“Why are you interested in climate change?”
I believe that the timeline of the earth and human impact is at a critical stage to take action, or in another sense to do less, which contradicts itself. Like people might be asking what can I do, what more can be done, what new way can become a processed reality. But really like the founder in the One Straw Revolution, Masanobu Fukuoka, who asked ‘what should I not do?’ puts a spin on choices. Like instead of flooding rice fields, he utilizing that natural processes that occur in nature, to develop as effortless farming as possible. With no flooding, no tilling the soil, and very little weeding. Changing the chemistry and water absorption of the soil by growing clover then rice. He produced similar results of what a flooded rice field produces. His method of sowing seeds begin by enclosing them in clay-balls.
Continuing on the theme of doing less. Like instead of buying a motorized vehicle, I am happy to just bike places.
Even instead of pressing play on a mobile sound device, I’d rather enjoy the sounds of nature.
Being patient, to spend a few extra minutes to be beside a river, to listen to the continuous sound of water.
Another benefit from not using mobile sound devices, is to not to rely on batteries. Batteries seem to be a universal solution, since the power they store can be utilized by a multitude of devices.
Another common device are lights. Coincidently the energy stored in an average candle lasts and costs around the same are batteries would. This realization wasn’t presented to me before. Common knowledge, is the same as common ignorance. And because batteries make money, that’s the message that gets rehearsed. Candles make money too, yet making them is a simple process. And if making them is a simple process, it is something less controllable than batteries, where everyone can make them. Hence will affect the market share of the entity that intends to make money with batteries.
The constructs of the media have made unnatural things the norm, and lure people to instant gratification mediums, like motorized vehicles, batteries, supermarkets, and the internet. They are just lost behaviours outside of the box of one’s true nature.
*With the ‘right’ preliminaries in place, people can still be as productive or resourceful as they are today. Though instead of productive in meaningless work, or resourceful with fictional money; the ever abundance of nature could support a frugal life.
Frugal as in a choice to want less, not because it’s the only option, but because it’s an option that is better for my well being. To have dwellings carefully composed and constructed with natural materials, why? because homes breath too, and what they are made of is what I am breathing too.
To be immersed within nature, to receive direct benefits from being surrounded by organic life, that resonates with my (eternal) being. As well as the fresh air that was just created by the plants, trees, and mushrooms. Further, to have spring water, with all the beneficial microbes, from continuously flowing streams.
To also acknowledge not just an abundance of quantity of possibilities, but also the power of the quality of uncultivated food & medicine. Like how spruce needle tea help balance the body’s microbiology.
Some of the difficulties, is the addiction to sensational media, where desensitization to the natural flows of life doesn’t seem as exciting. And how can it? There’s a concentration of time and energy put into such mediums, yet it’s all a distraction, to take our attention away from the moment. By getting us lost in memory sensation, because one recognizes what they view via memory. And the point is… if I recognize what I want in life, then all of these other messages are just part of a useless gossip.
Similarly; in the book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Miguel Ruiz; states the first agreement to “Be Impeccable With Your Word.” Followed with: “Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”
To develop new habits for a meaningful life, that has my well-being as my primary priority will take time. And a neat method that I discovered, that can assist with the transformation, is the kaizen way. To take small steps towards my goal.
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” Confucius
Kaizen takes big tasks and divides them into smaller more manageable ones.
Another solution is The Art of Discarding, by Nagisa Tatsumi, where instead of acquiring stuff, one can learn to live with just essentials. To refine what is truly needed in life
A needle in a haystack find, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, has a simple yet profound process for self discovery, through adapting a new programming language for the brain, i.e. meditation through awareness of breath, within the position of posture.
Books can act as doorways to solutions. Though the best book is presented live, like listening to an elder.
“What is your prior experience with the issues climate change?”
My prior experience with the issues of climate change were interesting. I think they were probably the best I could do at the time, yet they were limited through my pre conceived notions of what I thought I ought to do. For example, I had gone on a bike tour in 2011 to raise awareness on sustainable living, through biking across country and theatre performances. Yet my scope of understanding what I was doing was still limited in thinking this was the right way to make people more aware.
