Our Elders and everyone deserve a healthy environment both inside and out. GVP is taking measures to ensure a healthy, toxic-free environment both within the homes we build and the air and earth outside.

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Environment: 

Our BIPOC Elders deserve the good health gifted to the most affluent in our country. Green sustainable homes without toxic chemicals, and that are healthy for the earth's environment they sit upon.

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Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” It is achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and there is equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

 

Ecology: 

Ecology is the interrelationship between organisms (humans, animals, insects, etc.) and their environment. We live in an era fraught with technological dangers, degraded natural resources, and the pervasive threat of global pollution and conflict. The single challenge of our time is to establish and maintain healthy environments. There are three complementary, theoretical perspectives on healthy ecology: behavioral change, environmental enhancement, and social-ecological models. GVP intends to hold classes on healthy ecology in both the human body and our environment. 

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• Learning to live within the perimeters of our great Pachamama or mother earth who sustains us in every conceivable way. 

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• Building non-toxic structures that are safe and sustainable for the earth, for humans, and for animals. 

 

• Social ecology gives greater attention to the social, institutional, and cultural contexts of people-environment. 

 

• The healthfulness of a situation and the well-being of its participants are assumed to be influenced by facets of the physical environment (e.g., geography, architecture, and technology) and the social environment (e.g., culture, economics, and politics). 

 

• Moreover, the health status of individuals and groups is influenced not only by environmental factors but also by various personal attributes, including genetic heritage, psychological dispositions, and behavioral patterns. Environments can be described as an array of independent attributes (e.g., lighting, temperature, noise, space arrangement, and group size)

 

Agriculture:

More than 877 million pounds of pesticides are used in U.S. agricultural production each year. The second largest polluter over gas and oil production is Big Agriculture, the Factory Farms, This overuse of toxic chemicals places human and environmental health at risk through the food we eat and the air we breathe. Our goal is to protect human and environmental health from toxic substances and practices utilized in industrial agriculture. Our objective is to create systemic change in food production on our land that will reduce chemical-dependent agriculture in our environment, build healthy soil for climate resilience, and increase access to non-toxic, organic foods. One in every three bites of food we eat is dependent on pollinators. Without pollinators, both managed and native, we would not be able to enjoy many of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts that provide us nutrition every day. Using clean, natural ground/well water for both humans and plants, along with a natural rainwater catchment ensures healthy growth and well-being for all concerned.

 

Bee losses are the “canary in the coal mine” heralding sharp decreases in global insect populations, with recent studies pointing to 40% of global insect species under threat of extinction. Along with climate change and habitat loss, a primary factor of biodiversity decline is pesticide exposure. We must eliminate harmful pesticides from pollinator habitats while creating more spaces for them to forage. GVP is intent on seeding native plants for our pollinators to keep our food and plant environment healthy, sustainable, and renewable. Utilizing regenerative agriculture to grow our organic food and medicine all year round via our winter greenhouse ensures that our BIPOC elders have access to eating clean, nutritrient dense foods.

 

A Term to be Wary of...GREENWASHING

Greenwashing is a form of marketing spin in which green PR and green marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organization's products, aims, and policies are environmentally friendly. Companies that intentionally take up greenwashing communication strategies often do so in order to distance themselves from their own environmental lapses or those of their suppliers. Greenwashing can take many forms, including:

• Making false or misleading claims about environmental benefits.

• Using vague or ambiguous language that makes it difficult to understand true environmental impact.

• Distorting the facts about a company's environmental record.

• Overstating environmental benefits.

• Hiding environmental costs of a product or practice.

 Greenwashing can be harmful to the environment because it can mislead consumers into believing that they are making environmentally friendly choices when they are not. It can also make it more difficult for companies that are genuinely committed to sustainability to compete in the marketplace.

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At Grandmothers' Village Project we see the environment as alive, and deserving of respect. Our regenerative, organic farm will provide not only healthy, clean food for humans but food for our pollinators and beneficial insects and animals. Care for the land is crucial in our endeavors. Without caring for the land we borrow, we will become a threatened species.

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Sources

Establishing and Maintaining Healthy Environments Toward a Social Ecology of Health Promotion Daniel Stokols Program in Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine.

Toxic Free NC https://toxicfreenc.org/programs/just-sustainable-agriculture/
331 W. Main Street, Suite 411 Durham, NC 27701

Climate Reality Project:

https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/key-terms-you-need-understand-climate-change

https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/7-more-key-terms-you-need-know-understand-climate-crisis

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​​What is Animism?

Animism is the belief that all elements of the natural world—humans, animals, plants, waters, mountains, and even the wind—possess a spiritual essence. In this worldview, life is understood as an interconnected web of life, with no sharp distinction between the material and the spiritual. Every being and object has its own energy and agency, and the power of these spirits is respected rather than judged through a lens of morality.

In animism, spirits exist both within living beings and in the natural environment, often influencing the balance and harmony of life. They can offer support and protection or, when disrespected, disrupt the natural order, causing physical or spiritual challenges. Through ritual, respect for nature, and acts of mindfulness, humans maintain their relationships with these spirits, working to preserve balance and ensure the well-being of the community.

At the Grandmothers' Village Project, we embrace these Indigenous beliefs, seeing the natural world as our partner in healing, sustainability, and community building. Our mission is rooted in these connections, guiding us to honor the spirit of the land, the ancestors, and the living world as we build a community grounded in justice, equity, and respect for all life.