A Matter of Scale The Scale of The Problem

A Matter Of Scale The Scale Of The Problem
2
Contents
Part One: The Scale Of The Problem
Chapter 1: One Ten Millionth Of A Metre 4
Chapter 2: One Millionth Of A Metre 19
Chapter 3: One Thousandth Of A Metre 31
Chapter 4: One undredth Of A Metre 44
Chapter !: One Metre !!
Chapter ": One undred Metres #$
Chapter #: %eneath And %e&ond '2
Part T(o: )h& *t Matters
Chapter ': )hat Are )e+ '9
Chapter 9: )ho Are )e+ 1$2
Chapter 1$: )h& ,oes *t Matter+ 11!
Part Three: Ma-in. The Connection
Chapter 11: )h& Connect+ 13!
Chapter 12: o( To Connect 14'
Chapter 13: )h& Can/t )e Connect+ 1!#
Part 0our: o( To Sur1i1e
Chapter 14: 2ettin. An.r& 1''
Chapter 1!: 3ou Are The S&stem 19#
Chapter 1": Ma-in. The Chan.e 21$
Chapter 1#: %ein. Oursel1es 2!3
4otes and 5eferences 2"4
Part One
The Scale Of The Problem
Oh, the world is so big, and we are so small,
The world is so big, are we here at all?
(Big i!!er, Songs "rom The Bl#e $o#se%
The onl& constant ' am s#re of,
's this accelerating rate of change(
(Peter )abriel, ownside*+!%
,
Chapter 1
One Ten Millionth Of A Metre
Breathe in, and &o#r bod& starts a battle( -o#ntless microorganisms hitch a lift on
e.er& stream of air being !#lled into &o#r l#ngs, see/ing o#t a !lace where the& can
embed themsel.es and m#lti!l&( Once inside e.er& !otential form of n#trition is fair
game0 blood cells, fat cells, s/in, bone marrow, l&m!hatic fl#id 1 all hosts for the
arm& of in.aders that 2#st want to find a wa& of increasing their n#mbers( 3o# are
ali.e beca#se &o#r bod& has e.ol.ed wa&s of fighting them off( 4o medicine can
match the efficienc& of &o#r own arm& of defenders across s#ch a .ast range of
attac/ers, witho#t /illing off its host as well(
$'5, the .ir#s res!onsible for A'S, is a bea#tif#l thing to loo/ at6 rather li/e a
three dimensional cog with ro#nded b#ds s!read across its s!herical s#rface( 'n
crosssection
the central -a!sid, which contains the genetic material res!onsible for
allowing $'5 to fight off all b#t the most so!histicated dr#gs, is coffin*sha!ed( So
bea#tif#l, so a!!ro!riate, b#t so terrible that it is able to c#t thro#gh an entire co#ntr&
in 2#st a few &ears, lea.ing a scarred, distressed and d&ing landsca!e of h#man beings
in its wa/e(
'n So#th Africa, nineteen !ercent of the !o!#lation of ,, million are infected with
$'5(7 'n 8esotho, twent&*three !ercent of the two million inhabitants ha.e $'5( 'n
Botswana, twent&*fo#r !ercent of the !o!#lation of 2#st #nder two million 1 that9s
nearl& a :#arter of e.er& !erson in this tin& co#ntr&6 ad#lts, children, e.en new born
babies 1 ha.e a .ir#s that will e.ent#all& /ill most of them(2 O.er a million of these
tin& .iral entities co#ld fit, side b& side, on this f#ll sto!( ;e ma& ha.e e.ol.ed
defences against the oldest and most common .ir#ses, b#t h#man e.ol#tion is a slow
!rocess6 we ha.e no nat#ral defences against $'5(
$ere is another statistic( The ;orld $ealth Organisation estimate that eng#e
"e.er, ca#sed b& fo#r t&!es of closel& related .ir#s, is a ris/ for aro#nd two*fifths of
the world9s !o!#lation(< ;itho#t treatment, eng#e "e.er is deadl& in twent& !ercent
of cases, and there are aro#nd fift& million cases of the disease e.er& &ear( eng#e
"e.er is s!read b& mos:#itoes, as is 3ellow "e.er, which /ills <=,=== !eo!le a &ear(
>
?a!anese @nce!halitis is also s!read b& mos:#itoes, b#t de.elo!s in !igs and birds
before being !assed to h#mans b& the same s!ecies of mos:#ito that infected these
other animals( This /ills aro#nd 7>,=== !eo!le a &ear and lea.es another 2>,===
!ermanentl& !aral&sed(
'nfl#enAa is not s!read b& mos:#itoes0 it is s!read b& birds, h#mans and man&
other mammals incl#ding domestic dogs and cats 1 in fact an& warm*blooded animal
can !otentiall& harbo#r and !ass on infl#enAa in its man& forms( The worr&, :#ite
rightl& eB!ressed b& e!idemiologists and other health !rofessionals abo#t the !otential
for a catastro!hic infl#enAa !andemic (global infection%, is not based on some abstract
idea that bears no resemblance to realit&6 it is a gen#ine fear that echoes fiction in so
man& wa&s( -om!are this :#otation0
By midnight the barriers were set up, and by dawn the next morning, the
morning of the twenty-fifth, several people had been shot at the barriers, most
just wounded, but three or four killed. Almost all of them were people coming
north, streaming out of Boston, stricken with fear, panic-stupid. They were dealt
with.
But by that evening, most of the men manning the barricades were sick
themselves, glowing bright with fever, constantly propping their shotguns
between their feet so they could blow their noses. ome!simply fell down
"igure #$ %&' viruses and (inset) cross-section showing the central coffin-shaped capsid (ource$
* Boehringer-&ngelheim + ,ikimedia -ommons)
C
unconscious and were later driven back to the jackleg infirmary that had been
set up over the town hall, and there they died..
;ith this one0
The Boston /lobe reported that in the twenty-four hours preceding 0$11 am of
eptember 23, 44 men, all of them probably in the peak years of physical
prowess, had died.
The statistics boggled ,elch5s mind$ the sight of the lines of sick men shuffling
through the cold, penetrating rain to the hospital gave him no encouragement
about the immediate future. %e needed no stethoscope to conclude that the
problem for many of them was lung failure. %e could see that at a do6en paces$
some of them, stumbling along, the blankets over their shoulders soaking up the
fine dri66le, were turning blue and even purple.7
't wo#ld ta/e a bra.e !erson to tell which the fictional re!ort is0 it is act#all& the
first one, from Ste!hen Ding9s doomsda& e!ic, The Stand( The second :#otation is
from an American st#d& of the 7E7F S!anish "l# !andemic, which too/ twent&*fi.e
million li.es globall&, or 7(> !ercent of the world9s !o!#lation( The general !#blic
onl& seem to ha.e recentl& gras!ed the deadl& !otential of the seemingl& innoc#o#s
fl# .ir#s( A health& !erson can catch one of the more benign and common strains of
fl# and s!end a few da&s in bed albeit with considerable discomfort, before ma/ing a
f#ll reco.er&(
Astonishingl&, #! to a billion !eo!le worldwide ma& be infected e.er& &earC with
infl#enAa, of which half a million will die( S#ch is the !o!#lation of the @arth (C(C
billion and co#nting% that half a million !eo!le is a global hicc#! 1 a mere =(==F
!ercent of h#manit&6 &et the 'ndian Ocean ts#nami, which too/ <==,=== li.es in
ecember 2==,, is still remembered as a world*changing e.ent( 8ess than one !ercent
of the ann#al global toll from infl#enAa died in the ;orld Trade -enter attac/s of
Se!tember 77, 2==7( 4ineteen hi2ac/ers in fo#r aircraft ma/ing a coordinated attac/
on the militar& and financial centres of the +SA are tangible targets on which we can
!ile o#r collecti.e wrath( +n/nowabl& .ast n#mbers of s#b*microsco!ic .irii do not a
tangible target ma/e(
G
)hat *s A 6irus+
;ith an iron& that s!ea/s .ol#mes abo#t the direction we are heading as a s!ecies, the
sim!lest descri!tion for a .ir#s comes from the world of com!#ters( S#ch is the eBtent
that we ha.e s#bstit#ted o#r ancient lo.e of nat#re for the modern lo.e of technolog&,
that we often ha.e !roblems seeing the real world witho#t a technological analog& to
hel! #s along the wa&( So, for the #ninitiated in technolog&, a com!#ter .ir#s is a
small, sim!le !iece of com!#ter code (a !rogram% that attaches itself to a larger !iece
of code in order to d#!licate itself and s!read( At the time of writing, there were abo#t
G,,=== com!#ter .ir#ses in the wildG (now there9s a biAarre #se of the term wild,
if e.er there was one%( "or the #ninitiated in biolog&, a nat#ral .ir#s is an organism
that has no means of re!rod#cing other than b& #sing another organism as a host6
generall& that organism is a cell within a larger organism, s#ch as a !erson, !lant or
f#ng#s( 5ir#ses re!rod#ce b& con.incing a cell, b& #se of its !rotein coating, that it is
a desirable ob2ect to welcome into the cell9s interior( Once inside, the .ir#s loses its
!rotecti.e coating, re.ealing the genetic code, which is then co!ied b& the cell9s
n#cle#s, 2#st as tho#gh the cell is co!&ing its own genetic material( The cell then
e2ects the newl& re!licated .iral material thro#gh its walls and, .oilaH Ie!lication is
com!lete( This is cle.er st#ff, es!eciall& considering that a .ir#s ma& not, in fact, be a
li.ing thing(
Ob.io#sl& something that is less than a micron (a millionth of a metre% across
co#ldn9t be considered an animal e.en b& the most imaginati.e biologist6 b#t whether
something that is not e.en ca!able of re!rod#cing on its own or with another .ir#s, let
alone being able to mo.e, eBcrete or grow, sho#ld be considered li.ing is another
matter( Scientists cannot agree with each other on this, largel& beca#se the definition
of life is #nclear0 is it the abilit& to be self aware 1 in which case things co#ld get
.er& com!licated d#e to the limited wa&s in which this can be tested (tr& holding a
mirror in front of a sightless creat#re to #nderstand the !roblem%6 is it the abilit& to
grow, mo.e, eBcrete, res!ire, re!rod#ce and all those good things6 or is it sim!l& the
abilit& to mo.e a genetic bl#e!rint into f#t#re generations, thereb& regenerating &o#r
li/eness?F ;e do /now that there are !robabl& more different .ir#ses than all (other%
t&!es of life, and that there are certainl& more indi.id#al .ir#ses than all (other%
indi.id#al life forms !#t together6 so, if .ir#ses are li.ing then the& are most certainl&
the most s#ccessf#l life forms that there has e.er been(
F
The tho#ght that m& entire bod& is teeming with .ir#ses that m& own defence
s&stems are ha.ing to constantl& fight off, and that if ' find m& imm#ne s&stem to be
com!romised in an& wa& 1 whether from lac/ of n#trients, or the $#man
'mm#nodeficienc& 5ir#s 1 ' co#ld fall fo#l of them is not the /ind of thing that ma/es
for a restf#l state of mind( Most !eo!le onl& /nowingl& come into contact with a .ir#s
when the& ha.e a cold, or other minor infection, so ha.e little reason to be aware of
their eBistence( O#r ignorance of .ir#ses, tho#gh (and we are tremendo#sl& ignorant,
des!ite the great strides that ha.e been ta/en in bringing imm#niAation to the masses%
is something that co#ld be o#r #ndoing(
Ta/e the !olio.ir#s, the ca#se of Poliom&elitis( ' ha.e some home mo.ies of m&
sister and ' ha!!il& !la&ing on the beach at Margate, a middle*siAed seaside resort in
@ngland, d#ring the hot s#mmer of 7EGC( #tif#ll& we wo#ld stac/ #! l#m!s of chal/
into ma/eshift dams in the shade of the 5ictorian s#ndec/ and then fill the res#lting
in#ndations with handf#ls of the white foam that gathered in lines at the water9s edge(
The so#rce of the foam was a short sewage o#tfall not half a mile awa&, which also
de!osited !artiall& treated h#man eBcrement a few metres o#t to sea, onl& to be
washed bac/ inshore with the foam b& the rising tide(
Across the Thames @st#ar&, abo#t <= miles awa&, lies So#thend on Sea( 't was on
the coast of this town in the late 7E,=s that the legendar& songwriter and !erformer
'an #r& contracted !olio, a life*threatening disease that is carried in faecal matter,
and can be ca#ght merel& b& swallowing a small amo#nt of infected water( 't was
almost certainl& from a !oorl& chlorinated swimming !ool near the S!anish town of
Altea, that m& own father contracted trans.erse m&elitis, a related .iral disease of the
ner.o#s s&stem, which led to him being !artiall& !aral&sed from the waist down( All
the time ' ha!!il& !la&ed in the sewage*ridden waters of Margate no one tho#ght to
warn me that ' sho#ld !erha!s be caref#l(
At this !oint &o# might be eB!ecting me to sa&0 and it is here that ' contracted
!olio, b#t ' ha.e nothing so emoti.e to add( ' am fit, health& and (so far% free of
disease, and that is than/s to m& imm#ne s&stem wor/ing in the wa& it sho#ld(
;hether it will /ee! #! with changes that ha!!en in the f#t#re is another matter(
E
A )orld Of Chan.e
The world is heating, and change is ha!!ening faster than eB!ected( The signs are
there for e.er&one to see0 a !olar ice ca! that o!ens #! eno#gh to allow ice*free
na.igation for the first time since h#mans colonised 4orth America6 the accelerated
cal.ing of icebergs in the So#thern Ocean6 the earl& emergence of b#lbs and other
s!ring !lants in tem!erate Aones6 e.en the wine trade is feeling the change as so#thern
@#ro!e dries #! and northern @#ro!e warms( 't doesn9t ta/e a big change in global
tem!erat#re to ma/e a difference 1 as of the end of 2==G, the a.erage global
tem!erat#re had risen =(GJ- abo.e the mean for the !re.io#s two h#ndred &ears 1
beca#se this is a !lanet of caref#ll& balanced s&stems( Thresholds that are a hair9s
breadth from being breached are read& to ti! li/e card ho#ses in a breeAe(
The British Antarctic S#r.e&, abo#t as sang#ine and le.el*headed a bod& as &o#
co#ld find re!orted this in 2==C0 AdKlie !eng#ins, a s!ecies well ada!ted to sea ice
conditions, ha.e declined in n#mbers and been re!laced b& o!en*water s!ecies s#ch
as chinstra! !eng#ins( Melting of !erennial snow and ice co.ers has res#lted in
increased colonisation b& !lants( A long*term decline in the ab#ndance of Antarctic
/rill in the S; Atlantic sector of the so#thern ocean ma& be associated with red#ced
sea ice co.er(E Three se!arate findings, and a whole web of changes that s!awn from
them0 webs that &o# will find e.er&where, and man& of which ' will show &o#
thro#gho#t this boo/(
L L L
-ome and .isit S#ffol/, @ngland, on a warm da& in Se!tember 2==G0
The 8epartment for 9nvironment, "ood and :ural Affairs (8efra) said last
night that tests had confirmed bluetongue in a second cow at the Baylham
%ouse :are Breeds "arm, near &pswich, uffolk. &t was immediately slaughtered
to limit the chances of the disease spreading. Bluetongue has already spread
across the -ontinent to Britain. ;n unday, 8ebbie, a ruddy-haired %ighland
cow who was a favourite with visitors, was put down after being found to be
suffering from the midge-borne disease.
