Signs of the Times

Collapse. It's a concept that a lot more people are pondering these days. And with good reason. Higher energy prices, higher food prices, higher resource prices, less to go around. These trends all portend an end to the "good times". Yet are we paying attention?

Only the most thoughtful and resilient human societies avoid collapse. They either take the steps necessary to power down their societies, going through small pains now to avoid larger ones later or they embrace the maxim: business as usual. If they go with the latter, collapse is assured. If they go with the former, collapse might still happen but at least you have a better chance.

Every human society stands on the foundation of all its members. We all rely on one another; this is ecological thinking. In human societies, some members are higher and have more power, though, than others. So it's easy for the powerful to ignore the warning signs rotting the foundation of their enterprises. When the poor and marginal suffer you either stare it in the eyes or you gaze rapt into the neon lights of your warm, protective bubble.

This disconnect between members is I think the strongest guarantee of human collapse. We've done such a good job building walls and fences that I think we won't be able to see the warning signs before it is too late.

As an aware individual there's only two things you can do: open your eyes to what's happening and build your resiliency. At a system level, collapse is actually creative. It removes, or at least reduces, unsuccessful species and behaviours and leads to new spaces for new, more thoughtful members.

Better late than never.

Lottery

How many times a day do you win the lottery?

I know I won the lottery when I was born. And I win it every day with a fridge full of healthy organic food. I win it everyday with universal health care (which I really don't need due to healthy food and exercise). I win it everyday with choice and a life (relatively) free of fear.

But as with all lotteries for all the winners there are many losers.

This obviously includes many, many humans living today but also the other essential inhabitants of this earth. Most importantly all the beings not yet born, those who will live with our legacy.

The choices we make today matter. I propose that we smash the lottery and give up on these false dreams, abandon the concept of winners and losers altogether, see ourselves as parts of the whole.

Yet there are numerous forces arrayed against this vision and who can't let go of lottery thinking. The state has benefited mightily from fear and conflict. The CBC estimates that the Canadian Government has spent an additional $24 billion on Canada's "security" infrastructure since 2001.

What else could we do with $24 billion? Comments appreciated.

Easter Blessings

A copy of Richard Heinberg's new book, Peak Everything has arrived on our coffee table. To summarize: the 20th century was the century of abundance and the 21st will be the century of declines. And not just oil but food, human population, uranium and potable water. And not a moment too soon for this out of control death culture. It's just too bad that we aren't more responsible tenants of this earth.

We'll also hit peak greenhouse gas emissions which thereafter will decline. Hopefully we'll have avoided transforming Earth into Venus as the climate rebalances itself; technology can't do it, only time.

Since my eyes were opened, I've always dreaded climate change and the rising temperatures and crazy weather that will accompany it. Most people stupidly only see warmer temperatures in places like Canada as a positive thing. I guess I thought that somehow humans would remain unchanged by climate change, being able to resist it, and that other living things would slowly disappear being both murdered by humans and displaced by changing climates.

But climate change is like a fever to reject an unwanted illness.

Heinberg helped me to see that climate change is the earth attempting to remove or force change on a disobedient child. Change or die humans. Inshallah, there will always be life on this earth whether next to volcanic vents on the deep ocean floor or shivering in the dark winters of Antarctica. Civilized humans won't be able to resist forever and one day even after hundreds of thousands of years the earth will restore itself.

And wonderfully I managed to tie this entry to Easter. Hope you've had a good one. Remember spring is coming!

All the Stops

With extreme vanity, bordering on madness, China is pumping every spare resource into Beijing. Water, oil, food, concrete. The goal: to produce the world's most impressive Olympics this summer.

The future does not exist. There is no life outside the city. No people, no animals, no rocks, no air, no soil, only faceless resources. The city and its magnificent construction is all there is. There is only now, flashing lights, clean concrete, green, manicured grass. There is only instant gratification, a hollow thin layer, seconds of eternity.

Beijing is everywhere. And everywhere darkness creeps closer to the fluorescent lights that only shine inward. Can you see it?

The real light is leaving this world, the light of children's imaginations and growing things and wildness. Can you see them go?

Council of All Beings

They began gathering at dusk. From the north, south, east and west. From under the rich dark soil and the deep blue waves and from above, amongst the clouds and mountains. They all came. Representatives of all the many living beings that call this planet home. The summons was urgent, so urgent that the Earth had called a Council of All Beings.

