Be the Change: World Trip – Environment Part 2

The environmental issues have been interesting to observe as the market mentality seeks
to maintain supply and demand and somehow incorporate environmental priorities given
the growing social awareness and concern for the environment. The Stern report (refer http://www.accaglobal.com/pubs/general/activities/library/sustainability/cc_pubs/tech_tp_cjb_stern.pdf) made it clear there is an environmental crisis. It is also clear for people who are not scientists or
environmental experts, you just have to talk to farmers to find out the climate has change
is a not predictable as it has been. Moreover, the breaking up of ice sheets is a visible
warning sign and the changing water temperatures. It doesn’t matter to me whether
environmental collapse is true or not, what matters to me is my own impact on the planet.
I am adding to the demand for this type of system by buying coffee in Styrofoam cups
and throw away wrappers and packaged materials. I see clearly that I am sending signals
to the market to keep on and this facilitates the race to the bottom.

The natural system has flows of recycled nutrients, bodies, water, soils and regulating
temperatures across the planet. It is a system of homeostasis, it is in balance. It is
naturally programmed through genes to respond to changing conditions. We can see that
natural selection activates genes in some environments and become self destructive in
others (species dies out). Nature is a system of harmony and has a keen awareness of the
interconnectedness of all life. There is no right and wrong in this system or exclusion,
it is a system of inclusion that adapts and evolves the survival of all. It is an intelligent
system and it is a conscious system. It is indeed alive. Many think it is okay to cut a
tree and there is no response from nature, there is a deep awareness in nature that the
tree is gone. Many life forms that exist in complex ecosystems must respond to the
change. The intent of nature is to survive in balance and so many species adapt or perish.

Through our religious philosophies humans have a deep belief that nature is there to be
used and that we have dominion over it. In truth we are stewards of the earth and our
duty is to live in harmony with this planet. This benefits the planet and our own survival.
Humanity has been given the gift of a robust and diverse nature which is increasingly
diminishing with the pressures of globalization as an outpicturing of self interest. This
impact affects the survival of humanity not the planet. The planet will regenerate after a
massive collapse. Many specifies that are unique on this planet will disappear and that is
the legacy we leave.

The warning signs and signals from nature and also from ourselves is clear. There will
be those who will maintain until the ends of their lives denial and they will fight to
be ‘right’. They will continue to go on as business-as-usual and ignore the reality that
is evident. They operate out of mentalities of right and wrong, inclusion and exclusion.
Within this is deep insecurity is a fear to look into the reality that their world may
crumble so they will hang on to old beliefs and make the other wrong. This is the power
of projection. When internal negative feelings are denied they are projected onto others
to make another wrong. There are others who will fight to say that there are problems
and they also will seek to be right and the other wrong. Both mentalities are competitive
and seeking to see the other as the enemy or problem. I do not dislike CEO’s of logging
companies or environmentalists who chain themselves to trees. I observe that both are
expressing their choices within the old paradigm of us against them.  It is time for a new paradigm where we work as one.

Part 3 coming up next…