EARTH MEANDERS New Earth Rising: Hope for a New Global Dream Sufficient and workable individual and social solutions exist for the wide range of ecological, economic, social and personal ills facing the biosphere and humanity; and together they could herald in a new era of global ecological sustainability
Earth Meanders by Dr. Glen Barry, [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://earthmeanders.blogspot.com/ May 11, 2008 Long predicted Earth crises -- including climate change, water shortages, abject poverty, extreme weather, food shortages, over-population, biological homogenization, energy scarcity, diminished oceans, political instability and endless resource wars -- are unfolding as expected, and are converging into a new global ecological crisis of unprecedented magnitude. The fundamental root cause of this global crisis is that humans are destroying ecosystems necessary for all life. Humanity has met and surpassed ecological limits. Failure to develop and implement profound personal and social change, adequate to respond to global ecosystems in mid-collapse, will have profound negative consequences for vast numbers of global citizens who are unable to meet basic needs including food, water, housing, education and health care. The task of our and all time is to find and implement sufficient solutions for the wide range of ills facing the biosphere and humanity. Ongoing arguments whether personal virtue or social enlightenment are the best strategies to promote are mute as frankly things are dire and we need lots of both. Defining, personally embracing, and gaining social acceptance for a new global dream will require huge amounts of both personal and social change. Yet there is much to build upon, for even as the fateful hour of global ecological collapse nears, the Earth is blooming with responses to each of the symptomatic crises. From relocalized economies to community gardens, from having fewer children to better educating those we have, from driving less while living more richly where we find ourselves, by finding meaning in experience, knowledge and truth rather than competitive consumption, by rejecting ancient superstitions for an understanding that the Earth is alive and sacred -- a slowly awakening public is showing where there is knowledge and will there is hope. I see a new Earth rising. New Earth Rising: Personal Redemption and Social Transformation A new global dream of a sustainable, just and equitable world; where peace, truth and ecosystems are the foundation of fulfilling, experience rich lives, is emerging. We are witnessing a "New Earth Rising", a new global consciousness built upon profound individual awakening, that understands through science, intuition and direct observation that protection and restoration of ecological systems (with healthy doses of personal redemption and social transformation) is the meaning of life. This bright green Earth ethic needs to be nurtured to allow it to grow and prosper; displacing the corrosive, corrupt and unsustainable ethic of maximizing personal consumption at the expense of shared social values. While the Earth and humanity will not emerge unscathed from the wide array of global ecological crises, there exist numerous well-known and well-studied personal and social changes that could dramatically increase the probability of humans, civilization, other species and the Earth surviving. In a globalized, interconnected world something as seemingly innocuous as eating, and how we meet other basic human needs, has profound meaning. What has been particularly lacking in addressing global crises is a comprehensive, integrated approach to all these issues; that seeks to develop and implement sufficient solutions. New Earth Rising's global dream will stress working to protect and restore core ecological reserves globally while planting organic gardens locally, promoting incentives and sanctions to reduce population while personally reducing consumption, demanding urgent cessation of ecocidal and irredeemable industries such as coal and ancient forest logging while refusing to buy all Earth destroying products, urging investment to meet the full range of human needs for all while personally living rich and simple lives full of laughter and happiness, and the embrace of morality that stresses equity, fairness, sustainability and justice by and for all. I have written extensively here regarding other elements of an ecologically based worldview, from which a fledgling think- tank named the Sustainability Solutions Initiative has emerged. There I preliminarily identify ten critical global ecological policies necessary to avert global ecological catastrophe while achieving global ecological sustainability at http://www.ecoearth.info/ssi/ . As ecological limits continue to bite, responses of many types are possible. Technology has a place, but placing our full faith in a technological silver bullet is extremely dangerous because continuing advances are not assured, while unintended consequences are. Individuals and by extension society can dig in and prepare to use every last bit of fossil fuel and other non-renewable resources to prop up artificially high populations and living standards, or we can embrace a new dream of returning to the Earth's bounty, rhythms and limits. The Earth's greatest remaining unknown is whether epidemic human populations will understand change is essential to survive, and begin to power down voluntarily. Personal inattentiveness is in fact a choice to push things to the very limit, completely undermining the biosphere and ensuring there remain few resources or ecosystems to allow any other type of decent life for humans and all species. As you awake to a New Earth Rising and help others to do so, be strong and resist small-minded ridicule and defensiveness. We are not only right, but together we are the Earth's future hope. All this talk of ecological collapse may seem extreme, nonsense even. I would imagine that to communities in Darfur and the billions living on under $2 a day the apocalypse has arrived now. All it takes is one particularly bad harvest for these people to slip into starvation. Indeed, it is happening now. If we continue as we are the end of being is upon us. While I am saddened I try to not be afraid because positive individual and social change is possible, trends do not mean assured outcomes, and things can be different if we have vision, feel and care. Real Spirituality The technical and scientific tools to achieve global ecological sustainability must be informed by a new Earth ethic that is adequate to the times. The spirituality that is most real is found in our personal connection with the natural world and our responsibility toward her. I would suggest polytheistic ritual and worship of Gaia and nature, rejecting myths of ancient monotheistic gods that made the Earth and now sit in judgment of our every action, are a vital part of a New Earth Rising. Many will continue to believe in ancient superstitions, and that is fine as long as you do not deny ecological fact, make your beliefs ecologically positive, and take responsibility for how your teachings are impacting these crises. Whatever your faith please consider yourselves stewards of the Earth, protect your habitat, be accountable and ethical, as you live up to the morals your god expects. While I still have doubts whether real fundamental change can come from within these structures, I challenge believers in ancient prophets to prove that accountability to an invisible creator is more likely to lead to an assured long-term future than humanity making informed, ecological science based policy decisions. Whatever you believe, work on the big issues. Reject small easy victories for committing decisively to adequate solutions to the great issues of our day. And regardless if you win or lose, make a difference and do not be afraid to change. The Earth dramatically needs a small cadre of Earth peace-makers willing to do what it takes to save creation -- including partaking in revolution when other options are exhausted, and the need and opportunity arises. Anyone thinking their life is going to remain unchanged by converging global crises that are fundamentally ecological in nature is delusional. Either you and your loved ones will be destroyed as ecosystems and society collapse, or how you live will be simplified as part of the global solution. It is hard to imagine how someone could be too radical regarding developing and rapidly propagating a new way of living to avert ecological crises destroying creation. Be the change. ******************** Dr. Barry is founder and President of Ecological Internet; provider of the largest, most used environmental portals on the Internet including the Climate Ark at http://www.climateark.org/ and http://www.EcoEarth.Info/ . Earth Meanders is a series of ecological essays that are written entirely in his personal capacity. This essay may be reprinted granted it is properly credited to Dr. Barry and with a link to Earth Meanders. 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