Attitude_Get Connected To Nature

 

GET CONNECTED TO NATURE

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Photo: barefoot-parenting.blogspot.com

"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon,my soul expands in the worship of the creator.“ -Mahatma Gandhi
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By Henry Kazula,

Author: Mtazamo Wako Ni Upi?

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When I was reading a book “Love of Nature: In My Life” by Julie A Kolankowski, for my life and yours too, I was so impressed and inspired with this phrase “Nature gives us discoveries, pleasures and lessons for survival.” It is obvious to have the so mentioned three when you take time to appreciate, find and get connected to Nature itself.

Learning, connecting and the so what Robin Sharma noted in his book of Who Will Cry When You Die; "communicating with nature is also an excellent way to unloack your creativity and generate new ideas.“

When we want to get connected and learn from Nature, we need to start with appreciation to it. This is a nice beginning to creativity and discoveries. Mahatma Gandhi in his life time recognized and appreciate the goodness of Nature and affirmed to say; "When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon,my soul expands in the worship of the creator.“ His soul- as his name “Mahatma” (meaning ‘Great Soul’) implies"- the "eye of inner soul" had real connection to Nature and he felt the pleasure. His appreciation to Nature, with right understanding of human-nature relationship made him to be an icon and inspiration to the world.

Isaac Newton had real connection with Nature as from that context he came up with a noble idea that revolutionize the world. The world renowned laws of gravity by Newton was a result of him sitting and relaxing under an apple tree.

In connecting with Nature, I used to get a lesson  from tendrils as they used to seek for support and opportunity to nourishment-light as an important raw material to food production in plants.Tendrils struggle to ensure that they get support to reach the light. In real life, we need to "stand on the shoulders of  the giants“ to excell also to find the opportunity in life from challenges.

Erin Janus an animal rights activist and aspiring musician, writer and video producer revealed the health benefit of being connected to Nature. Janus in her article of “6 Ways To Become More Connected With Nature” noted that; “Walk barefoot and feel the earth on your feet.  The practice of doing this has been coined ‘earthing’ or ‘grounding’ and has been shown to improve the function of the nervous system, heart, muscles, result in better sleep and prevent the occurrence of disease.” 

With modern technology, mankind is said to face a forthcoming threat on the way he get real connection to Nature; most conservationists reported. In real sense, we have started losing contact with Nature.

 

LiveScience reported Peter Kahn, a University of Washington psychologist when asserted that; “With so much of life based on electronic representations of reality, humans risk losing touch with Nature.” No one can deny that we are living in a digital world whereby our problems have been solved with technology. Kahn and two of his graduate students, Rachel Severson and Jolina Ruckert believe that, increasingly use of web cams to offer views of wildlife to virtual tours of the Grand Canyon to robotic pets, modern technology may emerge as one of the central psychological problems of our times.” 

Kahn argues; "We are a technological species, but we also need a deep connection with nature in our lives." We are required to open eyes to see the reality and the usefulness of mankind to get connected to Nature; the mostly important is about protecting creativity to our children. Taking example of “Robot and virtual pets are beginning to replace children's interactions with biologically live pets," Ruckert said.

 

You better start encouraging the children and the youth to get real connection with Nature by being a real example. Get involved with your family in connecting with Nature. Spend vacation with your family to have real experience of the goodness of Nature.

Published by Jielimishe Kwanza

Attitude_Express Love To The Nature

EXPRESS LOVE TO THE NATURE

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“The world is not given by your fathers, but borrowed from your children”- Wendell Berry (1934- ) 

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By Henry Kazula,

Author: Mtazamo Wako Ni Upi?

                                                                   SPONSORED BY

https://www.facebook.com/seetanzania?ref=bookmarks

Wendell Berry (1934- ), an environmental activist and American great novelist once said when speaking to the life of man as he must knows that, “the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children” so it ought to every mankind as Berry insisted; “to cherish the world and do it no damage, not because he is duty-bound, but because he loves the world and loves his children.”

Love of Nature is a love of living; always, Nature speaks good to our life but we seems not to listen the desire and calling from Nature about our living.We have been silent for a long time to hear such a calling and keep on conducting things the way we find it’s good for us for our interest.It’s an era of "business as usual“...we haven’t expressing appreciation to what our "mother Nature“ is doing to us in controlling and saving our survival.

