Over the last five years, J. Matthew Sleeth, MD, had made extraordinary "sacrifices" (according to our materialistic, consumer, US lifestyle). He has given up his well paying job as the Chief-of-Staff at the emergency room (ER) in a hospital, his large paycheck, his fast car, and his large expensive house. Now he and his family live in a much smaller house (the size of his old garage), which uses only a third of the fossil fuels and a quarter of the electricity they used to consume. Their trash is reduced from two barrels a week to only one bag every several weeks. They no longer own an electric clothes dryer, garbage disposal, dishwasher, or a power lawn mower. Their "yard" now has native flowers and an organic vegetable garden. Half of their possessions have found new homes.
[Dr. Sleeth] has given up his well paying job as the Chief-of-Staff at the emergency room (ER) in a hospital, his large paycheck, his fast car, and his large expensive house. Now he and his family live in a much smaller house (the size of his old garage), which uses only a third of the fossil fuels and a quarter of the electricity they used to consume. Their trash is reduced from two barrels a week to only one bag every several weeks. They no longer own an electric clothes dryer, garbage disposal, dishwasher, or a power lawn mower. Their "yard" now has native flowers and an organic vegetable garden. Half of their possessions have found new homes.
What was it that inspired Dr. Sleeth to take all of these actions and that should inspire all of us to do as much of the same as possible?
His religion and the following scientific
and social observations:
- The increasing number of younger patients dying from cancer. Currently we live in a sea of chemicals and over seven hundred toxins can be found in human tissue. One of the worst ones is a red dye, which is added to heating oil to distinguish it from diesel fuel (which has a higher tax).
- Cancer is also increasing in pets.
- The growing number of asthma cases throughout the world caused by more toxic emissions. Dr. Sleeth has visited many poor third world countries in Central as well as South America and found many chronic asthma cases there.
[An] increasing number of younger patients [are] dying from cancer. Currently we live in a sea of chemicals and over seven hundred toxins can be found in human tissue.
- The materialistic US consumer society with its emphasis on pride, power, and possessions (whether you really need them or not):
- Our consumer society demands an enormous amount of work and worry, plus it instills in us a deep sense of longing and discontent.
- The current "Christmas" season is not valued by the music and religion, on which it was based, but by how much money stores make between "black" Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and December 31st.
- Commercial mass media try to overwhelm us with their descriptions of many problems so we believe they are all "too big" and complex, or "beyond our control." Actually there are many actions we all can take as individuals to help: (1) car pool, bike, or walk to work and on errands; (2) live in a smaller, simpler house, just to name a few.
- The Western world and the US in particular are addicted to oil, a non-renewable resource, as well as a source for many of the carcinogens. The CO2 emitted by burning oil brings smog, global warming, climate change, and more destructive violent storms.
The current sad state of the
world
Many trees are wasted on fashion magazines, advertisements, and junk mail. Whenever
regular paper is made, dioxin is released. And like any sin, there is no low
"safe" dioxin level. The rate of world population growth is
increasing so birth control is essential for humans to survive their own success.
Our consumer society demands an enormous amount of work and worry, plus it instills in us a deep sense of longing and discontent.
The nature we see is not the same
as that seen by our grandparents. In Baltimore, they used to cut 18-inch blocks
of ice out of ponds in the winter to cool their food in the summer. Now, thanks
to global warming, there is not enough ice even up at the Canadian border to
do that!
The materialistic society, which is
being constantly rammed down our throats by all the ads on TV, radio, in newspapers,
magazines, at competitive sports events, and from many other sources, has a
number of negative effects. In addition to all the needless power and pollution
consuming more of our finite natural resources for needless powerful products
and services, it brings selfishness and irresponsibility to children through
bad parenting and watching too much TV. This TV addiction can easily lead to
hours more wasted time with computer games and internet pornography.
The majority of the world's populations live near the seashore with its extra dangers from hurricanes, tsunamis, and the predicted eventual rising of the sea level. The poorest people suffer the most—Hurricane Katrina and India's tsunami.
The US obsession on health is unhealthy. We spend way too much on drugs, plastic surgery, medical lawsuits, tearing down hospitals, and then building new ones. Much of the ill health of the third world is caused by our demands on more natural resources for our medical needs.
At Dartmouth College, the students finally got tired of their daily meal of salmon from the Connecticut River. Now there are plastic bottles and tires in the Connecticut, but no salmon.
The US obsession on health is unhealthy. We spend way too much on drugs, plastic surgery, medical lawsuits, tearing down hospitals, and then building new ones. Much of the ill health of the third world is caused by our demands on more natural resources for our medical needs.
