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Show THE ZEPAHYR/\OUNE-JULY 2007 Just for a lark, let’s assume global warming is not caused by human actions. Now what? Do we continue on our merry way, ingesting material possessions, oblivious to the consequences? Do we persist in glorifying excess, greed, ignorance, and bigotry? Refuse to relinquish our quasi-religious proclivity to place the “self” at the center of the Universe? Alas, there you have it - the history of our species in a nutshell. The problem with global warming is that it robs Peter to pay Paul (questionable characters in their own right). If our well heeled enviro-groups are off saving the planet from CO2, who’s going to do the grunt work of defending local habitats against greedy developers? Who'll protect the least amongst us: Grizzlies; Wyoming toads; Alabama stur- REPORTING nO)ag mad acer oe SPACEof HISTORY geons; ad infinitum? Who'll stand firm, defending forests, bogs, and deserts? Not Hilary, Obama, Cheney, or Dirk Kempthorne. They're married to the relative truth of Billy Bob Clinton: “Tt’s the economy, stupid.” The proverbial Emperor is buck naked, parading before the most gullible society ever invented, But off camera, out of the spotlight, the fabric of what makes us human - Na- ture, if we can still use that word - is coming apart at the seams. Warming or no warming, this has been brewing since the dawn of agriculture and the spread of urbanized mayhem. While we fret over possible heat inversions, our sacrosanct standard of living is unraveling the fabric of life around us. Are we willing to destroy ourselves in pursuit of one last Big Mac? Stay tuned.... notes from NED the desk of We know the climate is warming; but nobody knows exactly why, even Newt Gingrich. The matrix may be so convoluted that science will be searching for Butterfly Effects long after Bangladesh is a corral reef. MUDD The essence of a vicious circle is that one is pursuing, or running away from, a terminus which is inseparable from its opposite, and that so long as this is unrecognized the chase gets faster and faster. Alan Watts “Saving the planet” is a term of art, one that should’ve come into use decades ago, as smart folks became hip that America’s “standard of living” poses a threat to the vitality of every ecosystem on Earth: The vast savannahs of Africa, for example; or the Smokey Mountains bioregion. Even the Mediterranean. I’m fed up with the latest anthropocentric Green Fad de Jour. Here’s an inconvenient truth: Our small planet is stuffed to the gills with humanoids, and needs a serious haircut. We don’t need more energy, or farmland, or aquaculture, or — my personal pet peeve —wind farms. These tricks only perpetuate the myth that we can have it all. But, to restate Okay, this is a.yet another rant about global warming. But let me state from the outset, I’m not in the Club. Most rocket scientists understand that we’ve overshot carrying capacity, and the result is not going to be fun. More to the point, things are liable to get downright unpleasant for humanoids, as well as for the umpteen other species we’ve placed in harm’s way by our dumb-ass behavior. I rant because the game is being coopted by a neo-green wave that smacks of self-righteous myopia, further complicating what is simply a case of too many with too much. Or, to misquote Bob Dylan: “Too much of nothing.” a favorite aphorism: “The truth is a lie,” inconvenient or otherwise. Folks like Al Gore can’t admit that we're a few billion people over the ecological line. Follywood movie moguls can’t afford to piss off half their audience. It’s much more convenient to spout scientific “consensus” about climate. You can argue with the Goracle, but can’t win, because the variables are in transit. (And then there are those $1,300 a month utility bills save the planet, heat your swimming pool?) Global warming, as real as it is, is symptomatic of a much deeper rift in the human We know the climate is warming; but nobody knows exactly why, even Newt Gingrich. The matrix may be so convoluted that science will be searching for Butterfly Effects long after Bangladesh is a corral reef. Maybe Homo erectus asphaltus is to blame. If so, it doesn’t appear that we, haut couture primates that we are, plan to do much about it. psyche. Warming or no warming, we have messed up a planet and suddenly feel a bit wobbly over the vicious circle our inane “pursuit of happiness” has rendered. It’s amazing how fear can rouse even sleeping giants. Only, in this case, the giant is us, and the clock is running low on spare minutes. Imagine waking up from a dream, only to find yourself in another dream. Ahoy! Welcome to the Dimformation Age. I recently spotted an article concerning the newest trend in corporate advertising: Cause marketing. This erudite burst of creative nonsense entices consumers to part with their (parent's) hard earned cash on behalf of worthy causes, like “saving the planet.” Fluorescent light bulbs notwithstanding, reversing a planet's temperature is a tad more complicated than whatever inconvenient truth you invest in. But what we’ve known for at least a century is simple: Billions of high-tech monkeys are dangerous to intricately evolved bio-systems. High-tech, in this case, includes the use of language, chain saws, and fire. Toss in pick-up trucks, guns, and alcohol and you have < < ~ TSAKURSHOVI - AMAMAMAAA A MMM fA Me J] = oe = = _ A unique selection of traditional Hopi arts, crafts and cultural items including over 150 Katsina dolls done in the traditionalstyle, as well as baskets, ceremonial textiles, jewelry, potteryand more. We also have complete visitor information (including _ connections for knowledgeable and articulate guides) to make your visit to Hopi a memorable and enjoyable one. So come visit Tsakurshovi, the shop with the unpronouncable name. We're located 1 1/2 miles east of the Hopi Cultural Center at MP 381 on Highway 264 in the heart of the Hopi Rez. TSAKURSHOVI (The home of the "Don't Worry-Be Hopi" T-shirt) PO box 234, Second Mesa, AZ 86043 1-928-734-2478 VvvvvvvvTvTvvVvVvVv VvVvVvVVVVVVVYVVvVWVvVvVWVvWwY? one screwed up planet. LITTLE WEASEL ADS, INC. PRESENTS THE DESERT RAT COMMANDO THE FLY SWATTER IS FOR THE HUMANS... THESE COYOTES CAN BITE ME ON THE BUM ANY DAMN TIME THEY LIKE. 20 |