Vision.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
Proverbs 29:18 as quoted in SEEKER AND SERVANT by Robert Greenleaf

I have been able to attend a number of conferences recently where the major topic has been the state of the world around us, particularly the natural state of the world.  If you have looked at this state lately, it is not a good one.  The consequences of a warming planet pose serious threats, our water is polluted and in many areas scarce, and the quality of our air makes it dangerous to breath at times, and our world is filling up with more and more people.

I have gone to these conferences hoping to find some good news, some hope for the future, but instead I only learn more about the details of how badly we our treating our planet.  The only hope I heard was that our technology would solve our problems -- that we could all install low flow toilets, or use energy more efficiently via such technological advances as the compact fluorescent light bulb, or that we could all drive hybrid cars.  Unfortunately, I believe it will take much more than simply buying new fangled merchandise to clean up our mess.  

What I finally realized that what was missing from these talks was a hopeful vision for our future.  There seemed to be little if any talk or description for what our world could look like if we decided to treat it with respect, instead of treating it like a limitless garbage dump. We need vision. When I mistakenly shared my disappointment with my wife about the lack of vision in the speakers, she reminded me that perhaps it was me who needed a vision.   

The dictionary defines vision in several ways: “something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy; and object of imagination; a manifestation to the senses of something immaterial” to name a few of the more unflattering definitions.  It might be the focus on  that fantasy quality or the un-achievability of the vision that has resulted in our being a very blind society when it comes to describing a future we would like to inhabit.   

At least that has been my experience lately as I view the world through my own cynical eyes.  So after moping around for several weeks, I came across a presentation by Donella Meadows titled ENVISIONING A SUSTAINABLE WORLD.  Her discussion on what keeps us from being a visionary and how to overcome it is a worthwhile read.  

Robert Greenleaf asks in his essay Towards a Gentle Revolution,  Far too many of our institutions – and of course, far too many people – are failing to serve at a level that is reasonable and possible for them.  If the main reason for this deficiency in both people and institutions is, as I believe, that they are not inspired by a sufficient vision of greatness, then what is the remedy?

It seems our task for the short-term future is to begin work on coming up with our own vision for the future.    

Imagination

What is now proved was once only imagin’d.  
William Blake,  Proverbs of Hell 

When asked by Jeffrey Brown on the PBS Newshour why he accepted the position as the new United States Poet Laureate, W.S. Merwin responded:   (…) I wanted to talk in an official situation, in a very public place, as public as I'm ever likely to be, about the -- what I think of as the one thing, the one talent, the one gift of human nature that does distinguish us from every other form of life.

And I don't mean intelligence. I'm not sure that we're the most intelligent of species. We use our intelligence differently. Nor am I sure that language is a good definition, because we define language. And, in fact, there are forms of language among all species, or they wouldn't survive, communication.

But I think what does distinguish us -- what distinguishes us really is imagination.

When Brown probed him to speak more on what he meant by imagination Merwin responded:  Yes, the ability to sit here in Arlington and feel distressed by the homeless people in Darfur, or by the starvation of the whales in the Pacific, or by the species that are being snuffed out as we talk, or by the people who are suffering in Iraq and in Afghanistan.

Brown summarized his take on this by saying:  And you have to take that sense of imagination and turn it into poetry that connects with people.

We need to use our gift of imagination and our ability to turn that imagination into art.  This creative process will inspire us to find and follow new paths.     

Leadership in the Biotic Community

“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”

One of my favorite ecological leaders is Aldo Leopold.     In his classic book A Sand County Almanac, Leopold wrote the essay “The Land Ethic”, . 

The quote above, which comes from the section titled The Outlook, is a powerful guide for how we can operate in an ecological leadership mode.  Failure to follow that ethic is likely the main reason humanity continues to plunder the planet with wars, pollution, and consumption.  Somewhere along the way, we have forgotten that we are indeed simply a part of the “biotic community” and not somehow separated from or perched on top of it.  Leopold also wrote, "We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." 

It is the separation from the land and the rest of planet that also allows us to separate ourselves from other groups of people and develop hierarchical organizations that are designed to primarily benefit those sitting on the top, and use the people below in the same manner as we have treated the land, namely as a commodity.  It seems that sooner or later when you do not take care of the community that supports you, the support will eventually collapse, and down will come the leader.  At least that is what happens in the biotic community.   

Following Leopold’s land ethic can make what often seem like complex decisions on how to live our lives, relatively simple. 

Dreams of Children

Drawing by Jordan

Children have much to tell us adults about our world.  They have dreams for a better world, a world where people get along with each other, a world where we appreciate and respect the natural world, and a world of opportunity for everyone.  

At least that seems to be the common theme in essays from third, fourth, and fifth graders from around the Minneapolis-St Paul area published in today’s Star Tribune.  My hope is that we adults can remember these dreams ourselves and make them a reality.  Some edited excerpts from their dreams for the future follow.   
 
