Comments on: Jonathon Porritt discusses “The Growth Fetish and the Death of Environmentalism” http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/blog/2010/12/14/jonathon-porritt-discusses-the-growth-fetish-and-the-death-of-environmentalism/ Advancing ecology and making it count Mon, 20 May 2013 14:42:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Steven Earl Salmony http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/blog/2010/12/14/jonathon-porritt-discusses-the-growth-fetish-and-the-death-of-environmentalism/#comment-2676 Steven Earl Salmony Sun, 02 Jan 2011 13:48:50 +0000 http://britishecologicalsociety.org/blog/?p=1633#comment-2676 Many too many so-called experts have consciously and willfully chosen NOT to openly discuss the root cause(s) of the global predicament resulting from human overpopulation of the Earth because they did not think it would be helpful, I suppose. But look at what silence during the last 60 years has wrought. Elective mutism by so many experts regarding outstanding empirical research of certain human population issues, particularly human population dynamics, has effectively and perniciously vanquished science. This outcome could be the most colossal failure of nerve in human history. The consequences of this incredible mistake do not simply threaten a civilization with collapse. The collapse of civilizations has occurred before. Sometimes on a smaller scale and other times on a larger one. But at no time in history can I find records of the precipitation of a human-driven collapse with such profound implications not only for a civilization, but also for life as we know it and the integrity of Earth as a fit place for human habitation. The ‘brightest and best’, most knowledgeable people, those in positions of much influence and great power, have not spoken out loudly, clearly and often enough.

When scientific knowledge is deludedly regarded as a threat to human wellbeing, and intellectual honesty, moral courage and personal accountability are everywhere eschewed, how on Earth do we ever give ourselves so much as a chance of mitigating damages, much less “solving” problems for which we bear a large share of responsibility?

I do not know what the future holds for the children. I am hoping they will find ways to muddle through. If they manage to do so, it will likely not be the result of the efforts of those in my not-so-great generation of elders. We have failed them so far “on our watch” and will continue to do so as long as we continuously choose to keep doing the same unsustainable overconsumption, overproduction and overpopulation activities we adamantly advocate and relentlessly pursue in our time, I suppose.

Silence will not save anyone from anything, and surely will not save humanity from itself. Perhaps we can agree that the Earth will go on, with or without the human species.

]]> By: GORDON HAROLD DOWTON http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/blog/2010/12/14/jonathon-porritt-discusses-the-growth-fetish-and-the-death-of-environmentalism/#comment-2675 GORDON HAROLD DOWTON Sat, 25 Dec 2010 21:52:35 +0000 http://britishecologicalsociety.org/blog/?p=1633#comment-2675 ‘IT’S ABOUT USING NATURE’S WEALTH…’ I am sorry. As long as people who supposedly KNOW what is happening in the ‘out there’ outside of most peoples minds, keep using language that conforms and confirms Society’s understanding that Nature can be ‘used,’ I am afraid it is the slippery slope in a one-way slide. Language is an informing agent..in – forming, forming within and as such, one must be careful in their choice of and use of words. One can convince themselves that they are talking a good game, but once it is on paper, like the loosed arrow, it cannot be called back to say..’No, I am sorry, I did not mean that, to do that.’

Revolution is Revolution…not ‘out there’ but in there, behind the eyes where all this verbiage occurs. Start there first. Gordon Harold Dowton

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