Earth revolutionaries speaking ecological truth -- the Earth is dying and there is just time to save her and us -- and that are willing to take action to ensure those destroying being are stopped, are our best hope for survival
Personal essay by Dr. Glen Barry, glenbarry@earthmeanders.com
http://earthmeanders.blogspot.com/ July 10, 2008
There are very few selflessly telling truth these days. Let me. Gaia, the Earth system and provider of humanity's habitat, is imploding and ecosystem loss and an inoperable atmosphere mean we are moving towards a horrific death for most if not all life. Yet, perhaps in the nick of time, there is a new breed of environmentalists imbued with a revolutionary spirit of action, speaking ecological truth, and willing and able to take sufficient action on behalf of Mother Earth. I speak not of revolutionary violence at the moment, but profound societal and personal transformation adequate to sustain being and ourselves.
The way many in the over-developed world live, and to which most of the rest aspire, is based upon numerous fundamental lies. Democratic consumption cannot provide all everyone wants forever (or even much longer). Industrial capitalism bent upon endless growth will allow itself to be reformed to steady- state sustainability or it will be destroyed -- by revolution or its own collapse on a lifeless planet. Working people have become slaves for the elites, and if things continue, will soon be crushed by ecosystem collapse while the rich continue to live well for a while longer.
Those that speak and act upon ecological truths are the antidote to global ecocide waged by fat cat financial speculators, industrialists and oil men. We are special. Our scope of life and love is larger. We are global citizens, and our family includes all species, and the Earth herself. Without the Earth there is nothing. Too numerous humans ravaging ecosystems like locusts are destroying all that is sacred -- water, air, land and oceans -- the requirements for all life. We know, care and feel, and are better people, the model for future humankind.
Ecological revolutionaries are smart and speak scientific and other truths. Those that do not believe in climate change or feel the Earth's pain are stupid and dull. We reject mainstream environmentalism -- where what is asked for is insufficient even if fully achieved -- for a revolutionary spirit of ever increasing pressure upon criminal Earth destroyers. First we ask, then we protest, then we obstruct and perhaps sabotage, and if and when every offer to embrace sustainability by the elite has been rejected, we must be willing to fight.
I Am Special, You Can Be Special Too
It is ok to be special. I am special by virtue of my embrace of Gaia and all her species and people as kin; and unique skills I have to see ecological wrongs, envision sustainability, and possess the smarts, dedication and skills to continuously organize awareness and solutions. There are thousands like me and together we are going to save the Earth. If we are to weather the times that are coming we had better overcome the tyranny of mediocrity and start recognizing genius and truth.
Herein I have often been frank with my human frailties. How myopic to think it is ego to now discuss what makes me and others like me special. Why are game athletes, play actors and screaming singers revered and viewed as being special and not political ecologists defending the Earth and all life? Being able to conceive and implement specific actions to promote ecological sustainability, allowing being to continue and averting disaster, is at least as cool as kicking a goal, pretending a part, or rocking out (and these are all way cool).
Perhaps my unique gift is to see and communicate the scale of the ecological problems facing the Earth, and absurd inadequacy of nearly every response. Too many people consuming recklessly with nary a thought to conservation and the future are eating ecosystems required to keep the Earth habitable. This and a dedication to sufficient solutions set this ecologist apart.
This gift is wielded at a price. To feel viscerally my oneness with the Earth, to know this is profound truth, yet to often be unable to personally communicate it without repelling others. So I write and organize information, and live a lonely life. It is damn hard to often be the only sane, fully ecologically aware one in the room (the Earth is dying, arghh!), even as I am condemned by the ignorant as strange and a bit scary. I have been shocked by withdrawals of love by family and friends because I am different. I refuse to change to get along.
How easy it is to confuse vision, passion, commitment and sacrifice for egoism. How saddened I am by the selfishness of modern hairless apes, dismayed at our detachment from ecosystems, and scared by the full apocalyptic implications of our ignorance. This is not messianic, it is prophetic, and we need more of the latter and much less of the former, as the only God is Gaia.
I am sick and tired of people saying there is nothing I and others can do for the Earth, that we cannot make a difference. It is as if society went straight from denying the problems to being unwilling to embrace transformative solutions because they require sacrifice and an end to wallowing competitive consumption. Yes we can re-learn how to live with the Earth, there is still just time to thrive and survive.
Ecological truth-tellers infused with a revolutionary spirit of action to save the Earth are the most special people around. We are the future hope for humanity and all being. We are going to stop coal, ancient forest logging, and implement numerous other transformative changes necessary to save the Earth and all her creatures.
After some time for rest and reflection, and having regained my health and semblance of peace of mind, I look forward to using all of my power of intellect and persuasion to advocate for a spirit of revolutionary action in response to the abysmal crises faced by the Earth and her humanity. I see no choice.
Time for a Earth Revolution to Save Being
Thoughtful, widespread consideration, enunciation and organization of a revolutionary strategy for global ecological social change are long overdue. The revolutionary spirit of which I speak must aspire to completely smash the growth machine devouring ecosystems we need to live, in order to usher in an era of global ecological restoration and sustainability. Nothing less will suffice. The only option remaining for survival of humans and Gaia is clearly to embrace profound, radical transformations in the way we live.
Revolutionary change means reducing our homes, driving, meat eating and other consumption; and re-localizing our economies and governance, returning to the Earth to grow organic gardens, and just generally living more simply yet fully. Nothing less will allow billions -- or those that survive the coming ecologically-mediated social collapse -- to live equitably, peacefully and sustainably for much longer.
Yet revolutionary change need not necessarily be violent. Within the Earth Revolution option there are many tactical choices of which revolutionary violence is but one last possibility, and is hopefully not needed, because peaceful persuasion is often effective. There are many ways for revolutionary "people power" to resist including mass protest, petitions, sabotage, sit-ins, strikes and boycotts. Various participants within an Earth Revolution will feel comfortable with, and embrace different tactics, and you are urged to select active means of resistance of your choice soon, taking full responsibility for doing so.
Given unprecedented threats to human well-being, the threat of revolutionary action cannot be taken off the table. If the ruling elite are so intransigent that they will not stop their violence against the Earth, workers and sister species, then they will have to be eliminated. Revolutionary war like all killing is always murder. Yet either that or we all die a miserable and terrifying death, leaving a ravaged Planet to regenerate or perhaps just slip away into nothingness.
I look forward to contemplating and discussing Earth Revolution strategies and tactics further, and have not and will not now condone any imminent illegal acts. Yet I remain committed to academically investigating how a revolutionary spirit, and commitment to sufficient ecological and social change to sustain the Earth, will come about one way or another.
Indeed, I have a long list of planned essays and am writing a book on the topic. Your financial support to Earth Meanders, to help fund radical ecological free thinking, will help make this writing possible. You can donate to support these personal essays at
http://earthmeanders.blogspot.com/ on the right hand menu bar. Thank you for caring for Gaia.
Dr. Barry is founder and President of Ecological Internet; provider of the largest, most used environmental portals on the Internet including the Climate Ark at
http://www.climateark.org/ and
http://www.EcoEarth.Info/ . Earth Meanders is a series of ecological essays that are written entirely in his personal capacity. This essay may be reprinted granted it is properly credited to Dr. Barry and with a link to Earth Meanders. Emailed responses are public record and will be posted on the web site unless otherwise requested.
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