Different Kinds Of Cancer:Life today reflects a huge gulf in the middle of the way it is and the way it might be while mom Earth lies bleeding. If we were stewards rather than manufacturers and consumers with wee regard for the effects of our actions, life itself would all the time be our first priority. Instead, we live with the consequences of not reasoning about consequences like using the chemical dispersant, Corexit 9500, a violently toxic compound so notoriously lethal its been banned for years by the Eu.
Its an consequent of the shadow of old paradigm economics that places profits ahead of all life forms including habitancy and our ecological systems. Its time to reexamine our priorities and decision making processes to be safe bet that before we promenade with any project, that there are zero negative net impacts on life. Those who wish to drill for oil at 5000 feet depths or any other highly risky undertaking with immense inherent financial rewards should be required to prove their capability to handle even more immense worst case scenarios. All chemical manufacturers should be required to prove the non-toxic nature of their products before they can be stylish commercially. Otherwise, the earth becomes a living laboratory with humans and all life forms as experimental subjects. This methodology would ideally mirror medicines promise to "first do no harm".
And, the first adopters would gain the loyal following of millions of individuals who want to be part of the medical force for good that is reflected in the very high and continually growing percentage of the habitancy calling themselves "environmentally concerned". At this occasion I am safe bet it has never been higher and is rapidly approaching 100%. New websites that offer buyer brain colse to product ingredients have arrived and are proliferating.
Different Kinds Of Cancer:The Sea of Desire & The Gulf of possible
I can fantasize a world in which this is the way things are. We are far from it now, but books like Cradle to Cradle by visionary eco-architect William McDonough, Jenine Benyus' Biomimmicry, and Gunter Pauli's The Blue Economy:10 Years, 100 Innovations, 100 Million Jobs retell and point the way toward a world in which we use nature as our make template. Its a huge undertaking to move an industrial civilization from its profits before life operating mode but it is happening in growing numbers of socially responsible businesses including the previous poster child for evil business, Wal-Mart. In fact, China has created a green Gdp model. One hopes that it becomes their thorough for the sake of the environment and all living things.
I heard a quote yesterday that relates to the oil spill and the vilifying of Bp and oil in general. "Let he who does not use petroleum cast the first stone". It points to the fact that we are a petroleum based society. A quest reveals that petroleum is used in cars, houses, toys, computers, phones and clothing. Asphalt used in road building is a petroleum product as is the synthetic rubber in tires. Paraffin wax comes from petroleum, as do fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, detergents, Cd's and Dvd's, photographic film, furniture, packaging materials, surfboards, paints and synthetic fibers used in clothing, upholstery, and carpeting backing. Oil is naturally a ubiquitous part of our lifestyle.
We are dealing first and prominent with a make flaw. When we make things with a view to only making money, destructive consequences are not taken into consideration. Conversely, if we sass that life is sacred and make our goods based on the precautionary principle, we could live in a nature-based world with minimal human impact.
Perhaps more of us, particularly those who make goods, will wake up and comprehend our disastrous impacts. That would be a good thing. There are some who have come to this awareness. May their numbers multiply until it becomes our thorough as expressed in Buckminster Fuller's instructional Operating hand-operated for Spaceship Earth.
In the meantime, each of us can witness our own negative impacts of the things we purchase, use, and consume. That is the best place to begin for as request for things that compromise life decreases, the incentive to furnish them will diminish. The emerging trend of websites dedicated to buyer brain concerning the contents of products including cosmetics is a step in the right direction. And, we can witness and apply the uncomplicated ideas put forth by businessman, architect, and Harvard divinity scholar, Joe Simonetta in his books and Dvd Seven Words That Can change the World and his most up-to-date title, Will Humanity Survive?. His suggestions consist of a respect for the environment and kindness toward each other.
Underlying all of this is the deeper issue of separation of humans and nature and humans and each other. If we truly embodied oneness, we could not hurt another animal or human because we would profoundly understand we are them and they are us as Pogo said "I have met the enemy and they are us." And we would not pollute because we would understand the earth, air, water and soil are us. It is this disconnect that is at the root of our pain and suffering. Maybe we need reconnection, appreciation and compassion training to look into the eyes of a fellow animal or human and see ourselves and to be immersed in nature in a remote place without other humans and truly understand that without the precious air, water and soil to grow our food in, we cannot survive and life will cease to exist. We must come face to face with the ecocide we are part of and understand that we face what Eo Wilson describes as "the death of birth." The time is now for us to wake up to the emergency and act in new ways for it is the old ways that got us here and more of the same will naturally prolong the pain and lead to the breakdown of our life sustaining systems.
