a place within earth's ecosystem puzzle

Today on the shelves of most any book store, new, used, large or small, major chain store or mom & pop’s county outlet, one can find a plethora of definitive books authored by individuals with impeccable credentials in disciplines supportive of solving or defining what they perceive as our earth’s ecosystem puzzle. It would be grossly untrue to suggest that I have read all of them, the truth being I have barely and meagerly scratched the surface on the wealth of information available. Why then, might you ask, do I feel inclined to author this manuscript…? In small measure there is ego involved, however, I find I have need to address our earth’s ecosystem puzzle asking do you and I have an active place in resolving the current dilemmas which our earth’s ecosystem face…?

Many, though certainly not all of the books written about the current and projected fate of our earth’s ecosystem appear to universally paint responsibility principally upon the collective past and current actions of mankind. I have no doubt one can construct a logical proposition to support this conclusion. How then do we honestly hold those accountable and responsible who honestly remain deaf, dumb and blind to the results of our collective activities upon earth’s ecosystem…? … “As my ancestors planted for me before I was born, so do I plant for those who come after me” … It strikes me that somewhere along man’s evolutionary path this salient ancient Hebrew foundational truth and wisdom passed into an apparent abyss thereby being rendered unknown to the contemporary collective of mankind. This might be described as some authors have as … the curse of knowledge … how can one account for it and honestly can they as it represents an informational imbalance which significantly impacts all communication.

Fast forward to America 2008, our prevailing collective mantra is perhaps best summed up by celebrity authors like Donald Trump, who provocatively titles his book … Think Big and Kick Ass … I leave it to you to provide any subtitle you feel is appropriate. Personally, mine run along the lines of … You, get the hell out of my way, I come, I see, I conquer, I take … a reality and perspective radically different from the benign wisdom expressed in the referenced Hebrew thought above.

I gladly leave it to the competence and wisdom of others to delineate what for them and others are the “nuts and bolts” issues of our times such as when at what point in time and based on what specific rationale did the once genuinely endorsed single belief that mankind regardless of color, language, choice of food consumed, clothing and acquired customs share a single ecosystem. Or did it ever…? It strikes me that at various points in the evolution of mankind selected groups of individuals made choices different and perhaps totally contrary to the prevailing dominant belief that mankind shared a single ecosystem. A case can be made that these groups of individuals formed around an expressed purpose or belief and chose to delineate by any number of means, i.e., topography, language, customs and/or color of skin, finite portions of earth as solely theirs to be used as they deemed appropriate without regard to how their choices impacted the collective singular ecosystem.

Do you and I have an active place in resolving the current dilemmas which our earth’s ecosystem faces…? I believe one can make the case that “we” – that’s you and me – are the book ends of that question, the yin and yang, the alpha and the omega, the beginning as well as the end of that question. Our earth left untouched by humankind would most likely have been transformed from what was formed as a result of the “big-bang.” What is unknown and, I suspect, unavailable is what our earth would have looked like had mankind not appeared on its surface and evolved as we have. It certainly seems realistic to me to conclude that the collective action of mankind has exacerbated as well as accelerated the magnitude of this impact. This seems to beg the question, are “we” – that’s you and me – consciously aware of how our actions impact our shared ecosystem…?

I feel inclined to leave to the psychologist, sociologist, humanists, clergy, spiritualist, theologians, historians and other learned and credentialed individuals to decipher the multiplicity of overlays each of these disciplines may have on mankind’s impact on his shared ecosystem if he was in fact not conscious and therefore - unaware. Personally I do not need their validation or verification to conclude that mankind has and largely remains in a state of collective unconsciousness respecting his actual impact upon his shared ecosystem.

So then do the questions become: who, what, where, when, why and how…? Who is the messenger, and what is the manner of presentation, where, is the message delivered, when, is the message delivered, how is any message to be delivered and why..? It strikes me that anyone of these topics is fertile ground for a separate manuscript. Moreover it seems to me the answer to each of these topics is both extremely simple on the one hand while on the other hand equally complex and potentially convoluted. I’ll tackle the simple and leave to others the option to tackle the more complex.

