20世紀初,美國作家豪爾斯(William Dean Howells)曾說:「人出生、結婚、生活、死亡,一切顯得如此混亂而急切,彷彿隨時都可能發瘋。」在21世紀初的現在,這段話顯得如此諷刺與貼切,然而環境的變遷讓我們思考人類急切又瘋狂的腳步是否該減緩下來,不只是一個減碳活動而已,整個人類社會因為自然的反撲而產生了巨大又全面文化轉折:從慢活和樂活態度、瑜珈或氣功運動、有機食品到新世紀的哲學觀。我們已察覺到,對於自然資源,人類沒有再生的本領,只有等待慢慢恢復。中國人傳統的天人合一與陰陽五行也告訴我們,沒有人可以獨活(只靠著其他人或者「科技產品」),我們必須和諧地與這個地球共處,才可以達到生命的最大利益,Live bigger than yourself!就是無碳生活的價值所在。
(這篇是前陣子幫國泰世華季刊Nobel Club 2009春季號寫的稿,各位有興趣看全文的話......君悅或涵碧樓大廳有)
*“She always had a reason why we should stay home. Momma, you look sick. Momma, I feel sick. Momma, the teachers aren’t there today, they’re sick. Momma, we can’t go, there was a fire there last night. Momma, it’s a holiday today, no school, they told me.”<I Stand Here Ironing>-Tillie Olsen
*“Bite back your tongue”, scolded my mother when I cried loudly, yanking her hand toward the store that sold bags of salted plums. At home, she said, “Wise guy, he not go against wind. In Chinese we say, Come from South, blow with wind-poom!-North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen.”
The next week I bit back my tongue as we entered the store with the forbidden candies. When my mother finished her shopping, she quietly plucked a small bag of plums from the rack and put it on the counter with the rest of the items.<Rules of the Game>-Amy Tan