SHRINKING NATURAL WORLD
THE EXPANSION OF OUR WORLD POPULATION IS FACING A MAJOR ISSUE EFFECTING THE SUSTENANCE OF LIFE ON PLANET EARTH. THE NATURAL WORLD PROVIDES THE ELEMENTS, RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS THAT SUPPORT LIFE SYSTEMS ON EARTH AND HAS SIGNIFICANTLY SHRUNK IN SIZE AND ITS ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES REQUIRED FOR LIFE ON OUR PLANET. THE SHRINKAGE IS THE RESULT OF MANKIND’S INCREASING DEMAND FOR ENERGY AND RESOURCES FROM EARTH’S LIMITED LAND BASE. THERE ARE A FEW VOICES THAT KEEP ALERTING US TO THE ISSUE AND OUR FUTURE FATE, IF WE CONTINUE OUR UNQUENCHABLE THRUSTS AND DEMANDS.
WE KEEP DISCUSSING AND APPROPRIATING MONEY TO FIND WAYS TO ELIMINATE OUR DEPENDENCY ON FOSSIL FUELS, MAINLY BECAUSE THE LIMITS OF CRUDE OIL ARE OBVIOUS. CARING FOR THE NATURAL WORLD, HOWEVER, GETS LITTLE ATTENTION. WE CONTINUE TO TAKE FROM THE NATURE WHAT WE WANT, WITH LITTLE CONCERN FOR THE FACT THE NATURAL WORLD IS SHRINKING RAPIDLY, AND THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE SEEM TO CARE LESS. WHY?
THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS WHICH NEED TO BE HIGH-LIGHTED. ONE OF THE MAIN CONCERNS IS THE MISINFORMATION BEING DISSEMINATED BY CORPORATE, POLITICAL AND EVEN RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR LEADERSHIP. MUCH OF THE MISINFORMATION IS ACTUAL LIES, DESIGNED TO MISLEAD THE PUBLIC TO PROTECT PROFIT MARGINS. THE REQUIRED ADJUSTMENTS WILL AFFECT THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES AND DEMAND INCREASED COSTS TO PROTECT THE REMAINING NATURAL WORLD. OUR CORPORATE INSTITUTIONS ARE OBVIOUSLY, CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT THESE MAJOR ADJUSTMENTS WOULD HAVE ON PROFITABILITY. I BELIEVE, INSTITUTING THE NEEDED CHANGES WITH MORE INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT, WILL CREATE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES, PARTICULARLY IN OUR MORE RURAL COMMUNITIES. THESE JOBS WILL INCLUDE EMPLOYMENT BY THE FOREST LAND MANAGING ORGANIZATIONS, AND CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRIVATE SMALL BUSINESS. THE CHANGES WILL USUALLY NOT INCLUDE TREE PLANTING, BUT RATHER SILVICULTURAL TREATMENTS TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND DIVERSITY, ALONG WITH ENCOURAGING NATURAL REGENERATION OF INDIGENOUS TREE SPECIES.
UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE VERY LITTLE HOPE FOR OUR POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS, AS THERE IS FAR TOO MUCH DIVISIVENESS AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS, TO RESOLVE MAJOR PUBLIC ISSUES. COOPERATION TO ACCOMPLISH SERIOUS ISSUES APPEARS TO BE A THING OF THE PAST. WORKING TOGETHER TO RESOLVE MAJOR PUBLIC ISSUES FREQUENTLY INVOLVES CONTROVERSY, WHICH CAN RESULT IN LOSE OF VOTE AT ELECTION TIME. POLITICIAN’S FOCUS IS ON ELECTION AND REELECTION. VOTERS NEEDS AND DESIRES, SEEM TO GET LOST IN THE PROCESS.
