The Day After Yesterday
In the documentary 11th Hour, former CIA Director James Woolsey, of all people, makes a very important point with regards to the correlation between consumerism and industrial opportunism and the ability to affect change in a very short period of time given what are traditionally viewed as ‘exceptional circumstances’.
Woolsey’s point of reference was the transformation of the US auto industry into an industrial mechanism with which to produce aircraft, tanks, and a variety of other military necessities during the early stages of America’s involvement in the Second World War. That transformation took, believe it or not, merely six months. Put into context, if the disastrous environmental reality that we are currently facing was seriously addressed by government, the implementation of alternative energy use, that being non-carbon based energy (fossil fuels), could be introduced in a very timely fashion. It would also create jobs, which would replace those lost in the transformation. The only loser in that transformation would be the corporate oil sector, which possesses such enormous influence that, in truth, they are largely responsible for the inability, or unwillingness, of government to act. Ultimately, greed has become the foremost factor in the inability to seriously implement alternative energy sources that would significantly impact the amount of damage that fossil fuels do on a daily basis.
Of course, many economists will argue tooth and nail that such a transformation would be disadvantageous. But that supposes that the economy is of greater significance than the environment. The only problem with such logic is that economies can grow; as can populations and the waste they produce. The environment, on the other hand, cannot expand to match it. It is a limited and immovable thing, and therefore unalterable with regards to meeting the demands of economic growth.
In the last half of the twentieth century the world’s population has grown faster than at any other point in human history. In fact, during that period it has increased so much that that increase alone constitutes a figure greater than the population of the planet at any time prior to the industrial revolution. During that increase, the primary source of energy used by the population of the planet has been carbon based – which includes everything from food production to transportation to the production of electricity.
For the majority of human history our species relied on available sunlight for energy. But since the discovery of fossil fuels, we have become wholly dependent on an energy source that is not only unsustainable, but also catastrophically damaging with regards to its impact on the environment. Thus, we now find ourselves in an era in which we are forced to make a very important choice – to either disregard the realities of that dependency and its ramifications or to address our dependence on fossil fuels and work to eliminate it.
In the end, and despite our intelligence, our species may very well constitute nothing more than a global parasite, one that, having been given the chance to grow and consume the benefits of its host may very well find itself the author of its own destruction because of it. Given that, it should also not be overlooked that despite the damage caused, our host will outlast us, no matter how superior we believe ourselves to be. It has, in the billions of years of its existence, seen life forms come and go, and to think that we are somehow immune to that natural eventuality is, perhaps, the primary reason that we refuse to alter our perspective.
Of course, there are those that faithfully believe that a higher power created the world and that what we do to it doesn’t matter because is it, in the end, part of a greater divine plan. There is little that can be said to such individuals regarding this subject, only that if a divine plan does exists, our eventual demise is a part of it, and that the endurance and eventual reconstitution of the natural world is as well. Unless, that is, God’s plan is to also destroy the natural world in the process.
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April 23rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
You’re right – we ARE the author of our own destruction. What never ceases to amaze me is that, after 100 years, we still cling to the basic principle of the combustion engine to provide transport.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Wait a second…are you telling me that Earth Day DIDN’T fix it? Well then, I’m completely out of ideas.
Perhaps two Earth Days?
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I’ve never bought the argument that helping the environment will hurt the economy. Maybe it will, but that’s not a forgone conclusion. A good example would be the CFL lightbulb — is lasts longer than the incandescent versions, and leads to reduced energy costs for consumers. The hybrid car (that gets > 60mpg) is also a good example.
I’ve been following solar technology for years, and it seems like there’s a trend of breakthrough after breakthrough. They are nearing the point where the efficiency of a solar cell is almost enough to power a cell phone or other electronics. Plus, battery storage capacities are also increasing. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next five to ten years or so as those technologies continue to evolve, and get closer and closer to being able to supply personal energy needs without fossil fuels. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few solar energy researchers were to mysterious disappear at that point (check out Who Killed The Electric Car, where some of the motor companies bought out patents of competing clean technologies just to make sure they never reached the market).
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Great post. Really underscores how the oil industry is gripped by a fear of lost profits and predominantly views the world in a very short-term sense governed by their fiscal earnings. What I find amazing is that the potential profits earned never seems to factor into the equation for big oil execs. There is a market that exists for a sustainable fuel source which goes largely untapped. Further, I believe many people who do participate in the oil market at present do so because it is literally the only game around. Were the infrastructure in place to provide sustainable fuel sources, I think many of those individuals who use oil derived products would make the switch.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:43 pm
And of course those same oil companies are now paying lip service to the whole issue through subliminal means. For example BP changed their long-familiar shield logo (it had already undergone a number of transformations but had essentially remained the same shape). Now, we have a stylised sunflower to evoke ‘a greener energy source’. Also, what about all the oil-based plastic pieces of crap that get shipped from China to the rest of the world daily? Tonnes upon tonnes of tinselled, sequinned, over-glossed pieces of junk…
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Matt Said:
“Of course, many economists will argue tooth and nail that such a transformation would be disadvantageous. But that supposes that the economy is of greater significance than the environment. The only problem with such logic is that economies can grow; as can populations and the waste they produce. The environment, on the other hand, cannot expand to match it. It is a limited and immovable thing, and therefore unalterable with regards to meeting the demands of economic growth.”
