Dear Bonnie,
Forgive me for indulging in a little eco-psychology, but I hear this kind of despair so often over news of environmental destruction that I want to share with you a little advice for riding the tide, so to speak when you learn of disturbing issues like these. Here’s my prescription for a healthy and hopeful approach to environmentalism. You’ll need:
1. A “higher view”: I strongly believe that there is one common denominator to the rise in violence, environmental destruction, and even individual depression we see in this modern existence, and that is disconnection—from the environment, from each other, and ultimately from ourselves. It is my nonscientific, unproven, yet self-sustaining thought that part of our evolutionary path as a species is to find our way toward reconnection and to recognize that if the whole web isn’t healthy, we are not healthy. Growth can be uncomfortable, so part of that journey will include horrific stories like plastics in the ocean, but I believe that those stories are serving to help wake us up.
2. A sense of community: You are not alone; there is a collective desire to improve the environment for the future and it is up to us as a group, not just you as an individual, to work together. In fact, just that process of trying, even when we don’t succeed, makes a difference.
3. A little humility. Remember that this is a powerful, resilient planet, far more powerful than one mere species.
4. A little hope. There is always good news. Because of the recent reports on plastics in the ocean, there have been some encouraging developments in 2005. Here are a few brief updates:
- The first ever "plastics in the sea" conference brought industry and government together to create solutions for preventing the waste from entering the ocean.
- Eco-Cycle is working to see how these plastics, if recovered, might be used for building materials for communities lacking such resources.
- The use of “bioplastics” is on the rise, with significant investments by Cargill to replace synthetic plastics with biodegradable plastics made from plant polymers like corn or potato starches, preferably non GMO and organically grown. Research is being done as to how these plastics would break down if washed into the ocean or digested by an animal or bird.
- Many coastal countries have banned the use of plastic bags all together to prevent their accumulation in the ocean.
The good news isn’t just limited to plastics, of course. Rising oil prices are contributing to remarkable gains in alternative energy and transportation, the number of communities making global warming resolutions is soaring, and 2006 is shaping up to be the year that Zero Waste really takes off— I’ll be telling you more about all that in future columns.
That’s my eco-sage advice, Bonnie. I hope it helps. My apologies to Dear Abby for drifting into her realm on this column, but for those who are interested, Eco-Psychology is a real field of study and practice. Learn more at www.ecopsychology.org.