,hile tests continue to see if more animals have been infected, 8efra announced
that from 3.31pm today a huge bluetongue surveillance area restricting the
movement of animals will be established over a #71km radius around the uffolk
7=
farm where the disease was first found. This is the maximum distance that
midges can fly, but if they have spread from uffolk, biting animals as they go,
the infection could be much more widespread. &t has spread like wildfire across
farms in /ermany, "rance, Belgium and the <etherlands, having originated in
Africa. Thousands of animals have died or been destroyed, causing massive
losses for -ontinental farmers.#1
Bl#etong#e is an arbo.ir#s, short for arthro!od*borne .ir#s( Arthro!ods incl#de
s!iders, centi!edes, shrim!s and crabs6 b#t, most im!ortantl&, the& incl#de insects, the
most di.erse gro#! of animals on @arth( An&thing that assists the s!read of a disease
is /nown as a .ector, which essentiall& means the mo.ement of something in a
s!ecific direction( Mos:#itoes are notorio#s .ectors for diseases, and not 2#st those
ca#sed b& .ir#ses( Midges, which are closel& related to mos:#itoes, range from the
harmless (to h#mans%, non*biting -ecidomyiidae, to the !ainf#ll& !ersistent $ighland
midge, which has been s#ggested as the reason for m#ch of Scotland being
#nde.elo!ed(
The midges that are res!onsible for the s!read of the bl#etong#e .ir#s are
tem!erat#re sensiti.e0 based on the global tem!erat#re gradient a tenth of a degree
increase !#shes breeding gro#nds north b& at least ten /ilometres( 'f there are
anomalies in tem!erat#re ca#sed b& local warming, insects can be !#shed far f#rther(
Tem!erat#re gradients also o!erate with height abo.e sea le.el, with e.er& ten metres
in height ca#sing a dro! in tem!erat#re of =(7J-( That means that with =(GJ- of
additional heating midges, or an& other tem!erat#re*sensiti.e organism, can range
o.er land that is #! to se.ent& metres higher than !re.io#sl&( That ma/es a lot of
difference in hill& areas(
"ort#natel& for h#mans, midges can be easil& /illed off b& frost, b#t as frosts ha.e
been starting later and later in the &ear in the 4orthern $emis!here, the midges ha.e
been able to eBtend their breeding c&cles into stormier times of the &ear( This
effecti.el& means that the& can be blown across seas and into !re.io#sl& #naffected
areas( 'f that wasn9t bad eno#gh, warmer tem!erat#res also ca#se faster breeding(
A st#d& carried o#t in 7EEE, fo#nd that mos:#ito lar.ae were eBtremel& sensiti.e to
tem!erat#re in determining how :#ic/l& the& de.elo!ed into ad#lt mos:#itoes(77 At
7>J- the a.erage de.elo!ment time for two t&!es of mos:#ito were ,, and C7 da&s
77
res!ecti.el&( ;hen the tem!erat#re was increased to 22J- this de.elo!ment time was
red#ced to <2 da&s for the first t&!e and 2, da&s for the second t&!e( At thirt& degrees,
the second t&!e of mos:#ito was able to go from lar.ae to ad#lt in a mere 7, da&s(
The significance of this is mind*boggling when &o# consider how :#ic/l& mos:#itoes
can breed( 'f a se.en degree increase in tem!erat#re is able to red#ce the breeding
c&cle of a mos:#ito b& thirt&*se.en da&s, then that means a mere one degree increase
in tem!erat#re co#ld allow for one additional breeding c&cle d#ring the breeding
season( )i.en that a female mos:#ito can la& h#ndreds of eggs in its short lifetime,
one eBtra breeding c&cle is a frightening !ros!ect0 one more generation of mos:#itoes
can mean a tho#sand*fold increase in n#mbers( A tho#sand fold increase in ;est 4ile
5ir#s, 3ellow "e.er, eng#e "e.er, and ?a!anese @nce!halitis( Am '
scaremongering?
'alere :ommelaere, =2, survived the 8-8ay invasion in <ormandy, but not a
mos>uito bite. ix decades after the war, the hardy askatchewan farmer was
bitten by a bug carrying a disease that has spread from the e>uator to -anada
as temperatures have risen. ,ithin weeks, he died from ,est <ile virus.
?aul 9pstein, a physician who worked in Africa and is now on the faculty of
%arvard @edical chool, said that, if anything, scientists werenAt worried
enough about the problem.
BThings we projected to occur in 21=1 are happening in 2114. ,hat we didnAt
get is how fast and how big it is, and the degree to which the biological systems
would respond,B 9pstein said in an interview in Boston. B;ur mistake was in
underestimation.B#2
Am ' scaremongering, then?
' reall& don9t thin/ so(
72
Pac-in. Them *n
"or fo#rteen &ears ' tra.elled into 8ondon b& train, for the most !art alighting at
8i.er!ool Street Station in the heart of the S:#are Mile, the financial centre of the
+D( 't too/ me a while to get acc#stomed to the constant threading, dodging and
occasional colliding of tho#sands of !eo!le heading to and from wor/ within the
conco#rse and on the nois&, hectic streets o#tside( The densit& of tra.ellers is modest,
tho#gh, com!ared to the t#m#lt of !eo!le thronging the !latforms, conco#rses and
!a.ements of So#thern and So#th @ast Asia( 'n 'ndia, s#b#rban trains still dominate,
trans!orting o.er < billion !eo!le a &ear across the cities of the nation7<, while the
cross*co#ntr& and cross*state lines are rightl& /nown as the arteries of the nation( B#t
there is a !rice to !a& in terms of comfort, intimate wo#ld be a good word to
describe a r#sh*ho#r 2o#rne&( This !en !ict#re written b& a M#mbaian describes the
eB!erience wonderf#ll&0
,hen train arrives on platform, one starts by praying to oneAs favourite /od.
The arrival of the train is marked by a sudden change in the atmosphere at the
station. 9veryone, including the seemingly docile auntie pulls up her (ahem)
socks, clenches her fists and gets ready for T%9 /:9AT -%A:/9. This sight
"igure 2$ Civerpool treet tation, Condon (ource$ Author5s photo)
7<
can easily make initial non-supporters of evolution great believers of 8arwin5s
Theory, for what follows is nothing but living proof of 8arwinAs idea of Aurvival
of the "ittestA.
Another reason & believe that the rails offer too much for the measly sum we pay
for the tickets is that they provide free exercise, body massage and stretching
aerobics early in the morning (as well as all day through) which is definitely an
advantage for todayAs health-obsessed generation.#.
