Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Sustainable Living
If this was your last meal what would you order?
Fillet Mignon? Salmon, oysters? Eggplant Parmesan (my favorite).
What if the fillet was tough and dry with no salad, no fresh greens or potato. Would it still be your favorite meal?
Like the cycle of a tree and the way it cleans the air the National Arbor Day Foundation(1) has been asking us for years to plant a tree but we never do. Even though if we had no trees we would cease to exist. Which brings me to land stewardship. The Wikipedia definition of Stewardship “Every person has a responsibility to look after the planet both for themselves and for the future generations. Acting irresponsibly could cause damage such as pollution, the destruction of cultural heritage, etc." (2)
If people can’t even plant a tree or stop using Styrofoam(3) cups how can we possible convince them of the importance of land stewardship. That without land, plants, trees, fresh clean water we will cease to exist. It’s the mentality of “someone else will take care of it“ that is self defeating. As if there is a magic elf that comes along and cleans the water, cares for the plants and freshens the air in some way. Land stewardship comes in many forms from the family farmer(4), the land preservation trusts to the boy who raises money for the Audubon Society to save the natural habitat of birds and the old women who picks up trash on her daily walk. They all have the same goal to preserve the earth for future generations.
Stop and think for just one moment what your summer vacation would be like with no trees, no birds, no rolling fields or beautiful mountains, streams to fish or lakes to swim in. If so many people enjoy the use of our natural surroundings than why is the care, STEWARDSHIP, task taken up by so few. These few are given the smallest of resources, the least recognition and the least of rewards for our society but the burden is great.
(1)http://www.arborday.org/
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewardship
(3)http://www.emagazine.com/view/?2933
(4)http://farmfresh.org/
Fillet Mignon? Salmon, oysters? Eggplant Parmesan (my favorite).
What if the fillet was tough and dry with no salad, no fresh greens or potato. Would it still be your favorite meal?
Like the cycle of a tree and the way it cleans the air the National Arbor Day Foundation(1) has been asking us for years to plant a tree but we never do. Even though if we had no trees we would cease to exist. Which brings me to land stewardship. The Wikipedia definition of Stewardship “Every person has a responsibility to look after the planet both for themselves and for the future generations. Acting irresponsibly could cause damage such as pollution, the destruction of cultural heritage, etc." (2)
If people can’t even plant a tree or stop using Styrofoam(3) cups how can we possible convince them of the importance of land stewardship. That without land, plants, trees, fresh clean water we will cease to exist. It’s the mentality of “someone else will take care of it“ that is self defeating. As if there is a magic elf that comes along and cleans the water, cares for the plants and freshens the air in some way. Land stewardship comes in many forms from the family farmer(4), the land preservation trusts to the boy who raises money for the Audubon Society to save the natural habitat of birds and the old women who picks up trash on her daily walk. They all have the same goal to preserve the earth for future generations.
Stop and think for just one moment what your summer vacation would be like with no trees, no birds, no rolling fields or beautiful mountains, streams to fish or lakes to swim in. If so many people enjoy the use of our natural surroundings than why is the care, STEWARDSHIP, task taken up by so few. These few are given the smallest of resources, the least recognition and the least of rewards for our society but the burden is great.
(1)http://www.arborday.org/
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewardship
(3)http://www.emagazine.com/view/?2933
(4)http://farmfresh.org/
Labels: Buy Local, Green living
// posted by DME @ 9:42 AM 
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