Immediately I found myself mesmerised by the momentum of radical ecological restoration at OMEGA Institute upon arriving at 7pm on a Friday night during the fall of 2008.   The smell of the forest, and the feeling of freedom due to the detachment of cell phone reception gave my mind a moment to breathe.  I quickly changed my cloths after checking into my cabin and quickly hurried to the main building to hear the keynote speaker Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s give the opening speech for the annual Water for Life Conference.  
 
He talked about prosecuting toxic industries that choose to break environmental laws that violate the Clean Water Act or the Clean Air Act.  Violations happen all to often. For instance  due to toxic waste mercury saturated fish causes death and or hospitalization in 19 out of 50 states in the US.  The inspirational speech exemplified the importance of enlivening environmental laws that protect the well being of the people and of enterprise.  By being democratically responsible ignorant profiteers that dump toxic waste into our waterways will be forced to invest in clean industry otherwise they go go jail.  Kennedy is focused in the Hudson River Valley and he continually fights in the name of Mother Nature.  In an interview with him he states, "since I was seven years old, I told my parents that I would spend the rest of my life fighting pollution", and every word of that is true.  He's been fighting to save the planet since he was a kid and now environmental law and awareness are the new weapons of a peaceful warrior changing public opinion one speech at a time.
 
The Water for Life conference provides its visitors with a with a panoramic visualization toolkit for the future of life on this planet.  It is held in upstate New York on a campus consisting of lush forest, vast lakes, beautiful trails, yoga camps, massage and healing rooms, drum circles, fire pits, fresh air and an amazing dining hall that provides guests and residents with the worlds finest, organic and whole foods.  Conversations about farming, astrophysics, nanotechnology, consciousness, psychology, sustainability etc is ever evolving here.  The OMEGA Institute is a venue for events, relaxing retreats, education and mind expansion.  Currently they are building a Living Machine, a building exemplifying sustainable values in the form of ecological water purification.  Its called, Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL): 
 
"The building will be self-sustaining, featuring the latest technology in the sustainability field; it will be heated and cooled by geothermal systems and use solar and photovoltaic power. It is being built to exceed both the LEED Platinum standard and achieve certification as a Living Building. It will be a model of environmental sustainability that can be seen, understood, and replicated locally and globally. "
  
The OCSL (Omega Center for Sustainable Living) project is being led by Dr. John Todd, the innovator of the Living Machine, and another speaker at the conference. Listinging to Dr. Todd speak, ever so slightly reminded me of the nostalgic feeling I get every time I hear the soft chimes of a grandfather clock.  I couldn't help but look at him and imagine that I was hearing Darwin speak through him.  It was magical to hear his stories of ecological restoration.  He talked about cleaning up the most horrible toxic waste sites as if he were reading you a bedtime story with a happy ending.
 
As I begin to describe the next speaker, I literally cry because of how much she touched my heart.  The truly honorable Maude Barlow is the light that creates rainbows in the dark.  She is the prolific author of "The Blue Covenant" and "Blue Gold" two works that describe the fearsome truths of our world water crisis.    
  
To be continued...