today is blog action day, a day on which bloggers worldwide post on topics concerning the environment.
what is “the environment”?
here is a merriam-webster definition
- the circumstances, objects or conditions by which one is surrounded;
- the complex of climatic, edaphic and biotic factors that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival;
- the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community.
what do you notice?
“one is surrounded”
“factors that act upon”
“determine form and survival”
“influence”
it’s written in “us vs. them” language, it’s an “i vs. the other” definition. it’s also a definition that does not take into account how we act upon the environment.
this is at least partly what has brought us to the state where we are today, from species extinction, to rapid melting of ice in the arctic and antarctic, to violent meteorological changes.
i wonder whether humanity as a whole is going through the same developmental stages that individuals go through.
roughly, as small children, we are wholly dependent on our parents – our familial environment.
as we grow older and especially as teenagers, our developmental task is to assert our independence. that’s when “i vs. the other” is of tremendous importance.
we make sure everyone can see how different we are from our parents and other elders, and we also challenge the larger environment. on a societal level, for some it’s the only time of political activism. we even test and try the natural environment. (i remember a year of walking barefoot even in the coldest weather. just because it was cool and i could. never mind the bladder infections.)
following that phase, if we’re lucky (or determined, or get pushed), we mature into a sense of interdependence.
it looks like we’re still behaving like teenagers, and that patiently waiting until we mature into interdependence probably won’t work out. circumstances are pushing us to mature faster than we’d like to, and if we’re not determined to respond to that push, we may not be able to see humanity’s children and grandchildren grow.
paradoxically enough, even accelerated growth needs to be mostly organic and wants elements of gentleness and patience.
and since we’re all part of this big sea of humanity, it always comes down to individual action.
what action are you willing, able and happy to do today, organically and in all gentleness, to show your interdependence with the environment?
(this post was mentioned in the best of me symphony)
The mental aspect of environment is critical, since as a planet, country, or individual we can do almost anything (even walk barefoot in the winter, for g-d’s sake?)
Attachment to comfort, fear of change, inertia… that is why we are not solving this problem. Hopefully this giant teenager of a world can start to grow up and get a job soon!
“Every one of us can do something to protect and care for our planet. We have to live in such a way that a future will be possible for our children and our grandchildren and our own life has to be our message.”
Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay)
I think that more than one day… we need to learn to be conscious every day… and make new habits that can really make a difference and those actions only come from being conscious… attentive to our doing, our step that we mark on the world… maybe is good to remind ourselfs one day to do this, just as is good to set the alarm clock to wake us up… but is not about the ring of the bell that is going to wake us up, but actually the action that is meant to be.
Wonderful post and blog.
We all need to do our part.
You do have a ‘ThumbsUp’ post.
BDG