Anyone else need a little moral holiday from the unrelenting parade of politics, electioneering, and environmental apocalypse? I've recently discovered the joys of virtual hiking and leaf-peeping (etc.) via YouTube channels like this one:
Your Gaia proposal has inspired me, Ed.
LISTEN. It was great Zooming last night with the whole far-flung family, celebrating Older Daughter's 25th birthday. When she was a toddler she once flung coins in the fountain outside the old Davis-Kidd bookstore in Green Hills and wished "we would all be together." And there we were last night, together again though she's in LA and her sister's in the 'boro.conceives of the Earth, including the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere and upper layers of rock, as a single living super-organism, regulating its internal environment much as an animal regulates its body temperature and chemical balance. But now, says Lovelock, that organism is sick. It is running a fever born of the combination of a sun whose intensity is slowly growing over millions of years, and an atmosphere whose greenhouse gases have recently spiked due to human activity. Earth will adjust to these stresses, but on time scales measured in the hundreds of millennia. It is already too late, Lovelock says, to prevent the global climate from “flipping” into an entirely new equilibrium state that will leave the tropics uninhabitable, and force migration to the poles. The Revenge of Gaia explains the stress the planetary system is under and how humans are contributing to it, what the consequences will be, and what humanity must do to rescue itself. g'rYesterday in CoPhi we were talking about Peter Singer, Michael Pollan, and the ethical/ecological case for veganism. Lovelock: “I think that we reject the evidence that our world is changing because we are still, as that wonderfully wise biologist E. O. Wilson reminded us, tribal carnivores. We are programmed by our inheritance to see other living things as mainly something to eat, and we care more about our national tribe than anything else. We will even give our lives for it and are quite ready to kill other humans in the cruellest of ways for the good of our tribe. We still find alien the concept that we and the rest of life, from bacteria to whales, are parts of the much larger and diverse entity, the living Earth.”
It is crucial, Lovelock argues, that the intelligence of Earth survives and prospers. He does not think there are intelligent aliens, so we are the only beings capable of understanding the cosmos. Maybe, he speculates, the novacene could even be the beginning of a process that will finally lead to intelligence suffusing the entire cosmos.Hmm. “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.” Lovelock is clearly a sort of Humean, reason as slave of the passions etc., but without so many skeptical scruples.
I find it fascinating, the escalation of chaos that this year has brought to the American people (really all people but we are particularly damned it seems). In everything presented in the book thus far, Klein's points are only amplified by our country's current status. "Wild West economics is failing the vast majority of people around the world" (83); this is more true now than ever. With a record breaking unemployment rate, grocery stores constantly having shortages of goods, record numbers of evictions, we are seeing our country fail us before our eyes. Helping the planet, as Klein says, is completely antithetical to current capitalism. Corporations will continue to preach that things will be "made right", while 50,000 people were evacuated due to wildfires in California yesterday. The escalation of the climate crisis, on top of a pandemic has caused a world of issues for the Western world. As climate deniers have been saying, as well as Klein supporting the sentiment, climate change can only be approached in an entire new take on our economic and social structure.
Rosa Luxenburg said "Socialism or Barbarism". I am inclined to agree with this, as it seems Klein is as well. Especially in a time where billionaires collect more billions by the day, we are not in a place to discuss simple regulations or limits on corporate greed. We must eliminate corporations all together. We can either allow people the right to live without slave labor, or we can continue to fall deeper into our own demise.
Weekly points
10/27- Essay, Comment on questions, comment on Patrick's post :p
Question October 26-28
Do you blame all "boomers," whether captains of industry or mere consumers, for not doing more to avert the present situation? ("You don't learn these things [anthropogenic climate change etc.] in school.... "You sold our future, just for profit!"... "You have failed us all so terribly." 3 )
I don't think I'd go
as far as blaming all boomers for the environmental situation we are currently
in. While I feel that they would have had the advantage of controlling this
crisis at its start, there are other aspects to think about when considering
their liability. For example, maybe the majority of that generation was unaware
of the consequences that would arise from their way of life that became
increasingly industrial. Back then, being environmentally conscious wasn't
something you read about in ads or heard about while protesting. Moreover,
there have been numerous studies showing that Boomers are now more eco-conscious
than millennials. While their inventions have caused a lot of damage to the environment,
our current generation is just as guilty for being consumers of this industry.
This is due to the convenience they desire, and it is put as a higher priority
compared to being eco-friendly. If people of our generation didn’t take part in
the different industries Boomers have created that destroy our environment,
they wouldn’t survive, and those industries would die off.
As far as education in school, we
can argue it lacks a lot of information that useful to know. From how to do
taxes, to learning how to achieve good credit, practical knowledge is kind of
abandoned when it comes to public education. Another important lesson is the environment
and the impact we have on it. You would think geography and science classes at
the least would implement this into their curriculum, but I can’t even remember
learning about it.