RUNNING FOR PUBLIC OFFICE REQUIRES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, WHICH MOST CANDIDATES DON’T PERSONALLY HAVE. THEY ARE FORCED TO RELY ON CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE VERY WEALTHY, WHO CONTRIBUTE TO GAIN INFLUENCE FROM THE POTENTIAL CANDIDATE. A SINGLE CANDIDATE FOR SENATOR IN ARIZONA RECENTLY SPENT 49 MILLION DOLLARS JUST IN THE PRIMARIES, AND THEN HAD TO FIND FUNDING FOR THE ACTUAL CAMPAIGN VOTE BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTY CANDIDATES. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY POLITICIANS ARE ACTIVELY SPREADING MISINFORMATION ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD AND CLIMATE CHANGE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THE TRUTH WILL DESTROY THEIR CHANGES IN ELECTIONS.
I AM EMBARRASSED TO REPORT, EVEN OUR RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE ERRONEOUS INFORMATION ABOUT THE DESTRUCTIVE IMPACT MANKIND HAS HAD ON THE NATURAL WORLD. I STARTED THIS ARTICLE JUST PRIOR TO ATTENDING CHURCH SERVICES WHERE THE PASTOR’S MESSAGE POINTED OUT THAT HUMANITY WAS INCAPABLE AND CANNOT BE TRUSTED TO ASSIST IN IMPROVING OUR SHRINKING NATURAL WORLD. HE CONCLUDED BY TELLING THE PEOPLE WE SHOULD SET BACK AND ENJOY THE RIDE, “JUSTICE IS MINE SAITH THE LORD”. GENESIS CLEARLY STATES, “GOD PLACED MANKIND IN THE GARDEN AND COMMANDED HIM TO NURTURE AND CARE FOR THE LAND”. I HAD HOPED THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL WOULD PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF CREATION AND RE-ESTABLISH OUR SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LAND. WE NEED TO CONTINUE OUR EMPHASES ON REDEMPTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT GIVE EQUAL ATTENTION TO CREATION AND HUMANITY’S DEPENDENCE UPON THE NATURAL WORLD.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS EFFORTS TO MISLEAD THE PEOPLE, MOST OF WHICH ARE BASED UPON GREED AND SELFISHNESS. WE MUST, HOWEVER, ACCEPT THAT SOCIAL NORMS HAVE CHANGED AND MADE SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENTS IN OUR HUMAN VALUES. OUR WORLD POPULATION CONTINUES TO EXPAND AT AN ALARMING RATE, WHICH AUTOMATICALLY INCREASES OUR COMPETITION FOR THE LIMITED RESOURCES AND ENERGY. THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR WORLD POPULATION ARE NOW CONSIDERED URBANITIES. IN THE UNITED STATES LESS THAN 19% OF THE PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED RURAL RESIDENCES. POPULATION EXPANSION AND SHIFTS TO URBANIZATION, OBVIOUSLY CHANGE PEOPLES ATTITUDE TOWARD NATURE, AS THEY ADJUST TO THE CROWDED CONCRETE NEIGHBORHOODS AND SHOPPING CENTERS. MANY, ARE NO LONGER AWARE OF HOW THE LOCAL GROCERY STORE SHELFS GET STOCKED. HOW CAN WE EXPECT THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURE AND DEVELOP CONCERNS ABOUT THE SHRINKING NATURAL WORLD?
URBANIZATION HAS ALSO CHANGED THE WAY WE THINK AND REACT TO OTHER PEOPLE. WE SPENT OVER TWO YEARS LIVING IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA IN A TOWN HOUSE COMPLEX, AND MET VERY FEW OF THE NEIGHBORS. WE BOTH, ALONG WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, WORKED FULL TIME AND LEFT AT 6AM, RETURNING AT 6PM. WEEKENDS WERE TIMES WHEN WE TRIED TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO RELAX OUTSIDE THE BUSY BIG CITY LIFE. IT SEEMED THAT EVERYONE WAS CHASING THE GREEN DOLLAR, AND HAD LITTLE TIME FOR VISITING OR ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF NATURE. OUR FOCUS WAS ON GREED AND SELFISH INDIVIDUALISM.
