FINDING RIGHT BALANCE
Systemically
About
How did we lose our way & how do we get back?
This we know
“We are the earth, through the plants and animals that nourish us.
We are the rains and the oceans that flow through our veins.
We are the breath of the forests of the land, and the plants of the sea.
We are human animals, related to all other life as descendants of the firstborn cell.
We share with these kin a common history, written in our genes.
We share a common present, filled with uncertainty.
And we share a common future, as yet untold…”
The Declaration of Interdependence
Explore…
What Went Wrong
Understanding the Consequences
Disconnection from Mother Earth
Separation from One Another
Separation from Other Species
What Went Wrong?
Understanding the problem
My premise is that we as humans became out of right balance with Mother Earth, and from there out of right balance with everything else (e.g. other humans, and other species). What has inspired me to create this website has been the drive to understand what went wrong and why, and then to move to exploring what we need to do to solve the problem.
I am certainly not the first to “parse” the question in this way. Thich Nhat Hahn, in his book Love Letter to the Earth, 2013, addresses this exact issue.
Page 27, “We can all see that Mother Earth is a great bodhisattva. When we see her in this way, with all her many virtues, we will walk more gently on her and treat all her children more gently. We will want to protect her and not harm her or any of the myriad forms of life she has given birth to. We will stop wreaking destruction and violence on Mother Earth. We will resolve the question of what we mistakenly call ‘the environmental problem.’ The Earth is not just the environment. The Earth is us.”
“We’re no longer in touch with ourselves, our family, our ancestors, the Earth, or the wonders of life around us. We have become alienated and feel lonely. This alienation is a kind of illness that has become an epidemic. So many of us feel empty inside and are searching for something to fill the vacuum. We try to fill the void by taking pills or intoxicants or by consuming things. Yet our addiction to consumerism, to buying and consuming things we don’t need, is causing so much stress, so much suffering, both to ourselves and to the Earth. Our craving for fame, wealth, and power is insatiable, and this puts a heavy strain on our own bodies and on the planet.”
“We can’t wait any longer to restore our relationship with the Earth because right now the Earth and everyone on Earth is in real danger. When a society is overcome by greed and pride, there is violence and unnecessary devastation. When we perpetrate violence toward our own and other species, we are being violent toward ourselves at the same time. When we know how to protect all beings, we will be protecting ourselves. A spiritual revolution is needed if we’re going to confront the environmental challenges that face us.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Understanding the Consequences
Negative Consequences of Disconnection From Mother Earth

Disconnection from Mother Earth
This disconnection has caused:

The Climate Crisis

Depletion of Earth’s Resources

Pollution
Pouring of pollution into the air, rivers, oceans

Destruction
Melting icecaps, droughts, fires, famine
Disconnection from Mother Earth
This disconnection has caused:
Climate Crisis
Disconnection from One Another
This disconnection has caused:
Separation From One Another
“Power-over” Dynamics and “Othering” are at the root of our disfunction. This disconnection has caused / manifested as various symptoms:

Patriarchy

Colonialism

Racism

Misogyny

Xenophobia

Classism
or other kinds of economic imbalance

Capitalism
Greed, taking more than our share

Disconnection
lifestyles, technology, and evolution toward less meaningful connection
Separation from Other Species

Endangered Species

Exploitative Food Production Methods

Man’s “Dominance” Over Other Species
From the Blog
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Jennifer McLean
We are moving from "mine" and materialism, to humanitarian efforts, less top-down economies, more grass roots efforts, and deep authentic sharing.
The David Suzuki Foundation
The David Suzuki Foundation, founded in 1990, (https://davidsuzuki.org/) has as its guiding principles:
One nature. We are nature. All people, and all species.
We are interconnected with nature, and with each other.
What we do to the planet and its living creatures, we do to ourselves.
We don’t deserve this planet
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Resources
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