Humans once revered nature rather than taking it for granted.
According to the book American Environmentalism by Greg Barton, the scientific revolution, about 400 years ago, changed the tide toward objectifying and taking nature for granted.
Yet for many thousands of years, the natural world was enchanted. Cultures revered trees, rocks, rivers, and clouds, which were alive, and humans belonged in the fabric of the magic... not the destroyer of nature.
Animals had souls, and in hunting societies rituals of apology and forgiveness were practiced. The Navajo prayed to the deer before the hunt, the Naskapi pledged to the hunted, "You and I have the same mind and spirit."
The Greeks revered Gaea, mother earth, mother to the heavens, representing all that was wise. Across every continent this viewpoint was found. And plants and flowers and trees had spirits, too. And most early peoples had ceremonies about cutting down trees. They asked forgiveness for the painful removal of some of Mother Earth's children.
The ancient Chinese stories mention the cries of "pain and indignation" from fallen branches. Other cultures mention the same, giving rise to the universal notion of tree-worshipping.
I'm a tree-worhipper.
This was clear to me in Washington State where the above photo was taken. I felt protected by those trees, and appreciative for all that oxygen they provided, nurturing my L.A. air-infested lungs.
When we drove past a logger on the Olympic Peninsula, I cringed. Some of these trees take thousands of years to grow to full height, how can people recklessly destroy them unless absolutely necessary to survive?
Well "tree-huggers" have a long, healthy tradition and with increased awareness of global warming and the decline of ecosystems and species, perhaps, more trees will flourish.
A canopy of green leaves.
Nourishment.
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