Expressing love to Nature it means; to appreciate the goodness of it, protecting it from replenishment and utilizing it effectively for economic good of the common while putting at the front page the issue of “sustainable development” –development that does not compromise the interest of environment, society and economic itself; all the three pillars should all not hamper with the future generation to have theirs.

Our future generation will not speak our goodness expressed to Nature unless we utilize resources in a sustainable manner. Although, other people predict that, the coming generation will have their means to address challenges in resource availability. That, notion should not be taken as guarantee to destroy and utilize resources in unsustainable manner.

The current situation of utilizing resources from nature is in line with what Hardin’s (1968) called "Tragedy of the commons“; in his words, “Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons” i.e. over fishing, overpopulation, killing of elephants for tusks. It is from this perspective that people don’t care for common resources exploited from Nature, since they are public goods and can equally shared- no one has an access to exclude the other from using that resource.

Linking the common utilization of resources with Nature, Julie A Kolankowski in her book “Love of Nature: In My Life” highlighted out that; “our world has been going through the greatest changes and 100 years ago Nature was balanced. Since then, we have doubled our population in less than 100 years; we have Global Warming with its destruction and pollution.” Also, Kolankowski insisted that, “new technology can now deliver food to distant places, at the cost of pollution and destruction of resources.” Now, we have destroyed that balance of Nature.

Currently, we have environmental dilemma, issues of air pollution, water pollution and all factors leading to climate changes are a result of believing and acting in freedom of the commons as Hardin visualize it since 1968. Ignoring individual role to save and protects common resources from Nature has made the situation more worse. The world is still singing the same song of “climate change” with unpleasing harmonious. 

Rising sea levels, drought, floods, storms, and greater uncertainty in agriculture have been highlighted by World Bank in 2009 to be the five main threat arising from climate change; whereby developing countries-the world’s poorest countries are at the higher risk.

Writing this section with pinch; is to remind, to express the feeling to you and other stakeholders, and raising awareness to mankind as we have utilized and keep on utilizing more from Nature beyond the limit without restoration for what is possible. That means we have not expressing love to Nature, which I consider it to be our “home” rather we have become so selfish to love ourselves, and expecting good in return from Nature. It was supposed to be adopted from American Idioms of “you scratch my back and I will scratch yours”- let’s scratch the Mother Nature so that can scratch our lives.

Again, as a point of reminding and warn ourselves, we have to utilize resources but we have to remember wise words from Berry in 1934 once said; “we have borrowed this world from our children”, our children owe the elders a lot from nature. So, we need to utilize resources with care, also “not lose our contact with Nature, because it is our mother Nature who gives us a richer life than can be lived in a concrete box room in a skyscraper.” said Kolankowski.

Taking individual responsibility to love the Nature, you can express it in action by teaching other people, starting with your children and family at large to appreciate the goodness of Nature; and above all, personally you have to practice what you are teaching. As Mahatma Gandhi used to say; “be the change you want to see in your world” you can be a source of love to the Nature and become a change agent.

Really, am telling you, when you take a wise step to express love to Nature and appreciate the goodness of it from the Creator, you will be rewarded and protected from disasters. Kolankowski, an environmentalist is making a call of action to preserve Nature so that it can preserve us. She said, “To preserve Nature is to preserve us.” So, express love and preserve Nature for the goodness of our life and the coming generation.

 Published by Jielimishe Kwanza

Attitude_Listen To Yourself

LISTEN TO YOURSELF

Photo: yourhappyplaceblog.com

" If you want to know what kind of attitude you have, just listen to yourself.“

- Joyce Mayer

By Henry Kazula,
Author: Mtazamo Wako Ni Upi?

                                     SPONSORED BY

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You might be puzzed, and convinced to ask; how can I listen to myself? and, what kind of attitude do I have when I listen to myself? In response, I do concur with Joyce Mayer once said; "If you want to know what kind of attitude you have, just listen to yourself.“ Again, in the same line, I assert to say; it is better to listen to yourself than listening to the noise of other people when they talk about your calling, and that mark the right attitude you have about your world for success in life.

