Untamed Wilderness and Civilization

 

“An infinity of forests lies dormant in the dreams of a single acorn.” (Dr. Wayne Dyer)

Picture the beauty of creation before the coming of civilization; before that stage of human social development and organization, which is considered most advanced. Only an acorn and things akin to it can dream the greatness of pure wilderness upon the earth. Untouched by man, the laws of nature, first and foremost, support the systems they serve; the floral and fauna thrive under the direction of nature’s laws. Plants and animals lived accordingly, nourishing the earth and allowing it to grow and flourish. Water systems give freely of themselves, nurturing the soil and plants along the way, while continuing their journey, bringing fresh cool water for animals waiting near the water holes. The rain replenishing the water reservoirs as the wind transports the seeds of new life all nurtured by the heat of the sun. In perfect harmony, the wilderness survives on its own. 

 

The most exotic and interesting families of animals roamed the earth. Their greatness in size, color, beauty, speed and strength second to none, as they graced the forests, deserts, mountains, plains, and rivers and oceans. They adapted to the conditions of their environment and prospered there. There were people, later to be called indigenous people, who lived in close harmony with the rest of nature. They used nature to survive but only took from it what they needed and nothing was left to waste.

 

Then, imagine, if you can, these remarkable creatures discovering strangers; their habitats being invaded, their food source destroyed, and the strangers so hostile that the very existence of the animals is threatened, and entire nations of indigenous people wiped out by the newcomers. In the animal kingdom, there is a pecking order; the hunter, the prey, all attuned to their place and the skills of the other. No weapons can be seen and no unnatural deafening sounds are heard.

 

Then comes what is known as civilization! Two legged creatures, called mankind, begin to show their power. Building their towns and cities, tropical forests are turned into concrete jungles. They removed and destroyed the natural environment, replacing it with their homes, services buildings, streets, bridges, airports, and, oil rigs to name a few things.

 

Huge mammals, called blue whales, are hunted in the seas, slaughtered to the point of almost extinction in today’s world as they were hunted for their use of oil. Animals have been killed off for hides and meat or are just considered pests. The great bison of North America were hunted for sport, with no thought to its demise. Many species of animal life have become extinct and in today’s society several species are lost every day.

 

Want is greater than need as the destruction continues; the forests torn down and cut down, while the earth is torn up for farming and mining for minerals and precious stones. But here, too, is a pecking order as sounds of weapons, such as guns and bombs, send the cries of children into the air. The ground all around is strewn with bodies, as rescue workers attempt in vain to hose off the chemical agent that has blanketed the children caught in the crossfire of firing weapons. Weapons of mass destruction are no respecter of persons and so mankind is on a forward march against itself in other parts of the world. This is the beginning of the dying world; when we treat a child like a thing, something despised, dejected, to be thrown away. When we shatter the lives of people in our way humanity is no more. We survived the bombs but we are not going to survive our own greed. We have done terrible things in the name of God, for God, to God!

 

Our beautiful Earth is losing its essence due to a major shift in climate conditions. We never had to face the reality of global warming before. Now driven by money and greed, huge industries around the world pollute the atmosphere with their poisonous gases. Factories, billions of vehicles, and other modes of transport, belch out smoke and dangerous liquids into our water and rivers, into our oceans and fresh water supplies all of which add to the issue of global warming.  The droughts in Cape Town, South Africa, with its fresh water supply almost extinct, floods, more intense and more destructive hurricanes, vicious forest fires in various parts of the planet, the melting of the icecaps at the North and South Poles and the effect of changing temperatures on the flora and the fauna are a direct result of what we call ‘global warning’. Yet the pollutants continue.

“Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.”  These words from The Rime if the ancient Mariner, written by the great poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, echo through the ages as countries such as Pakistan race into its own water crisis by the year 2025.  This serves as a grave reminder that water is never to be taken for granted. Good, clean, healthy drinking water is not something that we can produce as a renewable resource.  It is a valuable resource and needs to be protected.

One has only to look around during times of distress and natural disasters to hear the truth of these prophetic words from the great poet.  It is almost an every day occurrence to see news stories of hurricanes, monsoons, and heavy rainfalls, flooding the streets of towns and cities in countries all over the world. Yes, water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink!

So how do we provide for these nations’ water supply now?  How do we protect ourselves from this catastrophe? How do we provide for the needs of our children and their children’s children?  How can we guarantee the future of water? For years the answer to such questions has been the building of dams and the answer remains the same today.

