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NO GOING BACK TO THE WAY THINGS WERE
It’s a no-brainer that we shouldn’t go back to the way things were. The pandemic has made it clear that it’s the whole system—economic, political and social—that is unhealthy and fails to provide for the common good and the health of the planet. Do we need any more evidence that the way we humans live is unsustainable?
A system that is based on extraction, exploitation and waste by advancing consumerism and growth on a finite planet is stupid. A system that only benefits a few cannot and should not last. Not long ago a correspondent said she wanted “evidence” that corporations were not sustainable. Don’t we all see that production of plastic packaging is filling and killing rivers and the ocean? Did I really need to describe how our current industrial agribusiness depletes and poisons our topsoil and pollutes waterways? Did I need to point out that industrial factory farming meat production likewise pollutes the water and adds methane to the atmosphere, which is worse than CO2, and raises animals in inhumane conditions? Doesn’t everyone know that companies destroy forests to raise more beef and to grow food for those cattle when that corn should be /could be feeding hungry people?
No human being should be hungry! On my weekly grocery shopping trip I pass a Lutheran Church in Santa Fe. At 8 in the morning cars are beginning to park along the side streets and by the time I head home an hour and a half later, those streets are full, lined with dozens of cars as they wait for the church to begin distribution of food boxes. This scene is playing out all over this country. It is an outrage that in the wealthiest country in the world people go hungry, not just because of COVID-19, but all the time. One thing that reveals our failed food system is that food has had to be thrown out right now because there is no way to distribute it to people who need it. Read the “Sickness of Our Food Supply.”
Added to the gross social injustice of food insecurity in the U.S. we should look at the extent of other social ills like extreme poverty, addiction, drug abuse, suicide, depression, racial and wealth inequality.
We must also look at life-destroying environmental injustice: climate change, deforestation, toxic pollution of land and waters, loss of topsoil, plastic pollution, excessive greenhouse gas emissions, destruction of species.
Let’s not overlook political injustice while we’re surveying what doesn’t work. There are way too many issues to deal with here but essentially it has to do with corporate and special interest money running our government. And most recently, in dealing with the pandemic, we see how leadership in this country is playing politics with public safety and human lives. It is unconscionable. This article explains.
So if we don’t want to go back to the way things were, where do we go? Here are a few ideas:
Measure economic progress not by GDP and growth, but by well-being, good and useful jobs, environmental sustainability, happiness, good health, inclusion of everyone. A "New Bottom Line" based on caring, generosity, cooperation and responsibility to the good of all and the Earth.
Build a circular economy and follow the Doughnut Model. Many companies are reinventing themselves in this light.
Improve energy efficiency and further develop renewable energy sources.
Practice conscious consumption: Reduce. Reuse. Repair. Recycle.
Reduce food waste and eat less meat.
Reduce our carbon footprint.
GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS
Adopt a Global Marshall Plan
CLEAN THE FISH TANK: This refers to the analogy of not just saving the sick fish in our fish tank as we are doing with COVID-19 patients, but let’s clean up our environment and how we practice our lives so that the fish don’t get sick in the first place. It’s like watching dead bodies coming down a river and not bothering to go back upstream to find out why they are dying.
I want to conclude this piece with a quote from Bruce Berlin in his blog “The Struggle for the Soul of America:
This time of reflection led me to ask: How are we doing as a society? Why have we gotten so divided? Why can’t we live together? Why are people so driven to get as much as they can for themselves with no or little concern for how the less fortunate among us who are hurting, hungry, some homeless, are getting by or not?
It’s time for us to take a long, hard look at ourselves and our country. How can we inspire our country to live up to its honored values and highest potential for all Americans? We are in the midst of a spiritual crisis, as well as a health crisis and an economic crisis. Our country is at a moral crossroads: Will we take the highway to a better life for all, or the low road where it’s each one out for one’s self? This is the question we will answer in the fall election. But we can’t wait. Now is the time we must pave the way for a brighter, more equitable society. Read "The Struggle for the Soul of America, Going Within," May 22.
