It's All About Population

The bottom line is that most, if not all, of our environmental problems, as well as many social problems, can be traced to our exploding population.

The following is from Tom, a colleague in my Ishmael group:

People of our culture who procreate do so for many reasons, but they rarely consider the environment in their decision-making. I didn't. As decendents of the Great Forgetting, we do not respect the feedback that the Earth gives us and insist that we have the right and the might to "grow" as we see fit.

Breeders and non-breeders alike, most people think that growth is our destiny. In our business and personal lives, we are insatiable. Our religions teach us that ("human life is precious.") Business and technology insist on it (conquer disease, see the world, increase market share.) Our economists teach us that (GDP, young workers needed to support the aging baby boomers.) We want more for our kids, more for ourselves, more for our employers, more, more, more.

So, we continue to increase our population (and humanity's collective ecological footprint) and can continue to do so, until our cultural beliefs collide with ecological limits.

Let us redouble our efforts to convince enough people to stop the madness and find a new story to live, one that embraces the concept of "enough." If we don't, then Nature will impose new stories on us that may not be so pleasant.

This is so eloquently said that there is nothing more I can add tonight. The main thing is that there are dozens of environmental issues to work on, at all levels, and it's easy to get distracted. I have to keep my focus on the "mother" of all issues, even though at times it seems remote and unobtainable.Oh, and here is a great signature line from a population campaign:

"The Fate of the World is in Your Hands...And Your Pants!"

Classic!

Violence & Sustainability

All this time the two goals of my life have been to eliminate human violence and achieve global sustainability. But in the last month or so I've been thinking that maybe the two goals contradict.

Every day I read the news reports on Iraq and I get sick to my stomach. The folks over there simply LOVE murdering Americans, coalition forces, civilian contractors, each other, and any living thing they can get their hands on. They simply love to kill -- it's probably fun for them.

As I sit back and think, I'm beginning to realize that this is simply evolution at work. Violence is perfectly natural in nature, and to prevent humans from murdering and slaughtering one another is to prevent the natural flow of evolution.

What this violence accomplishes, I'm not sure. It will eventually prune out the aggressive genes in humanity. It will weed out the weak and those who are slower to draw a gun.

Maybe we just need to accept violence as part of life and let our murdering and killing pursue its natural course. Maybe this pruning of the flock will help to create a better, stronger human race.

But I keep thinking about what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said when he gave his Nobel Peace Prize speech. He said something about evolving BEYOND the violence. It always struck me strange that a preacher would use the word "evolve." But I think Dr. King was far more than a preacher -- he was a great global visionary.

So, no. As much as the Iraqis, Iranians, and gun-happy rednecks drive me crazy with their violent acts and threats, and their love for weapons, I cannot accept it.

What is the point of continued evolving, if we are only evolving ourselves to death? I mean, humanity desperately needs some goals, and I always thought "world peace" would be a nice one.

But then again, who am I to interfere with the natural process of nature? Isn't getting back in touch with our animalism a big part of sustainability?

Finally, I can't help but think that the Sunni and Shiite civil war is all engineered by the U.S. government. Maybe the Bush Administration is much smarter than we give them credit for -- maybe their goal is to let these two religious factions keep killing each other until all those aggressive young men are gone. Then Iraq would be less of a threat and the entire region would be easier to subjugate. I never put anything past those government neocons -- they are a slick bunch.

A New Religion

Whaaa, I'm not even two yet and I've already
determined that life sucks.

Let Us Think For A Moment .....

Over the past couple of years, I've spent a lot of time researching different religions and trying to find one that fits me better. See, most people just take the one handed to them by their parents, but the one I was given seems to have major shortcomings.

When I take those tests on the Internet to determine my faith, the following religions always top the list:


Liberal Quakers (100%)
Liberal Christian Protestants (95%)
Unitarian Universalism (91%)
Bahá'í Faith (78%)
Secular Humanism (75%)
Neo-Pagan (74%)
New Age (70%)
Reform Judaism (65%)
Mahayana Buddhism (63%)

I've also been fascinated with a new religion started by a young man in nearby Birmingham, AL that is not about faith at all, but rather focuses on logic and reason. It is called Universism and is similar to Deism and Agnosticism (not related to Unitarian Universalism). Even this so-called "religion" is not a good fit for me.

A New Religion

There are thousands of religions on this Planet, and many people insist that their religion is the RIGHT one. Often, people determine this not by analytic reasoning, but simply because they were BORN into a particular religion. It amazes me how people can simply accept their religion without putting it through rigorous examination. Of course, some people feel that God gets angry if they question their religion, which is a great self perpetuation mechanism.

I think we would have a much more peaceful and sustainable World if we simply threw ALL religions out the window. In their place, I would like to propose a new religion. I'll call it Making Others Less Miserable (MOLM).

