Dispelling the illusion of lifejackets: the first step toward a healthy earth canoe - 2003 essay contest winners

Humanist, July-August, 2003 by Gretchen Rasmusson

"All the world is a canoe, and whether paddlers or passengers, we are all one people together in that vessel." Chumash proverb

All the world is a canoe, yet too often it is easy to see the world as a backdrop for a canoe. The difference between the two views is enormous and inherent in each is a distinct attitude. If a canoe isn't properly cared for, it will cease to be a safe vessel for travel and it, along with its passengers, will sink. This is why canoe enthusiasts protect the life of their canoe by properly storing, transporting, rinsing, and waxing it; it's in their best interest to care for the vessel that keeps them afloat on the water. If we think of the world as a canoe, we see it as something that needs care and attention if both the canoe and its passengers are to continue their present existence.

If we see the world as a backdrop for a canoe, however, human activities (like canoeing) take center stage, leaving the Earth as simply the scenery for human actions. If this is our mentality, we won't be very concerned about taking care of the Earth because it then becomes simply the backdrop and is disconnected from our actions. This pattern of thinking--easy to fall into as we go from house to car to building to garage to house, and as we work all day without seeing the sun--is dangerous. As stated in the bulletin for the June 1999 Human-Nature conference in Scotland, "There is an increasingly distant relationship between humans and the natural world. Loss of relationship can lead to abusive behaviour."

The loss of relationship--or seeing the Earth as a backdrop for our canoe--causes humans to abuse themselves, for the Earth most definitely is a canoe, and if it sinks, it takes everything on Earth down with it. Therefore, caring for our canoe must become our first priority--more important than all other problems facing society. Our Earth canoe has been showing signs of human-inflicted wear, and the blame for global problems rests more heavily on the shoulders of wealthy industrialized nations. It is important to remember that however depressing they may appear, our problems aren't unsolvable and, interestingly enough, caring for the Earth turns out to be an all-encompassing solution, solving many other problems.

Admittedly, the analogy of the Earth as a canoe is slightly imperfect because canoes lack regenerative powers. The Earth's regenerative powers, however, aren't without limits, and these limits have been pushed. In his book Ecotherapy: Healing Ourselves, Healing the Earth, Howard Clinebell says the Earth's "amazing regenerative capabilities ... are already beginning to be overtaxed." Unfortunately, humankind has placed great stress on the Earth, and it is vitally essential that it be rehabilitated. Although today's incredible technology provides a comfortable illusion of disconnection from the Earth, the troth is that humans must completely rely on the Earth. Clinebell says, "Few people are aware of how utterly dependent our lives are on being continually nurtured by nature. Every breath we take, each bite of food we eat, every drop of water we drink is a silent, usually unrecognized expression of this dependence."

If I were to modify Clinebell's statement, I would include the phrase, "Every time we use a computer." Although computers don't directly keep us alive, many people in industrialized nations wouldn't want to live without one. Bodily functions such as breathing, drinking, and eating are easier to link back to the Earth than computers, but it is important to remember that even mighty silicon is produced from sand. And the journey from sand to silicon is expensive to the Earth. Chris Hayhurst says, in his November 23, 2000, article in E Magazine Currents, that the production of the eight-inch long silicon wafer found in computers:

   requires 4,267 cubic feet of bulk gases, 3,787 gallons
   of waste water, 27 pounds of chemicals, 29
   cubic feet of hazardous gases, nine pounds of
   hazardous waste, and 3,023 gallons of de-ionized
   water. These chemicals and gases include glycol
   ethers, which have been identified as "serious
   reproductive toxins" by the EPA [Environmental
   Protection Agency].

Other toxic byproducts include arsenic, cyanide, phosphine, and sulphuric and nitric acids.

The Silicon Valley in California, once an agricultural paradise called "Valley of the Heart's Delight," is now home to twenty-nine contaminated areas designated for cleanup by the EPA (mostly thanks to the computer industry.) One of the initial red flags of this pollution was a birth defect, which was three times more prevalent in 1982. Although the companies that caused the birth defects have since met government pollutant regulations, the enormous amount of chemicals required from production remains the same and, unfortunately, computers quickly become outdated and need replacing. As Todd Smith, executive director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, says, "Intel and Microsoft try to get consumers to buy new gadgets every fourteen months. I don't see how that can continue. You just can't sustain that type of development considering what it does to the environment."