If the earth is a "living organism" is that metaphorical or literal? Does it matter? What part of the organism are humans? One answer to that question is found in the Gaia hypothesis, which was presented by James Lovelock, a British chemist, in his 1979 book, Gaia. He says that “if you are someone wanting to know for the first time about the idea of Gaia, it is the story of a planet that is alive in the same way that a gene is selfish. It is not the biosphere alone that [does] the regulating [of life on earth] but the whole thing, life, the air, the oceans, and the rocks. The entire surface of the earth including life is a self-regulating entity and this is what I mean by Gaia.… [When I started to write this book] I began more and more to see things through [Gaia’s] eyes and slowly drop off, like an old coat, my loyalty to the humanist Christian belief in the good of mankind as the only thing that matters. I began to see us all as part of the community of living things that unconsciously keep the Earth a comfortable home, and that we human beings have no special rights only obligations to the community of Gaia.”
The idea of Gaia, that the earth is in some sense alive, was
initially, and perhaps today, rejected by earth scientists. Lovelock speculates
that it is because the idea was born of insight and not from reasoning; that it
is irrational. Its basic, rational, idea is now treated under the field of
geophysiology, which purges any reference to mystical notions of Gaia the Earth
Mother. But this is precisely what appeals to me (as a disciple of Spinoza’s
God, a/k/a Nature). I am now studying Parmenides and Plato, and they tell us
that true knowledge and understanding can only come from insight. That truth is
found in the insight we find in mythology. Loveloch says that the insight he
most enjoys is that we humans are as significant for the further evolution of
Gaia as were the plants. We, like the first plants, are heavily polluting to
the rest of life. This is not an aberration. It is a natural consequence of
releasing something as powerful as oxygen or intelligence. We should see that
our pollution is much more than combustion products like CO2. Intelligent
animals like us also excrete information in its many forms. Perhaps dogma, spam and certainty are among
the smog that chokes the world of ideas?
One book that made a strong impact on me was The Power of
Myth (1988), a transcription of a series of conversations between journalist
Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell (died 1987), the world’s foremost authority on
mythology. Campbell said that “the only myth that is going to be worth thinking
about in the immediate future is one that is talking about the planet, not the
city, not these people, but the planet and everybody on it. That’s my main
thought for what the future of myth is going to be.”
‘Climate change’, ‘global warming’ and all the other ways we
refer to the crisis facing us are rational concepts that require rational thought to appreciate. We need to have a name
with emotional appeal. We need that myth about the planet. I propose we work
with Gaia, and the understanding that comes from the insight that reflecting on
Her and seeing the world through Her eyes brings.
10/27 This post
10/26 Posted segment of presidential debate
10/28 Comment on DQ why do they continue to support policies that
favor deep water drilling and extraction?
10/29 Posted Greta Interview
Week Ten Point Total – 5
Ten Week Cumulative Point Total – 50
A question for Carolin, perhaps: Why has Germany invested so heavily in renewables? Was there a particular quality of leadership that made that possible there?
Even though I have not voted for her party in the past election, I think Angela Merkel is doing a great job and she is one of the best leaders we have had. She has been in office since 2005 and was elected at the age of fifty-one. Obviously I am bias when it comes to Germany, but this is one of the reasons why I think Donald Trump and also Joe Biden are not good fits for the White House, because they are just very old. Granted, Angela Merkel is now sixty-six, but she is also in the process of giving up her offices after she has been leading a country for 15 years. I think our future will be and has to be green and I do believe Merkels age and her extraordinary leadership skills have been a great help in making Germany one of the top leaders in efforts to become environmentally more sustainable.
I think the reason we also invested more heavily in renewables is because we saw that it was way more future-oriented and it does not only help our environment but also our economy. This field is giving job opportunities, universities and research centres are involved in making progress as well. Another thing is the public funding, because we do pay a lot of taxes and mostly I have the feeling that they are being used for good things such as this. I also think that there is less of bad blood between parties, which is why there is more support of the government. I can vote for one party to give them more seats, while still supporting and liking the party and the leader that is actually in charge. Another perk of having a multi-party system.
Of course, not everything is great and we still have a lot to do, to really make a positive long-lasting impact on our environment but I think we are on a good path and leadership skills are definitely very important in this.
Points are in the comments.
Will the Democratic Socialist wing of the Democratic Party continue to grow? 30 Must it cultivate that affiliation in order to be effective in American politics, or has the time come for an effective 3d Party or Independent Party challenge?
Coronavirus has really shifted many people’s political ideologies. I noticed as soon as the pandemic hit, the ideas that were once radically socialist and labeled as communist were suddenly very popular amongst the american people. Things such as universal income, higher minimum wage, and free healthcare are now topics up for debate whereas just a few months ago people were calling Bernie Sanders and AOC fascists for trying to improve the lives of suffering americans. It is unfortunate that it has taken over 200,000 american lives for us to come to the realization that our government is not running as efficiently as it should. Even according to republicans we are now labelled the socialist party and they will compare politicians such as kamala harris to bernie sanders as if they are even comparable in terms of policy.
