"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
--Shakespeare
Marilyn Hempel
With only days left until the new millennium, this edition of the Pop!ulation Press turns its attention to what individuals can do to help build a sustainable future. The Ancient Wonders of the World have always fascinated me, partially because I had the opportunity as a child to visit so many of the sites. Did you know that the great pyramid in Egypt is the only one of the seven left standing? I think that the Great Wall in China and Machu Picchu in Peru should have been included, but the Greek poet Antipater, who created the original list more than 2,000 years ago, didn't know of their existence.
I have, over the years, created my own lists of seven wonders--ancient, modern, and ecological. Therefore it was with eagerness and pleasure that I read John Ryan's book extolling the virtues of his Seven (Sustainable) Wonders, some of them as old in origin as the pyramids. Not all of his wonders are practical for me, partially because of the pace of my life and partially because of the place where I live. But his choices, and the choices the distinguished thinkers share with us on pages 6 and 7 of this newsletter, have helped me to focus and rethink my own behavior. If not these seven sustainable wonders, then which ones? If not these actions, then what can we do?
John Ryan reminds us: "Tremendous obstacles must be overcome if humanity and the rest of life on Earth are to thrive in the 21st century. It's easy to become intimidated by massive problems like global warming or the wholesale extinction of species. It's also easy to be cynical about politicians' ability to care about anything more than the next election. Yet it's important to remember how powerful each of us can be in effecting change. . . . With the flick of a wrist--reaching for organic produce instead of the conventional stuff next to it at the grocery store--you can stop pesticides from being sprayed hundreds of miles away. By putting one foot in front of the other--walking or biking to a neighborhood shop instead of driving to the megastore on the outskirts of town--you can stop oil from being drilled in some place like Nigeria or Alaska. You'll also stop pollution from damaging an entire planet's climate. An entire planet's climate."
I challenge each of you, as part of your celebration of the new millennium, to create your own sustainable wonders--and share them with us.
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