The batter& conditions of h#man trans!ortation thro#gho#t the world 1 whether on
foot in 8ondon, bic&cle in Bei2ing, #ndergro#nd railwa& in To/&o, car in 8os Angeles
or train in M#mbai 1 are s&m!toms of an o.ercrowded !lanet f#ll of time*de!endent,
2ob*de!endent, mone&*de!endent !eo!le( 'ntimac& is rarel& of o#r choosing0 the li.es
we are increasingl& shoehorned into b& economic necessit& (in other words, wor/ or
die% are often led in s:#alid conditions( 't is a blessing that the notorio#s walled cit&
of Dowloon, with a !o!#lation densit& a!!roaching two million !eo!le !er s:#are
/ilometre, is no longer with #s, b#t similar, m#ch larger #rban areas eBist, and are
growing( One !art of M#mbai in 'ndia s:#eeAes 2==,=== !eo!le into 2#st 7(G s:#are
/ilometres7>6 an area half the siAe of 4ew 3or/9s -entral Par/( Dowloon still
accommodates o.er two million !eo!le at a densit& of 77F,=== !eo!le !er s:#are
/ilometre0 siB times as cram!ed as central 8ondon(
Batter& conditions are not restricted to h#mans( As we treat !eo!le, we also treat
animals( Darl Taro )reenfeld described the method of storing wild animals for food in
)#angAho#, -hina as ind#strialiAed0
&n one cage in Din Euan, & counted fifty-two cats pushed in so tightly that their
intestines were spilling out from between the wire bars. There were fifty-five
such cages in this one stall. There were fifty-two stalls down this one row of
vendors. And there were six rows in this one market. There were seven markets
on this street.#4
"o#r million animals in a single street is an astonishing estimate, b#t not when &o#
consider the scale of batter& farming in -hina( According to the +S e!artment of
Agric#lt#re7G, in 2==, there were F> !o#ltr& farms in -hina each with o.er a million
birds being bred for meat, and a total of fo#r billion birds sla#ghtered in that one &ear(
7,
The battle against bird fl# or the $>47 .ir#s is being waged in the bac/ &ard farms
of @astern @#ro!e and So#th @ast Asia, with mandator& ho#sing, and sometimes
sla#ghter ta/ing !lace at the first sign of a diseased bird( 3et these free*range
conditions are merel& the sto!!ing off !oints for wild birds that ha.e alread&
contracted the .ir#s( The so#rce of the .ir#s and the ca#se of the most lethal strains of
infl#enAa are bo#nd #! in the wa& that .ir#ses o!erate on large, densel& !ac/ed
!o!#lations of animals(
The !rocess b& which organisms e.ol.e starts with the m#tation of a !iece of its
genetic material( M#tations cannot be !redicted, b#t can be enco#raged to ha!!en
more or less fre:#entl&6 for instance, certain t&!es of radiation are able to change the
chemical ma/e#! of an organism9s 4A, so can be said to accelerate the m#tation
!rocess( B& their nat#re, m#tations onl& in.ol.e a single gene at a time6 m#lti!le
genetic changes re:#ire m#lti!le m#tations( 'n most cases genetic m#tations ha.e
little or no effect on the organism6 in other cases the m#tation ma& be damaging to the
organism, for instance it ma& lead to eBcess cell di.ision, which can lead to cancer, or
it ma& im!ede the organism9s abilit& to re!rod#ce( 'n some cases, tho#gh, the
m#tation is a !ositi.e ste! for the organism, and it is this t&!e of m#tation that is
generall& considered to be e.ol#tionar&( 'n order for a .ir#s to !ass to a s!ecies
other than the one it is c#rrentl& hosted b& it ma& ha.e to #ndergo a n#mber of
m#tations, none of which can be damaging to the .ir#s itself( @.ent#all& the .ir#s
ma& ha.e changed s#fficientl& to ma/e the ho! to another s!ecies(
@.ol#tion thro#gh m#tation is a slow and ha!haAard !rocess and, in normal
!o!#lation densities, more often than not the .ir#s will end #! as a benign scra! of
4A, #nable to do its genetic d#t&( 'n .ast !o!#lations of birds that are !ec/ing,
fla!!ing and de!ositing faecal matter #!on each other, a .eritable .iral bean*feast can
ta/e !lace( 5ir#ses are ra!idl& !assing from bird to bird, and bac/ again, m#tating and
e.ol.ing as the& go( A single incidence of highl& !athogenic (deadl&% bird fl# can
wi!e o#t an entire shed of birds within ,F ho#rs, according to the ;orld $ealth
Organisation( ;$O goes on to sa&0 A!art from being highl& contagio#s among
!o#ltr&, a.ian infl#enAa .ir#ses are readil& transmitted from farm to farm b& the
mo.ement of li.e birds, !eo!le (es!eciall& when shoes and other clothing are
contaminated%, and contaminated .ehicles, e:#i!ment, feed, and cages( $ighl&
!athogenic .ir#ses can s#r.i.e for long !eriods in the en.ironment, es!eciall& when
7>
tem!erat#res are low( "or eBam!le, the highl& !athogenic $>47 .ir#s can s#r.i.e in
bird faeces for at least <> da&s at low tem!erat#re (,J-%(7F The long s#r.i.al time at
low tem!erat#res hel!s eB!lain wh& infl#enAa o#tbrea/s occ#r more fre:#entl& d#ring
tem!erate winters in the 4orthern $emis!here (the other reason, !artic#larl& for ra!id
s!read, is that !eo!le sta& indoors and crowd together more when it is cold%( "or once,
global warming is not to blame( The same cannot be said for h#man beha.io#r(
The boo/ -hina S&ndrome b& Darl Taro )reenfeld contains a s#!erb anal&sis of
the social and biological conditions that led to the global o#tbrea/ of SAIS in 2==<,
and then the ine.itable s!read of $>47 from 2==C onwards( $e writes0 "or a
microbe, a cit& is a target*rich en.ironment, with slabs of h#man meat stac/ed
literall& one o.er another in a!artments and ho#ses, waiting to be cons#med( Of the
fo#r ma2or modes of disease transmission 1 waterborne, .ector borne, airborne or
direct contact 1 each is facilitated b& #rban life(7E ;e create !erfect en.ironments for
.ir#ses to s!read and thri.e, right down to the artificiall& moist and !#trid
en.ironments witho#t which s#ch agents wo#ld die in min#tes(
;hen &o# bring the /ind of rich !athogenic so#! that can be fo#nd in cities in
close !roBimit& to the /inds of bird farming described abo.e then the li/elihood of
cross*s!ecies transmission is greatl& increased( 'f a h#man infl#enAa .ir#s e.ol.es
s#fficientl& to infect a bird, and that bird is infected with $>47 bird fl# then the two
.ir#ses can miB and swa! genes(2= The res#lting .ir#s will then ha.e eno#gh
common characteristics to both infect h#mans and create the /ind of t#rmoil that
$>47 has ca#sed in floc/s of birds( 't onl& ta/es one !erson in the .ast genetic !ool
of o#r ma2or cities to contract a transgenic .ir#s for it to then become a h#man
e!idemic(
't onl& ta/es one flight across the world for an e!idemic to t#rn into a !andemic(
$#mans li/e to fl&6 it has become one of the /e& as!irations of the cons#mer societ&
to ta/e long tri!s to different !arts of the world and eB!erience the wa& that other
nations dis!la& their heritage, b#ild their ho#ses, !oll#te their waterwa&s and !osition
their -oca -ola machines( ;e tra.el to distant lands to lie on distant beaches in order
to come home and tell o#r distant friends what the distant beaches were li/e( To#rism
is not 2#st big b#siness, it is the !rimar& b#siness of man& co#ntries6 and )od hel!
an&one who tries to sto! flights from contin#ing to feed their economic boomH Air
tra.el is eBcl#ded from all international, and the .ast ma2orit& of national targets to
7C
red#ce greenho#se gas emissions, it is eB!ected to acco#nt for 7> !ercent of all
greenho#se gas emissions b& 2=>=, #! from 2#st < !ercent in 2==C(27 't is illegal for an
indi.id#al co#ntr& to taB aircraft f#el and aircraft !arts(22
A st#d& !#blished in the scientific 2o#rnal 4at#re in 2==C fo#nd a remar/able dro!
in the n#mbers of earl&*onset infl#enAa cases amongst h#mans in the !eriod following
the ;orld Trade -enter attac/s in Se!tember 2==7( The 2G !ercent dro! in !assenger
n#mbers on international flights dela&ed the normal !ea/ of fl# deaths b& nearl& two
wee/s, from "ebr#ar& to March( And the fall in domestic air tra.el meant that the
disease too/ 7C da&s longer to s!read thro#gho#t the co#ntr&(2< 'ncredibl&, and
almost certainl& d#e to economic !ress#re from b#siness and b#siness*friendl&
go.ernments, restricting air tra.el does not form !art of international !lans for
!re.enting the s!read of an& !otential strains of highl& !athogenic infl#enAa(
;hile scientists watch the s/ies for migrating birds that ma& harbo#r a.ian fl#, the
same s/ies are filled with !eo!le who ma& be carr&ing something e:#all& lethal(
,eath %& A Thousand Cuts
The $> strains of a.ian infl#enAa are often called the @bola of the bird world( The
@bola of the h#man world, and also that of a n#mber of other !rimates, is something
that almost defies descri!tion, s#ch is its br#talit&0
A nurse brought a bag of whole blood. 8r @usoke hooked a bag on a stand and
inserted the needle into the patient5s arm. There was something wrong with the
patient5s veinsF his blood poured out around the needle. At every place in the
patient5s arm where he stuck the needle, the vein broke apart like cooked
macaroni and spilled blood, and the blood ran from the punctures down the
patient5s arm and wouldn5t coagulate. The patient continued to bleed from the
bowels, and these haemorrhages were now as black as pitch.2.
@bola is a t&!e of haemorrhagic fe.er, the t&!e that leads to the li:#efaction of the
internal organs while the s#fferer bleeds o#t, infecting almost e.er&one who comes
into contact with the co!io#s :#antities of blood that the s#fferer emits( There are
other forms of haemorrhagic fe.er with the most common t&!es, eng#e and 8assa,
being far less deadl& than the m#ch rarer Marb#rg, Iift 5alle& and @bola( The reason
7G
that @bola has not ca#sed more deaths o.erall (abo#t 72== deaths since it was first
disco.ered2>% is beca#se of the s!eed with which it /ills the .ictim 1 as little as , da&s
from first eB!os#re( $'5, on the other hand, can lie dormant for &ears, being !assed
from !erson to !erson witho#t an& s&m!toms showing(
B#t while $'5 can onl& be !assed from h#man to h#man in its c#rrent
config#ration, @bola can seemingl& !o! o#t of nowhere, ca#se a s!ate of deaths, and
then disa!!ear with e!idemiologists none the wiser as to !recisel& where the original
infection came from( Iift 5alle& "e.er is harbo#red in cattle, goats, shee! and other
hoofed animals6 8assa resides in a s!ecies of ;est African rodent6 @bola9s !rimar&
so#rce is officiall& #n/nown(
Martin ;isel/a, a cons#ltant in infectio#s diseases at the 4#ffield $os!ital in
8eicester has little do#bt o.er the reasons for @bola9s emergence( $e sa&s0
@B!loiting wild habitats s#ch as the tro!ical rain forests allow interaction between
h#man hosts, animals and .ectors of infection, s#ch as rats and insects( This can
increase the li/elihood of certain infections s#ch as &ellow fe.er, hanta.ir#s and
@bola, which are normall& carried b& animal hosts(2C
L L L
The -ongo Ii.er swee!s ro#nd in a contin#o#s arc from the northern heights of
Mambia in the heart of Africa, thro#gh the ignominio#sl& named emocratic Ie!#blic
of -ongo (formerl& Maire% #ntil finall&, after ,,G== /m, em!t&ing into the Atlantic
Ocean at the small town of M#anda in the Ie!#blic of the -ongo( -o.ering the b#l/
of its catchment area, swelling its .ol#me with incessant rainfall, is the second largest
contin#o#s area of forest in the world0 the -entral African Iainforest( This great
bloc/ of green cano!& contains some of the richest !lant and animal habitat in
eBistence( This area of forest also contains, !otentiall&, aro#nd <G billion tonnes of
carbon, more than the whole of So#theast Asia and the +SA combined2G6 that is o.er
fi.e times as m#ch carbon as all h#man acti.it& on @arth !rod#ces each &ear(
The eBtent of this .ital carbon sin/2F is shrin/ing each &ear( 'n 7EE= the -entral
African Iainforest occ#!ied 2(> million s:#are /ilometres6 in 2==> it occ#!ied less
than 2(, million /mN, a red#ction of abo#t fi.e !ercent in total area(2E "i.e !ercent
ma& not seem li/e a lot, b#t when &o# loo/ at the s!eed the forest is degrading at the
same time then &o# realise something f#ndamental is ha!!ening( According to a
7F
re!ort<= !#blished in 2==G, o.er a :#arter of this #ni:#e habitat had been earmar/ed
for logging, while onl& twel.e !ercent was officiall& !rotected 1 in !ractice not
!rotected at all( "rom a disease !oint of .iew, the eB!ansion of logging trac/s and
other roads is e:#all& dist#rbing0 Othe st#d&P fo#nd that road densit& had increased
dramaticall& since the 7EG=s and that aro#nd 2E !ercent of the remaining -ongo
rainforest was Qli/el& to ha.e increased wildlife h#nting !ress#re beca#se of easier
access and local mar/et o!!ort#nities9 offered b& new logging towns and roads(<7
Access to forest means access to disease .ectors, and in this !art of the world that
means a !otential o#tbrea/ of @bola is ne.er far awa&(
The wa& that h#mans are eB!loiting the rainforests of -entral Africa, for tro!ical
timber, for minerals li/e coltan 1 a /e& com!onent in micro*electronics 1 and gold,
and increasingl& for b#sh meat, beggars belief( 3et, it seems as tho#gh an& !rice is
worth !a&ing for economic wealth0 climate change, degraded habitats, silt*laden
ri.ers, e.en a disease that co#ld stri/e at an& time, /ill off an entire town in da&s, and
then disa!!ear again( And there lies a .ital message0 if we don9t eBercise discretion in
the wa& we treat the !lanet, its animals and its !lants, then we ma& fall fo#l of the
smallest, &et one of the most effecti.e /illers that there has e.er been0 the not so
h#mble .ir#s(
7E
Chapter 2
One Millionth Of A Metre
' didn9t /now this #ntil ' watched a BB- tele.ision doc#mentar& a few &ears ago
called The Pri.ate 8ife Of Plants6 b#t lichen 1 the !atches of .ario#sl& shaded matter
that grow on gra.estones, roof tiles and !a.ing slabs 1 are not indi.id#al organisms,
b#t a combination of algae and f#ngi( The& f#nction in a tightl& wo.en, lifelong
embrace from which neither can e.er esca!e6 nor wo#ld the& want to, beca#se neither
co#ld s#r.i.e inde!endentl& an& more( This is called endos&mbiosis( The alga
!ro.ides the food energ&, created thro#gh !hotos&nthesis, and the f#ng#s the
!rotection to see the 2oint organism thro#gh the harshest of conditions( There are
lichens that eBist (' hesitate to #se the word thri.e% in Antarctica<2 where, incredibl&,
the& manage to carr& o#t !hotos&nthesis at tem!erat#res as low as *2,J-( An
organism that eBists in near stasis for most of the &ear, and below freeAing conditions
all &ear ro#nd still manages to ha.e a net benefit on the !lanet b& cons#ming carbon
dioBide and !rod#cing oB&gen(
'magine if, rather than inde!endent beings that co#ld !ic/ and choose what we ate
and what we s#rro#nded o#rsel.es with, h#mans had an endos&mbiotic relationshi!
with another organism( $ow wo#ld it feel to be !art of another organism, or ha.e
organisms li.ing inside &o#, doing wor/ witho#t which &o# wo#ld die?
