Thoughts on this proverb...

[derPhilosoph]

I was surprised to come accross this great proverb by seeing it on a bumper sticker. To me, it would seem that a message so profound would be more well known.

 

"Only after the last tree has been cut down, and the last fish has been eaten, and the last stream has been poisoned, will we realize that we cannot eat money." ~ Cree proverb

 

Any thoughts? Comments?

[Moontiger]

Sometimes a quote/proverb hits you just right. This one doesn't do it for me personally though I understand the idea. I prefer the more straight forward "You can't take it with you."

[ParisPaulette]

Wow, I never heard that one either. But oh so bitterly true. I'm reading "Coal River" by Michael Shnayerson right now about a group of people who took on the giant coal companies doing mountaintop coal mining that was/is destroying the Appalachian mountains. I instantly thought of that story when I read this proverb. Of course, this is happening around the world as greed causes companies and corporations to ignore common sense in favor of squeezing every possible resource dry, just so they can have more "stuff." Good luck on frying up that condo and fancy car when there's nothing left to eat or drink.

[lukeb]

I guess I'm a little bit more optimistic about the future somewhere down the line economic pressures will make us change our ways, we may complain about the cost of energy but it is still too cheap. The car is still king because we can afford it. We are already seeing some changes taking place and we will see those changes accelerate. Not because of any kind of environmental awareness or concern but simply because we can't afford it. I can't say I agree with the proverb.

[blueidealist24]

I'm not sure if we'll keep abusing the environment to that point. There are a lot of people these days waking up to the fact that we should be more environmentally conscious. Some people are remaining as ignorant as ever, but definitely not everyone.

[lukeb]

I don't believe it will be enlightenment that is going to save us, it has to come from economic pressures. When energy becomes so expensive that most people will not have their cars, or their homes in suburbia, they will still be going to work and living their lives. They may have to live closer to their workplace, they may have to live in an apartment, we'll see multi-use buildings where part of a building is residential and part is commercial. There will be pressures to grow food locally since it costs too much in energy to to get flown from California. Cities will be planned differently to accommodate these changes. I see no evidence though that these things are going to happen because of any environmental concern. I can see some of these things happening when gasoline becomes $50/gallon or when it costs $2000/month to heat a house but it may cost $250/month for an apartment. I think even at my age I will see these things happening. I seen a glimpse of that growing up in Europe during the 1970's energy crisis. We are having one big oil party, it has been going on since at least the 1950's, but like all parties it will not last.