Northern Arizona University/Environmental Ethics/Journals/DeJa W's Journal
DeJa Walker
Environmental Ethics
August 27, 2009
Journal #1
Land Ethic – Aldo Leapold
Having just recently attended a seminar on climate change, my mind seems to be consumed by the locked in notion of a continued climb in temperature and the known and unknown affects that loom ahead. I think of Leapolds words “That man-made changes are of a different order than evolutionary changes, and have effects more comprehensive than is intended or foreseen”. And here we are, in the midst of an extreme change that most life on this planet will not have time to adapt to. It is a frightening, sad, and enraging moment, a feeling of being caught in the middle of a story that you did not write, did not choose the characters around you and although you sense an individualism within the story…you know your are trapped and the book will continue to write itself.
The idea Leapold presents concerning our ethics expanding through the very process of “ecological evolution” is striking because I start to really wonder how much we have evolved, or have we actually digressed? The Native Americans have always touched upon this idea of a land ethic and yet it feels like we are having to come full circle to understand something they have been living out for centuries. In many ways I am thankful we are coming to realize that our world is built of intricate symbiotic communities, but I also feel ashamed that it has taken us this long. I think of our ignorance with large agricultural systems. How we have tried to break down the plant need to a few nutrients and are now just finding that the soil is alive with millions of organisms that are so vital to plant growth. In our excessive use of man-made fertilizers we are polluting waters and killing aquatic life. It boggles my mind how we find safety and control in being reductionists of our world. Do we fear the element of mystery, the element of release and is this where actual ethics come from – this ability to let go and accept that we will never fully grasp the intricacies, finally allowing us to take our place with a respectable awe and humility.
Leapold touches upon “economic self-interest” when looking at our ethics surrounding land use. I have often pondered how when cutting trees we yell “timber”, as if this hundred-year-old tree, which has been a living ecosystem for countless species, is now only “money”…already commodified before it hits the ground. The very way we view the world, how we label and describe it, links directly to our ethics or lack of them. And so I agree with Leapold about the concept of educating, evolving towards private owner, individuals taking honest responsibility for their actions. Forming ethics that look at the world with a sense of oneness, a sense of intrinsic value for life itself. One that realizes that much of what we do has great, great impact on the delicate ways of the land, plants, and animals – all of which we are part of. Not disconnect, not outside with our violent waves of control, but deeply imbedded within the system. My hope is that through climate change we can really see how interconnected we are and take a stand to change our daily habits, our consumption of raw resources and fossil fuels and realize that every step, every breath we take can either build or destroy. It could be the perfect opportunity to look beyond “today” with our self-seeking economic interests and realize that the future generations are the ones that are going to pay. A time to find the value of a land ethic in what Leapold speaks of, as a value beyond money and one for honoring life itself.
DeJa Walker
Environmental Ethics
Journal #2
September 1, 2009
It has been very intriguing to stop and think about why we have created laws. I have never fully taken the time and when you boil it down to wanting to protect the peace, protect life and the “self”, it makes sense to why we have agreed upon so many laws and regulations within our world. To reflect on our driving “self-interest” is very powerful and important in how we understand this ecological evolution, our moral evolution. It seems that as we feel more and more safe in our surrounding environment, maybe we can work, evolve, towards these ethics that Leapold speaks of. And yet, I wonder if we (the American society) has gotten lazier and lazier with a safer environment. Not pushed to seek out the interdependency of others, because we have convenience and can disconnect from others…even when the very root of our existence is connected to everyone around us. Getting our food, having fresh water come out of our sink faucet, to driving our car…all exist because of others immediately around us or millions of miles away have planted, invented piping, or extracted natural resources to our benefit. It seems clear that we are so very deeply interdependent with each other that we almost forget the intensity and by-pass it with a glance. Well until, of course, we are faced the the mass perils of climate change…well at least I hope.
I found the idea about Leapold following the skunk through its meanderings and then leaving the conclusion open with the possibility of a romantic venture – a great way to gain our attention. It is fascinating how he leads the reader to the depth of his observations, even if they seem so simple at first. I think it reminds us how nature is still interacting, working, evolving even as we speak. How even if we are wrapped up in our self-interests, that the skunk in a way, has its own interest – unconnected to what humans are doing. Leapold helps us remember this, the thoughts of romance, love, beauty captured within nature and within our own evolution – and we can come to notice the co-operation that embodies each. And a reflection of nature and its systems, are directly tied to ours. How very similar we are if we just stop to look around and observe.