Sa& hello to &o#r mitochondria( on9t be sh&, the& won9t answer bac/ 1 the& are
far too b#s& con.erting amino acids and s#gars into energ& for &o#r cells to #se(
T#c/ed awa& within the cells of, !robabl&, all animals, mitochondria are effecti.el&
the boiler rooms of &o#r cells6 &et the& didn9t e.ol.e li/e the ma2orit& of the
com!onents of &o#r bod&, grad#all& changing or ada!ting their f#nctions to s#it their
host organism, instead the mitochondria hi2ac/ed s!ecific t&!es of bacteria and #sed
them in order to eBtract oB&gen from s#rro#nding molec#les(<< 't ma& be that s#ch
bacterial entities are being #sed in other !arts of cells as well, which seems to ma/e a
moc/er& of how we .iew e.ol#tion o.erall 1 co#ld it be that large organisms e.ol.ed
b& #sing other life*forms to gi.e them a head start? ;e sim!l& don9t /now eno#gh
2=
abo#t these !rocesses to sa& for s#re6 howe.er we do /now eno#gh to ma/e some
!eo!le feel rather :#eas&(
-onsider &o#r g#t( A!!roBimatel& siB metres of gre& and green m#scle and
m#co#s membrane, which ens#res that the n#trients from the food &o# eat are
absorbed correctl& into &o#r bod&, and the waste that &o#r bod& doesn9t need is
eB!elled in a similarl& efficient manner( 't seems that a da& doesn9t !ass witho#t a
news!a!er, tele.ision or magaAine ad.ertisement telling !eo!le that the& sho#ld /ee!
their internal flora intact( ;hat a horrible tho#ght 1 it con2#res #! images of
delicate fronds of algae and other !lant matter gentl& wa.ing as the intestinal 2#ices
flow !ast( On a bad da& the images are more a/in to the giant orange f#ng#s that
eB!loded o#t of the bod& ca.ities of scientists wor/ing in the crater of a .olcano
d#ring an e!isode of the R "iles(
istressingl&, it is the latter image that the &ogh#rt ad.ertisements are closer to(
The man& forms of f#ngi and bad bacteria that threaten to ma/e o#r digesti.e
eB!erience an #n!leasant one are not alone( A recent st#d& on the nat#re of
microorganisms
in the h#man bod&<,, fo#nd that most of the indi.id#al cells in o#r bod& do
not, in fact, belong to o#r bodies at all, the& consist of m&riad f#ngi, bacteria and
.ir#ses (.ir#ses are not reall& cells, b#t &o# get the idea% so n#mero#s that, beca#se
o#r bodies are made of onl& some se.eral trillion h#man cells, we are somewhat
o#tn#mbered b& the aliens(<>
)hat Are %acteria+
'f &o# di.ided all definite forms of life into bacteria and e.er&thing else &o#
wo#ld still ha.e far more life in the former gro#! than the latter( @.er&thing teems
with bacteria 1 steriliAation is 2#st a tem!orar& res!ite0 the& will come bac/,
relentlessl&, so long as there is something from which the& can obtain n#trients(
Ob.io#sl&, bacteria are eBtremel& small6 t&!icall& the& are abo#t one micrometre in
length 1 meaning &o# co#ld fit h#ndreds of them end to end in the width of a h#man
hair 1 altho#gh the& can be as large as half a millimetre(
The main difference between bacteria (incl#ding the .er& ancient and rob#st t&!es,
/nown as Archaea% and other forms of life is that bacteria don9t ha.e a n#cle#s in
their one cell( Other single*celled organisms, s#ch as amoebas, do ha.e a n#cle#s,
27
which !#ts them in the same gro#! of life as all other non*bacterial organisms( The
lac/ of a n#cle#s means that the bacteri#m9s<C genetic material is in close contact with
the rest of the organism9s com!onents, s#ch as those which con.ert food into energ&(
This ma/es a bacteri#m more .#lnerable to attac/ and change, b#t on the !l#s side the
sim!ler str#ct#re means that less energ& and time is re:#ired for it to re!rod#ce(
The re!rod#ction !rocess for bacteria is witho#t emotion and t#rmoil0 the& sim!l&
di.ide when the& reach a certain siAe( 'f &o# consider that there is a marine bacteri#m
called ?seudomonas <atriegens that can !rod#ce another generation in 2#st #nder ten
min#tes<G and that within one da& a single bacteri#m (not a !air, we are tal/ing
aseB#al re!rod#ction here% co#ld becomeSwell ' started wor/ing this o#t, and b& C
o9cloc/ in the morning the n#mber had alread& reached CF,G==,===,=== indi.id#al
organisms, and ' realised that there was not eno#gh room on @arth to accommodate
one da& of this single ra!idl& re!rod#cing s!ecimenH -om!are this to the mos:#itoes
in -ha!ter One, which re!rod#ced f#ll& in fo#rteen da&s #nder ideal conditions, and
&o# get an idea of the /inds of things we are dealing with( Ob.io#sl& the world wo#ld
2#st be a mass of gre& goo if bacteria co#ld m#lti!l& according to their habit b#t,
fort#natel& for #s, most bacteria are heterotrophs, meaning the& cannot ma/e their
own food( ;hen their food r#ns o#t, the bacteria cannot m#lti!l&(
8i/e all tin& things, we ha.e absol#tel& no idea how man& different bacteria there
are in the world( The li/elihood is that beca#se of their fragile genetic !rotection there
are different /inds of bacteria being created faster than we co#ld e.er ho!e to co#nt
them( -ertainl& most hos!itals str#ggle to /ee! #! with the m#tations that ta/e !lace
within their walls s#ch that a single o#tbrea/ of a new antibiotic*resistant strain is
ca#se for a national emergenc&( The h#man bod& co!es admirabl& with its own
har.est of integrated and not so integrated bacteria for the most !art( ;hen we lose
control, tho#gh, then we reall& lose it(
The !hrase flesh eating b#g ma& ha.e been a news!a!er seller for a short !eriod
in the earl& 7EE=s, b#t the bacteria that ca#se <ecroti6ing "asciitis ha.e alwa&s been
with #s, and will remain with #s fore.er( 'f &o# ha.e e.er had a se.ere sore throat,
then that will !robabl& ha.e been the res#lt of a form of treptococcus bacteria6 hence
the term stre! throat( 'n the .ast ma2orit& of cases time, rest and if necessar&, a
co#rse of antibiotics will deal with stre! throat( 'f the Stre!tococc#s bacteria
22
res!onsible for stre! throat enters a wo#nd on the s/in, that can lead to something far
worse( @ric -ornell, !h&sics 4obel la#reate, ta/es #! the stor&0
;n ;ct. 2., 211., & came down with what & thought were flu symptomsGfever
and a sense of malaise. The next day, & developed an aching pain in my
shoulder. The pain steadily got worse and on ;ct. 20, & was referred to the
emergency room at Boulder -ommunity %ospital. There & was diagnosed with
necroti6ing fasciitis and & underwent operations to cut away infected flesh,
including amputation of my left arm and shoulder. %owever, even so, the
infection continued to spread and & was very near death. &n the afternoon of ;ct.
2=, & was airlifted to the Burn &ntensive -are Hnit at the Hniversity of -olorado
%ospital in 8enver. Two more operations removed more skin, muscle, and
subcutaneous fat from large areas of my left torso.3=
Professor -ornell s#r.i.ed his ordeal, after a three wee/ coma and intensi.e
thera!&( Others do not( "atalit& rates, according to the +S -enters for isease -ontrol
are aro#nd 2> !ercent, eBtremel& high for an infectio#s disease( The n#mber of deaths
each &ear from necrotiAing fasciitis is !robabl&<E aro#nd 7>=,=== to 2==,=== 1 far less
than the ann#al total for infl#enAa, b#t a lot more deadl&( 4e.ertheless, it !ales into
insignificance when &o# consider the o.erall n#mber of deaths that res#lt from
bacterial infections, both directl& and indirectl&(
,irect 7illers
As a fo#rteen*&ear*old school st#dent, ' remember the little needles, the tin& shar!
