There are countless numbers of problems we face concerning the rapidly degrading environment: Pollution, destruction of the rainforests, CO2 emissions, storm water run-off, tainted water, lack of food, over-population. The list can go on and on and often we see articles or books that for cast as doomsday scenario. At times, it does indeed seem that we cannot and will not be able solve all the problems and create a sustainable world that we can live on forever. But, even though there is an almost endless list of things we need to fix, I believe that there is one problem contributing to all of this; our consumer culture. It seems that all the problems we face can be traced back to this. As we buy more and more stuff, the incentive for business’s to produce more and more goes up, thus creating more pollutant factories that clear away more and more land destroying everything that gets in the way. And what do we do with all the stuff we buy? It goes into a landfill, or out on the streets, into our rivers, or joins the floating continent of trash in the ocean. I believe that our fundamental problem is our overall desire to consume more and more, and I think this idea comes directly from start of the United States and the pursuit of happiness. When I say that the pursuit of happiness that our countries ideology is based on, I don’t mean to say that happiness is not the end goal. I believe more then anything that happiness is what every single human being is searching for, it is our common bond to be happy and not to suffer. But in the United States, this pursuit of happiness from an early time was based on the idea that material wealth will make one happy, that the richest country with the highest GDP is assumed to be the happiest. Unfortunately, this is far from the case. The richest countries in the world, while having an incomparable amount of material wealth to the rest of the world, also have more people being treated for, or seeking help for depression, and other mental illness’s. Clearly the way we are going about the pursuit of happiness is too one sided. Material wealth is indeed a necessity, we need food, water and shelter, and we happen to be overly blessed with all of that and much, much more. But it seems that every ad we see on TV, or the depictions of happy characters in movies and shows, tend to reiterate the idea the wealth means happiness. I can look and the majority of friends and family around me, even myself, and see that for the most part people search for happiness with new clothing, new cars, new appliances, and new toys. But all that does is bring momentary happiness, and like an addict, after one gets a fix of something new, when they get tired of it they look to buy something else. As a society we are addicted to consuming, and with an addiction to consuming, we are destroying the environment around us just as an alcoholic destroys his or her family. Furthermore, we are looking for a quick fix to the environmental problem. The assumption that some great new technology will save us is yet again a quick fix to our problems; it is relying of production yet again. I am not saying that technology isn’t important, because I know that it will indeed play a large role in the cleaning-up process, but how we use this technology is more important. If we do not begin to realize our tendencies as individuals and as a society, we will continue to abuse what we have in the same way. The first step to overcoming an addiction is realizing one has a problem. If an addict goes on denying to himself and others that there is a problem at hand, they will never fix it.

            So with what I, and many others believe the be the primary source of the environmental problem as well as a major source for conflict violent conflict around the globe, I think it can be said that it is time for a cultural shift in our overall view of the world, of the people around us, and ourselves. I think it is time to start digging in to ourselves and discover what it is to be a human being. I believe it is time for us to start living an ethical life where we are conscious of our every action and realize the full impact it has on all others around the globe. It is not only time, it is absolutely imperative, we can no longer go-on existing the way we do now. I feel that the only way to do this is to start searching for happiness within ourselves, each on of us. And there is a path, since the beginning of human consciousness we have been looking for ways to be happy. Although there is much understandable biased towards religion seeing that it is far too often used as a tool for control and reason for violence, when we look to the roots of each religion we see that they all have the same aim: To make life bearable, to guide someone towards happiness, and they all teach the same ethical values that are, what I and many others believe to be, necessary for happiness. One need not believe in the metaphysical aspects of any particular religions, Atheists and Christians are both striving happiness, and the majority of people share the common value of love and recognize its importance. Since we all share love, in some way or another, I think it is important to practice all the values that make love more authentic. These are the spiritual values found in all religions, Agnostic philosophies, ethical systems, and even in modern day psychoanalysis: Love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility towards self and others, and a sense of harmony. These are what I believe to be the most fundamental human values found at the core of our being, and essential for a happiness that isn’t only momentary, but long lasting. Only when we begin to realize what it is like to really be a human being, can we start making the changes that will lead us in the right direction. Without them, our temptation towards greed is left too unguarded. Without living ethical life that is best for ones-self and all those around them, even this environmental catastrophe we are facing is exposed to self-interest, which is too narrow a view to solve the broad scope of issues at hand. I have found for myself, and seen my friends also discover, that when living a life where one cares about the happiness of others, where one learns to forgive, learns to feel responsible for themselves and others, when they learn to cultivate compassion in place of hatred, life becomes far better. That is not to say it is such an easy task. In fact, I have find it to be incredibly difficult to walk a path where I strive to be a better person in every situation,and certainly I am not perfect, but I have faith that this is what is needed to create a world where we can sustain life, so I keep on striving. Lets open our eyes together and create the world we wish to live in, lets “be the change we wish to see in the world” like Gandhi said. In a time when there are so many people, and the world is far more interconnected and interdependent then ever before, it is imperative that we go back to our roots, it is essential that we search our souls for peace and happiness and learn to love our planet and each other. I will end this with a poem that I find to reflect what is needed.

The Opening Of Eyes

That day I saw beneath dark clouds

the passing light over the water,

and I heard the voice of the world speak out,

I knew then, as I had before,

life is no passing memory of what has been

nor the remaining pages of a great book

waiting to be read.

It is the opening of the eyes long closed.

It is the vision of far off things

seen for the silence they hold.

It is the heart after years

of secret conversing

speaking out loud in the clear air.

It is Moses in the desert fallen before the lit bush.

It is the man throwing away his shoes

as if to enter heaven

and finding himself astonished,

opened at last,

fallen in love with solid ground.

--David Whyte

I say this with my hands together in front of my heart. Please, lets stand together and open our eyes to fall in love with the solid ground. Lets treat ourselves, and all those around us with love and compassion. To every person who reads this, including myself, please, lets make it our primary goal in life to be the best person we can be and strive to make a difference in the world.

- Alex