This comes from the website of Bill Dillon and Pat Watt. Upon reading this I knew that I also needed to accept my share of the responsibility for bringing our planet to the precipice we are looking over. Through recognition of my thoughtless, selfish over-consumption of the earth's precious resources I knew that I needed to find ways to make amends. Thank you, Bill and Pat, for taking the time to share your concerns with all of us. This is a commitment all of us should consider making.
We've thought long and hard about how, in our earlier years, we unthinkingly contributed to bringing the world to the current brink of disaster through our selfish use of non-renewable resources and by being unaware of, or unconcerned about, the impact of destructive social and military policies. We can't leave this earth without accepting our share of responsibility for the current condition of the planet, and feel compelled to take action to redirect our way of living and help preserve some kind of livable future for our grandchildren.
We recognize that rapidly converting our current environmentally non-sustainable economy to an economy that is in balance with natural resources will be difficult but is not impossible. Many steps are already underway in other countries. Unfortunately little is being done in the United States, where our collective head is in the sand. Continuing along the current path based on traditional (and often absurd) economic thinking will inevitably lead to a global economic collapse with devastating results.
Here is what we commit to try to live up to. We use the word "try" deliberately because, while we are continually making change in the way we live and what we do, we are not yet completely true to all of these commitments. But we're getting there.
· We will devote a significant amount of our attention to continually enlarging our understanding and awareness about the condition of the planet, its inhabitants, and human behavior. This includes enhancing our knowledge of the environmental trends, economic circumstances, social conditions, and political and military systems, under which we and others live and are responsible for creating. We will share our findings with our friends and family, and interested others, via our website, other means of publication, and in conversation wherever it seems appropriate.
· We will develop an interactive online workshop as our method to use our skills and experience in adding momentum to efforts to shift the direction the world is heading.
· We will cultivate a daily Integral Transformative Practice to enhance the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being not only of us as individuals, but of humanity, and of the Earth.
· We will change our lifestyle to minimize our consumption of scarce and non-renewable resources. This means that until alternative fuel is developed we will avoid the use of automobiles and instead will walk, ride bikes or use mass transit wherever feasible. We will minimize our use of paper. We will stop accumulating "stuff" other than as essential to replace worn-out items. To the extent that we do need "stuff", we will attempt to buy second-hand items, or those that are produced from recycled material, and do our best to recycle the materials that we use. We deplore the inhumane labor practices of some U.S. corporations abroad and will abstain from purchasing their products. We will be careful about water and power consumption.
· We will reduce the amount of animal protein we consume. We will make every effort to purchase food and other necessities that are produced locally rather than far away. We will not eat meat or dairy products from inhumanely treated animals. We won't purchase items that are excessively packaged.
· We do not believe that the United States has been elected policeman of the world, nor that it has the knowledge or insight to force other countries to take up its way of living, which is economically unsustainable. While we love and appreciate many aspects of our country, we deeply regret the untold loss of life and devastation caused by the relentess military and political intervention by the U.S. in other countries as well as the gross materialism spread by the U.S. culture as a result of corporate greed. We believe that the U.S. should comply with International Law and with agreements worked out by the United Nations and other internationally recognized agencies.
· We will vigorously advocate for changes in our government's domestic and foreign policies towards creating an environmentally sustainable world economy and achieving a decent life for all people--by voting, writing, speaking out, and supporting/participating in the work of non-governmental or other protest groups.
· We will look for and act on opportunities to volunteer to help others, with the intent of doing what we are able to ameliorate the condition of those who suffer most.
· We will always be mindful of the adage to "live simply that others may simply live". We recognize that every human being has intrinsic worth, and that we should view ourselves as custodians and not consumers of the Earth's resources.
