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Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Lifestyle Adaptations
By Zac Faelnar-Camara
My world is my home
Adaptation is an instinct that all living things possess in order to survive; it is the act of adjusting oneself to different conditions to suit a new purpose. Before we begin to adapt, we must have a clear understanding of purpose; after which we can readily succumb ourselves with guiltless pleasure to the lifestyles of our choice.
Purpose, defined as being the reason for which anything is done, created, or exists, is precisely what drives us to simply be. Lifestyle is a set of attitudes, habits and possessions regarded as fashionable and desirable or associated with a particular person or group. We fix our eyes with envy on those who seem to have it all. And we look upon with empathy on those who have none.
But feeling pity or even outraged by the sorrowful plight of others while continuing with our wastefulness and excessiveness is neither positive nor productive.
Our lifestyles are heavily dependent on our economic power. Living well is not a crime. It is living well at the expense of others that’s damaging. How then can we adapt to our lifestyles so as to have positive effects on our environment?
Simple, daily sustainable practices, like waste management, garbage segregation and community recycling projects, are helpful in ways that the future generations will soon be grateful for. We’ve heard the news: Europe experienced the highest temperatures this summer.
We also have options with regards to building materials and renewable energy sources. Over-logging and the inability to replace logged down forests result in horrific disasters, such as those that took place in Ormoc and Quezon. Because of our lifestyles, the ecological balance changes, the environment suffers and the lives of thousands become irreparable.
In the children’s book, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, the story focuses on a boy who received everything he could possibly take from his beloved apple tree, from childhood up to his old age.
Finally reduced to a stump, the tree seemed to have nothing more to give, and yet it still did.
This generous giver personifies Mother Earth who provides everything we need to survive. To deplete all that the earth has to offer before the end of our time simply serves no purpose. Rather, we can try to adapt to a more conscientious lifestyle that defines “who we are”, and truly enjoy life with guiltless pleasure.
(September 27, 2005 issue)
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