Resilience by Susan Meeker-Lowry
Saturday, January 2nd 2010 @ 12:06 PM 
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One night a few days before Christmas, I was sitting in the living room, a fire crackling in the wood stove, all comfy and cozy, wondering how anyone in their right mind could be other than terrified. What brought this on was (among other things too numerous to mention) was the unfortunate nothingness of Copenhagen (which really didn’t surprise me but was still a deep disappointment), and the obliviousness most people seem to have these days for the grave ecological situation we are in. It’s downright depressing that people aren’t up in arms about the complete failure of Copenhagen and even more so at the general public’s inability to care about more than one thing at a time. I have to wonder if the whole recession/depression isn’t some kind of evil plot to take our attention away from the real crisis, the fate of the Earth, so they can continue to make money hand over fist.
I can’t tell you how sick I am of hearing “the economy, the economy, the economy” over and over again. Yes, I understand the economy isn’t doing great (and whose fault is that?), and I too want decent jobs to be created for those who have lost theirs or who are, as the expression goes, “underemployed”. But I don’t want those jobs to come at an even greater expense to the Earth, which I fear it will. Especially when there’s so much work that needs to be done that would benefit the Earth and humans both. Work that isn’t being done but that could begin right now. Today.
The short list: We could start rebuilding the nation’s rail network to transport goods (and people) instead of using trucks and cars for everything. While some have suggested this, most roll their eyes and declare it politically impossible. There has been talk, including by President Obama, of upgrading the electrical grid. This is great, and at the same time the grid should be completely regionalized so that a disruption in one place doesn’t put the whole grid out of commission. It would also enable us to make the best use of whatever energy sources make the most sense given the uniqueness of each place. It seems this should be a high priority given today’s increasing concern with terrorist attacks. Further, individual homes and businesses should be retrofitted to be as energy self-sustaining as possible, thus each would require less energy from the grid. It’s frightening how totally dependent we are on electricity coming into our homes over which we have absolutely no control. For most, there’s no water, no heat, no cooking, no refrigeration. All of the appliances most deem essential for daily life require electricity to run. Then there’s the issue of communication. Computers and many phones simply don’t work without electricity. A more localized energy grid, combined with homes and businesses that provide as much of their energy, including electricity, as possible would seem to me to be a matter of national security in these times. It’s totally possible and think of the jobs it would create. Yes, funds would need to be made available but, unlike the bank bailout, it would be money well spent.
Agriculture needs to be localized as well. Again, more jobs, more security. What would happen, we need to ask ourselves, if produce from far away was unable to make it to grocery shelves? Let’s just say it wouldn’t be good. But no matter where you are, even the city, there are places that can be used to grow and process food, and raise animals. This isn’t to say we should never import oranges to New England from Florida, but we should never be so dependent on food from hundreds or thousands of miles away that there’s literally nothing to eat for the majority of people without it. The globalization of our food supply was designed for power and money, not to feed people. People are waking up to this and beginning to support local farms and clamor for more. But the local food movement needs to be made more accessible, as many perceive it as expensive and elitist. And there is some truth to that. As much as I love my free trade, organic, locally-roasted morning cup of coffee, I have to wonder how sustainable it really is. The same with the delicious, organic, imported olive oil I use, the spices imported from far, far away (that compliment the herbs I do grow in my garden), and so on. You get the idea.
And the Earth herself needs help. Land that has been marginalized and degraded can be restored and rewilded, and consciously reinhabited. From vast wooded lands, to open fields and meadows, to wetlands and salt marshes, to smaller community forests and parks, the possibilities boggle the mind. We can learn what used to flourish and replant it. We can remove invasives and see what happens. At the same time we will rediscover wild foods and especially medicines that work more gently and just as (if not more) effectively as the expensive chemical alternatives. After all, who wants to be beholden to greedy corporations for so-called health care when the Earth, the ultimate healer, is right here? Plus I have the feeling that many of the illnesses and diseases afflicting us are caused by our current, stressful lifestyles and the numerous chemicals and pollutants we ingest, knowingly or not, every day. The Earth is amazingly resilient. I have no doubt that by consciously working with the Earth to restore and reinhabit our places, the healing – ours and the Earth’s – will grow faster than any money economy we can imagine.
