Friendly Insights on the Human Condition

A handful of insights this week from friends.

During a walk with one good friend this week, she exhorted me, out of concern for my emotional wellbeing, to quit writing to a local "newspaper" (the term is used lightly) about climate change. (It tends not to be a nice experience.) "You create change in people through example, by what you do, not what you say," she said.

At that moment it became very clear to me. I am trying to get other people to take the time and care enough to write to the paper about climate change (in defense of the future and the children and the planet), so I guess I'd better keep writing to that paper. (Talking about climate change, as I mentioned last week, is one of the most important things we can be doing right now. Praying would also be good.)

Another friend wrote: "And then I got to thinking, what would this planet be like if we all believed in our own beauty? And when did we get so disconnected from how wonderful we are? So... if we are, in fact, all connected — the earth, the cosmos, the plants, the animals, you and I — then when we look at the awesome beauty outside of us, perhaps we can use this as a mirror to see our own divine beauty. Just a thought...."

And at that moment, I realized that our culture certainly does not view humanity as connected to all other life on this precious Earth, but nor do we think of humanity as beautiful or worth saving (worthy of saving?). We have been so steeped in our own individualistic, neurotic need to be beautiful or feel worthy that we can't think beyond ourselves.

Another friend said, in conversation about food security and the climate change sh!t hitting the fan and social breakdown, "Oh, I don't think it'll get that bad. After all, during the Depression and the world wars, people looked out for each other." Ah, I thought to myself, economic crises and times of conflict are similar in that they both hold promise of improvement. When it comes to global heating and climate disruption, once the positive feedbacks kickstart the tipping points and lead to points of no return, there will be no "improvement" for centuries or thousands of years.

And finally, a cherished friend told me that he feels he's close to achieving what he set out to accomplish on the climate front (and his accomplishments are many!). That helped me realize that one of the reasons I feel like I'm flailing is that I have never defined exactly what I set out to achieve. (I should mention that I'd confided in another friend that I've been feeling like I'm sinking. You know, under the weight of all this knowing and caring. He said, "There is no sinking allowed." That pulled me back up!)

So, folks, you're hearing it here first ... I cannot "save the world," but I want to achieve transformation in the education system. If I accomplish nothing else in this second half of my life, I want to help children everywhere acquire the skills, understandings, and habits of mind and heart that they're going to need in order to create the best possible future out of the chaos we're bequeathing them. I want every school district everywhere to ensure that their students learn how to grow food, build soil, collect rainwater, and generate energy.

That's all. (Ha!) But at least it's a focus.

Thanks, dear friends, for your wonderful insights!

181 Days Left - Fossil Fuels Are Like Drugs: Just Say No!

Our friend and fellow climate change activist (and animal rights activist extraordinaire) Anthony Marr wrote today about the futility of the Bonn climate talks.

"First of all, the targets set will be grossly inadequate (guaranteed), and even so, countries can still violate them left, right and center — without penalty." He notes that there seems to be no mention of methane at the talks. Yet methane (from the thawing permafrost and the destabilizing methane hydrates at the bottom of the oceans and in continental shelves) is the scariest thing happening because of global warming. (Can you say "carbon feedbacks"?)

In a 6 June 2009 article by William Marsden for Canwest News Service entitled "Crunch Time for Climate Talks," United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) executive secretary, Yvo de Boer, says that in the six months left, negotiators will try "to reach an agreement on what might well be one of the most complicated international treaties ever negotiated."

Well, Mr. de Boer, I know how to make it uncomplicated. Extremely uncomplicated. Just say no. Just say zero. Zero carbon emissions. Zero fossil fuel use. That's our goal. Our target should not be 350 parts per million, nor (a catastrophic) 1.5 degrees of temperature increase, nor 80% greenhouse gas cuts by 2050. Our target needs to be ZERO. As quickly as possible.

Zero is a good, clear number that creates a level playing field. Every nation in the world, every corporation, every human being can start striving now to reach zero carbon emissions as soon as possible.

Sheesh, considering that survival of the human species (and millions of other species) is at risk, you'd think governments everywhere would be tripping over themselves to be the fastest to cut their emissions.

Sadly, as Anthony points out ("It is about time we realize that we can no longer rely on our 'leaders' to lead us to any promised land. If we do, we WILL be led into a hell on Earth.... It is up to us folks, who have any true love for our children, life on Earth and the planet itself"), these talks are simply a stalling tactic.

Instead of racing each other to ZERO CARBON EMISSIONS, negotiators are looking for ways to put off making any cuts for as long as possible — thereby condemning us all.

Please, when you have some time (49 minutes and 8 seconds of it), watch Anthony Marr's video, M-Bomb: Doomsday Machine. It will explain why there is no time for procrastination. There is barely enough time left to just say no.

183 Days to Copenhagen - Sharing the Voices of Others ("Cannibal Culture")

Today, I would like to share something that a dear loved one — and one of the world's best climate change research synthesizers — wrote recently in response to some vegetarian and vegan compatriots who are despairing about the global climate change emergency.

(As I mentioned on Day 201, going veg is the quickest, easiest and most impactful change you can make right now.)

From Dr. Peter D. Carter:
"Hello all, it is encouraging to know there are some good humane beings out there. You are perhaps the only group on the planet right now having the humane integrity to face the terrible truth about global climate change.

The rest of the world is in deep, dumb denial.

As a group knowing the truth, you are in a powerful and unique position right now. Someone asked how can it be that people don't/can't see what is happening. I have asked myself the same question a million times.

First, ethics practically no longer exist, having been taken over by The Market Economy that makes all decisions for all in our culture.

Also, we are a thoroughly desensitized culture raised on violence and cruelty - and distraction and entertainment.

Next, people in general only respond to strong leadership on a big issue. They regard the scientists as the leaders on climate change and the scientists are in as great denial as anyone. Apart from James Hansen, most of them say and do nothing.

And finally, there is the main psychological reason for denial. While it is now so painfully clear that our EuroAmerican consumer culture is literally killing life on Earth, because we are (so people deeply believe) the best there has ever been, our belief tells us we really can't be as insanely evil as to be murdering the Earth. The belief and reality don't match and people are rejecting the reality to keep the belief.

I think the reason why animal rights / vegan folks can see this is that they have a counterculture belief. They don't believe we are the best there is because they believe murdering other animals to eat their flesh is a stupid and bad thing to do. (And climate change research is bearing that out.)

It takes a critical thinking, deep thinking and deep feeling individual to go against our culture's big ritual of meat eating.

The dominant EuroAmerican consumer culture has a history of terrible evil deeds — of ruthless oppression, torture and murder to exploit other far better human cultures over many hundreds of years. Our culture has become the Cannibal Culture as people are now killing their children."

Thank you, Peter. I call it progenycide.