My last pondering will be centered around the idea of the “key log” in which we discussed in class. Such an imagine has really stuck, even just the rawness of the logs, on edge for survival and warmth in building shelter…and then to take this and us it as a metaphor in reshaping our thoughts I found very powerful. The idea of having to tear down all the walls of a structure, just to get to the last key log made me realize that it will take time and effort to work with changing our world view. We are going to have to break many walls, many misconceptions, many past embedded ethics… one log at a time. And some will be resistant, will be comfortable within their tidy home…and yet their foundation will be rotting. It seems like a daunting task, but one that must take place if this “land ethic” is ever to take place. It is invigorating to know that such moral evolutions can take place within one generation, I don’t feel we have much time to waste…
DeJa Walker
Env. Ethics
Journal #3
September 7, 2009
As Leapold talks about the idea of boundaries during the month of July, it was refreshing to remember that the plants and animals do not know or understand the human form of boundaries. They do not see a fence in the same manner as we do, it may be restricting but more in a physical form to their daily habits. The idea of plants and animals having their own boundaries, some in the sky, some concerned with ecosystem limits and some based on the change of weather – helped me see the complexity of nature. I feel that the human creation of boundaries has been often close-minded, not taking into account all these habitat dynamics and how we have fragmented more then we probably realize. This concept leads me to the idea of a “weed” and how, as Leapold said “we grieve only for what we know”. He gives the example of Silphium as a “book” to the past and how the buffalo were once tightly connected to this landscape and plant. Here we see a forgotten plant, a forgotten time and even as it holds on through resilience, there is a sadness about its loss. I think of how we associate to our daily lives through words, and with words we attach meaning. As we learn the name of plants and animals, parts of our surrounding ecosystems – we are then connecting deeper and deeper. I am having this experience currently with my traditional ethnobotany course. The landscape seems to have lite up with a whole new meaning as I walk or ride my bike. The plants seem to jump out and proclaim their names, and as I learn more and more of their uses the value piles on. As bulldozers plung over the earth and the plants are uprooted, I have a much stronger attachment and it is this link to the land we are loosing rapidly and need to urgently recover.
My reflection from both August and September months have been not only inspiring, but have made me want to see the world as Leapold does. The time he takes to consciously observe. To watch nature play and live, he brings to our attention the small fleeting beauties such as the river creating a painting in its sand. How it is only temporary and spectacular. He also draws us to the unpredictability of the “elusive birds” in which he waits to hear, and once they have decided to draw near to his cabin – he is humbly excited, for he knows they are fleeting and changing. It is the lesson to not take them for granted. I hope to continue to grow in how I view the earth and all its life. To be more observant, taking time to know how the earth inhales and exhales.
DeJa Walker
Journal #4
Env. Ethics
Thinking about this idea of an epic tragedy and squalid tragedy, when comparing Austin’s description of the cow dying vs. the Greek and Roman plays that depict a full fight to the death… I wonder as we look at the IPCC report and discuss mitigation and adaptation if a base of tragedy could accompany. Would mitigation be a form of epic tragedy where we continue to fight for the next action step and could adaptation be looked upon as squalid tragedy – a form of a loose defeat. Maybe this is too much of a stretch to even compare but the point I am getting at is that I believe that we need both – that both are part of our world and part of our human creativity. I feel that we are going to need to mitigate and fight for actions to be made as we fall deeper into climate change. We must think about the future generations – even if they are doomed by this point, why not help as much as we can? Are we just going to give up because CO2 levels are locked in? When our children are older, do we want them to turn to us and say “why did you give up, why did you turn your heads, our future is now even worse”. In ways I would rather have an epic tragedy at this point, I would rather pour out all I have to help prevent more and more GHG from entering the atmosphere –not necessarily for myself, but for all the humans coming after us.