WHO … and in what form does the messenger take … It feels to me the simple answer to this topic of the WHO is to state WHO is anyone currently possessing conscious awareness that “we” – the whole of mankind – share a single unified ecosystem and that the beating of a butterfly’s wings in China may well usher in a sand storm in the Sahara desert. These messengers comes in all sizes, shapes, color, speak many different languages, practice varying customs, adhere to different forms of religious and spiritual beliefs though delivering their message in resolute voices clearly, concisely and understandably that “we” all share a single common ecosystem.

WHEN ... the message is delivered … The long and the short of my reply is whenever the opportunity presents itself, in the middle of the day or the middle of the night. On the phone or in one’s car, in a group of two or an audience of hundreds. WHEN is simply a function of timing and WHEN the message is delivered is whenever the WHO is so moved in that moment. In a perfect world WHEN this message is delivered would be function of an internal acknowledgment on the part of the individual choosing to deliver the message and on the part of the individual choosing to receive the message. Therefore the WHEN can only be described as at any time and at any place.

WHAT … is the manner of presentation … Two observations strike me, one I am inclined to conclude the manner of presentation is an almost co-incidental action to HOW the message is delivered. Additionally, the manner of presentation in part is determined by WHO the messenger is and WHERE the message is being delivered. Moreover WHAT is impacted by WHEN and WHY. The manner of presentation is often determined by local custom, language, physical location of where the message is being delivered. The foundational essence of the WHAT is an atmosphere wherein honest receptivity is created by all individuals allowing for “awareness” to resonate and permeate all parties.

WHERE … is the message delivered … The where is also a function of local custom, time of day, weather, WHO is delivering the message and WHEN the message is being delivered. The WHERE ranges from a small group gathering in one’s home or around the office water cooler or around a camp fire on a star filled night, to perhaps an auditorium filled with thousands or via internet discussion.

HOW … is the message delivered … It appears to me this subtle message can only be delivered in an atmosphere wherein at least some cursory element of open and honest receptivity currently prevails. Moreover, whatever format the messenger chooses to utilize to deliver their messages must come from the heart, otherwise, it can not be heard by anyone within ear shot of the words spoken.

WHY … is the message delivered … I was inclined to initially glibly reply, because it’s important, stupid, realizing in the same breathe and moment how totally disingenuous that retort truly is. Most assuredly that is precisely the way not to be heard, to be discounted, to be seen as discredited as rightly I believe one should be in this instance. How often have any of us in an unthinking moment spoken these words or other words carrying an equal intention…? Though I am not proud, I must raise my hand and say I have. This message carries importance only to those who are currently in the moment consciously aware of their personal incorporation in the singular nature of our earth’s ecosystem.

AWARENESS … this is a topic which has brought me many a sleepless night as I have wrestled with the tentacles of its implications. What is awareness, how does one become aware, where does one acquire awareness, who makes them aware, when can one declare they are aware, and why become aware…? Re-appearing are our old friends, who, what, where, when, why, how. And again I believe there are both simple as well as more complex answers to each of thee topics. I choose, again, the simple leaving the more complex to others should they so choose.

WHAT is awareness … the reply appears to me to be awareness is that state or quality one achieves when they have honest peaceful access to their “whisper” voice resonating from within their heart. It is that internal mechanism which for each of us, definitively separates the wheat from the chaff, or colloquially speaking knowing one’s own – bull shit. Awareness is that resolute state where you just know, achieving in the moment a measure of wisdom.

HOW does one become aware … I choose to believe that awareness can be acquired instantaneously as rapidly as one sees the flash of lightning. Or it is acquired, if at all, slowly over time, through consciously expended energy to read, to listen, to absorb and hopefully like a light being energized, one’s internal switch is triggered permitting awareness to occur.

WHERE does one acquire awareness … awareness is elusive like quicksilver though it can be acquired virtually anywhere and at any time. It may come to one in the form of dream, or as one is sitting at a traffic light waiting for the signal to change. It may arrive from viewing a movie or reading a book. It may come watching children play or birds fly. There is no one place where awareness is acquired as it is personal to the specific individual and the choices they make.

WHO makes you aware … the who is you and me in that moment when we comprehend in a most salient subtle way that as if by magic an internal switch has been triggered and we just – know – wisdom in the making.

