[Scpg] Permaculturist names "Elephant in the Room"

[LBUZZELL at aol.com]

An ecotherapist colleague in the UK sent me this. Food for thought for all  
of us in permaculture and the transition movement...
 
Linda
 
 
 
 
Patrick Whitefield,  one of Britain’s leading permaculture teachers, has 
just published a brave  article, “The Elephant in the Room”. 
_http://www.ecopsychhttp://wwwhttp://www.echttp://ww_ 
(http://www.ecopsychology.org.uk/resources/articles/) . 
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://ecopsychologhttp://echttp://ecohttp://ecophttp://ecopsychohttp://ecopsychohttp_ 
(http://ecopsychologyuk.ning.com/forum/categories/3642675:Category:205/listForCategory)   
if you would like to reply there – or here.... 
Mary-Jayne 


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