Their destination was a secret place, the most secret and precious place on earth. Though few now remembered it, this was the place that life began. At the edge of the sea, in a small pool under a grey sky, the first fragile life form was born. It was so small that an antelope or a sharp-eyed seagull would never notice. Yet in this place was born the First and the space was sacred, to be protected at all costs.

This was Eden as some humans call it. Trees of all shapes and sizes grew tall and shaded the sand at the edge of the sea. That first special pool was gone, naturally. Now soft white sand blanketed the shoreline. The sun and moon greeted this place every day and night. And when the moon was absent, as she often is, the stars stood guard. Can you imagine seeing the stars at the centre of the world?

There was enough room for the many representatives that would attend. There were high places in the trees for the many birds and bats of the world. Large rocks for amphibians and reptiles to warm themselves on. Soft sand for land mammals to sit comfortably. The sea was tranquil for the coral, plankton fish and sea mammals to hear the deliberation at the council. None were excluded and had their place. The Earth assured this.

So who was selected to represent their species you might be asking? The Earth was wise and called the worthy. That did not mean the strong. Nor did it mean the fast, nor the oldest. The Earth selected representatives with open minds, who could hear and act. These beings could speak for their peoples and carry messages back afterwards.

Everything changed after a Council of All Beings.

Throughout the night, the numbers swelled as more and more answered the call. Despite what you might think, it was a happy meeting. Families were reunited. Beings who shared a common heritage with others met for the first time. All life has a language and it was in this language that they greeted one another. Thus polar bears chatted with black bears and panda bears and connected after hundreds of thousands of years apart. I wonder what stories they told?

There was no prey in this place. The sharks were not tempted by plump seals nor the lion the fleet zebra. Amazing nuts fell from one of the trees and rolled onto the sand and into the surf to nourish all those beings in attendance. The climate also magically met the needs of all creatures from the arctic fox to the jungle leopard. This was paradise.

After many meetings, the called drifted into sleep under the half moon and stars. The council would start at dawn and all had to be well rested.

As the sun rose, the special beings all took their places quietly and greeted the dawn. There was utter silence, even the water and wind seemed to obey the call. All was one as it was in the beginning. Then the wind picked up in the trees and a clear voice rang out.

"Since the First, I have called on all life to make me beautiful. And you have responded so well my children. Chaos! Wildness! These are your birthrights. Embrace these and all life grows richer. All of you are but parts in a wonderful whole. Look around, see your comrades. Without them you would be nothing. Only a fool forgets himself.

"I have called you all, my special children, to this most special place for an urgent gathering. Too long have I watched the unbalancing of my creation. I protect this hallowed place but many places in this world are fading. Things that should never have been are being forged, despoiling the world. The spark of life is fading.

"All your legends warn against uniformity, against taking too much and not giving back to the whole. Against time marching to a glorious end. The humans have a saying: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' The legends of the tuna also share this sentiment as do those of the ants. Yet you continue to allow harm to befall all those on whom you rely. Something is terribly wrong and this Council of All Beings must act to defend life before it is too late."

There was silence as the wind faded and the leaves slowly went still. At that point, a wise and all-seeing owl shook his wings in a tall tree. "Dear mother, each being I see represented here today. Yet I see that you have invited two members of one specific family; there are two humans here today. While I accept my degree of responsibility for carrying us to this dismal time, these humans bear the most responsibility for cutting down the trees in which me and my children and my grandchildren live."

"Yes," squeaked a dolphin. "My people too have seen our homes fill with unnatural waste and poisonous chemicals because of these humans. We are very angry with them."

For several hours, the beings in attendance all laid out their grievances against the one of their circle that was responsible for the unbalancing of the world. It was a damning verdict against humanity. Almost every being in attendance reported how humans had wronged them by wronging their life systems.

The wind rolled through the trees in judgment. "I can remove these humans from creation my children. They are powerful yet they are not that powerful if I choose to act and I am very close. I fear though that the world would be a sadder place without them. As the wise owl has seen there are two humans here today. I wanted to remind you, oh my children, that you once ran wild with humans when today's world was young and truly alive. Bison, do you not remember the chase on great plains? Kangaroo, were humans not a worthy foe?

"I hope they can be redeemed. Let us hear from them."

A man stood up at that moment. He wore dark, shiny clothes and black sunglasses. To the other animals he was terribly strange. He gazed into the mass of creatures before him.

