Wait, That's Not an Arc...

I used to believe that the arc of the universe was long, but that it bent towards justice. Now, following the election of Donald Trump and the chaos that has followed, I have stopped believing that. I now believe that without some major catastrophe, real progress is not possible. The arc has been exposed as a sine wave.

After the brutal murder of Charlie Kirk, many people are calling for calm. Bernie Sanders and others point out that the foundation of democracy is ability to disagree in a civil fashion. I hear very sensible voices speak of finding common ground and shared values. We are neighbors, after all, and ultimately we all want the same thing.

In my arc of the universe phase, I, too, would have made similar proclamations. But with my new sine wave mindset something keeps needling me: we’ve been talking for a long time, now, and there really hasn’t been any meaningful progress. So, what’s the point?

I see this play out especially when it comes to the environment. I remember, just a few years ago, feeling hopeful that society was waking up to the fact that our current oil-fueled over consumptive lifestyle is unsustainable: the massive loss of nature, the pollution, the endless trucks of trash, the warming of the planet. But now, after decades of careful hard work by environmentalists, scientists and activists, the modicum of progress that was made is being rapidly undone. Like constructing a sand mandala and watching it disappear in a hurricane, and then a flood.

In a rational world we would be well on our way to a better world. We would have eliminated poisons, adopted local organic farming as the primary infrastructure of our food system, found ways to make nature flourish, changed our development practices, and implemented a clean energy economy. Instead, we are moving backwards with fresh new battles to fight. Meanwhile, the trees keep coming down, the pesticides keep flowing, the earth keeps warming, the trash keeps burning, the species counts keep going down.

I want to live in a place where leaders are serious people working for the public interest, not a bunch of performative sociopaths backslapping their way to the next big development project. I want to live in a place where wealth makes concessions to nature and human health, not the other way around.

What is going to spark real change? Sitting down and having conversations with people who either don’t think the destruction of the planet is an issue, or don’t care as long as they can buy plenty of mansions and jet skis? Personally, I’m tired of trying to persuade them and we are running out of time.

I don’t hate the opposition and I don’t want violence. However, I do know this: when it comes to the environment no common ground path seems possible. I’m tired of compromise and I’m tired of talking. Only something drastic will truly knock us out of the sine wave and into the arc.

Another Op-Ed That Went Nowhere

 

Well, it's spring again and time to beg people not to have their yards sprayed for mosquitoes. You know what would be nice? If the people in charge of protecting our wildlife took real action on the subject, but, of course, we live in a world where the almighty dollar and a pathological desire for convenience reigns supreme. So, pest control companies grow larger, our wildlife populations grow smaller, and concerned citizens grow increasingly gloomy about the future of nature. 

In fact, I think it is fair to say that at this point, nature is endangered. Humans have pushed it to the brink, since we have occupied most of the land, and are leaving the rest of the creatures on this planet with fewer places to go. Ironically, encounters with wildlife may increase in this situation, creating the illusion of wildlife abundance when, in fact, the numbers indicate otherwise.

As only a part of this complex problem, here come the residential mosquito control companies, making the outdoors “fun” again. They say that what they use is “natural” and “Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved” and that they are careful about application, but these are dubious claims that any amateur entomologist could refute.

Let me give it a whirl.

First, these companies use pyrethroids, broad spectrum and deadly poisons. No matter how careful one is, pyrethroids will end up killing butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, crickets, beetles, fireflies and many more innocuous and beneficial species. It is a synthetic version of a natural substance, with additives to make it persist longer in the environment than its Chrysanthemum derived counterpart. It is approved by the EPA but this is a meaningless claim, since the EPA (in its previous incarnation) has determined that pyrethroids are indeed “bad”, but that the economic pros outweigh the effects on human health and the environment. Yup, the almighty dollar again. Who knows what our present EPA will decide. Maybe they’ll encourage us to drink it twice a day to prevent measles.

Second, the use of these substances will create even worse problems over time as the wildly prolific mosquito develops resistance while less hardy natural enemies do not adapt quite so efficiently. Furthermore, the prevalence of arthropod borne diseases is rising due to climate change, so our urge to spray our troubles away will intensify. Are we having “fun” yet?  I hear there are no mosquitoes on Mars.