The Religion of Making Others Less Miserable (MOLM)

See, my religion is based on the tenet that life is basically difficult and miserable. Whether it's financial, health, relationships, or just plain ol' loneliness, there is an abundance of hurt on this Planet. So, to practice this religion, all you have to do is go around and help other people. And, oh yes, I also extend my religion to all animals and nature.

Here are some easy ways to practice the religion of MOLM:

- Just love every human. Bring cheer into their life. Build their self esteem, give them encouragement, make them laugh. Spend time with them when they are lonely. Don't get so self-absorbed in your own pathetic life and pick up the phone and, instead, call someone who is going through a hard time.

- Practice random acts of kindness. Send a card, deliver a meal, or leave an extra large tip for a waiter who is having a bad day.

- Help the poor by finding a family in need and buying them specific items. Give to non-religious charities like American Red Cross.

- Think about everyone in your life — coworkers, friends, neighbors, family, and even strangers — and think about what you can do to lift them up.

Now, I know that you are going to say that a lot of religions practice MOLM, but there is usually a problem with this. You should not practice acts of kindness to get a bigger mansion in heaven or because it's the "Christian thing to do" (I despise that term). Rather, you should do it because it is the RIGHT thing to do, period. Unfortunately, when religions do their brand of MOLM, they often follow their good deeds by hitting you with guilt, fear, intimidation (you're going to HELL!), and coercion to accept their beliefs. Do they really want to make you happy, or are they just trying to grow their Church or religion?

Imagine

The song "Imagine" by the Beetles and recently re-made by A Perfect Circle, is one of the best songs ever. I think about it often. What a better world it would be if we didn't use our religions as an excuse and justification for hurting one another.

Imagine
Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,
It isn't hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...

You may say Im a dreamer,
but I'm not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

Diatribe

So, I'm sitting here on this third Planet from the sun, just in awe of how beautiful it is. More than anything, I love the trees. Ever since I was 10-years-old I've had a passion in my heart for the natural world. But at the same time, I realized how quickly humans are destroying it, and this has bumbed me out.

You see, without the air and clean water and good soil for growing food, we can't live. Yet, the natural world seems to be the furthest thing from most people's lives. See, I'm driving in traffic and everyone is in their SUV with a TV IN IT and no one seems to give a poop about nature. What's funny is many people around here are involved in a local church, so they bring their gas-guzzling, Earth-destroying SUV's to church, and they get their fill-up of "holy" and then they go back to their business of being indifferent and destroying the Earth.

The growth, damn I HATE growth, but it is relentless. I've lived here in this beautiful place called Georgia since I was a kid, and seeing the constant, relentless, rape of this habitat destroys my heart and soul. Just how many trees do we have to mow down for the bland subdivisions and those mind-numbing, unimaginative strip shopping centers that the make-thy-money-and-run developers throw up everywhere. They are garbage, but who gives a shit because the developer gets his yacht in Florida and the local government gets their fucking "tax base" so everyone is happy, so the rape and pillage continues. And the churches like it too because more growth means more money in the plate, and God only knows how much churches like money. So, the insanity goes on and on and on.

And then there's all this talk about "sanctity of life." Whew, WHAT A JOKE! If people really cared about life, they would limit their family size, limit their obsession with materialism, and reduce their impact (footprint) on the Planet that sustains us.

"Oh, little Canary, you are worshipping Nature instead of God, shame, shame, on you little boy."

And that is another disaster: The anthropocentric religions. What a mess. This whole idea that we humans are better than rats or any other living creature is wrong, wrong, wrong!

So, the innate robots of the world continue consuming, and continue to engage in "shopping therapy," and our weak, impotent, federal government continues to do nothing but move paper around, while they tax us to death. All in the name of God or the "One Right Way" or whatever.

The Bush regime, Pat Robertson, Dobson, and everyone who supports the indifferent politicians and the Earth-destroyers are all guilty of the greatest crime in history: The destruction of the Planet Earth and the extinction of the Human Species. Yes, Mr. Christian, yes Mr. Businessman, the blood is on your hands and you can't wash it off.

The preachers, the politicians, the lawyers, and all the other phony leaders provide elaborate window dressing, but they all live for one thing: Maximum revenue extraction. That is the legacy of humans, and it is pathetic.

Long live the people who have not sold out. Long live the people who still have a soul. And to hell with the sellouts, for you are damning God's Big Brain experiment. Homo Sapiens, as it now turns out, has become a silly joke. Go Islamic extremists, horde your oil and build your nukes. Go American, continue wasting your oil to support the "American way of life." Go, everyone, go. Continue enriching yourselves at the expense of your children. Continue running your country into deeper debt. Go, kids, go. No one cares, and nor do I. You have fucked your children, yourselves, your future, and your Planet. You reengineer your totally stupid religion and so-called patriotism to justify your foolish acts. It's a game you play, and everyone is the loser.

Enjoy your clothes, your nice car, your McMansion, and your pretty jewelry. Horde your wealth, throw a pittance in the plate to justify your existence, and then continue to horde, horde, horde. It's the American way.

