There was a time when we didn’t know any better. Now we’re realizing that we live on a planet with finite resources. We had lots of fun romping around in the Industrial Growth Society and enjoying our role as avid consumers, but it’s time to grow up and take responsibility for what we’re doing to the Earth.
Gas fracking, unsafe nuclear plants, dirty coal, tar sands oil, industrial agriculture, mountain top removal and pollution of our air, water and land by chemicals and herbicides have disrupted our climate and harmed our environment. These threats to our very existence are what some of us spend our time and energy fighting against. But what’s the reason for their existence in the first place? They all were undertaken to supply and maintain our modern consumer lifestyle.
We can’t lay all the blame on corporations and the government for what’s happening to the Earth. They’re only supplying us with what’s needed to maintain our current lifestyle. To effectively remove these threats, we need to change the way we live.
In a world of finite resources, why do we continue to populate the Earth as if it has unlimited resources? In a world that depends on the delicate balance of multiple species to support all life on Earth, why do we continue to play Russian roulette with the environment? Why do we continue to expect satisfaction of our own desires and self-interests at the cost of the common good?
Could it be that we are responsible for the condition of our world? These are questions we need to ponder long and deep and NOW.
Leave a Reply