Making Choices

To be entirely honest, I do not have the highest hopes for our civilization. We have caused so much damage and harm to the Earth, as well as to each other, that I feel our days of careless wastefulness and seemingly endless consumerism are numbered. How long can we sit comfortably in our air-conditioned houses, watching our TVs and driving our cars before the Earth finally says Enough. We have raped and pillaged this precious land that gave us life and I fear that this 'eco-revolution' might be too little too late.

However, with that said, we are making great strides in undoing the wrongs that we have committed against each other and our environment (of which we are a part, not which is apart from us). And with increasingly organized and mobile movements across the globe to promote peace, corporate accountability, democracy and the like I feel a new age is upon us. There has been a strong shift in perception among many people who no longer feel war is legitimate, who feel that power should be in the hands of the people rather than with a handful of people and who are tired of being subservient to governments and corporations who refuse to listen to them.

A new time is upon us. Let your voice be heard. We are all members of this global community, none 'higher' than others. All of our thoughts, ideas and opinions have equal value and it is time to let them be known. 

Ray Anderson is the CEO of Interface, the world's largest commercial carpet manufacturer. He has been incredibly profitable and successful according to the capitalist framework. Simultaneously, he has been a huge part of the damage and harm done to our world through the manufacturing of his products. In 1994, he had an awakening after reading the book "The Ecology of Commerce" by Paul Hawken as his eyes were opened to the environmental and social impacts that his corporation was inflicting. Imagine being a 60 year old, multi-millionaire in the U.S. and being confronted with this decision: continue on the path you are on to make unimaginable profits while also continuing to cause immense harm to the world's resources and people or make a huge shift in your life and perspective in order to diminish and reduce your ecological footprint while possibly reducing your profits and perhaps angering your fellow peers and shareholders. 

Ray Anderson chose the second option. 

Everyone has the power to make choices. 

What choices will you make today?

Here is a video of an interview with Ray Anderson from the film The Corporation.