The rise of factory farms followed the industrial revolution. Motto: Maximize yield to maximize profit. Poisons such as DDT are used indiscriminately; animals are penned together and fed growth hormones and meal made from other animals. Maximize yield to maximize profit; no other concerns enter into the equation. Generation follows generation. Eating what our parents ate before us, we continue in their footsteps, assuming that food is only a necessary fuel to maintain the body.
In the 1960s an initial movement began to question the motto of "better living through chemistry". How are such practices affecting us? Other species? And the environment in which we all live? Most sneer and stick to the bottom line of the profit margin. In the decades that followed, the incidence of disease increased within human populations in 'developed' countries, linked to lifestyle choices as well as the poisons entering our bodies. More species disappear from the planet. The climate begins to change in abnormal ways. The message becomes clear: our actions are adversely affecting the planet, and by extension all of the species that live on it.
By 2009, the majority of people are beginning to seriously reflect on and discuss the questions raised back then, and the consequences of our actions today. It's getting under our skin. The pollution, the poison and the artificial way of treating food. Nature's signs are becoming more persistent. Primary examples come from our own lives: loved one's falling ill with throat cancer at 22; quadruple bypass surgery at 42; rheumatoid arthritis. Allergies, eczema and diabetes: the list of maladies lengthens, and we get used to living in states of non-perfect health.
It is these examples that bring the reality back to us. Our kids scratch the rash above their eyes, wondering where it came from. What did they consume? What did they breath? We have a vague worry about the environment and foggy mental state, culminating in physical illness.
We look around for answers to cure these afflictions. Medical science can no longer handle the modern dis-ease. More pills won't satisfy (or remove the rash). So alternative ways to treat disease increase. To fill the void healers such as Homeopaths and Naturopaths become universal, and even general health insurance companies promote them. When push comes to shove when we fall ill, we are forced to look at the whole picture (holism).
There is no separation between the planet and us; the idea of systems theory or 'web of life' -- that everything in the universe is interrelated -- is no longer the opinion of a few physicists and philosophers. The majority starts to believe the world is round. This movement provides us with a new model of belief, and this reaffirms, for many, their faith in life. What happens in our life in Amsterdam, for example, can affect the life of someone living in Mumbai, and vice versa. Through this awareness, we realize our personal responsibility for our community and the world. How do we foster healthy economies while preserving the quality of the environment for future generations? How could we utilize our resources in ways that will maintain them (reduce, re-use, recycle) for our children and theirs, and the planet as a whole?
Poverty, health, and living conditions of people in developing countries become (again) hot topics, but include a newfound sense of responsibility and knowledge that 'Aid' (throwing money at the issue and hoping the problems go away) is not a solution. Rather, supporting initiatives that provide a framework for the poor to help themselves -- like small loans to those with a business vision but limited financial resources -- do make a difference in lives. Such initiatives not only allow them to take responsibility for themselves, but give them a positive self image as well. Applying creativity to develop new solutions to old problems, this is part of our newfound responsibility this year.
In many ways, such solutions are a return to methods of working from a time before globalization gave rise to multinational corporations after World War II (e.g. cooperative or single businesses started by small-scale entrepreneurs providing services to a community or localized area). Since then, experience has shown us that if multinationals fuck about with the environment, they may be fined a pittance in the short-run but we lose biodiversity in the long-run. So the real losers are the citizens on planet earth -- you and I -- and we see this clearly, like a proverbial light bulb above our heads. Now that we're aware of these things, we're seeing what a bloody mess the planet is in. Where do our products come from? Who has taken the responsibility to ensure they were prepared justly?
Author: elisabetii
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