In a recent article about the Mekong River, I gathered that the English name of this mighty river system is derived from the Lao and Thai name "Mae Nam Khong" , meaning Mother of Water. I found it fascinating how we maternalize nature, clearly suggesting that nature is giving us life and nurtures us. Across all indigenous people and religions, Mother Earth plays a central role about understanding where we come from, and that life has been given to us, a gift that is to be cherished.
In my part of the world, nature fulfills our recreational needs, which when I look at it from a global perspective, is somewhat of a luxury. In the eye of climate change and ongoing industrialization of populous countries, it seems that preserving nature and feeding people is only going to become a greater worldwide challenge, which the developed nations must be willing to face. Unsustainable investment in the name of globalization is not the answer.
The rather utilitarian use of nature (i.e. using natural resources for survival) stands in stark contrast to viewing nature in Western nations as a place to be protected, a place for sheer enjoyment and relaxation from our rat race lives. Obviously, as poverty decreases, the recreational use of the outdoor space increases, much like in the Pyramid of Needs (Hierarchy of Needs) by the psychologist Abraham Maslow, which describes the levels of human motivation based on meeting needs. In accordance with this theory, one can transfer the different levels of needs to any situation that requires human motivation in order to jump up to the next level until we reach the highest level of human motivation: self-actualization.
Most of the world still operates along an agricultural bell curve, where an increased input eventually leads to a diminished output. food and clean water are the most basic needs for a human being along with shelter and safety. As long as people are "stuck" on these two levels of Maslow's pyramid, the chances for advancing upward are low, nature remains a sometimes unforgiving companion, not giving enough, not nurturing, not a place for recreation. Darwin's and Maslow's theories intersect in these instances.
International aid programs and non-government organizations focus on these basic needs and lift people out of poverty and into the higher levels of self-awareness and self-actualization. Logically, if we are not able to fight poverty and safety, we can not expect people to become stewards for the environment, because natural resources will only be consumed for survival, no self-motivation to preserve it.
I envision better environmental partnerships between wealthy and emerging countries, a platform for exchanging scientific findings and best practices. Tied into these partnerships need to be educational opportunities for teachers, professors and students to increase awareness, teach advocacy and proactiveness. When people feel empowered, they pool their human resources and engage themselves in problem solution.
The UN Global Impact initiative (http://www.unglobalcompact.org/AboutTheGC/index.html) works with businesses around the world to ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth within the framework of ten principles in the areas of human rights, the environment, labor and anti-corruption. This voluntary and network-based organization is able to operate in a non-bureaucratic environment, connecting the UN to the private sector.
Environmental stewardship and sustainability is a responsibility we all share. We might just be pulling at different points of the same rope, but we are all pulling our own weight. Industrial nations need to lead with promoting best practices locally and abroad. Using poor countries as a way to clean up our own mess, e.g. e-waste, by shipping electronic trash to places in Africa and Southeast Asia, where children pick through the electronic waste for valuable metals that can be recycled for a few dollars, while exposing themselves to toxins is not just unacceptable, but very short sighted. The problem here is the lack of law on our part to prevent this type of activity and the millions of poor people on the other hand trying to make a living under dire and corrupt circumstances.
Everyone of us can make small changes in our daily life, how we consume, what we consume and how we teach the next generation of environmental stewards. It takes one spark to ignite a passion in someone somewhere. Another organization, "Eco Tipping Points" ( http://www.ecotippingpoints.org/photo-video.html) collects local stories from around the world, where individuals and/or small communities found ways to live more sustainable. This is the momentum needed to activate people directly in their communities, to bring their challenges and projects to the surface for greater global collaboration.
A personal encounter comes to my mind, a visit to a Buddhist temple in South Korea, where a huge tree adorned the center of the temple grounds.
An IV bag stuck in its trunk, as if the monks wanted to make sure that the tree survives or is healed. A tree of life, lovingly cared for.
My hope is that people will continue to love nature, see the beauty in it and find peace. Only if we really learn to love the outdoors, are we willing to take on stewardship and make the political, economic and personal changes necessary to sustain our planet's intricate balance. It all starts with a community effort, reusing materials, consume fewer resources, a stream cleanup, storm drain labeling, etc. Every small effort has an effect somewhere in the world - after all there is only one Mother Earth.
