Monday, June 10, 2013

Human

I think it's sometimes very easy to separate the environment from ourselves. We always think of it as that thing, over there, that we all have to chip in to save. It turns into a chore, a fad, some kind of charity group for a distant unfortunate lifeforce that we feel guilty and worry about in the 'oh right, I need to see to that' sort of way.  No. It's us. We are what we're trying to save. We are the environment, that huge unknowable, mysteriously working thing, breathing that air, drinking that water, soaking up that sun.
  It needs to be impressed upon us in a very real sense, impressed upon us on every possible front-the news, the papers, the internet, everyday conversation-that each change we make is a change that affects our very core. It does not necessarily affect a Siberian tiger or a chimpanzee in Africa (though hopefully these too). Because we need to know that in addition to helping others, we are helping to cement our very own, real, personal survivals. Let's face it, humans are (and have been for the past 200,000 years) a tad selfish in nature. And this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
  A belief needs to be deep. Before it's, to use the stale, oft-used term, "too late," survival instinct has to be re-kindled into one of the focal points of our moral code, into our DNA. We're all too comfy. We can adjust air conditioning and turn on warmth and flip a switch for light and heat foods in 30 seconds and it is weird and we need to understand that it is.
  I need to stop taking things for granted. Everyone does.

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