WHEN can one declare they are aware … perhaps no declaration is necessary save an internal acknowledge to self that they have achieved a measure of wisdom on a particular topic or issue thereby permitted them to see, feel, touch and react as directed by their heart’s “whisper” voice.

WHY become aware … actually there is no requirement, policy, demand, rule or regulation of any form or nature that can forcibly conscript you or me to become aware. The act of becoming aware is solely voluntary there is no amount of overtly applied force, anger, hurt or demand which can be applied causing you or me to become aware. “We” either voluntarily choose in some manner solely appropriate to us to become aware or “we” choose either overtly or covertly to remain in a state of unconsciousness and unaware. Awareness is a path one voluntarily chooses to walk by conscious choice. Once embarked upon it, one quickly determines it is contains a myriad of unforeseen twists, turns and potholes. It is truly a … Road Less Traveled … as so eloquently described in Robert Frost’s poem by the same name.

Attaining on an individual level, awareness, that each of us has a place as well as a “stake” in the immediate as well as the future of our common singular ecosystem can abruptly appear as the gigantic octopus in Jewel Verne’s … 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, … Upon achieving a sense of wisdom accompanying “awareness” of our personal incorporation within our singular ecosystem, one might find it more than a bit daunting and be easily overwhelmed what “we” see and/or feel as our individual ability to take and make corrective action. Understandably many are immediately discouraged or filled with a sense of debilitating fear. Others, though not fearful see the results of the collective action of mankind over the ensuing millennia and are overwhelmed at the apparent enormity of the problem which befalls to them.

At the moment I honestly lack the capacity to effectively write a manuscript encompassing the totality of the current condition which mankind collectively has permitted our singular ecosystem to become. I choose to write about two aspects of this dilemma, one in a rather fleeting manner, the other I trust in greater depth in a clear, concise and understandable manner. It strikes me on a scale of one to ten, the two most important ingredients absolutely required to support human life are: clear breathable air and safe drinking water. Though one can find contrary voiced opinions, most experts sadly note “we” have collectively done an excellent job of polluting and contaminating both of these ingredients. I believe it is generally accepted that without a continuous as well as safe and adequate supply of each of these ingredients, man’s life as we know it, would be quickly terminated. In many, if not all formal educational settings, “we” are instructed about the necessity of air and water to support our very existence. It is surprising then that collectively “we” have chosen in the past millennia to take actions which “we” see have both immediate as well as long term debilitating affects upon both of these ingredients. Though “we” claim to see, “we” have permitted over time our ability of sight to become clouded. At one time “sight” reflected our capacity to live integrated with our mind as well as our heart. Our sight reflected that integration giving clarity to our actions. Over time, especially in contemporary America, through our collective educational systems “we” allowed the fervor of mathematical precepts such standard deviations and our blind loyalty to the apparent virtues of the infallibility of science’s double blind studies to cloud and then to suppress once implicit wisdom we intrinsically attained and to which we were at one time internally attuned.

Though you may feel differently, I find it difficult not to conclude that contemporary mankind, especially in the so-called industrialized nations of our world largely remain deaf, dumb and blind to the devastating effects our collective action has upon our common and singular ecosystem. We appear to live believing we dwell in a cocoon somehow immune both to the short term as well as to the long term effect of our continuous collective action upon on our singular ecosystem. With each passing day, “we” witness weather actions increasingly more bizarre as well as wide spread eclectic seismic action. Our prevailing world wide economic mantra daily delivers ever increasing amounts of air borne pollution thereby further compromising an already severely challenged atmosphere. On the other hand, highly credentialed experts, scholars and academia in a near constant stream of information, connecting the dots of these seemingly isolated incidences, to note how our collective action continue to compromises and degrade minute by minute virtually every available water source in our world. Viewed from within this framework, what might be the methods available to “us” to bring about a paradigm wherein “we” voluntarily choose to become “aware” of our individual and collective acts and their impact upon our singular ecosystem…?

There exists among those comprising the best and brightest of our scholars of science, medicine, theology, chemistry, microbiology, soil sciences, sanitary engineering, astrophysics, quantum physics, psychology, sociology, spirituality, water and humanities an understanding that man is comprised of energy. As a composition of energy we are capable of sending as well as receiving energy from an infinite variety of sources. For me this realization does not demean, belittle, scorn or render invalid any religious belief anyone chooses to hold. But that is for you to decide for yourself.

