HomeHomeApril 2001
Greetings! Here in the upper Midwest, we’re slowing acclimating to warmer temperatures, longer daylight hours, and the freedom to venture outdoors without having to bundle up from head to toe. Spring is finally here!
This has been one of the longest and most difficult winters in recent memory, even for the heartiest Minnesotans. After three relatively "warm" winters, we finally had a more "normal" winter.
The climate in which we live plays a huge role in our daily lives; like our ancestors, we are always somewhat at the mercy of the weather. And like everyone else, we’ve seen changes in our environment and our weather patterns over the last few decades--from violent storms to devastating floods to unusually early blizzards. We wonder what is happening to our corner of the world, and what, if anything, can we do about it.
April 22nd marks the 31st anniversary of Earth Day and, although there is some dispute as to who is the "original" founder and exactly when Earth Day should be celebrated, no one would argue that the environment is a serious issue for all of us and that we have a responsibility to nurture and protect the natural world in which we live. Our health as individuals, and the health of the planet as well, depends on our careful stewardship of the environment.
The American lifestyle, so rich compared with the rest of the world, and so abundant in terms of energy consumption, is contributing to the destruction of the environment. Intellectually we know this, but how do we change our lives and our habits in such a consumer-oriented culture? How do we slow down so that we can make a difference, saving the earth and our souls at the same time? Do we have to give up everything we love? Will we lose economically if we try to live more "eco-friendly" lives?
Not so, according to Linda Breen Pierce, author of Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace and Fulfillment in a Complex World (Gallagher Press, Carmel, CA, 2000). In the mid-1990’s, Ms. Breen Pierce quit her career as a successful lawyer and embarked upon a three-year study of over 200 people who had simplified their lives. In her book, she examines what this concept meant to her:
"The term simple living is truly a misnomer. More descriptive terms might include "mindful living" or "intentional living," terms that are neutral on the issue of whether more is better or less is more. In truth, sometimes more is better, depending on the person and the issue being considered. My best shot at a definition of simple living would go something like this: Simple living or voluntary simplicity are lifelong processes in which we turn loose of the quest for more wealth, status and power in favor of an authentic life of inner peace and fulfillment."She adds:
"Living simply is not about rejecting the material comforts in life. However, it does involve unburdening our lives, living more lightly with fewer distractions--whether they are material things, activities or relationships. It means letting go of anything that interferes with a high quality life."Ms. Breen Pierce also describes the changes in her outlook as a result of her commitment to live a more meaningful life:
"When I started reading everything I could find on simple living in the fall of 1995, I discovered that many advocates of simplicity had a strong interest in preserving the earth’s resources. I saw in these writings an almost religious respect for nature, plants, and animals. At first, I didn’t really see the connection between simple living and caring for the earth. After all, a person might have plenty of good reasons to simplify her life without considering the earth. Even though I had always been passionate about nature, I had never been an environmentalist. To the contrary, I often reacted negatively to what I perceived as extreme stances taken by environmental activists.Then, over the course of about a year, my feelings about environmental issues changed radically. I started to see a connection between simple living and caring about the earth. For me, this was a spiritual experience, not an intellectual exercise. It was not the reading of simplicity tomes that changed me. It was the time spent by myself in nature and the slower pace of my life that did it. It was also my journal writing and thinking quietly by myself.
The changes I’ve experienced seem to be spiritually based. They stem from my core belief that we are all connected in some way that our rational, human minds cannot comprehend. I believe that there is some form of higher level of experience that we share, whether we are consciously aware of it or not. As I see it, when we connect with our inner selves, we touch the part of ourselves that is connected to all forms of life. When that happens, we naturally start caring about those other life forms, including the earth, plants, animals, other humans, and people who will be born after we are gone."
Ms. Breen Pierce’s work is an inspiration to those who are looking for guidance in these modern times. However, the twin concepts of living simply and caring for the earth are not new to our challenging era. Along with their male counterparts, women have been observing and writing about the environment for ages. For instance, consider Dorothy Wordsworth (1771-1855). She was the sister of poet William Wordsworth, and her Alfoxden Journal and her Grasmere Journals made her an artist in her own right. Then, there was Mary Austin (1868-1934). This poet and novelist was an advocate for native peoples, and her work The Land of Little Rain is considered a classic of Western American nature writing.
Consider the words of Rachel Carson, a trained marine biologist, whose 1962 book, Silent Spring launched the modern environmental movement:
"The earth’s vegetation is part of a web of life in which there are intimate and essential relations between plants and the earth, between plants and animals. Sometimes we have no choice but to disturb these relationships, but we should do so thoughtfully, with full awareness that what we do may have consequences remote in time and place."Carson’s book documented the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment. Following the publication of her book, President Kennedy called for a federal investigation which resulted in tighter controls of the use of DDT and other toxic products. A sample of her eloquent writing is among the essays found in The Sweet Breathing of Plants: Women Writing on the Green World edited by Linda Hogan and Brenda Peterson (North Point Press, New York, 2001). In the same book, writer Kathleen Norris finds spiritual connections between the harsh North Dakota environment and the ways in which she chooses to live her life, in Dreaming of Trees:
"What would I find in my own heart, if the noise of the world were silenced? Who would I be? Who will I be, when loss or crisis or the depredations of time take away the trappings of success, of self-importance, even personality itself? Could the trees of my beloved plains, or the lack of them, help me to know? The first monks read the earth as the work and word of God, a creation that was spoken into being. "Study fish," advises Saint Gregory of Nazianzus. "In the water they fly, and they find the air they need in the water. They would die in our atmosphere, just as we would die in the water. Watch their habits, their way of mating and procreating their kind, their beauty, their permanent homes and their wanderings." Look, Gregory says, "at the bees and the spiders. Where do their love of work and their ingenuity come from? Can you explain it and arrive at an understanding of the wisdom they point to?""The wisdom of the few, struggling trees on the plains, and the vast spaces around them, are a continual reminder that my life is cluttered by comparison. At home, an abundance of books and papers overlays the heavy furniture I inherited from my grandparents. A perfectly simple room, with one perfect object to mediate on, remains a dream until I step outside, onto the plains. A tree. A butte. The sunrise. It always makes me wonder: What is enough? Are there enough trees here? As always, it seems that, that more I can distinguish my true needs from my wants, the more of a shock it is to realize how little is enough."
