One of my favorite steps is the 12^th step, which states: “Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” (Alcoholics Anonymous)

The thread of loving service running through Step 12 is beautifully illustrated by an encounter I had with a young man in the Orange County, California AA Central Office a number of years ago. I was concerned about my nephew, who was drinking himself to death and had been recently admitted to a hospital. Relating my concerns to this gentleman, I was deeply moved when he immediately volunteered to drive with me over 50 miles to the San Fernando Valley to carry the message of recovery to someone he had never met.

So what does this have to do with sustainability and recovery? Advocates of environmental sustainability point out that as a society, we have collectively become addicted to wasteful over-consumption – without regard to the environmental consequences.

Bringing this home to our recovery, I submit that embracing the concept of environmental sustainability constitutes a logical extension of the principles of giving back and spiritual awakening embodied in Step 12. We simply need to ask ourselves – “What kind of an environmental legacy do we want to leave behind for future generations?”

Environmental Sustainability – Walking the Walk

What can we do to make a personal contribution toward promoting a truly sustainable environment and way of living? A number of thoughts immediately come to mind – I’m sure you can expand upon this list.

1. Recycling: Committing ourselves to recycling is vitally important to curtailing wasteful consumption of our limited resources. During the early years of our marriage, Ann and I furnished our home almost completely through thrift store purchases – all high quality stuff. We continue this practice today out of our commitment to recycling, as well as our love for finding a great bargain!

1. Curbing our addiction to oil: While America contains less that 5 percent of the world’s population we account for 25 percent of worldwide oil consumption. How can we cut back?

I am fortunate to live in an environmentally conscious Northwest coastal community. Our streets are filled with cyclists of all ages, many of whom have chosen to voluntarily refrain from owning a car. While my ’89 Camry still gives me 32 MPG on the open road, lately I’ve been opting to do my errands over the course of my morning walk. While my shopping on foot probably yields a savings of less than 2 gallons per week, it feels good to know I am making a modest contribution toward promoting a healthier environment. Other ways of combating excessive oil consumption include car pooling, using public transportation and driving smaller, energy efficient cars.

1. Eating lighter on the food chain: Over 30 years ago I gave up eating red meat after watching a movie titled “Diet for a Small Planet”, which drove home to me the wastefulness of our excessive reliance on animal protein. Here’s the math: When we eat red meat, it takes roughly 10-12 pounds of grain to produce one pound of protein we consume. When we eat poultry or fish, the exchange is reduced to approximately 6-8 pounds of plant protein per pound of animal protein. And when we derive a substantial portion of our daily protein requirements directly from plant-based sources (which is easier – and healthier – than most people believe), we’re dealing with a one on one exchange. What I’m advocating here is simply eating consciously, with full awareness as to how our food choices impact upon the sustainability of our environment and the growing problem of worldwide starvation – together with how these choices impact our own health status.

1. Honoring our Mother Earth: I have always been fascinated by the Native American beliefs, traditions and practices centering on treading lightly on the ground while honoring Mother Earth and Father Sky, which together give birth to all that we consume. We would all be well served, I believe, by immersing ourselves in nature to fully experience her exquisite beauty and abundance, together with her paradoxical qualities of strength and fragility. Get out into nature today – or this coming weekend – and re-experience the boundless pleasure of running through the fields, hiking in the desert or climbing a hill or mountain. Be sure to take your children with you, and learn from them concerning what we need to do to preserve a sustainable and livable planet for future generations.

I would be interested in your reactions to this column and can be reached at DrJohn@wellnessandrecovery.com. Until next time – to your health!

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John Newport, Ph.D. is an addictions specialist, writer and speaker based in Port Townsend, Washington. He is author of The Wellness-Recovery Connection: Charting Your Pathway to Optimal Health While Recovering from Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, and is currently completing a Wellness and Recovery Workbook Series in collaboration with the Gorski-CENAPS ® Corporation.For further information on The Wellness-Recovery Connection or to contact Dr. Newport, visit www.wellnessandrecovery.com. For information on the Wellness and Recovery Workbook Series, visit www.relapse.org.

c/john/Steps Sustainability and Recovery 10.09