As energy, man like light and sound resonates simultaneously giving and receiving, thereby affecting all within his ecosystem giving rise to the credibility the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings in China producing a sand storm in the Sahara.

Though still somewhat controversial the work of Masaru Emoto depicted initially in the movie … “What the Bleep Do We Know” … increasingly conventional science is achieving via implementation of its own vaunted double blind studies the same results as Emoto achieved. And, moreover it most assuredly appears that water can be altered, as demonstrated by Emoto, either positively or negatively via words, pictures, music and/or thoughtful intentions. It remains to be discovered whether through thoughtful intention alone water once contaminated with an assortment of polluting ingredients can be rendered safe for human consumption. It appears that water indeed has a memory.

Though I can’t prove it, I know the only thing preventing validation of water’s memory is our individual and collective ability to honestly believe that by thought alone we can manifest in this instance safe drinking water. Today, albeit, perhaps begrudgingly science on a universal level is achieving a degree of mutual understanding and rediscovering aspects about man’s nature “we” previously chose to subvert or consciously eliminate. Water, once highly revered and even placed on a pedestal and worshipped is now being redefined and acknowledged as possessing memory, if not the very essence of life itself, it is, I speculate, water’s ability to remember and incorporate even when diluted ten times, retaining essentially virtually infinitesimal amounts of parent material, wherein resides one of the root sources of our dilemma on how to eliminate the residual debilitating health effects as we prepare water for human consumption.

I suspect there are but a handful of individuals in the USA and most industrialized nations of our world, who by 2008, have not been made aware through any number of venues of the concept of “mind control” both its reputed positive as well as dastardly negative aspects. The umbrella under which the concept of “mind control” dwells includes all of its relatives: behavior control, crowd control, “psyops” – psychological operations - obedience to authority, just obeying orders, just following orders, submission, perils of obedience, social engineering, perception of authority, plausible assertion/ plausible denial or coercive persuasion. These are all aspects of “mind control” which we have witnessed in many venues from the motion picture … “The Manchurian Candidate” … to the despicable pictures and accounts of our US armed forces engaged in torture at Abu Ghraib.

“We” have become as one of Pavlov’s dogs with our unconditional surrender to blind obedience to the reputed infallibility of science’s double blind study. This slight of hand is routinely used by our politicians and the bureaucrats under their control to … “set the record straight” … and trot out reams of “science” to prove their point, while summarily denying the authenticity of any contravening data. In the 12/31/07 issue of the Arizona Republic appears the attached letter to the editor. First I want to salute the Arizona Republic for choosing to print this letter and for Mr. Jeff Trembly, whom I do not know, for authoring it. It renews my faith there are currently individuals in Arizona who are clearly aware of the mitigating realities attached to our prevailing unsustainable economic mantra of unrestricted growth. I wonder if, Mr. Trembly, is aware that his mayor and city council in Phoenix have already begun the process to have treated effluent from at least the 91st Ave wastewater treatment plant (wwtp) returned to underground storage containment to be utilized in the future as a source for his safe (potable) drinking water and it goes by the benign name of Tres Rios Ecosystem Restoration Project. Mr. Trembly is correct, “we” – that’s you and me – and the experts we hire honestly do not know how to eliminate all the residual quantities of chemicals, carcinogenic ingredients, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, cosmetic and endocrine interrupters which are incorporated in the wastewater treated either by our municipal wwtp or by any residential onsite septic system. While disputed by those with vested financial interests and those whose belief lie solely in their perception of the reputed infallibility of mathematics standard deviations and science’s double blind study, world wide every day more and more anecdotal evidence arrives clearly delineating the debilitating short and long term health effects as a result of consumption of even low dosages of residuals containing chemicals, carcinogenic ingredients, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, cosmetic and endocrine interrupters. As Mr. Trembly suggests it seems a great idea to address this topic now and its adverse health affects while the coffee still smells good…!

