Understand please that this probably will be at one end of your range of
opinions given that I live on top of a small mountain in the middle of
Washington's Cascades (I'm a weather observer for the Natl Weather Svc)
and that my relationship to nature is immediate.
On Thu, 2 Mar 1995, Susan Clayton wrote:
> I'm struggling with some questions and would like to think about them by
> having a range of options to consider. I'm hoping there are some people
> willing to share their thoughts on the following:
>
> How would you describe your relationship to/with the natural world? I'm
> interested in the words you would choose.
>
I guess the words I'd use are immediate and intimate. Right now, I have
72 inches of snow on the ground, and the temperature is 35, wind gusting
to 20 knots. My septic tank is 100 feet north of the house, and my
(600') well is 30 feet south, so everything I put down the drain, I
better be prepared to drink pretty soon. There is no garbage service up
here, so I compost and I carry everything else except reusable paper (I
make my own stationary) down the mountain and into Seattle to recycle.
My Veg. garden is planted (in summer) with enough for the deer and
rabbits. A significant portion of my food is gathered wild - berries,
mushrooms, etc. (strictly veg cuisine here)
Well, you get the idea
> In addition, prompted by the personal/political question a week or so back,
> what do you think are an individual's responsibilities (if any) to the
> environment? Could you or would you identify a different (or overlapping)
> set of responsibilities that a society/government has to the environment?
>
I have long felt that every breath one takes is a political act.
Hearking back to an earlier discussion on paganism, I try in everything
to follow what is popularly called the witches' code - an' ye harm none,
do as ye will.
Since a society is made up of individuals, that society must live up to
the responsibilities incumbent upon those individuals - and harm none.
When a government is elected by and representative of individuals, then
it is up to the individuals to see that their government reflects their
values - and harms none.
But since our society by and large has abdicated responsibility
individually and collectively and very small numbers of people actually
participate directly in the political system, we get stuck in the mire
we're in now. Which leaves us with major decisions to make as
individuals about how to live our lives and where to spend our energies.
> Susan Clayton > >
J. Higgins-Rosebrook
NOAA/NWS Stampede Pass
Easton, WA 98925
