This is an idea that I constantly find myself coming back to because it reminds me that everything in this universe is connected through shared energy. Humans are not nearly as separate from or superior to nature as we may think... instead, humans depend on nature and its powerful and often unpredictable forces. In our modern world today, some groups of people seem to have a sense of entitlement over nature and the resources it provides.
This is because the modern agricultural industry has distanced us from nature by mass producing and packaging foods that at one point, did come from the ground, but in their final stages do not seem natural in any way. But we don't care! We only care about the cost and the taste! Right?
So it seems. But there have been many recent movements to spread awareness about where our food comes from and who our money supports. People are becoming more educated on the health risks associated with eating prepackaged foods and are making moves to buy local products instead. But can this change the world?!
I believe it can, for small acts multiply which can change the world. Haven't you seen Pay it Forward?! From personal experience, I love when people ask me why I don't eat red meat. I enjoy sharing my opinion about the meat industry with them and I hope that what I say brings a little bit more awareness into their lives and eating habits. Change doesn't just happen, it grows over time and this can only start with passionate individuals spreading their ideas.
Going foraging the other day made me realize how connected humans are to the environment they are in and how we can benefit from it in so many ways. It was a very humbling experience for me because it made me understand how vulnerable people can be because of their dependence on nature and the resources it yields. Every act that we do influences another being in the world, humans are not merely individuals, but part of a network of energy that makes up the universe. I feel as though people often forget this in our competitive and greedy world today. If people began to understand the world and its inhabitants as one whole unit, maybe there would be a little bit more respect for how we treat not only each other, but the animals and plants and air that are connected to us.
Because of big agribusiness and commodity chains today, many Americans are separated from nature for they do not think of it as a provider of the goods they buy and ingest. This is probably due to the fact that most products we buy have so many ingredients (natural and artificial) and are wrapped in pretty packaging that we do not see the product as something that came from the earth. Food looks more like fun gifts that we get to open up and stuff our faces with, rather than something that was once a living organism just as us.
This distance from nature and the food it produces makes it easier fro consumers to disregard the environmental destruction and exploitation that accompanies food production. "Out of sight, out of mind" is a good way to think about it. If we don't see the cow being mistreated before it is butchered, then we don't think twice about eating it! This post challenges you to think about what you are eating and how you are dependent upon nature's forces and resources for your livelihood! Be more consciously aware of how the choices you make affect every other being around you. Be mindful and get rid of that entitled ego of yours!
I really like how you are bringing more awareness to the positive change that we could make. It only takes a small drip of water on a lake to create a ripple effect and I believe this article is helping to further the ripple. I enjoyed how you began to relate us to the world around us to show people that food is not just provided, but exactly how it is provided and how it encircles us.
ReplyDeleteThis class has done a great job at introducing us to real-world ecofeminist issues. As you say here, the modern human relationship with the world is something that is entirely based on ego, entitlement, and, ultimately, a downright disrespect for nature.
ReplyDeleteBeing someone who wishes things to be as natural as possible for many reasons, this is an extremely important issue to me. The nature of our food production industry has separated us from our relationship with nature, and by extension has separated us from our very humanity, I think. We no longer see nature as an entity, but as a mere resource to be pillaged for our own benefit. I can't help but wonder if natural selection would wipe most humans out if our food production industry were ever to vanish, and that's a troubling thought to have.
I think our relationship with nature in terms of food is the first step at creating a better world and a better relationship between humans and nature. (Interesting how something so basic as food can make such a change.)