The place where the land meets the sea holds a special attraction for humans [see "Food for Thought" by Professor Michael Crawford, NOHA NEWS, summer 1995]. The majority of the world's populations live near the seashore with its extra dangers from hurricanes, tsunamis, and the predicted eventual rising of the sea level. The poorest people suffer the most—Hurricane Katrina and India's tsunami.
Diabetes is the leading cause of foot loss in the US. They can't feel their feet. Diabetes very often leads to obesity [see "How to Eat Real Food and Talk Back to the TV" by Martha H. Howard, MD, NOHA NEWS, Summer 2005]
Many people have used antidepressants for years. They cannot stop taking them. Ten percent of the women and three percent of the men in the US need an antidepressant to get through the day, a day with no fear of starvation, invasion, or want. We buy a house but not a home, entertainment but not contentment, travel the globe but feel imprisoned; we earn degrees but have little true wisdom.
Many people have used antidepressants for years. They cannot stop taking them. Ten percent of the women and three percent of the men in the US need an antidepressant to get through the day, a day with no fear of starvation, invasion, or want. We buy a house but not a home, entertainment but not contentment, travel the globe but feel imprisoned; we earn degrees but have little true wisdom. What's wrong?
Positive steps to take
We need to move to actual action from mere conservative contented thought. A
decade ago Dr. Sleeth was "concerned about the environment" and was
among the 90% of Americans who consider themselves kinder than average. He cites
a biblical story in which a Jew is robbed on the road, badly beaten, and left
by the roadside to die. A priest walks by and totally ignores the Jew. Next
a Levite comes, crosses the road to look at the Jew, but continues on doing
nothing. Finally a Samaritan comes on a donkey (Samaritans are normally looked
down on by Jews) and takes pity on the Jew, binds his wounds, takes him to the
nearest inn, and leaves him with enough money to stay until his wounds have
healed.
. . . aren't the personal choices we make . . . important? By changing light bulbs, hanging clothes out to dry, driving less, carpooling, and owning more modest homes, we all can save many lives, much suffering, and medical costs.
What's the connection between this story and the environment? Isn't our choice of homes, cars, appliances, and lifestyle quite similar? There are those who do nothing (the priest), those who claim environmental concern and write an annual check to the Sierra Club or Greenpeace (the Levite), but we all should do a lot more. The Harvard School of Health found a power plant in Massachusetts caused 1,200 ER visits, 3,000 asthma attacks, and 110 deaths annually. Nationally, soot from power plants will precipitate more than six hundred thousand asthma attacks! Whenever Dr. Sleeth visits a church, he gives away as many energy efficient light bulbs as possible from Energy Star www.energystar.gov . Besides politicians and/or large companies, aren't the personal choices we make just as important? By changing light bulbs, hanging clothes out to dry, driving less, carpooling, and owning more modest homes, we all can save many lives, much suffering, and medical costs.
The Harvard School of Health found a power plant in Massachusetts caused 1,200 ER visits, 3,000 asthma attacks, and 110 deaths annually. Nationally, soot from power plants will precipitate more than six hundred thousand asthma attacks!
To avoid materialistic temptation he suggests: (1) If you think you want something, wait a month and you will probably either forget it or no longer need it; (2) borrow and lend (instead of buying) things; (3) simplify your home and life by giving things away—having less and wanting less than you now have. Dr. Sleeth's family is now simplifying even more by giving even more things away so they can move to an even smaller simpler house. This lack of attachment to things brings priceless freedom!
To avoid materialistic temptation he suggests: (1) If you think you want something, wait a month and you will probably either forget it or no longer need it. . . . This lack of attachment to things brings priceless freedom!
We need to: (1) do more physical labor such as pushing a manual lawn mower. This might slow the US obesity epidemic as well as add more meaning to our lives; (2) relax, slow down, and truly appreciate at least one day a week; (3) set a great example for our children by recycling, buying less, and growing an
We need to . . . set a great example for our children by recycling, buying less, and growing an organic garden by composting all food scraps; (4) eat simple, nutritious, healthy organic food to both encourage more organic farming and discourage deforestation by the fast food chains. . .
organic garden by composting all
food scraps; (4) eat simple, nutritious, healthy organic food to both encourage
more organic farming and discourage deforestation by the fast food chains; and
(5) learn to truly appreciate the natural (non man made) beautiful things in
our lives and world such as a beautiful sunset, trees blazing with autumn color,
birds, the plants in your wholesome garden, or a starlit night.
____________________
*Based on the book Serve
God, Save the Planet by J. Matthew Sleeth, MD, Chelsea Green Publishing,
2006. It will be available in paperback from Zondervan Publishing in March 2007
with a discussion section at the back. They have an excellent website at: www.servegodsavetheplanet.org