"Unfortunately, the extensive moralizing within the ecological movement has given the public the false impression that they are being asked to make a sacrifice - to show more responsibility, more concern, a nicer moral standard. But all of that would flow naturally and easily if the self were widened and deepened so that the protection of nature was felt and perceived as protection of our very selves. . . the obvious choice, then, is to extend our notions of self-interest. For example, it would not occur to me to plead with you, 'Don't saw off your leg. That would be an act of violence.' I wouldn't occur to me (or to you), because your leg is part of your body. Well, so are the trees in the Amazon rain basin. They are our external lungs. We are beginning to realize that the world is our body."
~Joanna Macy
4 comments:
Cherie, interesting quote for today's post. Mankind is supposed to be caring for God's creation but instead it seems that we are destroying it. Our instruction was to rule over all the plants and animals of the earth. Our definition of rule, I don't believe is what it's become. The more I garden and become closer to the soil and nature in general, the more I weep in my heart to what has happened. For the sake of profit and increasing the GOP to make a better life because the economy is doing well, nature and the land has been sacrificed. Some would say that God put it here for us to use and I wouldn't disagree with that but some how greed has twisted the use into something that I don't think is right. With my vacant lot urban farming, I try to live in harmony with nature. Of course I'm not trying to make a living by doing it so it's much easier for me to do than some one who has to depend on income from homesteading for a farmer's market. Quite frankly, I don't know how you and Bill accomplish it but I'm glad that you do.
Have a great Virginia day on the homestead.
LOVE this quote - though I'm beginning to wonder if even the realization that we are one with "the environment" would help. The parallel that I keep looking to is the typical American diet. I mean, if we can't even convince people to make a few changes to what they eat for the sake of better health right now, how on earth can we hope to convince them to do anything that won't pay dividends for a generation or more?
Sorry to sound cynical, but I guess I think that what we need is a complete paradigm shift - we have to get completely away from "right/wrong" "good/bad" thinking. It seem that, sadly, the only thing that will really motivate change in this culture is monetary gain.
Fortunately, I read an article recently which said that the price of solar panels has come down so dramatically in recent years that it will soon be much cheaper to get our power that way than from fossil fuels. And you can bet your boots that if organic food was cheaper than the kind produced with toxic chemicals, you couldn't keep the stuff on the shelves!
David, it is sad to see that people don't realize we're connected to the earth - what happens to the earth happens to us. And the fact that our society is all about quantity (dollar amounts and percentages) and not quality.
EcoCatLady, we do need to get away from the idea that it's all about money. We can't eat, breathe, or be amazed by money. I want people to realize that organic food really isn't more expensive when you consider tax subsidies, the cost to our health, and how poor food creates chronic illness that is ultimately covered under medicare which is paid for by the taxpayers.
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