Antinuclear

The nuclear industry – just one part in our trashing of Planet Earth – theme for September 14

The nuclear industry is the epitome of the whole process of human society destroying its own essential environment. While so-called “primitive” societies function on a culture of spirituality, and respect for the land, unfortunately the “developed” society has the upper hand in this sad world, and seems bent on mindless destruction.

I do single out nuclear power and nuclear weaponry, because this toxic industry has special features that do not apply in anything like the same degree, to our other toxic industries. These features are:  secrecy, deception, false propaganda, invisible cancer-causing radiation, dangerous wastes lasting for thousands of years,  weaponry that could quickly annihilate millions, astronomic costs to be paid by present and future generations.

This nuclear nastiness is symptomatic of the malaise affecting the world. The dominant culture of endless growth and endless consumption has now brought about global warming, and frightening climate change with extreme weather, sea level rise, and acidification of the oceans.  The focus is now on climate change –  but it is not the only disaster befalling our planet.

And all these disasters are related to each other – and to the race for to grow, consume, and sell. Where to start?  – over-population, chemical pollution, deforestation, over-fishing, scarcity of clean water , destruction of habitats – loss of biodiversity, loss of arable soil,  – just  a few aspects of our truly disastrous world culture.

An alien space traveller might be bemused – observing how the world’s technocrats come up with “solutions”.  Things like geo-engineering – an example of yet again trying out  grand chemical fixes, which would make an awful lot of money for  a few, and an awful lot of misery for many.

The trashing of our world is the background to the distrust between ethnic and religious groups, and to violent and criminal clashes.  That in turn, feeds the greedy weapons industry, which, while making a few people rich, sets the scene for military destruction of the world environment.

My favourite silly solution is the push to set up a colony on Mars. Never mind that Mars average temperature is 51F, but can reach – 184F on cold nights, that there’s not enough oxygen, that there’s no magnetic field to protect us from cosmic radiation, there’s intolerably low atmospheric pressure …..etc.  Never mind that the astronauts would probably die on the way there anyway.

There IS NO PLANET B.

September 6, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina themes