Not only was my understanding naive, it may have also been counter productive according to Plato. A philosopher from such a long time ago, it’s hard to believe so much is known about his ideas, one of which was that writing & theatre were a semblance of truth; they were not complete truths (from the dialog Phaedrus). Just like how my prior experiences were based on a semblance of truth, through a set of conditioned understanding that were rooted in assumptions.
Like, I thought the things that I was doing was giving a good example for others to follow. Yet I was conducting the same closed minded routines of traveling for the sake of traveling, and the theatre purpose gave me an excuse. However, I could have probably been a better candidate on my own blog, where I could reflect on being out in nature; instead of being on a schedule, going from city to city, performance to performance. I was actually trying to escape from the mundanity of society, though I just subscribed to a different form of it.
And thinking now in retrospect, that it wasn’t me who wanted to travel somewhere. It was a habit of wanting to travel. There is no real need to travel anywhere, though because my family and I always went on road trips to B.C. in the summer, I was raised thinking there is a need to travel. And maybe it’s more on the intent and the procedure. Like, say hiking becomes my spring summer vacation, and instead of going south, I could got north. And instead of going on the highway, I could boat with the river. And instead of talking about a message on stage, which is two generations away from the source (performer, writer, source), I could be the message. By living not what I’m saying not to do, but to live the counter life.
To live the ideal way, by the power of the Socratic method, to question as a way to determine what I truly want in life. Because my perception is still skewed of what the best practices are, I am still learning, and am willing and wanting to learn. And think learning from elders is a needed way. Not just for sustainability & climate normalization, but because of the benefits to my well-being. By being immersed in nature, with fresh air, water and food. Contrary to my bike tour, next to motorized vehicles with exhaust, and food and water from wherever…
This introspection is really powerful to me now, because I am not lured by the prospects of traveling for the sake of traveling, actually even back then I needed a purpose to travel somewhere. Yet now I have furthered my understanding that less is actually better. Well that too was something I understood beforehand, for example, I didn’t get a motorized vehicle because a bike was enough. Not just enough, but funner, enriching, empowering to propel myself forward. And I thought the bike tour would be slowing down to enjoy the moment more.
Though even the act of biking takes me away from just simply making the time to walk somewhere. To be patient enough, to appreciate the journey, the flow of breath. If my priority was my well-being I would have walked barefoot in the forest, collected food, and sat by a water stream somewhere. I am trying to define this priority of well-being; periodically asking further questions.
“What are some of your future plans for the next two years?”
Opportunities are all around us in the Yukon. The forests are continuously producing food, supplies, as well as presenting an essential habitat, a place to just be encapsulated within. I plan to become more aware of the true potentials of the forest. Even with the little knowledge I have is enough to keep me busy. For example I know I can pick spruce tips in the spring, and that it’s better to pick around the base of the tree and to avoid the top, so the tree keeps growing upwards. It actually wasn’t too long ago that I found out about spruce tips being edible.
Likewise, I recently learnt that pine cambium can be made into chips. Even though you can harvest cambium all year, the spring time is the best, and can be achieved respectively. I’m not an expert, and that could be a good thing, since possibilities aren’t compromised by what I know. And thought that having a mindful approach to forestry would be game changing. Where the entire tree was utilized to it’s fullest potential, for making, building, heating, lighting, and eating.
Also if we changed from a resource society to a purpose society, then things wouldn’t be made in excess, in hopes that someone will buy it. Everything that is done would have a more direct purpose.
So what am I going to do in the next two years?
To be aware of the potential of the forest, and to collect enough food for a year. One reason I would like to do this is to know how much food from the forest I would need, and if I would be content. It’s like having the knowledge is one thing, and not having a complete knowledge another. And I am at the latter, with incomplete knowledge, so along with harvesting the limits of what I know; I would like to spend more time with elders.
To learn more complete knowledge of the forest: How to identify, harvest and make stuff with plants. Also to live as though I am not separate from nature, to live as though I am a purposeful process of nature.
Dino Rudniski 