The Right to Live on a Healthy Planet

Earth Day 1971

This goes all the way back to childhood.  A small person realises there is pollution in the world. Where can I go to find clean air and water the child wonders?  The adult still does -- but it's not that bad.  Today we have hope.  We know better than to foul our nests and we are working on the solutions.

What can I say -- either you believe we have the right to live on a healthy planet -- or you don't. Whilst we are claiming our rights let's make sure we have everything we need.

Health and wealth -- inextricably intertwined.  Just as without the ecology there can be no economy, we must remember that our health can only ever be as good as that of the planet we live on.

So what are we waiting for?

We can join with people who are already working on the planet's health.  Here are some.

Points of Light.

Allan Savory.  The Savory Institute based in Boulder, Colorado, USA.
     Projects in place in Southern Africa and Western USA.
     Holistic Management of grazing land and large animal herds.

     http://www.savoryinstitute.com/savory-hubs/

Why does it only rain on your side of the fence?

Peter Andrews.  Based in Australia.  http://www.naturalsequencefarming.com/
     Delivering solutions for landscapes
     "rich with plants, using water efficiently, high in carbons, abundant with wildlife"
     http://www.regionalinnovations.com.au/

Sepp Holtzer. http://www.seppholzer.at/cms/index.php?id=69  Based in Austria.

     Has lived on his farm all his life and revolutionised high-altitude, cold climate farming.

     German language website http://www.krameterhof.at/cms60/index.php?id=5

     More on his work in English http://www.holzeragroecology.com/

Geoff Lawton.

     His favourite achievement of mine (there are many) has to be the discovery of a 2000 year old food forest
     while looking for a place to surf in Morocco (1975).

Date palms, above, with olives, bananas, dates, grapes,
 guava, mulberries, carob and tamarind growing underneath.   

Here's a link to the video.

      http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/2000-year-old-food-forestoasis-feeds-800-farmers-video.html

Masanobu Fukuoka (inspired projects).

     https://sites.google.com/site/onseedballs/worldwide-projects

     Seedballs are a method of easily introducing biodiversity into eclogically impoverished areas.

     Originally his work began in his native Japan. Projects in the above link are worldwide.

 One of Fukuoka's books.  And another..

“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.“ — Masanobu Fukuoka, One-Straw Revolution.

http://anthropogen.com/2012/03/11/masanobu-fukuoka-planting-100000-hectares-in-arnissa-greece-1998/

Here is access to a film about one of Fukuoka's projects -- in Greece.

Green Belt Movement.


This Kenyan group has it all -- social justice, people power and planting green belts.

"When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope."

--Wangari Maathai

http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/

It won't be long before this is achieved.. http://www.bbc.com/news/10344622

A Green wall from Senegal to Djibouti planned by African leaders to halt the spread of the Sahara.

 

There is another form of planetary health and it is her consciousness.   Humans have done a great job of not destroying ourselves.  We have said no to Armageddon.  Eventually we will say yes to something else.  There are cycles within the earth -- humans need to know that not everything the earth does is about us.  However, our combined state of consciousness has great bearing on the earth's state.  Perhaps the earth cannot change gears as quickly as we can.  You want to head toward total destruction then you don't -- make up your mind!

Well what we need are earth whisperers who can speak the language the earth speaks to tell her it is safe to go on having humans living on her.  That we wish to participate in the healing that is needed -- rapidly for our sake more than for hers.  We can participate in the re-generation of life on earth which has been in decline for about 150 years -- coinciding with our push to industrialise, colonialise and populate every square inch of her surface.  Species may begin to return -- slowly if we allow them the space and time (but I wonder if they will be the same ones we are used to?).

This is all linked to us -- to our ability to coordinate with one another -- not necessarily following any one leader but together realising and acting in accordance with natural laws we have neglected far too long.  (Example -- how many people can we have living in one place and still have a healthy planet?)

We have the means -- make no mistake.  Communication is already in place.  What we need is to break down the man-made boundaries and barriers that have tended to separate all from all -- gender, race, religion, socio-economic status and political persuasion.  These things mean nothing if they prevent us from recognising the most important distinction of all -- living and dead.  Living people should stick together if they don't want to be the other way.  Very basic.

Can we still tell the difference?

UNIVERSAL LAND RIGHTS

Further to this -- we have the subject upon which this entire blog is based.  Humans can do so much more with and for the planet if we have the right to call some of it our own.  To take pride in ownership -- viz the difference between a rental property and a lovingly tended family-owned estate.  I rest my case.

Prototypical earth-whisperers.
The Lorax and..

The Russian dachniks.

(See post March 3, 2014)