The great disruption - Paul Gilding

The Great Disruption,  Paul Gilding

Joe Deden recommended that I read the Book - The Great Disruption - by Paul Gilding. The Author was born in Australia and has seen the dramatic events that have happened in his own country, but is optimistic about the future if we can accept a few premises:

1. The Earth is Full
2. We have passed the planet's capacity to support us
3. Why are we the first generation to care more about ourselves than our future generations?
4. When confronted with a problem that is too big - the response is denial
5. Acceptance requires change and people resist change
6. The predictable path is that denial will increase with evidence and then suddenly implode
7. China and the Asian countries are leading the way to the new economy that the US was indifferent to.
8. We will learn that life is more than just shopping.

The last point is poignant if you remember President Bush's response to the American people after 9/11 - go shopping. We have had a capitalist idea of more shopping strengthens the economy and the country - sorry, that is wrong.

I am not sure I can come close to the optimism that Gilding shows – I can only hope the horrible right wing rhetoric is about to burn itself out, but anti-science – anti-intellectual is riding high.  However, Gilding quotes excellent sources.  His book is well documented and his strategy makes sense.  Here is an environmental business man who has moved in the circles of both business and environment.  He has a clear voice and he synthesizes both history and existing research (good footnotes) and presents a clear argument for change (while we can).

This book is both a history book and a futurist book which is an interesting combination. I have included some references here – without bringing in the more details studies.  The book is not only one to read, it is one to ponder and to take action with.  Check out his website - http://paulgilding.com/the-great-disruption

For Environmental History you might be interested in a little remembered phenomenon in 1959 - pre Silent Spring - when the U.S. Department of Agriculture banned the sale of cranberries because of excess pesticides. This was just before Thanksgiving. The timing was perfect to get the attention of the American people to the dangers of pesticide.

Noami Oreskes published Merchants of Doubt which reveals how many of the figures who fronted the tobacco industry antiscience campaign are now prominent and vocal climate sceptics.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment – 2004  “At the heart of this assessment is a stark warning.  Human activity is putting such strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted.”

“most people still don’t think they live in the environment”

“Let there be no doubt, when the environment crashes the economy will to.”

Gaylord Nelson said, “the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the other way around.”

“Growth is now an addiction and addicts resist change.”

“I’m not talking about climate deniers or antiscience skeptics.  They can be ignored for two reasons.  First, we can’t help them, because as with an alcoholic in denial, no amount of data will change their minds – they simply don’t want to face reality.  Second, they don’t matter.  The physical science will overwhelm them in the end.”

“33 generals in April 2010 [wrote to the senate majority and minority leaders] climate change is threatening America’s security.”

Nhat Hanh, “The situation the Earth is in today has been created by unmindful production and unmindful consumption.  We consume to forget our worries and our ansieties.  Tranquilizing ourselves with over-consumption is not the way.”

E F Shumacker, Small is beautiful, “ A Buddhist economist would consider this approach excessively irrational since consumption is merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption…The less toil there is, the more time and strength is left for artistic creativity.  Modern economics, on the other hand, considers consumption to the sole end and purpose of all economic activity.”