The major intention of this section is to inspire and enrich our thinking as it is mostly affected by the attitude we have from the way we listen to ourselves.The way we listen to ourselves with the right attitude influence-inspire our behaviour.

We can take charge to listen to ourselves to find our voices, as it is our urgently calling to do marvelous tasks in this world. Remember, we are living in this world with purpose for the other for the common good. It has been encouraged to find our calling for the other by  great author-Stephen Covey once said; "Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs“. So, better find your voice now to rescue others who are straggling in finding theirs.

We can listen to ourselves with our inner voice "conscience“, a twin to an "attitude“ -the "eye“ of our soul that is reflected to our behaviour; the twin helps us to avoid or tempt us to do something as a reaction to the circumstances. It is the way we find ourselves in response to what we see and hear in the real world.Taking example of yourself; when you are in a situation of dilemma-you may hear two voices hail from within -“inner voices“ one for "do it“ and the other for "don’t do it“; that is a sense of doing right or wrong.The same to the reaction you may respond with action-in practice, as your normal routine, the way you see it is right for you and even sometimes not right to societal norms. I insist you respond positively according to the goodwill of societal norms and values.

Listening to other people about your calling can drive you into a trap of taking it from negative people with negative mouth-"negative attitude“ which has ill will to any individual endeavor to success in life.Ultimately, you will not diverge from them, you will act the same and will be acting by imitating life while paying no attention to listen to your inner voice.Although, you can embrace advice and constructive criticism from other people while standing bold to your calling.

As human beings, we act and respond differently to the circumstances; as our response determined by our intuition and the way we perceive and react to nature. You can imagine the goodness and appreciate the impact of your real actions in practice when you respond from listening to oneself in association with the kind of attitude you have after you have listened to oneself.Responding positively to your inner voice can create miracle and change the world, in that perspective, we can see changes we want to see in the world as Mahatma Gandhi used to proclaim.Gandhi and other heroes recognized their calling and standing bold to serve other people, regardless of obstacles yet they change the world.

It is all-important to identify our calling from listening to our inner voice, as it has happened, continue happening; the important decisions are not made for the common good, no one to stop all forms of environmental pollution-ideas are not revealed to save the world, issue of climate change has no common ground, no more innovation-"copy and paste“ mentality, no one to come up with voice to end up corruption; all these and so much more keep on existing because a  person like me and you have not yet take time to listen to the inner voice telling the calling in serving others and make our world a better place to stay.

When I point a finger to myself, I was a victim of external influences from other people, I consider myself as being "manipulated“ apart from "being inspired“ in the way of thinking about reality.I had to listen and follow my inner voice of excelling highly in education endeavor without being contented with little paychecks in my first employment. The position, the skills, the sharpened talents and creativity I have now, as products of amazing educational change; also, the products of listening to myself to change, change where I was before to where I am today, where I am heading for, and now writing to you this piece of self awareness.

Once again, I insist that, take your private time in silence under a tree to listen to yourself; the same philosophy I adopted, that I encourage you to adopt- as I remember the good time when pursuing my MSc at "Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology“ a Professor in Ethics once insisted us to have a "moment of silence under a tree" - it’s when imagination, creativity and so what we call innovation come from and how you get connected to nature. Predominantly, as James Ross once said;  “Stay true to yourself and listen to your inner voice. It will lead you to your dream.” 

Published by Jielimishe Kwanza

Attitude_Purpose

 

KNOW YOUR

PURPOSE IN LIFE

www.highlandhosp.com

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“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

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By Henry Kazula,

Author: Mtazamo Wako Ni Upi?

                                                                   SPONSORED BY

https://www.facebook.com/seetanzania?ref=bookmarks

Those who don’t know their life purpose are of the same family to those with "lifeless“-are those who live the life of "let it be the day“ as it is and the way it may be whatever it is.It is a life determined by the circumstances not a person determining and reacting to the circumstances. That’s a life with no purpose! ...a prime base to have number of "last resting places" with more wealth than the living world as there are so many soul died with something precious within as they didn’t figure out in their life time.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said when touching the real meaning of living a life with purpose; “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Our life in purpose is to strive for the other, charitable living and fighting for other peoples’ problems by providing solutions for the same and live a legacy. This is what people like Julius Nyerere, Nelson Mandela, Mahtma Gandhi and Mother Teresa to mention few of them were striving to be and dying for.

