Digging for Roots

Glinda writes:

Over the course of my 59 years, I have addressed many problems. My favored and by far most effective strategy in dealing with problems has been to go for the root, i.e., the cause. Otherwise, I put on bandaids, cover holes, and react with surprise when the next unexplained manifestation of the problem arises. This is not easy, and often takes considerable courage to look at things I would rather ignore. But ignore, I cannot.

What are the roots of the environmental crisis of our times? Some trace environmental degradation to those with an "anthropocentric" orientation. Big word. Big meaning. "Anthropo-" means human and "-centric" means centered. In a nutshell, it means humans with this view are self-absorbed. They have blinders to the web of life which supports their being. With such an orientation, humans believe they are the primary focus of everything that is. Should we operate from this system, we believe ourselves to be "above" or "separate" from all that is. In that separateness, we are indifferent to Nature. We think Her vast reserves are merely resources for our use. We think She feels no pain. Such an orientation is usually held beyond conscious mind; it, however, becomes powerful, even devastating, in practice. We become capable of a kind of destruction that knows no limits, has no bounds.

This view is largely held by those with a Euro-centric background or those influenced by it. It includes those with roots in Europe and of course the U.S. That does not mean that everyone from these regions prescribes to or practices from this orientation.

I believe that this is largely a socialized relationship handed down over countless generations. It is something we have been taught or rather it has been forced upon us. It has been largely unexamined by those of us from this background until the current time. It's time we did.