The native americans believe that human beings were not given dominion over the Earth, as many in the West seem to believe (as is implicit by their actions). It was not given to ravage, to suck dry and ring out the juice of resources until there is nothing left. Instead we were given to be caretakers of this place and the beings on and within it, working in harmony and helping mantain the delicate balance of Nature. They realised only too well how much survival of the human race (at least in physical form) depended on the gifts and blessings that Mother Earth provides to us unconditionally, without complaint or hesitation and they deeply honoured that.
Two quotes have come to me that seem relevant to this subject...

The first is apparently from the Cree peoples, the second said by a tribal chief, Chief Seattle...

"Only when the last tree is cut;
only when the last river is polluted;
only when the last fish is caught;
only then will they realize that you cannot eat money."

and

"We did not weave the web of life; we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves."

I resonate with what you say. The amount of consumption, even if at a reduced rate seems completely unsustainable. In a practical sense I just don't see how it can continue - afterall there are only a finite number of resources on this planet, and of course the more waste that is pumped into the atmosphere and environment through consumption the less habitable it will become. If you likened Mother Earth to a car or even a human body, we can see how clear it is that She cannot be treated in this manner indefinitely. A car needs to be serviced, to be filled with the correct fuel, to be cleaned and driven carefully, a human body also needs the right fuels, the right environment, a balance of rest and action/stimulation. By pumping waste into the bloodstream (rivers and seas) of Mother Earth, by draining and starving her soil of nutrients, by decimating the land of resources, by pollution of the environment to the extent that its equilibirum is bought out of balance it seems there is a clear possibility that something of a 'detox' reaction will (and is) occuring. Sooner or later in order for the Earth to survive and maintain equilibrium in this plane a redressing of the balance seems highly likely. and what are the likely signs of Gaia's detoxing? how about extremes of temperature, tsunamis, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions? all designed to shake off that which clearly does not serve. So I think you're probably right, 10% reduction in emissions just won't cut it. It seems unlikely if not impossible that the 'status quo' can be maintained however much people want to keep living in the same way.
I recognise however, that by living in this place we still have basic physical needs to cater for - shelter, clothing, food etc, and also specific purposes and roles for being here (which require appropriate resources), so it seems we can't stop consuming entirely (at least not at this stage). The question is how should people go about finding equilibrum again? A balance of give and take. As everyone is different, living in different environments and with different needs and purposes in life, it seems to me there is no cut and dry (10% reduction) type answer right across the board. Its not a question of everyone turning the lights off, eating raw food or stopping using their cars necessarily - although all those things may help. My work with Openhand had led me to the conclusion that the best way to live in this place harmoniously is to follow the Heart, the pull of the Soul, by recognising what one is being authentically invited to do and following that to the best of one's abilities. and the time to do that is now, not 2010, not next month, but NOW. Either everyone makes massive changes right now, or we can expect the necessary changes to be made anyway! either way it seems change is inevitable.

Wow Ben!

I'm with you brother!

Chris

Two awesome postings!

I am completely with you and deeply inspired by your words Ben particularly this part

"the best way to live in this place harmoniously is to follow the Heart, the pull of the Soul, by recognising what one is being authentically invited to do and following that to the best of one's abilities. and the time to do that is now, not 2010, not next month, but NOW."

I feel that if we are surrendered to the divine flow, we'll be exactly where we need to be, doing exactly what we are supposed to. For we are giving our everything and allowing the light within to permeate through the ether in order that others will find within it too.

I feel Mother Earth in the depths of my heart and have a soulful yearning that equilibrium is achieved once again.

Keep sharing Ben. You are a bright and shining light.

With Love
Trin
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"We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive."

"A human being is part of the whole, called by us "Universe,"
a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

Albert Einstein

thankyou trin for your moving response. I'm glad it resonated so strongly. I too feel that was probably the most important part of my posting. People are so often told that everyone has to do specific things to counter climate change and 'make the world a better place', live more sustainably etc, and I feel that this may quite often put people off doing anything at all! - some targets and official guidelines that are set just seem unattainable, and others seem so watered down that there seems no point in investing in them at all. It seems to me that everyone has different needs and a different purpose for being here - so for some, service to others may, for example, involve using cars or flying occassionaly, yet purist climate campaigners may be tempted to 'tar everyone with the same brush', and label that as 'bad'. While I believe there is authentic impulse and compassion at the root of the climate change movement, some of the ideas and thinking that come out of it don't always seem to be the most effective way of tackling the issues or of helping others on their paths. In my view this is essentially because it tends to lose sight of the spiritual dimension of what's occurring and what's being invited at this time, and also of the myriad differences of the individuals involved. Yet its important to recognise that there is work to be done at both an individual and a collective level. As Bono said - "we're One but we're not the same"!
So it seems that the only way to truly make those necessary changes are to look deep inside, both at a personal level AND on a global and societal level with open heart and mind, and be prepared to do what is being invited to do.

