“Taking care of Mother Nature” or “Saving the Planet” are key phrases we listen very often when talking about sustainability. While those aspirations are noble, it is important to remember that the planet was here long before humans arrived and will exist for millions of years after we depart.
The same is true about Mother Nature. No matter how much damage we inflict on it through pollution and rampant consumption of resources, Mother Nature will outlast human existence. The planet will have oceans, forests, rivers, deserts, animals, and insects no matter what we do.
I recently interviewed John Claude Biver – a world-famous executive in the watch industry –for the Voices of Nature podcast I host with Global Conservation Corps and The Sustainable Mag.
Jean Claude spoke with passion for the simple act of expressing love for the Plaenet. Without loving nature we never will achieve a sustainable future where we live in harmony and balance with Planet Earth.
We Need Nature More than it Needs Us
One of the greatest failings of humans is our belief that nature’s purpose is to serve us and to meet our needs. Too many of us are convinced that we “own” Planet Earth like a possession and the Earth’s precious resources exist to ensure our material desires are met – always. We see nature as a savings account at our bank that we constantly can take from whenever we want – and we assume the resources will always be there for us.
The problem is the more we hurt it, the harder it becomes for nature to sustain us. While it is true that we do need to take from the environment to live our lives, we also need to return to nature what we use and consume. That is no different from a savings account. Yes, there are times we need to take money from a savings account for an important purchase. But it is important to then set money aside to replenish the savings account.
If we are to feed ourselves, avoid the worst of climate change, and have ample resources for future generations to live on, we need to always be replenishing nature. Again, it will endure. But if we do not care for nature, it will not endure in a way that supports humans at a level we have come to expect.
Jean-Claude Biver about the Future of the Planet
Jean Claude made a connection between love and nature so powerful that I want to share it here. Jean Claude said:
“Passion for nature is an expression of love. Love is eternal. What we need for the planet is to bring it back to eternity. It means we cannot consume the planet. We must enable the planet to be eternal. Because if the planet is not eternal, we will disappear. We need to learn to have a passion for nature. To have a love for nature. And when you are passionate for nature…when you love nature…you will not damage nature. You will respect it and love it.”
jean-claude biver
What I love most about Voices of Nature is that it made me realize that all of us respect and love nature differently. And, we all have a special and unique role in protecting nature.
Some of us are scientists looking for ways to protect fragile ecosystems or rangers in the wilds of Africa and Asia stopping the poaching of iconic animal species. Here is the entire podcast of Jean-Claude Biver.
For others it is working with policymakers to create laws that protect precious ecosystems or stop pollution from occurring. A great example is Ellen Miles and her leadership in a powerful public campaign called, “Nature is a Human Right”.
It means being more conscious in what we buy. It is wonderful that more of us are buying locally sourced products, eating food grown and raised organically, and wearing clothes made in a circular fashion.
Or it can be the simplest of acts done every day in our lives – caring for a plant in your backyard that attracts butterflies and bees, picking up litter on a daily walk, or teaching a child how to make a garden.
Let us always appreciate the fact that, if we love the environment just a little bit more, it will pay back that love in many, many ways – for eternity.
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