Green Lensed and Heart Shaped

As I ambled along the bright seaside streets of Manly, I came upon a heart. It was composed of old recycled thongs that had been affixed to a fence as a public art piece. Beautiful it was with an array of colours and textures aplenty. The work roused inquisitive thoughts, as good art often does, about how many kilometres those thongs have walked over diverse terrain. Certainly languid sandy beaches. Inner-city artisan markets. Sludgy shower cubicles at music festivals. These thongs have left their footprint on the world.

Ecological footprint is a hot topic at the moment. Everybody’s impact on the planet and its resources is quantifiable and measured. What’s your electricity usage in kilowatts per day? Your water usage in kilolitres? How many servings of animal products do you consume per week? Whilst this is an effective framework in terms of generating awareness and giving people an achievable set of goals to work towards, it is possible this endless set of rules or recommendations creates too many tick boxes for people. It’s easy to see how people can feel restrained by these squares.

There is another solution. . . love. What is missing from this environmental model is the heart. The heart is a much more fluid and approachable shape. If only we can remember how to love nature. I say remember rather than learn as I believe our love for nature is inherent in our very humanity. It is our humanness as a species that connects us to the many ecosystems of the world. We are indeed part of the environment, entirely dependent upon it, and not separate from it.

If we could engender this love for our home then we are no longer bound by guilt-laden rules and sustainable living just comes more naturally. We would no longer feel resistance. Rather than sensing we are being told to live in a manner that is inconvenient, we see the world through heart shaped, green coloured lenses. The myriad of ‘tips’ for living in an environmentally friendly manner are encompassed under one large umbrella of eco-consciousness. If we love our environment, just as we may love another human, we are far more inclined to be considerate in our actions and tread lightly.

How can we reignite this love affair with nature? Through observation, which leads to awareness and further establishes recognition of our part of the whole. Hear the kissy sound of geckos scurrying across the architraves. Watch the persistent male pigeon that attempts to climb atop the female in an ungainly mating play. Smell the sweet essence of roses or the jasmine in spring (yes, it’s a cliche but they really do smell exquisite). Taste the chalky texture of the random native raspberry that you’ve spotted in a grassy patch. Feel the harmless and cleansing rain drops caress your skin. Even in the most urban environments there are still fragments of the natural world. Appreciate the beauty. It’s all around.

For most it may not be love at first sight. It can take time to learn to see the world differently and for deeper feelings to flourish. It’s a journey, and like many quintessential love stories, there’s every chance that this one too can have a happy ending.