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I have long speculated that there will be a different kind of technical and industrial revolution coming.  One that instead of furthering us away from the Earth, brings us closer to nature again.  We must bridge the gap between humanity and the planet, for as it widens we become less aware of where we’ve come from and why nature is so important to our survival.

We are out of sync

Humanity is not meant to be enclosed in cubicles or sedentary 90% of the time.   We should not find ourselves more comfortable on concrete than grass.   We have a limited opportunity in this life to experience the gift of consciousness.  Every molecule in our being is fortunate to have this opportunity.  No one should take this for granted.

The planet itself operates much like a living organism, but on an incredible scale.  It enables life by providing a fertile, plentiful environment rich with intricate symbiotic ecosystems.  Whether or not the Earth is actually conscious or alive is up for debate, but the fact remains that our planet’s life-bestowing resources are limited.

Crisis looms

We are on the verge of a global energy and water crisis.  We do not have enough energy for the emerging world to feed a growing population and our fresh water supply is dwindling as human population and pollution grow out of control.

America used to consume the majority of the world’s resources, but with fast growing economies in the world like China, India, Brazil and others we find the distribution is equalizing.   Unfortunately there simply is not enough for everyone.

War is not the answer

Wars have been fought over resources with countless casualties.  The latest example is what transpired in Iraq and how the oil fields are being divided up by the largest petroleum companies in the world.  The hunger to control large amounts of energy, minerals, metals and even clean water drives the thirst for blood.

Frivolous waste

The question that many have asked, including myself, is why do we need so many resources to sustain our existence?  The answer is relatively simple: we don’t.

Our way of life is unsustainable and very wasteful.  Whether it’s the plastic bags we get with every purchase that end up in the ocean’s gyres spanning thousands of miles and suffocating every life form in its grasp or the agricultural artificial fertilizer run off that creates a completely anaerobic environment, having much the same effect in coastal regions, we are destroying the planet in the name of convenience, greed and ignorance.

Caution: danger ahead

But the destruction doesn’t simply end with the environment.  It is not a requisite that you hug trees or join Greenpeace to appreciate the point.  We are also ruining ourselves.  This modern, industrialized lifestyle is incredibly detrimental to humanity.

Often times we find our food is not only processed to the point where it is devoid of any nutritional value, but it is also genetically modified and full of toxic pesticides, fungicides, preservatives, flavorings and more.

What’s in your stomach?

Why are coal tar derivatives being used to create artificial colors or flavors?  Why is benzene, which is formed when sodium benzoate is combined with ascorbic acid (as it is in Pepsi or Coca-Cola) in our soft drinks?  Why is high-fructose corn syrup chock full of heavy metals like mercury?  How is it that one can of tuna can create more mercury exposure than 29 dental amalgams?

Money motivates malice

Does anyone see a pattern here?  Are you asking yourself a very simple question right now?  I often asked myself, “why?”.  The motivation is greed above everything else.  Above your health, above your family’s health and the world around us.

When your publicly traded company has a fiduciary responsibility to its investors to report (even by means of fabrication, manipulation or otherwise) quarterly gains in profit or face the wrath of panicking investors and short selling traders, what do you do as an executive?

Do you A) Run the company responsibly so that your consumers get an honest product for an honest price and your employees are fairly compensated.  B) Run the company as well as you can while focusing on profit, acknowledging that nothing in the world is perfect, but still striving to do a satisfactory job for all parties or C) Run the company with greed as the sole intention, finding any and every way to cut corners, stagnate wages, reduce costs with lower quality input, perhaps dump toxic waste illegally or even sell some unsafe products.

If you guessed C you are correct for just about 95% of the world’s large companies.  Any executive foolish enough to regard morals as an imperative is quickly expunged in favor of a staunch bean counter (Goldman Sachs is perhaps the epitome of everything wrong with modern pseudo-capitalistic fascism).

You are now entering an ethics-free zone

There is no moral imperative, because there is no requirement for such a standard.  There is no regard for the environment as long as a loophole exists that allows exploitation.  There is not a care in the world for your well being because no one profits from your health.

Plenty of companies profit from human diseases, though.   Companies that could easily find life saving cures, but instead would rather treat the symptoms of the disease to score a durable high-margin profit.  Before you tell me that I’m reaching too far, why don’t you have a look at these few articles.   Apparently big pharma is not too concerned about our lives.

Time to live simply so that others may simply live

The answer is clear.  We have to return to a more natural existence.  Going green must be the new global paradigm.  This means spending more time outside, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables (preferably organic and local) and reading the ingredient labels of other consumables you purchase.

It also means understanding how to reuse, recycle and reduce your waste tangibly.  Do whatever you can to use less energy and even produce your own with solar panels. Try to telecommute, walk, bike or use public transportation for work.

Reduce (or eliminate) your consumption of meat, dairy, eggs and other incredibly resource intensive foods and beverages.  Refuse to buy toxic products like artificial cleaning agents, pesticides, fragrances, etc.

Try to spend within your means.  Too much waste is created from credit-based spending.  If you can’t afford to buy it cash it’s usually best not to buy it at all.

Learn about the world around you.  Become passionate about being informed.  Think for yourself and make decisions based off of the knowledge you accumulate, not what people or the media tell you to do.

We must also encourage our localities to adopt renewable energy plans, increase their recycling programs, provide methods to dispose of e-waste in a safe and non-destructive manner, force companies to stop dumping toxic waste and encourage farms to use sustainable practices.  Don’t be afraid to be different!  We can change the world if we work together.

Let’s do it!

Our society must embrace the positive, focus on the future and move towards a more symbiotic relationship with our planet.  A global green revolution is just what we need to kick start this metamorphisis from destroyers to caretakers.  We should all strive to leave the Earth better than we found it and be proud to do so.