Environmentalism: The Fable of the Apple, and the Fable of the Tree
People want to do what is best for the environment, animals, other people, and themselves. Unfortunately, our global economic system does the opposite. Everytime we participate in the system, by using money or by consuming resources, we cause all these ills.
For example, as you are reading this, you are consuming energy in the form of electricity. Most electricity is generated by the burning of coal. Coal is not only a limited, non-renewable resource, but the burning of it creates pollution: dust particles, carbon dioxide, acid rain, etc.
The fable of the apple is another simple example. Not far from you lives a child who has an apple tree. You, wanting to do something good for the world, go and purchase an apple from her. What could be better, walking to a neighbor to purchase an apple from a child. But the money does not stop at the child. She is very unlikely to burn it up, or to hide it away for all eternity. What she does is to ask her parents to drive her into town so she can buy some chocolates.
On the way, the parents burn fuel, polluting the air. They cause wear and tear on the roads. They put miles on their car and consume some of its useful life. The child, at the store, buys the chocolates.
The chocolates where made in a factory that pollutes the air, water and soil to some degree. The ingredients of the chocolates themselves were created due to environmental destruction... The cacao and vanilla had to be transported using fuel from the tropics. The milk was probably produced in confinement farm where the mothers are unable to turn around or do anything natural, and the waste pollutes the air, water, and soil. The sugar from cane or beet also probably traveled a long way, and perhaps resulted in the erosion of the soil.
So the money used to buy the apple purchased also the chocolates, causing various undesirable consequences, and supporting an unsustainable industry.
But the money does not stop there. Some portion of the money goes to the owner of the store, and that person uses it as they please, to purchase veal perhaps, for a dinner. The the veal owner buys something else like farm equipment made in a factory that pollutes. And the factory worker uses a bit of the money to buy a new car. And the car company buys some steel made in other polluting factories.
Even if the money is invested, or goes to the government, it still causes consumption. Money in the bank just allows itself to be lent out to others. Money taken in with taxes goes to pay to purchase goods, services, for health care, transfer payments, or something. The money keeps on moving.
The moral of the Fable of the Apple is that even the most innocent participation in the global economy fuels its unsustainable consumption and destruction of the world.
To better understand the Fable of the Apple, one can look at it from the opposite side, which is the Fable of the Tree.
The Fable of the Tree begins with a lone tree standing in a field. The tree provides shade, a habitat for animals, an filter for carbon dioxide, a method of cycling water vapor into the air, and more. The people that live near the tree recognize its great value and have all agreed that it must be preserved.
One day, a stranger comes into town. Not having any food, he needs to find a way to make some money. Seeing the tree, and knowing someone who would like to purchase some wood, he proceeds to buy an ax and to chop down the tree. After selling the tree, the people familiar with the tree ask him, why did you do such a dreadful thing? He replies, because I was hungry.
The Fable of the Tree points out that as long is there is someone that is willing and able to do something... and there is another person that is willing and able to pay for that same something... then it is very likely that this thing will get done.
The global economy is all about these Apples and Trees. Even if we try to buy and apple, we end up giving money to someone who will chop down the tree.
What can we do? What should we do? Where do we go from here?
For example, as you are reading this, you are consuming energy in the form of electricity. Most electricity is generated by the burning of coal. Coal is not only a limited, non-renewable resource, but the burning of it creates pollution: dust particles, carbon dioxide, acid rain, etc.
The fable of the apple is another simple example. Not far from you lives a child who has an apple tree. You, wanting to do something good for the world, go and purchase an apple from her. What could be better, walking to a neighbor to purchase an apple from a child. But the money does not stop at the child. She is very unlikely to burn it up, or to hide it away for all eternity. What she does is to ask her parents to drive her into town so she can buy some chocolates.
On the way, the parents burn fuel, polluting the air. They cause wear and tear on the roads. They put miles on their car and consume some of its useful life. The child, at the store, buys the chocolates.
The chocolates where made in a factory that pollutes the air, water and soil to some degree. The ingredients of the chocolates themselves were created due to environmental destruction... The cacao and vanilla had to be transported using fuel from the tropics. The milk was probably produced in confinement farm where the mothers are unable to turn around or do anything natural, and the waste pollutes the air, water, and soil. The sugar from cane or beet also probably traveled a long way, and perhaps resulted in the erosion of the soil.
So the money used to buy the apple purchased also the chocolates, causing various undesirable consequences, and supporting an unsustainable industry.
But the money does not stop there. Some portion of the money goes to the owner of the store, and that person uses it as they please, to purchase veal perhaps, for a dinner. The the veal owner buys something else like farm equipment made in a factory that pollutes. And the factory worker uses a bit of the money to buy a new car. And the car company buys some steel made in other polluting factories.
Even if the money is invested, or goes to the government, it still causes consumption. Money in the bank just allows itself to be lent out to others. Money taken in with taxes goes to pay to purchase goods, services, for health care, transfer payments, or something. The money keeps on moving.
The moral of the Fable of the Apple is that even the most innocent participation in the global economy fuels its unsustainable consumption and destruction of the world.
To better understand the Fable of the Apple, one can look at it from the opposite side, which is the Fable of the Tree.
The Fable of the Tree begins with a lone tree standing in a field. The tree provides shade, a habitat for animals, an filter for carbon dioxide, a method of cycling water vapor into the air, and more. The people that live near the tree recognize its great value and have all agreed that it must be preserved.
One day, a stranger comes into town. Not having any food, he needs to find a way to make some money. Seeing the tree, and knowing someone who would like to purchase some wood, he proceeds to buy an ax and to chop down the tree. After selling the tree, the people familiar with the tree ask him, why did you do such a dreadful thing? He replies, because I was hungry.
The Fable of the Tree points out that as long is there is someone that is willing and able to do something... and there is another person that is willing and able to pay for that same something... then it is very likely that this thing will get done.
The global economy is all about these Apples and Trees. Even if we try to buy and apple, we end up giving money to someone who will chop down the tree.
What can we do? What should we do? Where do we go from here?