THe Unremembered Players in Global Warming

I read an interesting article today about the most recent Global Warming conference taking place in Poland. One of the none government representatives is a Canadian Indian who fears for his tribe's future as changes due to climate and industry - in this case oil producing - are changing the ways of the caribou, a important source of food for his people.

As the nations of the world argue the effects of Global Warming, all to often the most immediately effected are often overlooked. These are the Indians and Eskimos of the Arctic Region, trying to maintain a life style that is free of industrialization, pollutants and waste. The natives and Indians who live in the rain forests that circle the equator, who are losing their lifestyle and sense of being to industrialization and having "civilization" forced upon them.

All of these parties need to be represented at any talks dealing with Global Warming, because they are the ones who can tell the world what is actually happening right now. Their eyes are not shut because they have lived in smog covered cities and had their sense of smell destroyed by smelling the output of paper factories and the like.

These are the people who have tried to live as one with the earth, something the rest of us should be looking at a lot more closely. All of us should see what we can do to help save our planet.

We cannot sit comfortably in our homes and make demands on developing nations, who unfortunately feel obligated to imitate the industrialization of their countries to equal the nations of Europe and the USA, without offering practical alternatives. Who are we to say not to cut the rain forest for mining, lumber, farming and industry if we cannot offer an alternative equally economical that will have less impact on the environment.

Maybe the lesson to be learned from the indigenous peoples of the world who have put the earth as their priority, rather than individual wealth, is that the time has come to return to Mother Earth, that the needs of the community are more important than the needs of the individual, and that clean air, water, and harmony with nature are the only way we can ensure a productive world for those that are to follow us.

Its Common Sense.