“We no longer hunt or gather. We choose.”
-Darcy Howard, Regenerative Organic Alliance
I heard this in a recent webinar from the Rodale Institute and it stuck with me. Life looks quite different today from the days of our hunter/gatherer ancestors. But our instincts are the same. To teach our children about living well. To find good food. To gather around the communal fire. To make beauty and meaning. And to watch out for the invaders who would steal or destroy what we have built. To protect our village from them.
Today’s invaders aren’t sailing here on ships and physically storming into our villages. They are hiding behind corporate logos and farm bills that aren’t about farming at all and using the system to pad their bank accounts.
The best legislative action to counter the practice of spreading toxic sludge is the bill that was recently passed in the PA House to amend the Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Act. It was a bill that took five years of determined fighting on the part of good people to get through. It is now in the Senate Ag Committee, waiting for them to take a look. What will the Ag Committee do? The possibility is high that they will simply ignore it. It’s not the first time a bill has died in committee.
Let’s look at the bill. What does if offer? Here’s a summary: “An Act amending the act of July 7, 1980 (P.L.380, No.97), known as the Solid Waste Management Act, in general provisions, further providing for definitions and for powers and duties of the department; in applications and permits, further providing for permits and licenses required, transition scheme and reporting requirements and providing for food processing residuals; and imposing penalties.”
In short, a lot of words with no change. Basically it establishes a chain of custody so the sludge can be tracked. It will limit application. Slightly. Possibly. But the whole bill is designed to keep the practice going because, according to the powers-that-be, “application must continue.”
I am asking “why?”
Why must this continue? Because we’ve always done it this way? Because entrenched mindsets are hard to change? Or because there’s money in it?
I want it stopped completely.
I’ve been told I won’t get that.
I’ve never taken no for an answer before and I don’t intend to start now. Because this practice is not sustainable.
We can look away from this practice for now. But the build-up of heavy metals, chemicals, and pathogens in our soil, plants or animals from the practice of spreading toxic sludge is not monitored. There is no way of truly knowing what the buildup of chemicals is doing to our soil. The soil that is feeding our kids. The soil that we are handing to them.
The Seven Generations Principle
In Indigenous wisdom there is a principle called the Seven Generations Principle. It comes from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy or the League of Five Nations.
It is the principle that those in power must weigh the affect their actions will have seven generations from now. I have also heard it described as the current moment being the bridge moment. You are here, your generation. Behind you are three generations. You are standing on what they built. Now look ahead three generations. What will you leave for them? Will you burn this bridge or will you strengthen it? Will you leave them something that has been poisoned or will you leave them something that has been tended into life?
Humans are to be caretakers of the earth. We, the generations living upon it now, do not own it. We are here as guests. We are borrowing this land for our sustenance. And we will leave it, for better or worse, for the ones born after us. We have to put aside monetary gains or personal convenience. We must think of what we are handing to the next generations. These are the principles that must guide our actions.
There are alternatives to disposing of this waste. Let’s find better ways to live that do not involve growing our food in human waste and food processing residuals.
The earth can heal.
But we must make the hard choices now. Fight the fight now.
“We no longer hunt or gather. We choose.” We choose to pay attention. We choose to care. We choose to shame those who are putting money over care for the earth. And we choose to support businesses who care for the earth.
I’ll leave you with this quote from the Seven Generations Principle:
“Today, we stand at a defining moment. We have the awareness, tools, & strength to heal the wounds of the past & shape a new future. Picture a world seven generations from now – one that looks back on this era as the turning point, when we chose to honor history, cultivate unity, & lay the groundwork for respect, equity, & sustainability.”
“Each of us holds the power to be the shift. Every choice, every moment, every action is an opportunity to build a future that honors the past & strengthens what’s to come. Let’s make it count.”
You can read more about the Seven Generations Principle here.
