whitecoast said:
Thanks Luc and Laura. Could I ask a question here about personal responsibility here? Does that apply to things like reducing ecological footprint or fuel consumption?
Well, a few years back when I woke up to the fact that this world is so horribly screwed, there was a period where I felt totally guilty when I drove by car - I could literally feel the enormous energetic imbalance. I was sad that we humans consume and senselessly waste so much energy. That all these roads kill our environment. That animals die on the street just because we senselessly drive around for no good reasons. I felt this not only in terms of transportation, but also in terms of waste, consumption and so on - WHY are we living so horribly? Why are we wasting all those resources on a senseless and evil lifestyle? I felt a huge longing for a simpler, more balanced life.
While I still have such feelings, I can see now that this is an overly simplistic way of looking at things. I mean, we are thrown into this particular world for a reason, and we do have an opportunity (and responsibility) to make something of it. We can't pretend that we can just 'go back to nature' or solve the problem by taking trains and so on. This is not compatible with this world. It would be an expression that we want to 'shut out' and ignore reality.
So it's always a matter of perspective and the specific situations we find ourselves in. For example, it is a very good idea to minimize unnecessary travelling, waste etc. But on the other hand, if the situation demands it, we can 'consume' as much energy as we want to reach our goals IMO. For example, if I can help people in my environment (family and friends) by being there for them, by redefining my relationships, and thus making a difference in a non-linear way that has tremendous effects, then all the driving and what have you is totally worth it and in fact is a moral obligation. Same with waste - if further minimizing my waste would mean to essentially 'shut out' and go live off the grid, thus losing the opportunity to be a positive force in
this world, then I would consider this as morally wrong.
So yeah, the world is at it is, and I think we need to figure out our place in it and what we came here to do. And this requires moving, trying things, being part of this world to an extent, and thus it also requires the 'consumption' of energy. Pretending otherwise won't do, although I think it's a good thing to be aware of these energetic issues and our own place in it. And I think there's no doubt that in terms of environment, pollution, waste etc., our world is INSANE. But as always, the devil is in the details...