Book title: ‘Imagination is Still the Key to Unlock Environmental Crisis’. 

The above book by Chris Sunderland was a good and a disturbing read.  The premise of the author is that unless we can begin to imagine the environment as it could be, then everything remains the same. But if we can imagine it as it could be then we have started to progress.

I quite like the idea of imagining things into being, because after all everything starts with a thought  in the mind first. If a Carpenter wants to make a table, s/he first needs to see it in his mind’s eye, (his imagination) then he / she makes a plan and then builds it. If a sculptor wants to create a piece of artwork out of marble, s/he has to see the beauty that’s already there in the stone waiting to be released. Everything starts as a thought first. 

I find the idea of harnessing the power of the imagination to bring about transformation in individuals and society very interesting and powerful.  

At  Ammerdown we did a  ‘Deep Adaptation’ exercise. We were lead through the soundscape of the wind, rain and projected images of destruction and walked around ‘stepping stones’ describing the effects of climate chaos – for the earth and for societies in general. 

That weekend was the first time that I ‘woke-up’ and acknowledged that we were at a very crucial point in history; and as a species we are destroying the earth. The rainforests and some animal species are disappearing, the climate is changing, there’s plastic in the sea and pollution in the air and in the soil; and sadly, we haven’t got an answer on how to deal with it. What is obvious is that what is being done, is too little and too late.

The images of earth, seen from space is inspiring and humbling. Chris Sunderland, in his book, recalls stories of astronauts who have been transformed because they have seen the world from the perspective of space.  They see the earth as a whole and from above and they see how beautiful yet fragile our planet is. On their return they have Picked up the baton for environmental change. Some astronauts have been so transformed by their experience that they work together to find ways of giving a similar experience to those men and women who will never be able to leave terrafirma. Their hope is to offer  a virtual reality experience to seen the world from outer space so that those who have this experience can ‘fall in love with the world’ in the hope that this will fuel a new passion to  champion the protection of the earth and the environment. 

During the ‘deep immersion experience’ at Ammerdown, as I  imagined the world collapsing into chaos, there was a realisation that there wasn’t much that I or anyone really could do about it. Certainly not enough to make much of a difference before we reach the date of no return which I think is about 17 years from now. 

Because of that experience, I’m getting more conscious, that we need to develop more of a relationship with the earth, to ‘fall in love with her’. It’s only when we have a passion for something that we are single-minded enough to want to see it  change and flourish and to become what it could be. I do believe that this holds true for the environment.  

At Ammerdown we experienced a shared imagination of climate crisis which was very powerful.  So, what would it be like if we could harness that power – the power of shared imagination?  Can we have a vision of us all working together on this one problem? 

What would it take for world leaders to set aside their power and territorial claims, and to use the energy they put into keeping power and domination into uniting together to find a solution to the crisis of climate change?  

Would taking part in a deep adaptation exercise, and shared imagination bring about any transformation in them too? 

Will they too ‘fall in love’ with the earth?

Since returning from Ammerdown, I have thought about how I can live out, in a small way, that transformation exercise.  

My family ( 3 of us) get through 6 litres of milk a day. Yes, we are big milk drinkers! But the danger for the environment of our milk habit is:  4 x 2 litre plastic bottles each day; 4×7= 28 plastic milk bottles in my bin each week. 28×52 =1,456 a year which end up on some land-fill site, somewhere in the world, and most likely a land-fill site in a poorer country. 

That startling piece of information led me to buy our milk ,from now on, in carboard cartons. 

I’m very ashamed of not giving it much thought before. Yes, I’ve fallen in love with the world. 

About time! Said my ever-so-eco-green friend. 

Moving to Oregon has offered me an incredible new perspective. Whether that means packing your trash out after camping, recycling as a hobby, buying reusable products, biking instead of driving, looking for used items before buying new things…these are all radical changes for the way I was raised. And, I still have a long way to go. 

Surprisingly, my kids have become my best teachers. They go to a public school which has the goal of producing zero-waste. What a brilliant idea! My oldest is devastated by micro plastics which are digested in fish and other small animals— and his care is contagious. We read books and watch documentaries about caring for the earth amidst the global warming crisis and this has become very interesting and intriguing to me. Wall-e is one of their all-time favorite movies, and a constant reminder that we need to live purposefully.

From the very beginning of Genesis, as God is at work making the earth, we see that creation provides us with a direct link back to our Creator. As I unlearn behaviors, I long to look at the wonder of creation and take time to consider the mystery of belonging to a very creative God—not just myself, but all of creation. I long to notice the yearly cycles of the seasons and consider the Spirit, restoring all things to Christ. I hope to bring restoration to my small patch of earth and be reminded of my place as a co-sustainer in partnership with my loving Creator.

The high desert in Oregon is difficult to work—the growing season is short and the temperatures are drastic. However, I want to learn how to restore the land to native habitats. I think this begins by learning about native plants and learning from different experts, such as Think Wild and other non-profits located in our city. ARocha is another global non-profit that has a lot to offer in regards to restoring people and places to the Earth. I also want to learn more about water-wise gardening growing food in a green house. 

My heart breaks for the damage we have done to the Earth and longs to be a part of the solution before it becomes even worse.