For the past several decades more and more people are coming to the conclusion that environmental concerns need to be addressed, however there is much less agreement on how best to engage those issues.
There are an abundance of environmental campaigns thriving daily. It seems that suddenly, many engaged citizens are committing to support one cause or another. Businesses specializing in green issues are quickly being formed to help support people who want a cleaner and healthier environment. Some people concentrate on the issue of sustainable energy, others on recycling. Then there are others who have a wider focus and will embrace practically all endeavors that aim to protect and safeguard our natural habitat. The point is many of us are attempting to do something to help – but are we effective? Obviously, the green movement has attracted a lot of adherents but are their efforts truly coordinated toward achieving a successful big picture?
Ecology is an interesting field. It applies to the scientific study of the relationships of organisms with each other within their environment. Perhaps one of the most interesting notions that has turned up in these studies is the observation that things are constantly changing due to the interactions among the organisms.
Our ability to thrive as a human society is dependent upon how well our world is able to regulate and preserve the goods and services that sustain us and our well being. We are coming to the understanding that in order for our planet to reach that healthy state there needs to be a balance in the native ecosystem. If the various facets, both living and nonliving, such as water, air, soil, plants, etc. of our ecosystem are out of balance then how well the planet can support human life will be put in jeopardy.
So, when we focus on one particular environmental issue, like recycling, are we dealing with the symptom, or the cause? This is not to belittle the many people who work diligently for their pet environmental causes, for example, recycling. But there are others who will question that thinking by pointing out that recycling might be a good beginning but it must also be combined with efforts that take the whole picture into consideration. For example when hybrid cars were first making an appearance, they were hailed as fuel savers, but critics quickly pointed out that the money drivers saved on fuel was actually being funneled back into the extended costs of making the cars fuel efficient. So some ecological actions we take may not be as ecological as we’d like to think.
There is an old Native American society, which says that we should make decisions with the seventh generation in mind. This same concept seems to underlie what NXIVM and its founder, Keith Raniere, stand for, and suggests that the world’s problems need to be addressed by a new type of thinking.
Taking that thinking to its logical completion should lead to ways that would allow us to analyze solutions like recycling and where it fits in the big picture. Would we come to different conclusions if we were to employ a different thinking paradigm? If that were true, exactly what would be needed to take us there? Is there a more responsible approach we can take to the issue of waste that extends beyond just recycling? Perhaps if we can examine why we cause these issues to begin with, we can have a deeper understanding of how we can resolve the environmental issues of the world.
For more aspects concerning this article please visit Keith Raniere, Founder of NXIVM and Executive Success Programs. As a second option you can also visit Nancy Salzman, President of NXIVM Corporation and Executive Success Programs.