The environment movement is failing because of a dearth of truth telling and a profound lack of ambition. Apart from what sells, is compatible with public opinion, or may remain unknown at the time; ecological truth exists and matters deeply. These truths include the laws of the universe and requirements for existence of organic life. When Homo sapiens perceived themselves, and lived, as one with the Earth, there was no problem. But now the ever so pugnacious hairless ape has asserted mastery over nature, with dire consequences that remain to be fully realized.
Shared survival depends critically upon first fully knowing and feeling eco-crises, and then formulating and implementing ecologically sufficient personal and social transformations. Let us be clear. We know of no life on Earth or elsewhere that does not require water, and in most cases an atmosphere and soil. The naturally evolved ecosystems required for human survival have been, and are being, ripped to shreds by a way of living that is wantonly ungrounded in requirements for maintaining the Earth and all life. The imminent end result can only be grisly, grimy despair and then death -- the end of existence for all.
New Earth Rising is based upon the premise that critical aspects, inter-relationships and the magnitude of the Earth crises remain unknown, thus sufficient and workable policies able to make a difference are unable to be proposed and implemented. Indeed, in its most basic and essential form, knowing the coming ecological Armageddon is quite simple: like a disease upon creation, humanity is burning and cutting the natural ecosystems that are the foundation and provide habitat for all life. At this point we must pray to Gaia that the Earth is more resilient than supposed, and that a revolutionary spirit of action can be awakened in time to continue being and ensure shared survival.
There is still hope things can be turned around. And the responses, difficult as they may seem in terms of gut-wrenching change and sacrifice, are equally straight-forward: ending the use of coal and ancient forest logging would largely solve the climate and biodiversity crises, and get us at least half way to equitable and just global ecological sustainability. The rest of the mess including soil, water, toxics and oceans are not insubstantial, and each could eliminate us and all complex life in their own right. But if the upright apes can simply stop cutting and burning -- and begin an era of ecological protection and restoration -- we have a real chance to address these other issues, and of surviving as a species, with other life, on a living Earth.
Ecological Internet's new e-zine, New Earth Rising, which I am pleased to hereby inaugurate, is committed to shrill yet reasoned ecological truth telling, and laying the foundation to obstruct all that lies between global citizenry and shared survival. Our gamut is quite broad as militarism, poverty, elite rule and other issues all have an ecological sustainability element and will in turn be examined in order to know ecological truth so we together can take sufficient action. This issue is a bit of a hodge-podge -- examining entropy in relation to solar energy, while promoting the eating of peaches; revealing the lure of big plantation schemes, while showcasing innovative water management schemes; and with ancient memories and cartoons thrown in the mix.
New Earth Rising intends to be at the vanguard of bright green thought and a movement committed to ecological truth-telling that reveals the depth of the global ecological crisis, and to taking whatever ecologically informed steps are deemed necessary to ensure our shared survival and continuation of being. Where the others provide flash, and sell half-measures to fill their coffers, this is Ecological Internet's latest effort to provide thoughtful substance and ecologically based sufficient action. This is in line with Ecological Internet's mission of empowering the global movement for environmental sustainability, and working to commence the age of ecological sustainability and restoration.
As with our other efforts, if we ruffle some well groomed feathers, so be it. If confronting the Rainforest Action Network's support for ancient forest logging (banner photo above), which greenwashes the destruction of sacred primeval forest temples, is attacking another NGO, so be it. If writing emotionally of the truth of Gaia's demise threatens the powerful and wealthy, so be it. If calling for a reduction in human population, an end to coal and ancient forest logging, and other similarly ambitious yet crucial steps to transition to an era of ecological sustainability is just impossible crazy talk, so be it. We will strongly, even if our voices crack, tell truth to power -- and then demand action be taken or else -- until our last breath.
The experience of campaigning against environmental groups that greenwash first time logging of centuries old trees, across hundreds of million of hectares of the world's last ancient forests, has shown me just how pervasive delusional, wishful untruths are. Ecological Internet is not interested in being cool, but actually working effectively to know and achieve what must be done, because it is ecologically truthful.
It is better to pursue ambitious, sufficient environmental goals, and perhaps fail to achieve what must be done ecologically in order to maintain the species and Gaia indefinitely, but have a real shot at success, than to fully achieve what is inadequate and assuredly crashing nonetheless. 95% of the environmental movement is hand-waving, feel good reformist claptrap that is failing, and even if it succeeded, would be overwhelmingly insignificant given the crises' magnitude. Hanging banners and gracefully posing makes many seemingly solid greens feel good, but having fewer babies, consuming less and stopping ecosystem destruction at any cost, and insisting others do likewise, is what is needed.