God damn America!

Starting To Get It

Yeah, yeah, a big vision is starting to unfold in my life. The idea is to not leave the Earth "in as good of shape as you found it" but rather "in BETTER shape" than when you found it.

All of us humans need to live in such a way that is Zero Footprint, or better. This requires a big switch from the way we are living now. For instance, on the Ishmael discussion board we have been talking about composting our poop, and then composting our bodies when we die. Some will call this extreme environmentalism, but it's all starting to make sense to me.

But I'm really wondering if I have the balls to poop in a bucket and then take it out to my backyard garden. What will my neighbors think?

Anyway, my dear friend Chris gave me permission to post some thoughts on this topic. He is a true prophet, visionary, and the most UNhypocritical person that I've ever met. Here is his quote:

... All of us are trapped in an invisible prison of belief and cultural preconceptions. If we live in a 'normal' home with normal carpeting, bedding, children's toys, curtains, and so on, then yes, errant feces is quite unsettling. If we live however in tipis, bamboo cabanas, adobe apartments, or earthen cob hogans, and the like, the entire illusory perception of separateness from "nature" tends to evaporate. ... I am sure you know all of this intellectually. One of the personal challenges of my life is to transform an academic understanding of sustainability into an experiential one.

Does this quote rock or what? I just love it. However, making all the life changes needed to live in total harmony with the Earth will require a complete "mental retooling" for all of us. But we can do it ... we really have no other choice.

Goose

Theocons Wage War On Families

I read a great article in today's newspaper. Okay, let's see if I can get this straight. The thecons are always complaining about how the traditional American family has fallen apart, but it is their allies the neocons who are the cause.

See the neocons are the ones screaming about efficiency etc.. as all our jobs are getting outsourced and manufacturing continues to slip away in the U.S. The U.S. working class now live in a world of instability, with all the mergers, downsizing, etc... When your situation is unstable, it's hard to maintain a traditional family and marriage.

I do not have a problem with the changing job market in the U.S. See, other countries that grow their population with reckless abandon have provided an endless supply of cheap labor. That means American blue collar workers are competing with some guy who gets paid one bowl of rice per day with a fish thrown in on Fridays.

Furthermore, U.S. pro-population policies within our foreign policy have only made the problem worse. Cutting international family planning aid, restricting funding, etc.. only allows foreign populations to grow, grow, grow. Again, that means more labor, and more competition.

I love a free market -- it is simply evolution at it's finest. All I'm saying is that the theocons need to stop bitching about the breakdown of the traditional family because they helped create the problem.

We Americans REFUSE to acknowledge the population explosion, then we act dumbfounded when our job is shipped overseas. In parts of China there are multiple generations of families living in the same hut -- their overhead is cheaper than an American. Doesn't anyone get it?

Meanwhile, the theocons continue to wage war on a woman's right to choose (which creates more labor competition) and gay marriages (typically less fertility).

So, don't you see? The thecons are enthusiastically pro natal, at any expense -- even at the expense of the families they are trying to save.

This all makes me laugh. But every time I laugh I end up crying, so I prefer to just sit in my chair and do nothing. Meanwhile, the Newt Gingriches, Pat Robertsons, and James Dobsons of the world continue to wage war on the very institutions they pretend to support. Yeah, it's all real funny.

P.S. I heard James Dobson interviewing New Gingrich on the radio tonight. The incredible hypocrisy of their agenda makes me want to hurl my beans!

Back, Finally

February was a horrific month with long hours at work and several other environmental tasks on the side. Now that I'm through it all, I just want to say that ... I'm tired!

I have been at this volunteer work for nearly 10 years now and I feel that I've hardly made a budge in saving the World. I am really finding the limits of one individual, especially when family and job take up most of your time and strength. Other than going to the gym a few nights a week, for the most part I just work, day and night. If it's not job work, then it's Sierra Club work. It is work, work, work.

I want to be free, but I don't know what free is. I suppose free is being able to support yourself with out a demanding, long-hours, job. I suppose free is not having commitments, and not doing any volunteer work. Free is just being free.

The picture above? Oh, that's my hero and friend Ishmael. He provides inspiration and keeps me going through all this madness. He is my breath of fresh air.

Now that my month of fun is over, I guess I need to start going to meetings again and interacting with people, and coming out of my little home office. I really don't want to -- I sort of like being a hermit. It makes me feel sort of secure. Why do I drive across Atlanta or across the county to attend all these meetings? I really don't want to, but once I do I'm sort of glad to see like-minded people, and it's good to be exposed to new ideas and information. The more I venture out, the more I grow. But these days I just assume stay home.

Well, I'm not sure what direction I want to go in now. I haven't been sure for the past four years, so I just keep going in the same ol' direction. During my travels last week I had time to think. I think about making a big life change all the time, but I never really do anything. I just hang in limbo as the years pass by. I am not going to be that great leader who saves the world. Actually, I have no idea what I will be.

The Goose