I felt those Einstein quotes you contributed were really powerful too - from his words it seems he had appropriate balance of both Spiritual and intellectual vision and could see the importance of both. Its interesting that as one of the most well known and respected figures in science this balance in his nature is not more widely acknowledged and respected by the scientific and intellectual community. but perhaps one day it will be.

with love

Ben

These are powerful points you're making here and something I feel needs to be highlighted on this website and in the spiritual community at large...

It feels to me that if we are to prevent accelerated global warming we must as a whole reduce emissions by 90% across the globe within a very short space of time. Don't ask me HOW I know this - I just do. I feel it most strongly, I'm given it from Gaia and it keeps getting confirmed through synchronicity - the Universe's objective voice.

So the question is... how likely is it that global leaders will have the required foresight and courage? On a scale of 1 to 10? Probably a lot less than 1!

So where does that leave us? I feel that the global economy and societal structures need to collapse in some way. I actually feel this is our destiny. I feel that as lightworkers are awakening, we're bringing in an energy which is deeply questioning of the current status quo.

As we hold that energy in our consciousness, others around the world are (mostly unwittingly) tuning into these realisations and accelerating that energy - it's getting stronger. I feel our energy will collapse the system. This is probably the most likely way we're going to have a sustainable environment left for the future.

So yes Ben and Trin... if our role here is to ground the higher consciousness to question the status quo and fuel the breaking down of the lower harmony to usher in a higher one, then we need to be 'vocal'. We may need to travel, to share, to communicate. And yes this may mean we have to consume more temporarily than we would wish.

The only way then is to feel deep in our soul what the path forwards is; to find peace with Gaia and trust that our actions are bringing about the higher harmony.

So this may at times seem like a contradiction to what we feel is correct harmony and balance with our natural ecosystems - but we're going to have to confront the matrix and in so doing we'll have to consume. It's just the way things appear to be!

Carpediem!

Chris

I agree entirely guys. One of the most difficult thing to convey is that the system needs to shed itself in order to unveil a higher harmony - a whole new way of life.

Walking in two worlds at once, bridging the two seems still very important. How else are we to make the transition? The whole structure of society is geared to keep us dependent on the oil based system of exploitation where we are taking far more from the earth energetically than we replace. Until it falls apart and a new harmony is born, things will never be perfect. To reach others within the system we need to be in it.

It may be in consuming something that we serve a far greater purpose and contribute energetically to the evolution in a huge capacity. Einstein said "It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it."

To consume is OK if we look within our deepest heart and as whether it is truly part of our divine purpose here. When we are aligned with our true purpose all things balance out. I know international travel is one important consideration. We deliberated over international travel for a few years, feeling it out tirelessly. International travel leaves a sizable carbon footprint. Yet it may be that by one person traveling (for various reasons), a far greater service is done to people and consequently the world.

In Love and Light
Trin

Well said Trin - I trust these realisations will help more people be at peace in a world which feels increasingly incongruent.

Here in Australia at the moment, I'm meeting two distinct groups of people. The vast majority, like the rest of the world, which know about the problems but turn a blind eye to them.

Then there's the smaller minority who are becoming increasingly vocal. In this country, it seems many awakening people are feeling a great deal of frustration - a degree of powerlessness. There's talk of undertaking campaigns of peaceful civil disobedience in the Ghandi model (which brought down the British Colonial Empire in India).

I feel this is coming to developed countries around the world. Let us be clear - we are far from powerless! Holding the higher harmony of peace and unity in our field, continually presenting the stalwart mirror of truth, having the courage to keep walking our path - these are the things that will cause the lower fear based status quo to crumble.

We're sending out a note with a powerful vibration. If anyone here is in any doubt as to what that can achieve, take a look at what Gaia's 'breath' can do when it strikes the right frequency. In this powerful video, I feel she was sending a clear message to us all...

Chris

Absolutely!
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