On Thu, 30 Mar 1995, Faith Freewoman wrote:
> How many of you can drive by a clearcut area and NOT feel >the pain?
To which Gretchen responded:
> It's so reassuring to know that there is someone else out >there.
>The hills around where I lived have changed so much in just >the last
>four years that I am often completely overwhelmed by the >giant scars on the
>hillsides as I look at them. I often get this sick, twisting, >wrenching
>feeling in my stomach and just feel all the strength drained >from me when
>I see them. I've found myself verbally apologizing to the >forest and
>then wondering if I've completely lost it and am getting a
>little carried away.
----------------------
When I first read Faith's original post, I smiled a little to myself and then
thought, "Oh well, I'll just absorb this one and go on." My mailbox was
still full, I have several other lists that I follow, and I figured I'd taken
up my share of space on this list for the day, anyway. Then I read
Gretchen's reply, and I just had to share this.
Gretchen, you are _not_ carried away. I have so often felt this tremendous
wellspring of sadness in the earth's core, that sometimes a thing as simple
as a single wildflower will be enough to bring tears to my eyes. "How long,"
I sometimes wonder, looking at its delicate petals, "will you be able to push
through?"
Last year, my husband and I went to Sedona, Arizona for a few days. I'd
heard it was this wonderful, spiritual place and we were both feeling a
little low and thought a visit there would be just the thing. If any of you
have been there, I can already see you nodding your heads at your computer
terminals, clucking your tongues and rolling your eyes in unison. Sedona was
awful. It was sickening. Here was this once grand, once untouched, once so
very commanding place turned into a tourist's junkyard. Pink signs promising
guided spiritual journeys in equally pink jeeps blared out from the
sidewalks. Storefronts boasted their wares of "authentic Native artifacts"
(and no "natives" to be seen inside). Diners shamelessly charged $2.50 for
cold breakfast cereal. And everywhere, someone was promising to heal you --
for a fat fee. My throat was tight with tears all day. I thought it must be
something else upsetting me -- I was under pressure, I was worried about
something that hadn't yet made itself manifest, I was tired. But it wasn't
any of those things. It was the great moaning of the earth, the tears of our
ghostly forefathers and mothers, and my own feeling of utter helplessness in
the face of such crass commercialism. I didn't just cry. I broke down and
sobbed in the restaurant where we'd stopped for dinner, great big heaving,
uncontrollable blasts that I couldn't stop, while other guests looked on,
horrified, and my husband tried to tell me everything would be alright, when
in his heart he didn't really know at all. God, I die just thinking about
it.
The next morning, we left for the Grand Canyon. I felt much better there,
but the Sedona experience has stayed with me and it haunts me. Sometimes
just standing on a streetcorner and noticing what a bright sunny day it is
will be enough now to cause me to catch a sob in my throat. I hold most of
it back now, because I'm so afraid that if I really let it all go, I'll
never, ever be able to stop it.
That pain that you feel, Faith & Gretchen, is real to me, too. I thank the
Universe that we're not alone out here.
--Katharine English
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sat Apr 1 03:39:45 MST 1995
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 1995 05:40:23 -0500
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Green Travel Options
I thought the following press release would be of interest to you all.
--Katharine English
---------------------------------
The World Travel & Tourism Council would like to make travel consumers aware
that many of the major travel suppliers (Airlines, Hotels, Cruise lines, Car
Rental Agencies, Tour Operators, Travel Agencies) are joining the GREEN GLOBE
program established by the World Travel & Tourism Council.
The program is endorsed by more than 20 key industry associations, the Earth
Council, and enjoys the broad support of the United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP). GREEN GLOBE is a world class, turnkey environmental fitness
program for businesses in the Travel & Tourism industry.
In a recent pole conducted by the World Travel & Tourism Council
approximately 40% of the respondents did not have policies on environmental
management. GREEN GLOBE would like to encourage consumers to realize that
choosing a particular travel supplier does have environmental consequences.
For instance, some hotels have the potential to recycle up to 60% of the
waste produced. If a particular company supports GREEN GLOBE they have made
a commitment to improving their environmental performance and awareness.
GREEN GLOBE makes sure that members maintain their commitment to
environmental fitness in order to retain their membership.
GREEN GLOBE members are spread across the spectrum of the Travel & Tourism
community. The following members of the World Travel & Tourism Council
support GREEN GLOBE: American Express Company, Thomas Cook, American
Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Avis, Hertz, Four Season Hotels and Resorts,
Holiday Inn Worldwide, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Marriott, Inter-Continental
Hotels, Forte, and many more.
GREEN GLOBE would like to ask consumers that they consider the environmental
consequences of their travel decisions. Remember that the purity of the
beaches, lakes, mountains, air and water need attention in order to make your
travel experience an enjoyable experience now and in the future. Try to
choose travel suppliers which have made a commitment to improving their
environmental performance. If you have any questions about the program, or
membership please call (214) 735-WTTC (9882) or e-mail us at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] we ll be glad to show you how GREEN GLOBE is helping the
Travel & Tourism industry.
Respectfully,
William Miller
GREEN GLOBE, Dallas
