Enough
Oil dependency, global warming, drought. These may be related in more than one way.
First, the pattern becoming increasingly clear is 1) our fossil-fuel habit is resulting in excess heat being trapped in our atmosphere and 2) the additional energy increases the intensity of weather patterns, but there is another link I've found.
It's about having Enough. What is Enough?
In my younger days, we would throw elaborate parties. Well, I still enjoy an elaborate party, but we've gotten smarter about those parties. (I feel especially bright the morning after.)
We throw parties to celebrate the abundance of life. There is plenty of food and drink and we make expenditures that we couldn't otherwise justify. Life is for celebration, so there is nothing here for me to quarrel with.
The question is, what is enough? Do we throw a party every night? Is every day a holiday?
Cheap oil is like a never-ending party, only we know that parties do end. Turning all our fossil fuels into heat and smoke as fast as we can is partying hard. Slowly creeping into our consciousness is the idea that we can no longer take things for granted, like clean air and fresh water.
It may be the current drought that reminds us, like the wee hours of the clock, that we've been partying hard for perhaps too long. The dehydration of body and dehydration of our cities may have more in common than a first glance would reveal.
Water itself is a question of Enough. Besides challenging our intent to live our lives as if nothing has changed, the lack of fresh water asks us in an immediate way, how much do I need.
On camping trips, we like to sleep near the sound of falling water. I'm sure there are neurons deep in our brain that respond to the sound of water and send relaxing signals to our entire body. These neural pathways have been burned into the animal brain long before we found words to talk about it. Now we have to talk about it before we find we don't have enough.
- Enough to drink and to prepare our food, but not enough to water non-native plants.
- Enough to bring along on our bike, but not enough to wash the car.
- Enough to maintain hygiene, but not enough to run down the drain.
How we answer the question "How much is Enough?" defines our relationship with our environment and with our fellow man. Ultimately, the planet can provide enough to satisfy our needs, but not enough to satisfy our greed.
First, the pattern becoming increasingly clear is 1) our fossil-fuel habit is resulting in excess heat being trapped in our atmosphere and 2) the additional energy increases the intensity of weather patterns, but there is another link I've found.
It's about having Enough. What is Enough?
In my younger days, we would throw elaborate parties. Well, I still enjoy an elaborate party, but we've gotten smarter about those parties. (I feel especially bright the morning after.)
We throw parties to celebrate the abundance of life. There is plenty of food and drink and we make expenditures that we couldn't otherwise justify. Life is for celebration, so there is nothing here for me to quarrel with.
The question is, what is enough? Do we throw a party every night? Is every day a holiday?
Cheap oil is like a never-ending party, only we know that parties do end. Turning all our fossil fuels into heat and smoke as fast as we can is partying hard. Slowly creeping into our consciousness is the idea that we can no longer take things for granted, like clean air and fresh water.
It may be the current drought that reminds us, like the wee hours of the clock, that we've been partying hard for perhaps too long. The dehydration of body and dehydration of our cities may have more in common than a first glance would reveal.
Water itself is a question of Enough. Besides challenging our intent to live our lives as if nothing has changed, the lack of fresh water asks us in an immediate way, how much do I need.
On camping trips, we like to sleep near the sound of falling water. I'm sure there are neurons deep in our brain that respond to the sound of water and send relaxing signals to our entire body. These neural pathways have been burned into the animal brain long before we found words to talk about it. Now we have to talk about it before we find we don't have enough.
- Enough to drink and to prepare our food, but not enough to water non-native plants.
- Enough to bring along on our bike, but not enough to wash the car.
- Enough to maintain hygiene, but not enough to run down the drain.
How we answer the question "How much is Enough?" defines our relationship with our environment and with our fellow man. Ultimately, the planet can provide enough to satisfy our needs, but not enough to satisfy our greed.
posted by Jett @ 9:42 PM
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