The latest book from Derrick Jensen, in collaboration with cartoonist Stephanie McMillan, is not actually a list of 50 things. The title is a parody of all those ‘things you can do to save the world’ books – all the greenwash that attempts to shift the blame for environmental problems onto individuals
and their consumer choices.
The book, in easy read cartoon format dispels the lies that we are these days continually being fed. That we can ‘save the world’ by changing lightbulbs, or sharing our bath water, or switching to biofuels…. or the ‘spiritual’ peaceloving hippie notion of finding peace within, praying and this culture will miraculously change, world peace will come and the devastation will stop.
Fifty percent of oil used in the US is used by the US military. Five percent of ALL carbon dioxide emissions EVER are the responsibility of one company, Exxon Mobil. As the book points out if EVERYONE in the USA did everything to recycle and conserve possible, it would only reduce CO2 by about 20%. Its not enough to modify our spending habits, or to make any other minor tweaks to the system.
Civilisation, or the culture of empire, by its very nature, is a culture of domination and destruction. Deforestation and the poisoning/depletion of the seas, rivers, soil and air are not a side effect of this culture. It is what civilisation does and has always done. The endgame that we are living through is the logical conclusion of this culture of occupation.
In the book, the president gives the planet to aliens to eat, in exchange for gold. The corporations are upset, because, after all, the destruction of the earth in exchange for gold is their job. The cartoon style is a great way to introduce people to the idea that something more fundamental needs changing than just which ‘products’ people buy, hopefully encouraging more people to read Derrick Jensen’s other books, and then take action.
This culture is crashing. It needs to be stopped. Locally based, co-operative, tribal societies, in harmony with the land, the locality, the forest is what works for humans on this planet, as shown by 150,000 years of survival. In the last 6000 years civilised (ie domesticated) humans have managed to wreak havoc. We made a mistake, we were fooled and hoodwinked by emperors, politicians, CEOs, the elites.
The crash is going to be painful, and there will be a lot less people on the earth in the future. We are going to lose all the things that we have grown addicted and dependent upon. But it will be a lot more painful if we continue down this path. If we continue to allow transnational corporations to turn life into death, and if we cling to the old ways.
Its time to start building a different society, to start planting trees, to start growing our own food, and being responsible for our own needs and decisions. In this we have no choice – the longer we leave this the harder it will be. But also everyone needs to do all in their power to slow/stop the onslaught of government and corporations, that are doing their utmost to ensure that there will be little left after the crash.
A great book to give to friends and family to open their eyes to the really inconvenient (for the rulers and powerful) truth. Civilisation has to go.
