World Neighbors continues to offer help to farmers affected by a variety of debilitating circumstances. On occasion World Neighbors helps with education for those looking for ways to foster subsistence farming. Others help in developing countries learn means of sustainable living in given climate conditions. In their recent e-newsletter World Neighbors chronicles the introduction of “cover crops” in the Andes. Reading this article set me to thinking. We discover that under pressure and threat people become very creative and interested in new things. For instance had the threat of a lack of water not been present the farmer’s story may never have been written. But what if conservation were a matter of earth care independent of a crisis. Why would we not want to develop means to conserve for the good of the earth even in a condition of plenty?
Further musings led me to think this is the way it works in many areas of life. Oil shortages, talk of peak oil, and high fuel costs push research into other energy source. We hear more and more the use of solar and the introduction of wind farms. Why would these not continue to be developed and used in a day of plenty? Maybe it is because we take the earth for granted. Our consumptive tendencies keep us running to the fridge. When the cost of milk and other groceries rise, we learn we do not need to be such gluttons. Why would we not consider our health in a day of plenty? On and on we could go.
May be we humans need fear and threat to think about more than ourselves. Just wondering.
I love your wonderful blogs, especially when you share info about World Neighbors! Thanks for all you do to make your local and global community a better place to live.
-The team at World Neighbors
Lindsay,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. We make the annual trek to the World Neighbors “Bizzare” in the fall in OKC. One of my college professors used to be, may still be, on the Board. We love the work of World Neighbors.