Climate Change Not Just a Crisis of Sustainability, But a Moral Crisis: Carl Safina
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.22.08
photo: Leonardo Freitas
Every once in a while I come across a piece of writing that states something so perfectly that I really can’t imagine adding anything to it. What follows is by Carl Safina, co-founder and president of Blue Ocean Institute, and is from a recent post on the Orion Magazine website.
Please read the whole piece (it’s short...), but here’s the passage that really struck me. Safina is writing about the notion of having to make sacrifices for the betterment of the planet and for society:
Of all the psychopathology in the climate issue, the most counterproductive thought is that solving the problem will require sacrifice. As though our wastefulness of energy and money is not sacrifice. As though war built around oil is not sacrifice. As though losing polar bears, ice-dependent penguins, coral reefs, and thousands of other living companions is not sacrifice.
As though withered cropland is not a sacrifice, or letting the fresh water of cities dry up as glacier-fed rivers shrink. As though risking seawater inundation and the displacement of hundreds of millions of coastal people is not a sacrifice—and reckless risk. But don’t tell me to own a more efficient car; that would be a sacrifice! We think we don’t want to sacrifice, but sacrifice is exactly what we’re doing by perpetuating problems that only get worse; we’re sacrificing our money, and sacrificing what is big and permanent, to prolong what is small, temporary, and harmful. We’re sacrificing animals, peace, and children to retain wastefulness while enriching those who disdain us.When we stop seeing our relationship with the whole living world as a matter of sustainability, and realize it is a matter of morality—of right and wrong—we might make the moment we need.
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Huzzah, well put ... well, except for the first sentence of the blog post:
"Every once in a while I come across a piece of writing that states something so perfectly that I really can’t imagine anything to it."
... you mean, "imagine ADDING anything to it"?
There.
Beautiful. Thank you for this.
I decided that I wanted to read this article in full. And when I got home, I took the time to get into it.
But about a third of the way into it, something started to bug me about it.
Oh yes, that's what it was. They've suddenly discovered the dirty secret that in any capitalist society, in order to climb out of the mud, you must place your muddy boot in someone else's face. News at 10! Film at 11!
Too bad that dirty little secret has been around for some 150 odd years, and everyone knows it. Although modern day America appears to have forgotten this, since it's exported most of the bottom of the pyramid out of the country, thus "cleaning up" all that nasty toxic waste and the sweatshops... in America. It's now out of sight and out of mind. So when those of us who were born with silver spoons in our mouths look behind the curtain, we're shocked... *shocked* we say!
Nothing to see here. Please move along.
Ernie while I agree with you there are some rebuttals to this piece I think the underlying message is valuable.
As you mention modern day America (and "western" society in general) has forgotten this. I know most people who visit this site understand the argument she's making, but the general population doesn't. It's not even on their radar.
As you also pointed out our society has engrained in our collective psyche that to win means "you put your muddy boot in someone else's face" as you put it. But I think the author simply feels there needs to be a balance that not everything has to be an I win you loose situation, that there are alternatives.
So until the public perceptions are swayed back towards some semblance of social concern I think you can expect to see more people making the points in the article. And while for some of us these are obvious points for many they're completely unaware and at work are apathetic.
I agree that this piece is complete; nothing more need be added.