The way that we, as a species, relate to our environments differs from place to place, culture to culture. But one thing most of us hold in common is that our relationship with our ecosystem is an important and vital one. This week for Earthy Thursday, we examine some of the different ways in which we interact with the natural world, from veneration to protection to how we go about living our daily lives. All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!

For those of you from California, you may be familiar with Mount Shasta. For those of you who are not, Mount Shasta is an active volcano that is among the tallest mountains in the Cascades. This story from NPR takes a look at how the mountain has become a place of veneration and pilgrimage due to a combination of Amerindian and modern Californian folklore.

Many of us strive to live ecologically but how's the best way to do so? To a large extent, a lot depends on governments and not just individuals. This article from Scientific American argues that the most important work being done to make modern life more sustainable and to combat climate change is taking place at the local level, in cities, rather than in larger organizations like the United Nations.

Which isn't to say individual consumers don't have a role to play. This piece from the mother nature network takes a look at one new product which could revolutionize transportation, the so-called "smart car" pushed by companies like Google. To read more follow the link.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis has received a lot of flak regarding the recent leak about his views on climate change and social justice, including from some members of his own church. American Catholic and Republican presidential contender Jeb Bush has even joined in, saying "I don’t get economic policy from my bishops or my cardinal or my pope."

Lastly, we take a look, courtesy of io9, at one of the most little-known facts about the food we eat: that somewhere between 80 and 90% of all cheese in the U.S. and U.K. is manufactured using a technique made possible through genetically engineered microbes. Apparently, this is due in part to concerns about the humaneness of techniques used to produce otherwise "natural" cheese.


Top image by Strebe