With this issue, Biophile is one year old. It has been a wonderful experience getting the magazine out there every couple of months. We have learned plenty (and still have loads to learn) and feel privileged to be able to bring the information that we do to our readers.
These feelings of gratitude we have are amplified by the amazing response we have had from so many people around the country via telephone calls and letters. Sometimes the information may appear to be burdensome and extreme, but how can we take charge of our lives and lighten our arrogantly large disconnected ecological and ignorant footprint and return to living lives lovingly, peacefully and disease free connected to earth and all the creatures and people whom we share her with, if we do not have the knowledge with which to make the choices we need to.
The holiday season is upon us and for all the excitement and fun that it brings, it is also a time when we humans consume more than ever, and with consumerism/materialism being at the heart of our environmental crisis it is a time more than ever to wake up to the fact that every single choice we make, from the gifts we buy to the food we eat, to the holiday we take will either impact positively or negatively on the crisis we find ourselves in.
The Cape Times ran an article just the other day saying that a record loss of sea ice in the Arctic this summer has convinced scientists that the northern hemisphere may have crossed a critical threshold beyond which the climate may never recover. Scientists fear that the Arctic has now entered an irreversible phase of warming which will accelerate the loss of the polar sea ice that has helped to keep the climate stable for thousands of years. Sea ice naturally melts in summer and reforms in winter but for the first time on record this annual rebound did not occur last winter when the ice of the Arctic failed to recover significantly.
I don’t believe that there are any definates, but rather the outcome of anything is dependent on the prevailing consciousness at the time. The consciousness that we are all (the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms) a perfectly balanced intelligent, interconnected and interdependent system and that if one thing is out of balance then all is out of balance needs to be urgently studied and adopted. And these are the things that the schools should be teaching our children. If we study the ways of the ancient tribes, and there are still pockets of these incredible people living on earth, we can see what and how we should be living.
Most of them have lived on earth for longer than 50 000 years in perfect balance with nature. What is so extraordinary is that our so called “civilized” people, who often refer to these tribal people as “uncivilized ” (although people do seem to be waking up to the absurdity of this), have managed to devastate the natural environment is less that a 100 years.
People are becoming more and more aware however that our environment is in serious trouble, and unless we ALL make radical changes to our lifestyles and serious contributions to rectify the situation, the effects of global warming will bring climate changes that will change our lives for ever.
Our disconnection from the animal kingdom is another area of grave concern as it perpetuates the dense vibration of violence and extreme cruelty. In the UK and US alone there are almost 90 millions turkeys killed for human consumption during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
These turkeys and other animals have lived a miserably short life, cooped up in some shocking little filthy dark space, often not big enough to turn around in, pumped full of growth hormones, antibiotics and tranquilizers, and then killed when in infancy to ensure that the farmers get as much money as they can and we have a nice fat animal on the table.
Animals including turkeys, experience pain, fear, discomfort and distress just like we do, but we don’t even give it a thought let alone a blessings. What has happened to us humans as we arrogantly assume that we have the right to behave like this, taking from Earth in a similar way as we assume nature is there for us to conquer and use for our own selfish indulgent lifestyles? This is the consciousness that needs to be changed if we are to avert the crisis we are diving headlong into.
It was really exciting when we heard that the Greenpeace ships had docked in Cape Town harbour a couple of weeks ago, getting ready for an unprecedented voyage to protect the 1000 whales that the Japanese are intent on killing, ostensibly for the sake of science, but that actually end up on the dinner tables! We encourage you to sign up for their internet initiative to help track the Japs. More info on page 18.
So this festive season why not adopt a new approach and tell people about your decision. Encourage them to do the same. Instead of rushing to the shopping malls and buying and buying, creating more waste and perpetuating the devastating consumerist cycle – why not make something for your friends and family, or at least give them something useful made by our local people, or even better give to people who have very little instead.
Another good idea is to buy a solar panel for your home, it is not out of the reach of many pockets! Have a vegetarian meal; it will save thousands of animals next time round.
Spend more time in nature doing the simple things in life like going for walks, planting your vegetable gardens, having picnics, playing with your children and animals.
Spend less, love more and be grateful all the time for everything, especially your family, home and friends. And if we remember that it is an act of spiritual mastery to choose a life that is joyful, even in the midst of difficulty, the challenges of life become less stressful and more fun. We hope you have a blessed and happy festive season!