The Ecological and Psycho-Spiritual Roots of Civilization's Crises
Population overshoots and ecosystem destruction are not rare in the geological and archeological records. And neither are species diebacks and societal collapses. Both serve as nature's self-correcting mechanisms. Of course, we would rather voluntarily correct our wayward behaviors, as nature's ways are not often kind. Unique to our globalized Civilization is that our ecosystem now encompasses the whole of the Earth. And we are in the process of destroying it-this it being our very life support system. While most everyone studying the problem agrees that the destruction wrought by our species is accelerating and that catastrophe looms near, we still beget large families, blithely consume more products, and squander our extraordinary, indeed unprecedented, wealth on outmoded fossil fuel lifestyles, self-serving institutions, and expensive wars.
Surely, it is often argued, humanity will find a way out of its predicament. It has many times before and it will again. Innovations in technology, the dynamism of capitalism, and the power of cultural evolution will continue to help humanity overcome seemingly impossible challenges. And, indeed, we do have all the solutions we need to live sustainably on this planet. What we have not yet acquired is the collective wisdom-the values, worldview, and behaviors, a planetary compathy, if you will-to choose those options that will regenerate the planet's wounded and deeply integrated biological and psycho-spiritual health and help Civilization live in harmony with the rest of Earth.
In this presentation, we will explore humanity's long history of environmental and psycho-spiritual impact, contextualizing today's symptoms of disharmony-from the global to the East End local, from the annihilation of species to the disgrace of social inequality, to the stresses and strains of a fast-paced life. This discussion is intended not to paralyze us with fear, but as the Eco-theologian and Earth scholar Thomas Berry put it, "to fix our minds on the magnitude of the task before us." Our intention is ultimately to inspire with hope and action. Our assumption is that right action is based on right awareness.
Producer: Carleton Schade
Carleton's interests include cosmology, consciousness, earth systems, the Civilization project, and meditation. He is currently involved in several futuristic projects - one a book entitled Dieback: the Science and Soul of the Human Predicament; a second entitled The Roots of Global Civilization's Collapse; a third is an illustrated book, The Rise, Fall and Rise of Civilization: A Very Long Title for a Very Short Book about a Very Big Subject, and a website Radicalmindshift.com. He has found passion in traveling, teaching, and writing; comfort and love as a householder and friend; and peace through meditation and yoga.
