Waking up oh so slowly

The collective realization of the unity of human and nature tells us that................ 
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What we do to the world, we do to ourselves.
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A concept that I'll refer to as "ecological karma." 
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This goes beyond interconnectedness or the pragmatic realization that we "depend upon nature." 
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The human-nature dualism implies that we can avoid the consequences of our depredations and manage their costs and benefits. 
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We can choose this forest to clear cut and that mountain to stripmine.
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Because according to our rational calculations they are less important than other ones. 
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They are not "critical ecosystems." 
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We don't really need them. 
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Their value is conditional. 
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We feel we can preserve some and destroy others, 
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As long as we calculate the effects carefully enough, the costs and benefits. 
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In contrast, the understanding of ecological karma tells us that we can never manage or avoid the effects of our actions
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That any marring of the health and beauty of the planet diminishes our own health and the beauty of our own lives as well, 
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Inescapably. 
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It tells us as well that the laws of nature make no exception for human beings.
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Charles Eisenstein - The Ascent of Humanity