As for adaptation, this is clear that we are also going to need this as well. Whenever change is happening and is going to further expand in time, it is wise to start to understand what we might run into. And yet, I feel there are also limits to this. We don’t know exactly what is going to take place, but it is worth the effort to look at what the predictions hold and work to adapt in a NEW way. I say new because we are going to need to change our intake of fossil fuels, our ways of using and obtaining energy…we must adapt but with fresh ideas that do not deplete the ozone any further. I often get so frustrated with our current state, we have all the technology for solar and wind – I know that there is a lot that I do not understand, yet why has it taken us so long! When we have had ways of making cars that do not run on fossil fuels for DECADES now…why, why are we creeping at a snail pace? My fear is that as more and more people accept the facts about climate change (and there are many who turn their heads) that the “locked-in” GHG effect will have people just shrugging their shoulders and continuing down their current path. We are going to need mitigation in the present moment and ways of adapting with creative, big solutions. My mind wonders to a gentlemen who discussed the tangible idea of a solar train, first starting in California and then hopefully expanding across the US. His lecture sounded almost too go to be true and yet he grounded it by saying “ we must tackle this big problem, with a big solution”…this is not the time to go small, not the time to crumple and hide – but a time to bring these BIG solutions to the table and be ready to make change. (I am not unaware that lots of positive innovative changes are happening…but just think we need more, the masses need to know that change MUST happen).
DeJa Walker
Journal #5
October 4, 2009
During our class discussion about the idea of maturity vs. naivety and Thoreau’s idea of how as we move forward in history, the separation between man and nature continues to grow – at this time I would like to work with such ideas. Taking a look at our current disconnect to nature and the constant strive to education people of how important and vital nature is to us and our survive…it seems it is more and more of a struggle to get such ideas across. With our continued evolution with so called “technological advancements”, and if we call this evolution a form of maturity, then it is clear a gap is taking place. If maturity is leading us to the idea that we have figured out nature and all its uses, we are gravely mistaken. I think back to work by Gary Snyder – Rediscovering America – he paints the picture of the Columbus and his crew arriving to the islands and how, if in a form of naivety and observation rather than a mission of conquering and distruction, a very different history would have occurred. He says that if they had taken the time to actually see and marvel at the new tropical plants, the darting hummingbird, all the beauties around them – what grace would have occurred. Maybe our form or maturity is in some sense evil? Maybe it is in some ways a sin, meaning a disconnect from our creator, from all of nature.
If I were to step back and look deeper into more biblical teachings, the idea that Jesus proposes is one of not only wisdom but of a form of naivety as well. He says to be as little children, to take joy and lightness, to look at nature and God in awe and deep reverence. And from this we take away a wisdom of how to live, and how to live in lightness and with freedom. In the same token, I sense that while we do need to view nature in this form of awe-inspired-naivety, that because we have gotten so far removed – that we are having to come full circle with teaching our children, our society about the values and importance of nature. From this teaching, at least from my personal experience, I have come to a deeper respect and feel smaller and smaller within this world the more I know about it. We would think that with education we are growing in maturity, building knowledge in which it is in some forms moving away from naivety, but in fact, it seems to be teaching us how to go back to viewing nature properly – at least this is my hope. It comes back to experiencing nature and it’s sublimity, reminding us of our place. We remember how little we really understand, how little we can even grasp and so, we stand with our mouth open when viewing the immense power of waterfalls gushing around us. At this very moment I think we do not ponder whether we are really mature or naïve, but that we are overwhelmed and delighted in the moment. And maybe that is exactly what little children do, they take joy in being in the moment, they experience nature with delight and love. We then hope this will turn into a full respect of nature and how we are part of it.
DeJa Walker
Environmental Ethics
Journal 6
October 23, 2009
As we discussed The Bean Field in class, there grew a stronger connection that I realized at first. Having grown my own garden, on my hands and knees sowing small seeds in earth that I had dug and dug for days to extract rocks…I felt a strong connection to the hours Thoreau speaks of. Using this time gardening as a way to work through thoughts but to be connected with the earth at the same time, holds much power. Taking this idea of “thought” and “real” with ACTION being the link between them, I felt a deep connection. So often doing schoolwork, reading and using mainly intellectual modes of expression, it is a great relief to put thoughts into action. There is a form of release and also a way to use your body as a tool, to express those forms of virtue in a true, real sense. The health of one’s soul cannot be denied when a days work has been accomplished, body is tired but valued have been spoke, dug into the earth. And yet there is a chance that you take when you sow seeds, Thoreau is clear in this in his writings as well. There are outside elements constantly attacking the seeds and this is also true for our very souls. We are continuously being confronted with outside elements daily and it is a struggle to reconnect to a “higher” mode of work, a virtues path. Some of the seeds I sowed this summer did not grow, others exploded and gave birth to large fruit. There is a chance, but one that is definitely worth taking…for it we do not test these limits, will we really know who we are? I also ponder if there is great importance within the rhythm and repetition of gardening. The bending over to dig, to rake, to plant, to weed – the tasks seem never ending at times, but I feel there is a valuable lesson we need to take from this. If we are to grow our inner virtues, to find the “chief end of man”, then our spiritual path will be on-going search. Through repeated practice we learn, our bodies learn what muscles are used when gardening and the same as we cultivate our spiritual values. Meditation is a practice, a way to train the mind and working on the land, gardening puts both forms of practice into reality. It also seems clear that in order to continue the labors of the earth and to tend ferociously for his beans, Thoreau is very open and honest with is deep commitment and love for his beans. He wants to know them, to be with them each moment. He pours out hours into their care. And I feel that when things such as this start with an energy of love surrounding them, the deeper the values and virtues can grow. There is a base that is rich and fertile and such seeds as “sincerity, truth, simplicity, faith, innocence” can have a chance to immerge. And with those strong seeds, he gives the weeds a fighting chance, for they too have a place within nature that is part of this “sacred art”. I feel this sums up what gardening should be - a healing art.