MORE GOOD RESOURCES HERE
A New Bottom Line, by the Network of Spiritual Progressives
Global Marshall Plan, by the Network of Spiritual Progressives
"The Story of Stuff
The Story of Solutions
The Story of Change
A system that is based on extraction, exploitation and waste by advancing consumerism and growth on a finite planet is stupid. A system that only benefits a few cannot and should not last. Not long ago a correspondent said she wanted “evidence” that corporations were not sustainable. Don’t we all see that production of plastic packaging is filling and killing rivers and the ocean? Did I really need to describe how our current industrial agribusiness depletes and poisons our topsoil and pollutes waterways? Did I need to point out that industrial factory farming meat production likewise pollutes the water and adds methane to the atmosphere, which is worse than CO2, and raises animals in inhumane conditions? Doesn’t everyone know that companies destroy forests to raise more beef and to grow food for those cattle when that corn should be /could be feeding hungry people?
No human being should be hungry! On my weekly grocery shopping trip I pass a Lutheran Church in Santa Fe. At 8 in the morning cars are beginning to park along the side streets and by the time I head home an hour and a half later, those streets are full, lined with dozens of cars as they wait for the church to begin distribution of food boxes. This scene is playing out all over this country. It is an outrage that in the wealthiest country in the world people go hungry, not just because of COVID-19, but all the time. One thing that reveals our failed food system is that food has had to be thrown out right now because there is no way to distribute it to people who need it. Read the “Sickness of Our Food Supply.”
Added to the gross social injustice of food insecurity in the U.S. we should look at the extent of other social ills like extreme poverty, addiction, drug abuse, suicide, depression, racial and wealth inequality.
We must also look at life-destroying environmental injustice: climate change, deforestation, toxic pollution of land and waters, loss of topsoil, plastic pollution, excessive greenhouse gas emissions, destruction of species.
Let’s not overlook political injustice while we’re surveying what doesn’t work. There are way too many issues to deal with here but essentially it has to do with corporate and special interest money running our government. And most recently, in dealing with the pandemic, we see how leadership in this country is playing politics with public safety and human lives. It is unconscionable. This article explains.
So if we don’t want to go back to the way things were, where do we go? Here are a few ideas:
Measure economic progress not by GDP and growth, but by well-being, good and useful jobs, environmental sustainability, happiness, good health, inclusion of everyone. A "New Bottom Line" based on caring, generosity, cooperation and responsibility to the good of all and the Earth.
Build a circular economy and follow the Doughnut Model. Many companies are reinventing themselves in this light.
Improve energy efficiency and further develop renewable energy sources.
Practice conscious consumption: Reduce. Reuse. Repair. Recycle.
Reduce food waste and eat less meat.
Reduce our carbon footprint.
GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS
Adopt a Global Marshall Plan
CLEAN THE FISH TANK: This refers to the analogy of not just saving the sick fish in our fish tank as we are doing with COVID-19 patients, but let’s clean up our environment and how we practice our lives so that the fish don’t get sick in the first place. It’s like watching dead bodies coming down a river and not bothering to go back upstream to find out why they are dying.
I want to conclude this piece with a quote from Bruce Berlin in his blog “The Struggle for the Soul of America:
This time of reflection led me to ask: How are we doing as a society? Why have we gotten so divided? Why can’t we live together? Why are people so driven to get as much as they can for themselves with no or little concern for how the less fortunate among us who are hurting, hungry, some homeless, are getting by or not?
It’s time for us to take a long, hard look at ourselves and our country. How can we inspire our country to live up to its honored values and highest potential for all Americans? We are in the midst of a spiritual crisis, as well as a health crisis and an economic crisis. Our country is at a moral crossroads: Will we take the highway to a better life for all, or the low road where it’s each one out for one’s self? This is the question we will answer in the fall election. But we can’t wait. Now is the time we must pave the way for a brighter, more equitable society. Read "The Struggle for the Soul of America, Going Within," May 22.