January 2008 … I recently returned from a trip which, in part, took me virtually the length of the State of Nevada, entering at Laughlin and departing at Reno. As a native born son of the State of Nevada, I was reminded yet again of how at first blush the passing landscape appears vast, barren, desolate and devoid of life, with few large population centers, coupled with the small towns struggling to maintain life. I was also visibly reminded of how Nevada’s wide open spaces, vastness and seemingly barren topography and relatively small population easily lent itself to becoming America’s “trash can.” Nevada is our Chernobyl, the ultimate disposal site for our nation’s adventure into the “atomic/nuclear” age and now poised to become that spot where all of our nation’s nuclear waste will be “safely” deposited for the next 10,000/plus years. That Nevada is the center of the Great Basin of the West, the resultant ocean bottom of a once vast water body does not seem to impact the incessant pillaging and plundering “we” do to Nevada’s underbelly. Being at the heart of an endorheic basin, an enclosed drainage basin without any outlet, along with having about 86% of the land owned by the federal government, leaves this land mass particularly vulnerable to all forms of financial “corporate” pirating and environmental pollution. An endorheic environment is acutely susceptible to environmental pollution, though that did not enter any discussion when choosing Nevada as our “trash can.” I find it ironic that Nevada is the Spanish feminine form of “covered in snow” a mirage and illusion today. What water exists is “raped” to drive “gold” mining thereby contributing to keeping Nevada as the nation’s dominant gold-producing State and trailing only South Africa and Australia in world production. Of the nation’s top 30 gold-producing mines, more than 50% were in Nevada. The resultant polluted mining wastewater evaporating under the sun creates a cloud polluting Nevada’s neighbors to the North in Idaho debilitating its agriculture and ultimately affecting our health – yours and mine.

It strikes me that like Nevada, Louisiana, too has been “raped” for the pleasure of America’s corporate capitalists. Though Louisiana’s, topography is lush with a plethora of water fowl and flora and fauna vastly different from that indigenous to Nevada, its population was unable to withstand the tragic consequences to oil development and rendering large portions of its bayou into toxic holding ponds for America’s corporate capitalists. New Orleans, guarding the mouth of the mighty Mississippi River, the entry point into the heartland of our nation’s farm belt, Louisiana watches as an ever increasing “dead zone” stretches into the Gulf of Mexico, the creation of our national attachment to chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, animal wastes from our farms and factories lining this river, along with pharmaceuticals, cosmetic and endocrine interrupters which are incorporated in the wastewater treated either by our municipal wwtp or by any residential onsite septic system. Carried down stream by the mighty Mississippi they are deposited into the Gulf creating a “witches-brew-environment” destroying life.

Nevada and Louisiana are not alone as candidates which have been “raped” for the bounty which lie beneath them. They do represent book ends illustrative that topography alone does not define where America’s corporate capitalist will choose to ensnare its next victim. Are “we” – that’s you and me – in any way complicit in allowing this “rape” to occur….? The answer to this question seems to beg the issue as to whether “we” are “aware” or not…? If one can look at themselves in the mirror and declare publicly or privately they are “unaware” I conclude they are not complicit in this rape. On the other hand, those of us who conclude “we” are aware might choose to feel a bit of complicity in this form of “rape.” In the final analysis, this determination can only be made honestly by each individual. There is no “acid” test or polygraph one need pass as proof of their assessment.

It has been suggested contemporary America might be termed the “Midas Era” saliently depicting our collective attachment to “things” that glitter, bedazzle, beguile, bewilder, bewitch. Hence our attachment to Las Vegas’ glitter, glamour, gaming, lady luck opportunities to achieve that Midas touch. Hence our adoration for those “rolling-in-dough” – Donald Trump, Bill Gates, the multimillion dollar professional athletes and the corporate capitalists of industry, finance, medicine and health care, too.

While we may in the privacy of our home voice tepid opposition to their collective ethics, stealthily we strive to emulate them. They epitomize for us the contemporary evolution of the “golden rule” … he who has the gold, rules … Some with jaundice eye view this scene, while others still plaintively. Where leads this “Midas” attachment to things – gold – brings…?

It answers not what is our place within earth’s ecosystem puzzle…?

With unblemished clarity your “whisper voice” resonates what is true for you…