Claire's Wildness Essay

Have you ever had the opportunity to observe a portion of the earth in which all of the the plants, animals, and people live together in harmony and balance? Did all of the inhabitants of this world live together in a manner in which they could continue doing so for the forseeable future? Did the ecosystem grow at a natural, spontaneous rate within the limitations of the existing available local resources? If the community that you observed was self-reliant, sustainable and locally based than you observed wildness in its purest form. In a wild world the use of available local resources is optimized, there exists a close kinship between humans and all aspects of nature, and a finely orchestrated system in which all things are in balance exists.

In a wild world the utilization of local available resources is optimized. The livelihood of the inhabiting plants, animals, and people of an area is supported by locally available resources. All of the materials for buildings and clothing as well as food, energy, and water would come from naturally occuring local resources. Buildings would be built, for example, from recycled plant fiber and stucco plaster made from a locally available mineral compound. Clothing would be made from locally grown plant fiber, such as hemp. Every food consuming person, in a wild world, would know where their food was grown, how it was grown, and who grew it. This great consciousness and awareness would increase the demand for locally grown organic food and overall build an ideal framework for a strong local economy. In a wild world the source of all energy that is used would be renewable. The sun as well as the wind and hydropower would ultimately provide the entirety of the small amount of energy that people of a wild world would use. In a wild world water would be seen as the precious commodity that it is. Every drop would be savored. Our water would be provided by natural springs and aquifers and by rainwater which would be collected and saved for later use. In a wild world people would use only what they need and all resources would be used sparingly.

True wild earth dwellers work with the land walking on it, touching it, and developing a deep bond with it. And because, in a wild world, everyone works directly with the land every person would value the earth as much as they value their lives because they know that it is the land that makes their lives possible. Every child, woman, and man would understand that their life and health depends on the existence of and health of the earth. In a wild world every person would value the future existence of an intact and healthy environment for the generations yet to come. In this world everyone would know that the health of the land and all aspects of nature depends on everyone working together to preserve the delicate balance between the land, the plants, and the people that are supported by it.

In this way, a wild world is a finely orchestrated system in which all things are in a healthy balance with one another. In a wild system there is only moderate competition between different plants and animals, invasive species are kept in check, for example. In a wild world humans take all, but no more, than the earth can give. Everyone in a wild world would also know that nutrients cycle and therefore all "waste" would be treasured. By composting waste into new soil everything possible would be given back to the earth and by continually nourishing and building the soil, the land and the people that it supports would be fed simultaneously. This world in which the relationship between the earth and humans is a constant process of reciprocal giving and receiving is of the utmost importance because it is the only way of guaranteeing the earth's continuing ability to sustain life.

In a wild world all things live together optimizing the use of locally available, naturally occuring resources, there is a strong kinship between humans and all aspects of nature, and finely orchestrated systems of balance exist between everything. In a wild world the use of readily available, local resources to produce buildings, clothing, food, energy, water are emphasized. In a wild world every individual has a close connection, love, and respect for the earth. In a wild world a reciprocal relationship exists in which only all that is sustainably possible is taken from, and then returned to the earth. Now, with all of these projections in mind of what a wild world would be like, the real challenge is for us to sincerely ask ourselves: are we truly willing to reestablish our view of the world and to redesign everything around us to ensure the earth's future ability to sustain life?