If you could help the environment while living a better life, would you do it? Can we even chart a realistic roadmap to saving nature that does not place a crushing burden on the human race? We have explored this question both from the angles of human nature and human impact. They say “Yes we can!”
The secret is finding within ourselves many of the things we futilely search for in our environment. In short, tapping into the “four selves”: Self respect, self esteem, self control and self reliance. Most of what we need to be happy and have inner peace can be found by rediscovering the “nature” in “human nature.”
There are 6.5 billion people in the world. That is a major drain on our planet’s limited resources and make no mistake about that. Especially when it is expected to rush to 12 billion by 2012. However this number also represents a huge untapped reserve of human potential which is now arbitrarily limited. By what, our natural resources? No, by the structure of our society. By the way we treat ourselves and our neighbors. By our sense of self worth. By our flawed system of measuring human potential.
So where do we find this new model to emulate? We don’t need a new model, we need a very old one, the model under which our species arose and first became successful. Salvation is not lurking in yet another “-ism”. The world is full of conventional wisdom that is much more conventional than wise. Rather it is to nature itself we must look for the answer.
To that end we have taken a brave step…backwards. By using experiential learning, which sounds on the surface like carefully orchestrated chaos, people can be exposed to old and unique learning experiences while out of contact with their cell phones, e-mail, newspapers and pagers.
Will it work? Let’s put it this way…our world is a patient suffering from a life-threatening illness. At this stage, any chance for long term survival is worth a long, serious look.
