Road to Nowhere
18 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
I have been thinking a lot lately about population and the collective demands that humans are having on the Earth and its resources. With the population of Earth showing no real signs of leveling out any time soon, I am wondering how on EARTH (pun intended) we are going to continue with all of our demands. Living in the United States, obviously, our concept of Necessary Goods, is much much longer than some other places on the globe. And students are brought up here assuming that everyone wants to be Just Like Us. I think that is Bogus. I think that is just a ploy to keep capitalism afloat and keep us quiet and dumb in the presence of catastrophic global FAILURE. Call me a radical, but I really don’t think we need as much stuff as we think we do. I would like a new camera, bc mine is on the fritz. But buying a new one requires a lot a lot a lot of energy and mining of resources that I might would rather not happen. Of course, if I am this thoughtful? Is everyone else? Maybe. Maybe not. But suffice it to say that people will continue to buy cameras, TVs, legal pads, furniture, cars, plastic toys, clothes, stuff you see on TV, fertilizers, etc, and so forth and so on into the indefinite future. And is it really my place to tell one not to. Maybe. Maybe not. So what do I do? Not buy the camera, on principle? Or buy the camera, knowing that it won’t make any difference if I do, since the majority around me will anyways. And, if I do buy the camera then would the uses I get from it counter any of the negatives borne from producing the camera (like taking photos of mountain top removal and sharing with friends, family, and internets). Wishful thinking? All the things listed above : fertilizers, cars, furniture, etc, if you think about the lifecycle of these things, its astronomical all the processes that go into making them. And are their true costs really reflected in the price? And are those whose lands were mined in order to make said object REALLY compensated in full? Can you ever compensate someone for destroying their habitat? The trouble is, and I am guilty of this, is that we seem to think “oh, so sad, they are destroying that land OVER THERE in order to mine coal, uranium, rare earth metals, or fell trees. We need to help/stand in solidarity/organize” But what I think is happening is that we are slowly destroying our OWN local habitats and maybe not even noticing, because we are so focused on what is happening “over there”. The old adage rings true to Think Globally Act Locally. But turning that on it’s head and Thinking Locally and Acting Globally, well that’s a little different. (I know I’m not the first one to have thought of this.) Don’t get me wrong, it is impossible in this day in age, being so interconnected, to ignore what is happening “over there” (i.e. Mountain Top Removal in Appalachia, Tar Sands in Canada, Mining in Black Mesa, gross urban sprawl in the Southwest, hypoxic zones in the Gulf, trash gyres in the Pacific) and it is relatively easy to support these causes and hold solidarity with those working for justice in these areas. I do think though, as an “activist” whatever that means, that it’s important to put down some roots (both literally and figuratively) and do some real work in one place and get to know the people and the community. This is the only way to build trust and the only way to create lasting change, in my opinion. A few years ago, I was slightly starry eyed and wanted to travel here and there, bouncing from campaign house to action camp to protest, feeling as though I was doing some good. And perhaps I was. But looking back I think I was also a bit nieve and now that I am settled again back in my hometown, I am feeling the strength that comes from staying in one place and having goals and dreams and concrete ideas that will be put into motion, but only if we focus and build it here ourselves. This is why I think the Transition Town initiative is so attractive to many folks. Only those of us in this place knows the best way to solve our problems here. Each locale with its own climate and geography and agriculture and imports/exports, etc is going to need to address different issues. But the beauty is, the solutions are already here among us! I wish I had a simple answer for how to put these solutions into action, and most likely this blog will help me to vocalize more of this. But for now, thinking Locally is a great first step. Sorry for the rambly nature, and any harshness that may have come across 
Buenas noches amigas/os.