People of all different cultures and religions come together creating a great collage of many colors.  Hope and fear is overcome by joy.  Collaboration is valued, and everyone is an equal contributor.  My children will be able to walk streets with no litter and play on grass that isn't sautéed in chemicals.  Winston

Remember to always help others out and don't be afraid to stand up for what's right.  Mackenzie

Start a new garden. Let's dig some dirt!  Cuyler

Everyone should love each other, and have a house, food, and water. Everyone should be kind to nature.  Ellen

Kids that have special needs will feel accepted. They are just like everybody else. They want to have fun, laugh and be included.  I am proud of who I am.  Sam

Live in community where kids ride bikes without worrying about anything dangerous happening.   Cut down on the use of electronics like TV, phones, computers and video games. This would get more people outside and meeting each other.  Chase

Share your hopes and dreams with others. By doing this we can work together to make our hopes and dreams come true.  Olivia
 
I want to know the people in my neighborhood. I want to meet new friends. Then I want to help each other.  I want my neighborhood not to be dangerous. Amy

My dream for my community is for there to be less pollution. I really want the environment to be a cleaner and safer place. I wish everybody would be happy and friendly to others and the environment. I also want our community to be more fun. Regan

People should start being more helpful for the planet and other people, too.   Live close to school, ride your bike not a car to school.  Simple things, like caring about other people's worries. You could even smile. That might make their day better.  Hannah

 “The myth of growth has failed us. It has failed the two billion people who still live on less than $2 a day. It has failed the fragile ecological systems on which we depend for survival. It has failed, spectacularly, in its own terms, to provide economic stability and secure people’s livelihoods.”

Tim Jackson, PROSPERITY WITHOUT GROWTH?  THE TRANSITION TO A SUSTAINABLE WORLD

The United Kingdom’s Sustainable Development Commission  has put out a document that should be on the required reading list of everyone who is interested in what is wrong with our world and how we can make it better. PROSPERITY WITHOUT GROWTH spells out how growth, the driving force behind our economy, is responsible for not only destroying our planet, but also destroying our humanity.  As long as our institutions continue to use our current economic model as the foundations of our policies, sustainability by individuals will remain a fantasy, despite our best intentions.  So click here and download and read what could be one of the most important documents of the decade.  The authors have given me hope that we can find a better way.       

The Climate Misinformation Campaign

I attended a talk last night by Naomi Oreskes, Professor of History and Science Studies at the University of California, San Diego, and coauthor of the book Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming.  The talk was titled The Climate Misinformation Campaign that Confused America and was sponsored by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment and the Will Steger Foundation.

Oreskes was introduced by Minnesota’s famed polar explorer and global warming fighter Will Steger.  Steger talked about how the consequences of global warming are real and happening today.  He focused on what he knows best, the melting ice of Greenland, and reminded the audience that we Americans need to step up to the plate and use the same innovation we used to win World War II and land a man on the moon, to switch over to clean energy like solar, wind, Minnesota grown biofuels, and cellulosic ethanol.  And he reminded the audience that a big reason we aren’t taking on the challenge is because of the campaign of confusion that is cloaking the realities of global warming as uncovered in Oreskes book.   

Oreskes then took the stage and shared with us her five bullet points of what she thinks people need to be aware of about global warming.

• Global warming is a scientific fact, it is happening, and our nation has been aware of it at least as far back on the Johnson administration in 1965.   

• Global warming is not caused by changes in the sun.  Only two things are known to create changes in global temperatures, one is changes in solar radiation and the second is changes in greenhouse gases, i.e. carbon dioxide.  If it was the sun causing the increased temperatures as many greenhouse gas skeptics claim, there would be changes in solar radiation levels on the earth, and data indicates the levels have not been changing in the past fifteen years.  There have however been documented increases in carbon dioxide levels.  

• Global warming is not just a passing fad, the concept of carbon dioxide level increases caused by the burning of fossil fuels raising global temperatures was first theorized in the early 1900’s.  

• Global warming matters and it matters today.  Meteorological data indicates we are currently experiencing record high and low temperatures, record precipitation levels, and as Will Steger pointed out, melting glaciers.  These effects will affect not only our children or our children’s children, but also us.  And things are going to get worse.  

• Her final bullet point revolved around the need for people to be aware of why there is so much doubt and so much confusion by so many people about the realities of global warming.  

And with that she lead into a reading of the introduction to her book.  In this reading, she revealed how research they did indicated that some of the same scientists who were employed by the tobacco companies to challenge the science that indicated tobacco smoking caused lung cancer were employed by the anti-global warming lobby to challenge the science of global warming.  The same tactics of lies told by supposedly reputable scientists attacking the reputations of honest scientists helped to put a cloud over the reality of global warming.

She concluded her talk by reading from the conclusion of the book, where she points out why people buy into the sales pitch of the anti-global warming folk.  She told a story about a bunch of people attending a feast.  The people gorged themselves on fancy food and drink and enjoyed their gluttony thoroughly.  Then when the meal was over and the waiter showed up with the bill, the people denied responsibility for paying for the meal.  Our feast has been our run of cheap energy, and our bill is the consequences of global warming.  It is our denial of being responsible for the bill that allows us to deny the realities of global warming.     

