Provision #657: Nurture Planet Earth

by Bob Tschannen-Moran

Laser Provision

This truth applies to one and all: we are duty bound to protect and nurture planet earth. Buckminster Fuller long ago challenged us to "do more with less" if we hope to keep this "spaceship earth" in good working order. Others have recognized the need to develop sustainable energy economies and environmental practices. From the micro level of our individual decisions to the macro level of our global policies, our planet is straining under the weight of over-consumption and over-production. Can we do better? This Provision suggests we can and argues we must.

LifeTrek Provision

1. Love and honor the Earth for it blesses your life and governs your survival.
2. Keep each day sacred to the Earth and celebrate the turning of its seasons.
3. Do not hold yourself above other living things nor drive them to extinction.
4. Give thanks for your food to the creatures and plants that nourish you.
5. Limit your offspring, for multitudes of people are a burden unto the Earth.
6. Do not kill nor waste Earth's riches upon weapons of war.
7. Do not pursue profit at the Earth's expense but strive to restore its damaged majesty.
8. Do not hide from yourself or others the consequences of your actions upon the Earth.
9. Do not steal from future generations by impoverishing or poisoning the Earth.
10. Consume material goods in moderation so all may share Earth's bounty.

Those commandments pretty well cover the bases when it comes to things we can pay attention to and do ourselves to nurture planet earth. You can see how well they correlate, for example, to the Ten Ways to Go Green and Save Green by Worldwatch Institute:

1. Save energy to save money (and the planet).
2. Save water to save money (and the planet).
3. Less gas = more money (and better health!).
4. Eat smart (eat less meat and buy more local).
5. Skip the bottled water.
6. Think before you buy (make secondhand your first thought).
7. Borrow instead of buying (e.g., libraries over bookstores).
8. Buy smart (e.g., bulk bins and long-lasting products).
9. Keep electronics out of the trash.
10. Make your own cleaning supplies.

Such lists abound on the Internet, which is a great thing since most people -- regardless of their position on global warming -- want to do what they can to take good care of planet earth, notwithstanding the outlier in a recent political cartoon set in the context of the global climate summit in December. At the front of the room was a presenter, speaking to such bullet points as "energy independence," "preserve rainforests," "sustainability," "green jobs," "livable cities," "renewables," "clean water," "clean air," and "healthy children." In the back of the room was a person complaining, "What if it's a big hoax and we create a better world for nothing?"

The bottom line, of course, is that it's never a hoax to create a better world. And most people need help to figure how to get from here to there. Cynicism about either individual action or about global initiatives gets in the way of taking any steps at all. But small steps do add up, as anyone who has ever lost weight will tell you. No one ever loses 100 pounds all at one time. And, as Lao Tzu famously noted, "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

That does not mean, of course, that individual "green" lifestyle changes are the only steps we can take. We can also advocate and act on behalf of "green" policies that will do far more, in the long run, to nurture planet earth. Here are some of the policies recommended by New York Times columnist and best-selling author, Thomas Friedman:

• Create a Clean Energy System
• With "Change or Die" Incentives to Energy Producers
• And Visible, Energy-Saving Incentives to Energy Consumers
• So the word "Green" goes away as an option. It becomes Standard Operating Procedure.

In other words, to quote Friedman in Hot, Flat, and Crowded, "When you wake up one day and power companies are competing to make you more energy efficient, the way phone companies compete today for your long-distance business; when parking garages are paying you to park there because they will sell you solar power from their roof and share in your sale of that power to the grid; when your electricity is more costly but your bills have shrunk; and when green is the standard, not an option -- you'll know that we're having a green revolution and not just a green party."

And that's just on the energy side of the equation. Policies to conserve and protect the environment are just as important. It's not an either-or choice when it comes to individual actions and global initiatives; nurturing planet earth requires both-and approaches that can make a difference in both the short run and long term. I, for one, am encouraged by global climate summits and the general level of consciousness and concern that seems to be sweeping the globe today. We are a long way from where we need to be; but we are talking our way through the knotholes of how to get there.

Coaching Inquiries: How would you evaluate your "green" consciousness? What is one thing you do to help conserve energy, preserve the environment, and/or advance "green" policies? How can you take a few more steps in the right direction? Who could become your partner in nurturing planet earth?

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LifeTrek Readers' Forum (selected feedback from the past week)

Editor's Note: The LifeTrek Readers' Forum contains selections from the comments and materials sent in each week by the readers of LifeTrek Provisions. They do not necessarily reflect the perspective of LifeTrek Coaching International. To submit your comment, use our Feedback Form or Email Bob.