How to Make Green A Moral Imperative

23 Jun 2008 Publish your eco thoughts here on EcoSignal.org Send Y!M  Email This

For many people, the world exists as a separate, objective whole to be exploited or polluted without any expense at the personal level. If anything, people wall themselves from the consequences of their actions.

Take for example, people dump trash everywhere without a trifle to the conscience. Or big corporate engage in activities aimed at boosting bottom lines without concern of damage inflicted to the earth.

The idea that the earth is an objectively existing place, separate from ourselves lies at the very heart of the environmental challenges that we face.

As human beings, we need to realize that we exist in the earth as much as the earth exists in us. The earth and our being is interconnected, and we have a responsibility to take care of each other.

The better we treat each other, the more ingrained we will be to achieve a win-win solution, and be able to bequeath an earth we inherited from our ancestors on behalf of our children.

We need to be more intimately involved in the earth’s landscape, and learn to love it in a way that humanity has never done before.

The physical shape of the earth, including the rivers, birds, trees, butterflies, mountains, pools, lakes, marine life etc. essentially constitute a significant part of what makes up the human experience.

Thus, it is natural that in order to enhance our human experience, we ought to develop a deeper and cleaner connection to our physical environment.

Indeed, the earth has a power to speak, and in recent times, it has been expressing its groan over human excesses.

As William Isaacs says in his book “Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together”, we need to let our senses fare with the world around us and so enable us to participate directly in it.

Part of solving the environmental challenge will certainly require that we engage in dialogue that sees the artificiality of our national borders. Only a unity of purpose will enable us to stand up to this unprecedented challenge.

Each and every one of us first needs to recognize that leave a footprint on the lay of the earth that is either harmful or protective.

Having said that, going green will not happen by accident; rather, it requires a reawakening of the human consciousness. A new earth will require an ongoing shift of human priorities and choices to ensure that the interconnection between human beings and nature is one that promotes well-being.

As Vaclav Havel, former premier of the Czech Republic succinctly put it, without a global revolution in the sphere of human consciousness; nothing will change in the sphere of our being, whether it be ecological, social, demographic. Instead, a general breakdown of civilization will be unavoidable.

We therefore stand at a precipice of time where the choice we have to make is clear chiseled before us that we have to come together as a human family to solve our common and global environmental challenge.

Photo Credits: Nicholas T at flick-r

Source: EcoWorldly

Publish your eco thoughts here on EcoSignal.org