Our Ethos
How we protect and harness our natural and human resources is the largest great frontier we will face in our lifetimes. If we get it right (which we can and must) this new frontier will propel us into a way of life that is far more harmonious with nature and prosperous for all.
~ Richard Branson
Our times demand that everyone becomes 100% aware of the full extent of their impact on the planet. Responding to this challenge with full responsiblity is something each person personally tackles in a unique way, hence we can all learn from each other. That is why we believe that every positive change needs to be shared to inspire another. We cannot afford to keep our insights to ourselves. This site is a platform for such sharing by the community, for the community. Every constructive change made or solution found is valuable to us, so please send us your story.
Green Times is a social enterprise focused on climate change and other environmental news with a particular focus on creative and constructive solutions. We are dedicated towards youth and adult education to support effective mitigation and adaptation to the challenges of our time.
We believe in open and free access to important and life-sustaining information and therefore publish and spread all news free of charge.
In the spirit of mutual accountability we encourage contributions from the community of those who care about our planet and our future.
Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.
We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man all belong to the same family.
The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors …
Each glossy reflection in the clear waters of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water’s murmur is the voice of my father’s father.
The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that you would give any brother….
… remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares it’s spirit with all the life that it supports. the wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers…..
What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.
This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself …
your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! And what is it to say goodbye to the swift pony and the hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival…
We love this earth as a newborn loves it’s mother’s heartbeat…
~ extracts from Chief Seattle’s speech in 1854 when faced with take over of his (Suquamish) tribe’s land
Location
Somerset West, South Africa
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