"Friends, while I have heard all that you have said I utterly reject your judgment. We have brought culture and civilization to this wild world. Are you not in awe of our mighty buildings that tower above you like mountains? Can you imagine what we will do next? We have left this world to sail amongst the stars. And we have brought many of you along with us. The cow, the chicken, the pig, the dog; where are these beings? Why are they not here? They would explain how humanity has made the world safer for them.

"You have warned that we are despoiling the world and have outlined how we have wronged many of you. I accept that we have made bad choices but we are moving in the right direction. Always forward to greatness. This is my people's destiny. You should all come along with us. It will be glorious. We are building a new world. You will all have a place in our economy. Don't think of the past, think to the future. Who will join me?"

The man started to walk away from the sacred place at the edge of the sea. He reached the edge of the trees and turned to face the sea of wild faces. Nothing but sadness was reflected there. A brother had been lost and the family was grieved. Unable to accept the sadness, he looked away and passed into the forest.

"This man does not speak for us all." The second human had not followed. She stood there meeting the gaze of all the saddened beings. In her eyes was some comfort.

"Though there are few of us anymore many humans, on discovering this place, would never leave it willingly. I hope you will not judge all my people on this poor example. This man should have been able to hear. Yet his ears are filled with metal and darkness. Too many of my people share this affliction. It is not really their fault. They have never known wildness and are afraid of truth. We are guilty of violence against creation, there is no denying it. I ask for mercy and thank you for allowing me to speak."

The Council of All Beings quickly consented to a punishment for humanity. Earth would carry it out quickly for her but dreadfully slowly for such a young species. The other beings would suffer alongside the humans, there was no avoiding it given that they were all one community.

In time, after the madness had passed, the world would begin to renew itself. Not even the mad humans could damage the system beyond repair. Or at least so they hoped.

The gathering was over. All wept to see each other leave this wondrous place. Time stopped in paradise and though few recognized it, many days had passed. Each being whether bee, snake, eagle, human, trout and gorilla then traveled home. Each would find their homes a little smaller and a little more fragile.

Yet they took heart that their judgment would come to pass. Soon the world would be right again though many of them would fall before that happy day.

Gaza Nights

This evening in Jerusalem someone entered a Jewish religious school and shot dead a number of students. The Guardian declared of the seven deaths: "The attack represents a dramatic escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

Huh? Did these authors forget the 112 Palestinians that have been killed since Israel re-invaded the Gaza Strip over the past number of days? Surely the escalation was the killing of 112 human lives, including dozens of children, there. In contrast to the whole, seven deaths seems pretty inconsequential.

But really it isn't.

You see Palestinian lives are worth less than Israeli lives. For every one Israeli killed 10 Palestinians must be killed for justice to be had. We all accept this fact every day, not just Israelis and Palestinians but Canadians and Chinese. Over the past week since the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) invaded Gaza we are witnessing this miserable statistic in practice. Approximately 10 Israeli soldiers and civilians have been killed to 112 Palestinians, some soldiers, many children.

Unfortunately the calls for revenge (the religious school trains many of the fanatical settlers occupying the West Bank) mean that the death toll will continue to rise. Since seven died today, the IDF will liquidate at least 70 Palestinians; this is justice. Then the Palestinians will try and kill 10% of the total assassinated. Eventually they'll give up and take a breath but the 10-1 rule will never change.

Violence only flows down the hierarchy of the races. Never forget that.

Death Wish

Have you seen the VISA commercial? You know the one. The middle aged couple looks down at the Great Wall of China and the voice over claims, "crossing number six off your life's to do list: priceless".

But there is a price to all these dreams. It's just paid by future generations and other beings. And everywhere in former farmer's fields, the concrete airports spring up like weeds.

Just now I saw another reminder of this mentality: Ten Places You Must Visit Before You Die.

What's on your list?

Secretly we all have one, even if we know traveling is wrong and would never admit it. For me it's the far south of Chile. Don't ask me why. I think I remember seeing a television show when I was younger that explained that there it's so dry that you can see the whole sky full of stars anytime and that it's probably the most brilliant place to stargaze on earth. I could go there at the drop of the hat, but I don't. I would love to really see the stars but I can do that anywhere, can't I? I guess it'll never be as brilliant as south Chile is in my mind.

Imagination is the key. We've all but killed it off by a combination of instant gratification, shiny screens and credit cards. But keeping these destinations mere dreams lets you imagine how wonderful it would be, even if it never could be as great if you actually were there.

So make your lists and let your minds soar above the clouds and amongst the stars!