"This Time There Will Be No Noah's Ark" - Interview W. Theologian & Ecologist Leonardo Boff

[hatrack]

EDIT

Q: What is your assessment of the COP 16?

A: What predominated, save for the last two days, was an atmosphere of disappointment, of failure. But surprisingly there were three convergences of opinion: the commitment to fight against reaching (a global temperature increase of) two degrees Celsius; the creation of the Green Climate Fund of 30 billion dollars (for 2012) to help the most vulnerable countries, in an interesting sign of solidarity; and the creation of a large fund for the reduction of deforestation and degradation of forests, because that is where the principal cause of global warming lies.

Q: How should we interpret the stance of Bolivia, the only country that did not agree to those commitments?

A: Bolivia supports the thesis that the Earth is "Pachamama," a living organism that must be respected and cared for, not just exploited. It stands in opposition to the dominant position, which is set in the framework of the market: selling carbon credits, for example, means granting the right to pollute. The dominant societies see the Earth as a treasure chest of resources that can be used indefinitely, although now they have to be utilised in a sustainable way, because they are scarce. They don't recognise the dignity and rights of natural beings, they see them as means of production and their relation is based on utility. These are issues that did not enter into the discussions at Cancún or any other COP.

Q: Why should they be included?

A: Because the system that has created the problem is not going to save us. If each country has to grow a little each year, and to do so means degrading nature and increasing global warming, then that system itself is hostile to life.

Q: The argument is that it is necessary for development...

A: Growth means what? Exploiting nature? It is precisely that type of growth and development that could lead us to the abyss, because we humans are consuming 30 percent more than what the Earth can replace. That is the vicious circle. China can't go on emitting 30 percent (of global greenhouse emissions), because the pollution does not stay in China, it enters the global system. The problem is the relation of the human being with the Earth, because it is a violent relationship, a closed fist... As long as we fail to change this, we are headed for the worst. And this time there is no Noah's Ark. Either we save ourselves or we all perish.

EDIT

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53980

[dipsydoodle]

1. Given that Bollivia seems to have

c. 50% of the world supply of lithium they may ultimately be able to hold others to ransom.

[GliderGuider]

2. Thanks for this. I'm strongly drawn to the "Pachamama" tradition

There is a North American movement called "Awakening the Dreamer" that seeks to unite the wisdoms of the North and South, to give Pachamama a place in the ecological discourse. It's still a bit of a tough sell, but the ground has been prepared by much of the new spirituality movement, from Neo-shamanism to Zen and New Age. These philosophies make people more sensitive to holistic viewpoints and promote an awareness of the interconnection of all life, as well as helping people recognize the needs and intrinsic value of non-human life.

One way in which this new perspective shows up among those who are not quite ready for the "spiritual" leap is in the form of Deep Ecology - a system that expands human values out to cover non-human life without the requirement that one see the entire planet as a single living organism. I started with Deep Ecology a number of years ago, and have ended up with the belief that not only is the planet a single living organism, but that the universe itself is in some sense conscious and active.

I was very pleased to see the Bolivians take the stand they did at COP16.

[pscot]

3. The system that created the problem

is not going to save us.

[joshcryer]

4. +1

It's really that simple.

[joshcryer]

5. Also, "The market is not going to resolve the environmental crisis."

Truth.