b#nch of concentric s!i/es that !ierced m& s/in with a clic/( PhewH That9s o.er( B#t it
wasn9t, beca#se li/e most of m& friends, ' didn9t ha.e the right antibodies, meaning
that ' had ne.er had the disease before, had ne.er been .accinated before, or didn9t
ha.e nat#ral imm#nit& to the infection( The second needle was longer( A !refect held
me, with m& left arm down at m& side, while the n#rse inserted the metal s!i/e into
m& #!!er arm and filled a .oid #nder the s/in with mil/&*white fl#id( A s&nthetic
blister, the legac& of which is still with almost e.er& !erson who went to school in the
+D #! to the mid 7EE=s, as a small scar(
2<
5accinations don9t alwa&s wor/( The B-) .accination, named after its "rench
in.entors (hence Bacill#s -almette*)#Krin%, !rotects against some t&!es of
T#berc#losis, b#t not others( The most common and most infectio#s t&!e 1 !#lmonar&
t#berc#losis 1 is !oorl& controlled b& B-), b#t for the moment B-) is the best
.accine widel& a.ailable( +nfort#natel&, TB is a wides!read and de.astating /iller
with an a.erage of 7(G million re!orted deaths,= a &ear between 7EE> and 2==>0 and
one*third of the world9s !o!#lation tho#ght to be latentl& infected with the bacteria(,7
The reason for the endemic !resence of TB is li/el& to be related to its long histor& as
a h#man !athogen( Of the F> m#mmies eBh#med from a n#mber of tombs in @g&!t,
2> were fo#nd to ha.e !robabl& been infected with t#berc#losis, with another twel.e
definitel& infected(,2 The s!ecimens from the oldest of the tombs showed that e.en
,=== &ears ago, the infection had been ca#ght from other h#mans rather than (as
!re.io#sl& tho#ght% cattle(
)i.en the length of time that h#mans ha.e had to ada!t to the TB bacteri#m in its
.ario#s forms, it is not s#r!rising that most carriers do not act#all& contract the
disease6 b#t gi.en its re!#tation as the most deadl& infectio#s disease on @arth, it has
to be ta/en serio#sl&( Africa is the heartland for TB0 Mambia had 77F TB deaths !er
7==,=== !eo!le in 2==> (down from 2=F in 7EEE, b#t still o.er fi.e !ercent of all
deaths%6 7,= !eo!le o#t of e.er& 7==,=== died in Den&a in the same &ear from TB (7<
!ercent of all deaths%6 and in SwaAiland in 2==>, TB acco#nted for <=, deaths !er
7==,=== !eo!le, or ten !ercent of its alread& terrible death rate( O.erall rates are
dro!!ing beca#se of better health ed#cation along with more wides!read .accination
and antibiotic a.ailabilit&, b#t the /iller still lies dormant, onl& needing a little n#dge
to wa/e it #! and wrea/ f#rther ha.oc(
That n#dge ma& come in the form of global warming(
Bacteria lo.e heat( Bacteria need heat, and some thri.e in conditions that wo#ld be
deadl& to an& other life form( ?yrodictyum grows best at 7=> degrees centigrade,
while others cannot re!rod#ce if their tem!erat#re dro!s to less than F=J-( Tr#l&
creat#res of $ades(,< These eBtremo!hiles ma& occ#!& niches in which no other
organism has a chance of s#r.i.al, b#t the ma2orit& of bacteria ha.e .er& s!ecific
tem!erat#re re:#irements well within the realms of h#mans( S!ea/ing to Martin
;isel/a of the 4#ffield $os!ital, 8eicester, it becomes clear that o#r heating world
will increasingl& become a ha.en for man& t&!es of harmf#l bacteria( $e sa&s0 Most
2,
bacteria which are !athogenic to h#mans s#r.i.e and re!rod#ce o!timall& at aro#nd
<GJ- (in other words, the& are ada!ted to h#mans%( Bacteria maintained at this
tem!erat#re are li/el& to grow faster and become more infectio#s than those at a
lower tem!erat#re which is wh& we refrigerate o#r food to ma/e it last longer( -ertain
bacteria will onl& s#r.i.e in warm climates(,,
The relationshi! between the growth rate of bacteria and tem!erat#re is remar/abl&
consistent, s#ch that it is !ossible for scientists to de.elo! general r#les to !redict how
:#ic/l& a s!ecific t&!e of bacteria will m#lti!l& de!ending on tem!erat#re( "or
eBam!le, if a certain t&!e of bacteria do#bles in n#mber e.er& fifteen min#tes #nder a
certain set of conditions, e(g( in a test t#be f#ll of mil/ at 7=J-, then #nder the same
conditions b#t at 7>J- the growth rate of that strain of bacteria can be .er& acc#ratel&
!redicted( a.id Iat/ows/& and his colleag#es at the +ni.ersit& of Tasmania fo#nd
the relationshi! held tr#e in their own sam!les and the twent&*nine other eBam!les
the& eBtracted from .ario#s !ieces of scientific literat#re(,> 'n short, #nder ideal
conditions, for e.er& fi.e degree increase in tem!erat#re, bacteria di.ide between >=
!ercent and 7== !ercent faster( A mere one degree increase can therefore increase the
di.ision rate of bacteria b& aro#nd twent& !ercent( "or a common !athogen li/e
Salmonella (7(, million cases !er &ear in the +SA,C%, this /ind of change is .ital when
wor/ing o#t the time that food can be /e!t o#t of cold storage, and also how man&
!eo!le are li/el& to be infected #nder a range of conditions( Salmonella is not 2#st
res!onsible for the illness ca#sed b& #ndercoo/ed meat and eggs tho#gh0 serio#s as
these strains can be, others ha.e an e.en dar/er side(
T&!hoid fe.er is ca#se b& the bacteria almonella Typhi, and is the ca#se of o.er
half a million deaths worldwide e.er& &ear(,G +nli/e t#berc#losis, t&!hoid will ha!!il&
li.e o#tside of the bod&, s!ecialising !artic#larl& in standing water containing h#man
sewage( A !ond, well or ditch onl& has to contain a fragment of faecal matter from the
#nwashed hands of a child for the entire water so#rce to become infected, and the
warmer the water is, the faster it will become infected #ntil e.er& !erson drin/ing that
water is bo#nd to ingest the bacteria( 5accinations are an effecti.e !re.entati.e
meas#re against t&!hoid and antibiotics can bring most cases #nder control, b#t
st#dies carried o#t in 5ietnam and thro#gho#t Africa ha.e fo#nd n#mero#s strains of
antibiotic resistant t&!hoid thro#gho#t the !o!#lation, and e.en bacteria that a!!ear to
be changing the wa& that the& e.ol.e in order to s#r.i.e(,F As ' disc#ssed in -ha!ter
2>
One, the increased densit& and mobilit& of h#mans is also creating the conditions for
bacteria to m#tate more ra!idl&0
&n #I=I, multidrug resistant . Typhi appeared, with the emergence of strains
resistant to chloramphenicol, ampicillin, trimethoprim, streptomycin,
sulfonamides, and tetracycline. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant . Typhi
has also increased among travelers. The rate of multidrug-resistant . Typhi
infection in American travelers ac>uired in &ndia increased from 31J in #II1K
#II. to 37J in #II4K#II0, and . of 7 travelers with typhoid fever ac>uired in
'ietnam were infected with multidrug-resistant strains..I
4ot onl& are most antibiotics #seless against the newest strains of t&!hoid, it also
won9t be long before, as with infl#enAa, .accines themsel.es ha.e to be #!dated
reg#larl& in order for them to be effecti.e against the disease( ;ith the @arth d#e to
heat #! b& another 7(< degrees centigrade b& the middle of the twent&*first cent#r& 1
twice as m#ch heating as eB!erienced in the last 2== &ears 1 we can confidentl&
o.erla& the heating effect #!on the d#al microbiological horrors of o.ercrowding and
eBcessi.e tra.el( Before we loo/ at the indirect effects of tem!erat#re increase, ' want
&o# to sto! for a few moments and imagine what that will do to the acti.it& of o#r
bacterial colleag#es(
$ow do &o# feel? 8et9s go on(
*ndirect 7illers
8i/e an& good horror stor&, sometimes &o# need a bit of comed& to gi.e &o#r mind a
rest from the constant torment it is s#ffering( ' read the war diaries of the #ni:#e and
sadl& missed comed& geni#s S!i/e Milligan o.er and o.er again when ' was in m&
twenties( S#ch was his s/ill as a writer6 &o# co#ld be lifted straight o#t of a terrible
battle scene into a n#gget of s!ar/ling wit barel& ha.ing time to draw breath( 4e.er
forget that &o# alwa&s ha.e time to la#gh 1 it reall& hel!s when contem!lating
annihilation(
One moment that has sta&ed with me concerned the o#tbrea/ of !#bic lice, or
crabs amongst the cable la&ing team which S!i/e9s best friend, $arr& @dgington,
was !art of( Their wor/ was relentless, re!etiti.e and filth&( As $arr& said0 ;e
2C
hadn9t had o#r clothes off for some considerable time, m#ch less o#r #nderwear, and a
bath was onl& something we .ag#el& remembered from long ago(>= $e then goes on
to tell in .i.id b#t hilario#s detail of how the British arm& dealt with s#ch an o#tbrea/
1 modest& and a low !ain threshold are two attrib#tes that wo#ldn9t ha.e held the
soldiers in good stead( P#bic lice certainl& :#alif& as a considerable irritation and, li/e
most !ersonal !roblems are a ri!e target for comedians( Another form of lice*borne
disease is, at first sight, !erha!s less !rone to ha.ing the mic/e& ta/en o#t of it 1 b#t
then ' remembered an e!isode of The Sim!sons>7, !art of which went li/e this0
@iss %oover$ LshakilyM -hildren, & wonAt be staying long. & just came from the
doctor, and & have lyme disease. ?rincipal kinner will run the class until a
substitute arrives.
:alph$ ,hatAs lyme diseaseN
?r. kinner$ &All field that one. Lgoes to blackboardM Cyme disease is spread by
small parasites called Oticks5. Lwrites OT&-P5 on blackboardM ,hen a diseased
tick attaches itself to you, it begins sucking your blood...
@iss %oover$ Lnot calmedM ;h...
?r. kinner$ @alignant spirochetes infect your bloodstream, eventually
spreading to your spinal fluid and on into the brain.
@iss %oover$ The brainQN ;h, dear /od...
-lass$ ,owQ
o ' ha.e to a!ologise for finding that f#nn&? O/, sorr& if &o# or an&one &o#
/now has e.er had 8&me isease, ' co#ldn9t hel! it( 8&me isease is a .er& serio#s
illness if left #ntreated, ca#sing heart !roblems and a .ariet& of ner.o#s conditions,
b#t is .er& rarel& fatal( As a ma2or ris/ factor, 8&me isease is not something that
sho#ld worr& most !eo!le( B#t it is an im!ortant indicator(
8&me isease in the +SA is carried b& blac/*footed or deer tic/s, which in t#rn are
carried (or hosted% b& deer, mice, s:#irrels and other rodents( 'n @#ro!e and
northern Asia, other tic/s, incl#ding the castor bean and shee! tic/, harbo#r the
bacteria that are then !assed onto h#mans and other animals thro#gh their bites( These
tic/s are hosted b& a .ariet& of animals( Tic/s, lice, fleas and other arthro!ods are
2G
sensiti.e to tem!erat#re and other en.ironmental conditions, incl#ding moist#re,
habitat t&!e and the a.ailabilit& of hosts, b#t the& cannot migrate on their own, rel&ing
instead on their hosts to mo.e for them(
As ' ha.e said, 8&me isease is not a serio#s threat to life, b#t it has been on the
increase in the +SA, steadil& growing from less than 7=,=== cases in 7EE7 to 2<,===
in 2==>(>2 This is !artl& d#e to better re!orting methods, b#t also the intr#sion of
h#mans into the nati.e habitats (mainl& woodlands% of the tic/s and their hosts( This
bears a stri/ing resemblance to the wa& that @bola has s!read in central Africa( There
is also good e.idence to show that as h#mans degrade the habitats the& intr#de #!on
the& red#ce the n#mber of different s!ecies in that habitat 1 its biodi.ersit& 1 and
th#s the com!etition for food also red#ces( The o#tcome of this is that one s!ecies
tends to dominate, and in the case of the woodlands of north east +SA, that is the
white*footed mo#se(>< The white*footed mo#se hosts the deer tic/, and the deer tic/
can infect !eo!le more easil& d#e to the in.asi.e habits of the mo#se(
Some insects carr& 8&me isease6 others carr& B#bonic Plag#e( 3o# wo#ld be
forgi.en, if &o# li.e in the ;estern ind#strial world, for thin/ing that !lag#e was 2#st
a bad memor& from the !ast that, than/f#ll&, no longer threatens li.es( Sadl&, !lag#e
"igure 3 $ 8eer Tick (ource$ ,ikipedia -ommons)
2F
is most certainl& ali.e and well, and is li.ing in Africa0 )loball&, the n#mber of
cases of h#man !lag#e has remained stable from &ear to &ear and, in com!arison with
other infectio#s !athologies, can be considered wea/( 4e.ertheless, h#man !lag#e
remains a !#blic health !roblem worldwide( The re*emergence of h#man !lag#e in
Algeria in 2==<, fift& &ears after its last occ#rrence f#rther demonstrates that the
geogra!hical distrib#tion of nat#ral foci is not imm#table(>, 'n other words, !lag#e is
o#t there, and it co#ld emerge an&where(
B#t bacteria don9t e.en need to infect h#mans to affect them(
The ma2orit& of !eo!le on @arth drin/ mil/ or eat dair& !rod#cts( A siAeable
minorit& eat meat !rod#cts from cattle, and this !ro!ortion is growing as !eo!le in
newl& ind#strialised co#ntries start to see the ;estern meat*rich diet as a s&mbol of
decadence and s#ccess( S#ch a diet is acti.el& !romoted b& the meat !rocessing and
!rod#cing ind#str& thro#gho#t the world, !artl& beca#se man& !eo!le in the most
ind#strialised nations are red#cing their meat and dair& inta/e( A!!roBimatel& fifteen
!ercent of global calories deri.e directl& from the cons#m!tion of meat>>, of which a
:#arter is from cattle( 'n addition, a significant ch#n/ of the world9s total calories
comes from dair& !rod#cts( A ma2or cattle disease wo#ld be tragic for those who ha.e
become acc#stomed to a cattle*de!endent diet(
-attle farmers in tro!ical and s#btro!ical regions fear the deadl& and debilitating
disease -attle Ana!lasmosis, b#t ha.e to acce!t it as a /nown haAard for their herds(
S#ch is the threat of this disease to commerce, that as far bac/ as 7E=C the +S
go.ernment carried o#t a com!lete eradication of the disease and !laced strict
:#arantine meas#res on its borders to ens#re no infected cattle co#ld cross into the
+SA from MeBico( The !otential of the disease is tr#l& momento#s( Bac/ in 7EF7 the
+nited 4ations "ood and Agric#lt#ral OrganiAation ("AO% stated0 The fig#re m#st
be staggering( Mortalit& rates range from fi.e !ercent in some herds where the disease
has been !re.alent for man& &ears to as high as se.ent& !ercent d#ring se.ere
o#tbrea/s in herds where the disease has not occ#rred !re.io#sl&( Tho#gh death losses
are sometimes o.erwhelming, the& can also be minor as com!ared with weight, mil/,
and calf losses among s#r.i.ing cattle(>C -#rrent re!orts s#ggest that the disease is
still endemic in tro!ical areas and will readil& infect, and /ill an& cattle that are
introd#ced alongside imm#ne animals(
2E
The most deadl& form of cattle ana!lasmosis is ca#sed b& the bacteri#m
Anaplasma marginale and most commonl& carried from animal to animal b& the
tro!ical cattle tic/ Boophilus microplus( This tic/ is, li/e all tic/s, sensiti.e to
en.ironmental conditions>G, and will not la& eggs in tem!erat#res of less than 7>*
2=J-( As with mos:#itoes and midges, a small rise in regional tem!erat#re will allow
the tic/s to breed f#rther north, at a higher altit#de and !otentiall& on animals that
ha.e not been able to host them in cooler tem!erat#res( 'f a disease with the .ir#lence
of cattle ana!lasmosis a!!eared in h#mans then we wo#ld be considering a !andemic
on the scale of the 7E7F infl#enAa o#tbrea/, or the aforementioned b#bonic !lag#e(
'nterestingl&, the bacteria that are readil& s!read b& the tro!ical cattle tic/ to ca#se
cattle ana!lasmosis is of the same )en#s>F as the bacteria that is s!read b& the deer
tic/ to ca#se the !otentiall& lethal h#man form of ana!lasmosis( The more &o# loo/
into it, the more com!leB the web becomes(
T&!h#s is nothing to do with t&!hoid( The two are often conf#sed, and both are
ca#sed b& bacteria0 b#t whereas t&!hoid fe.er is s!read .ia infected waterco#rses,
t&!h#s is most #s#all& carried b& the h#man bod& lo#se, s!reading the bacteria .ia its
faeces being scratched into a lo#se bite( T&!h#s is at its worst when it ca#ses
e!idemics of disease6 t&!icall& where sanitar& conditions are !oor, clothes are rarel&
changed and floor co.erings and f#rnishings filth&( S#ch conditions !re.ail d#ring
wartime, in !rison cam!s, ghettos, trenches, concentration cam!s 1 the !h&sical and
mental br#talit& carried o#t b& the g#ards in the 4aAi concentration cam!s of ;orld
;ar '' is onl& !art of the tale0
@aj. ,illiam A. 8avis, @-, while serving as liaison officer from the H..A.