MORE GOOD RESOURCES HERE
A New Bottom Line, by the Network of Spiritual Progressives
Global Marshall Plan, by the Network of Spiritual Progressives
"The Story of Stuff
The Story of Solutions
The Story of Change
PLUTOCRACY, AUTOCRACY OR DEMOCRACY?
What do we want? Plutocracy? Autocracy? Democracy? In America today we have a plutocracy, a government run by wealthy people and corporations. We had a taste of autocracy from 2016 - 2020, the rule of government by one person. And we have something of a democracy at work because we saw how voters determined the legitimate outcome of an election in 2020 despite claims of fraud. (How many court cases and election officials certifying there was no fraud does it take to convince people of that?) And the House of Representatives did their Constitutional job to confirm the electoral college votes, in spite of a violent attempt to stop them.
I think President Biden is correct when he says, “We are in the midst of a fundamental debate about the future and direction of our world. We’re at an inflection point between those who argue that, given all the challenges we face that autocracy is the best way forward, they argue, and those who understand that democracy is essential — essential to meeting those challenges.”
Personally I agree that democracy is the best means for effectively addressing the environmental crises, wealth inequity, racial injustices, and health crises. It also addresses essential human needs, which Frances Moore Lappe´ advocates in this article “Democracy As Dignity. She speaks of the need for agency (power to make change in one’s life), meaning / purpose, and connection. If a government adheres to the fundamentals of a democracy—inclusive and dispersed power, transparency, and mutual accountability—fulfilling those needs is likely.
Many of us have asked the question why people voted for an authoritarian person in the 2016 and 2020 election. It’s answered very well in this article “From Anxiety to Authoritarianism.” The essence of the response is that when things fall apart, like the loss of security of jobs, health care, housing, food—the American Dream—people are likely to look for an authoritarian strongman who promises to bring everything back under control. He promises to protect our jobs, our wealth, and our way of life. He promises to keep our homes and families safe and to make America great again, to bring back the Dream. But did that “strongman” deliver?
In his speech, Biden emphasized not just the importance of democracy, but also how much work it is to keep it. “Democracy doesn’t happen by accident,” he said. “We have to defend it, fight for it, strengthen it, renew it. We have to prove that our model isn’t a relic of our history; it’s the single best way to revitalize the promise of our future.”
If we want a “culture of caring,” a society of equity, security, peace, good health for people and the planet, and dignity for all, we will have to fight for it. As someone said, “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”
Another resource:
For a good explanation of plutocracy in America watch this interview with David Korten "From Plutocracy to Democracy." “We can’t create real democracy until we recognize we don’t have it. . . . Real democracy is about one person-one vote, not one dollar-one vote.”
I think President Biden is correct when he says, “We are in the midst of a fundamental debate about the future and direction of our world. We’re at an inflection point between those who argue that, given all the challenges we face that autocracy is the best way forward, they argue, and those who understand that democracy is essential — essential to meeting those challenges.”
Personally I agree that democracy is the best means for effectively addressing the environmental crises, wealth inequity, racial injustices, and health crises. It also addresses essential human needs, which Frances Moore Lappe´ advocates in this article “Democracy As Dignity. She speaks of the need for agency (power to make change in one’s life), meaning / purpose, and connection. If a government adheres to the fundamentals of a democracy—inclusive and dispersed power, transparency, and mutual accountability—fulfilling those needs is likely.
Many of us have asked the question why people voted for an authoritarian person in the 2016 and 2020 election. It’s answered very well in this article “From Anxiety to Authoritarianism.” The essence of the response is that when things fall apart, like the loss of security of jobs, health care, housing, food—the American Dream—people are likely to look for an authoritarian strongman who promises to bring everything back under control. He promises to protect our jobs, our wealth, and our way of life. He promises to keep our homes and families safe and to make America great again, to bring back the Dream. But did that “strongman” deliver?
In his speech, Biden emphasized not just the importance of democracy, but also how much work it is to keep it. “Democracy doesn’t happen by accident,” he said. “We have to defend it, fight for it, strengthen it, renew it. We have to prove that our model isn’t a relic of our history; it’s the single best way to revitalize the promise of our future.”
