Founder’s Letter

 

Our planet is withering.

EarthWays works to overcome today’s monumental challenges and, thereby, change our culture’s destructive worldview and behavior. EarthWays’ purpose is to find a deeper understanding of our relationship to the natural world through awareness raising and “in the field” project work.

Who we are as a species? In what respects are we out of alignment with Earth’s community of all life; how did this condition come about; and how we are capable of solving the associated, potentially catastrophic social and ecological challenges? Human consciousness has always been in transition and is currently becoming more complex. Is there enough time to save us from ourselves?

EarthWays projects embrace both the crisis and the opportunity of our current human epoch with several objectives: to create sustainable economies so that we stop damaging the Earth and her many living beings; to develop a worldwide society founded on fairness; and to encourage each individual’s personal satisfaction based on spiritual insight and meaningful life endeavors.

Expanded human awareness will allow us to address the many problems that face the entire community of life. Upon realizing the interrelationship of all living things and focusing on the destructive potential of climate chaos and other ecological challenges, we will then understand the actions that are needed to restore an appropriate balance.

Misunderstanding our circumstance within this global life community has imposed a huge burden on the entire planet.

Economics cannot come first. Economic decisions must be woven with ecological wisdom. This context should underlie all economic decisions. We have sullied our ecology, our house and home, out of ignorance resulting from lack of connection to family, to nature, and to spirit.

So, what are we doing at EarthWays? Again and again I’m drawn to a poetic phrase from a Kate Wolf song: “We are crying for a vision that all living things can share”. We are crying within from the anguish of the destruction, crying tears. We are crying out to bring attention to the devastation and to find that vision for the Whales and Dolphins, for the two thousand year old Redwoods being brutally taken at Headwaters, and for the children dying daily. From this inward crying comes awareness that gives direction to our desire to take action. Personal transformation is the first step to global change. From “crying out” comes an action to contribute, in however small a fashion, to making things a little better.

We can help to save endangered species and stop destroying wildlife habitat, and we can reduce pollution in our cities. We can also encourage our friends to awaken to a new understanding of human’s relationship to Nature. As more of us become involved in the current cultural transformation, things will improve noticeably. A vision that all living things can share is complicated. But doing something to help is simple. Let’s all just start there. What is EarthWays? We’re individuals simply trying to do something to help.

Andrew Beath, 
Founder 

For an expanded explication of our mission and philosophy please refer to the website section “EarthWays Philosophy” and to Andrew’s books: Consciousness In Action, the Power of Beauty, Love and Courage in a Violent Time at www.consciousnessinaction.com and The New Creation Story (www.newcreationstory.com)