Imagine and Act

The forest was strange. Fantastical even. Otherworldly. But in reality, it was just from another time.

150-foot-tall giant trees seemed to touch and support the murky sky. But it’s not even their height that impressed Alistair.

Having such a sky-holding height, these trees were merely finger thick, lignin in their trunks helping them to stay erect. Some had scale like structures on their bark. Delicate, ornate foliage decorated their funky tops.

This was a world dominated by trees.

Alistair pressed his palm against the still standing giant.

“Hard to believe that in 300 million years, you will be coal. The same coal we will have been extracting and using in so many of our industries for so many decades… So much for balance.” Touching the tree felt real. Almost.

Standing knee-deep in a swamp, Alistair thought of this odd prehistoric world for a second, but not of these self-evident, imposant giants. He thought of something that was not there - those tiny organisms that made such a huge difference.

Wood-eating fungi and bacteria - there were none, not yet. Without them, the sequestered carbon stayed in the wood. The trees did not decompose. Instead, they would be conserved, crushed by their own weight and compressed into pitch-black substance.

“Alistair, you are talking to a tree. Or yourself. Don’t know what’s worse.”

Alistair sighed and closed his eyes.

“Disconnect,” he commanded.

When he reopened his eyes, the forest was no longer there.

The man twisted his neck in an attempt to relax spasming muscles while removing the heavy headset. Looking more like a retro motorcycle helmet, the set was a part of the new immersive interactive technology the market was obsessed with called EarthDome.

Owned by the Total rECOll company, the technology pivoted around a come-of-the-age AI-generated software. It interacted with the human brainwaves in ways that created utmost realistic experiences. A next generation simulation of sorts.

The virtual reality of the device was based off of the ultimate database of the planet’s memory - accessible and readily available, at one’s neuron tips. A user could travel all those ages of memory, living them, inhabiting them with one’s presence. It did not affect the actual course of history, of course, but it affected the humans who experienced it and, in many ways, promised to shape and reshape the future.

Alistair looked at the time - the real time - and cursed. Somewhere across the city, a roomful of university students was waiting for him and his lecture.

And the weather was hardly welcoming one to go outside. 15 degrees and two weeks of non-stop rain… So much for a winter in England…

Rhythmic Alignment:
We commit to fundamentally restructuring our societies to align with the regenerative rhythms of our planet, recognizing that our current disconnection from these natural cycles lays at the root of many ecological and social imbalances. By studying and integrating knowledge from chronobiology, indigenous time-keeping practices, and ecological cycles, we will redesign our social, economic, and cultural systems to flow in harmony with nature’s pulsations.

This involves reimagining our work, rest, and creative cycles towards harmonizing with natural patterns, from circadian rhythms to seasonal changes, promoting balance and resilience. We envision economies that expand and contract in concert with seasonal abundance, education systems that attune learning to optimal cognitive cycles, and healthcare approaches that leverage the body’s natural healing rhythms. Our built environments will be designed to breathe with the planet, incorporating dynamic elements that respond to daily, seasonal, and annual changes.

This principle will transition us from a linear, mechanistic worldview to one that embraces the cyclical, interconnected nature of existence, guiding us towards a more balanced existence, where human flourishing is inextricably linked to the thriving of all life on Earth.

Indigenous Wisdom and Biocultural Guardianship:
We recognize and honor Indigenous peoples as the original and ongoing stewards of Earth’s biodiversity, acknowledging that their traditional territories encompass the majority of the world’s remaining ecosystems and species richness. Their time-tested knowledge systems, developed over millennia of intimate relationship with local landscapes, represent an irreplaceable foundation for truly regenerative practices.

We commit to elevating Indigenous voices, not as mere consultants, but as leaders and equal partners in shaping humanity’s renewed relationship with the Earth. Our approach will be one of deep listening and genuine collaboration, recognizing that Indigenous wisdom offers holistic perspectives that transcend the limitations of compartmentalized Western thinking. This involves a fundamental shift in power dynamics, ensuring that Indigenous communities have the autonomy to govern their traditional lands and waters according to their own laws and customs.

We pledge to support the revitalization of Indigenous languages, as they encode unique ecological insights and worldviews essential for planetary healing. By fostering intergenerational knowledge transfer within indigenous communities and creating bridges to other knowledge systems, we aim to create a global tapestry of biocultural wisdom.

This principle extends beyond environmental concerns to encompass social justice, recognizing that the wellbeing of Indigenous peoples is inseparable from the health of their lands. We commit to dismantling colonial structures that have marginalized indigenous communities and to supporting their rights to self-determination.