Artistic Footprint

Every day we are faced with the promise of a doomsday. Polar bears are turning cannibalistic, oceans are rising, the arctic will soon be a fairy tale. But I want to shatter that idea. Launch it into space with all the other primetime fear driven fallacies, never to be heard or spoken of again.

“stop giving me problems – give me solutions”

Constantly dwelling on this innevitable apocalypse does nothing but sell products that we do not need, and only drives that train further into the ground, firmly rooted and weeding out the garden of a real opportunity. We don’t hear enough of the good things that are going on. The inventions, organisations, and people out there who have devoted their whole lives to make the world better. This one’s for you.

The way I see it, we have two options – do nothing and continue on this plight and consume ourselves in famine, war, greed, and toxic environments. OR, we would do something about it. Even if climate change is a total hoax, the amazing accomplishments in the quest for sustainability would be monumental. But do you really have a choice? which would you pick?

More importantly, think of a world where sustainability was reached. Where man, woman, and beast lived harmoniously with the planet. A stasis where the land reciprocated the people. This would be the last hurdle – the largest, hardest, and most important move on the board. Greater than any war against evil, and greater than curing the worst of diseases.

Imagine a world where your home was heated and lit by the sun itself. Where your water was replenished in your basement and back to your tap. Where a grocery store was synonymous to your backyard. Where work was literally a hop, skip, and a jump from your bed. Where you live as a community and the greatest reward for your good deeds was immediately returned with the awesome feeling of meaning and retribution.

And making it happen is so so easy. You don’t even need to lift a finger. In the back of everyone’s mind is a thought of “what can I do? I’m just one person in this big world.” But that’s exactly why you’re so important!!! you personally have the ability to get the ball rolling and pull your friends along for the adventure. All you have to do is develop that little voice in the back of your brain from the dwelling cynic into the responsible optimist that understands where your decisions take you. “I don’t want to buy that because I don’t think it’s good for my environment” “I’m going to ride my bike today” “I’m going to eat sustainable produce as opposed to those expensive and unhealthy chicken wings” “I want to go for a hike to get in touch with the Earth and understand its fragile beauty” “I want to take a break from work to realise that there’s a real planet out there that’s more important than me”

Thats right the Earth is more important than me or you. It’s survival is the true necessity. The Earth doesn’t care who lives on it, if any. It doesn’t care if it’s an iceball or a utopia. It doesn’t care if it resembles Venus or Saturn. It doesn’t even know the difference. It’s big enough to take care of itself. The World we live on is just our perception of what we make the Earth to be, and if we just appreciate the true value of it, that it is bigger than your comfortable life, we will naturally evolve a way of life that reciprocates that appreciation.

Have you ever stopped to think that maybe we are more animal than we’d like to admit? instead of being eaten by predators, we die in car crashes. Famine is still a huge killer just like that endless battle for every other species on the planet. We follow almost identical tactics in finding mates, and we are not the only beings to mate for life. Love, hatred, satisfaction, self-protection, and family values are universal instincts. Have you ever watched a primate use tools and just be completely blown away by our similarities? Are you aware that fish can fly? Or how about the fact that all embryos pass through every stage of evolution its family tree visited? The whole concept that this Eden was made for us must be abolished. We can halt this selfish right, or the coming apocalypse will be our own.

The best way to start the process is to escape the norm. You spend almost your entire life in air-conditioned, warm, disinfected, innoculated lives. From the car to the office to the bedroom to sandals resort vacation. Your home should be larger than this constant image of 4 walls and a roof. Where do you find the time to reflect on your home? When was the last time you pondered which direction North was? When was the last time you saw a wild animal? Have you ever truly been lost?

If you’ve never spent time appreciating your planet, how could you possibly care to protect it? Do you know any people who like the outdoors? If you do, latch on to them on their next excursion. If you don’t, go somewhere and take your friends with you. And I don’t mean camper-van with a big boat across the country, stopping at your favourite fast food restaurants. I mean take the necessities and disappear. That’s the real adventure.

Just fucking love this place and realize that it’s here. It’s the only place you’ve got. You’ll be healthier, happier, stronger, and you’ll have some awesome stories to tell and spread the new appreciation you have for your true home, Earth.

http://www.ted.com/talks/alex_steffen_sees_a_sustainable_future.html