Simple Living

Simple Living

by

Dennis Renner

Live simply, so others may simply live.

Such a profound and remarkable statement. With in the idealism is sustainability, empathy, altruism, equality and love for your fellow human. Next to the golden rule ( Do unto others as you would have other do unto you. ) This is one of my favorite quotes. In truth it is far more than just a quote but a guide as how to live. Perhaps this is why the society of friends (The Quakers) adopted the idea of simple living and have included it into their teachings.

For me I try to incorporate the idea of simple living into my everyday life. To me that means treading lightly on the earth so resources can be shared fairly among all of humanity. With in this idea there is a good life to be had by all of humanity if only we all practiced Simple Living and the Golden Rule.

What are the things we can all do to make life better for our fellow humans and our planet? The only habitat that we have.

The answer is rather simple. Look at the problems and then look at the causes of those dilemmas . Then apply solutions in your own life to those problems. It takes a grass roots approach and a collective effort to make change happen. Be an example for others to see and be willing to help and teach others how to do the same.

Deforestation: The problem of deforestation is basically three fold. The reasons for cutting down the trees. Economics, food choices, cooking fuel wood for the poor.

Eating meat in North America, and Europe leads to 60% of deforestation for cattle ranches and 30% of deforestation for agricultural crops to feed livestock. These statistics apply to the South American, Amazon region. Cutting down the forests to provide pasture land for cattle, and soy bean production for livestock, raised for meat is easily remedied as deciding what food choices you put on your plates.

Solution: Choose a Vegan diet. This is very healthy solution to this problem. At the same time you will be helping stop the need for forest destruction, you will also be improving your own health. The best part is you will be reducing your carbon foot print in the biggest way possible. The raising of meat is a huge contributor of green house gases, more than all of transportation combined. Meat production is also the biggest user of our fresh water supplies as well as one of the biggest polluters of our fresh water. Meat production and its' water usage is clearly unsustainable. 2500 gallons per pound of beef. Also every pound of meat produced uses a gallon of petroleum in its' production further adding to the problem. A pound of wheat only uses 25 gallons of water and a much lower carbon footprint as does all plant based foods.

Deforestation part 2: 50% of the worlds deforestation is because of wood gathering used for cooking. This is mostly done in poorer countries and regions that cannot afford or have access to natural gas, oil, and electricity, or better yet, solar cookers. At the same time these regions are often the areas where the most sunshine hits the earth like Central Africa, South American, India and even China.

Solution: Solar cooking can and could replace up to 66% of the need for wood fuel used for cooking. A free source of energy that would free up time for billions of women who now spend 4 to 5 hours a day gathering wood for their primitive cooking fires, that in return kills two million women, and children a year from wood smoke related diseases. The solution requires our help in supporting education about solar cooking, and helping these poorer populations afford solar cooking ovens, solar panel cookers, and solar parabolic cookers. There are already good organizations in place doing just this but they do depend on support from the rest of us that realize humanity cannot survive with a deforested planet. What about the times when the sun does not shine. For the poorest wood is the only other free fuel besides sunlight. For days when the sun does not shine efficient wood burning rocket stoves could replace the highly inefficient campfires now used by billions. These stoves are simple to build from very inexpensive materials and once hot burn very cleanly producing almost no smoke. Between solar cookers and rocket stove technologies and vegan diets, the destruction of our forest could be stopped. The forests could come back and could become a sustainable resource to last humanity for as long as needed.

Deforestation economics: Everyone knows that humanity depends on our forests for life producing oxygen and weather conditions on the planet. That in its' self makes forests alive and healthy well worth more than the lumber and the pasture land under them. If we do not address the current issues of greed, poverty, and cutting down our forests in an unsustainable way, humanity may pay the ultimate cost. Extinction.

Solution: If 20% of what we waste on military expenditures were redirected to solving these problems they would be solved. While making the world a more peaceful healthier place to live. Also practicing sustainability in your own lives. Why not cook and heat your water with solar energy instead of natural gas and electricity which are both contributors to climate change. It is time we set an example for others in how simple living can be a great way to live and reduce costs.

Over consumption of our natural resources: A huge part of the problem is conspicuous consumption of good that we really don't need in our daily lives for survival or even improved quality of life, regardless of what advertizing promotes. Manufactured goods that only clutter up our lives and really are unnecessary for life and happiness. In every home you can find products on your selves that were never opened and likely will never be used. This is impulse buying of products that fits our emotions, not our needs. Billions of tons of raw materials go into producing wasteful products that cause more harm to humanity than good. Particularly in third world nations, The poorer countries rarely have recycling or even basic trash disposal services. That means that the packaging ends up as polluting litter spoiling and poisoning the natural beauty of many of these areas. As millions of tons of trash builds up it creates a dangerous environmental hazard for all life on the planet. American, European, and Chinese. corporations should be made to first implement recycling programs with education and proper disposal infrastructures before dumping their products on to these poor third world countries. It is the only responsible, moral, and ethical way to do business.

In the end what happens to the planet and humanity is in our hands. The way each one of us chooses to live our lives collectively effects our world and everyone around us. Humanity is less made up of self sufficient individuals than it is a social collective. We must accept that we all depend on each other for survival with in a social structure. As individuals we are impotent. As a social unit working for the peaceful betterment of humanity, we are powerful. Socialism is a good thing, not something to be feared when applied in a altruistic, egalitarian, manner for all of humanity.

Every time you shun animal based foods, use solar, wind, thermal, or renewable energies, resist buying unnecessary items, and choose to ride a bicycle instead of driving a car, you are simply, collectively, joining with millions of other humans working to make our world and humanity more advantageous for all.