Coincidentally, in the current edition of Time magazine, Managing Editor James Kelly considers global warming a public policy issue so urgent that he and his staff not only examine the reasons why President Bush abandoned the Kyoto accord, they also investigate the effects of global warming upon the environment, and they offer tips on what individuals can do to make a difference. In addition, ten eminent global leaders representing the fields of science, business, conservation, and politics have signed a poignant letter to the President requesting that he develop a plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Our economic growth need not suffer as a result of saving the environment, they claim, and the future of our children and our children's children depends on the actions that are taken now.
While it is laudable that Time persuaded citizens such as Jimmy Carter and Mikhail Gorbachev to sign such a letter, it is also interesting to note that only one woman, scientist Jane Goodall, was included among the ten.
Clearly we all need to voice our concerns about our environment--men and women alike. This is a human issue, not limited to one gender or nationality.
Teresa
Below, we’ve listed a few of the many worthwhile organizations, resources or events related to the environment:
The Worldwatch Institute is "dedicated to fostering the evolution of an environmentally sustainable society--one in which human needs are met in ways that do not threaten the health of the natural environment or the prospects of future generations."The Wilderness Society has been around since 1935, and "has been in the forefront of the fight to protect and preserve public lands." They offer a resource page for teachers and students.
Friends of The Earth is t"the world’s largest federation of environmental organizations." This organization includes nearly one million members from around the globe.
The Earth Day Energy Fast is calling on all energy consumers to "fast" on April 22nd.
Coral Reef Alliance is having their "largest dive ever".
An excellent resource is the United Nations Environmental Program Network which offers environmental profiles of nations, along with information on various environmental indicators such as air & climate, freshwater, forests, threatened animals and protected areas. The U.N. celebrates World Environment Day on June 5th this year.
Cable News Network keeps a weekly "diary" of the planet, listing major environmental events.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a Global Warming site, containing links to various other web sites with info on the issues, including international links and a calendar.
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change is "a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization dedicated to providing credible information, straight answers and innovative solutions in the effort to address global climate change." On April 17th, they are sponsoring their annual Equity and Global Climate Change Conference.
Environmental Learning Programs
Wilderness Inquiry "provides outdoor adventure for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. WI travels to over 35 destinations by canoe, sea kayak, dog sled, horse pack, and back pack."
Outward Bound has many interesting programs. Their mission is to "create positive lasting change in the workplace by helping organizations improve individual, group, and organizational effectiveness."
On Another Note:
April 26th is Take Our Daughters to Work Day. In recent years, the event’s organizers have attracted criticism because the focus is solely on teaching young women about the opportunities available to them in the world of work. Those who would dispute the importance of this worthy day should consider a few of the following disturbing facts: (Who knows--a future Jane Goodall or Rachel Carson may be among those young women who celebrate this day)
Women and Work
There are 2 female CEO's in the Fortune 500 and a total of 6 in the Fortune 1000. (Catalyst, Facts on Women, ) Women hold 671 of 6,064 seats on the Board of Directors of Fortune 500 companies, women of color hold only 58 seats, accounting for 1% of total board seats. (Catalyst, The 1998 Catalyst Census of Women Board of Directors of the Fortune 500, 1998) Seventy-one companies in the Fortune 500 have no women on their Board of Directors. (Catalyst, The 1998 Catalyst Census on Women Board of Directors of the Fortune 500, 1998)Girls and Technology
Women's average earnings in information technology, a field in which there is no historic wage gap, are still only 85% that of men. (American Association of University Women, Tech Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age, 2000) The top five fastest growing occupations between 1998 and 2008 are information technology occupations, which require advanced computer skills. However, girls enroll more in clerical and data entry computer courses, the contemporary equivalent of typing classes, than in advanced computer classes (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 1999; American Institutes of Research, Gender Gaps: Where Schools Still Fail Our Children, 1998). Parents purchase technology twice as much for their sons as their daughters, while at school only a quarter of the students using computers during free time were girls (Girl Tech, "What's the Difference?," 1995, 2000).Girls Today
Forty-seven pecent of girls said it is true that "people think girls are weird if they plan to be firefighters or police officers." (Girls Inc., Taking the Lead: Girls' Rights in the 21st Century, 2000) Fifty-six percent of girls said it is true that "girls are expected to speak softly and not cause trouble." (Girls Inc., Taking the Lead: Girls' Rights in the 21st Century, 2000)Girls and School
Boys receive more praise, constructive criticism, and feedback from teachers than girls (American Institutes for Research, Gender Gaps: Where Schools Still Fail Our Children, 1998). Gender role stereotypes, such as girls not having the ability to understand science and math, are often reinforced by teachers and students alike in the classroom (American Institutes for Research, Gender Gaps: Where Schools Still Fail Our Children, 1998).Girls and Health
Ninety percent of all cases of eating disorders are found among girls and young women (National Council for Research on Women, The Girls Report: What We Know and Need to Know About Growing Up Female, 1998).Teresa
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