December 7, 2014 - 10:35
As humans, we’ve developed a cultural tradition that evolved through a body of words. The system of cultural tradition is described as a language. Although, based on geographical area, the language in which people communicate may differ. However, most ideas and concepts that were birthed in the United States can be founded in places as far as China and India, which is known to be the act of Westernization. Due to Western style influences, people have been taught to think and communicate in a language that was based on previous leaders who were ignorant to the importance of nature and its limits. Thus constraining any further progress for a more efficient environment.
As species, humans, we’ve reached a point of comfort. We’ve essentially driven biogeochemical systems to sustain global life to our comfort, which was a terrible path to follow. However, we’ve now reached a point where humans are moving and working without making any signifiant progress towards changing to a different route. Remaining on the same route has ultimately disconnected humans to our own roots of origins.
Attempting to even grasp the concept of an origin would be a turn into a new direction. Ecological intelligence not only allows us to comprehend complexed systems, but it also helps us to learn individually about the relationship between humans and nature. “Ecological intelligence takes into account the interacting patterns, ranging from how behaviors ripple through the field of social relationships in ways that introduce changes that are ignored by non ecological thinking, to how an individual’s actions introduce changes in the energy flows and alter the patterns of interdependence within natural systems.” (Bowers, 46) Initiating change of the language, in which is taught, would help significantly to help move towards individuals to think ecologically.
Thinking the same way as someone else can be positive, however having the concept of westernized way of thinking is deskilling ecological intelligence all together. It doesn’t solve anything at all. Instead, it just hinders divergent thoughts from ever being liberated. However, those different thoughts is a form of intelligences, which are essential to thinking ecologically, because that is what will cause a radical change. A new mind can provide a fresh view to enlighten the situation that is presented. We’ve been taught by history that we do not learn from history. Therefore, the same mindset that caused the problem cannot possibly be able to even fathom the thought a logical solution.
The mind is astonishing. However, trying to only justify what constitutes ecological intelligence isn’t enough. There should be an evaluation of specifically what intelligences we need in order to think ecologically, which will create a new language. This is such a complexed matter that requires not only one mind to unravel. One mind can’t even comprehend it. As Van Jones says, "This could really be something that brings people together, across the lines of class and color.” (Kolbert, 2) Maybe using his mechanism of “Greening the Ghetto” is most logical. He shares his thoughts briefly yet explicitly by saying,
"Your goal has to be to get the greenest solutions to the poorest people," Jones told me. "That's the only goal that's morally compelling enough to generate enough energy to pull this transition off. The challenge is making this an everybody movement…” (Kolbert, 2)
Therefore, we need to be able to do it together as a species. To really be able to use this intelligence we need to do it together as an entire species and to question what puts humans separately from nature. Everyday, humans are in contact with nature. Even if that human being doesn’t even enjoy nature. Our lives literally depend on nature, which makes us embroiled in ecological systems. Consequently, for better or for worse, we need to become more intimate and sensitive towards nature. We need to understand and to learn from these mistakes, which in essence is exercising the intelligences to think ecologically.
In order to resolve in hopes to make things better, we need to refer to other intelligences such as social and emotional. These other intelligences coordinate to ecological intelligence because it helps to build empathy for life in general. It helps everyone and everything to connect. Once humans are a union, the old language is erased and a new language is formed, the empathy creates a pay-it-forward motivation to help enforce change.