Eco-Innocence?
Eco Innocence?
A
Turning Point in Consciousness
Who
among us is innocent of responsibility for the
degradation
our species inflicts on the natural world?
And what can we do about it?
Clearly,
we face looming crises of unprecedented proportions
and dimensions—environmentally, economically,
socially, psychologically, spiritually. It is
critical we wake up to the fact that the human
predicament is the planet's
problem.
I
teach a course called "Paradigms of Consciousness" at
John F. Kennedy University. We spend eleven weeks
exploring the dynamics of beliefs, about how our
stories affect us as individuals, as communities, and
as global "eco-citizens." This week, we shuddered to
a halt when we looked at the impact of human actions
on the natural environment.
Revelations about
the scale of the problem left some students feeling
helpless, even despondent. The situation seems so
hopeless, and the consequences so vast and
inevitable. One brave student, not happy that I
identified human actions as the main culprit in
climate change, emailed me with a very direct
question:
“I believe there is
innocence at the core of every human, and that humans
haven’t intentionally damaged the planet. Do
you disagree?”
Her
question got me thinking. And in response I wrote a
lengthy essay. Here are the main points.
Human
Innocence
Given the
evidence pro and con, I simply don’t know
whether every human being possesses an innate and
abiding innocence of the heart. I’m not even
sure I know what “human innocence” means.
If, for instance, it means that no human carries any
responsibility for the impact our species has on our
surrounding ecology, I do not accept that. It is
quite evident to me that all of us living in modern
civilization make choices every day that contribute,
one way or another, to the degradation of the
environment—and we are responsible for those
choices. In short, that means we are not
“innocent.”
I’m not
just talking about our ecological footprint
(some
eco-footprint is
unavoidable from every member of every species). By
“choices,” I’m referring to those
decisions we make with our purchases and other
actions even though other, less eco-impacting,
alternatives are available. In my experience, few
people consistently live lifestyles where they always
choose optimum eco-sustainable actions. Of course,
some do come much closer than others to living
lightly on the land. But even organic farmers use
internal combustion engines to transport their
produce, and they use electricity in their homes. I
don’t know of anyone who lives entirely off the
land, powered by sun and/or wind, and who produces
their own food and raw materials for clothing and
housing. Even if people are unaware of alternative
options, ignorance is not the same as innocence. Who
among us, then, is truly innocent?
It is hardly a
matter for dispute that human activity contributes
significantly to climate change and global warming as
a result of the vast amounts of CO2
we
emit into the atmosphere daily, weekly, monthly,
annually, for decades and centuries. Yet despite all
the hard science to back this up, the outgoing Bush
Administration has shown a profound disregard for the
health and integrity of local and global ecosystems.
Even worse, by their actions political and corporate
leaders demonstrate they are willing to
intentionally destroy
ecosystems (e.g., by leveling mountaintops to access
coal reserves and pouring polluting sludge into the
surrounding environment. Bush has just cleared the
way to make this legal for mining companies
[source]). The
politicians who enable this to happen along with
the corporations and individuals who participate
in making this happen are by no stretch of
imagination “innocent” in my view.
They do, indeed, intentionally harm the
environment and other species—all in the
biased belief that “humans are
special” (“God’s chosen species"
).
Sixth Great Extinction
In my writings
and lectures, I often express acute frustration at
the dire plight of so many of our kindred species
whose share of the planet is denied, disrupted, or
destroyed—as a result of chronic self-serving
human actions. These endangered species are the true
innocents. As is now widely known, we are living
through the sixth great extinction on Earth (the last
one occurred about 60 million years ago when the
dinosaurs were wiped out). This time, however, the
extinction is being caused by a single run-away
species—humans. My
sense of urgency is fueled by a growing awareness
that we (and other species) are running out of time.
