jpranch
Platinum Member
This in todays email from "The Green Builder".
Vicissitudes of the Mind
I've been thinking a lot about truth and social structure this week, precipitated by President Obama's announcement that the United States has ended our seven-year combat mission in Iraq. I wonder if a war that was rooted in the threat of terrorism and defined by pitting good against evil can generate the fertile ground needed to birth the 'new beginning for this cradle of civilization' that the President referred to in his speech.
It seems to me that a future of long-lasting stability and prosperity in Iraq or any other country can only come when the people choose to embrace it. Peace comes from finding joy the world around us. Good and evil are lenses of the mind.
In his speech, the President reminded us that the future is ours to shape, that the greatness of our democracy is embedded in our ability to move beyond our differences, and that we must lead through diplomacy, economic strength, and power of example.
Reality manifests in infinite ways, and it is through our eyes and ears that the universe perceives itself. The world around us is a mirror image of ourselves—it transmits back to us exactly what we broadcast out.
Does this mean that we're good if we erect a green building and we're evil if we build an inefficient one? Does it mean that we're more valuable to our society if we care for the environment rather than destroy it?
I'm not sure I would go that far, but I do believe that putting a man on the moon is only marginally valuable if we don't understand the complexities of our own minds and the implications of our decisions.
If our President is calling the American people to lead by example, we must exhibit more than political savvy and economic fortitude. We must also display an undeniable ethic of sustainability that clearly defines new rules for environmental protection.
Much of the world aspires to the American standard of living. Unless we develop a more sustainable model for the management of energy, water, waste, and land for countries around the globe to adopt, terrorism threats by marauders like the Taliban will pale in comparison to the everyday struggles we'll face due to diminishing natural resources.
For more information about important topics related to green building and sustainability, follow me on Twitter at SaraGBM.
Vicissitudes of the Mind
It seems to me that a future of long-lasting stability and prosperity in Iraq or any other country can only come when the people choose to embrace it. Peace comes from finding joy the world around us. Good and evil are lenses of the mind.
In his speech, the President reminded us that the future is ours to shape, that the greatness of our democracy is embedded in our ability to move beyond our differences, and that we must lead through diplomacy, economic strength, and power of example.
Reality manifests in infinite ways, and it is through our eyes and ears that the universe perceives itself. The world around us is a mirror image of ourselves—it transmits back to us exactly what we broadcast out.
Does this mean that we're good if we erect a green building and we're evil if we build an inefficient one? Does it mean that we're more valuable to our society if we care for the environment rather than destroy it?
I'm not sure I would go that far, but I do believe that putting a man on the moon is only marginally valuable if we don't understand the complexities of our own minds and the implications of our decisions.
If our President is calling the American people to lead by example, we must exhibit more than political savvy and economic fortitude. We must also display an undeniable ethic of sustainability that clearly defines new rules for environmental protection.
Much of the world aspires to the American standard of living. Unless we develop a more sustainable model for the management of energy, water, waste, and land for countries around the globe to adopt, terrorism threats by marauders like the Taliban will pale in comparison to the everyday struggles we'll face due to diminishing natural resources.
For more information about important topics related to green building and sustainability, follow me on Twitter at SaraGBM.