“Can the earth sustain its inhabitants and give a good lifestyle for all who are here?”
To effect change on this planet, we are now at the crossroads to start thinking about what needs to change to move forward together. Keep in mind that consumerism is only slightly more than 100 years old. Before then, we lived more in harmony with the earth. This specifically means that if we never capitalized on the industrial age, we wouldn’t have the amount of unnatural toxic pollution that we are currently suffering from.
When I was growing up in south Florida, I immensely enjoyed riding my bike to the beach and jumping into the clean waters of the warm Atlantic Ocean. This was back in the 70s and 80s, and the biggest worry about swimming in the ocean was being stung by man-o-war or the occasional wild barracuda which might snap at me. But pollution was hardly an issue. I would open my eyes underwater and take in the miracle of the cleansing salt sea. I would spend hours floating in the water, or surfing when the waves were up.
But now when I travel back to Florida and visit the same places where I grew up, I am sad to see the amount of garbage washing ashore. When I look to the horizon, I see brown haze instead of sea mist. My mind turns to my son, and I sigh thinking about how much harder it is to find pristine places in the world nowadays.
My nostalgia does not come without a sense of practicality. I love the amenities that allow me the comforting luxuries of my modern lifestyle. A hundred years ago, hot water for a shower wasn’t so easy to come by, and the computer that I type on wasn’t even in the cloud of thought. But I have a dream in mind, where I believe that we are advanced enough in our ingenuity to be able to produce “creature comforts” in ways that are much more in balance with the environment.
I realize that I must take responsibility for the actions of my purchasing. I understand that I appreciate being able to afford gadgets and other goods and services for a great price. But with the click of my mouse when I do my online checkout, somewhere in China, a factory is spewing out unfiltered toxins into the air and water to meet my consumer demands. How do we possibly change the results of what we like so it doesn’t pollute the precious habitat for us and every other being on this earth?!
More than ten years ago, I was introduced to the only way this can effectively be achieved. It is a very simple concept, but has global implications. Currently, our wealth and abundance is based on the limited goods on the earth. A basic example is gold. Gold is precious because it isn’t necessarily plentiful. If copper were more rare, you bet it would be more valuable. Gold is useful, as well as oil. And when we base the wealth of a nation on limited commodities like this, we set ourselves up for eventual disaster. Wars are fought over these kinds of limited resources. But this isn’t the kind of wealth that can sustain all beings, especially when there are more and more people, and think of the stresses on the planet and national boundaries when the Chinese people are told by their government that they can also have a luxurious life like the Americans if they are willing to work hard for it. That is simply a recipe for global destruction.
I’m not suggesting that we take away the value of precious goods. No, instead, I suggest something much more robust to accommodate the population of the planet, while at the same time providing a basis of sustainability of the habitat so people can continue to pursue their dreams without fear of global conflict over limited resources. I would like to introduce: earth product abundance.
The real wealth for everyone is based in how well the earth can produce a livable environment for its inhabitants. It has been proven by the current economic crisis that all countries are tied together financially, even if we have different currencies and GDPs. If every country ties the value of their currency to the health of the earth’s ecosystem, then we can functionally change the motivation from ravaging the earth’s natural resources. If we value the earth enough to have its health tied to our money, we can continue with our innovations to better lifestyles. If a company is told that it can make more money planting a forest versus cutting it down, you better believe the business model of that company is going to change.
In a simplified sentence: The earth has the true abundance and wealth for all beings.
There is much more to this concept in its execution, but the world leaders must understand the importance of preserving the habitat. We only get one earth. She’s perfect in her form and function. Our collective voice can help guide our leaders to this win-win formula. Let’s restore our human vocation of being the caretakers of the garden, and when we do this, imagination is the only limitation to what we can grow.
If you would like to hear more about this topic, sign in to leave a comment or let me know via email:
-Keitan (moonphase9@yahoo.com)