Lesson 2: We are nature

Human beings are nature too.  We evolved like everything else.  Since the 19th century human thought and action has moved us away from nature toward the built environment.  A shallow Biblical interpretation has lead us to believe that domination over nature is our birth right.  As yes we have no reliable knowledge that humans can live without nature.  A common sense analysis of our reality reveals that we are integral to nature and mutually dependent on nature for our permanence.  Ways of living that disrespect nature and blatantly treat her as infinite are out of step with permanence.  Some non-western culture treat nature-not-man as sacred.  This makes sense because we have no definite explanation about how nature including man came into being.  Neither do we know how to replicate from elements any natural organism.  So we should live in awe of nature including ourselves.

Lesson 1: Moderation - take what you need

The first lesson we learn from ancient multi-century civilisations is to take only what we need from nature and waste nothing of what nature provides.  Examples include: native Americans, Eskimos, African Bushmen.  There is no doubt that if everyone aspired to live like native Americans lived, we could all hope to live permanently.  Unless of course we were met with disaster outside of our control.

Permanence

The current word in environmental discourse is sustainability.  My concern about this word is what is sustainable?  Who can measure it?  How do we predict that a process is sustainable?  Our track record at predicting the future is dismal.  I far prefer the word permanent.  Permanence is retrospective as opposed to futuristic.  We know the phrase "hind sight is 20/20 vision", so lets decide to make best use of it.  In so doing we explore ways of living that have persisted for centuries and mine them for ways of living today that by benefit of hindsight will allow us to live for many more centuries.  I say this in light of increasing amounts of data that suggest that global destruction and catastrophe is well within our reach.