Editorial
By Sally Van Vleck
If we tune into what is happening to the planet ecologically it's difficult not to get totally bummed out, decide it's over, and give up. In fact, many people have done just that: given up.At the Neahtawanta Center we are trying a different approach. While trying to stay aware of the global destruction, we're focusing on what we can actually influence, change and accomplish on the local, regional, and sometimes national levels. Determining where to best apply our energy for the greatest impact is important for all of us at this critical time.
In this Earth Day issue of Gatherings, we bring attention once again to the problems of overconsumption and unsustainable use of natural resources. Corporations, the corporate media and the Bush administration all promote spending our way back to a "robust" economy and using up our resources as quickly as possible. But a growing number of people are seeing the fallacy in this paradigm. Even though the ecological toll of unsustainable development practices is not always visible, more and more people are understanding that environmental degradation in New Guinea ultimately does affect people in Omaha.
So what can we do in our own lives? How can we live responsibly and not add to the environmental destruction? It's an ongoing discussion with no easy answers, but a good topic for Earth Day.
We hope this issue of Gatherings will further the discussion, generate more ideas and challenge all of us to examine our own lives. Don't forget to check in on our web site for additional resources. We add to it often and welcome your feedback.
On Earth Day, April 22, we are encouraging people to "take to the streets" as another Being in our 12th Annual All Species Parade, which will end at the Civic Center for the Council of All Beings. More than just a whimsical dress-up time, the Council offers us a chance to step out of our "human-nes" to embody another species and look at the world through its eyes. Wisdom will be shared. See you there!