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Slide Notes

A philosophical journey that kids of all ages might want to consider when thinking about Nature.

This presentation was inspired by the general thoughts Ratnesh's thealternative.in article & paraphrase the key points here.


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7 Things ABout Nature...

Published on Nov 18, 2015

A philosophical & environmental presentation inspired by Ratnesh Mathur's article at this link: http://www.thealternative.in/lifestyle/7-things-nature-kids-must-know/

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

7 Things ABout Nature...

...That KIDS (of All Ages) Must Know
A philosophical journey that kids of all ages might want to consider when thinking about Nature.

This presentation was inspired by the general thoughts Ratnesh's thealternative.in article & paraphrase the key points here.


http://bit.ly/1nuBnUc
Photo by Yogendra174

Thoughts by Ratnesh Mathur Jul 7, 2014

in his July 7, 2014 post in: thealternative.in & adapted here.
May these ideas help you rethink the way you look at nature, and invite you to get out in it more often, no matter if you are indeed a child, or a child at heart!

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Presentation compiled by Vicki Dabrowka, Green Team Gazette, http://greenteamgazette.blogspot.com/
Photo by Werner Kunz

1. "Knowing Nature"

is not the same thing as "understanding nature."
You get nature one place: OUTDOORS!

Not from books, TV, the internet. Those can give you information ABOUT nature, but only by getting outside and observing & interacting with nature--that is the only true way to begin to understand nature.


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Photo by Claudio.Ar

2. "Natural" & "Artificial"

don't exist, but Nature is all that is around us.
All that is around you comes from nature. Even those man-made things like plastic (which comes from the natural product, petroleum), and cement (which comes from the natural products of sand, gravel, and water). These man-made items just have men (and women) tweaking it to create something new.

When you start looking at everything around you as nature, you start to take in the awe of everything that surrounds you.


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3. We can Not Hurt Nature

But we CAN change it.
Since nature is all that surrounds, we can modify it & we can change it.

Ratnesh Mathur believes that we can not harm nature but only change it (which will either then benefit or harm us). I am not so sure that I agree. Deforestation does harm us in that it depletes resources, but it does harm animals in that it destroys their habitat.

Ratnesh argues what we should do is worry not about nature but about ourselves, and the changes our choices bring about. Polluting a river or lake will ultimately come back upon us. In that respect, if we "hurt" nature, we truly are only hurting ourselves.



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Photo by Claudio.Ar

4. Nature does not Give us Anything,

Nor does it take away anything.
Nature, though a noun, is not a person, therefore Ratnesh argues it cannot "give" or "take" anything.

Again, here, I disagree. I think nature can give us a sense of calm, or perhaps lead us to a healthier state of being. But, it is our human reaction (and interaction & interpretation).


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Photo by WilliamMarlow

5.  Nature is Not "Beautiful."

Beautiful is an opinion, and nature is a fact.
Just as nature is not a "person" noun, it is also not an adjective. It is not inherently "beautiful" or "wonderful." It is. What you see it as (beautiful, ugly, volatile, etc) is your human reaction, and your human opinion. This will indeed differ from you neighbors. Nature "is." It's how you approach it (just as you approach life) that makes it what it is to you. What will your perspective be?



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Photo by Claudio.Ar

6.  Nature is Not Ours

to fully understand, but we can learn from its impact.
Here is an interesting quote directly from Ratnest Mathur's article:

"Somewhere, I was fed with this notion that nature gives and we only take, hence we should also give back to nature. I find this funny, as we cannot give anything to nature (and hence we cannot take anything from nature). In nature there is no give and take – only interactions, constant change of state. Being inside nature (i.e. being part of it), we cannot take or give anything. If we plant a tree, the gift is for ourselves and not for nature. If we pluck a flower, again we may like it in our garland, but it still is a gift to ourselves. In nature, being selfish to their own needs is essentially how all organisms operate."

Along those same lines, Mathur goes on to talk about the circle of life: how nature lives and dies, decomposes, then becomes the feed and seed for another. From this too, we can see it's power and learn from its impact.


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Photo by VinothChandar

7. Nature is Your Canvas.

You paint what you want to see.
You see what you want to see. Do you see the unique or the mundane?

You hear what you want to hear. Do you hear the traffic on the street, the laughter or the complaints of people, or the calls of bird?

What do you see--the sunlight through the trees, the pollution on the ground, or what you can do to take action.

The possibilities are endless, the choices are yours. It's your choice...what will you choose?

Life is like that as well!

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Information for this Haiku Deck from
http://www.thealternative.in/lifestyle/7-things-nature-kids-must-know/?utm_... by Ratnesh Mathur


Created by Vicki Dabrowka
Green Team Gazette
http://greenteamgazette.blogspot.com/


On Twitter @GreenTeamGazett

Thank you Ratnesh Mathur for the philosophical thoughts and inspiration here!
Photo by Yogendra174