I argued to insist that, living a good life with happiness is to live a life with purpose and care for the other. It is more valuable to know your purpose in life for other people than being greedy with life of no purpose. When you will die in self-seeking life of no purpose to other people, nobody will notice, appreciate your existence and purpose of your life.

Put one’s finger on who you are and your ability to do something with a burning desire to save other people is a weapon to success and in living with purpose. Start now acting, to live and think differently and expose the inner you for the other; “bring life to others” then others will live for you for the betterment of your life. 

Robin Sharma in his book-“Who Will Cry When You Die?” tried to connect the dot about living a life with purpose by reminding the living soul to think beyond individualism and think about the other; it is in first chapter of the book- “discover your calling” when his father said to him-“Son, when you were born, you cried while the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die the world cries while you rejoice.” When I read that book; which I, also recommend you to read, I normally feel so concern about my purpose in living; thank you Sharma for reminding- my life with purpose is not about me, it is for the other and the coming generation. 

I’ve learned, keep on learning, practice and practice to live a life with purpose; that’s why I determined to share with you this piece of inspiration for you to know, practice and start living a new life with purpose as you created to be. 

Published by Jielimishe Kwanza

Environment_polluter-pays principle

How much must the polluter pays in Tanzania? Bird’s – eye view to “Polluter-pays principle”

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/16/world/air-pollution-killing-study/index.html

By Henry Kazula,

Environmental scientist, analyst & activist

Enviro-Forum, Jielimishe Kwanza! SE

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The principle of Environmental management – “polluter-pays principle” in Tanzania as highlighted in her Environment Management Act (EMA) of 2004 adopted from Act No. 3 of 2003 means a mechanism whereby the cost of cleaning up any element of the environment damaged by pollution, compensating victims of pollution, cost of beneficial uses lost as a result of an act of pollution and other costs that are connected with or incidental to the foregoing, is to be paid or borne by the person convicted of pollution under this Act or any other applicable law. That is to say, those who produce pollution to the environment from their own activities and benefit should bear the costs of managing it for the good of preventing human health and environment for sustainable development.


It has been insisted in EMA (2004), 7(3)(d) that “any person causing  adverse effect on the environment to  pay in full social and environmental costs of avoiding, mitigating, and or remedying those adverse effects”. The effect to the environment must be adverse for a polluter to pay the costs. In case there is minor effect to the environment that lead to adverse effects in future, there is no problem according to law. Also, the directory for the quantification of social and environmental costs is a point for argumentation i.e. what determine the costs of be compensated for any social and environmental damage? In that context, it is synonymous to the commodification of environment. It is not feasible to monetize and compensate environmental and social damage.

Arguing to the “polluter- pays principle” in a dim-light of the understanding of the word “pollution” is unfair to you and me. The word “Pollution” as applied and defined in EMA (2004) “means any direct or indirect alteration of the physical, thermal, chemical, biological, or radio-active properties of any part of the environment by discharging, emitting, or depositing of wastes so as to adversely affect any beneficial use, to cause a condition which is hazardous to public health, safety or welfare, or to animals, birds, wildlife, fish or aquatic life, or to plants or to cause contravention of any condition, limitation, or restriction which is the subject to a licence under this Act”. It can also be taken from UK law in simple translation to easing understanding of word “pollution”- as contamination of the land, water or air by harmful or potentially harmful substances. Although, a definition of “pollution” from EMA (2004) seems to be more descriptive and inclusive but same understanding.

I would like to argue that, how much must the polluters pay in Tanzania? Asking this question in order to see exactly the sharp and strong teeth of “polluter-pays principle” in our context when dealing with “any person”(polluter) causing “any effect” not “adverse effect” to the “our home”(environment). It has been such a contracting situation on implementing the principle, as no specific figures of costs are open to the public and to whom the polluter must make the payment? Something is not right, and something urgent must be done for the same.

Also, there are no specific guidelines to identify exactly who is a polluter beyond from saying “any person” i.e. big fish or small fish? In most cases, taking a context of Tanzania, “big fishes” are people with large investments and industries, and sometimes involve people with authority in the government. No one can deny that the big fishes own industries and are the major contributors of pollution we are talking about. 

