The Wonders Of Human Creatureliness And The Biophysical Boundaries Of A Tiny Celestial Orb Called Earth.
By Steve Salmony
02 June, 2011
Countercurrents.org
Pehaps you will choose to join me in the process of naming what is so difficult to acknowledge regarding 'the placement' of our all-too-human species within a biological and evolutionary order of living things as well as the "rules of the house" in a finite and frangible planetary home such as the one we are blessed to inhabit. That is to say, I would like you to collaboratively engage in an examination of such large and vital issues as the miracle of human creatureliness and the marvel of the Creation where so splendid a creature as Homo sapiens has been able to accomplish so much, especially in recent times.
Is it possible that the standard for determining what is real and true in our culture today is primarily this: whatsoever is widely shared, consensually validated and judged to be economically expedient, politically convenient, socially agreeable and religiously tolerated is true and real? Certain unwelcome scientific knowledge that does not conform to these standards is generally ignored. At least to me, it seems that good science is being summarily dismissed, welcome distractions presented ubiquitously, controversy unjustifiably manufactured, or else silence allowed to prevail when reasonable and sensible research comes into conflict with what culture prescribes as real and true. Perhaps science does present culture with evidence of inconvenient truths. Is our noticeable failure to communicate adequately enough about whatsoever could somehow real, as well as to widely share understandings regarding both how the family of humanity “fits” within the natural order of living things and what are the limitations of the planet we inhabit, in evidence here and now?
It appears that the human community is indeed in a serious multifaceted global predicament, but only in part because of the objective biological and physical parameters defining our distinctly human-induced predicament. The global challenges in the offing, some already visible on the horizon, are further complicated by our failure to communicate effectively about the potentially pernicious results that could be derived from having recklessly grown a soon to become patently unsustainable, colossal global economy, the one which we have artificially designed, conveniently constructed, and relentlessly expanded without enough conscious, intelligent regard for the biophysical requirements of practical reality. As examples of these requirements, please note that Earth is finite and its environs are frangible. Could it be the current gigantic scale and unchecked growth rate of the global economy are driving unsustainable increases both in per human over-consumption and absolute human population numbers toward a point in the foreseeable future when the rampant and unregulated growth of consumption, production and propagation activities by the human species, that are occurring synergistically and at an accelerating pace in our time, precipitates the collapse of Earth’s ecology........even in these early years of Century XXI?
Steve Salmony is a self-proclaimed global citizen, a psychologist and father of three grown children. Married 39 years ago. In 2001 Steve founded the AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population to raise consciousness of the colossal threat that the unbridled, near exponential growth of absolute global human population numbers poses for all great and small living things on Earth in our time. His quixotic campaign focuses upon the best available science of human population dynamics and human overpopulation of the Earth, in order to save the planet as a place fit for habitation by children everywhere. He can be reached at [email protected]
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