I definitely think we've been living like we have more than one planet to occupy. We treat resources like they are unlimited and rape the earth of its wealth. We also treat life like a right, not a privilege. Everyone is selfish with the life they are given, thinking only of what will come to pass over their lifetime, not beyond. Long term effects of our choices are not well researched. We would be so much better off if we looked at each choice in a more permaculture type of way. Multiple uses for each function, thinking about the edges of interaction as the place of the most possibility, mimicking nature instead of trying to conquer it. This is how I try to live, but I'll admit, it is difficult. Especially in the construct that we live in as a society.
I found the article on the sustainable use of biodiversity interesting. Why though is it always men in suits that make these types of decisions about how to "save" a native culture. I wish more men in suits thought about the impact of the western world on native cultures before we infiltrated them in search of oil and lumber. I have spent a lot of time living in Indigenous societies in different parts of the world in hopes of learning what they have to teach and to help keep some of that knowledge alive. It was always a sad endeavor watching the youth of the people whom I had traveled far and wide to learn from seeking to live the life I was running from. The western world has brought over GMO subsidized crops, raped the land for oil and lumber and stolen their herbal secrets in order to make pharmaceutical drugs. And the worst part is that in order to survive in their culture while it depends more and more on the American dollar, they are hired to carry out the pillage. So, although it is good that people are looking to reinstate biological diversity in Indigenous communities, I worry that it is too little to late.
Jamie, this entry is incredibly articulate and heartfelt. Amazing writing. Have you seen the film, The Eleventh Hour? It's mostly about energy renewal, but I like the direction they take because only the first 1/3 or so is doom and gloom, the rest contains inspiring solutions which gives the audience hope for a better future. I think that if I lived in an indigenous community, I'd want more of a western lifestyle. We live posh. But I hear what you're saying, the rainforests are being stripped away, good land and resources are being capitalized on, and for what? The next big anti-aging fix or impotence remedy? It's maddening to think about. The more "sharing" we do also hurts cultures in the long run, but the flipside is we gain more knowledge as a collective. Will we one day, hundreds of years from now, through all of this sharing of information, become one more uniform culture? Will the sharing (and pillaging) be our ultimate demise? Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I'd like to hear more about your experiences in indigenous cultures sometime. Sounds fascinating!
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