Guy McPherson, biology professor emeritus from the University of Arizona, predicts that humans will largely be gone in ten years. Putting together all the different aspects of global warming—methane wells, melting ice, acidification of oceans, soil microbe change, temperature changes, sea rise, CO2 pollution, and so on—McPherson believes the planet won’t sustain human life much longer, possibly less than ten years, in fact. Here’s a link to an interview (video interview is at the bottom of the article) with him at Newshub in, I believe, Australia:
churchandstate.org.uk/…
What to do? Many scientists assert we should not stop trying to ameliorate the effects of global warming saying that anything we can do will be better than nothing. McPherson is taking the approach that we are so far gone into mass extinction and warming that we should spend our time doing what we love, loving others, and generally appreciating life to the fullest the best we can. He counsels not to get caught up in hope and fear, hope being the most insidious as it will lead to dashed expectations and disappointment.
Buddhists (my view) have always urged acceptance of the present moment and situation without putting energy into hope and fear, and then responding to whatever we actually have in front of us with compassion and generosity. Since Buddhists include the self in that order of compassion, I would say working to save the planet is good for the self, and compassionate if for no one else, then for microbes and fungi and other small beings that will be able to survive a mass extinction. We might get lucky and add in some plants, small animals, some kinds of fish if we work hard. Meanwhile, we can feel good about doing helpful things, and we should definitely take the time to do what we love and to be with those we love. In the immortal words of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, “Love the one you’re with.” Spread the random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty around.
What this portends for political action may not be really any different. Activism may be a good choice for how to spend one’s time. We might even consider that the billionaires who seek to control our country and much of the world and its wealth need help coming to see that generosity is a better path than selfishness; kindness better than violence. Certainly, we need to continue to take steps to rein in the activity being proposed by the president elect, his proposed cabinet, and foreign friends. We need to prod our Congress into appropriate action through unrelenting pressure. Activism is definitely a form of compassion, as we have just seen at Standing Rock.
While today, having read the article and watched the video, I’m feeling sad and philosophical, I’m also feeling a bit freed to really pursue things I love and not put them off. I’m also thinking that I can let go of a lot of the anger I’ve been feeling since the election, and instead put that energy to positive use. It’s been hard as the story has unfolded and continues to unfold, not to just stew in rage every day. But really, that helps no one. Time to roll up the sleeves, dust ourselves off, and get busy. Even if that just means walk the dog.