Typhus -ommission to the 2#st Army /roup, recorded the typhus fever epidemic
that occurred at the Belsen -oncentration -amp, Belsen, /ermany. This camp
was taken by the British econd Army on #7 April #I.7. Among the 4#,111
inhabitants, there was widespread suffering from starvation, typhus, dysentery,
tuberculosis, and other diseases. Typhus had been prevalent in the camp for .
months, and there were approximately 3,711 cases at the time of liberation.
?ractically all of the internees were heavily infested with lice.7I
At the start of ;orld ;ar ', Serbia was literall& decimated b& t&!h#s, /illing
2==,=== of its !eo!le( ;orse was to come6 after c#tting thro#gh m#ch of the eastern
<=
war front in @#ro!e, it ra.aged !ost*war I#ssia, /illing aro#nd ten million !eo!le
with a fift& !ercent fatalit& rate(C= ;ar stories are awash not onl& with eB!eriences of
awf#l li.ing conditions, b#t also of delo#sing0 the #se of toBic !owders and other
chemicals, incl#ding T6 hair being forcibl& sha.ed off6 clothing and blan/ets being
b#rnt( These methods were often br#tal and alwa&s #ncomfortable, b#t generall& the
onl& ra!id wa& to !re.ent disease e!idemics in s#ch conditions(
The /inds of conditions that m#ch of the world9s !o!#lation has to !#t #! with are
creating new breeding gro#nds for diseases li/e t&!h#s( The cram!ed, #nser.iced
sl#ms s/irting M#mbai, Sao Paolo and ?a/arta are barel& ac/nowledged b& the same
a#thorities that !ride themsel.es on their cit&9s economic o!!ort#nities( These
shant&towns,
fa.elas and ghettos are the res#lt of the as!irations that eBisted in the minds of
tra.ellers in search of economic wealth6 as!irations that ne.er came to fr#ition
beca#se the dream*sellers failed to deli.er on their !romises( 'nstead, the as!irant
sl#m*dwellers get disease and a wa& of life that is often far worse than the one the&
wanted to esca!e from(
Most !oignant of all, the bacteria that ca#se these eB!losi.e diseases are almost
certainl& the same /ind of bacteria that first fo#nd their homes in o#r cells millions of
&ears ago(C7 'n a stri/ing eBam!le of the wheel of life t#rning f#ll circle, the
mitochondrial bacteria that we rel& on to !ro.ide o#r cells with energ& ha.e e.ol.ed
to also be de.astating /illers(
Bacteria will contin#e to e.ol.e and occ#!& e.er& niche that eBists on @arth long
after we are gone( ;e de!end on them, and we fear them( 'f we dare to change the
en.ironments in which the& eBist &o# can be certain the& will win the first assa#lt
before we can fight bac/(
<7
Chapter 3
One Tho#sandth Of A Metre
;e9re coming bac/ to familiar things now( The great blobs on the lens that were 2#st
mist& !atches are finall& sli!!ing into some sort of foc#s, and a whole raft of life
forms are dro!!ing b& the wa&side as we !#ll o#t and change o#r scale to something
far larger0 the tin& fragments of !lan/ton that fill the oceans6 the d#st& f#ngal clo#ds
in the e.ening air6 the sing#lar amoebas that li.e where.er there is moist#re 1 all
wonderf#l s#b2ects, b#t for another time( ' 2#st can9t seem to get the foc#s right
tho#gh0 the nematodes are e.er&where( ;here sho#ld ' start?
;hat abo#t so&beans?
' ha.e 2#st fo#nd o#t that The Societ& of 4ematologists is ad.ertising the ,th
4ational So&bean -&st 4ematode -onference( A whole conference abo#t the egg
filled bodies of a s!ecific nematode worm that affects a s!ecific cro!( This being the
fo#rth one &o# might be forgi.en for acc#sing the organisers of being a little
o.erenth#siastic 1 ma&be the& are scientists ens#ring the& ha.e their research grants
for another &ear6 ma&be the& are com!anies tr&ing to sell a !rod#ct6 ma&be so&bean
c&st nematodes are act#all& .er& im!ortant indeed( Act#all& it9s all three( Scientists
need to 2#stif& their wor/ so the& can /ee! on wor/ing0 #nfort#natel&, whereas
2#stification #sed to be on mostl& scientific gro#nds, 2#stification in man& modern
#ni.ersities re:#ires e.idence of commercial !otential( Pest control com!anies need to
raise the !rofile of the !estsC2 the& sell control !rod#cts for, so the& can sell their
!rod#cts to worried cons#mers( "inall&, according to the +S e!artment of
Agric#lt#reC<, the c#lti.ation of so&beans is not economicall& !ossible #nless so&bean
nematode c&sts are s#fficientl& controlled(
A glance at the literat#re on nematodes re.eals two things0 the& are a!!arentl&
almost all damaging !ests, and there are an awf#l lot of them( To answer the latter
!oint, man& writers t#rn to the words of 4(A(-obb, legendar& nematologist, and
stalwart of the +S e!artment of Agric#lt#re in the first half of the 2=th cent#r&0
<2
&n short, if all the matter in the universe except the nematodes were swept away,
our world would still be dimly recogni6able, and if, as disembodied spirits, we
could then investigate it, we should find its mountains, hills, vales, rivers, lakes,
and oceans represented by a film of nematodes. The location of towns would be
decipherable, since for every massing of human beings there would be a
corresponding massing of certain nematodes. Trees would still stand in ghostly
rows representing our streets and highways. The location of the various plants
and animals would still be decipherable, and, had we sufficient knowledge, in
many cases even their species could be determined by an examination of their
erstwhile nematode parasites.4.
Stirring st#ff, indeed( 4athan -obb co#ld certainl& mo.e the so#l when writing
abo#t his foremost !assion6 and he needed to, beca#se if e.er a biological s#b2ect
needed a higher !rofile, it was the m#ch*maligned, b#t #tterl& fascinating world of
nematodes( -obb himself recognised this !roblem, writing0 OnematodesP offer an
eBce!tional field of st#d&, and !robabl& constit#te almost the last great organic gro#!
worth& of a se!arate branch of biological science com!arable with entomolog&(C> B#t
was -obb right? o nematodes reall& create this film of organic matter aro#nd e.er&
ob2ect in contact with the @arth?
