Eventually of course, this form of thinking took hold.
The rational way of manipulating the world for human needs became THE way of looking at and interacting with the world. This rationality worked its way into modern human consciousness at a subliminal level, almost all human action is shaped by it. All of us act and think without the need to question this rationality at work.
Work hard for that promotion, study hard for that scholarship, train hard to get those rock hard abdominals, take this path because it's the shortest path to the park, buy this car because it's the most affordable, make sure my company is in the blue by the third month...the list of human thought and actions that are dictated by this rationality goes on.
And this rationality is at the heart of the unconscious exploitation of the natural world by human activity. This rationality does not include considerations for the preservation of our natural world. Rationality=maximising means for maximised ends. Where is the balance between human action and environmental well-being?
It is nonsense to save the environment by eliminating all human life. It is nonsense to think that a workable solution can be achieved within ten or twenty years. Change might only be obvious in fifty to a hundred years, after a few generations of sensitive but sustained implementation of change.
What then is this change to be like? What can we change?
This change will need to address two problems talked about so far:
1. The ingrained and systematic nature of the exploitation of the natural world
2. The ingrained and systematic rationality in almost all human action, therefore excluding the unconscious and conscious need for environmental preservation and protection.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Save the Earth = End the Human Race (Part 2)
Why has our human existence been so intertwined with this destructive exploitation? Has it been a conscious effort to strip our earth bare of its assets and essence to further our wants? Were we taught by our parents and teachers to disregard the fragility of the natural world and blindly hope that mother earth always regenerates and recovers to provide for us? Is it fashion to appear environmentally unfriendly and act destructively, much like the little boy who has to break the windows to belong to the group?
This destructive process is at the very core of the modern human consciousness, an integral part of our rational modern perspective about the universe. The destructive exploitation was apparent in recent times with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Much needed products were manufactured in sweatshop factories and the earth was pillaged for the fuel that would power a new era of technological and industrial advancement.
Was the destructive exploitation of the natural world a conscious decision by the brave but short-sighted pioneers of this new era?
Absolutely not. The driving philosophy of the pioneers left no space for environmental concerns. It wasn't as if they were avoiding the problem, it was truer to say they did not see it as a problem.
The guiding wisdom of the rational mind at that time period meant that the most efficient ways were adopted to achieve the maximum output. To mine the most abundant ore, that yielded the most cost-effective solution, for powering the mechanical and industrial beasts that were growing. Simple as that.
This destructive process is at the very core of the modern human consciousness, an integral part of our rational modern perspective about the universe. The destructive exploitation was apparent in recent times with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Much needed products were manufactured in sweatshop factories and the earth was pillaged for the fuel that would power a new era of technological and industrial advancement.
Was the destructive exploitation of the natural world a conscious decision by the brave but short-sighted pioneers of this new era?
Absolutely not. The driving philosophy of the pioneers left no space for environmental concerns. It wasn't as if they were avoiding the problem, it was truer to say they did not see it as a problem.
The guiding wisdom of the rational mind at that time period meant that the most efficient ways were adopted to achieve the maximum output. To mine the most abundant ore, that yielded the most cost-effective solution, for powering the mechanical and industrial beasts that were growing. Simple as that.
Save the Earth = End the Human Race (Part 1)
We lead our lives in blindness. A blindness that forbids us to see that almost every (if not, EVERY) aspect of our existence requires the exploitation of the natural world in a destructive way.
The electric power that runs through our power cables sustains the simplest of our needs. That electric power, invisible but powerful, is fed from power stations that require the use of different fuel types. Crude oil derived fuel types gets processed to create the electric power.
These fuel types create pollutants.
Natural gases can be used too. But they create pollutants too. Nuclear power? The waste gets chucked somewhere and hopefully remains inert long enough not to stain the ground that covers it.
The most taken-for-granted things in our lives presuppose the destructive exploitation of our natural world too. The mouse that guides my cursor across my flashy computer screen, the fabrics that make up the clothes I'm wearing now, the cigarette I will consume later, the cutlery I use everyday...
...all involve industrial processes that involves the destructive exploitation of our natural world.
Even the most intimate and most precious aspects of our experiences compromise our natural world. The tools and machines that ensures the survival of our newborn, the simple comfort of drinking our favourite iced lemon tea, the darkened shade of lighting that is the comforting blanket that embraces our naked bodies, the decorations that enhance the experience of a memorable event...
The automatic destructive expoitation of the natural world has not only become a mechanical and ingrained process in human activities, it has become an ingrained process. It supports our everyday existence as human beings, from our most intimate experiences to our most triumphant moments.
To stop this destructive expoitation means we have to pull the plug on everything that makes our existence comfortable, easy and possible.
To stop this destructive expoitation means we remove millions of jobs that rely on the perpetuation of these processes, to take away the livelihood of millions, and snatch away the food from the mouths of the loved ones whom they feed.
To stop this destructive exploitation means we deprive ourselves from the luxurious joys of our existence, the power hungry movie theatres that we hide in to explore new worlds and new emotions, the pages we glance through to enrich our minds and consciousness, the sights and sounds we experience in our chosen cyber-universes.
Why has our human existence been so intertwined with this destructive exploitation?
Hypocritical environment lovers, do we then end our species to save our Earth?
The electric power that runs through our power cables sustains the simplest of our needs. That electric power, invisible but powerful, is fed from power stations that require the use of different fuel types. Crude oil derived fuel types gets processed to create the electric power.
These fuel types create pollutants.
Natural gases can be used too. But they create pollutants too. Nuclear power? The waste gets chucked somewhere and hopefully remains inert long enough not to stain the ground that covers it.
The most taken-for-granted things in our lives presuppose the destructive exploitation of our natural world too. The mouse that guides my cursor across my flashy computer screen, the fabrics that make up the clothes I'm wearing now, the cigarette I will consume later, the cutlery I use everyday...
...all involve industrial processes that involves the destructive exploitation of our natural world.
Even the most intimate and most precious aspects of our experiences compromise our natural world. The tools and machines that ensures the survival of our newborn, the simple comfort of drinking our favourite iced lemon tea, the darkened shade of lighting that is the comforting blanket that embraces our naked bodies, the decorations that enhance the experience of a memorable event...
The automatic destructive expoitation of the natural world has not only become a mechanical and ingrained process in human activities, it has become an ingrained process. It supports our everyday existence as human beings, from our most intimate experiences to our most triumphant moments.
To stop this destructive expoitation means we have to pull the plug on everything that makes our existence comfortable, easy and possible.
To stop this destructive expoitation means we remove millions of jobs that rely on the perpetuation of these processes, to take away the livelihood of millions, and snatch away the food from the mouths of the loved ones whom they feed.
To stop this destructive exploitation means we deprive ourselves from the luxurious joys of our existence, the power hungry movie theatres that we hide in to explore new worlds and new emotions, the pages we glance through to enrich our minds and consciousness, the sights and sounds we experience in our chosen cyber-universes.
Why has our human existence been so intertwined with this destructive exploitation?
Hypocritical environment lovers, do we then end our species to save our Earth?
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