If we want a “culture of caring,” a society of equity, security, peace, good health for people and the planet, and dignity for all, we will have to fight for it. As someone said, “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”
Another resource:
For a good explanation of plutocracy in America watch this interview with David Korten "From Plutocracy to Democracy." “We can’t create real democracy until we recognize we don’t have it. . . . Real democracy is about one person-one vote, not one dollar-one vote.”
WHAT DOES AN ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION LOOK LIKE?
What are the most needed changes we must make to create a world that ensures that basic needs are met and that people, and all life, thrive? For me one of the most critical needs is to change the way we think about our economy and our consumer habits. We are told that the only way to prosperity, security and happiness is to GROW the economy. But as economist David Korten says, ". . . children and adolescents grow. Adults mature. It is time to reframe the debate to recognize that we have pushed growth in material consumption beyond Earth’s environmental limits. We must now shift our economic priority from growth to maturity—meeting the needs of all within the limits of what Earth can provide." Read his article,"Why the Economy Should Stop Growing and Grow Up."
It is glaring omission that no matter how well-intended our leaders are to serve the common good, they rarely mention to necessity of NOT GROWING the economy because doing so has already gone beyond the capacity of the Earth to fulfill our continual and ever-growing material desires.
What can we do?
We can do the math and see that we've already bypassed our limits. You've probably heard of Earth Overshoot Day, the date that marks when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. It was August 22 in 2020. In 1990 it was October 11. In 1970 it was December 29. The math is clear.
The excerpt below is taken from The Guardian, an excellent article about building a circular economy and avoiding ecological disaster.
"We can starve the beast of consumerism, by buying less and reusing more of everything. We must change consumer habits and attitudes to consumption. . . It calls for a circular economy based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution by keeping products and materials in use.
"Can consumption ever be contained? Easily. Stuff can be designed better to last longer; food chains and toy makers don’t have to make poor quality goods; producers can use fewer virgin raw materials; waste can be made a resource; the circular economy can be developed. Tax can make corporations more responsible; excess can be discouraged in schools and homes; identities do not have to be based on how much we buy. We can shop hyper-locally, frequent secondhand shops, grow more food ourselves, become more self-sufficient. But above all, we can learn to just say no to buying ever more new stuff."
We can, as Korten points out, rebuild the strength and power of living communities. We can create a culture of mutual caring and responsibility. We can assure that the legal rights of people and communities take priority over those of government-created artificial persons called corporations, as well as require corporations to take environmental and social responsibility.
There are many areas of need we can, and must, engage in, like restoring our democracy, ending racism, stopping climate change, providing basic health care, education, housing and food for all. For me, respecting and living within the Earth's limits is perhaps top of the list.
Our time starts now.
Read "What Does an Ecological Civilization Look Like," from YES! magazine.
It is glaring omission that no matter how well-intended our leaders are to serve the common good, they rarely mention to necessity of NOT GROWING the economy because doing so has already gone beyond the capacity of the Earth to fulfill our continual and ever-growing material desires.
What can we do?
We can do the math and see that we've already bypassed our limits. You've probably heard of Earth Overshoot Day, the date that marks when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. It was August 22 in 2020. In 1990 it was October 11. In 1970 it was December 29. The math is clear.
The excerpt below is taken from The Guardian, an excellent article about building a circular economy and avoiding ecological disaster.
"We can starve the beast of consumerism, by buying less and reusing more of everything. We must change consumer habits and attitudes to consumption. . . It calls for a circular economy based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution by keeping products and materials in use.
"Can consumption ever be contained? Easily. Stuff can be designed better to last longer; food chains and toy makers don’t have to make poor quality goods; producers can use fewer virgin raw materials; waste can be made a resource; the circular economy can be developed. Tax can make corporations more responsible; excess can be discouraged in schools and homes; identities do not have to be based on how much we buy. We can shop hyper-locally, frequent secondhand shops, grow more food ourselves, become more self-sufficient. But above all, we can learn to just say no to buying ever more new stuff."
