Of Course We Want Save The Planet…But Don’t Even Think About Messing With Our Lifestyle - Dick Rauscher
Our world is in trouble. Our intuition is telling us that we have to make some significant changes. We know that business as usual needs to come to an end. We know we are destroying our planet. We know that waiting for Trump, or the 1%, or the multinational corporations to save our planet is not a good option. We know intuitively that the changes needed to save our planet and create a sustainable future will not come from the top down…..they will only come from the bottom up…..when you and I are willing to make a commitment, step up and get actively involved.
And many people would probably agree with those thoughts.
Their response would be “Of course we want to save the planet. And yes, we need to change business as usual. And any sane person knows that waiting for Washington, or the politicians or the multinational corporations to fix the problems threatening our planet is probably not a very good idea…..grass will grow faster than they will be willing to act!”
Resistance To Change: Denial and Tinkerbell Thinking
Resistance to change in our nation is endemic. Almost half of all American’s are in denial about the reality of global warming and global climate change. They see no need for major changes because they believe the climate changes and storm intensifications are normal environmental fluctuations. And even more concerning, is the reality that most of us who do agree that global warming and global climate change are a growing threat to our planet and human civilization, don’t want “anyone”, including“ourselves, making changes that would mess with “our”lifestyle”. The need for limits on population growth, ending our addiction to petroleum, and ending business as usual with its obsession for unlimited economic growth and expansion are, well…….unthinkable.
When environmental changes, such as powering down from petroleum or embracing radical simplicity are suggested, we tend to get unconsciously defensive and resistant to change. We tell ourselves we’ve worked hard for what we have….and we’re entitled to keep it. Besides, others are the ones causing the problem… not me. Something obviously needs to change…but not me. Change is OK as long as it doesn’t impact my life. We’ll deal with those problems tomorrow. Besides, some scientist will eventually come up with some magical technological solution to the problem of global warming. So in the meantime, we’ll stick with Tinkerbell thinking and just sit tight and see how it all plays out.
Good luck with Tinkerbell thinking! Just because we really, really, really, really don’t want changes that would impact our lifestyle doesn’t mean they are not going to happen. Massive change is coming to our world and those changes will have a significant impact on our day-to-day lives; whether we’re ready for them or not, and whether they come from choices we choose to make, or whether they come from choices that Nature makes for us. (Link to SHN# 289 and 290)
Our Scientists Are Warning Us Global Warming Is Real….It’s Time We Pay Attention
Our scientists have been warning us about the changes that are coming for decades. They have been warning us for years that our planet is headed for disaster. At some point denial is not an option…..it is simply making the conscious choice to be ignorant. Climate change is real. Change is real. It’s time to pull our head out of the sand. Or like the frog in the rapidly warming pot….. it’s time to hop out of the pot.
Climate change and storm intensification are threatening our future. They are destroying our civil inheritance. You know it.I know it. Most of us know it. Our planet is in peril. The message is clear. We need to:
learn the skills and insights needed to live in harmony with Nature,
stop attempting to control Nature,
begin working with nature,
begin protecting Nature’s natural ecosystems., and
begin to embrace the concept of civilization inside of Nature……rather than Nature surrounded by human civilization.
So why are we ignoring the problem? Why are so many of us comfortable giving lip service to the fact that something needs to be done…..but so few of us are willing to actually change our lives and actively support the movement toward sustainability? What do we need to do?
I think the answer is we need to stop the irrational Tinkerbell thinking I mentioned above. It’s time to embrace reality and accept that our lives are going to change.
Tinkerbell Thinking
Tinkerbell thinking is believing “something” is actually true and possible…..just because we really, really, really, really want to think that “something” is true and possible. For example, waiting for Trump, Congress, Politicians, the multinational corporations, the 1%, or somehow getting rid of all the climate immigrants in order to fix the problem of global warming and global climate change….is an excellent example irrational Tinkerbell thinking. In the real world, Trump, Congress, the multinational corporations, politicians, or the 1% are not going to fix the problem of global warming. Not now. Not ever!
Let me say it again. Not now. Not ever!
Why not now? Not ever?Because powering down from an economic system powered by petroleum would immediately bring their lives of privilege, power, and wealth to an end. They are not stupid. They know what would happen if they:
seriously attempted to fix the problem by talking about powering down from petroleum energy,
proposed a radical simplification of human culture and living with less,
replaced our greed based global economic system based on the insane fallacy of unlimited exponential growth on a finite planet, or
embraced a movement toward the localization of food, local renewable energy, and local community.
They are not stupid. They know they would be hung in the town square.
If you have trouble with this concept…..take a moment from reading this article and go over to your neighbor’s house and tell him or her that they have to come off of petroleum, embrace a lifestyle of radical simplicity, replace our global greed based economic system, start a backyard garden, get rid of their automobile and purchase a bicycle, and begin embracing the concepts of common good and mutual benefit for all humans on the planet……..and see what happens! You will walk away with a new title as the “dumbest person in the neighborhood”…..and forget about being invited to that next neighborhood cookout.
Conclusion
Reality is reality…..and reality really doesn’t care what you or I believe. Reality is telling us it’s time for action. It’s time to stop pushing the river and begin dealing with what is. The vast majority of our scientists are warning us that we’re running out of time. Nature is warning us that we are running out of time. A rapidly growing number of people in our country and around the world know we are running out of time. We need to stop blaming others or waiting for others to fix the problem. It’s our issue. Yours and mine. It’s our responsibility. Our challenge. And yes, the solutions are going to impact our lives! There is no Tinkerbell way around that fact. If we want to save our planet and human civilization as we know it……we are going to have to actively embrace the concept of radical lifestyle change.
The future isn’t what it used to be. The changes that are coming willradically change our current lifestyles. There is no way we can avoid those changes.
The sooner we are willing to embrace the reality of those changes, the better prepared we will be to deal with them when they arrive. Without preparation, and the resilience that comes from preparation….the danger of losing far more than our comfortable lifestyle is growing daily.
It’s time to get involved. It’s time to take action. It time to make changes in our lifestyle and begin to embrace the concept of “less” before that lifestyle is forced on us by Nature.