 Their major intention is to maximize profits and less attention to the destruction of commons. Whereas, “small fishes” are ordinary people; literate and illiterate, in one way or another have contributions to the pollution of the commons, as poverty and environmental degradation pertaining to pollution are twins of same fertilized egg. I wonder if there is a “red-line” to separate the two groups of “fishes” in bearing the costs resulted from pollution.

Another astonishing phenomenon is that of costs to be bared for polluting the “common pool” i.e. air and water…what are the boundaries and techniques used in Tanzania to curb those polluting the “common pool” what are the specific costs to be bared? And who is in charge to measure the amount of emission from unwanted gases and discharge of wastes into the common pool? What are mathematical calculations to quantify the extent of pollution for the costs to bear by the polluter?

It came to my attention that, something important is missing and I tempted to agree with a wise statement of Chinua Achebe when said in one of his proverbs …”Those who do not know where the rain began to beat them cannot say where they dried their bodies” I think, it’s better to know where the historic perspective of “polluter -pays principle” originated and it’s operation before we adopt and enforce it. 

“Polluter-pays principle” recognized as International Environmental Law. It is a fundamental principle of environmental policy, a first mention of the Principle at the International level founded in the 1972 of both the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Community. You may guess the major intention of the principle…commodification of the environment!
In another context of development, the “polluter -pays principle” as stipulated in the article-“What is the ‘polluter pays’ principle?” (Monday, 2nd July 2012) written by Bob Ward and Naomi Hicks of the Grantham Research Institute at LSE in collaboration with the Guardian is part of a set of broader principles to guide sustainable development worldwide (formally known as the 1992 Rio Declaration) and the “polluter- pays principle” has also been applied more specifically to emissions of greenhouse gases which cause climate change and it is possible to implement the ‘polluter pays’ principle through a so-called carbon price. Does this principle operate the same in the context of Tanzania or Tanzania in global arena?

Apart from being a principle for “commodification of the environment” and controlling greenhouse emission leading to climate change, can be applied at very ground level in the context of Tanzania (not Tanzania in global arena…it is not the intention of this paper) to control waste disposals and other form of pollution as it is from minor pollution of the “commons” over successive period of time can lead to adverse effect at global level.

In some extent there are some towns in Tanzania like Moshi in Kilimanjaro region tried to make a fixed cost of 50,000Tsh (fifty thousand shillings) -a penalty on the spot as a regulation protecting any littering (pollution on land) in town. This regulation is very successful in Moshi municipal as it is implemented in action not sweet words in writings. Moshi municipal have been receiving awards for being the cleanliest town in Tanzania for successive number of years. I applaud the take of Moshi Municipal Council to “polluter -pays principle” at least they know the meaning and how to implement the principle in action in a context of Tanzania. Although, any form of pollution made to the environment is quantified for a penalty of 50, 000Tsh on spot to pollution.

Lots of fruits of achievements in addressing environmental issues can be reaped from “polluter -pay principle” by knowing exactly the level of pollution i.e. not underestimating that at ground level, identifying exactly who pollute the commons and taking actions using sharp and strong teeth of law.

Also, identifying the fixed costs to be bared by a polluter without discrimination, bearing in mind that the costs should be that which touches the inner heart of polluter and make him/her feels the pinch of his/her action to human health and environment.

The regulatory bodies of “polluter-pays principle” should provide no loop- hole for people to pollute i.e. it should stress prevention of pollution to occur rather than waiting a person as a “polluter” to pay the costs of pollution- leading to adverse effects to human health and environment.

The principle should not be taken as a source of revenue to feed the “stomach” and ignoring the intention of restoring the damage /effect done by a polluter. Contrary to that we are not going to reap the benefit and intention of “polluter-pay principle” for the goodness of human health and environment for sustainable development.

Further Readings

Tanzania – Environmental Management Act, (2004).http://www.nemc.or.tz/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc…

OECD, 1972. Recommendation of the council on guiding principles concerning international economic aspects of environmental policies. May. Council Document no. C (72) 128. Paris: Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

What is the ‘polluter pays’ principle?” (Monday, 2nd July 2012) by Bob Ward and Naomi Hicks of the Grantham Research Institute at LSE in collaboration with the Guardian.

Published by Jielimishe Kwanza