The Endocene
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 10:24
% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.
Time there was and plenty, but from that cup no more
~ Robert Hunter
The Anthropocene Era isn’t going to last much longer – geologically speaking, barely past its recent coinage! Instead, the Endocene is upon us. There are many intellectual ways of approaching ecopocalypse and collapse and incipient extinction – and I don’t pretend that one is a better explanation than another, because I don’t really understand entropy all that well. Some believe financial collapse will lead to social instability and nuclear war, others see resource constraints coupled with overpopulation, while many expect climate change, particularly methane outgassing from permafrost and clathrates, to finish us off. Meanwhile I tend to think pollution is enough to do it, and soon.
Consider new research from Hawaii that has conclusively linked pollution to lethal tumors in turtles. and more generally to coral reef decline, in a situation analogous to the death of forests from ozone.
~ Robert Hunter
The Anthropocene Era isn’t going to last much longer – geologically speaking, barely past its recent coinage! Instead, the Endocene is upon us. There are many intellectual ways of approaching ecopocalypse and collapse and incipient extinction – and I don’t pretend that one is a better explanation than another, because I don’t really understand entropy all that well. Some believe financial collapse will lead to social instability and nuclear war, others see resource constraints coupled with overpopulation, while many expect climate change, particularly methane outgassing from permafrost and clathrates, to finish us off. Meanwhile I tend to think pollution is enough to do it, and soon.
Consider new research from Hawaii that has conclusively linked pollution to lethal tumors in turtles. and more generally to coral reef decline, in a situation analogous to the death of forests from ozone.
Humans have always had some dim inkling that we aren’t behaving particularly well. Cautionary myths and legends along those lines permeate virtually every culture. Because there is such a plethora of doomsday scenarios doesn’t mean they are wrong, to the contrary, there are so many because it is inescapably logical (although it runs counter to human inclination) that we can’t continue to exploit a finite planet indefinitely. The clever tricks we devise to push back the day of reckoning are ever more amazing, but still, there’s no question there will be a massive debt to pay sometime, and nothing left to pay it with. Like the souls adrift in the fabled Ship of Fools – in the satirical allegory Das Narrenschiff, just one of many in that motif – we are obliviously lurching our way to Narragonia – the fool’s paradise.
Ship of Fools
~ Hieronymus Bosch 1490-1500
It’s eternally fashionable among many phony activist cohorts to place the blame for all these converging catastrophes on white European capitalism – which requires ignoring millennia of other rapacious societies untainted by any contact with the Judeo-Christian culture located in, say, ancient Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas. The comforting conviction that humans in far away times and places lived peacefully and sustainably is enhanced by judging behavior on stated norms rather than history – romanticized ideals instead of archeological evidence. If that was the standard to judge European history, we would be able to imagine that the tales of warnings from the three dead to the three living held sway. And of course we know they did not.
| In which three corpses admonish the three horrified young men to consider the transience of life and to improve their behavior before it is too late. |
Oh but I digress!
Anyway…to my mind, there is a much simpler and equally persuasive explanation for the looming crash, and it is biological. Humans are doing what humans do, have always done, and cannot (despite our fervent fantasies) do otherwise. By way of explication, Monday saw the premiere of a classic example of the fundamental delusion and egotism that operates the human animal willy-nilly, which we will shortly examine.
The claim of human exceptionalism is familiar – the notion that our species is special, the crown of creation, subject to different rules and even unique evolutionary influences, than other more lowly animals – or plants for that matter. This idiotic conceit underlies everything from fanatic veganism (if only we didn’t eat meat we could save the world and feed 10 billion people!) to techno-worship (we can have infinite growth on a finite planet!).
But there is deeper variant of human exceptionalism that presents a final irrevocable obstacle to any prospect (long since obsolete anyway) that we might mend our ways.
We EACH think our own individual selves are exceptional, even within the already exceptional human race. Which of course is why it is so perennially droll when Garrison Keillor introduces his Lake Wobegon radio show with “…all the women are good looking, and the children are above average”. Or think about the environmental icon who inspired Earth First!, Edward Abbey, who loved the wilderness so much he was against immigration, calling for “…a halt to the mass influx of even more millions of hungry, ignorant, unskilled, and culturally-morally-generically impoverished people”, but had five children himself – and loved the desert so much he liked nothing better than to tear around off road in his pickup truck.