So why is the building of dams so important? To begin with, dams are used to create reservoirs so that good, clean, healthy, drinking water is available to all citizens. Dams serve to ensure that water is not contaminated through flooding.  No matter the natural disaster, the dam will provide proper drinking water

Building of dams provides water for irrigation of the land.  Drought and climate change conditions can cause many problems for a county and its people by destroying the crops and in some places, its animals. These desperate situations can be avoided by the building of dams.

Load shedding is no stranger to Pakistan. How often do people sit in darkness waiting for the electricity to return to their homes and businesses?  How often do people swelter in the heat of soaring summer temperatures without even a fan to cool the air because they have no electricity?  The building of dams can also help to alleviate such inconvenience and discomfort by producing hydroelectric power.  This power turns the wheels of industry which is important for the country’s economy and prosperity

And yet another use of building dams is to hold back floodwater in times of torrential rain allowing the water to run off more slowly in a controlled way. This can protect people and their property that may be in the path of this flooding water. While the building of dams is so crucial to the survival of our country, education on such matters is also important.  Making the nation aware of this great resource we call water is a must. Teaching our children and youth the value of water and how we can all conserve it must begin early. People need to know that water has become the oil of the future and so it has great value.  We must know how to save water by taking stock on how much we use on a daily basis in our homes and in the workplace. How much do we use every time we brush our teeth, or get a glass of water? How much water is used unnecessarily and without thought to the future?

Education on the building of dams and all aspects of saving water needs to become part of the school curriculum so that children and youth are aware of their part in this all important issue.  Helping people of all ages to know about water conservation is part of the government’s responsibility and so we must support our government and their efforts to bring attention to their cause.  Supporting conservation events and activities in our cities and villages will also help protect this great resource.

Water is among our most precious natural resources and its value is never more apparent than when we do not have it.

 

We have polluted the air. We have polluted the water and now with man made chemicals and the misuse of technology we are polluting the trees, destroying the very forests that are home to the flora and the fauna of the world. In recent years we have reason to fear the weapons of mass destruction. So how in the name of humanity do we begin to become whole again?

The greater danger here is the possibility that some terrorist group or rogue nation would get control of nuclear weapons.  This could start a chain reaction that could possibly destroy our planet.  With so many nations with nuclear weapons there is the danger of some nation making a mistake or acting too quickly.

Linked with this cyber activity comes the threat of some countries feeding false information to agitated states or countries that could result in military aggression or interfering with their democratic voting process and spreading division and hatred among the people as they did in the United States in the 2016 presidential election. 

 

We have been told through flashing messages of social media that we are unworthy and so are not deserving of food, shelter, education, protection, and the necessities of every day life. The human condition has broken into our lives in a totally new way as the balance of power has been tipped toward the wealthy and the strong.  The balance in the whole universe has gone askew and somehow it needs to be set back toward good and love in order to save our planet.

The ego has a hold on this balance of power now and we need what the writer John Randolph Price calls Super Beings to come with their lights and shine them once again on our planet.  People like Malala, who was shot because she was an advocate for education for all, does not even need a last name now. Yes, they are rare, but these great people exist and we need them now.

 

Society has been attacked by greed, selfishness, pride, prejudice, hatred, violence, and war. So we have to start before it’s too late.  We have to be creative and somehow reach the age of thinking.  We have to put more time, resources, and effort into focusing on the things that unite us rather than on our differences.  We have to accept the diversity of this wonderful planet we call home and learn that we are one here on Earth. It is imperative to control ego and go back to our essence operating out of love, kindness, understanding of and compassion for our fellowman.  When we care about the needs and hopes of others they, too, will join in a wave of change that can rejuvenate and heal our ailing planet.

When people have equal access to food, shelter, medical care, education, protection from aggression from others, freedom of speech and religion, most, if not all, of the problems we see today will cease to exist. Nelson Mandela is a shining example of the type of leader we need. Fighting against apartheid in South Africa he was imprisoned for most of his life. Yet he befriended and showed love toward his captors. When released he preached reconciliation for both sides, including leaders.  Feelings between both sides increased for the better. The former political prisoner became the leader and president of South Africa. It’s been shown in many places that when people’s needs are met they enhance our earth immensely.

We need a shift in consciousness and we need to learn from all the great spiritual leaders through the ages who have proven that love and reconciliation bring peace. These are the kinds of lights we need right now on our planet. These are the kinds of initiatives needed, those that cut through the rhetoric of killing and war, and those that show signs of evolved thinking and will bring life to our planet and all those who live here. Like the acorn that had dreams, we too will have seeds of tolerance, patience, and acceptance. These will help create a balance between the wilderness and civilization.