The Enemy Within

Just got a message from Rupe Cutler on notes he took at a forestry conference in Virginia. Reading his notes only reinforced my conviction that the world-wide crunch is on – earth’s ecosystems are in an accelerating crash into oblivion. We in the US are the world’s chief villains in that we are the prime consumers. We cannot take refuge in the fact that we have the best environmental laws and controls.

Rupe’s notes emphasized that the demand (as opposed to need) for forest products is rising exponentially. On the other hand in the decade of the nineties we have reduced by 70% the logging on national forests. That’s good, you say. Okay, but let’s temper that with the first statement. The crunch increases on the world’s forests in countries where they have little or no environmental regs.

Whether we like it or not, we have to deal with the given that the world’s ecosystems are all tied together. What happens on the planet affects all of us to some extent. The ravishing of Amazonia is affecting world climates and we can only surmise in a very negative way -- increasing global warming, the severity of storms, more flooding and more severe and long lasting droughts. (In my microcosm here at Zukata my spring and only water source for my living place has been dried up since mid August. Although my creek is full of flowing water now, nothing coming from spring. I have a strong hunch that this problem of mine is related in some degree to clearcuts in Indonesia and/or Amazonia and/or British Columbia.)

It boils down to this, folks – we have to finger ourselves, American citizens, as the villains. In the words of Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us." We cannot continue to scapegoat the out-of-control corporations who are in a frenzy trying to feed OUR frenzy. If the earth and its creatures are to survive in any way which is tolerable to most of us treehuggers, we are going to have to bite the bullet and also get the word out to get others to bite that bullet. Recycling as I understand it is about 50% for the benefit of those who want to feel like they are doing something to save the earth while at the same time being heavily into consumption.

Another thing that came out of Rupe’s notes – a greater problem than overpopulation is the consumption of the rich. This fact doesn’t get the press. WE, all of us Americans, are the rich in terms of a world view, and unfortunately, the rest of the "teeming hordes" of the so-called third World want to emulate our riches.

This is an even stronger reason for having a world view. Some folks think the Voice does not stress West Virginia issues enough, especially those of the Monongahela National Forest. Others say it is "too dark." Your current editor thinks he’s right to bring in these other issues because they are overriding, and that things are even darker than we might dare to think. If we save the Mon from clearcuts doesn’t mean diddley squat unless we can plug into the whole scene of what is happening to the planet and act accordingly. It is too easy to bury one’s face in Mon issues and do one’s daily bit of recycling and think that is enough.

I’ve said it and I’m glad! But the depth of our planet’s problems is incalculable and defies solution. And the key to such solution lies in generating the political will to overcome our materialistic addictions and concomitant denial of the true reality.