Experts predict that within thirty years fully
one-third of all mammalian species will become
extinct as a result of human activity (including, for
example, gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, cheetahs,
tigers, rhinoceros, and on and on . . . along with
countless other species of birds, reptiles, and
fish). According to recent estimates, between one
quarter and one third (29%) of large ocean fish
species have declined in population by 90% due
to over-fishing and pollution (source). I find the
numbers staggering, almost beyond belief. In my
opinion, anyone who is not alarmed about that is
either not paying attention or simply
doesn’t care because they have bought into
the self-serving myth that “humans
are special” (I think of Sarah Palin and
fellow fundamentalists as extreme examples).
The
Crisis is Real
It really
doesn’t help to adopt a Pollyanna perspective
that, despite the evidence, “everything will
turn out all right in the end,” or that we
really shouldn’t talk about the prospect of
environmental catastrophe in polite company. No
amount of “let’s all stay positive”
head-in-the sand wishful thinking will help us
address the various crises in any useful way.
I’m urging us to “wake up” and take
responsibility. That means becoming informed
about what
is really happening—including
the shocking “shadow” aspects of human
actions and intentions, without ignoring the
“light” inspiring visions for a better,
more compassionate and sustainable world. Reality
always includes both shadow and light.
Always. We
need to acknowledge and embrace that dance.
Choosing
Levity and Creativity
In the essay to
my students, I added something I didn’t get
around to in class. It’s this: While I do think
we need to wake up to the stark realities facing us,
I don’t think it is useful or productive to
allow ourselves to be brought down by the gravity of
the problem. Yes, I want us to be more alert to the
dangers and more awake and aware of our
responsibilities. At the
same time, I encourage us to
walk through the world with levity and a light heart.
Even while (or if) we feel pain and grief (indeed,
anger) at the predicament our civilization has
created for ourselves and other species, we do not
have to slide into ineffectual despair or depression.
We can, instead, take responsibility for our
participation in the situation and
allow ourselves to fully feel that pain, grief,
anger, and fear, and
simultaneously choose to relate to each other and
nature with a light heart to match our deliberate
lightness of step as we move through the world. We do
not need to give up our sense of humor while
acknowledging the seriousness of the crises.
Creativity is enhanced by the levity of a light
heart—even in the face of dark realities.
A Time of Opportunity
An ancient
Chinese proverb tells us: “Every crisis is also
an opportunity.” Indeed, we are now confronting
what looks more and more like a major disruption and
breakdown of our ecological, economic, and social
systems, unprecedented since the birth of human
societies. A civilization rooted in, and profoundly
dependent on, a fossil-fuel based industrial
technology/economy to boost the march of human
“progress” is simply not sustainable.
Even if (when) we switch to alternative sources of
energy (solar, wind, geothermal, wave) the current
lifestyles of modern civilization cannot be
sustained. The fact is that only a fossil-fuel based
economy can provide the enormous energy needed to
mine the raw materials, transport them, process them,
and distribute the products needed to manufacture
solar panels, wind generators, etc. (I don't consider
nuclear energy a viable option.) It is disappointing
and sobering to realize that even alternative energy
technologies are deeply dependent on fossil-fuel
technologies. Our addiction runs that deep. The
remedy lies within us and around us. We have the
opportunity to change our foundational myth, to
change our story about the place of humanity in
nature, and to choose radically different actions, by
expressing ourselves more creatively in ways that
enhance our relationship with the natural world.
'Dark
Night, Early Dawn'
We are rapidly
running out of the fossil fuels that modern
industrial civilization relies on to feed, clothe,
house, transport, educate, and entertain our
populations. Sooner or later, our numbers will have
to be drastically reduced and our ways of life
radically altered (e.g., by learning to live together
in much smaller communities, living off locally
produced food and raw materials). We are just in the
very early stages of this profound social shift. It
seems quite likely that the time of transition will
at the very least be disruptive and uncomfortable
beyond mere inconvenience; more likely, it will be a
time of acute and prolonged physical and emotional
disturbance, even suffering, for a great number of
people. The good news is that some of us will
survive, in reduced numbers, and will be faced with
the challenges of creating a new society that is
intrinsically more ecologically sustainable and
sane.
