Natural Lifestye Magazine

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sooZen
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Natural Lifestye Magazine

Post by sooZen » February 28th, 2005, 7:32 am

I am the environmental writer for a local rag. Natural Lifestyle, El Paso, Las Cruces and the following article is the first of three I have had published in this FREE magazine which is given out at local grocery stores, bookstores, coffeeshops, etc. The article that follows was originally a post on Litkicks Poetry and Politics board and with some additional tweaking was published in the Fall, 2004 edition. Natural Lifestyle is published four times a year by Editor Scott French and devoted to people who want to live a more holistic and natural lifestyle.



WHO CARES? by SooZen Lee

While we are busy playing our games and fighting, and generally engaging in our typical selfish human behavior, we are creating something far beyond the destruction of what a huge meteor did to the dinosaurs that signaled their demise.

Those that care and are in the research fields are alarmed at the rate we are destroying our environment. A rate that takes ones' breath away. For instance, in just 30 years, it is estimated that one fourth of the worlds' mammals will no longer exist. That's a big chunk but is only an example of the increasing destruction we humans are wreaking.

Oh, I know, it has nothing to do with what we deem important and really, who cares? We had better stop and think about what it will mean for our own human-centrist lives. For those of you that are young...in thirty years, there will be no more elephants, rhinos, tigers, chimps, gorillas...the wilds will disappear, mainly due to our unchecked populations and greed for what we can have without regard to the future of our untidy little nest. The planet will survive, albeit diminished, but our own survival becomes suspect if we can't reverse and BECOME AWARE of the cause and effect of our actions.

By not signing the many treaties that have been put forward to directly support and help protect the environment, the USA, supposedly a leader in this 'modern' world, is the leader of the pack in ignoring the validity of environmental concerns and alarms. Of course, the US is not the only guilty party; worldwide, the survival of other species falls to the immediate wants of mankind. Japan and Norway are hastening the demise of many whale species by recent actions to overturn moratoriums on whaling. The rain forests are falling in the tropics to logging, farming and population growth and the list goes on and on.

Just recently the Bush administration made clear that it wanted to dismantle the wild spaces initiative signed by Clinton to protect the few remaining old growth forests in this country. The logging interests come first, heck with the environment and 1000 year old trees.

But again, really who cares? Environmental issues aren’t as 'sexy' or interesting as war or famine or aids or pop stars or the news of the moment and besides aren't the riches of our planet there for us to plunder as we see fit? Who cares if there are no more orangutans or wild salmon? Who cares if all our forests are tree farms? Me, passionately, that's who! Do you? Unless we change, quickly, we will foul our nest and follow in the footsteps of those that we deem lesser beings. Let’s hope our apathy doesn’t do us in.
Freedom's just another word...



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sooZen
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Post by sooZen » February 28th, 2005, 7:46 am

This is the second article published in Natural Lifestyle in the Winter, 2004 issue:



ONE SMALL STEP by SooZen Lee

Are we responsible for enjoying the fruits of slave labor? Good question, for it is a tricky answer. My personal credo has always been that everyone should take responsibility for whatever they do or say. Because of greed, avarice, and exploitation at the expense of the helpless, we do enjoy a better quality of life. The United States of America uses about 60 percent of the world's resources. That's a big chunk and if we continue at this rate the question will be moot.

By taking responsibility for our own actions, and this can be done in many ways, we each can make a difference. First one must be awake and aware of what they are doing, what driving a big SUV does to the environment and to vulnerable peoples' who happen to live in a country whose only assets come from underground. Aware that the gold jewelry that we love to wear is mined by slave labor in a most grueling way. Awake to the consequences of pollution and exploitation of all the planet and what a fragile place this really is.

Imagine if everyone took some responsibility what a better world this would be. The answer? This very media that we are using can be part of the answer, education is part of the answer. If the very people that make these computer contraptions were given one and a voice to speak out, it could make a difference. Alas, it seems we are doomed to repeat our mistakes, to continue to prey upon the weak and those without a voice, to commit genocide against those that disagree or have something that we desire or crave. The answer may lie in the stars, a stray meteor or in the very volatile nature of our planet itself.

In the meantime, we should all take responsibility for what we do, how we treat people, where we toss our garbage and make just a small difference which can make big changes. County Joe McDonald once said, "The most radical thing you can do is change yourself." Be awake, be aware, be kind and change...

(Note, the third article is in the process of being printed and deals mostly with local issues but I will reprint it here if anyone is interested. I do have the upcoming opportunity to speak with Robert Kennedy jr on environmental issues and will keep loyalists informed. :wink: )
Freedom's just another word...



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stilltrucking
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Post by stilltrucking » March 15th, 2005, 2:39 am

(Note, the third article is in the process of being printed and deals mostly with local issues but I will reprint it here if anyone is interested.
Yes I am.

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judih
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Post by judih » March 15th, 2005, 8:17 am

yeah, me too

it's the closest i can get to texas hard copy

j

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Arcadia
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Post by Arcadia » March 15th, 2005, 3:51 pm

small differences, I like the idea.
saludos,

Arcadia

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Post by sooZen » March 16th, 2005, 9:15 am

Okeydokey folkies...the next issue hits the newstand the week of the 21st. Due to consideration of my editor, I will wait until it is out to publish it here. Stay tuned. (I didn't think anyone was reading this stuff. :lol: )

SooZ
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