[Ecodharma] we are greening ourselves to extinction

[Tairin]

This article feels very relevant to our current reading on Active Hope.

Although this article is talking about some of the measures we are taking to address the environmental collapse, it is really saying that for the most part these measures are Business As Usual in disguise

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/1/29/greening-ourselves-to-extinction

Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Kokuu]

Thank you for sharing that, Tairin. Sadly, it is hard to argue with what it is saying.

I like this conclusion later on in the piece which certainly takes aim at having a 'green lifestyle' (which I will admit to being guilty of):

Making the “green” choice then leaves us satisfied that we are “doing something” about climate change. But driving an electric car, putting your organic produce in a tote bag and turning down your heating or air-conditioner by one degree is not going to save the planet. Let’s have the courage to face this fact.

What would make a difference is developing mass transport and substantially reducing car ownership; closing coal mines and ending oil and gas exploration; promoting decentralised and community-managed renewable energy systems; doing away with industrial-scale monoculture farming; and supporting smallholder and Indigenous-led agroecological systems that have been shown to enhance nutrition, biodiversity and quality of life.

I also totally agree with the conclusion that seeing indigenous people evicted from their own lands as part of a conservation scheme to preserve 30% of the planet would be extremely wrong and instead that they should be granted stewardship over areas they have lived in balance with for generations.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[aprapti]

This article feels very relevant to our current reading on Active Hope.

Although this article is talking about some of the measures we are taking to address the environmental collapse, it is really saying that for the most part these measures are Business As Usual in disguise

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/1/29/greening-ourselves-to-extinction

Tairin
Sat today and lah

thanks Tairin, for this article. I did not make me very happy, though..


aprapti

sat

[Jishin]

Greening, a false hope for our earth,
A scheme to profit, masking a dearth,
Of real action to save our land,
From the effects of pollution at hand.

Investors push solutions so fake,
That make the crisis only worsen and ache,
Billions poured into big pharma, not health,
While the supposed energy transition lacks wealth.

Carbon offsets, a charade so grand,
Planting trees to absorb, at what cost to our land?
Verification lacking, emissions still rise,
Human rights violated, with no real prize.

Forests burn, carbon released,
The situation worsens, it's not what we needed,
Greening, a false hope, a dangerous game,
The truth exposed, it's not worth the fame.

Let us act, before it's too late,
Reduce emissions, let's not procrastinate,
For the future of our earth, our home,
Let us take real action, and not just roam.

Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

[Tokan]

Hey all

I must admit, what will happen one day with all the electric car batteries? Batteries are not good for the environment and we are making millions and millions of very large batteries that have a shelf life of around 8-10 years. Reducing car ownership, as quoted, seems to make much more sense.

UPDATE: I posted before I read the article. Although you know such games go on in this world, reading about it blew my mind in a depressing way. It seems the work of Bodhisattvas is going to take some time!

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[Tai Do]

A mind opener article. I always found it strange how wood and other more ecologically sustainable artisan work costs too much more than the plastic industrial things we are push to buy because of our unstable financial situations; the big companies were able to practically destroy any economical relevance of the small artisan (except for a very few in the outskirts of the market). Things were made so difficult that individual consumers have very little power to change and are forced to go by with the least evil choices all the time — I’m really trying to educate myself and my family more about what can we do that really has an impact, but it has been difficult to convince my relatives and friends that we might have to abandon many luxuries we became used to.
Gassho,
Tai Do
Satlah