I am, first and foremost, a Christian and a farmer. But I am many other things as well. I do not attempt to brag, but rather to give you, the reader, a better understanding of who I am so that we may better see eye-to-eye. I am an entrepreneur, and I have always enjoyed the challenge of starting a new business, whether or not it succeeded, or if the business plan was scrapped after a few months or a year. I enjoy writing, about things scientific and beautiful. I am enrolled in college, attaining a biological science degree. And to a whole other degree, to an extent that had annoyed my peers, alienated certain people, and baffled most of my friends, I am an environmentalist.
This is almost a contradiction in terms. An environmentalist is someone who wants to help the environment, the place where we, and all of the plants and animals, live. A farmer environmentalist? Rare, because farmers generally want to use chemicals and fossil fuels to farm extensively. Well, I do use some fossil fuels, but that can't be helped very much. More on that in another post, perhaps.
An entrepreneur environmentalist? Businessmen hate environmentalists out of tradition. Who wants to listen to a bunch of hippies say they can't cut that tree, or that forest, or that whole continent of trees down? Who wants to be told they can't dump just a little bit of arsenic into the stream, or refuse or other waste? That's bad for business. But I believe in responsibility for actions, and business and the environment is a fully compatible option - and, in fact, is really the only option. Responsible technology, responsible business, responsible people - these are people we want to have in charge and running things. Odds are, that same boss who wants to dump into the river, seriously doesn't want to give you that raise you deserve.
And, even better... A Christian environmentalist? No offense, but if you are a Christian, which I think you probably are, you will think that is very odd. I believe God will provide for us, but what I do not believe is that he is willing to provide for a people who are fully willing to relentlessly plunder the beautiful planet He has given them. Or stand idle and watch the corporations of the world engage in their rape-like tactics and destroy the wondrous gift He has given them.
Some people consider me misguided because of my strong views here. Climate change is not an issue; it's natural. Corporations are not bad, they create jobs. Pollution is not an issue, it keeps costs down. Scientists don't know everything, so we shouldn't listen to them about anything. Business as usual, the trees will come back eventually. The ice caps aren't melting, never mind this graph that looks like a 3-year-old drew a cliff. Any scientists or science types will be cringing by now....
And that, my readers, is why I am an environmentalist. I feel under a moral, ethical obligation to be as responsible and caring, and reverent, to as many things as possible. That includes people, animals, the environment, and plants and even things, because things must be created again after being damaged or destroyed. That DIY vehicle repair job you do where you replace a small motor instead of the entire contraption is actually extremely environmentally conscious of you while saving money.
Ultimately, that is why I feel that this is my call to action. What better way to serve than to serve God, my fellow people, science, and the environment and even the business model all at the exact same time? Is it possible? I believe so. I have certainly managed to be all of these things, and they are at peace in my mind. Ultimately, my goal is to bring empowerment to those who wish to act, knowledge to those who do not know, and enlightenment to those who are clinging to what corporations or the media has fed them. More on specifics later; this has been my introductory post. I do not feel that helping the environment is incorrect. I also do not believe that helping people and helping the environment are two mutually exclusive things. I think that, when they go hand in hand, the perfect situation is created. We, and all of our brethren, live on this world. For however much longer you personally believe we will live on this earth, for another decade or millions or even billions of years, we have a moral obligation to make life on this earth as good as possible for each other. Thus, when we help the environment, we are directly helping the citizens of the world, whether or not the benefits are immediately tangible benefits. However, in many cases, the benefits are fully tangible.
Thank you for reading this. Have a good day.
