Patrick Whitefield,
one of Britain’s leading permaculture teachers, has just published a brave
article, “The Elephant in the Room”. http://www.ecopsych
He
carefully explores the science of global warming and concludes: "Let's face it,
our chances of avoiding runaway global warming are nil." He then explores our
various responses to the global crisis but adds that we are refusing to really
acknowledge the dire situation we are in. He writes:
"This
is the elephant in the room. It’s the one thing we permaculturists,
transitioners and other people into sustainability never mention when we meet
and talk. Books and articles on sustainability are equally careful to avoid it.
We’re all familiar with the kind of book which heaps woe on woe but ends with
the obligatory "happy chapter‟, which gives a brief sketch of the solutions and
will somewhere contain the words, "Against all the odds, I’m cautiously
optimistic." We go on working away in our various fields of sustainability,
whether it be food, renewable energy, building, transport or whatever. We go on
doing this because we believe it's the right thing to do and we love doing it.
But all our work is based on the assumption that one way or another the world is
going to go on. Somewhere at the back of our minds lurks the possibility, even
the probability, that it isn’t. But we don’t talk about it. We hardly even think
about it." (pp 18 - 19)
He
asks, do we have a Plan B? "If plan A is the sustainable future we would like to
see, plan B is what we do in case we find ourselves at the end of the
world".
And
there is lots more in this thoughtful and thought-provoking article.
I am
really interested to hear peoples' responses to his thoughts. I have posted it
as a discussion on our Ning website: http://ecopsycholog
Mary-Jayne