Ladakh
Where can we find examples of cultures with an ecological
focus to learn from? One answer to this question is Ladakh.
Located in Northern India and sometimes called little Tibet
it thrives in a desert.
Here are some quotes from an article on Ladakh in Talking
Leaves:
Even during the summer, hardly a week passed without a
major festival or celebration of one sort of another. The
myth of a life of preindustrial drugery and never-ending
work was revealed as a product of centuries of Western
infatuation with technological progress.
Decentralization is a prerequisite for rekindling of
community in Western society.
A friend who has visited Ladakh was much impressed with the
people but cautioned that articles like the one quoted from
fail to give a balanced view. There are negatives such as
an average life span of less than 50 years and high interest
in consumerism. To some extent the Ladakh lifestyle is forced
by nature and we will have to find our own path.
For me the important lessons from Ladakh are attitudes about
conservation and ways to construct society. Skills, science,
and information are not that important.
----------
Jeff Owens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Zone 7, http://www.teleport.com/~kowens
Underground house, solar energy, reduced consumption, no TV
