Why is it so easy to save the banks - but so hard to save the biosphere?
George MonbiotRead
There is a Precious Mountain _x000D_ Even the Seven Treasures cannot compare _x000D_ A cold moon rises through the pines _x000D_ Layer upon layer of bright clouds _x000D_ How many towering peaks? _x000D_ How many wandering miles? _x000D_ The valley streams run clear _x000D_ Happiness forever!
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the beauty of nature and the joy it brings.
Hanshan's poem speaks to the transcendent beauty found in nature, particularly in the image of mountains, streams, and clouds. It suggests that no material wealth can match the richness of natural experiences, portraying a serene landscape as a source of enduring happiness and fulfillment, inviting reflection on the simple yet profound joys of life in the natural world.
In practice
This quote could be used in a nature appreciation workshop.
Why is it so easy to save the banks - but so hard to save the biosphere?
Both the United States and the world economy have already reached - and surpassed - their sustainable physical limits. Ground water is being drawn down, soils eroded, forests cut faster than they grow, fish caught faster than they reproduce, non-renewable fossil fuels burnt without developing substitutes.
In the environmental movement, every time you lose a battle it's for good, but our victories always seem to be temporary and we keep fighting them over and over again.
It is the preservation of the species, not of individuals, which appears to be the design of Deity throughout the whole of nature.
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
O thou who passest through our valleys in Thy strength, curb thy fierce steeds, allay the heat That flames from their large nostrils! Thou, O Summer, Oft pitchest here thy golden tent, and oft Beneath our oaks hast slept, while we beheld With joy thy ruddy limbs and flourishing hair.
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