It has become evident over the last decades as there has been greater release of information and increasing transparency about previous production and licence that allows many avenues of chemical pollution to continue in our atmosphere, in our water, our food, in our earth and in the subtler toxic elements in the social environment of our times. Many of these factors are no longer an error of western civilization but are also being adopted in some of the less materialistic societies to their future detriment, both physical and spiritual.
The analogy that compared humanity as lemmings hastening to the cliff edge would seem appropriate unless two positive motivations result in changes of action. These involve cessation of the production or creation of the chemical toxic pollutants in our human world and lifestyles and a similar cleansing in our minds and consciousness where thought is the prime mover.
There are many constructive and often isolated efforts to correct any one negative factor that becomes public knowledge. This will usually evoke a counter action from those who are focussed upon the material environment and alert to the danger threatening the quality of our natural elements. But like the hydra-headed monster, cut off one evil and another does seem to sprout immediately until the overall task to 'clean up our environment' can seem impossible. Impossible it is, until the cause is dealt with.
So far the industrialized countries have no obvious will to do this. Environmental toxic elements that are harming us continue to do so until the instruments in our governments find the moral backbone to take severe action to redress severe problems. This is apparently difficult to do in our modern system where the minds of our leaders are polluted by tangled persuasions and interests involving the dollar but forgetful of ramifications that may disallow health and therefore happiness of the people. No longer is this the top priority.
Any effort to purify the physical environment once polluted or poisoned is commendable but is far more difficult than preserving purity and quality. Seeking quality without correcting the injection or source of poisoning is an unreasonable project that has no end.
We need reason to prevail if we are to truly advance beyond technological skills to greater satisfaction of our souls and be able to look to true advancement in the coming decades as we anticipate mankind's coming of age in the twenty first century.
Intelligently correcting the present acknowledged wrongs requires action on many fronts. A few of these are obviously top of the list regarding chemicals and would involve.... strict control of all industrial chemicals to minimize usage; continued phasing out of chemicals use in agriculture; total ban on use of chemicals used in preparation and presentation of food for market or for consumers; total ban on chemicals that have a history of mis-use and are proven to be a causative factor in cancer and other diseases.
Industrial pollution is complex in the issues and in the matters of control but begins with a general reconsideration about possible new methods of manufacture or return to simpler principles. All release of toxic gases and fumes into our air remains a known cause of our major diseases.
Other pollutants involve our water quality with toxic material entering our groundwater from various sources including deliberate injection of chemicals into our water such as chlorine, fluoride and others in attempts to neutralize negative bacterial threats and diseases.
The soil of our Earth planet was once perceived as 'our Mother Earth' is now suffering long drawn out illness arising from our disrespect and the many, many habits that continue to offend our relationship with our material home element that sustains our lives. Should we continue to deposit our wastes from homes, hospitals and industries this way?
Then we have noise pollution and visual pollution, both of which received passing acknowledgment before legislation was made impotent by agencies reluctant to exert control of the negative elements involved. So our permissive governments are disallowing us in some measure the enjoyment of peace, quiet and beauty. Without these tonics for the soul there can be little harmonious relationship with the natural world.
But what about other factors such as radon, a radiation that is directly responsible for killing thousands each year with its invisible negative influence - a gas that is difficult to detect by our senses but that is carcinogenic and along with smoking, a cause of much lung cancer.
Traffic fumes join the accumulating toxins in our atmosphere and are increasing each year as millions of new vehicles appear on the roads. They are directly responsible for various symptoms of ill health including cancer.
And recently Propylene Glycol, (PG) a colourless chemical used in a great many food products, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals as a solvent is under scrutiny.
Present warnings about Bisphenol A, (BPA) another controversial chemical ingredient in the manufacture of milk bottles for infants and other general drink containers is a cause for real concern for both infant health and adults. It is shown to leaches into the liquid and is capable of deranging the endocrine system and our hormones.
And we have not touched yet upon Noise Pollution - and the damage done by amplified sound that not only affects our delicate hearing sense but damages our brains; and the radiation problem associated with mobile phones or cell phones suspected as a factor in brain tumours and other nerve problems that are predicted to increase in the community in the years ahead.
We have really polluted our planet in futile attempts to seek 'newer' and ever promising material rewards. This prevailing attitude has led us to an impasse that equally promises us self destruction if we do not cease our addictions - to our own greed for the new and exciting - to chemical drugs both medicinal and 'recreational' - to discordant sounds - to ugliness, to violence - to material wealth.
We must seek answers that will sustain our lives with body and soul intact and these answers were known thousands of years ago as we know them today.
All that we do requires us to be living in harmony within us and with nature if we wish to recreate a society composed of the finest energies and thoughts of human intelligence.
