An Energy Sourcebook for Sustainable Living
Excerpt from Powering Our Future.
The Next Evolution
Education Fueled by Desire
Education serves as a catalyst to positive change. Good intention, without sound information, achieves little. It is through deep knowledge and a growing understanding of ourselves as participants in a vast, intricate system that we are empowered to create a healthier dynamic between and within communities and the natural world. Aldo Leopold, one of the forefathers of the modern environmental movement, stated, "We can be ethical only in relation to something we can see, feel, understand, love, or otherwise have faith in." We may conserve that which has value, but we will only protect that which we love. The transition toward a sustainable future must be propelled by an effective education system that teaches us how inherently valuable and beautiful the natural world is with all of its diverse life forms.
In order to create a more hopeful future, we must understand the folly of our current system, and then create a vision for a healthier existence. Education alone cannot change the world. However, education, fueled by a genuine desire and love for the land and all biological life, will give us the propulsion needed to transform our conceptualizations into reality. Without being able to experience fully the potential of our vision, it is difficult to imagine the prospect of a rich, beautiful, and wholesome connectedness to life and the universe. Nevertheless, we can catch small glimpses of this potential by deepening our human relationships, seeking purpose and deeper meaning in our everyday lives, and embracing healthier, more-balanced lifestyles. Taking one step at a time, we can learn to individually create our visions of a healthy dynamic. As those we associate with acknowledge the fullness and vibrancy of our existence, they, too, may discover the desire within themselves to embody the same principles. Starting at the local level, positive change will ripple out into the world.
Source
Leopold, Aldo, A Sand County Almanac , Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1966, p. 251
Recently my friends have become recently interested in doing our bit for the world. It all started with this strange girl we met. We went on a road trip, picked up a hitch hiker, next thing we know she is telling us she is trying to get across the country by relying on people's kindness. She says she's a free spirit and that we are all part of the universe and we should be blessed to be here. She starts telling us that everyone should respect the environment and do our bit for the world. She had this amazing looking cell phone that runs on solar energy. Her clothes were weird and then she explained that they were hand made in countries by women who aren't forced to work or slave labor, volunteer companies make arrangements to help with their income. When we dropped her off at her destination, we were all different women.
So we've done it. We just try do everything right by the environment and natural world. All these small little changes make a huge difference. Even the basics like using a candle instead of electricity.
But the biggest change we've done is switching our cell phones. It's an interesting conversation starter and a lot of people are fascinated by the concept of our cells. They run on solar panels. Our cells are generated not through electricity, but through solar panels. What basically happens is that we all install a limited version of tiny solar panels, created especially for the cell phones and the energy created from the solar panels makes the cells work. It's an amazing idea and environmentally friendly. The cell phones also look trendy and are really easy to use.