Is there a contract with the planet ?

I went walking yesterday with an old friend and she asked me the question

" What do you think is the contract with the planet ?"

Great question, I thought! First thing that came into my mind is that in human to human dealings, contracts come in quite a way down the line between people.....you don't just make contracts with strangers..it's not a casual sort of idea, but a binding agreement for future agreed dealings.

That got me to thinking about the deal between people and the planet and the degree to which there is already a 'bound in' situation from the simple fact that we are born onto and live within the 'laws' of the planet. A bit like kids without the option to leave home ( at least whilst we are alive in our physical form!!) The planet has supplied an 'all found' situation with all the conditions for life to continue, to refine and to evolute over the millenia. The right temperature, the right air mix, and so much more. We know that gravity applies, and we can't jump off a cliff and not drop to the ground!! In fact a lot of growing up is learning what are the rules! We touch something like an electric heater or hot kettle and immediately start to learn about fire, burning and the fragility of our own tolerance to heat!!

But what do we as people provide from our side of the deal? Well, what is immediately apparent when I stopped to consider this, was that everyone alive is part of the whole ...and there is no option to sit on the fence, to count ourselves out from being an active contributing 'resident' on earth. One way or another, we are adding something positive, or negative, to the current human and planet story. Even apathy or inaction is not sitting on the fence, but what we might elect to add to the mix.

Being good stewards of our 'home turf' is clearly part of an attitude which would have been second nature in a pre industrial society as the well being of the land, the flora and fauna would have interrlinked with our own survival and prosperity.

But what about other aspects we can add or take off the table ? Things like qualities such as kindness, fairness, creativity or a more negative range of input.


We are given so much with no binding upon our response ( we have free choice and can do what we like) but there is an implicit opportunity to engage in a life which can not only build and express our own individual strengths and characters, but improve ( or detract from) the quality of the growth of civilisation?

Is this part of a contract with the planet?