Spring Break
Earth Day: a focus beyond saving the environment
Mary Ackerson
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Opinion
Our lives can become so controlled by this abstract concept of time that we are no longer experiencing fulfilled and happy lives. Productivity and making money should not be such high priorities that they keep us from taking the time to enjoy the beauty in the world and feel our oneness with nature.
Another problem in our world today is that we are not forced to encounter nature in the way people used to encounter it. We do not see the source of the things we use, and are not involved in the process of their development.
If I had to cut down the tree that was going to be used to make my paper or if I had to feel the loss of cutting its life short, it would be much harder to use as though there is an unlimited supply.
If I had to plant seeds, watch them grow, and then harvest the plants for food, it would be much more difficult to waste. Today it is easy to forget to feel thankful that the sole purpose of each plant or animal's life has become to provide our body with nourishment.
Remembering that we are connected to everything else in the earth, and taking the time to feel this connection, is the primary way in which we can start doing a better job of preserving the environment.
We must re-discover our bond to the earth in a way that will inspire the discipline and devotion necessary for a genuine commitment to long-term change and restoration.
Mary Ackerson is a senior political science major. Her column appears Tuesdays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.
Another problem in our world today is that we are not forced to encounter nature in the way people used to encounter it. We do not see the source of the things we use, and are not involved in the process of their development.
If I had to cut down the tree that was going to be used to make my paper or if I had to feel the loss of cutting its life short, it would be much harder to use as though there is an unlimited supply.
If I had to plant seeds, watch them grow, and then harvest the plants for food, it would be much more difficult to waste. Today it is easy to forget to feel thankful that the sole purpose of each plant or animal's life has become to provide our body with nourishment.
Remembering that we are connected to everything else in the earth, and taking the time to feel this connection, is the primary way in which we can start doing a better job of preserving the environment.
We must re-discover our bond to the earth in a way that will inspire the discipline and devotion necessary for a genuine commitment to long-term change and restoration.
Mary Ackerson is a senior political science major. Her column appears Tuesdays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.
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