Blog Post #4

I am really impressed by what are considered “green values” and I feel that following these values would help create a healthy world for us all to live in.  The green values that I believe the most in are Ecological Wisdom and Respect for diversity.  

Ecological Wisdom states that we are a part of nature and not separate from it and this is something that I strongly believe in.  I feel that a lot of times we as humans like to view ourselves as being superior to nature and having the power to exploit nature for our own advantage.  Unfortunately, this viewpoint has led to the creation of a number of ecological disasters.  I feel that it is important to recognize both our role in nature and our responsibility to nature as humans in order to maintain the ecological balance of the world. 

Another value that I strongly agree with is Respect for Diversity.   If you look around at our surroundings, it is obvious that nature is extremely diverse and it is this diversity that makes our world beautiful.  Each component of nature has its own unique identity that we should work to protect.  Just because a life form is not like us does not mean that it is any less important than us.  Also I feel that this value can be applied on a social level.  If we can recognize that we are a part of nature, humans should respect the diversity that is displayed among humans (race, sex, culture, etc.). 

What surprised me most about the readings was how much they addressed social issues.  The “Principles of the Left Green Network” and the “Ten Key Values” readings both addressed things such as racism, sexism, class oppression, gay rights, etc.  Before these readings, when I thought that “green values” would all be focused on the environment and are responsibility to protect the environment.  It was therefore really interesting to see that “green values” really expand to all aspects of life.