The UN report makes clear that the effects of our industrial and post-industrial consumption and our burning of the fossil fuel resources that enabled it may last for centuries to come. Whether the human species will survive its own mindless improvidence and greed remains an open question. We pride ourselves on the knowledge we have gained about the planet we are given to inhabit, but surely our ignorance is far greater. In the grand scheme of things, I suppose, it matters little to the universe--perhaps even to the planet itself--whether this one troublesome species survives. We have contributed already to the extinction of so many others, and the world keeps turning inexorably, shrugging off the loss and adapting to the change in ways of which we humans seem incapable. Our minds are prisoners of old ways of thinking, old conceptions of what it is we need--and what we need is always more than what we have. We seem fated to strive for the "growth" and "progress" that will assure our downfall.
Until we learn that there must be some limit to our grasping, until we learn tolerance and patience for the needs of other humans and of other species, we will continue down this path toward eventual destruction. We need to be more mindful that it is our actions that contribute to the creation of the world we live in; and our actions, should we all finally agree to make it so, that can begin to reverse the disastrous path that we have chosen.
2 comments:
It is so sad that no one sees that this is our 'home'. We're not going anywhere real soon, and we need to clean up our mess. Stop the great industrial plants from clogging our air so we can't breath, stop our vehicles from running on fossil fuels, stop cutting our trees down to stick in those brick holes in the wall called fireplaces. We're helping to take away the habitat of an animal somewhere, and clogging up the breathing air we all have to breathe. Recycle newspaper so we don't have to cut down more trees. There are so many things we could do if we wanted to. Walk more, ride a bicycle, take the bus, ride with someone else. Petition Congress and the Senate to get with the global warming legislation, and stop procrastinating. Solar heating, wind farms. And if it can be afforded for those who live near the ocean, buy converters for water. If I stayed up longer I might think of more... it's after 2am..yawwwn.. Have a good day Peter
This is a probimatic situation that stems from at least eight thousand years of simply not knowing science and cognitive imparment plus screwed child raising practices. Laying it on Bush is silly. He was voted in by perhaps less than all the American people, but face it, enough Americans voted for him that we have to blame ourselves. We are not a great people. Most are stupid, lazy, ignorent and they are going to stay that way. The arena of ideas is bankrupt. The answers are and have been apparent for at least twenty-thirty years....but answers are not the answer. It is the people, the history. Christianity and the other screwed anihedonistic religons are so much to blame. How many philosophers do we have, or mathamaticians....how many psychologists know but there are so few. The Ebola clan in international travel is bound to wipe out most of the cancer that is humanity at this point. Then there may be a small chance of a return to an econonomy of satisfaction rather than of growth. And we you and I will be long dead by then. I know what is going on, what has to be, what germain answers are....but it dosn't matter. Too many people, too much paper pushing, too much advice in words....it's none stop the same shit, the same methods that have gone on for milenium and it isn't going to stop soon. Maybe writing makes you feel better, like you've contributed and all, but it's a lost cause. I'd recommend just buying a rifle and picking off some executives in the advertizing industry and a few lobbiests, and a few doctors and anyone else that pisses you off for any ol reason...honestly....it's no longer a matter of civilization. We are barbarians once again. Cop to it. Take revenge and hid. And your "Buddist" crap has been so distorted over the last centuries that its worthless....do you know that? Fuck more. Get and give messagesses. Get a clue. I know what I'm talking about. Your intent is good but it's the same old shit. Take care. Live a little and do your part by dropping dead. You know, you will.
Post a Comment