DeJa Walker
Environmental Ethics
Journal 7
October 23, 2009
During one of our class lectures we touched upon the idea that the experiences of the past hold no determination of what lies ahead, that we have the capacity and freedom to go beyond the past, ability to surpass any of these limits. I have a struggling duality with this proposition. On one end I completely agree. Yes, we have a great freedom that does not have to be attached to historical events or actions of our ancestors and yet I cannot deny that much of where we are today is shaped from all past events. I feel that we need to go back, study the past actions, reasons for ways in order to know how to use our freedom we have today. We need the understandings of the past energy to stir us into change, to give us a base of direction, otherwise it seems that our actions be lost and futile. From this same lecture we discussed the idea of why we need a wild, sublime impulses that accompany our human nature. The Greek festival that leaves town, along with any social/religious concepts – and celebrates the wild, instinctual side of humans shows us that these ways are part of our past and human make-up. Needing this animal/passionate side in order to comprehend and understand the more spiritual/rational side, seems vital and something that as humans we are forever going to address. It seems that this is a struggle that so many religions and spiritual people confront, these physical and often heart desires that grow when our rational selves are put aside. Love it’s self, is often very irrational and as much as we try to put it into a box and figure out the methods and practices – the magic lies in the unique and open form love takes. My liking for Thoreau grew when he shared his own instinctual passions and he did not hide or shy away from them, but found that as an important to understanding our human souls. To embrace these wild sides of humanity helps us to see what virtue is, what it stands for and how we can use it in our lives. A balance, a way to see both sides – to be able to confront all sides of our human aspects, is to seek for a holism. How are we to find harmony and a rounded understanding if we do not welcome all side of ourselves. Being able to use this passionate, creative energy to grow our virtues and our daily search for truth, I sense this is something that Thoreau captured. If we are to live life fully we must want the beauty and the sublime in our lives, we must want the scientific/rational parts just as much as the non-scientific/appetitive part. We must demand for them to be raw and true. He is able to see these sides because of a clear view from a simplistic and innocent take. This seems evident that we must too, see the world and ask questions with such notions. Thoreau demands for realism and ethics, so that we want truth, to love each other and do what is right, rather than what is most pleasurable and what comes with less pain. I identify with this thought currently with the idea of living a sustainable life, with taking a more environmental approach and really living with conscious actions. To ride my bike everyday, to use a bucket to collect dishwater and to re-wash plastic bags, all of which sometimes are not the easiest or most convenient route, but are a real way to live. A real way in the form of caring for the earth, for caring for the future generations and something I am committed to. They take extra time, you have to plan ahead and may seem simple but require a commitment to not go down the “easy” path has to be established. I watch as we use vehicles to carry our own body weight down the roads, sluggish and lifeless we sit and guide a mass piece of machinery down roads. It is bizarre how we seek such a mode of transportation, when it’s cost to the whole environment as a whole is hugely detrimental. Where is the truth, where are the cultivated and strong ethics to look beyond our own selfish daily needs, our mass consumerism and to confront how our actions will affect those around us and in those to come.