Let the first issue of New Earth Rising be a call to action for individuals and society to think and act in ways necessary for our shared survival and continued being. The time is short my friends -- to be effective in these goals we must not fear to know ecological crises intimately, work tirelessly to formulate and implement sufficient responses, and then, if need be, commit to a revolutionary spirit of action, including laying our lifes on the line, for all that is truthful, beautiful and good. Our present way of living must die, and a new way of being birthed. New Earth Rising is dedicated to helping do so. Let's start now.
In our next issue, we intend to address the financial crisis and implications for global ecological sustainability, and we hereby issue a call for papers on the topic. As an economic recession (depression?) approaches, and the economy shrinks by 0.3% in the last quarter, this end to growth is greeted like it is the end of the world. Yet we know the real end of the Earth will come through ecologically mediated collapse of habitats which provide the requirements for life. We hope others will share their insight into the fact that nothing, absolutely nothing, grows forever – eventually positive feedback rips apart exponentially growing systems, be it economic or ecological. How can the growth machine be stopped?
Thanks for this effort, Dr. Barry.
The next issue looks particularly interesting. I'm looking forward to some serious economic/environmental analysis in it.
Great work!
Dr. Glen Barry:
Earlier this year I recall reading one
of your pieces in which you declared yourself
to be an atheist or at least an agnostic, and
you relegated religion and belief in God as
a distraction in the cause of saving the earth.
But here I see your talk of praying to Gaia
and of "sacred primaeval forests" which seem
to be religious concepts, indeed. Are you using
these words metaphorically or ironically? Or
is part of your do-or-die commitment to saving
the earth coming from a religious faith?
If you want to enlist the help of believers
especially western Christians, in the cause to
save the earth, my opinion is you would be
better off basing everything on hard science,
facts, reason, rather than on the one hand
condemning traditional religion while on
the other holding up Gaia as a goddess or
seeming to hold up Gaia as goddess.
It is true - to a certain degree - that the mainstream environmental organisations have become a little bit too "pragmatic". They have put forward campaigns and targets that are designed around their acceptability rather than what will make a real difference sustainably.
The solution is to work within these organisations, inspiring them to "raise their game".
And that means that telling the truth (as much as we understand it to be the truth) is required.
For example we need to inspire those campaign groups that are campaigning against the expansion of airports, that that is not enough. We need to be campaigning for the contraction of airports. (Certainly in the UK where flying has become a dangerous epidemic).
We have to be visionary, ambitious, inspirational and hopeful.
Truth is not known. What is known is that we know little of the complexity of our planets biology. Long ago the Western cultures should have turned to the wisdom of our 'elders'; those elders who have maintained an ancient link to their land. Now there is a great urgency to listen to them. Our indigenous people in Australia for instance have survived previous climate change. They respect and learn about the land in ways that link nature and her complex biology into a total world view. The elders in Australia teach their people to hear the land, and to 'truly' speak to it. Many deaths have been caused in the vague name of fighting for what is 'truthful, beautiful or good'. Let us instead be driven by a passion to work together, to give power where it should lie, and listen to the truly clever amongst us. If this is your truth, then, I shall read on with interest.
Truth is not known? You are not understanding. The truths are we need water or we die. We need an atmosphere or we die. We need ecosystems for food and shelter or we die. Human populations are soaring in an unprecedented manner destroying ecosystems necessary for the above. If we don't do something being and our shared survival is over and we all die. This is the truth of which I speak.
One essay cannot cover everything at once, but yes, I find great wisdom in your call to "be driven by a passion to work together, to give power where it should lie, and listen to the truly clever amongst us." These are very important aspects of how we get from here (collapse) to there (sustainability). Thank you.
Dear Glen,
Great. You have listed military as the main climate destroyer. I have been wondering why all those climate models of IPCC did not include 440 MT TNT equivalent of atmospheric nuke tests. Was'nt the global dimming experienced during 1950-80 due to the lofting of more than 30 million tons of soil particles in the stratosphere?
Or for that matter what is ecological footprint of 500+ nuke submarines that release their fission products and waste heat into the sacred waters of the Arctic.
Hope your forthcoming issues will look into these issues.
Regards,
VT Padmanabhan
The fundamental problem is that of over population and a completely flawed economic model that depends upon it for its cogency.
However the sacred cow that no government dares to acknowledge is that of population regulation and ultimately decrease.
Many believe that governments will not address over population because of fear of upsetting the electorate and the human rights "freedom of choice" lobby.
However by far the greater pressure is due to the global flawed economic model. The model at its heart assumes infinite economic growth ( put crudely an infinite increase in GDP for every country).
