We have to have to empower each other, grieve the losses, and rise up from the powers that place gains over the possibility of the earth,’ said Crimson Rebel member Yana Landowne.”
Our peaceful, stately procession of seven built a significant effect, assisted by a smaller but passionate activist: 12-12 months-aged Avery, who led the way from Washington Sq. Park to Madison Sq. Park.
The physical appearance of the Purple Rebels stopped pedestrians in their tracks, providing our non-costumed companions the option to make clear Extinction Rebellion’s mission to curious onlookers. Afterwards, we furnished emotional guidance to activists arrested for blocking targeted visitors, seeing above them until eventually the law enforcement vans drove away.
In any case, heading back to my Earth-Working day-acceptable Jewel of the Month, we all know there are really serious, centuries-previous environmental and human legal rights difficulties when it arrives to mining the metals and gems made use of in jewelry. I’m happy there are now people and organizations such as ANZA Gems, Moyo Gems, Fairmined Gold, Moral Metalsmiths, and Misfit Diamonds functioning to do that differently. From my standpoint as a designer, one point I adore about concluded jewelry like mine is that it is the ultimate sluggish vogue. Gold can normally be melted down and reused. (Individuals who work in gold like bench jewelers actually sweep the gold dust off the flooring for reuse.) Gems can almost usually be reset. Just one of my specialties is redesigns. So when the elements are above ground, you can be absolutely sure they’ll by no means end up in a landfill or burned in a dumpster like #fastfashion garments. Jewelry seriously is for good, even though it may well transform varieties lots of occasions.
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