DeJa Walker
Environmental Ethics
Journal 8
October 23, 2009
The idea that the laws of nature don’t lack intelligent, that they are expressions of a higher mind, really spoke to me. If we are able to sink into this notion and get the mass of people to recognize this fact I feel there would be a great paradigm shift. This higher mind concept clearly speaks of God/Great Spirit as making or actually being nature. What respect and deep reverence if we could constantly remember this. What thanks we would give, our whole lives rest on the giving of nature to us. I think back to the making of the world from many Native American stories. The images follow the line of a naked, helpless human arriving to the earth and how all the different plants and animals come forth to give a gift. They are willing to either cloth, feed or give medicine. Others hold powers of thanksgiving or taboos in the form of various lessons. These stories/mythologies show great care in how humans should relate to the world. A perspective that speaks of our vulnerability and humility in how we interact with nature. Just our very breath, without plants we would not survive and how often we forget this…strange! As Thoreau concludes his book Walden, many great aspects touched me. At time he seems to harshly criticize the human race and I often wondered if there was any hope left, but he brings great revitalization for our future. Thoreau writes “if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours”…and with this statement I really feel I can relate. So much of my experiences have been based on dreams and how they have amazingly manifested. It is his heavy and dedicating searching for truth that is profound, that has captured my heart. His blunt comments which have transcended the ages are what continue brush our society. Many have hints of religious aspects, not storing up “treasures” here on earth, but rather going beyond this world. He asks us to not cry or wallow in our own misery of our lives, as they could be so much harder. I just love the realism, the idea of taking care of our actions, of being in the present moment and embracing what comes our way…yet at the same token still striving to capture and develop our dreams and aspirations. To live big, to stand large in the midst of truth and to work towards a life that is not full of cushion and ease, but one that is cored and centered at finding our truth, and truth alone. It does not matter what religious view you take, yet many would question what “truth” really means. Many would ask how can there be but one TRUTH – and to this, I feel the truth is what is right, not only for the earth/nature but for what is in harmony with humans as they grow and change. Truth is what is set in our hearts and which we cannot look past, for it speaks deep.
DeJa Walker
Environmental Ethics
Journal #9
November 4, 2009
As I read Emerson, I feel that I am swept in many different directions. They all interconnect but I still find my self bundled various ideas and topics I want to expound on. For now, I will work my way through this idea that that we must re-write our history from a broad point of view. If we are to take if from homogeneity to diversity when reflecting the start of our world, from the “big bang” theory and now to this idea that we are all connected of “one mind”. Our diversity is vast and yet there is an underlying connection that Emerson tries to reveal – of the same mind. I think of this as our link that our “great creator”, who has established a universal mind that runs through all, yet allows for an individual sense to remain. Looking at our history and the way of natural history, we can see a reflection on some sides and on others, very different. There are to some degrees conflict and a pushing out of species through natural selection and survival of the fittest. Our human ways have been full of conflict and driving towards pushing others out, yet nature has a great lesson to teach us. During class we worked toward the idea that nature is actually teaching us “limits”. This is so true and even as we push the earth to intense degrees of use and abuse, she often will turn around and correct herself – through hurricanes, mass flood, and even climate change itself. When limits are pushed and leapt over, nature is a reminder that a balance and harmony is always underlying. Nature teaches us over and over of the interconnection and linked relationships everything has to each other. How easy we forget this. I think of many of the Native American teachings that speak of man arriving to the earth completely naked and it is the plants and animals that step up to help us. They offer us their gifts of food, clothing, medicine, tools and ways to give thanks. Without them we would still be naked and would have died for sure. Yet, in our own self-seeking interests we use and abuse the resources that nature brings to us. How ungrateful we are and how graceful is nature. What resilience and constant centering we force nature and our entire earth to strive towards. It is always fascinating to me that we often do not learn from our past mistakes, we seem to get so blinded by the present moment and those afflictions, that we often do not take the time to look back at how we have managed similar events. A vicious cycle continues until nature herself intervenes and puts boundaries up. But I worry when our pushing and pushing, using of resources, not giving back to the earth will slap us in the face…it is already happening. The earth is constantly re-balancing herself and yet we suck and use, I fear there is going to have to be a MAJOR catastrophe for us to wake up and realize our actions. Nature on many levels seems to be so fully balanced and in harmony that plants and animals do not even have to take the time to reflect on this idea. Maybe that is how our creator set things up, to learn from them as examples of the purest centered and aligned forms – which we are always striving to return to. In many ways I am so thankful for the grace and the patience our earth has one us, how we pillage and damage and yet – the abundance that flows from the land. We have much to learn, our time is running short, so I hope we can use our universal mind to see the limits of nature and to be un-afraid to put ourselves in a proper alignment - humble and with a deep sense of reverence. Maybe one day we too, will no longer strive to find our place because we will be so in-tuned, one with nature that a harmony will run through our core.
