This topic will be one to shape or give meaning to the general context of this blog. In my humble opinion, its a sad, sobering reality that will likely take great precedent in my life and in the lives of many people globally. For me its not the direct effects, I will likely survive those, which tend to pique my attention but those which I learn about and feel more or less helpless to prevent. For instance lets use the polar bear as the frame for this line of thought. (For facts relating to polar bears please visit these references:http://www.nps.gov/archive/bela/html/polar.htm, http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears-in-depth/introduction/)The polar bear. The largest bear species, and the largest of all carnivores on earth. A truly iconic, charismatic species, living in the far reaches of the globe in some of the most inhospitable climates on earth. These animals have been around for many thousands of years and likely have little care or need for life as humans have come to know, yet are being impacted in dramatic ways as a result of human actions. I will be honest here, I do subscribe to the idea of climate change, the idea that human action has and will continue to induce shifts in global processes which act to keep the earth in a balance. I feel that the evidence for this belief is undeniable and scientifically proven. ( For facts relating to "climate change" please visit these sites: http://nationalacademies.org/onpi/06072005.pdf, http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/assessments-reports.htm)
Regardless, it is widely believed that this species could likely follow the path of extinction, like so many others, with in my lifetime, due to this climate change scenario. In essence there habitat will cease to exist turning northern oceans into polar bear soup. I believe this to be a very dark reality. One I feel I will have little control over.
But the real problem is not with the polar bears, the real problem lies with the fact that these human induced changes could have been prevented, courses could have been altered, impacts decreased, losses minimized. Yet instead, human civilization has gone down a certain path. One that creates many comforts, separates us from mother nature, and generally takes the burden out of surviving. This path has, in effect, changed the mindset of humanity from survival and subsistence to one directed at the attainment of luxury, property, wealth, materials and ultimately comfort and a further removal from that which sustains us. In essence, humans as a species have, in there pursuit for personal comfort, exploited everything at there finger tips without taking any regard for what the larger impacts could be. Unfortunately for animals like the polar bears, this trend took hold and this has been occurring for such a period that these highly consumptive values, systems, beliefs and ways of life are what shape society. So much so that change from this reality becomes extremely difficult. So much so that human civilization is willing to allow and permit irreversible changes and loses to occur globally.
What I would like to know is how far this will all go? How much are we as humans willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of happiness and comfort, values which have largely been imprinted upon us by the society, and the corporate structure which rules our lives? Humans are on the verge of writing the worlds greatest recipe, polar bear soup. I believe it to be a truly sad reality, especially since this won't be the first global recipe and it definitely won't be the last.
What I would like to know is how far this will all go? How much are we as humans willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of happiness and comfort, values which have largely been imprinted upon us by the society, and the corporate structure which rules our lives? Humans are on the verge of writing the worlds greatest recipe, polar bear soup. I believe it to be a truly sad reality, especially since this won't be the first global recipe and it definitely won't be the last.
