It is amazing, but true. We are using our most sacred gift of aliveness to destroy the very existence of life throughout the Planet and we are completely asleep to the reality. So what is it in us that has allowed us to get so confused? Why are we even capable of destroying our own habitat? Let’s take a look at our DNA. There is very little differentiation between our genetic coding and that of a chimpanzee, except for the Hox gene or the moment in our evolution when human beings found a way to slow down our rate of development. What did this cause? It allowed us to stay in an extended state of play, wonder, awe, and curiosity.
As a result, we cannot rely on our DNA to tell us what to do. We are not simply guided by instinct, we have the capacity for self-reflection, free will and choice. This is an extraordinary expression of the universe, where life is able to reflect on itself, to see that it exists, to wonder why this is so, and to choose how to be. The consequence, is that we have reached a point where humanity itself has become a force much like the great glaciers of the Ice Age, capable of impacting the presence of life on Earth without the moral maturity to safeguard our endowment.
Brian Swimme uses the example of the Cheetah to illustrate the cultural influence humans have over the existence of other life forms. We have reached a point where Cheetah’s will literally only exist in regions that humans deem to be their natural habitat. Areas that we boundary and safeguard. Without or protection, the Cheetah will fall prey to the consequences of our industrial development, through the destruction of their natural habitats and the impacts of eroding eco-systems.
The irony of the situation, is that although we may be at the top of the food chain, we are not separate from it. “The environmental crisis is part and parcel in everything we believe in and act upon. It is, as it were, in the very fabric of our lives.” (O’Sullivan 94)
So what are we doing about it? From December 7 – December 18 2009, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. The goal is to have leaders sign a global climate change deal that is ambitious, fair, and binding (visit that link – just do it) We have only recently discovered that 350 ppm is the safe amount of CO2 that can be present in the atmosphere before reaching serious climate change – we are currently at 390ppm. So not only do we need to cap our carbon emission, but we need to reduce. What can you do? Candle light vigils are being held throughout the world on the weekend of December 11th to 13th to showcase the support global citizens have for coming to a progressive and commendable resolution through Copenhagen. I will be attending one at U of T on Saturday December 12th if anyone would like to join me I would be happy to have you there!
Every step counts, but it is important to remember as we are faced with the most significant struggle of our human history that all things are connected. What has brought us to this point in history will necessarily need to be transformed. That includes our beaurocratic systems, workplace hierarchies, relationships of dominance and oppression, privilege and disempowerment, mass media and advertising, education and literacy, health and food, religion and government. Let’s use this time for what it truly presents to us, an opportunity to step into that innate place of wonder, play, creativity, and joy. How can we make the world a more loving place? What must we let go of in order to do so? What can we dream into existence.
http://www.dancefortheclimate.org/
http://en.cop15.dk/calendar


