DENIAL

The elephant in the room.  No one in power wants to talk about it.  Denial is the order of the day.

https://mahb.stanford.edu/blog/the-psychology-of-denying-overpopulation/

Sustainability will be elusive until we recognize and deal with the problem of overpopulation.  It could be addressed with education and incentives, but politicians are loathe to even broach the subject.

The brief article at the link above delves into important aspects of this situation.  Highly recommended.

..................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

"We Are a Plutocracy: Jeffrey Sachs Slams Biden for..."

 At the link below is a brief, 3-part post of mine.  For Parts 2 & 3, look below the photo at the link.

https://twitter.com/ScottHa85992272/status/1400936951021191168?s=20

The piece is from Democracy Now.

In general, Plutocrats are committed to unlimited growth and overconsumption. If ever we are to reach sustainability goals on Spaceship Earth, we must stop allowing the Super-Rich to rule the roost. Step One would seem to be: get private mega donations out of political election campaigns.

The Plutocrats claim such money is "free speech". Not when it's given to candidates or their campaigns, it isn't. It's then nothing more than corruption, buying influence. The use of it would be free speech if the donor used it to run an ad in the media, expressing support for the candidate. This is not rocket science. 😌 It's merely common sense.

Get mega money out of politics.

..........................

Not only my opinion. Be Well

A Most Interesting Question

Title of a journal article in Ecological Economics, Volume 185, to be published in July, 2021:

"Beyond ecosystem services and nature's contributions: Is it time to leave utilitarian environmentalism behind?".

From the "Highlights" of the article (preceding the Abstract)---

"We plead for a paradigm shift, away from utilitarian, anthropocentric and dualistic conceptions of human-nature relations."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800921000963

As Homo sapiens attempts to move toward sustainability and all things "Green", it seems to me that we're still missing an important underpinning to the success of those efforts.  It's known as ecocentrism.

In the dozens of articles on the circular economy, the doughnut/donut economy, etc. which I've read, the ideology of anthropocentrism appears to prevail.  Is that, as Lynn White proposed decades ago, due to the Judeo-Christian worldview of the Nature-Human relationship (which sees humanity both superior to and separate from Nature)?  Perhaps, but I really don't know.

In any case and in general, humans do seem to be filled with hubris... especially regarding nonhuman life.  That's a problem when we profess to be "going Green".  In my view, there will be no successful sustainability without the adoption of ecoethics on a massive scale.  Ecoethics will not be the prevailing philosophical standard without a paradigm shift in our view of the natural world.  In the meantime, our efforts toward sustainability - though laudable and a good first step - still amount to tinkering around the edges of the socio-eco-econ-ethical Crisis.

Nonhuman life has intrinsic value, not just utilitarian value.  The Earth is not here for us to "subdue" (from the Book of Genesis in the Bible).  The spark of life in all beings is the spirit of Universal Consciousness.  

As Barry Commoner stated in 1971 (in his book, The Closing Circle):  "Everything is connected to everything else".  We humans are not separate from Nature; we are Nature.  We don't "come into the world" when we're born.  We come from it.  All beings are Universal Consciousness expressing Itself.

Without the above worldview, I don't see how we can live in harmony with Nature, or have any significant degree of sustainability.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well 

Is Biodiversity Offsetting Working as it Should?

 Plus, what are the ethical objections to such practice?

https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.13603

Commodification of Nature is a path requiring delicate navigation, and care must be taken to ensure an ethical, successful outcome.

Offsetting exploitation impacts seemingly is a great idea; however, certain problems need to be addressed.  The article at the link above, found in the journal, Conservation Biology, is a good start.  In particular, see the Abstract and Table 3.

...................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

"Decolonization or Extinction: Indigenous Red Deal Lays Out Plan to Save the Earth"

 https://www.democracynow.org/2021/4/22/the_red_deal_book

At the link above, two indigenous scholars lay out the following.

1.  How/why we're still tinkering around the edges of solving the Socio-Eco-Econ-Ethical Crisis upon us.

2.  Neoliberalism, neocolonialism, and neoimperialism still are the flavor of the day.

3.  The Biden Crew is not adequately addressing the above problems.

4.  Our relationship with Earth is in dire need of a paradigm shift.

The lambasting of Biden may seem excessive to some, but I believe it's right on the mark.  Like Obama, he's a wolf in sheep's clothing when it comes to the Oligarchy v. the rest of us, or ecological ethics v. mega corporate greed.  [Nevertheless, both men are orders of magnitude better than Trump.  But that alone will not rescue Homo sapiens from disaster.]

The two interviewees are proposing the adoption of  ecoethics, and that's the first step toward sustainability.

...................

Not only my opinion.  Happy Trails

The real reason why we're still in Afghanistan...

and never will leave completely unless we undergo a paradigm shift in economics.

https://campbellmgold.co.uk/archive_blowing_in_the_wind/afghanistan_mineral_riches.pdf  [Article by James Risen.]

Almost fifteen years ago, the USGS and the Pentagon discovered the probability is extremely high that Afghanistan is awash in mineral riches totaling about one trillion dollars.  Not only common minerals such as iron and copper are buried there, but those crucial to modern day industry (e.g., lithium) as well.

The world is at a point where mineral resources - especially rare earth minerals - are more and more difficult to access.  Afghanistan has never been mined to any significant degree.  Done in 2007, the USGS used highly sophisticated aerial survey equipment in a study which shows the country is ripe for extremely productive mining.

World leaders who are not pursuing sustainability are prone to believe that when it comes to critical natural resources, it's a "dog-eat-dog" world.  Sometimes such thinking results in long-term planning involving resource wars, or financial wars, or best case - diplomacy.  For decades, we've had all the above on planet Earth.

One way or another, the richer countries are going to get access to needed natural resources.  That's especially true when the country is on an unsustainable path, which currently is the case in the USA and many other well-off nations.

Sustainability is one of the keys to a peaceful future.  Ecological economics is the best path forward.

......................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Wisdom, Indeed

 These gems of wisdom apply not only to the paradigm shift to sustainability, but also to almost any field of endeavor.

https://www.stuartbhill.com/

Professor Hill (a social ecologist) has compiled a list of ideas which are both brilliant and crucial to the implementation of significant change.  If ever there was a time for positive collaboration, ecoethics, and dedication to a bright, sustainable future, that time is now.

KUDOS to Stuart B. Hill, and profuse thanks.

...........................

Not only my opinion.  Happy Trails