Living in Harmony with Nature
by Douglas Fir
Introduction
You and I have a lot in common. We both live
on planet Earth and receive everything necessary to sustain our
lifestyle indirectly from Mother Nature. Most of us love her
beauty, her flora, and fauna. Perhaps many of us even have pets
that we care for in exchange for the joy they bring us. But we
are a paradox. While we love Mother Earth we are also participating
in her destruction.
All of us in our daily lifestyle are constantly
taking resources directly or indirectly from this planet without
returning them. The most ecological minded person that is
living in modern society has a major detrimental effect on the
planet. We enjoy the convenience of rapid transportation, electricity
and gas, while the places we live in are filled with electronic
gadgets and constructed with energy intensive building materials.
All these items can be thought of as eco points
Often we think "I'm not destroying nature
but such and such a company, government, or person is responsible.
Perhaps this is so but only because their actions are so noticeable.
We forget that what we see 'out there' is also within us.
After all who buys the products that these companies manufacture?
We do. We are creating our lifestyle constantly minute by minute
through our choices and actions.
Unlike our parents and grandparents we have many more variables
influencing our decisions but at the same time more information
available to be able to make these choices.
In this age of easy access to information it has become apparent
and calculable the effect one person ...YOU... can have on this
planet. Faced with the facts that almost
everything we do is in some way effecting this planet what should
we do? Drop out, give away the stereo and go live in a cave in
Nepal? Not necessary. Taking responsibility for our creation
is the first step. Educating ourselves and others is the second
way to pay back all of the energy debits we have borrowed from
Mother Earth since we first became consumers. No matter where
we live on this planet, if we rediscover our natural sense and
only use technology appropriately then we will come to live closer
in harmony with nature.
In this book we will explore the effects and
choices presently available to us to calculate the impact each
one of us has on the environment and explore the opportunities
available to lessen that impact no matter where we live. We will
explore some of the most recent advances in environmental enhancing
ideas and meet researchers and inventors from around the world.
Major areas of study will include alternative
energy
production, zero pollution transportation, low impact home
construction, product life cycle analysis, waste management,
residental farming, etc. all with emphasis on introducing
you to solutions to the challenges facing us today.
