Recently, I was jogging along the creekside trail near my house, when all of a sudden there appeared a round, turquoise colored balloon floating across the path up ahead of me. As I approached the balloon, I couldn't help but wonder where it came from.
Shortly thereafter, I found a young couple and their dog playing with several balloons, so I assumed that they were the rightful owners of this lost one. As I tried to return it, the two doggie masters were not really interested in getting the balloon back. As a matter of fact, they seemed not to care where the remnants might even end up---laying like a piece of discarded litter on nature's path, or possibly, in the stomach of one of the ducks feeding there in the creek, or any number of unplanned destinations that non-biodegradable rubber just might find its way to.
It was in this moment I was reminded that we never truly know what the actual consequences of our daily choices are. It also occurred to me, that no matter how well meaning we think we are and how hard we try to walk lightly upon this planet, we are prone to causing death and suffering without essentially intending to.
I will list just a few examples of what I am trying to convey right here:
• Shopping at Best Buy, Wal-Mart and even Trader Joes for the cheapest deal on an item which was created by the sweatshop labor and suffering of a human being in some other part of the world View Article
• Driving in a vehicle or flying in an airplane and sucking down gallons of gasoline which are obtained by a costly and murderous war View Article
And Another Article
• Sipping on a cup of hot java, where the beans used to create it are picked by farm workers who earn .04 cents for every $4.00 cup we drink View Article
• Eating conventionally grown, non-organic food items which are sprayed with chemicals and insecticides that kill millions of birds annually and cause cancer or other harmful side effects in humans View Article
And Another Article
• Buying and wearing an expensive piece of jewelry that was obtained by raping and ruining many parts of this precious earth while also causing the miners to work and live in substandard conditions View Article
• Taking a vacation to exotic locations where human impacts, pollutants, and waste runoff generate mass destruction of pristine areas View Article
• Indulging ourselves on meals such as Sushi which leads to the overfishing of populations such as the Blue Fin Tunas, which are caught by using non-sustainable methods and killing more sealife than is necessary
View Article
• Using disposable chopsticks at every visit to an Asian restaurant causing massive deforestation View Article
• Ordering from a fast food restaurant where a burger is created using meat which comes from mega farms and slaughterhouses contributing colossal amounts of pollution to the environment View Article
This list is just a mere drop in the bucket of mankind’s potential for destruction. We are, therefore, we destroy!
Please feel free to contact me with any additions to the list, relevant comments, or opposing viewpoints. I feel that the more cognizant we can become; the better it will be for the plane and all of its inhabitants as a whole.
In your freetime, you can also read just for fun (really, for FUN!) about the TOP 10 WAYS TO DESTROY THE EARTH on LiveScience.com
Shortly thereafter, I found a young couple and their dog playing with several balloons, so I assumed that they were the rightful owners of this lost one. As I tried to return it, the two doggie masters were not really interested in getting the balloon back. As a matter of fact, they seemed not to care where the remnants might even end up---laying like a piece of discarded litter on nature's path, or possibly, in the stomach of one of the ducks feeding there in the creek, or any number of unplanned destinations that non-biodegradable rubber just might find its way to.
It was in this moment I was reminded that we never truly know what the actual consequences of our daily choices are. It also occurred to me, that no matter how well meaning we think we are and how hard we try to walk lightly upon this planet, we are prone to causing death and suffering without essentially intending to.
I will list just a few examples of what I am trying to convey right here:
• Shopping at Best Buy, Wal-Mart and even Trader Joes for the cheapest deal on an item which was created by the sweatshop labor and suffering of a human being in some other part of the world View Article
• Driving in a vehicle or flying in an airplane and sucking down gallons of gasoline which are obtained by a costly and murderous war View Article
And Another Article
• Sipping on a cup of hot java, where the beans used to create it are picked by farm workers who earn .04 cents for every $4.00 cup we drink View Article
• Eating conventionally grown, non-organic food items which are sprayed with chemicals and insecticides that kill millions of birds annually and cause cancer or other harmful side effects in humans View Article
And Another Article
• Buying and wearing an expensive piece of jewelry that was obtained by raping and ruining many parts of this precious earth while also causing the miners to work and live in substandard conditions View Article
• Taking a vacation to exotic locations where human impacts, pollutants, and waste runoff generate mass destruction of pristine areas View Article
• Indulging ourselves on meals such as Sushi which leads to the overfishing of populations such as the Blue Fin Tunas, which are caught by using non-sustainable methods and killing more sealife than is necessary
View Article
• Using disposable chopsticks at every visit to an Asian restaurant causing massive deforestation View Article
• Ordering from a fast food restaurant where a burger is created using meat which comes from mega farms and slaughterhouses contributing colossal amounts of pollution to the environment View Article
This list is just a mere drop in the bucket of mankind’s potential for destruction. We are, therefore, we destroy!
Please feel free to contact me with any additions to the list, relevant comments, or opposing viewpoints. I feel that the more cognizant we can become; the better it will be for the plane and all of its inhabitants as a whole.
In your freetime, you can also read just for fun (really, for FUN!) about the TOP 10 WAYS TO DESTROY THE EARTH on LiveScience.com
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