Look at Your Environment - Did you Notice that EARTH and HEART are the Same letters?
by Dr. Michal Perle-Kellner
The environment- the physical world we live in, has space, time and particles. It is the air, water and land in, or on which, people, animals and plants live. Most of the world lives in abundance.
Humans have physically exhausted the world and the environment by behaving carelessly and not respecting the earth. Our activities and behavior, both privately and on the level of organizations and industry, causes damaging environmental effects. We are not doing enough to protect the environment from pollution and deterioration. The intensive lifestyle, adopted by most of the world nowadays, ignores the earth and our world of inner consciousness.
The Corona period is an opportunity to explore what is happening in the environment as the world “stopped” from most of its activities. 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the US are due to flights. As the volume of flights for April and May dropped drastically, the change will surely be felt. The oil demand forecast in 2020 has seen a drastic cut, only paralleled by the 2008 economic crisis (1). Further, between January and February, NASA satellite images from China show a significant reduction in nitric oxide emissions, a pollutant emitted from fossil fuels (2).
Italy also reported a significant reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as businesses closed and the streets emptied. The Washington Post analyzed data from the European Space Agency's satellite that measures greenhouse gas and other pollutant concentrations in the lower atmosphere in early March. The analysis shows that the level of emissions, especially in Italy, dropped significantly. (3)
Biological diversity has also been impacted. The pandemic raised questions about human proximity to wildlife, interactions and development in virgin areas. Scientists are now calling for efforts to reduce wildlife-to-human contact through a devastating development halt in natural areas and the fight against climate change that also causes migrations to new habitats. A new field of research - Planetary Health - is exploring the relationship between human health and ecosystems, including in urban areas.
Perhaps, following the crisis, we will learn to change long-term habits and adopt measures such as working from home, using video conferencing and shorter work-weeks to reduce traffic which will reduce air pollution. Along with changes in behavior and household consumption patterns, this is also an opportunity for reflecting on the purpose of life individually and at the level of collective humanity as a one field of consciousness.
This can happen when we focus on “looking into ourselves,” leading to the experience of one field of consciousness. Conversely, when we respond to external stimuli- mortgages, financial investments, work assignments, money making, etc.,- we are not free to be in the inner peace and to be connected to our inner parts.
Everyone has this consciousness in them! The question is if we are paying attention to it. If one is directing thought and awareness to the inner world, while letting go of as many patterns and criteria that we usually live under, like religion, gender, race, etc., earth is a complete and perfect place. Nothing is missing in and on earth.
Imagine you are in a spaceship, looking from space to earth. You see all of humanity going to work, companies working together or collaborating and all the products are for everyone and for everyone’s benefit. Everyone is connected with everyone. Apparently, everything seems to be in accordance with the principle of unity (oneness).
When you go into the details however, you see that the world is moving and maneuvering by interests. The question is whether this is harmony or mutual exploitation between people. When humanity is in mutual exploitation it leads to the exhaustion the world and the environment. When harmony will be more and more dominant in humanity, the environment and nature will gain out of it and will improve. These last three months has shown this.
It is time for us to start thinking of universal concepts from the perspective of mutual giving and not from the point of mutual exploitation and egocentricity. It is time to connect the heart to the overall body of humanity. It is not a coincidence that earth and heart are the same letters.
If processes on earth do happen in a way of mutual relations anyway, then we should connect to the heart as a starting point of our human activities by mutual giving with joy and kindness. Taking care of the environment is having a balance between mankind's needs and using wisely the resources of earth and the environment. One should ask him/herself - what I can contribute? Instead of what I can receive or gain from others- from the country, from the government, municipality, workplace up to the spouse or any family member and the environment.
Any kind of giving leads to a feeling of fullness and satisfaction. Giving is not only to one another, but protecting nature, using water wisely, preventing soil pollution and avoid littering are also aspects of giving. Try. Check it out yourself. Explore how you feel when you give from your heart…
Dr. Michal Perle-Kellner is the Israel Electric Company’s Environmental Policy Director and runs a private clinic accompanying clients to raise awareness in areas of their lives in order to improve the quality of life. She holds a Dr.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from The Technion -Israel Institute of Technology. She was a 2007-2008 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program fellow at the Penn State University, during which she explored soil and water pollution remediation methods and technologies in the U.S.
References:
- IEA, "Net income from oil production in selected producer economies, if oil prices stay where they are", IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/net-income-from-oil-production-in-selected-producer-economies-if-oil-prices-stay-wherethey-are.
- Coronavirus outbreak causes decline in China greenhouse gas emissions | The Independent - https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/coronavirus-china-greenhousegas-emissions-climate-change-a9384346.html
- Malpede, M., Percoco, M. and Bosetti, V., Bocconi Working Paper Series No. 7, Social distancing measures following COVID-19 epidemics had positive environmental consequences, March 2020.