My Reading list for the summer, has taken me to read Richard Louv's Nature Principle about the growing divide between humanity and nature. We are of course, an intricate part of nature and the ecosystem and one can on and on about the wonders of the natural world. Watching Gannets dive into the ocean, Swifts twist and turn as they catch bugs, and eagles soaring high in the air.
Louv does a good job of connecting how the natural world helps the lives of people and can help us feel more connected to each other and help us exist with a better and healthier environment. Whether or not you want you want to question the correlation between human health and environmental health, that's up to you. But the connection is there. We are a part of nature whether or not our society values that connection or not. A certainly valuing the connection would prove most beneficial. After all, hasn't all the increases in social network/media technology shown that connectivity is a priceless commodity? We are all searching for deeper connections, reaching out across the globe like ever before, perhaps, we ought to know what's around the block before what's around the world?
The most meaningful part of Louv's work is the part about how we have to imagine a better future for ourselves. Indeed, this might be the most meaningful part of his message. If we cannot imagine a better, healthier planet with better, happier, and healthier people living on it, then how can we work towards that goal? Out Planet is amazing. In the middle of the capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, a new bird species was discovered (Link here!). Reading Nature Principle and hearing Louv speak has been a great motivating spark for me to think about nature and our modern and future society. Hopefully, we can start painting a better picture and living in a better future before we can't imagine anymore.
Louv does a good job of connecting how the natural world helps the lives of people and can help us feel more connected to each other and help us exist with a better and healthier environment. Whether or not you want you want to question the correlation between human health and environmental health, that's up to you. But the connection is there. We are a part of nature whether or not our society values that connection or not. A certainly valuing the connection would prove most beneficial. After all, hasn't all the increases in social network/media technology shown that connectivity is a priceless commodity? We are all searching for deeper connections, reaching out across the globe like ever before, perhaps, we ought to know what's around the block before what's around the world?
The most meaningful part of Louv's work is the part about how we have to imagine a better future for ourselves. Indeed, this might be the most meaningful part of his message. If we cannot imagine a better, healthier planet with better, happier, and healthier people living on it, then how can we work towards that goal? Out Planet is amazing. In the middle of the capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, a new bird species was discovered (Link here!). Reading Nature Principle and hearing Louv speak has been a great motivating spark for me to think about nature and our modern and future society. Hopefully, we can start painting a better picture and living in a better future before we can't imagine anymore.
(C) Richard Louv and Algonquin Press in 2011, 2012