DeJa Walker
Environmental Ethics
Journal #10
November 12, 2009
Thinking back to the chapter of Friendship there were many parts that struck me as so very true, that I had experienced. Very often we see that hurried friendships come to a quick end. I think to not only friendships but how that falls into marriages as well. We are living in a society that wants instant gratification and where we don’t see why time is valuable in making a relationship last. I feel that I am guilty of this instant gratification that has oozed into our society and yet, I also feel very thankful that I have many wonderful friendships that have lasted over many years of time. Emerson says that “we have made them a texture of wine and dreams, instead of the tough fibre of the human heart”. This tough, long lasting stances makes me think back to my grandparents and even to my great grandparents, to how they waited for years in order to get married and lived through great events that created this tough fibre within their hearts. Emerson also hits a theme about our friends, when truly friends, will be our counterparts, one that we respect and trust and yet we can stand by ourselves. So often I feel that we absorb into others, we feel an insecurity and so often latch onto others to build our character or to help us figure out who we are. Yes, friendships can help us see who we are, but they should help us to be independent in that. I can look back at my younger years, when you are in transition of learning how to express your emotions, trying to find your own values and also trying to be part of a school/social community. There is a natural tendency to want to “click” with others, to find those groups of people in which we identify with – or at least “think” we identify with. I think it comes with age, when we have lived many an experience and have thoughtfully sought our own path. Emerson is writing from an experienced, aged insight. He is speaking from multiple learning ways and paths and now can reflect on what really is a healthy relationship. My reflection takes me to a dear friend, in whom for a long time I was seeking to impress, to be what I thought that person might like. And as time has continued with this friendship a great growth has happened for us both. We are now able to really enjoy the differences that we have, we can see that we bring great elements to the table and challenge each other in ways that I would have never imagined. I feel a much deeper respect and honor for their opinion even more, than if we constantly saw eye-to-eye. There is a fullness that has taken years to evolve and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My own opinions and thoughts are personally valued more. Another reflection is connected to this statement: “It is foolish to be afraid of making our ties too spiritual, as if so we could lose any genuine love”. So often we are afraid to share our spiritual beliefs with new friendships forming, I feel that I struggle with this - as I do not want to push my own beliefs on others and yet it is something so important and central in my life. It takes some time to open up that part of ones heart. Emerson makes it clear that by being “too spiritual” one can only lead to a deeper, stronger love. Oh how this is true! The more spiritual connections I have with others, the more I have grappled at spiritual/religious ideals with my close friends – we build our love for one another. We are seeing into each others soul, we are getting to the core of what really matters and how our spiritual ways guide our life decisions, our life path. We should never be afraid to share what we really believe, if it is part of who you are, it is essential and if a friendship is to last, full of honesty and truth – then the love with continue to grow and shine.
DeJa Walker
Environmental Ethics
November 13, 2009
Journal #11
In the chapter of Circles by Emerson, he makes it clear that “there is no end in nature” and that “the life of man is a self-evolving circle”. This idea that as time progresses the circle expand, history opens up and we change. There is a fluidity that I enjoy. I feel a sense of peace and a balance with this circular motion. How often we get blindly lead by our society on a linear tract. It seems to start young. History classes follow dates and a forward motion. But circles are never ending. The loop and grow by expanding and contracting. My thoughts drift to many Native American teachings that I encountered, the idea of a circle of life. They have the dream catcher fashioned in a round web, catching and releasing our dreams. There is an embrace of life and death and the time between. Such teachings are also full of connections to the earth and to the Great Spirit. Needing this connection is essential to work with the land and all the creatures. Emerson talks of his own personal reconnection by saying that he accuses himself of “sloth and unprofitableness day by day; when these waves of God flow into me, I no longer reckon lost time.” It is this same deep plugged-in subject that the Natives are aware of. They know that time is looked upon very differently when higher powers are around us and within us. And here again is another struggle in our society that I personally face, the constant following of schedules, of watching the clock and racing to our next event/class/duty. We judge the day by the watch rather than the weather changes or the sun and moon dance. We could stay inside all day and not notice what is taking