Tuesday, April 17, 2007

 

Need and Want

Since the beginning of time on earth man has been "acquiring". It began with basic "need," progressively advancing to further and greater "needs", and as it all evolved into something resembling what we now call our civilisation, the need has become – now more than ever - "wanting", as the basics of our "needs" have long since been met.

Beginning with the things needed and evolved into the things wanted we heavily draw on the supplies that make the manufacture of our "wants" possible, and with it begin to deplete our earth of its natural resources (some of which are already running out) – like oil for our machines and engines, wood for our furniture and the production of paper, petrol for our cars and soon, maybe, gas for our cooking etc, leaving ourselves eventually destitute of that which we really need for the purpose of our very existence and survival.

Do we really need all the things we squander of the earths' supplies? Do we need to chop down trees (which incidentally cleanse from carbon dioxide and supply us with oxygen for the air we breathe) for so many wasteful "creations" like endless fencing and wood chips for our garden beds? Do we need so many metal containers, and gadgets for so many different purposes? Do we need so much oil for the machinery that produces these "unnecessaries," and its by-products: petrol for the cars that take us to the destinations, where other transport of greater economy, – namely buses, trains, trams would suffice? The list of waste is endless! Such is the result of our "need" to "want"!

The more money available the greater the thirst for want! The old is readily discarded for the new, and the more each new one is satisfied, the more the need for another, new "want".

In the end, the gratification for each "want" no longer satisfies; the senses of appreciation of the wanted thing become dulled and the further acquisition of new things become the need to obey an urge that has become a habit.

What about making it a habitual urge to "save" our future by saving our resources through less buying, using and wasting?

How about "wanting" to save our planet.

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