There is a certain diffic#lt& in gaining realistic statistics abo#t the .ariet& and
:#antit& of nematodes6 after all nematodes were not formall& disco.ered #ntil 7F=F,
!rinci!all& beca#se the& are too small to obser.e !ro!erl& with the na/ed e&e( 5ictor
ro!/in made a more sober assessment than -obb of the nematode !o!#lation in
7EF=, stating0 Ta/e a handf#l of soil from almost an&where in the worldSand &o#
will find elongate, threadli/e, acti.e animals( These are nematodes( Or catch a fish, a
bird or a mammal almost an&where in the worldSand in most cases &o# will find
some nematodes inside(CC Altho#gh nematodes are a:#atic animals, in that the& need
water to s#r.i.e, the best !lace to find them is in soil( Simon )owen of the +ni.ersit&
of Ieading, tells his st#dents that in tem!erate grasslands there are aro#nd nine
million nematodes for every s>uare metre of soil 1 then the same st#dents are
eB!ected to co#nt them for themsel.es (not all nine million of them, ' hasten to add%,
2#st to get an idea of what this means( That is an asto#nding fig#re for something that
is not a .ir#s or a bacteri#m, b#t an animal( This means that the l#sh grasslands of
4ew Mealand that !rod#ce rich b#tter, high :#alit& lamb and 7>= tho#sand tonnes of
<<
woolCG each &ear, b#t onl& constit#te >(> !ercent of 4ew Mealand9s land area, also
hold something li/e 7<2,CC=,===,===,===,=== nematodes( That9s 7<2 :#adrillion, for
those of &o# who e.er wanted to /now how large a :#adrillion is( -om!are this to the
a!ocr&!hal (b#t belie.able, and slightl& dist#rbingH% fig#re of one million s!iders !er
acre of grassland, and &o# find that nematodes o#tn#mber s!iders b& <C,=== to 7(
)loball& 1 and '9m going to ha.e to ta/e an o#trageo#s stab in the dar/ here 1 &o#
are !robabl& loo/ing at between 7== :#intillion (that9s 2= Aeros% and 7=== :#intillion
(27 Aeros% nematodes on and in the land( To !#t this into !ers!ecti.e somewhat0 for
each h#man on @arth, there are something li/e a trillion nematodes( 4ematodes in the
oceans are far less ab#ndant, b#t there are still lots and lots of them 1 the& ma&, in
fact, acco#nt for ninet& !ercent of all life at the bottom of the sea(CF Sorr& for boggling
&o# with fig#res, b#t that9s what often ha!!ens in nematode*land(
The !est control ind#str& ens#re that the dangers that wo#ld be #nleashed in a
world where nematodes are not controlled are writ large in the minds of farmers, so it
is the !est nematodes that are gi.en the biggest eB!os#re, at the eB!ense of other
t&!es( es!ite the commercial world9s !ro!ensit& to in.ent !roblems in order to sell
!rod#cts the& ma&, in this case, be right 1 b#t for all the wrong reasons( The !ress#re
we !lace on alread& eBha#sted soils and the effort we go to in order to eBtract e.er&
last gram of n#trition from ind#striall& farmed cro!s to feed a growing h#man
!o!#lation (both in n#mber and, in rich co#ntries, a!!etite%, means that the slightest
dro! in the !rod#ction of a sta!le cro! is treated as a !otential catastro!he(
'n the ma2orit& of @#ro!ean co#ntries, the im!act of the !otato c&st nematode
(P-4% is s#ch that the mo.ement of #ntested seed !otatoes and the !lanting of
!otatoes on #ntested land is banned, and the :#arantine of land on which P-4 is
fo#nd is mandator&(CE P-4 is a global !roblem for !otato growers, being fo#nd across
@#ro!e (since 7E7<, and !ossibl& the 7FF=s%, in A#stralia (since 7EFC%, in the +SA
(since 7E,7% 1 in fact 2#st abo#t e.er&where that !otatoes are grown on a large scale(
There are :#ite a few .arieties of !otato that are nat#rall& resistant to the effects of
P-4 which, essentiall&, means not being in danger of ha.ing entire cro!s wi!ed o#t
within two seasons of growing on the same s!ot6 and there are lots of sensible,
nonchemical
methods of a.oiding the !roblem, s#ch as the aforementioned :#arantine,
cro! rotation and the #se of nat#ral !redators( B#t the chemical com!anies !ersist in
<,
!#shing their wares, both in the form of !esticides and geneticall& modified organisms
()MOs%0
The chemical group BA" has expressed optimism that within a few weeks the
9uropean -ommission may approve the genetically modified RAmfloraS potato
to be grown in 9urope. &n early 8ecember, %ans Past, @anaging 8irector of
BA" ?lant cience, spoke with journalists in Brussels and stated the
expectation the decision be made in any case early enough for the growing
season of 211=.01
't won9t be too long before nat#ral resistance to P-4 is engineered into nonresistant
!otato .arieties( 4ow, ' am no scaremonger when it comes to genetic
modification, b#t when economic gain comes before concerns for en.ironmental
welfare 1 the )MO !rod#cing com!anies still obstinatel& ref#se to acce!t liabilit& for
an& negati.e effects of their !rod#cts 1 and the n#mber of disco.ered nematode
s!ecies is less than ten !ercent of the n#mber that !otentiall& eBist in the wild, then '
start to get a little worried(
Then there is the :#estion of !est .ers#s friend0
3es, those are ad.erts from )oogle( 't9s remar/able what is ad.ertised on the
'nternet0 not so m#ch the a.ailabilit& of salacio#s acti.ities and !rod#cts to enhance
&o#r !erformance in all sorts of wa&s, b#t the wide range of friendl& nematodes that
&o# can #se in &o#r garden, and can b#& on line( 4ematodes in a boB( ' thin/ it9s
abo#t time we sto!!ed for a little and went bac/ to first !rinci!les(
"igure . $ <ematode Adverts (ource$ Author5s image)
<>
)hat Are 4ematodes+
Iemember me sa&ing that ' had !roblems getting the foc#s right? There are teen&*tin&
nematodes and there are, relati.el&, .er& large ones indeed( ' admit the title of this
cha!ter ta/es a few liberties, b#t there are man& s!ecies of nematode that are aro#nd a
millimetre in length( There are man& that are less than a millimetre, and some
!arasitic t&!es that are a few centimetres long( One t&!e (which no one ali.e seems to
ha.e seen% was meas#red at eight metres long, in the !lacenta of a s!erm whale( This
s!ecies is, #nironicall&, /nown as ?lacentonema gigantissima(
4ematode is the name gi.en to an& one of at least 2=,=== s!ecies of #nsegmented
worm, which ha.e a single end*to*end digesti.e tract, no limbs or other a!!endages,
and a s#r!risingl& well*de.elo!ed ner.o#s s&stem, considering their anti:#it&( The&
are commonl& /nown as ro#ndworms, which describes their cross section, not their
o.erall sha!e, and which disting#ishes them from man& other t&!es of worm,
incl#ding flatworms and bristle worms(
S#ch is their age and di.ersit& (altho#gh this does not alwa&s follow% that the&
occ#!& their own Ph&l#m, se!arate from the arthro!ods (insects, s!iders etc(% and
moll#scs( There are as man& as twent& different Orders of nematode, ranging from
those that attac/ !lants and f#ngi, to those that feed on other animals, to those that
drift aro#nd feeding on whate.er bacteria or single*celled animal might be a.ailable(
es!ite nematodes being a:#atic in origin, the .ast ma2orit& of Orders describe
landbased
.arieties( This strange inconsistenc& is most li/el& sim!l& beca#se the world9s
oceans ha.e been so !oorl& researched com!ared to the land masses we are so
familiar with( O#r nat#ral, !ossibl& ancestral attraction to the sea, a !lace that has
alwa&s (#ntil recentl&% !ro.ided #s with a rich so#rce of food, onl& goes so far( 8i/e
gas!ing fish on the water9s edge, h#mans immersed in water will onl& s#r.i.e for a
few min#tes 1 less if it is !artic#larl& cold( Ma&be it is for the good that m#ch of the
.ast oceanic world has been left #neB!lored 1 the le.el of eB!loitation b& the oil, gas
and ind#strial fishing ind#stries is a dire warning of what can ha!!en 1 b#t it does
lea.e #s with a large em!t& s!ace in o#r /nowledge, and the conse:#ent s/ewing of
information that s#ggests that the oceans are a .ast, barren !lace( Sadl&, that lac/ of
<C
/nowledge also hides the ineBorable, and !ossibl& irre.ersible changes that we ma&
be ca#sing to the oceans(
Beca#se nematodes can loo/ .er& similar, regardless of their siAe, the& are most
commonl& disting#ished b& their mo#th*!arts, which define what the& are able to eat(
4ematologists do ha.e what some might consider to be an #nhealth& obsession with
mo#th !arts, b#t when &o# ha.e a great mass of seething, worm& matter to identif&,
then it9s #s#all& best to ta/e the eas& ro#te( S#ch efforts are not witho#t their rewards
tho#gh0 s#ccess in the field of nematolog& can be :#ite l#crati.e if &o# don9t ha.e an&
:#alms abo#t ta/ing the cor!orate shilling(
The m#lti*segmented ta!eworm that can li.e for &ears inside h#mans and most
other mammals is not a nematode6 h#man !arasitic threadworms and hoo/worms, on
the other hand, are nematodes( '9m sorr& to enter the bowel, as it were, at this stage of
the cha!ter, b#t if &o# ha.e had an&thing to do with children9s health or ed#cation
then &o# will !robabl& ha.e come across threadworms( +nfort#natel& for h#man
health, children ha.e a !ro!ensit& to !ic/, scratch and !robe an&thing and e.er&thing
with their fingers0 noses, scabs on /nees, e&es, bottoms( +nder the nails of a good
!ro!ortion of /indergarten children 2#st abo#t an&where in the world lie a little cl#ster
of threadworm eggs waiting to be !assed into the digesti.e s&stem (&o# can g#ess
how% of that child, or an& other !erson the& ma& meet0 $ow do &o# do? and with a
sha/e of the hand the eggs are !assed on( "ort#natel& for #s, threadworms are
relati.el& harmless(
There are a n#mber of other !arasitic nematodes that infect h#mans, and other
mammals0 in dogs, hoo/worms can ca#se se.ere anaemia, and in both dogs and cats
the ro#ndworm Toxocara is endemic( The latter is of !artic#lar concern to h#mans
beca#se of the !otentiall& se.ere s&m!toms that the res#lting ToBocariasis can lead to,
incl#ding blindness and !ne#monia( St#dies carried o#t between 7EF> and 2=== fo#nd
that children9s sand!its in !#blic !ar/s contained ToBocara eggs a minim#m of 2>
!ercent of the time, with one st#d& in )reece finding EG(> !ercent of !la& !ar/s
infected(G7 A child who to#ches dog or cat faeces will almost certainl& ha.e
nematodes on his or her fingers( This le.el of infection ma& be shoc/ing, b#t it is the
h&giene fail#res of h#mans that ha.e t#rned something !rett& benign into something
a!!roaching e!idemic !ro!ortions in certain !arts of the world( This lac/ of h&giene
<G
ma/es the little !ress nematodes get !redominantl& negati.e 1 which is a shame
beca#se, li/e h#mans, not all of them are bad(
The 2ood 2u&s
)ood organic gardeners /now how to deal with !ests 1 the /inds that damage the
cro!s the& are tr&ing to grow( A !iece of fr#it or a .egetable is at its most a!!ealing to
birds, insects, sl#gs and snails at 2#st the time when it is at its most a!!ealing to #s6
the s#gar*rich strawberr&, the fat*to*b#rsting !ea !od, the s#cc#lent red tomato, the
cris! crimson and white radish 1 all !erfect for eating, regardless who the final
cons#mer ma& be( )ood organic gardeners don9t need to s!ra& chemicals across their
gardens, to be ca#ght b& the wind and misted across the neighbo#ring cro!s, flowers
and !onds, and into the l#ngs of !la&ing children0 the& 2#st need to #nderstand the
nat#ral interactions between !lants, soil, weather and the organisms that ma& !rotect
or attac/ what the& are tr&ing to grow(
The histor& of !esticides (that /ill animals%, herbicides (!lants% and f#ngicides is
littered with toBins that no sensible !erson wo#ld let an&where near their mo#ths( ;e
see arsenic being widel& #sed for !est control on !lants and e.en as shee! di!6
merc#r&, formaldeh&de and h&drogen c&anide #sed to f#migate b#ildings and
glassho#ses6 and the s#r!risingl& lethal co!!er s#l!hate a!!lied as a common weed
/illerG2( Paris )reen deri.ed its name from its colo#r and its #se as a rat control agent
in the sewers of Paris in the 7Eth cent#r&( Alternati.el& /nown as Parrot )reen and
@merald )reen, amongst other names, it is a com!o#nd of co!!er and arsenic, and is
still widel& #sed as a barnacle !re.ention meas#re on the h#lls of shi!s, and a wood
!reser.ati.e, as well as an insecticide( Se.en dro!s of this, s#r!risingl& #nreg#lated,
s#bstance is eno#gh to /ill a normal siAed h#manG<, and its death toll almost certainl&
incl#des man& artists who /eenl& made #se of its .i.id tones6 not to mention the !oor
so#ls who made the st#ff( 't seems that if a s#bstance is #sef#l eno#gh then being
lethal in tin& doses is not eno#gh reason to reg#late it(
The #se of c&anide, merc#r& and formaldeh&de ma& ha.e been dramaticall&
red#ced d#ring the 2=th cent#r&, b#t gi.en the boom in the #se of organo!hos!hates
and organochlorines (organo sim!l& means something that is carbon based%, s#ch
s#bstances were not re:#ired m#ch an&wa&( The world now had chea!, highl&
<F
effecti.e and controllable 1 so it seemed 1 agents that co#ld be a!!lied at will( Of
co#rse, as we /now now (and, no do#bt, the man#fact#rers alread& /new earl& on% the
legac& of these chemicals was !assed into the water, and from mother to child in
co#ntless animal s!ecies, incl#ding h#mans( There is no wa& of /nowing how man&
cancer deaths ha.e been ca#sed b& chemical !esticides, nor an& wa& of !redicting
how man& more deaths will come as their legac& li.es on both in the bodies of fish
and marine mammals, and also those !arts of the world where s#ch !esticides are still
commonl& #sed with relish(
Organic gardening and farming ha.e been !racticed for far longer than chemical
based growing, and nematodes can !la& an im!ortant !art in this( Iemember those '
mentioned that feed on other animals? ;ell, there is a whole range of different
s!ecies that not onl& lea.e the !lants &o# are growing well alone, b#t also acti.el&
destro& the .er& creat#res that wo#ld otherwise ca#se damage( Technicall&, these are
/nown as @ntomo!athogenicG, nematodes, and there are two main s!ecies that are
#sed0 teinernema and %eterorhabditis (don9t worr&6 ' won9t be testing &o# later%(
The& are similar in form and effect, both /illing a wide range of insects and related
organisms, li/e cater!illars, b& entering their bodies as 2#.eniles then releasing
bacteria that are toBic to the host( This bacteri#m /ills the insect, after which the
nematode is free to mate or, in the case of %eterorhabditis, re!rod#ce alone(
The downside? ;ell, there reall& isn9t one, #nless &o# co#nt ha.ing to ma/e s#re
the& are not fried b& #ltra.iolet light, or o.erheated( ' incl#de this :#otation from
-ornell +ni.ersit&, 2#st to show ' am not o.erstating the ad.antages of these wonders0
9ntomopathogenic nematodes are extraordinarily lethal to many important soil
insect pests, yet are safe for plants and animals. This high degree of safety
means that unlike chemicals nematode applications do not re>uire masks or
other safety e>uipmentF residues, groundwater contamination and pollinators
are not issues. @ost LotherM biologicals re>uire days or weeks to kill, yet
nematodes, working with their symbiotic bacteria, kill insects in 2.-.= hr.