When some read in the Bible that man shall have dominion over the earth, they take it to mean they should dominate rather than care for life. If we are to inhabit a livable planet and leave it best than we found it for future generations, we have a lot of work to do. Enlightenment is an inside job-not left to others like government and "the authorities.". We must begin right where we are-here and now-and learn how to connect deeply with all life forms. If you have accomplished that task, you are a leader and your responsibility is to let others know how vital that association is and help awaken and embody this interconnectedness. When every person feels the association and pain, we can use this sacred wound to move send together in a new direction...one that heals and sustains life. If you have not yet made that connection, there are many resources and wisdom keepers among us who can help us appreciate our deep association with life.
Among them are:
Joanna Macy who describes this occasion as The Great Turning that redefines us as living parts of a living planet rather than consumers who help to use up our planets resources at ever expanding velocities. The Great Turning marks a transition from an industrial increase society to a Life Sustaining Society. How we set goals and measure success is very separate in each of these societies. So is how we define growth. Is it in terms of health, longevity, wisdom, charm and grace in the eyes of God or pure profits? We will know the sass if we look with open eyes and hearts. We can see now it is a doomed cheaper and theory on runaway, playing out its last act because it is seeking to maximize one part of life at the price of the rest. It is a theory indeed devouring itself like a cancer without equilibrium and sustainability.
She describes three connecting pieces of The Great Turning. Slowing down actions that have us say wait a minute, we need to slow down the industrial increase society and includes soup kitchens, protest marches, tree sitting, and legal and legislative campaigns. But its not sufficient because a Life Sustaining society needs structures and new ways of doing things. These she describes as Gaian structures and patterns of organizing. New ways of holding the land, ancient ways of growing food, ways of measuring prosperity (Hazel Henderson's Calvert Henderson Index includes many pieces that are left out of Gdp that are capability of life measures), new ways of educating and waking each other up. But that is not sufficient whether because any actions will wither and die on the vine if they are not rooted in our values and what we believe is worthwhile and our assumptions about the nature of realty.
This shift in consciousness is happening too at a sizable rate of speed and includes new findings in measure science, chaos, systems and holographic theory that unite with the wisdom traditions that offer the same perspective-the intricate and interconnected nature of all life-new ways of looking the sacred-new forms of spirituality. A marriage of the spiritual and scientific that in itself is a reuniting of what has been separated at great cost.
It is an anticipated time to be alive-a source of privilege and excitement. It means that life can go on and that can be an perfect reckon to get up every morning.
Perhaps the whole process can begin with something as uncomplicated as a walk on the grass. A their new book, Earthing: The most prominent condition discovery ever?, Clinton Ober, Stephen Sinatra, M.D., and Martin Zucker retell that walking on grass has measurable safe bet condition impacts.
Another perfect book on feeling the peace, wisdom and equilibrium that living in harmony with nature brings is Michael J. Cohen's Reconnection With Nature. Most of us have been conditioned to ignore nearly 50 sensitivities that connect us to the natural world. This separation stress contributes to many of our environmental and personal problems. Through the chapters and activities of Reconnection With Nature, Dr. Cohen suggests ways to use natures wisdom to re-awaken dormant sensitivities, rebuild our spiritual association with the Earth and heighten wellness.
As we get back in touch with nature and its array of life forms, we may be more compelled to safe and guard the most precious of our gifts: life itself and its many processes that allow us to be here. We must move from Sustainability toward Thrivability (sustainability+vision to flourish+ways of being). Humanity's new work is to comprehend Bucky's foresight of a world in harmony with nature that works for every person with as wee environmental damage as possible. His vision, expressed now in many ways by countless others everywhere, must be the new basis for our existence.
Jeff Hutner, Editor
Different Kinds Of Cancer:The Sea of Desire & The Gulf of possible