This brings us to the absurdly ignorant, painfully ironic campaign to save nature AND humanity, concocted by the group known as Conservation International which debuted at the beginning of the week. M. Sanjayan, an executive vice president and senior scientist at CI, describes the project as an attempt to “rebrand” environmentalism to be less about preserving wildlife and more about preserving humans, by emphasizing that people are dependent upon nature. Like the World Wildlife Fund, also founded by royalty and other elites, the leadership is so steeped in privilege that they have no clue at all what a bitter taste emanates from their efforts.
There is a straight line between the oblivious, deliriously happy greedy hunter gatherers who casually and thoughtlessly extirpated the megafauna to this insanely, self-besotted organization, as we shall see.
George Monbiot earlier laid out the case for human-caused megafauna extinction as presented by numerous scientists at a conference earlier this year. It wasn’t just a few species destroyed, there were dozens and dozens – it would be as if, today, all the lions, tigers, bears, leopards, elephants, whales, dolphins, wolves and cheetahs – and more – all disappeared (there are pictures of some of the vanished at the end of this post).
George Monbiot earlier laid out the case for human-caused megafauna extinction as presented by numerous scientists at a conference earlier this year. It wasn’t just a few species destroyed, there were dozens and dozens – it would be as if, today, all the lions, tigers, bears, leopards, elephants, whales, dolphins, wolves and cheetahs – and more – all disappeared (there are pictures of some of the vanished at the end of this post).
Now Monbiot believes it is time for us to reflect on the ongoing mass extinction, and in a recent essay wonders WHY humans are so ecocidal.
“In fairness to the modern era, this is an extension of a trend that has lasted some two million years. The loss of much of the African megafauna – sabretooths and false sabretooths, giant hyaenas and amphicyonids (bear dogs), several species of elephant – coincided with the switch towards meat eating by hominims (ancestral humans). It’s hard to see what else could have been responsible for the peculiar pattern of extinction then.”
“As we spread into other continents, their megafaunas almost immediately collapsed. Perhaps the most reliable way of dating the first arrival of people anywhere is the sudden loss of large animals. The habitats we see as pristine – the Amazon rainforest or coral reefs for example – are in fact almost empty: they have lost most of the great beasts that used to inhabit them, which drove crucial natural processes.”
“Since then we have worked our way down the foodchain, rubbing out smaller predators, medium-sized herbivores, and now, through both habitat destruction and hunting, wildlife across all classes and positions in the foodweb. There seems to be some kink in the human brain that prevents us from stopping, that drives us to carry on taking and competing and destroying, even when there is no need to do so.”
So he attributes our compulsion to grow to what he calls a ”kink in the human brain” - which is silly, since it isn’t a kink at all, it simply IS the human brain. After he writes cogently of the compelling evidence for an ongoing trend of over-consumption he then proceeds to spoil it by blaming modern culture as somehow unique (when you can see that exhibiting status through personal possessions is something people always do).
So he attributes our compulsion to grow to what he calls a ”kink in the human brain” - which is silly, since it isn’t a kink at all, it simply IS the human brain. After he writes cogently of the compelling evidence for an ongoing trend of over-consumption he then proceeds to spoil it by blaming modern culture as somehow unique (when you can see that exhibiting status through personal possessions is something people always do).
Getting back to Conservation International’s vanity campaign, it’s worth watching at least the first in their series of very short films with fabulously scenic backdrops and celebrity narrators, titled collectively “Nature is Speaking” (the others are linked at the youtube page and also here.)
Julia Roberts as Mother Nature sternly warns us naughty children that she doesn’t need us – oh no, we need her – and she is going to take away our toys if we don’t take better care of the gifts she has given us. That’s alright as far as it goes but then she declares: “One way or the other, your actions will determine your fate, not mine. I am Nature. I will go on. I am prepared to evolve. Are you?”
This is ignorant on at least two levels. First, humans cannot willfully evolve. Evolution has no purpose, and it doesn’t happen because we decide we want it to, and certainly not any any timescale that could matter. Conflating natural selection with a wish that humans had a different brain wired for more altruistic behavior should not have made it through an organization that employs scientists. Second, it isn’t at all clear that Nature will go on, once we are no longer capable of trashing her. A runaway Venus effect will do her in other than the laws of physics.