yep, yep ,yep
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:57 pm
For sure, the world’s burgeoning population spawns growth in economy and manufacture, but my point is, what’s the point? What’s the point of all this tat and s*it that’s produced? We (the affluent consumers of this world), have FAR too much choice of….stuff. Crap we don’t need. and much of it is oil-based.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I’m beginning to suspect the only way things are going to change is for the world to literally run OUT of oil. I caught on the news the other day that our lovely president is now suggesting that opening more domestic areas to oil drilling is the answer. (Oh, plus he defended NAFTA as being essential to getting cheap oil from Canada and Mexico. Of course, he ignored the fact that the mechanisms of the international market make that a moot point, but whatever.) And every time a rumor pops up about oil reserves in Wyoming/Utah/wherever, it’s seen as a reason to not have to worry about finding a Plan B.
At this point, the lack of foresight and planning is nothing short of amazing… and nothing short of deliberate. Just yesterday the Department of Transportation released a plan to increased the required fuel economy of various vehicles by 2015… and the fact that the automakers aren’t even flipping out about it tells me that they’ve had the technology to meet those standards all along and just haven’t bothered because they haven’t had to.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Is he still thinking of digging up half of the Greater Yellowstone & Tetons area?
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:48 pm
You definitely have to read “State of Fear” by Michael Crichton. He touches on alot of the subjects you mention in your post.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Fantastic, poignant piece.
I am reminded the the 4 possibilities video… anyone have it- the guy explaining using positive/negative consequences our 4 choices… in summary, it points to the necessity of our action regardless how serious or true global warming and climate change are.
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
There is one great thing I believe on the horizon. With gas prices so high consumers won’t touch suv’s and gas guzzlers anymore. The auto makers will start to freak now and you will start to see more and more hybrid cars and energy efficient vehicles. This is much akin to the gas crunch in the us decades ago that killed the muscle car trend and went toward small efficient cars. Big oil is unintentionally pushing automakers into a trend that shies away from fossil fuel use which is good. Why else would Chevy take a gas guzzling beast like the Tahoe and make it a hybrid So I say let the prices climb sky high for it will ultimately help the environment.
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Yah, the one with the four quadrants. I think you mean this one? http://youtube.com/watch?v=zORv8wwiadQ
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
That guy with the 4 quadrants thing has got it right.
Sadly, climatologists predict that we need real action within the next 10 years to stop serious permanent alteration to the world. While global social change is precedented, such as 1st world countries’ abolishment of slavery, and equal treatment of women, such changes have taken several decades to truly be realized. By the time we switch to renewable resources, whether by choice or the result of lack of oil and it being our only option, it will be too late.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
[quote comment="50928"]Fantastic, poignant piece.
I am reminded the the 4 possibilities video… anyone have it- the guy explaining using positive/negative consequences our 4 choices… in summary, it points to the necessity of our action regardless how serious or true global warming and climate change are.[/quote]
That was a great video…glad to see it got around!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Being that I don’t tend to huddle with the other sheep, I think there is some truth to that video, “SOME”. I think he has the environmental impact right but just guessing that taking action and then there’s no real threat will result in global depression? Don’t get me wrong he has some valid points but others are far fetched and would take the perfect storm of events to transpire exactly the way he thinks.Question everything
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Hey, a global depression could turn into a positive. Some people just might have to start walking in the shoes of others. Wouldn’t that help global perspectives!! LOL
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I am not convinced that human beings are the primary contributers to climate change, however at the same time i cannot say that I view our present rate of economic growth and consumption as anything but detrimental to the environment.
I haven’t heard anyone bring this up, but I think more than anything else what the west ought to be doing is trying to prevent the destruction of the rain forests, and perhaps even their rehabilitation in areas where they have disappeared. Since the rain forest is one of the primary mechanisms on this planet which converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, i think it is truly crucial to preserve them.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:48 pm
When I first opened up this post I paused. I saw the picture on top and thought about how impressive it was to see all of the places that humans are, and the places we are not. I thought about how big the world was and how many people there really must be to put off that much light. I was amazed, entranced. After about a minute I moved on to read the post, comments and even watched the mentioned YouTube video. Then I went back to the picture on top. It looks very different now. I see the earth and am sick that we have made such a mark on such a massive scale. It’s very depressing. I truly do feel like we are parasites. Innocence officially lost.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
The bearer of bad news who bears reality represents hope and a way forward.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:04 pm
One of my favourite quotes from The 11th Hour was from Gloria Flora, who said,
“You can also vote - and I don’t mean voting at a voting booth - anybody of any age can vote. Because you vote every day that you pay for something. Every time you lay money down on the counter to buy something, you are saying that I approve of this object. I approve of how it was made, the materials that are in it, and what’s going to happen to it when I no longer need it and throw it away.”
