Reaching 7 Billion Souls
Planet earth has reached another milestone--we are now 7 billion souls inhabiting a small planet in the immense ocean of space. Is this to be celebrated or mourned? We could see it from both perspectives: celebrated because of the critical mass that is necessary, perhaps, to change the consciousness of humanity. Mourned because we are putting unbearable pressure on the limited resources of the earth and rapidly reaching a tipping point of unsustainability.
Clearly we must "grow up" or destroy ourselves. The earth and its riches are not limitless, but as has been proven, they are supple and elastic--they can bend and change as the environment evolves. What we possess is a legacy of life that is a rich, rich heritage. The planet holds millions of species of plant and animal life, each possessing unique qualities that make them special and precious in their own way. We inherit this abundance, this richness--it is our heritage (our biological inheritance), but perhaps like spoiled "rich kids" born into affluence (inheriting wealth and fortune and the privileges that go with them)... we can miss the whole point, act carelessly, out of total self-interest and of benefit to no one but ourselves, exploit the planet and squander our inheritance, destroying the very richness that was the basis for our life in the first place. Here is a poignant observations about the current state of affairs and our attitude toward the living-heritage of our planet.
In the Western tradition, we pay lip service to the"sanctity of all life," but in practice, give little consideration to the spirits of living things other than people. In fact, we tend to view other species as little more than commodities for our food, clothing, medicine, entertainment or economic exploitation. The implication is that if the species in question does not provide a direct benefit to humanity, it is expendable--even to extinction. (Gregory R. Huth, Awakening, 76)
We can go on like this, or we can grow up, take what we have inherited, cherish it in every detail, preserve it, add creatively to it, and pass it along to the coming generations as our gift (our legacy) to them and to the universe. It is a choice, and the window of opportunity to make this choice appears to be closing.
Clearly we must "grow up" or destroy ourselves. The earth and its riches are not limitless, but as has been proven, they are supple and elastic--they can bend and change as the environment evolves. What we possess is a legacy of life that is a rich, rich heritage. The planet holds millions of species of plant and animal life, each possessing unique qualities that make them special and precious in their own way. We inherit this abundance, this richness--it is our heritage (our biological inheritance), but perhaps like spoiled "rich kids" born into affluence (inheriting wealth and fortune and the privileges that go with them)... we can miss the whole point, act carelessly, out of total self-interest and of benefit to no one but ourselves, exploit the planet and squander our inheritance, destroying the very richness that was the basis for our life in the first place. Here is a poignant observations about the current state of affairs and our attitude toward the living-heritage of our planet.
In the Western tradition, we pay lip service to the"sanctity of all life," but in practice, give little consideration to the spirits of living things other than people. In fact, we tend to view other species as little more than commodities for our food, clothing, medicine, entertainment or economic exploitation. The implication is that if the species in question does not provide a direct benefit to humanity, it is expendable--even to extinction. (Gregory R. Huth, Awakening, 76)
We can go on like this, or we can grow up, take what we have inherited, cherish it in every detail, preserve it, add creatively to it, and pass it along to the coming generations as our gift (our legacy) to them and to the universe. It is a choice, and the window of opportunity to make this choice appears to be closing.
posted by Lynn Bauman at 6:49 AM
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