I love when an idea and a product merge together; especially if it has a positive impact on "humanity". I applaud companies that have people behind them that try to develop products and brands around a positive philosophy. That's why I like Oprah; actually, I think that's why a lot of people like Oprah. Oprah's message is about Love and with every touch point she is trying to communicate that message - No WONDER we LOVE her. Another company and idea that came together is Seventh Generation. Their mission: To inspire a revolution that nurtures the health of the next seven generations. I love this idea and as a parent I think this is more how adults should be making decisions these days. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLsevsePhdA&w=560&h=315] Oddly, seven generation sustainability is an ecological concept that urges the current generation of humans to live sustainably and work for the benefit of the seventh generation into the future. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiV5sk050Co&w=560&h=315] “You can resist an invading army; you cannot resist an idea whose time has come.” I believe it originated with the Great Law of the Iroquois - which holds appropriate to think seven generations ahead (a couple hundred years into the future) and decide whether the decisions they make today would benefit their children seven generations into the future. Unfortunately today, the natural world is often the unseen participant in many situations of ethical significance. We have treated it as a passive backdrop, when in fact nature plays an active role in shaping human society. For instance, it was not uncommon that a blind eye could be turned to the environmentally damaging effects on a community of manufacturing or waste disposal. Now, however, community well-being is assessed not only in terms of such things as the quality of jobs or the provision of health care. Rather, such well-being is also assessed in terms of the environmental safety and health of the community. Our struggle comes because we seek short-term benefits. We have become consumers rather than producers. We know no moderation. We respect no limits. We demand our needs be met - now. We destroy in the name of progress. We cheer destruction, and reward its perpetrators. Our attempts to correct imbalance causes greater imbalance. The future of human life is at stake? So what! The planet is being destroyed? So what! Global warming threatens our very future? So what! We still have a long way to go to modify our thinking to develop products and systems that are good for seventh generations into the future. Today, we are still used to thinking of ethics in personal or interpersonal terms. But, the field of environmental ethics has invited us to think more broadly about who in fact are the subjects of ethics. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx-9hfcKx6s&w=560&h=315] We need to think of our own children - what will they eat? What will they breathe? What water will they drink? If we can't think of our own children, how could we possibly follow our instructions to think always of the Seventh Generation. We still hold the keys to the future: our Original Instructions as human beings. It is not too late to adopt a new way of life. Too old fashioned? Not Practical? Impossible? Going backwards? Perhaps. But those are the words of arrogance, which have brought us to the brink of our own existence. The choice is in our hands. It always has been. By restoring our own spiritual life, we can find the way back to a sustainable future. We are the Seventh Generation. Live and Learn. We All Do. Thanks for reading. Please pass this on to someone who means something to you.
