New Human

I was reading an article in the last print issue of The Ecologist, which pointed out that personal happiness and well-being is being overlooked as a key factor in our species' continuing survival. Unfulfillment plays a silent hand in driving us to over-consume in a vain search for that quick, temporary fix. As we look to remedy the mistakes of the past one question remains that is barely uttered: even if we can stop climate change, will it make a lasting difference if we as a species do not change the way we interact with nature?

No technological remedy is going to realign our perception of where we stand in the global ecosystem compared with where we are actually placed: a few steps down. Sometimes the measures we take in our homes are too disjointed from their ultimate purpose to drive their importance into the hearts and minds of the majority. For example, most of us recycle, but will that prompt you to only buy goods with the minimum of packaging? Possibly. Now will you go as far as growing your own vegetables or go foraging in your local forest? Less of a chance of that.

However, the point of recycling is to save on raw materials, water, energy and waste - exactly what happens when you take more control of your own food production, with the emphasis on the word 'control'. That feeling of greater self-reliance and achievement brings a fulfillment that I've never found with throwing something in the green bin. Yes it takes more time, and yes it requires more effort, but feeling a sense of belonging to the natural environment gives you a warm, lasting glow that no DVD splurge can ever match.

It is this strain of happiness that promotes a greater sense of ownership towards our world and a diminished desire to cause it harm. Action alone can take us to the brink of a better tomorrow, but unless we want to live in it - with all the opportunities and challenges it entails - I fear that the true chance for a sustainable future will have slipped through our grasp.

Metal Monkey: tree hugging with a Snakebite & Black.