This past Thursday, I had the privilege of attending my first Veritas Forum. The Veritas Forum is a non-profit organization that brings esteemed faculty and students together to explore the meaning of truth and discuss the fundamental questions of life. The topic of the forum I attended was “What Makes Us Human?” in which a panel comprised of two geneticists and one bioethicist discussed the role and limitations of genetics in forming our identities. All three speakers possessed unspeakable intelligence, immeasurable experience, and poetic eloquence that captured the undivided attention of every mind in the overflowing auditorium. From the start, it was clear that each of the speakers shared a genuine passion for biology and science in general. It was their livelihoods after all. Yet, it was also made transparent that each held a different, yet defined religious belief which very much informed their worldviews and ergo, their answers to the questions. Upon reflection, I was struck by the realization that despite the subtle nuances and blatant contrasts in their perspectives, each of their answers held one thing in common: questions. In that sense, many who came in to the forum searching for answers (as we students are programmed to do), left with even more questions. This is perhaps the goal of Veritas; to move people to question what they never have before, to remain in constant pursuit of discovery. After all, did not the greatest philosophers often respond with questions?
One particular question asked by a student during Q&A revolved around ethics and the existence of an Absolute standard. One of the speakers then replied that the way we define ethics depends on the way we define responsibility. What is responsibility? What is our personal responsibility on this planet? What has endowed us with this responsibility? The speakers went on to relate this topic back to topics such as eugenics, synthetic biology, and the powerful genome technology we now and have never before possessed. We humans have often been sure of ourselves and overly confident in our abilities—many times, at a cost. Now, more than ever, do we possess a power that blurs the line between creator versus creation. Now, more than ever, is it vital to question our egos and unbending beliefs so that in 50 years we don’t look back and say “how could we have ever done that?” as we often do today.
And so, you may be thinking ‘well I have no control over what they’re doing in those labs and hell, my vote doesn’t even matter’ but in fact, you too have a power that is unprecedented. You have immense influence due to the very tool through which you are reading these words. If you didn’t catch on, I’m talking about technology. Smartphones, laptops, apps, social media. All these things are literally in our hands, sending out literal signals that reach a vast amount of people. We all know some of the extreme consequences misuse of these tools has led to—cyberbullying, harmful trends, privacy leaks to name a few. We also know the ways in which digital tools and social media have helped us create, collaborate, and connect. But still, rarely do we digital natives stop to consider the power we possess and, as Peter Parker and the panelists might add, the responsibility that ensues.
The plethora of nature posts on my Instagram newsfeed today led me to think about how social media has both increased our appreciation of nature and how it has commodified it. With travel bloggers, socality, and wanderlust, the average Instagrammer is getting out more than before. As a Washingtonian, I can testify to the rapid increase in hiking as a hobby over the past three years. Finding new trails and hidden waterfalls is the summertime quest. And while I am not denying that these Millennial mountaineers truly do appreciate nature, I am questioning whether they love it. Do they love it as the little boy loved the giving tree? Or do they love it as the giving tree loved the boy? Because loving nature involves more than just captioning how thankful and #blessed one is to live in such a beautiful state, loving nature means not littering when no one is looking. Or maybe not sitting in that tree that has a sign that says “Please don’t sit on me. I’m getting old and still want to bloom for future tourists” just so you can get a cool and rebellious picture.
All three Veritas speakers harmoniously voiced the importance of being environmental stewards on this Earth. That we can only survive because this Earth sustains us. We have a duty to protect what has given so much to us and to restore the relationship of sustainability. Many ancient cultures worshipped the ground they walked on because the ground allowed them to walk. Since then, we have indisputably advanced in several ways, but have also begun to take our Earth for granted. As our egos have grown, our gratitude has shrunk and our humility and recognition of just how finite we are has decayed. Mother nature is resilient, her arms are ever-embracing; but we often forget the fragility of her beauty. Today, Earth Day, is a day to celebrate her existence, to nod to her strength, and remember her fragility. Today is one of those holidays that should be celebrated everyday with the same vigor and spirit. This campus and this state does a lot better than most, but still not enough. For we cannot rely on the University to make resourcefulness more convenient for us. We must recognize that there is a sacrifice, an inefficiency and discomfort in being resourceful. We have to stop and think about which bin the can belongs in. We might even have to be mindful of time in the shower—a place where time ceases to exist. But let us remember how much we have heedlessly taken from our Mother—how much she has sacrificed for us. Don’t be embarrassed to be a hippie, to hug a tree (if that gets you in the spirit). Let’s popularize being resourceful. Let’s not laugh at wastefulness, but educate. Let’s normalize consciousness in a culture of yolo.
As with any goal, it starts with awareness and persists with the little things. I’m not pushing you to do anything radical, but to start with a little research. Read up. It’s good for you, good for Her. Sticky notes on the bathroom mirror, being intentional about that light you always forget to turn off. Keep adventuring, keep capturing the moments and sights that lift your soul—but perhaps consider a caption that revolves around preservation rather than personification. Awareness over aesthetics. Progress can be made, but always with roots before branches.
**All photos belong to Andrew Ling. His photos emphasize how tiny we are in this massive world (let alone universe) we inhabit.
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