We can, as Korten points out, rebuild the strength and power of living communities. We can create a culture of mutual caring and responsibility. We can assure that the legal rights of people and communities take priority over those of government-created artificial persons called corporations, as well as require corporations to take environmental and social responsibility.
There are many areas of need we can, and must, engage in, like restoring our democracy, ending racism, stopping climate change, providing basic health care, education, housing and food for all. For me, respecting and living within the Earth's limits is perhaps top of the list.
Our time starts now.
Read "What Does an Ecological Civilization Look Like," from YES! magazine.
There are pros and cons to plastic, which is why Plastic: A Toxic Love Story is such a great title for a book by Susan Freinkel. After watching an interview with her, and thoroughly reading the recent issue of YES! magazine, “Solving Plastic,” I come away with these main thoughts.
The benefits of plastic:
Plastic has been a boon to many, making some products that were previously available only to the rich, such as tortoise shell or mother of pearl combs, accessible to those of modest or minimal wealth.
Plastic gives us things we need, want and love. Plastic is incredibly convenient. We have only to notice how many things we use everyday that are plastic, or put on a CD, to get that.
Plastic has revolutionized medicine, and generally been the “transformational material of modern times.”
The costs of plastic are as dramatic as the benefits:
People are paying for plastic with their lives as pollution from industrial plastic plants poisons marginalized communities where plastic is produced. (Companies don’t put their plants in Southampton or Beverly Hills, but in places like St. James Parish in New Orleans, home to low income people of color.)
By 2050 it is estimated there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. We see horrific images of huge amounts of plastic waste in rivers, oceans and on beaches all over the world.
Dangerous toxic chemical additives in plastic used in food packaging end up in our bodies.
CONCLUSION
Durable, reusable, long-lasting plastic is a useful product.
There are always tradeoffs. For example, we might select a glass jar of mayonnaise because we know it can be recycled, but because it is heavier than plastic transportation costs will be higher, hence more emissions.
It is plastic pollution that is the focus of the Break Free From Plastic movement. We must demand that producers take responsibility for all the costs of their products. They need to cease producing, packaging and marketing tiny amounts of snack foods, etc. in cute little wrappers that are tossed.
Governments on local, state and national levels, must set policies that, for starters, ban single-use plastic, improve recycling infrastructure, and require “extended producer responsibility.”
People and planet must be the priority over profits!
RESOURCES
YES! magazine, "Solving Plastic"
"The Story of Plastic"
Break Free From Plastic
The benefits of plastic:
Plastic has been a boon to many, making some products that were previously available only to the rich, such as tortoise shell or mother of pearl combs, accessible to those of modest or minimal wealth.
Plastic gives us things we need, want and love. Plastic is incredibly convenient. We have only to notice how many things we use everyday that are plastic, or put on a CD, to get that.
Plastic has revolutionized medicine, and generally been the “transformational material of modern times.”
The costs of plastic are as dramatic as the benefits:
People are paying for plastic with their lives as pollution from industrial plastic plants poisons marginalized communities where plastic is produced. (Companies don’t put their plants in Southampton or Beverly Hills, but in places like St. James Parish in New Orleans, home to low income people of color.)
By 2050 it is estimated there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. We see horrific images of huge amounts of plastic waste in rivers, oceans and on beaches all over the world.
Dangerous toxic chemical additives in plastic used in food packaging end up in our bodies.
CONCLUSION
Durable, reusable, long-lasting plastic is a useful product.
There are always tradeoffs. For example, we might select a glass jar of mayonnaise because we know it can be recycled, but because it is heavier than plastic transportation costs will be higher, hence more emissions.
It is plastic pollution that is the focus of the Break Free From Plastic movement. We must demand that producers take responsibility for all the costs of their products. They need to cease producing, packaging and marketing tiny amounts of snack foods, etc. in cute little wrappers that are tossed.
Governments on local, state and national levels, must set policies that, for starters, ban single-use plastic, improve recycling infrastructure, and require “extended producer responsibility.”
People and planet must be the priority over profits!
