Stepping off the bus (2).

The past few days have been lazily spent in Koh Lanta and Krabi; Krabi being where I am at the moment. Tomorrow, myself, Billy, and our new Italian friend Laura will travel four hours south to Pak Bara. There we will stay the night and by morning catch a three hour ferry to Koh Tarutao.

[Oh yes, I haven't told you yet... my friend Billy (or Tyler, as "Billy" is a nickname from our wildland fire crew) arrived in Bangkok on the 31st and has been traveling with me since. Most likely he will continue to do so until the end of this month. Laura Lenti is an Italian girl that we met at 5:00 AM in Krabi. While we waited for the town to awaken from its slumber and start the ferry service to Koh Lanta, the three of us seemed to hit it off pretty well. Tonight we will all share a two person room on a giant bed, and tomorrow we move on from here. As of now, three travel as one.]

Supposedly one of the last remaining, unspoiled islands in Thailand, Tarutao, is from the sound of it, in a fight to maintain a high level awareness of issues relating to ecotourism. There may possibly be one other resort on the island, but the small amount of accommodation elsewhere is rationed by the Thailand National Park Service and consists of primitive bungalows and housing where the power is shutoff in the evening. I cannot tell you how much it pleases me to hear of practices such as this; where the land is given careful and meticulous attention.

It is depressing to see the severe lack of environmentally sound principles throughout Thailand. The islands can be especially disturbing. Shoebox bungalows and speedily built resorts of shoddy construction surface from the earth like an infestation. Trees are torn up and the land is turned over, yet this is as much a Western issue as it is a Thai issue.

Tourism is a major commodity in Thailand and we, being Westerners, do a large part to create the demand. Though demand does not have to be unethical, in the sense to which I will later refer, more often than not it is.

Knowing that Thailand is an inexpensive destination, many tourists on holiday do not care what they spend or how they spend it, only that they are pampered with comfortable domestic planes, fast boats, big buses, quick taxis, fresh towels, never-ending drinks, fat bellies... (and on it goes). Here, the philosophy seems to often run along these lines: "I am here to relax, so give me what I want when I want it, get out of my way, and I will turn a blind eye to any hazardous impact of my being here."

This attitude is not something alien to the United States. America definitely deserves a certain amount of attention to the lack of sound principle in the care of its own national parks, but in looking at Thailand for the moment, I do not believe that ecosystem education is as readily available here as it is in the states, and therefore the problem of pollution and polluters carries a certain gravity.

I fear that these islands may not be paradise for long. There is a low level of awareness, but I must admit my determination to the idea that it only takes the initiative of one to begin the process of change. Even a spark can start a forest fire.

This thought brings me back to my conversation with Pat in Opononi, and as promised, I must revive onto this page some of the ideas we discussed -- more specifically, the idea of the ecosystem.

It is more of a philosophy, but in the realms of education (Pat has been working as a school teacher), business, art, or any other arena; whether for work or pleasure; whether subconscious or conscious; the laws of cause and effect and always afoot. The New Zealand education system, as well as corporate and private American business, will at their most healthy state, operate under the principles of an ecosystem.

Of equal importance, and worthy of substantial note, is the relationship between two elements: the ecosystem (the ideal organization), and the organism.

An organism lives. It breathes and feels. It responds to stimulation; both positive and negative, and under healthy circumstances, coexists with a variety of other organisms -- both similar and quite different. This is organic diversity.

Like synergy, where the sum of individual parts can become greater than the whole, organisms, which operate under the greater boundary of the ecosystem, will only reach their full potential, or a synergistic level of output, when the individual role is valued. To put it another way, a certain level of equanimity must be in practice.

Each individual role, from janitor to math teacher, from staff accountant to CEO, must have an understanding that their contribution will ultimately affect the health of the ecosystem in which they exist.

Just as education and business can cooperatively, and separately, use this model, the maintenance of a healthy environment also requires a holistic approach in which everyone from the taxi driver to the package tourist understands their role in a greater picture.

Some may say that in today's world it is impossible to find balance and exercise this philosophy on a daily basis, but the question is, should we not try?