But to the more interesting question (at least, as long as humans are alive and capable of curiosity) which goes to the heart of the problem of consciousness, it seems fair, even requisite, to inquire – how are Julia and the other movie stars in these videos doing at reducing their impact on Planet Earth? Well, let’s see…Julia has three children and at least four houses – Hawaii, New Mexico, Malibu and New York, which she shuttles between via private jet.
But to the more interesting question (at least, as long as humans are alive and capable of curiosity) which goes to the heart of the problem of consciousness, it seems fair, even requisite, to inquire – how are Julia and the other movie stars in these videos doing at reducing their impact on Planet Earth? Well, let’s see…Julia has three children and at least four houses – Hawaii, New Mexico, Malibu and New York, which she shuttles between via private jet.
Hey though, she makes up for it, as described in TreeHugger:
“The pretty woman will be helping biodiesel producer Earth Biofuels promote a program to encourage the use of biodiesel in more than 500,000 diesel school buses nationwide. A recent addition to the Earth Biofuels board of directors, Ms. Roberts will serve as a spokesperson for the eco-fuel. ”It’s very important that we expand our use of clean energy and make a long-term commitment to it. Biodiesel and ethanol are better for the environment and for the air we breathe,” Roberts said in an announcement about her new role. She will be joining current Earth Biofuels celeb board members Willie Nelson and Morgan Freeman.” [a couple of notes: 1. Do I have to point out that biodiesel makes WORSE toxic pollution than regular fossil fuels? and 2. if you want to choke on vomit, watch this film narrated by Morgan Freeman promoting clean energy to solve the climate crisis.]
Speaking as the Ocean in another of the series, Harrison Ford recites: ”It’s not their planet, anyway. Never was. Never will be. But humans, they take more than their share. They poison me and then expect me to feed them. Well, it doesn’t work that way.”
“I’m only going to say this once, ‘If nature isn’t kept healthy, humans won’t survive. Simple as that. I mean, I could give a damn. With or without humans, I’m The Ocean. I covered this entire planet once and I can always cover it again.’”
Let’s just check how Harrison is doing in terms of responsible stewardship, by reading his own words in an interview.
1. There’s nothing better than seeing a herd of elk right outside the window of my house in Wyoming. My land gives me an opportunity to be close to nature, and I find spiritual solace in nature, contemplating our species in the context of the natural world.
2. All of my planes are great to fly, and that’s why I’ve got so many of them. I have a Citation Sovereign, a long-range jet; a Grand Caravan, a turboprop aircraft capable of operating on unimproved strips; and a De Havilland, a bush plane. I have a 1929 Waco Taperwing open-top biplane; a 1942 PT-22 open-top monoplane trainer; an Aviat Husky, a two-seat fabric-covered bush plane; and a Bell 407 helicopter. I also have more than my fair share of motorbikes – eight or nine. I have four or five BMWs, a couple of Harleys, a couple of Hondas and a Triumph; plus I have sports touring bikes.
3. I‘m a big fan of Prince Charles. I met him because I worked on a little film project for The Prince’s Trust last year, and he’s a charming man, very nice and a very smart guy. We may be working together on an environmental project this year for Conservation International. I’m on the board, and we’re very happy because Prince Charles asked to join us. A few weeks ago we voted to place him on our board of directors. We’ll probably do something together soon connected with the protection of the environment.
Kevin Spacey is the voice of the rainforest. I can’t find much about him although I will say, staying on the 37-meter superyacht The Tango while in Sydney for performances of Richard III might have been less than ecologically prudent.
4. Edward Norton, who is honest as dirt and humble too in the “Soil” segment, inherited millions from his grandfather, inventor of the modern American mall (thanks, Grandpop!). In addition to the houses around the world he was left, he has since acquired more of his own – a pad in NY, a few houses in Malibu and a mansion in the Hollywood Hills. He has a Mercedes and a couple of Range Rovers – but they don’t count because he also, being a passionate environmentalist, has a hydrogen-fueled BMW. See how that works?
5. Penélope Cruz, who represents “Water” travels by private jet between her houses in LA, Madrid and NY – and various vacations spots like the Bahamas. She takes helicopters for shorter jaunts – she doesn’t drive, ya know.