IN MY YOUTH, YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND ME FISHING ON THE SURROUNDING STREAMS AND LAKES, EXPLORING THE FOREST LANDS THAT WERE CLOSE BY, OR HUNTING GROUSE AND RABBITS. FULFILLMENT OF MY LIFE DEPENDED UPON EXPERIENCES IN MY SURROUNDING NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. MY QUIET TIME WAS LISTENING TO COUNTRY WESTERN MUSIC ON AN OLD PHILCO TUBE-TYPE RADIO. BIG CITY LIFE WAS FOREIGN AND MILES AWAY. UNFORTUNATELY, FEW YOUTHS HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TODAY.
WE SIMPLY MUST ADMIT THAT WE ARE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE SHRINKING NATURAL WORLD. WE DON’T UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF NATURE OR THE VITAL ELEMENTS, PROVIDED BY NATURE, THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO SUSTAIN LIFE. IN OUR OWN SELFISH WAY, WE APPARENTLY COULD CARE LESS. WHEN OUR INCOME INCREASES, OUR CONSUMPTION OF RESOURCES AND ENERGY DOES LIKE WISE, AND THE NATURAL WORLD CONTINUES TO SHRINK.
I AM APPALLED BY THE MANY EFFORTS TO LIMIT THE HISTORY EDUCATION OF OUR YOUTH, FOR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING THE PAST ASSURES WE WILL REPEAT OUR MISTAKES. SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE! WE ARE EXPOSED TO MISINFORMATION AND LIES ON A DAILY BASIS. IT IS COMMON TO HEAR PEOPLE EXPRESS THAT THEY DON’T KNOW WHO TO TRUST. A LARGE NUMBER SAY THEY DON’T TRUST THE MEDIA AND POLITICIANS ARE NOT RESPECTED FOR THE TRUTH. INSTEAD, THEY TURN TO THE INTERNET FOR INFORMATION, WHICH IS TOTALLY UNREGULATED FOR ACCURACY.
THE RICHER WE GET THE MORE WE CONSUME, AND THE MORE SELF-CENTERED AND CARELESS WE BECOME FOR THE LIVES OF OTHERS. A RECENT SURVEY BY THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL FOR CLIMATE CONTROL, INDICATE ONLY 11% OF AMERICANS CONSIDER THE SHRINKING NATURAL WORLD TO BE IN THEIR TOP 3 ISSUES OF CONCERN. FOR YEARS SCIENCE HAS BEEN TELLING US ONLY ECONOMIC GROWTH CAN SAVE THE BIOSPHERE, AND WE ARE THE LEADERS IN SOPHISTICATION, INTELLECT AND COMPASSION. THE FACTS SUGGEST JUST THE OPPOSITE. ACCORDING TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL FOR CLIMATE CONTROL, THE U.S., AUSTRALIA AND CANADA ARE RANKED AMONG THE WORST IN FAILING TO LIMIT THEIR MASSIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE GLOBAL ISSUE OF CLIMATE CONTROL.
WE MUST WAKE UP AND ACCEPT THE TRUTH! THERE ARE MANY FORCES ATTEMPTING TO MISLEAD US BY OUTRIGHT LIES. WE HAVE LOST OUR CONNECTION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURAL WORLD. CONTINUED SHRINKING OF THE NATURAL WORLD WILL RESULT IN EXCEEDING THE CARRYING-CAPACITY OF EARTH. COLLAPSE AND FAILURE OF HUMAN CULTURES WILL FOLLOW! I CAN ASSURE YOU; MANKIND DOES HAVE THE INTELLIGENCE AND CAPABILITY TO “NURTURE AND CARE FOR THE LAND”, WHICH WILL RESULT IN EXTENDING LIFE ON EARTH! WE HAVE GOT TO JOIN HANDS WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, IN ORDER TO START A REVELATION TO SAVE OUR NATURAL WORLD! MAJOR CHANGE HAPPENS WHEN THE PEOPLE INSIST UPON ACTION. THE STATUS-QUO IS UNACCEPTABLE!!