(9am~ - promoted by RiaD)
"Let every individual and institution now think and act as a responsible trustee of Earth, seeking choices in ecology, economics and ethics that will provide a sustainable future, eliminate pollution, poverty and violence, awaken the wonder of life and foster peaceful progress in the human adventure." ~ John McConnell, founder of International Earth Day
For me, it's always important to remind myself that the relationship with my environment does not exist in isolation - I believe that my connection with my surroundings is a dynamic partnership... it's alive. I also believe that, whether consciously or unconsciously, I'm continually exerting an influence on my surroundings, just as my surroundings are constantly having a profound influence on me.
For this reason, I've determined to do my best in exerting a positive, value-creating influence on my environment - and at the same time, try to open the deepest part of my being to the whispers of Mother Nature in an almost reverent way, even embracing her whispers and lessons that are far beyond my comprehension. I can only hope that in time, I will come to realize her ancient wisdom and be grateful for her patience and compassion towards such an undeserving disciple. |
"To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them." ~ Theodore Roosevelt
If any of us are unhappy with what we see happening to our environment, then we can strive to change it for the better, right where we are. I'm not talking about taking on the enormity of our world's ills - individually we would be suffocated, no doubt crushed by that tremendous weight on our shoulders. But collectively, arm in arm, we can focus on our immediate environments - our homes, our communities, our cities - creating a groundswell of positive actions to make our world a much better place in the simple things we are able to accomplish according to our own abilities. Tiny, ever expanding ripples that will flow into eternity. And in the spirit of the oneness of life and our environment, it's my deep belief that in accomplishing even these simple gifts to Mother Nature, we will be bettering ourselves in the process.
I don't believe it's an exaggeration that our world stands at the precipice of an unprecedented environmental crisis. The actions of modern man have been causing unbelievably destructive environmental effects that are now threatening the well-being of our human civilization. The dangerous depletion of the Earth's finite resources, the destruction of our protective ozone layer and climate change caused by our modern industrialized societies and addiction to fossil fuels are concrete and irrefutable examples of our own destructiveness. And what of the tens of thousands of species becoming extinct each year, many from causes directly attributable to human influence?
I've little doubt that our polluted environment is the product of polluted hearts and minds. This in turn causes the pollution of the bodies, hearts and minds of those living within the fouled environment. We need look no further than the Gulf of Mexico for this to hit home, and this vicious cycle seems to continue unabated. When people's inner lives are polluted with greed, arrogance and ignorance, then our environment - human society, the ecosystem, our oceans and our atmosphere - all are at risk. The ongoing destruction of nature for profit and unbridled capitalism, is not the purpose of life - in my opinion, the pursuit of profit above all else is nothing more than a reflection of people's ignorance of the true nature, and the preciousness, of life on this planet.
"It is good to realize that if love and peace can prevail on earth, and if we can teach our children to honor nature's gifts, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here forever." ~ Jimmy Carter
When we can view ourselves and our environment as essentially one, and embrace the oneness of all human life, then perhaps we will be able to see the value of developing and expanding our inner humanity while working to improve and protect the wondrous gifts that Mother Nature has provided us.
The World is in our hands...
"Every single thing in existence is worthy of supreme reverence. Nature is not something for human beings to exploit as they see fit, solely for their own interests. Both nature and humanity are part - and at the same time complete expressions - of the life of the universe. To destroy the natural world is to destroy human life." ~ Daisaku Ikeda |