RESOURCES
YES! magazine, "Solving Plastic"
"The Story of Plastic"
Break Free From Plastic
CLIMATE SOLUTIONS TO ACT ON
The science about climate change is clear. The evidence is here. The solutions to reduce CO2 emissions abound. The path to creating a thriving life for all beings and the planet is before us. If we want that we must act now.
Here are the best sources for climate action that I have found:
100 Things You Can Do to Help in the Climate Crisis
This is an excellent list of things everybody and anybody can do.
1309 Solutions presented by the Solar Impulse Foundation
Explore these solutions and realize there can be no more excuses to put off climate action with blah blah blah.
Project Drawdown
A Comprehensive plan to drawdown CO2: Solutions and information
Regeneration.org
"The World’s largest, most complete listing and network of solutions to the climate crisis. And how to do them."
Here's what Regeneration writes:
“Regeneration is a radical new approach to the climate crisis, one that weaves justice, climate, biodiversity, and human dignity into a seamless tapestry of action, policy, and transformation that can end the climate crisis in one generation. It is the first book to describe and define the burgeoning regeneration movement spreading rapidly throughout the world.
Our concern is simple: most people in the world remain disengaged, and we need a way forward that engages the majority of humanity. Regeneration is an inclusive and effective strategy compared to combating, fighting, or mitigating climate change. Regeneration creates, builds, and heals. Regeneration is what life has always done, we are life, and that is our focus. It includes how we live and what we do—everywhere. We have a common interest and that interest can only be served when we come together.”
And for those who continue to deny or doubt climate change think of this:
“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” Neil deGrasse Tyson
What are we waiting for? Our time starts now.
Here are the best sources for climate action that I have found:
100 Things You Can Do to Help in the Climate Crisis
This is an excellent list of things everybody and anybody can do.
1309 Solutions presented by the Solar Impulse Foundation
Explore these solutions and realize there can be no more excuses to put off climate action with blah blah blah.
Project Drawdown
A Comprehensive plan to drawdown CO2: Solutions and information
Regeneration.org
"The World’s largest, most complete listing and network of solutions to the climate crisis. And how to do them."
Here's what Regeneration writes:
“Regeneration is a radical new approach to the climate crisis, one that weaves justice, climate, biodiversity, and human dignity into a seamless tapestry of action, policy, and transformation that can end the climate crisis in one generation. It is the first book to describe and define the burgeoning regeneration movement spreading rapidly throughout the world.
Our concern is simple: most people in the world remain disengaged, and we need a way forward that engages the majority of humanity. Regeneration is an inclusive and effective strategy compared to combating, fighting, or mitigating climate change. Regeneration creates, builds, and heals. Regeneration is what life has always done, we are life, and that is our focus. It includes how we live and what we do—everywhere. We have a common interest and that interest can only be served when we come together.”
And for those who continue to deny or doubt climate change think of this:
“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” Neil deGrasse Tyson
What are we waiting for? Our time starts now.
Climate Solutions to Act On
The science about climate change is clear. The evidence is here. The solutions to reduce CO2 emissions abound. The path to creating a thriving life for all beings and the planet is before us. If we want that we must act now. Here are the best sources for climate action that I have found:
100 Things You Can Do to Help in the Climate Crisis
This is an excellent list of things everybody and anybody can do.
1309 Solutions presented by the Solar Impulse Foundation
Explore these solutions and realize there can be no more excuses to put off climate action with "blah blah blah."
Project Drawdown
A Comprehensive plan to drawdown CO2: Solutions and information
Regeneration.org
"The World’s largest, most complete listing and network of soltions to the climate crisis. And how to do them."
100 Things You Can Do to Help in the Climate Crisis
This is an excellent list of things everybody and anybody can do.
1309 Solutions presented by the Solar Impulse Foundation
Explore these solutions and realize there can be no more excuses to put off climate action with "blah blah blah."
Project Drawdown
A Comprehensive plan to drawdown CO2: Solutions and information
Regeneration.org
"The World’s largest, most complete listing and network of soltions to the climate crisis. And how to do them."