Hope For Our Planet

Good news about the environment deserves air time. Here are some positive developments from places you may not have expected.

Business leaders are awakening to their errors – and opportunities. Believe it or not, some corporations are becoming more environmentally conscious. For instance, The Natural Step, a program originated by a Swedish doctor, teaches businesses how to rethink their systems and dramatically cut waste (www.naturalstep.org).   Organizations, newsletters, and conferences help earth-friendly businesspeople exchange ideas. One of the most exciting books I’ve seen in years (Natural Capitalism) shows how to reduce waste, revamp operations, and network with other businesses, rethinking everything to promote sustainability. And if you really are ready for a surprise, Wal-Mart has launched major sustainability initiatives with many aspects of their corporation.

In agriculture, inventive farmers, agronomists, and scientists are developing healthier ways of growing food. Sustainable Agriculture revives ancient traditions (e.g., crop rotation) and adds new information technologies (e.g., GPS) to pinpoint exact timing and proportions for farming procedures.  Using natural pest controllers (such as ladybugs), smaller plots, and cover crops reduces the “need” for pesticides, which damage the earth and our bodies. A promising study was recently conducted in  China . Thousands of farmers were instructed to make one simple change: instead of planting large fields of one kind of rice, plant smaller fields of two kinds of rice. The results were stunning: yields doubled. Agricultural scientists and dedicated private individuals are finding many other ways to reduce pesticides, use water more skillfully, preserve topsoil, promote biodiversity, and get off the “pesticide treadmill.” Organizations like The Food Alliance (www.tfa.org) help organic farmers market their goods and preserve another endangered species -- family farms.

Some consumers are doing their part. Socially responsible investing surpasses the trillion-dollar mark. Shade-grown coffee (leaving trees in place) is a rapidly-growing niche, as coffee drinkers realize that clearing land to grow coffee robs birds and other animals of their homes and causes other environmental damage. Organic food is being sold in supermarkets, and people can also join organic farms as subscribers of Community Supported Agriculture (www.csacenter.org). We’re eating less meat, realizing that eating lower on the food chain is good for the earth and ourselves. The vision of a more just and sustainable world is taking shape.

Yet unhappiness is epidemic in this country, though most people are free from hunger and the worst forms of tyranny. Millions feel clinically depressed or chronically anxious, self-medicating on alcohol, drugs, food, and “affluenza” – compulsive spending. During my years as a psychotherapist, I saw the fallout. What’s missing from our lives that money can’t buy? Some ecopsychologists believe that separation from nature contributes to the problem. Last Child in the Woods, a book by Richard Louv, describes the loss of outdoor time that today’s children are experiencing, which he calls “nature deficit disorder.”  We all need to get outside more, adults as well as children.

Chimpanzee expert and environmentalist Jane Goodall says in her book Reason for Hope that we can solve our problems. I think she’s right. But we must act promptly – and wisely. Every day’s delay means another hundred species extinct. Americans devour more than our share of earth’s resources. We must wrestle with difficult tradeoffs, beware of greenwash (phony claims of environmental virtue), and resist both despair and complacency. As consumers, we can all be part of the solution.

            So for your own resolutions, may I suggest the following?

·        Eat less meat and more organic fruits and vegetables.

·        Resist the advertising industry’s manipulations and live more simply.

·        Patronize environmentally responsible companies.

·        Find one favorite environmental group and volunteer your time, money, or expertise.

·        Cultivate time in natural settings. Find the joy in caring for the animals and habitats around you.

Or what earth-friendly actions would you prefer?  There are hundreds to choose from.