Happy New Year!

Life can be a contradiction; sometimes we think about solving a problem with current technology, and other times we go old school. We are a unique creature, with abundant imagination. But what we have lost because we choose to break something until it works for the purpose we have in mind? This is where we find civilization, conquest and war. Other times we look for cooperation and community. How is it that we embody such opposing principles?

How often do we look at how we think? And what those attitudes do to community and society? What attitude do you have toward Indian, Inuit, or Aborigine people? Or for that matter people that have Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

Back when I was born, it was diagnosed 1 in a 1000. Today it is 1 in 67. Yes we have learned how to identify Autism better, but that isn’t the whole story. My personal opinion is our genetic code has been modified through chemicals introduced into our environment. But science has yet to confirm that conclusion. What I do know is we owe our existence to the circumstances that created our Earth. The unique elements that came together created everything we see today. Our genes are expressions of where we have come from, and how the Earth has made genetic changes to our structure. We have changed over time from Neanderthal to Homo Sapiens. Make no mistake, the Earth is the author of how genes are expressed. The chain of events has led to our creation, but those events can just as easily be reversed.

The web of life is an infinite feedback loop; everything is connected, including the Earth to us. It is the combination that has affected the feedback between the Earth and humans. Human changes are undoing the nature laws our Earth has implemented. That is why global warming is a common topic. Pardon while I define: global warming is not the proper term, climate change is much better.

We have also changed the web of life the Earth has fostered, why some animals are extinct and environments are threatened. We try to mimic what nature does, but we can never do it as well as Mother Earth. We are all connected together; when the web of life is changed, all are affected. Up until a century ago, our impacts on Earth were minimal. But in 1903 the first coal fired power plant was brought online.  The age of electricity and energy has dramatically changed industry, goods, and modern life and how we live. True we had dams before that, but that was local renewable power. Not so with coal, natural gas, and nuclear power.

My personal belief is to balance past, present, and future knowledge. In some ways we have left behind common sense in pursuit of ??? This has led to an over-abundance of things, and less knowledge of ourselves. I have seen how buying new items can lead to an uncertain future, not just globally but personally as well. Everything we buy must be transported to where it will be used. Thinking more locally lessens the impact transportation has on climate change. Having a smaller home means living within our means, enjoying life more, and less impact on Earth. In the end, don’t we all want more friends and less stuff? Even small changes can have a big impact, like changing a light bulb to LED, bamboo over oak flooring because it is more sustainable, or offsetting fossil fuels with solar.

My wish for you is a Happy New Year, and that you challenge yourself with a goal that will make your social web stronger.