place outside, conscious of only the ticking that moves us to the next task. It is sad. It is frustrating. It is something I work to change. When I think again to this cycle of life, I think of farming. I think of how the land goes through so many phases and that as humans, we do too. It is interesting to look at how the land handles the seasons. The way the plants channel their energy below. Hibernation sets in. Why can’t we do the same? In the summer there is abundance of light and growth, we follow with more activity. As much as we try to remove our selves from these circles of change and natural patterns, we are so integrated that parts of us still remain linked. The idea of age is also brought up in this chapter. He tells us that when “we converse with what is above us, we do not grow old, but grow young”, and this is so very true. I think back to times when I have been traveling in various parts of Europe. The sparkle in the eyes of some of the old men and women, you just knew that they had youth pouring into them. There was a higher trust and a joy in living in the now. I strongly believe that is connection with the “above” is what helps us to stay young. It is a faith that may appear crazy to many, but it keeps the soul trusting that the new day will come. It is a trust that no worry will benefit but that we must live with the heart. I bet Emerson would ask “how do we indeed live from the heart, what causes this change and what are the virtues that guide us there?” I feel that it starts with an intuitive following, tapping into the “above” and feeling this endless circle of light within us. The circle may draw smaller at times when we in positions of less giving, of times when our spiritual energy is fragmented or drained. But at other times it may go beyond our body to engulf those around us. We will feel the surge of love. Time will not matter, we will forget it. How sacred are those moments. Moments that should form the endlessness of our lives.
DeJa Walker
Environmental Ethics
Journal #12
November 14, 2009
Who is the poet? Have I ever meet a poet? Why is a poet so important? Emerson says many, many things about who this poet is and how they are part of this world. The poet “is the sayer, the namer, and represents beauty”. This idea about making up words to describe what is taking place in the world is really fascinating. It is something that I have thought of during many days of writing. Even to just think of all the languages around the world that currently exist, and then to think back to history to all the languages that have faded away, it is almost overwhelming. Creating words that link us, open us, help us go beyond our boundaries, is truly an art. The idea that imagination comes not by study but by intellect is an interesting notion. And some how I can identify. I think there is magic in the notion of intuition, in this creative way to express our lives. It was also very refreshing and almost liberating to read how Emerson views the idea of the consumption of wine, opium and other drug like substances that people take to be closer to the “spirit of the world”. His answer is profound, “But never can any advantage be taken of nature by a trick. The spirit of the world…the sublime vision comes to the pure and simple soul in a clean and chaste body”. I can see that many would think of him as a very purist type, that he is regurgitating left over models he was raised with from the church, but I feel very strongly in agreement to his statement. I have felt, even with smoking cigarettes and people are simply unaware of this power and of the destruction taking place. The use of the plants from the earth, seeking out mushrooms to get a glimpse of a world unknown, seeking this “true nectar” by taking substances that, seem to me, avoid the deeper questions and answers. I feel that in our clean, natural state, it is here that we should strive to be open to this life nectar Emerson speaks of. I almost jumped for joy at his statement about how we give our children all these material objects and distractions, when what they really need is a connection with nature. To play with natural objects, to feel the dirt, pound with sticks, breathe and dance in the cool air. If he could see our society now, how sad Emerson would be. If he could see the cars that now transport their children with movies entertaining them, rather than their own imagination growing and evolving. It is a disgrace. I am sickened by how far removed we have taken our children from an interaction with the earth in a respectful and thoughtful manner. As more parents view the earth as only a “resource” to by mined, their children are absorbing this same mentality. They too, will rape the land and poison the waters. It will not be their fault. We need to start when they are young. We must get their hands dirty in the rich soil in which their food comes from, seeing and understanding nature. My memories take me to my third grade teacher who gave us each a tree to take home. I can remember it being an extremely important event, one that I knew was sacred but did not yet know the impact it would have in my life. My mother helped me dig the hole and we planted the little 8-inch pine tree. We dug a small trench around it to collect water and with the great help from my mother, it was watered and grew tall. I can remember the year it was my same height and now it towers by 6 feet at least. I was a source of joy, simple as it may seem, for years. It taught patience.
