Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
6. Going for energy-saving light bulbs and energy-efficient appliances, and turn-
ing them off when you aren't using them could save you up to 1.6 tonnes of carbon
per year.
7. Eat locally produced food, thereby eliminating your support for the vastly pol-
luting global transportation network that emits about 80kg of greenhouse gases
even for the average shopping basket of
organic
food. This way, you'll save up to
3.6 tonnes of carbon per year.
8. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Before you buy something, ask yourself whether it
really is a vital need. Use things many times—such as plastic bags, and, if you
can't do the first two, then recycle as much as you can, thereby saving energy for
the production of new items. Annual saving: 1 tonne of carbon.
9. Take your deep ecology perspective to your place of work; turn off lights and
standbys, print on both sides of the paper, and convince the powers that be to re-
cycle as much as possible.
10. Go for a natural burial and avoid burying concrete, metal and other materials
with you, thereby saving up to one tonne of carbon.
I would add an 11th step, which is:
11.Spread the word about the urgent need for a steady-state economy before the
growth economy makes the previous ten steps irrelevant.
Eventually, after careful consideration, each person will make his or her choices and act
concretely in the world. When this happens a fruit grows, matures and finally falls to the
ground as soon as the action is carried out, fertilising the soil of deep experience with
nutrients that everyone can draw on. Every person's actions will be different, but if they
are truly consistent with the realm of deep experience, each action will benefit the whole
of Gaia, including other human beings. Each person's particular journey from roots to
trunk, and then to branches and fruit represents their own ecosophical path into right ac-
tion in the world.
The most satisfying actions in this time of ecological and social crisis will be those
that are inspired by a sense of service to Gaia that comes from a deep feeling of be-
longing to the animate community of organisms, air, rocks, and water that constitutes
the very fabric of our living planet. We have seen how the science of Gaia is consistent
with a deeply intuitive understanding of the Earth as an evolving, ever-changing anim-
ate being, and have explored how this new perspective opens up fruitful ways of making