Third, it is not necessary to resort to hiring these companies at all. There are inexpensive, non-toxic methods of mosquito control if people would just do a little homework. By the way, this long list of solutions does not include a bug zapper, which kills many more beneficial insects than it does mosquitoes. These, too, should be discontinued for the sake of our struggling insects. I’m partial to nature-based solutions: building habitat for our mosquito eating friends like bats and dragonflies. But if that sounds like too much work, get a fan.

I should point out that even if you don’t like insects at all, many other groups of animals (that perhaps you do like) depend on them directly or indirectly. I could make the argument that one beloved group of animals in particular: humans, also depends on insects. However, this argument is not one I tend to utilize since I maintain that animals do not exist for us, they exist with us. It is our obligation as thinking, compassionate beings, to share this planet equitably. This should be argument enough.

Please, neighbor, don’t use pesticides. They are poisons and will have deleterious effects on human health and the environment no matter how careful you are. In fact, let’s take it even further. Let’s support nature by winding down our wildlife damaging behaviors and treating our fellow animals with the respect they deserve. Restore habitat, promote biodiversity and coexist, people, or we will be living in a world where the animals we regard as “pests” will be all that remains. 

The Livable Planet

 

While perhaps a small crime in comparison to his much more flagrant offenses, Trump’s decision to pave over the White House rose garden stood out to me as a massive symbol of his worldview. If Trump had it his way, he’d pave over all living things to build golf courses, resorts and casinos. He’d wipe out The Everglades to build prisons. He’d cut down all our forests to make a few people rich. Since his followers agree, and they have the power and resources to act, this anti-nature agenda is coming hard and fast, and the window of opportunity to change direction is closing.

Though I’m not convinced that he fully understands it, Trump sold his followers on a vision. He called it a “Golden Age” of prosperity. But as his policies play out, and as his smarter enablers scheme, it is increasingly clear that he is steering us towards a techno-capitalist dystopia. In this world, wealth accumulation comes first, so there are few winners and many losers, necessitating the perpetuation of war and harsh punishment: keeping people always on edge, in a state of paranoia.  The intrinsic value of living things is not recognized in this world, so one must “prove” to be useful or worthy. With automation looming, the working person would have no such value in this scenario, and nature is merely an impediment to progress.

Trump’s daily misdeeds keep his adversaries in perpetual panic, tenaciously pursuing each new indiscretion before there is even time to process the last. The result? He is distracting us and wearing us out. Suppressing at least some of our oppositional tendencies to reallocate energy towards developing our own version of the future is not just a smart move politically, it will inspire us. Allow me to give this version of the future a name: the livable planet.

In this vision, nature is not in the way of progress but is placed at the very center of all decision making. Nature is not in conflict with humanity but is instead woven into the very fabric of society. From this, all good things follow. Quality of life is elevated over the accumulation of material goods. Health is elevated over wealth. Compassion for others leads to diplomacy and restorative justice. Meeting basic needs like housing, food, and energy is paramount, but nature and human health are not regularly sacrificed to achieve it. Creativity and innovation are encouraged to build the livable planet. So, while it is cooperative and nurturing, it is also bold: a different interpretation of peace through strength.

The economy is changing. Whether we like it or not, business as usual cannot continue. The urgency to choose the direction our society takes is being magnified by the rise of AI and the Trumpian vision on one end, and by the time-sensitive acceleration of the climate and biodiversity crises on the other.  I urge my fellow progressives to promote the livable planet wherever we go. That way, when the MAGA’s path of destruction comes to an end, and it will, we’ll be there with a plan to repair it.  

I wrote a couple of Haiku's while reading Waste Wars by Alexander Clapp. The first I wrote, the second is his words rearranged to fit into the format. 

Six were killed, six maimed
Busting apart the remains 
Of the old love boat.

Trash layered their shores
Piles rise high as houses 
Children played in it. 

 

Frog

 
When life becomes scarier than death
The mind slips below the surface like a winter frog
For whom spring has been cancelled.
The buds have been arrested
The seeds shrivel and dissolve.

Guilt

On my steps I found a wooly bear
Its guts were strewn out everywhere
So I put it in a glass,
And filled it full of leaves and grass
It gathered dust for twenty years
I never looked inside.
And maybe it was me.
This tale, an autobiography.