Active Hope

In the Sunday mailbox…

…notes motivated by Maria Popova…

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” – Rachel Carson

“...the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, and not the other way around.” – Gaylord Nelson

(We are) in a great, flowing river of continuities. Just as our mother and father live inside us, so do generations upon generations of mothers and fathers before them...all our ancestors inform our lives—and the same holds true for all forms of life, for we have been shaped not only by human ancestors but also by the environments in which they lived...I wondered if it was possible to see beyond personal histories … to include the loss of forests and rivers. I wondered if we can look at what has passed from life on this Earth, and see how the absence of so many species touches us at this very moment. And I wondered if somehow we can redeem these dead and prevent the ending of blue sky and bright wind. – Joan Halifax

They share a lot, astronomy and childhood. Both are voyages across huge distances. Both search for facts beyond their grasp. Both theorize wildly and let possibilities multiply without limits. Both are humbled every few weeks. Both operate out of ignorance. Both are mystified by time. Both are forever starting out. – Richard Powers in Bewilderment