Dog Wisdom
If Ram Dass was still here, would re really be here now? Or would he be somewhere else? If here, he might be lonely. Being somewhere else might be safer. Over several years and with increasing frequency, environmental reports suggest the coming end of civilization (such as it is). See my Help Nature section for a range of reports from the Pentagon to United Nations on climate change, etc.
Bill McKibben in his new book Falter and in interviews suggests there is still hope to avoid complete catastrophe. But being here now myself, I am less certain.
Environmentalists vs. Deniers
Environmental groups continue their excellent work of convincing the already convinced about the trouble nature is in. Climate deniers and their Saint Ayn Rand still prefer the virtue of short-term selfishness over long term survival (at least if that survival requires socialist cooperation.)
If anyone can claim to be here now, it is the Deniers, at least based on who has political and social control. We are all victims of environmental destruction. We are all also perpetrators of it through consumption of everything from rare earth minerals to hamburgers, use of close dryers, the coming endless numbers of driverless cars that will soon swarm over the earth like locusts.
In my series on Generally True Patterns, the cornerstone of this site, I have stated that if we truly believed ourselves a part of nature, we would behave differently in our relation to the earth than as we do at present. The way we be here now is not working terribly well. Everyone participates in the destruction, either reluctantly out of necessity or joyfully out of whatever maliciousness motivates the Randians.
The Solution: Be Somewhere Else
The mind-set and moral change to a less consumptive, less destructive way of life is nowhere on the cultural or social horizon. Rather than continue to beat a dead world (so to speak), I am thinking that I should instead write about dog wisdom and post pictures of wildflowers and other lovely nature scenes to Facebook and Instagram.
Beyond documenting what is being lost, this won’t much help much but being somewhere else may hold more solace than being here (now).