DeJa Walker
Env. Ethics
Journal 13
November 25, 2009
During one of our class discussions we talked about how everything has a single unifying principle, which is evolution. It connects us all. This is a concept that seems so simple and very in our face. But at times I feel very distant from this idea. I can see how we do change and grow, but I guess I aim to understand if we are evolving in a beneficial way or aimless manner. We change because of necessity and connection, yes – but what if our standards have shifted and they are not longer truly beneficial for the earth. We are doing things that we feel are necessary, but have been lost in our consumption and blinded ways which actually bring more destruction to the planet . Can there be an evolution that is happening but could actually be degrading our actual existence? Is this possible? And if so why would we even do this… This idea that all laws are trying to find the “fundamental law of nature” and considering that they are all connected sciences makes complete sense to me. It is only in our human brains that we compartmentalized such sciences…when in truth, there is really no way to separate them. If we are to look at our current agriculture system concerning GMO products we would see how these narrow views often miss so many other components. How strange we are! With so many unknowns we try to ignore that there could be huge detrimental effects. We do not know how it is going to affect our health and we do not label them so there is no way to track GMO issues. It is a clear example of not seeing the interconnections in things. And so I return to this idea of the interconnection of sciences. This idea that law has order and force together, which then creates structure to patterns, I wonder how this connects to the statement from Emerson that “life itself is a mixture of power and form”. It seems that order would correlate with form and that force with connect to power. All forms have to have some order or patterns to be able to work and function, to be able to survive. We might not understand this order and try to break it apart, but it will still exist and as Emerson says “ the proportion must be invariably kept”. Form will continue to be, no matter how we try to manipulate it. And it is clear that with force there must be a power associated, one does not exist without the other. Thus I return to the complete interconnectedness of all life, of all sciences…aren’t sciences just an attempt to understand life itself. The Native Americans seem to have a very clear idea of this, all across the globe. There may be people that focus on specific parts (say a medicine person) but there is a knowing that all things intertwine. There is an understanding that the laws of nature are in all objects, and if they are…then why do we try so hard to figure it out. There is an attempt to understand something that may be so innate, so natural that we do not even notice it. We may be searching for something that is within us, beneath us, around us, to the left, to the right…we are blinded by its mystery because we are the mystery. This mystery will continue to evolve as we seek it and so will the laws…
DeJa Walker
Env. Ethics
Journal 14
November 27, 2009
At the end of one class period, the concept that through the lines of poetry we are able to see the relationships that surround us. Relationships are already in our perceptions but it is that we have learned to ignore what is in front of us. We fail to appreciate cooperation and association. It seems to me that we simply do not take the time to embrace the great connection which flows and how our daily lives are dependent on so many others. I am very guilty of this, our lives get busy and we do not stop to reflect on this oneness that runs at the core of all life. When I think of a poet, I think of someone who is very reflective, very observant and one who sees the ordinary as extremely interesting. To reflect upon what our instructor states in class, that the poet “ is the most complete being”, but that we do need all modes of actions in the world – the sayer, doer and thinker…makes we wonder if we can all have pieces of the poet within us, thus we are whole. Some people may have a stronger side of the “sayer” or the “doer”, but since they are all interconnected, one cannot survive without the other. And if poetry is suppose to “build our practical life and theoretical understanding” (Dowery), then it must be essential and in ways should come innately. What does it mean to build our practical life? It is a search in finding the meaning in our daily functions, to see that these basic ways are important. To show that they are in fact the glue in our evolutionary process, starting at the base. Theoretical understanding would be that of the theory and not the actual “practical” experience. And so it seems to me that we need both to bring our world together. If we focus too much on one, we loose the other. Since we are within this world experiencing gravity and physical forces, it seems natural that we seek the theoretical notions as well. This seems very human. This idea that experience is a flow of ideas from within us, with no beginning or end – it is clear that our perception of the world is really pivotal. How and who shapes our ideas is what is going to guide all of our experiences and this is powerful. This is where cultures form and societies take shape. This is where paradigm shifts can take place. Our professor makes a clear point that when enter the world, we really are “stepping into a flow of ideas that have been developing for 1,000’s of years”. This makes me question our true freedom of choice, our true freedom of actions and ways of life. We may feel that we coming up with our own ideas, but it seems that so much is just repeat or just our unconscious tapping into a universal knowledge, a universal mind. Yet maybe this is part of our evolutionary function, we must continue to seek these truths over and over. We must ask questions of existence in order to find our unique place, an unconscious longing to find this “magical” notion of life. Some may call this the Great Spirit, God or The Universe. It is the spark in us each…and I feel it makes no difference what it is called because it is not recognized by our language, but by our very being, it is within us.