http://www.worldpsychology.net/World%20Psychology/VirtualPsyFiles/nova_pagina_31112.htm

Terrorizing the Globe

There are many species of beings on this planet, which if they had a voice, would be warning of a great danger. "Species are vanishing at a rate of a hundred to a thousand times faster than they did before the arrival of humans," says Edward O Wilson, the greatest living Darwinian thinker. Many of those that are taught in the Judo-Christian tradition believe that humanity can behave as lord of creation, treating the earth's natural wealth and other animals as tools, mere instruments for the achievement of human purposes. But human activity is already causing problems to humans on staggering levels yet the majority of people choose to ignore what is happening and going to happen quite soon.

The freedom to live on planet earth is being threatened. Humankind poses a growing threat to the health of Earth's biosphere because of its growing population and the tendency for an increasingly large fraction of it to adopt the lavish consumption patterns of the developed countries. While we can't kill the earth itself, the nurturing aspect of the planet, its climate, air, water and biomass is destructible. Destroy that and we destroy ourselves. But before we actually do that we are doing that to the other species of beings that live on this planet with us. Humans themselves are not getting along with each other either, and the very basic conflicts that have festered for decades are rearing up their most ugly heads. Yet with all of this happening politics and media debates proceed on as if nothing serious is happening. Perhaps next quarter we will see some slight increases in profits and some moderate economic growth. 

According to a massive United Nations environmental study released in May 2002, the planet is poised on a precipice, and time is running out for making tough political and economic choices that can pull it back from disaster. In 30 years, the Earth could look like a desert-strewn wasteland of urban slums, lose almost a quarter of its mammal species and leave people inhabiting large regions perishing from thirst and water-borne disease. Dramatic climate changes, water shortages, collapse in fisheries, massive loss of topsoil, killing pollution and dramatically quicker rises in sea levels are all predicted by scientists around the world. Sooner or later we have to addresses the harmful effects of consumption patterns, drawing the connection between consumption, population growth and environmental degradation or those connections will be rammed violently down our collective throats. In reality many subjects come together when we talk about the quantity of humans and how that quantity is being dramatically increased to the detriment of the quality of life.

We have had many examples in life and history where warnings have been ignored to disastrous effect. We recently had another as the Federal hearing on Sept 11th attacks demonstrated, they just did not see it coming, even with volumes of information and intelligence, and humanity itself does not see what is coming though it is being warned with increasing frequency and force.

CLIP

World events are revealing to us our true nature.

The recent lessons coming from New York, Bali, Washington, and now even Moscow are suggesting an end to a way of life. An end to security and the free enjoyment of pleasures divorced from the suffering, frustrations and delusion of the worlds billions. These events are all strands of a single story, as is the entirety of our ecological crisis. All of this is happening to us because of us. It is the same us that is happening all over the globe. The same people who have a hard time caring for the ones they are supposed to love have difficulty caring for the earth or anyone else's problems and difficulties. It is hard enough for humans to really care even about a friend or mate, much less about strangers. The conflicts of the earth are intensifying along all fronts; it's not a picnic anymore. Our planet is getting sick because we are sick and there seems like there is no doctor in the house with a power or wisdom to turn the course of events. A breakthrough in consciousness and a quantum leap in evolutionary awareness seem to be required for humanity to turn its course away from its current race to destruction. Many have thought this breakthrough imminent, others have thought it has already arrived, but has it or will it?


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