by Christyl Rivers

Created on: May 21, 2012   Last Updated: May 22, 2012

At risk of having a voice no one hears, much like the earth's voice, it seems evident that environmentalism as a movement has gone far enough, and maybe too far. Environmentalists have to change their tactic from a concern with something people perceive as somehow contrary to human lifestyles, to a movement that aligns with all life on earth.

Environmentalism by the label of "caring for the environment" suggests to some (that in some bizarre, upside down and twisted logic) the environment is something other than humanity and the biosphere itself. Such people are not evil, but as many do, they have mentally, and emotionally been injured by traumatic separation from the living organism and organization of life systems on earth. They have pathologically dissociated from nature's wholeness and sustenance, thinking of "the environment" as a distinct "other."

The cause  then, has gone too far when people routinely assume that the environment is somehow not within their very bodies and external to their very community. There are climate change deniers, and others out there, who actually believe there is a contest between nature versus humanity, as though humans were not part of nature! This is why doctrines of " putting people first" sets up a false conflict, since without biodiversity, which creates clean air, soils and water, there is NO humanity.

Combining the passion of environmentalism with the whole of civilization, including economic crisis and its solutions, this next progression of human movements have definitely not gone far enough. So long as people can mentally separate the very air they breathe, and the water and food they depend upon from some vague notion of "Oh yeah, that's the stuff only progressive left wings whack-Os scold on about" the environment and life, including humanity suffers. They suffer from lack of earth belonging, lack of innovation in global economy and green jobs, the tragic scars of war, famine and resource "ownership" and more. Thus, all life, suffers, and ultimately dies.

Sustainability is the most important idea of the 21st century. It means, in the simplest terms possible, that any resource from earth is taken in ways that allow earth to replenish those resources. A sustainable forest is a forest managed in such a way that trees get replanted, and will be there for the ecosystems that need them for life. A sustainable food crop is one that feeds many and is still able to be planted again without major destruction to soils, bio-diversity, and people. A sustainable economy is one that is more balanced toward ending waste and shared value and quality to everyone, and not to just the elite.

Historically, rich and powerful beings, (once kings and priests, now corporations) are the very individuals who grab for riches, power and resource control. That is who they are. A powerful king, priest, or even corporate media leader, is going to be someone who seeks not sustainability, but profit. Such elites can only thrive in an environment of constant competition. When people realize they are kin with all forests, animals and fellow people and systems that have been outrageously exploited for short- term gain, they grasp the importance of something much, much bigger than "environmentalism."

Therefore, to maintain any resource, from a pine cone to an economy, requires vigilance on the part of those people who are completely dependent upon a sustainable system in order to “make a living,” that is, to continue living on a planet with abundant, but finite resources.

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