War is generally defined as an armed conflict between two nations, implying some measurable geographic set of boundaries. The United States has indeed been in many such wars in the last century – from World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, to the present wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before 9-11, the U.S. could boast that the U.S. has been spared the atrocities of these events on its own soil.
Abstracting the definition, war can refer to broader categories of conflict, hostility, and struggle, and the U.S. is currently engaged in a number of such wars, right now, within our boundaries: Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, Richard Nixon’s War on Drugs, and George Bush’s War on Terror. But there are yet more battles being fought that have not given the impetus and seriousness that a formal war declaration provides:
Our dependence on Foreign Oil, and anything else that undermines our very achievable and desirable self-sufficiency. Our economic melt-down, including unemployment and bizarre altitudes of deficit spending. Greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and hazardous waste. A large population of Americans without health insurance.
These are only a few of the ongoing struggles that have not been given the privileged urgency and momentum that comes with war declaration. These are all inter-related, and all could be battled with Environmentally responsible practice. Namely, recycling.
During WWII, Americans at home banded together to fulfill the slogan of the day – win the war at home – while our troops overseas bravely fought the mighty battles of the conflicts in the Pacific and in Europe. Our parents and grandparents did everything they could to supply those troops with the food and supplies they needed. And they did it mainly through recycling.
The recycling rate during WWII was 25%. Today, some 65 years later, with all the knowledge and technologies we have, we have increased that rate to only 32% – a mere 7% rise in 65 years.
It would seem, then, that among the wars being fought on American soil is a lack of motivation. Let’s support our troops abroad, and let’s continue to fight poverty, drugs and terror. But let us stop relying on others, the government, and our employers to solve our problems. This self-governing population is capable of coming together to fight these wars at home, once again.
In 1992 John joined “Earth Village Institute,” a start-up level intentional community dedicated to living in harmony with the environment, self sufficiency and sustainable agriculture, incorporating passive solar and wind power into the designs of the structures. He worked with Terra Dome Corporation, a “landscape friendly” building concept that saved energy and minimized impact. Contact: http://www.sprayallcorp.com
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