Not
to Be Repeated
Although there is
no guarantee that those who survive the global crises
will not repeat the grave errors of past generations
(e.g., maintaining the myth that “humans are
special” ), we can be sure of one thing:
There
will be no Second Industrial
Revolution based on
non-renewable energy resources. This planet can
be raped only once of its deposits of “ancient
sunlight.” Once the oil, gas, and coal are
gone, they’re gone. Our species will then have
to turn to other, renewable, sources of energy
(solar, wind, geothermal, wave, tidal,
etc.)—including a return to a much greater and
widespread reliance on muscle power.
I do not foresee a return to pre-industrial or
pre-agricultural ways of life. We cannot go back. But
our post-industrial (and post-information) societies
will have the benefit of building on the lessons
learned from all past generations—from the
potentials of alternative localized technologies,
from the values and errors of global industrialism
all the way back to the wisdom and limitations of
indigenous hunter-gatherer societies. The
opportunities for a far more environmentally
integrated human species will be rich and potent. And
these possibilities, also, lie hidden in the heart of
the current crises.
Consciousness Shift
And so we come to
the main point of the essay. We have good reasons to
be optimistic about the long run—even though
getting there will take its toll. Most important, the
turning point will require a radical mutation in
consciousness, involving increased and deepening
awareness that we are truly interbeings, as
Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh pointed
out. Each of us is, without exception, mutually
dependent on our relationships with the full symphony
of all other sentient beings. The coming paradigm
shift in consciousness will involve a recognition
that, at its core, consciousness
is intersubjective—that,
literally, we co-create each other, and thereby
participate in the co-creation of our world.
Truly: We are
the world! That realization
and awareness will come with an enhanced sense of
willing responsibility for the consequences of our
intentions and actions. Visionaries, such as Jean
Gebser and Sri Aurobindo, refer to this
“mutation” as the “Integral”
phase in the evolution of consciousness.
Shadow
and Light
If
highlighting the “human predicament” and
confronting the complex transition between crisis and
opportunity disturbs our cognitive or emotional
equilibrium, consider this: Each of us, as humans
(indeed as animals), has the capacity to experience
the full range of emotions—from anger, to
sadness, to fear to joy. To the degree we allow
ourselves to experience and express the depths of our
“negative” emotions we will likewise be
open to experiencing and expressing the heights of
our “positive” emotions. Conversely, to
the extent we deny or suppress our
“shadow,” we also suppress our
“light.” We all contain both. As healthy,
integrated beings, we need to learn to acknowledge
our “zombie” and “angel”
aspects, and learn to embrace
all of who we are.
I think that is a necessary first step in healing our
relationships with the awesome and mysterious world
that gives birth to us, sustains us, and one day will
receive us back into its ever-replenishing womb.
EcoAnxiety:
How Are You Affected?
A colleague of
mine, Rebecca
Elliott, is a life
coach who focuses on ecological and sustainability
issues. Her clients experience a variety of
responses to environmental threats, such as peak
oil, climate change, and habitat destruction.
Take a look at some of the ways her clients deal with
eco-overwhelm. Do any of these reactions strike a
chord with you? Rebecca guides clients toward a
process of healing and creative action aimed at
taking charge of their status as eco citizens.
Common
Defenses Against Environmental
Awareness:
•
Denial: Dismissing the
evidence.
•
Manic defenses: Stuffing
anxiety under happy thoughts.
•
Scapegoating: Rejecting the
bearer of bad news.
•
Regressing: “I
can’t do anything about it anyway” (the
child position).
•
Paranoia:
“It’s all rigged, a hoax, a
conspiracy.”
•
Repression: Deliberate
turning away.
•
Stoic passivity: “We can
live with it.” “We’ll
adapt.”
•
Submission to authority: “The
experts will handle it.”
•
Distraction: For instance,
workaholism, shopping, and sports.
•
Distancing: “The
crash won’t happen to
me/us”.
•
Defaming: “Tree
huggers,” “flag
worshipers.”
•
Magical thinking: “Good
thoughts will fix the world.”
and,
in case you didn’t recognize yourself in any of
the above, you can add:
•
Projection: Seeing in others
whatever we deny about ourselves.
Result:
psychic numbing.
Solution:
transformation of consciousness.
All
Is One
find out
more