The “Green” movement has arisen out of genuine concern for the impact of human activity on the Earth. Resource exploitation, overconsumption, and a lack of stewardship for our planet has resulted in global climate change, extinction of species, and extreme weather events that destroy lives and property. Since the United States economy switched from an agricultural to industrial base, unbridled use of fossil fuels has driven growth and consumption to an unsustainable level. The bio-capacity, or carrying capacity, of the Earth, as defined by William E. Rees author of “Footprints to Sustainability”, is “the maximum population of a given species that can occupy a particular habitat without impairing its long-term productivity”. No matter how evolved or above the natural order some humans consider themselves, we are animals on Earth and our survival depends on our habitat’s ability to sustain us. The idea of sustainability comes from this truth.
There is not one clear, unified definition of sustainability. One of my favorite definitions comes from the Center for Sustainable Communities. “Sustainability is a trend to consider the whole instead of the specific. Sustainability emphasizes relationships rather than pieces in isolation…Sustainability is not about regressing to primitive living conditions. It is about understanding our situation and developing as communities in ways that are equitable, and that make sense ecologically and economically”. Additionally, I believe sustainability has to do with thinking of the long-term implications of actions, behaviors, and lifestyles of excess. As a parent, I am truly concerned about the Earth my children and grandchildren will inhabit. I feel it is the obligation of the current generation to consider how their actions affect future generations’ quality of life.
In an effort to become more involved in my community and educate myself on issues associated with sustainability , I participated in a Northwest Earth Institute discussion group titled Choices for Sustainable Living. For seven weeks, ten members of the Asheville community gathered at a volunteer’s home and discussed the following topics related to sustainable living: A Call to Sustainability, Ecological Principles, Food, Buying, Communities, Business and Economy, and Visions of Sustainability. We brought to the table our diverse life experience, strong opinions, scientific expertise, and universal sense of care and concern for our Planet. Before we arrived for our weekly sit down, we read 5-7 articles from our workbook that never failed to provoke conversation that only ended because our 1 ½ hours were up. I was eager to suggest to my mother, that I thought hosting a Choices for Sustainable Living group at Living Yoga would be an excellent way to bring members of the community together and educate one another on this pertinent issue. If you have interest please let her know or e-mail me at bepresentbefree@yahoo.com. Once I arrive back in the Shire (it sounds more magical this way), I will be organizing other discussion groups from Northwest Earth Institute including Voluntary Simplicity, Healthy Children-Healthy Planet, and Exploring Deep Ecology. Check out their website www.nwei.org for more information. Also important to note, the only cost is the book and it’s shipping…22 dollars. I truly hope Living Yoga can be a home to a variety of these groups. It was an educational, inspiring experience that brings people together to discuss and brainstorm solutions (no matter how small) to problems that we now face and that our children may have to inherit.
~Jaime Miller
