| We measure our world by the limits of our | | | | the natural processes that have built the |
| knowledge and experience. If the only tool | | | | biosphere. About 40% of the earth's |
| you have is a hammer, you tend to treat | | | | photosynthetic capacity (plant growth) is now |
| everything like nails. Bigotry, bias, and | | | | appropriated for human use. The biologically |
| prejudice are all words that describe this | | | | available nitrogen and phosphorus used by |
| limited view (hammer) each of us tends to | | | | humans for fertilizer and chemicals about |
| embrace and apply. | | | | equals the amount produced by nature. We |
| | | | apparently can alter our atmosphere on a |
| A dog does not comprehend poetry, nor does an | | | | global scale (ozone, Chernobyl, greenhouse |
| infant calculus. The worlds of the dog and | | | | gases). Huge numbers of species stand on the |
| of the child are extremely limited in scope. | | | | curling tip of a wave of extinction - and the |
| For the dog it is predominantly genetically | | | | list goes on. |
| determined. Even if a dog would like to | | | | |
| understand poetry, it couldn't and will never | | | | Though it seems presumptuous to suggest that |
| grow into it either. On the other hand, a | | | | we, here, now in this generation are unique |
| child's view of the world can expand | | | | in all of history, the evidence supports that |
| continually throughout life. Unfortunately, | | | | we are. We are a pivotal generation that can |
| as we get into our teenage years and become | | | | either turn things around or continue to fuel |
| certain that our knowledge encompasses just | | | | a degrading environmental/health spiral that |
| about all that could be known - certainly | | | | soon, if unaltered by us, will continue in |
| more than both parents combined - we become | | | | spite of any efforts we make later to change |
| increasingly arrogant, and with this | | | | things. |
| arrogance, closed minded. Intellectual | | | | |
| growth can actually stop by about the age of | | | | Scary? Yes, indeed. But we need to get |
| 13, with vocabulary serving as an index of | | | | scared if that's what it takes to wake up. |
| this growth and not increasing significantly | | | | We are, without a doubt, a very special |
| for most people after this age. | | | | generation with the weight of the world's |
| | | | future literally on our shoulders. |
| With that as a preface, let me say that it is | | | | |
| easy for us to believe that the world we were | | | | Don't despair. You, yes little ole puny you, |
| born into is the only real world. | | | | can do much. Everything ever done always |
| Fluorescent lights, conditioned air, | | | | began with one. Act on the things you know |
| automobiles, pop, French fries, television, | | | | to be right, healthy, socially responsible, |
| and polyester may seem like the only real and | | | | and environmentally sensitive. |
| natural world for humans. Without the | | | | |
| perspective of history, there would be no way | | | | Yes, you. Yes, now. Yes, there is no |
| of knowing any differently. | | | | downside in doing so. |
| | | | |
| But we do have history. Prior to the | | | | *Further Reading: |
| Industrial Revolution, which occurred about | | | | |
| 200 years ago, we were by and large in an | | | | [The Wysong Optimal Health Programâ„¢] |
| entirely different setting. We spent the | | | | |
| majority of our time outside and without any | | | | [What Does Our Genetic Program Say We Should |
| of the modern conveniences and technologies | | | | Eat?] |
| we have come to believe to be as natural and | | | | |
| automatic as a tree or the wind. | | | | [Genetic Context The Fundamental Key to |
| | | | Health] |
| Our genes, however, are not equally | | | | |
| convinced. They remain encoded for the | | | | [Look at the Big Picture] |
| natural world. They are, in fact, an inward | | | | |
| definition of the external natural, | | | | [Be a Thinking Person] |
| pre-Industrial, more pristine world. | | | | |
| | | | [Do Not Let Technology Think for You] |
| In this new modern synthetic world we are | | | | |
| increasingly alienating our basic biological | | | | [Stay Open to Learning Every Day] |
| make up. We are like fish taken out of | | | | |
| water. | | | | [Man The Apex Predator] |
| | | | |
| The accompanying charts demonstrate the | | | | [Humans Are Not Too Puny to Remodel the Whole |
| dramatic change occurring just in the last | | | | Planet] |
| 100 years. | | | | |
| | | | [Ozone Marks Environmental Threats] |
| This is only a small representation of the | | | | |
| dramatic changes our modern world has | | | | [Using Intelligence in Food Choices] |
| produced related just to food. On a broader | | | | |
| environmental scale, human activity rivals | | | | [Are We Healthier? |