Across the country republicans are losing their seats to more and more democrats because the American people are sick of the government that has done nothing for them. This is because the democratic establishment has finally woken up and is actually taking advice from people like Bernie Sanders. The democrats are quickly realizing progressive policies are popular and get people to show up to polls. The Green New Deal was a joke just a few months ago and i doubt anyone thought it would get passed even by democrats, but now it is the foundation for Joe Biden's climate plan. So long as we keep applying pressure and replacing those who are in politics solely for their own gain then we have a good shot at being the country we have always said we are.
I don’t believe a third party is necessary and would only serve to waste more time in congress/senate. The republican party is growing more and more unpopular, and their representatives know this. This is why the republican party has essentially turned into the Trump party. His base may be small but they are a very loud minority. This is why Trump has the control he does, any republican who goes against Trump is forfeiting their chances for reelection. If we can just get past Donald Trump then I believe the Republican party will be no more, or at least a pathetic shell of what it once was. I have a lot of hope for the country if we can manage beating him and his goons.
LISTEN. Went to see the otherworldly Chihuly at Cheekwood exhibition the other night. Highly recommended, especially when it's not raining.
Today in Environmental Ethics we turn to Naomi Klein's On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal. "Delving into topics ranging from the clash between ecological time and our culture of “perpetual now,” to the soaring history of humans changing and evolving rapidly in the face of grave threats, to rising white supremacy and fortressed borders as a form of 'climate barbarism,'" she has Greta's endorsement as "an inspirer of generations.”
And she endorses Kim Stanley Robinson's rejection of resignation in the face of inevitability. It ain't over 'til it's over. (Go Rays.)
Speaking of Greta and the generations, the stinging chorus of scolding young voices ("You don't learn these things [anthropogenic climate change etc.] in school"..."You sold our future, just for profit!"... "You have failed us all so terribly") should bother all "boomers," whether captains of industry or mere consumers. But of course the Exxons and BPs and Shells have more oil on their hands, and in our oceans.
"If emissions have to stop, then we must stop the emissions. To me that is black or white," Greta says.
Klein has authored The Leap Manifesto, calling not for a leap of faith but of conscience and commitment.
We could live in a country powered entirely by renewable energy, woven together by accessible public transit, in which the jobs and opportunities of this transition are designed to systematically eliminate racial and gender inequality. Caring for one another and caring for the planet could be the economy’s fastest growing sectors. Many more people could have higher wage jobs with fewer work hours, leaving us ample time to enjoy our loved ones and flourish in our communities.
We know that the time for this great transition is short. Climate scientists have told us that this is the decade to take decisive action to prevent catastrophic global warming. That means small steps will no longer get us where we need to go.
Will a Green New Deal take us where we need to go? What's actually in H. Res. 109?
This resolution calls for the creation of a Green New Deal with the goals of
The resolution calls for accomplishment of these goals through a 10-year national mobilization effort. The resolution also enumerates the goals and projects of the mobilization effort, including
Some call that socialism, and some are sadly incapable of thinking beyond tired old cliches. "How are we going to pay for it?" We're going to pay a far steeper price if we don't leap. We'll pay with tomorrow.
But won't it be nice to look back, from the other side, and realize how smart it was to be bold?
Do we have a right to be hopeful? With political and ecological fires raging all around, is it irresponsible to imagine a future world radically better than our own? A world without prisons? Of beautiful, green public housing? Of buried border walls? Of healed ecosystems? A world where governments fear the people instead of the other way around?
“A Message From the Future II: The Years of Repair” is an animated short film that dares to dream of a future in which 2020 is a historic turning point, where the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic and global uprisings against racism drive us to build back a better society in which no one is sacrificed and everyone is essential.
The film is a sequel to the 2019 Emmy-nominated short film “A Message From the Future” with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez... Produced with The Leap, https://theleap.org... Watch Part 1 "A Message from the Future" with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9uTH...
"Young people are ready for this kind of deep change," I just hope enough of them are ready and willing to vote out the old people who are standing in their way. Early voting here lasts through Thursday, folks.
Today in CoPhi we finish the Little History with Rawls's Veil, Searle's Chinese Room, Turing's Test (and Depp's Transcendence), and Singer's Effective Altruism.
And then we'll begin Susan Neiman's Why Grow Up? She says you're fooling yourself if you think youth is the happiest time of life. Ask Grandfather Philosophy. Enlightened maturity is best, though her hero Kant was more about deserving than actually achieving happiness. We should go for both. You should not have to "renounce your hopes and dreams" to get what you want and need.
So again: please vote.
https://t.co/jarBdaZmMo https://t.co/uoxudnW0PU
(https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1319472282885120000?s=02)