If this growth falls to less than 1% it triggers the alert "recession" and any country in that position will lose currency exchange values and be considered a failure by the IMF and global G8 group.If this continues for 3 or more quarters then the depression alarm is triggered and panic commences.
It is no surprise that the USA provided the main economic models in current use and it is the USA that has espoused globalisation so that their GDP can increase and their production can be shifted to ever cheaper labour areas.It is why aviation is completely untaxed worldwide - NO FUEL DUTY AND NO VAT?SALES TAX ANYWHERE and the USA refuses to even discuss the possibility of taxation when proposed by the EU. The model is so popular because it is simple and panders to that most fundamental human flaw GREED. The USA has some of the most poverty stricken communities of any developed country yet it eschews socialism as communism and even the poor vote for unfettered monetarism as they have been brainwashed into thinking that even the poorest can become wealthy by capitalism unfettered. History disproves this for all but a very few individuals but like playing the lottery they still believe they might be the one!
It is no surprise that the USA triggered the great depression of the 20's and is now triggering the great depression of the 2000's.
Where does population fit in?
Well the easiest way to ensure infinite growth in GDP is to have an ever increasing population! This is why the UK gives ever increasing tax incentives for each child and taxes married childless couples the most. Why Greece is offering £10,000 per child as they fear their population is static or even slightly declining.Why many countries fear declining population as they cannot meet pension provisions because there has been no saving scheme just a pool of money funded by current workforces. Why every major economic country falls over itself to welcome economic migrants as a cheap labour supply but more importantly as a way of increasing GDP.
Unless the economic model and its blind acceptance by the majority of the global population can be changed and then the over population issue addressed then any "green action" is pointless as it only serves to stall the inevitable destruction of habitats and depletion of resources.
M. Byford
Bsc M Med Sci
Dear Glen,
This website is a wonderful idea. Thanks for all you are doing to protect biodiversity from mass extinction, to preserve Earth's body from wanton dissipation, to halt relentless degradation of the environment and, with a bit of luck and a great deal of work, to save the family of humanity from reckless endangerment as well as to spare the human species from an even worse threat.
Sincerely yours,
Steve
I welcome your promise to be shrill. My friends and family think I'm batsh*t crazy because I can't stop myself from pointing out to any who will listen that the trees here in my home New Jersey are dying. As far as I can tell form recent visits north and south, the same is true from at least Cape Cod to Pennsylvania.
Every species appears to be in decline. The conifers have yellowing needles and most are bursting with cones, a sign of desperation. Many if not most deciduous trees had leaves that were shriveled, scorched, and falling well before the autumn season when they were supposed to turn colors.
I am not a scientist, but after much observation, thought and research, I believe it is drought and especially the lack of snowfall that is killing the trees. Although we may be getting adequate rainfall to replenish the aquifers, it seems to be arriving in brief heavy torrents. I can remember when I was young (40 years ago!), days of drizzle. That never happens anymore. And without a blanket of snow in winter, the trees are deprived of a blanket that reflects the sun, and slowly seeps water into the earth.
The consequences of a mass tree loss on the East Coast are daunting, if not tragic. Wildfires and the loss of habitat come to mind, along with the inconvenience and expense of downed wires and removing trees that threaten buildings.
It's amazing to me that the evidence of tree decline is in front of our eyes and yet few acknowledge its inevitability given the feedback effects of global warming. It grieves me.
Thank you for your efforts.
Dr. Barry,
Thank you so much for a very inspiring piece indeed. The Environmental truth is necessary, we are now entering the phase you mention, it is now time to solve this thing. The people's will looks like it has transferred into some political will, NOW, we are in the position for a more swift and organized solution to this monster WE have created. I am sure that WE can fix this thing , it is going to take more focused attention , resolve and a few magic tricks but that is the reason WE ARE ALL HERTE, NOW. I AM looking foward to your important input and will be getting more personally involved with your site and work, very soon. I believe that Mother Earth and her creatures are aware of your work, and so are many others who are thankful for your devoted involvement and dedication to the end?beginning part of this movement. New Earth rising indeed...... All the pieces are in place , this is going to be fun.
To: Nampijmpa, Australia, You are so correct. The indeginous tribes from around the world knew how to survive in and with the environment. They developed a knowledge base far greater than ours, for they understood the relationships between humanity and nature. They understood that nature must stand and coexist with humnaity. The tribes of the Americas controlled their hunting, and fishing so as not to waste. They actually participated in scaffolding nature in order to provide continued support for seven generations into the future. We can not even plan 5 years ahead let alone for 7 generations. (We should work very hard to save the few remaning indeginous tribes such as those hiding out from the world in the deep growth of the Amazon Jungles...The tribes call themselves the "Guardians of the Forest." ) They do not need our imput...but we certainly need theirs!