6. Perhaps avid skier Robert Redford’s claim to environmentalism is the most egregiously, outrageously hypocritical of all when he speaks to us as “The Redwood”. Men’s Journal recounts the
adorable story about how he fell in love with Utah and single-handedly turned it into the luxury resort, Sundance, which is somehow presented as modest because it doesn’t serve the numbers of Vail.
“…His master plan for the resort – which he insists is named for the way sunlight dances off the peaks and not his mustachioed character in ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ – tops out at 106 artist studios and homes, none marring the open areas above the tree line. The ski resort is small – four lifts, 450 skiable acres, and a top elevation of 8,200 feet – and that suits him just fine.”
“…His master plan for the resort – which he insists is named for the way sunlight dances off the peaks and not his mustachioed character in ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ – tops out at 106 artist studios and homes, none marring the open areas above the tree line. The ski resort is small – four lifts, 450 skiable acres, and a top elevation of 8,200 feet – and that suits him just fine.”
Especially because people ride horses to get there. Oh wait no they take private jets?
Redford considers Sundance home. “…a great, great part of it is still untouched, still pure. I came because I like being around hardworking agricultural people. I like the contrast of moving from an urban, edgy place like New York to this place with people working the land for generations.”
“Utah is not the only landscape that has a hold on Redford – he’s building a house in Napa and owns another in Santa Fe”.
It’s not exactly the “landscape” that has a hold on him – it’s the HOUSE he puts in the landscape. It’s like when people say, “That’s such a pretty road, when it isn’t the road that is pretty at all, it’s the land it is slicing through. What kind of pristine wilderness is this? Redford is to Utah what Flagler is to Florida. Thanks a lot for carving up the mountain slopes for your entertainment, from the bears and bobcats.
“Utah is not the only landscape that has a hold on Redford – he’s building a house in Napa and owns another in Santa Fe”.
It’s not exactly the “landscape” that has a hold on him – it’s the HOUSE he puts in the landscape. It’s like when people say, “That’s such a pretty road, when it isn’t the road that is pretty at all, it’s the land it is slicing through. What kind of pristine wilderness is this? Redford is to Utah what Flagler is to Florida. Thanks a lot for carving up the mountain slopes for your entertainment, from the bears and bobcats.
Yet to be announced are the narrators for the upcoming segments, “Coral Reef” and “Flower”. Care to hazard a guess? I’m nominating Donald Trump and Oprah. (But first they should watch the fate of the movie actress in this public service announcement.)
Monbiot winds up his plaintive post with the rhetorical question: ”Is this not the point at which we challenge the inevitability of endless growth on a finite planet? If not now, when?”
Well, the answer obviously is, NEVER.**
Time for a poetry break (shared by Mike Kaulbars)
A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky
~ Lewis Carroll
A boat beneath a sunny sky,
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July —
Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear —
Long has paled that sunny sky:
Echoes fade and memories die:
Autumn frosts have slain July.
Still she haunts me, phantomwise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.
Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.
In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:
Ever drifting down the stream —
Lingering in the golden gleam —
Life, what is it but a dream?
Time for a poetry break (shared by Mike Kaulbars)
A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky
~ Lewis Carroll
A boat beneath a sunny sky,
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July —
Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear —
Long has paled that sunny sky:
Echoes fade and memories die:
Autumn frosts have slain July.
Still she haunts me, phantomwise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.
Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.
In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:
Ever drifting down the stream —
Lingering in the golden gleam —
Life, what is it but a dream?
Oh by the way, the videos – which are going to be featured on Virgin Air flights (!) – were the brainchild of Lee Clow, a collaborator on this piece of Apple propaganda from 1984…which in hindsight, isn’t very funny either:
*because I just can’t laugh.
**oh, and if you really think it’s time for a change, George, you would publish a story about the trees dying from air pollution instead of pretending it’s not happening.
Source: http://witsendnj.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-endocene.html
Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!
Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!
HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.
Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.
MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)
Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser! Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!
Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.
Smart Meter Cover - Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).
MOST RECENT
HELP KEEP NEWS FREE
DONATE
HERE
| Online: | |
| Visits: | 1,603,855,333 |
| Stories: | 8,151,555 |
Wanted: Citizen Reporters,
Whistler Blowers, Insiders
Whistler Blowers, Insiders
"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Today's Top Stories
Featured
Top Global
Top Alternative