Ecology

Living more Eco Friendly

When I am hiking on the trails near the ridgetops of the High Sierra mountain range near Lake Tahoe, California, I often pause for awhile and simply observe the wonderous natural surroundings around me. It is at these moments of pause and reflection that I truly understand why I was created here on this planet and in this time. It is a deep knowing that radiates from the core of my conciousness that expresses my true reality. And that reality is that I am simply a divine creative entity temporarily occupying a human form. And, in that state of realization I can clearly see my direct connection with my immediate surroundings. It reminds me, in a very real sense, that I am truly one with this natural world and all of it’s components.

In the ancient world, before humans lived the complex and destructive way that exists today, most people existed in a tribal community. They believed that their livelihood was totally dependent on their local environment. All of their basic needs were provided by the animals, plants, and natural resources that made up their immediate area. This was true in all parts of the planet, in the mountains, near the oceans, in the plains, it was all the same. They lived and flourished by simply using their local natural food and water supplies.

In 2022 we can’t easily go back to a culture like that of the American Indian of 1800. In fact, the way the world is structured today, the millions of people that occupy the large urban areas of the United States, for example, it would be impossible for urban dwellers to gain access to the basic requirements of food, shelter, and water without the help of the tremendous and complex system of manufacturing, production, and transportation of basic food products that exist today. Also, the infrastructure of electricity providers, local water and sewage departments, and safe and comfortable housing availability combine to create a human community that is far too dependent on external forces which would make it impossible for the human population to exist in these regions without it.

So, then , what can the individual family member do to exist in a cooperative relationship with “Mother Nature” similar to ancient cultures of the past? What possible alternatives do we as caring members of the overall global human community do to, not only survive, but flourish and prosper in today’s world of competition, apathy, and ruling class ineptness? In my opinion there are several ways to begin creating new realities and the “stories” that go with it for our current besieged human populations. I will start with the preconception that living in a large comfortable home will make us happy, and in fact the people that occupy those large mansions and sprawling estates are the people that make up the most happy people on the planet.

In fact, I would go so far as to state that those “successful and happy” people of this world, including those that live in these United States of America, are actually contributing in a very significant way to the demise and destruction of our local and global natural ecosystem. By consuming the vast amount of resources that are required to construct and maintain these giant luxurious human dwellings, we are depleting a quickly exhausting supply of available natural resources that are urgently needed to sustain all life on our planet. And furthermore, the tremendous human and non-human machinery and energy that are also needed for these structures is sucking valuable energy sources away from the basic needs of all creatures of the earth.

I have touched on only one aspect of the basic needs for human survival and comfort. A safe and comfortable place to live is a very important part of all human existence. Reliable food sources, adequate energy for home heating and cooling, and quality sources of clean water are three more fundamental requirements for the well being and happiness of a thriving human community.

It is my opinion, in order to create a more sustainable and lasting human community on our fragile planet we need to think in a entirely different way. We need to change our “stories” of what we mean by the ultimate goal of “The Pursuit of Happiness” in this country of “For purple mountain majesties. Above the fruited plain!” By transforming our internal dialogue to down sizing our concepts of what it means to be happy to what is good for our planets future and well-being, we can quite possibly re-create a cleaner and more “happier” place to raise our children and our children’s children.