With that, Oreskes fielded some questions.  Some of the highlights from her responses follow.

In response to a question about how to respond to an often-heard critique of global warming that we need more data, she responded that all scientific data or knowledge is incomplete, but that does not give us an excuse to ignore what we do know.

A question was posed on what scientists need to do to address the skepticism surrounding global warming.  One suggestion she poised was that scientists often times are caught up in the scientific process, and as a result do a poor job of sharing the knowledge they have learned in that process.  She mentioned that science consists of two parts - one is the research process and the second is the knowledge that is gained by the process.  Scientists need to be able to speak to people in their own language about what they have learned in their research, not explain how much more they need to research, or tell questioners that what they know is too complicated to explain.  

Polling data was presented that indicated that a similar percentage of the public who doubts the reality of global warming also question the reality of evolution.  The question was then asked if there was a relationship between the two groups.  Oreskes indicated that she purposely avoided this topic in her book in order to avoid the criticism that the topic would likely invite.  She shared that on a personal basis, she did have a belief in God, and she could not understand how religious faith could justify anyone to knowingly destroy or harm Creation or portray science as evil or an enemy.

Another question dealt with how to respond to a common claim that global warming is a natural event, similar to previous swings in global temperature swings that have resulted in the coming and going of ice ages in the past.  She responded that these previous natural changes in planet temperatures have occurred over much longer periods of thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years.  The current human caused global warming changes are occurring over periods of decades or hundreds of years.

Another question was asked on how to respond to the anti-global warming lobby, should they be publicly debated?  She again talked about the importance of focusing on the two parts of science, the scientific process and the knowledge gained parts.  She indicated that lies told by the lobby need to be confronted head on as simply not true and not based on science.  She did not believe that debate worked, that it just plays into the agenda of the lobby.

She also discussed how public opinion is easily swayed.  Polls indicate that the public’s opinion on the topic changes with current events.  Believe in global warming went up after hurricane Katrina, after the recent gulf oil spill, and went down after the recent “global warming-gate” news stories where emails between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scientists were used to try and discredit the work of the Panel.  Her hope was that with good science those opinions could be swayed again.

She concluded by answering what can we do about global warming.  Her suggestions were that women play a key role in addressing global warming as they often control the purse strings.  She had drafted an article on the ten things women could do to address global warming, but with editorial critism that she was being sexist, changed it to things people could do.   One thing she suggested was to buy local and brought up an example of a woman who lived in New Hampshire who would drive to Boston once a month to get her hair cut.  She talked about the power consumers have on influencing large corporations, and used the example of Wal-Mart selling organic foods as a result of consumer demands. She also used Minnesota’s Best Buy as an example of a company trying to be more sustainable.

One other suggestion was regarding a question she is asked often about what kind of car people should drive.  Her answer is the same one you are currently driving, as making a new car uses much more energy then what would be saved by getting rid of your old one to buy something more efficient.    

Although Oreskes brought out a lot of good information about why global warming is doubted, I left the talk feeling a bit discouraged.  It seems like so many talks I have attended on this and related topics, the speakers really don’t do a good job of inspiring people to really look at what it is we need to do to address the state of our world.  Her story on the feasters not wanting to pay the bill, could be applied to many of us who really get the idea that global warming or climate change is a real phenomenon, but we want to duck out, jump in our old car, and drive back to our big house.

I am hoping to come across a speaker who can inspire me to take the leap of getting rid of the car, and finding or creating a community where I don’t need to drive, where I don’t need to rely on corporations to sell me organic food – rather we grow it ourselves, and where we don’t use the analogy of going to war as a model to find a peaceful way to coexist with the rest of the planet.  So for now I think I will skip buying her book and keep up the search for inspiration or one of these days stop waiting around and simply inspire myself.

Humane Power

The wind blows across your face, sunshine warms you,  people standing by the road look you in the eyes and say hello,  when you reach your destination you feel like you have accomplished something, and you don't feel obligated to go to the fitness center after work to get some exercise – that was my experience biking to work yesterday in honor of Bike Walk Week.   This type of experience doesn’t just have to happen once a year in honor of a special week, it can happen anytime you leave your car at home and take an opportunity to spend some time outside, using the ultimate clean energy machine – our own bodies – to get to work.  

There a several reasons I don’t use this energy source every day.  The biggest is the time it takes me to make my commute this way, an hour and forty-five minutes or so to cover the 23-mile trip.  The other is the weather, when the temperature drops below 40 degrees, or when it snows or rains, the bike commute brings on some less pleasurable experiences.  These obstacles can be overcome through planning - by finding a place to live closer to work, or to design our communities to locate the places we work near the places we live, and through dressing for the weather.      

So the once or twice a week I decide to give up the bus for the bike, I am reminded what a future might be like when we design our communities for people, and not for cars.  That will be a future where we won’t hear another days worth of news filled with stories on the consequences of failed oil wells contaminating our oceans, the latest death tolls from wars fought to secure oil supplies, or people killed in car accidents on highways filled with traffic.  These humane powered commutes give me hope for our future.