John,
Thanks for reading my blog post! It certainly describes where I've been at lately. Kinda dark, honestly. I'm trying to elevate things, but it's hard these days. Every time I turn around, I read about bees dying, bats dying, salmon dying, polar bears dying, pine forests dying, icecaps melting, worldwide food shortages, increasing food costs here at home, storm intensity increasing, jet streams shifting poleward, songbirds getting wiped out, and on and on. It really scares me. I'm really beginning to wonder if we're a lot closer to total environmental collapse than many people would like to admit. I mean, several of these species are keystone species. That means that we can't survive too well without them.
I'm reminded of Generation X, where Coupland points out that one of the biggest defining characteristics of generation X is a constant fear of nuclear annihilation. I think I feel that same fear, only the bomb has been replaced with total environmental meltdown. In that way, I'm not so different from the characters in the book. I play out dystopian future scenarios in my head. I read stories about seriously damaged ecosystems. I tell stories about them. Everyone I know and connect with feels much the same way. Our new national heroes are Al Gore and Barack Obama, environmental and social icons.
These are good perspectives to have, I suppose, but my concern is that it's too late. The cancer has metastasized and the chemo won't work anymore. We can't fix the problems anymore; we can only hold hands and enjoy the spectacular smoggy sunsets until the wars, famine, and chaos finish us off. I don’t fully believe that, though… not yet. But sometimes I do wonder if the earth isn't trying to shake off us humans like a dog shaking water off its fur. Or at very least it’s trying to shake off some harmful ideas. As Buckminster Fuller once said, "Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us. We are not the only experiment." Or, as he also said, "If humanity does not opt for integrity we are through completely. It is absolutely touch and go. Each one of us could make the difference." I guess I'm trying very hard to make the difference, and that's what my blog is about, more or less. I've got to do something, and I'm just figuring out the best and biggest way I can help.
I'm reminded of Generation X, where Coupland points out that one of the biggest defining characteristics of generation X is a constant fear of nuclear annihilation. I think I feel that same fear, only the bomb has been replaced with total environmental meltdown. In that way, I'm not so different from the characters in the book. I play out dystopian future scenarios in my head. I read stories about seriously damaged ecosystems. I tell stories about them. Everyone I know and connect with feels much the same way. Our new national heroes are Al Gore and Barack Obama, environmental and social icons.
These are good perspectives to have, I suppose, but my concern is that it's too late. The cancer has metastasized and the chemo won't work anymore. We can't fix the problems anymore; we can only hold hands and enjoy the spectacular smoggy sunsets until the wars, famine, and chaos finish us off. I don’t fully believe that, though… not yet. But sometimes I do wonder if the earth isn't trying to shake off us humans like a dog shaking water off its fur. Or at very least it’s trying to shake off some harmful ideas. As Buckminster Fuller once said, "Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us. We are not the only experiment." Or, as he also said, "If humanity does not opt for integrity we are through completely. It is absolutely touch and go. Each one of us could make the difference." I guess I'm trying very hard to make the difference, and that's what my blog is about, more or less. I've got to do something, and I'm just figuring out the best and biggest way I can help.
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