The Northern American tribes observed the whole. They looked upon the entire sky when it snowed and learned the sigificance to water, plants, animals, humans and the conditions which would unfold for the year. They for the most part remained nomadic in order to bend to the whims of nature. They knew how to save and store foods for lean times. They knew which lands would provide and which lands needed rest. They understood how plants functioned together, and how animals worked together to create balance.
The "Western" tribes of Europe once did this ...thanks to Anglos, Saxons,Gauls,Franks, Germatic tribes and Rome they lost their knowledge. Knowledge was later granted to the elites and removed or denied to the mass of people. The teachings of the "Church" was basically that all that was nature was evil" We had to look to "life after death" instead of life. Humanity became the most important life on this planet and all other life was basically abhored.
Science was born in dark and private halls of knowledge and instead of looking at the whole sky and its relationships, they extracted single snow flakes and made their observations in isolation of any relationship to anything at. When they did see relationships they were put on trial.
The two systems of knowledge must begin to function together. The science of the west looked to the heavens to find God, yet they did not understand the universe eough to create an accurate calander like the Mayan had already done. Westeren science later set out to conquer disease, plants, water, and all other forms of life. In the process they became capitalistic---selling their acquired knowledge to the highest bidder. And along the way a few good things have been accomplished for humanity, but the overwhelming effects have been to create multitude of mysterious illness, the detioration of the human system and to stress the entire system of life energies on the planet.
Even in our perilious time of entrophy too many people do not value life beyong the human life. We continue to sacrifice all of life for our wastful, destructive ways. Extinction of life should never be accepted. I suppose many believe "God" will provide and they are anxiously waiting of the return of Jesus. god already provided. Humanity has abused the gifts. Now humanity has to figure out how to put Humpty back together again.
I personally believe the Native Americans, and other tribal people were correct in their respect and honour to the sprits of nature. And, that their basic beliefs and understandings were closer to science (e.g., physics, human psychology and ecology) than science itself.
One may ask what are the "spirits of nature." The spirits of nature are the energies anamating mass to life. (need we look further for a God?) If we cannot respect the energy within all that exists, we are in reality seperated from life and are nothing but hallow zombie type creatures which haunt and plague the earth. We are the sleepwalkers heading toward the edge of a deep abyss.
Just a couple of questions and perhaps insights. First, pretend for a moment that I am a computer geek in Calcutta or Mumbai. I am the first of my family to rise into the new Indian Middle Class. I have a new Audi, imported from Germany. I just bought a condo for my wife and I in a new area of the city. I want kids, but not as many as my parents attempted to have. Mother was pregnant 14 times, gave birth 12 times, and had seven live births, two of which died within one year. Rough times. We had to struggle to find food and then fight with others who wanted the same stuff. Sometimes, my older brother would go to the garbage dumps outside our area to scavenge for possible goodies. I don't want to live that way. And within my own city, the other castes don't like what I am doing. I want what I have seen others around the world achieve. Now the eco-freaks are telling me I shouldn't do that. Cut back, eat less, use less resources. Not a chance.
Now, find me in urban China. Same scenario, give or take. Next, Rio, or perhaps Sao Paulo.
With several billions of people coming into the Good Life, we who would be eco-friendly are finding a real challenge. So my question to you is, how do we teach and create sustainability while not insisting that the rising classes give up or lessen what they have achieved? Do you think they would listen anyway?
It would seem we have to put ourselves into the shoes of the ones that we would cut off. Tight fit, don't you think?
Thanks for responding.
The dangerous devotion of so many leaders to a "business as usual" status quo as well as to unbridled global economic growth and outrageous per capita overconsumption could prove to be lethal for our children also to worship because these forms of idolatry could soon become patently unsustainable on a relatively small, evidently finite and noticeably frangible planet like the planetary home which God has blessed us to inhabit......and not to ravage as the leading elders in my "Not So GREAT GREED GRAB Generation" have been advocating so religiously and doing so recklessly in these early years of Century XXI.
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population,
established 2001
http://sustainabilityscience.org/content.html?contentid=1176
Dear Dr. Barry,
Thanks for adding your voice to those of a rapidly growing number of people willing to be intellectually honest and morally courageous rather than seek the approval of intellectual fools and the favors of wealthy benefactors who support anyone who is willing to say and do anything that serves their selfish interests.
Also, Glen, special thanks for your unwillingness to suffer gladly the fools and self-serving powerbrokers among us.
Sincerely,
Steve
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population,
established 2001
http://sustainabilityscience.org/content.html?contentid=1176