This really made me stop and think of the larger consequences of my purchasing habits and how, even in a small way, I could effect change.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:37 pm
I agree!
The fact that our economy has always represented the environment as an externality is a problem and perhaps the toughest one to correct.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:44 pm
[quote comment="50959"]One of my favourite quotes from The 11th Hour was from Gloria Flora, who said,
“You can also vote - and I don’t mean voting at a voting booth - anybody of any age can vote. Because you vote every day that you pay for something. Every time you lay money down on the counter to buy something, you are saying that I approve of this object. I approve of how it was made, the materials that are in it, and what’s going to happen to it when I no longer need it and throw it away.”
This really made me stop and think of the larger consequences of my purchasing habits and how, even in a small way, I could effect change.[/quote]
I agree…but it is so, so difficult. How, what and WHERE of course. Even something as simple as a birthday card today, is more likely to have been printed (and adorned with bits of plastic crap) in China than it is in my country, England. I am now going to make my own, but millions don’t. And don’t even get me started on cuddly toys that adults buy…
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:41 pm
ralph klein would totally fix this.
April 24th, 2008 at 4:08 am
Is the most evolved human species the one that self destructs fastest en mass ?
April 24th, 2008 at 4:31 am
Who’s Ralph Klein??
April 24th, 2008 at 5:26 am
Wow - fantastic post. I feel better already.
You should co-host the National with Peter Mansbridge.
April 24th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Yes, there is greed… AND lethargy. I am a firm believer in the latter. And remain a believer, not a follower of the fad. That’s why love will come and save me. I can’t really save it. And when it does, we will be covered in cement, together, forever.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Anyone who doubts that global warming is caused by humanity should read the IPCC report summary for policy makers. It represents mainstream science’s view of climate change very well and cuts out most of the scientific jargon. Here’s a link:
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf
April 24th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Stormydog - You are right. It is not easy. But what I find now is that I’m shopping much more consciously, which is a huge first step, instead of blindly buying things that are convenient, popular and/or cheap.
And Ralph Klein was once the premier of Alberta, home of much of Canada’s oil. Ceemly was being sarcastic (I hope)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Klein
April 24th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Quoting Matthew Good:
” In the end, and despite our intelligence, our species may very well constitute nothing more than a global parasite, one that, having been given the chance to grow and consume the benefits of its host may very well find itself the author of its own destruction because of it. Given that, it should also not be overlooked that despite the damage caused, our host will outlast us, no matter how superior we believe ourselves to be. It has, in the billions of years of its existence, seen life forms come and go, and to think that we are somehow immune to that natural eventuality is, perhaps, the primary reason that we refuse to alter our perspective.”
This point couldn’t be any more right. I mean, it is undeniable- that we as a species will have long perished and that thw world will continue on without us- like it did before we came into being. Furthermore, to reiterate that yes, we are only speeding up the process of our our species demise, by causing environmental castatrophes as a result of our unrelentless pillaging of it’s resources. Essentially, we as he human race have propagated such a skew in the world’s natural balance that in our lifetimes, may never return to an livable equilibrium…
HOWEVER, I would like to add- that though - of course- the planet will remain, long after we are gone, it is the STATE in which it will be left that it utterly alarming to me. What once inhabited, what seemed like an infinaite number of life forms- will mostly likely be reduced to cockroaces, or any other species that can sustain liufe in the harshest of environemnts. The once clean, green and blue planet will be reduced to (what I fear) disease and blackened ash. If the rate of ozone continues to deplete, our protective atmosphere will be reduced to nothing more than a flimsy sheeth that will not be able to stave off the sun’s powerful rays. Of course, we all know this- but it will only lead to FURTHER destruction.
Over eras, the Earth may slowly heal herself and maybe, someday, once again return to the beautiful, pristine state that it existed in BEFORE humanoids evolved. Then, and only then, will life begin to flourish a new…and we, as humans will not be part of it. Almost a serene and peaceful thought.
Unless all the governments of all the countries of the world begin to implement even small, gradual, but perpetual/continual changes to what fuels the economic machine- we will essentially lose everything.
We will have done it to ourselves, but worst of all- our greed and negligence will have fucked over everyother species that co-inhabits this Earth.
It seems very unfair that we, being such a small populace in comparison to all other life forms, combined- could essentially stop life as the world knows it. It’s truly sickening.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:42 am
The world would truly be better place without us in it.
AND: CAn we PLEASE have the EDIT function reinstated??!!! I’m not lazy, i did reread (well, i skimmed) and still left a hundred mistakes….for the love of God Matthew- this is injust.!! hehe
Protest…!!