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Being Part of the Solution
By Wendy Priesnitz
As I write this, the world economy is sputtering, financial markets are on a
wild rollercoaster ride, people are dying from food contamination, soldiers are
fighting on an increasing number of fronts, politicians in the US and Canada are
mindlessly throwing about promises worth billions of dollars.
News junky that I
am, I am threatening to retreat under a media-less rock for awhile, just to calm
my nerves and prepare for whatever comes next. This is a time when it’s easy to
be afraid for the future. It’s easy to get exasperated about what isn’t being
done about climate change, which scientists agree is the single most important
threat facing humanity today. It’s easy to be cynical about the fact that
governments have found billions of dollars to prop up some financial
services companies that made bad decisions and to fight wars, but say our economy can’t afford
carbon caps or to protect our food supply.
But we need to keep our cool. We also need to remember that politicians and
stock traders are not the solution. (Many would argue that they are part of the
problem!) Solving these problems isn’t going to be easy; radical change seldom
is. Aside from what governments and corporations may or may not do, many of the
solutions are in the form of small, determined steps already being taken by
individuals, small businesses, communities. And those of us who are part of the
solution should find it easier to live through the coming times, precisely
because of what we’re learning by taking those small, determined steps.
Some of the solutions are at least as old as
Natural Life Magazine, which
began in 1976 as one of those small, determined
steps. There are thousands of other independent entrepreneurs working in the
fields of renewable energy, green building, sustainable agriculture, zero-waste
manufacturing, and many others that point the way toward a greener economy. The
solutions are also being created by people like the writers in this and every
other issue of Natural Life
who are helping children learn to grow their own organic food, are advising
others how to build sustainable housing, are creating democratic and
non-coercive educational models that respect and trust learners, are exposing
the dangers of – and suggesting do-it-yourself alternatives to – toxic food and
household goods, are reminding us of the importance of staying connected to
Nature, and so on.
I’m grateful to the hundreds of these eloquent individuals
who have, over the years, taken time from creating change to share their
insights and solutions with Natural Life’s
readers. Their motivation is not financial, because they don’t get paid!
Instead, I think they all sense that sharing information and inspiration is part
of the solution. As David Albert writes in his column What Really Matters, “I
sense a crisis of the spirit rather than an energy shortage. I keep thinking:
Reorganize communities, support local producers and import less stuff, redefine
work, share resources, enhance conviviality.” Nathanael Schildbach, in his
Therapy Fund column in this issue, calls the solution simply “being human.” He
closes off by saying, “If you don’t like reality, why not create your own
alternative."
Rolf and I never thought that after all these years there would
still be such a need to create an alternative reality, but here we are. I hope
that you will continue to connect with us here at
Natural Life and work with those in your local
communities to build a sustainable future that is good for your family, the
economy and the Earth.
Wendy Priesnitz is the co-founder and editor of Natural Life Magazine,
where an earlier version of this appeared as an editorial in 2008. She is also the author of 13 books and a contributor to many more.
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