Unpacking Ideas

I am curious, though, about my indignation. Why do I feel bad now? To be honest, the oil spill will not affect me directly. The thought crossed my mind that I might have to pay more for shrimp. Wow. Here’s the kicker. Not only will this not affect me directly, the prospect of such a disaster hardly bothered me before now.

I am connected to the natural processes and forces of God’s natural, created world. Light, soil, air, warmth, sunshine, food, nutrients. I depend upon creation. Creation also depends upon me. The recent and ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is evidence of our dependence upon creation, and creation’s dependence upon humans.

The highest scores on the overall Happy Planet Index are found among Latin American nations, followed closely by South American and Southeast Asian nations. The top three highest scoring nations overall are Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. The United States ranked 114 out of the 143 nations on the Happy Planet Index.

The Happy Planet Index explicitly includes the impact of a country’s human population on the natural environment, and so I am intrigued by this measure. I admit this is a new measure, but it is one worth studying and watching over the coming years. And it is especially relevant for this discussion because it links a community’s lifespan and satisfaction and its eco-imprint to the quality of life of a nation overall.

Our earth and its contents and dynamics are complex and beautiful. When I stop long enough to notice, I am in awe. OK, its also true for me that in my next breath I say “thank you God for this beautiful and complex creation.”