Our greatest resource for survival is the earth itself. When times get hard, when technology fails (see my post, When Technology Fails, 12/13/20), we need to look to the earth, to nature, to the land that surrounds us, for what we need to survive.
Surrounded by a 'man-made' world (buildings and streets and vehicles and 'infrastructure'--all of which is pretty fragile) we have lost contact with the ecosystem that we still (buried behind this facade) rely on for our day to day survival.
If we are going to make it through the rough times ahead, we are going to make it by learning to get what we need directly from the earth. If we are going to create 'a world that works for everyone', we are going to create it by working with nature. (This is part of what Bill Mollison and Reny Mia Slay call the basic philosophy of permaculture : "...working with, rather than against nature.")
The first step is that we need to develop a realization that the earth will provide, because the earth always does. And if the earth ever does stop providing, we won't last long no matter what we do.
All of which means that the next step is that we need to learn how nature works. We need a practical 'ecological literacy'. We need to know what the earth provides--and when and where.
My next few posts will address this.
Quote of the Day: "We need to foster a bosom friendship with land and water and air. ... I remember the telling words of Chief Luther Standing Bear of the Oglala Sioux:
We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and winding streams with tangled growth, as 'wild'. Only to the white man was nature a 'wilderness' and only to him was the land 'infested' with 'wild' animals and 'savage' people. ... Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery." - Kathleen Meyer
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2 comments:
Good post! Nature, like all "wild things", is trustworthy when you know how to handle it. You develop a relationship with the land you work.
There are a slew of short and informative films on youtube called "dig for victory". Though some are WW2 era, the basics of gardening don't change. My father grew tomatoes on the fire escape til the day he died. It can be done anywhere.
Thanks--for both the comment and the information.
You're right--the basics of gardening don't change. I like the reminder that we can grow food anywhere.
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