Heal the Earth With A Less Is More Philosophy
Last month I taught yoga for a week at an upscale, all-inclusive beach resort. I returned home privileged, rested, tanned, well-fed, but also disheartened. The behemoth resort that I had languished at had recently bought the privilege, likely both over and under the table, to be sprawled on a beautiful stretch of sugar sand beach very close to a fragile marine preserve. And there it brazenly sits like a sated and complacent cat that can’t be bothered with anyone’s grievances but her own. Every day this voracious beast indifferently expands its carbon pawprint by using a plethora of single use plastic bottles, by overfeeding its affluent guests, and by NOT providing either reef friendly sunscreen, or a modicum of education regarding the threatened ecosystem that is inhabited by the very turtles that most guests are excited to swim with.
Walking the 2 mile beach was both a joyful and a heart-wrenching experience. With age I’ve learned it’s okay to hold two or more contradictory emotions at the same time. Not sure where I got the message that I had to be ALL mad or ALL glad. At any rate, to me, there is nothing as mesmerizing as the rolling seas, and yet the level of plastic waste-bags, shoes, bottles, caps etc. strewn on the beach, rightfully diluted the experience with the insistent message of, “all is not well”. What’s especially disturbing to me about these giant resorts that continue to be added to already stressed environments is the lack of concern for the ecological cost of doing business. That stewardship might be called for is rarely considered. At this particular resort and many others that I have stayed at, a hedonistic vibe prevails alongside an appalling lack of eco consciousness. That is not to say that there aren’t eco resorts and other environmental organizations working hard around the world to do minimal damage and to help to turn things around. Of course there are. But I fear that because these efforts are not the norm, that they are too little and too late. Because of Man’s arrogance, greed, and short-sightedness, the earth’s entire life-forms and complex ecosystems are being severely altered and perhaps destroyed.
I have been diving in Mexico for decades and I can tell you that the second largest reef in the world pales now in comparison to its vibrancy just 20 years ago. There are fewer fish and coral varieties, extensive coral bleaching, more subdued colors, and warmer waters. At its current rate of extinction the reef is expected to die in 20 years. And we humans are to blame.
When I feel hopeless that any small effort that I might undertake can really making a difference, I recall Gandhi’s wisdom when he said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”. So if we want a balanced world we must become more balanced ourselves. Gandhi taught ahimsa, a yoga term meaning nonviolence. Caring for the earth is ahimsa in action. Since the earth has been altered by violent means- dams, fracking, levees, CO2-spewing cars and plants, perhaps the cure is to counter those choices with a philosophy of ,“do less harm”.
Because I’m uneasily aware that my footprint is part of the problem too, I ask myself what changes are needed to help preserve both the earth and all its inhabitants. First of all, to live eco consciously, not just when it’s convenient, but most of the time. Second, to support those organizations that are a vital part of the climate solution. And third, to not be afraid to speak my truth. I recognize that by writing this, I may risk alienating some readers… yet… silence when the earth is in peril is not an option. I believe that climate deniers have their heads in the sand and even if the earth is going through a cyclical warming cycle, we are undoubtedly contributing to the problem by overpopulating ourselves, overfishing our seas, razing forests and mangroves, depleting our soils, and altering the earth’s natural course to such an extent that its balance and survival are imminently threatened.
World Population Balance(WPB) https://www.worldpopulationbalance.org is the main organization that I support. With an ever-growing human population -there are nearly 8 billion of us- the endangered animals and ecosystems don’t have a chance. I subscribe to the creed of WPB that says that our population trajectory is not sustainable and until overpopulation is addressed all other eco measures are mere bandaids. That includes endeavors like green energy, organic farming, recycling, coral planting, electric cars, etc. How is it a good idea for an intelligent species to knowingly overpopulate themselves and set in motion potential suffering for so many life forms? That is precisely what we have done and continue to do. The WPB website states: “We sustainable population advocates need to show the ‘it’s all about consumption’ critics a realistic presentation of how low consumption would need to be in order to live sustainably on the planet. The fact is that without a much lower population on the planet, virtually everyone will be doomed to living at a very low standard of living on an ecologically ravaged planet”.
For obvious reasons I also support Planned Parenthood https://www.plannedparenthood.org .
And finally any organization around the globe that educates women and provides access to birth control gets my attention. It’s known that educated women have fewer children. Of course they do.
So back to the all-inclusive beach resort…. With a little caring and effort this resort and the oodles of others like it could be eco leaders. Most people want to know what they can do to help the environment and its inhabitants. My suggestion is that when each guest checks in they watch a short video on the endangered reef system, the steps that the resort is taking to help, and specifically what the guest can do to join in this effort. In lieu of plastic bottles, resort brand water bottles could be filled at various filtered water stations. Additionally, reef friendly sunscreen could be encouraged and provided.
I have been expounding upon the problems of overpopulation for years to anyone who will listen. I can’t let what seems so obvious a solution to the earth’s dire plight go unspoken. I know that talk is cheap, but perhaps spreading the word will help. Dear reader, I am aware that this is a much different blog than you are used to reading on the Yogalift® newsletter. You might be asking what this has to do with health? I say everything! Living mindfully with an eco and ahimsa philosophy helps bring the mind, body, and spirit into alignment and balance. This is medicine for the earth and the philosophy can be contagious! Hopefully I have kept or at least caught your attention. I think that the more we speak our individual truths and discuss issues that are important to us the more our being integrates and thrives.
I welcome any comments. sleavitt@yogalift.com
Namaste, Shannon