8o6ens of different insect pests are susceptible to infection, yet no adverse
effects have been shown against nontargets in field studies. <ematode
production is easily accomplished for some species using standard fermentation
<E
in tanks up to #71,111 liters. <ematodes do not re>uire speciali6ed application
e>uipment as they are compatible with standard agrochemical e>uipment.07
B#t waitH &o# ma& sa&, if these creat#res are s#ch efficient /illers then s#rel&
the& can m#lti!l&, s!read and /ill off e.er&thing the& to#ch, e.en h#man*beneficial
insects( A fair !oint, b#t one that isn9t bac/ed #! in !ractice( The aim of a!!l&ing
commerciall& a.ailable biological control nematodes is in order to o.erload the
nat#ral s&stem and /ill man& more insects than wo#ld be /illed b& nematodes
nat#rall&GC( After the& are a!!lied, the& do indeed destro& their targets .er& :#ic/l&,
b#t once the target is destro&ed then there is little for the 2#.enile worm to mat#re
within and nematode n#mbers ra!idl& decline(
So wh& aren9t nematodes #sed all o.er the world, ma/ing most t&!es of !esticides
red#ndant? There are three reasons( "irst, not a lot of widel& read research has been
carried o#t on the #sef#lness of s#ch nematodes6 in fact man& nematologists still
belie.e that e.er& nematode is a !est(GG Second, altho#gh nematode insect !arasites
were identified as effecti.e controls in the 7E<=9s, the a.ailabilit& of chea!, effecti.e
chemical !esticides in the 7E,=s ca#sed this research to be largel& ignored, and it was
not #ntil some chemicals were banned that research started #! again(GF "inall&, and
lin/ing these two together, it is clear from the contin#ed lobb&ing of !owerf#l
com!anies li/e BAS", Monsanto and S&ngenta, that the chemical ind#str& will not
gi.e #! witho#t a fight( 't is no coincidence that T was not widel& banned #ntil 2=
&ears after clear e.idence of its terrible im!acts on wildlife was made !#blic, and that
the 2==G @#ro!ean +nion I@A-$ legislation 1 which enforces the control of
h#ndreds of !re.io#sl& #ncontrolled chemicals 1 too/ ten diffic#lt &ears to come into
force( 'nd#str& still calls the shots, e.en in an age when it is so ob.io#s that nat#ral
ecos&stems cannot co!e with the torrent of chemicals being washed into them da&
after da&(
' ma& come bac/ to this later(
Mo1in. )ith The Climate
$ow fast can a nematode mo.e? One st#d& s#ggests that <cm in fi.e ho#rs is a fair
g#essGE6 altho#gh there are so man& .ariables that all we can tr#l& sa& is the& mo.e
!rett& well considering their siAe( es!ite their elegant, sin#o#s !ro!#lsion method,
,=
the !roblems nematodes ha.e in mo.ement are manifold, largel& related to their
dimin#ti.e length( @.en in water, something abo#t a millimetre long will eB!erience
considerable !ress#res from all sides, and ha.e to swim thro#gh the thic/ so#! of
tightl& interconnected molec#les to ma/e an& headwa& 1 if &o# ha.e e.er tried to r#n
in the sea then &o# will #nderstand how it feels( 'n the soil the !roblems are
m#lti!lied0 air ga!s ha.e to be tra.ersed, bo#lder*li/e grains circ#m.ented and
an&thing li/e a solid ob2ect sim!l& acce!ted as im!assable( 5ir#ses and bacteria can
be carried in water flows, or in dro!lets thro#gh the air, b#t animal .ectors are the
smart wa& to tra.el, whether this be within !arasitised insects or the g#t of a h#man(
A fl&ing insect, bird or aircraft will la! #! distance with ease, meaning that an&thing
able to ta/e ad.antage of a mobile host is definitel& one more r#ng #! the
e.ol#tionar& ladder( 4ematodes are also easil& transmitted from one !lace to another
on !lants, as the& are mo.ed from n#rser& to farm and on agric#lt#ral e:#i!ment( The
latter is !artic#larl& significant( 't onl& re:#ires a farmer to !lo#gh a field infected
with, for instance, Ioot Dnot 4ematode, and then !lo#gh an #ninfected field with the
same !lo#gh for the nematode to become ensconced in the neBt field(F=
'n terms of climate change, tho#gh, s!eed is not of the essence( The rate of global
heating, altho#gh significant in its im!act on the forces that dri.e weather and other
!rocesses that rel& on heat, is slowl& cree!ing across the @arth( Slowl&, b#t
ineBorabl&, altering en.ironments as the swath of change mo.es across the land and
the sea( )rad#al mo.ement is what nematodes can best ta/e ad.antage of, and that
grad#al mo.ement is what is starting to concern farmers( There is a conce!t #sed b&
!henologists (!eo!le who st#d& the timescales and c&cles of nat#ral e.ents% called
egree a&s( A degree da& is sim!l& a meas#re of the amo#nt of time a.ailable for an
e.ent to occ#r de!ending on tem!erat#re0 one da& at one degree abo.e the lowest
tem!erat#re an organism will breed at is one degree da&( +sing this s&stem it is
!ossible to !redict the lengths of the lifec&cles of man& organisms, incl#ding
nematodes, according to the meas#red air tem!erat#re( "or eBam!le, if a certain
nematode re:#ires the tem!erat#re to be abo.e >J- and below <=J- to carr& o#t its
lifec&cle, fo#r da&s at a constant 7=J- ma/es twent& degree da&s(
+sing degree da&s, not onl& is it !ossible to wor/ o#t how long the lifec&cle of a
nematode will ta/e at different tem!erat#res, b#t &o# can also determine if an area of
soil is warm eno#gh for the lifec&cle to ta/e !lace at all( The Ioot Dnot 4ematode is
,7
widel& regarded as one of the world9s most destr#cti.e !athogens(F7 'f a !artic#lar
s!ecies of root /not nematode needs 7=== degree da&s to !rod#ce an entirel& new
generation of wormsF2 in a new cro! of !otatoes or carrots in a new field, then a one
degree a.erage tem!erat#re increase co#ld certainl& ma/e the difference between a
new field being a fa.o#rable breeding gro#nd or not, and the difference between a
cro! being s#ccessf#l or not( One !lo#ghing is eno#gh to distrib#te a few !lants9
worth of nematodes across an entire field6 2#st beca#se nematodes mo.e slowl&,
doesn9t mean that the& can9t s!read eBtraordinaril& :#ic/l&( 'f tem!erat#res in a field
ne.er dro! below the lower threshold for root /not nematode, then the nematode will
ha!!il& /ee! m#lti!l&ing there all the time food is a.ailable0 im!er.io#s, beca#se of
sheer n#mbers, to all b#t the most toBic a!!lications of !esticide( '9ll lea.e &o# to
imagine what the im!act of increasing tem!erat#re on o#r food s#!!l& co#ld be(
A Sin.ularit& Of %ananas
$ere are some facts abo#t bananas0
7( The& grow on the stems of gro#nd*lo.ing !lants, not trees(
2( The fr#it of the banana !lant can be &ellow, green, !#r!le or e.en red(
<( 'n their nat#ral form, bananas ha.e large seeds(
,( A single .ariet&, -a.endish, acco#nts for the .ast ma2orit& of the world9s banana
trade( 't is .irt#all& seedless(
>( Bananas are an analog& for the whole of the ind#strial econom&(
O/, that last one &o# won9t find in an& teBt boo/s or scientific 2o#rnals, b#t '9m not
2#st ma/ing this #! on the s!ot6 &o# ma& consider societ& to ha.e gone bananas in
more wa&s than one, b#t e.en that isn9t what '9m getting at( The sim!le fact is that the
bananas that most of #s eat are in deadl& !eril, and it is li/el& that the global s#!!l&
will be largel& wi!ed o#t within a few &ears( 't was onl& in the 7E>=s that the !re.io#s
reigning .ariet& )ros Michel was almost totall& destro&ed b& a f#ng#s called
Panama isease( )ros Michel had man& of the characteristics of -a.endish, eBce!t it
wasn9t resistant to the !artic#lar t&!e of f#ng#s that -a.endish is6 b#t that is set to
change dramaticall&( The !roblem is that e.er& -a.endish !lant is geneticall&
identical to the original .ariet& that was bro#ght to the -aribbean from So#th @ast
Asia in the earl& 7Eth cent#r&F<, regardless of the small differences in teBt#re, siAe and
,2
colo#r that deri.e from different growing methods and climates( 'n order for genetic
.ariet& to occ#r in !lants that re!rod#ce seB#all&, two sets of chromosomes, one male,
one female, ha.e to be combined( Ma/ing c#ttings doesn9t create genetic .ariet&, and
this is basicall& the reason wh& famil& interbreeding amongst h#mans has been
o#tlawed in most h#man c#lt#res for cent#ries, !ossibl& e.en tho#sands of &ears( 't is
not !ossible for different seBes to be geneticall& identical, b#t if brothers and sisters,
or other close relati.es breed o.er a n#mber of generations, then an& damaging
genetic m#tations will remain within the famil& line, e.ent#all& leading to a m#ch
higher rate of abnormalities, incl#ding !oor resistance to disease(
@.ol#tion occ#rs in order to ens#re that a !artic#lar s!ecies remains hard& eno#gh
to contin#e its line( The -a.endish, and the )ros Michel before it, are !erfect
eBam!les of what ha!!ens when e.ol#tion is not allowed to occ#r( 'n the ,= &ears
since )ros Michel was almost wi!ed off the ma!, the f#ng#s that ca#sed Panama
isease in that !lant has e.ol.ed so that it can now do the same to -a.endish( 'n the
words of one writer0 the banana is too !erfect, lac/ing the genetic di.ersit& that is
/e& to s!ecies health( ;hat can ail one banana can ail all( A f#ng#s or bacterial
disease that infects one !lantation co#ld march aro#nd the globe and destro& millions
of b#nches, lea.ing s#!ermar/et shel.es em!t&(F, 8ac/ of bananas ma& not ca#se
h#ge n#mbers of deaths, b#t lac/ of genetic di.ersit& most certainl& can0
"rom #=.7 to #=.4 &relandAs potato crop consisted of one or two closely related
varieties. Both were wiped out by blight. &n the ensuing famine, nearly a million
people died and more than a million others were forced to emigrate. By #=7#
&reland5s population had diminished by 23 percent. &f &rish farmers had been
growing many varieties of potatoes with different genetic backgrounds the
disaster would never have happened.=7
3o# ma& as/ wh& this is an analog& of the ind#strial econom&( The reason is that
thro#gho#t the 2=th cent#r& and into the 27st cent#r&, mone& and the !ossession of
material goods ha.e come to dominate the wa& societies are r#n, es!eciall& in the
ind#strial ;est( The mar/et econom&, which go.erns the wa& most commerce and a
great deal of !olitics in the world o!erates, does not fa.o#r di.ersit& 1 !ositi.el&
disco#rages it, in fact( The s!oils almost alwa&s end #! going to the indi.id#al,
com!an& or co#ntr& that can !ro.ide the most of some thing or another 1 whether that
,<
be a raw material, a cons#mer !rod#ct, a ser.ice or a .ariet& of banana or !otato 1 at
the chea!est !rice, in the shortest time and, often as a res#lt, at the lowest :#alit&(
There is no wa& o#t of this6 it is 2#st the wa& this t&!e of economic s&stem wor/s0 if
&o# want .ariet& (and :#alit&% then &o# ha.e to o!erate o#tside of the mar/et
econom&(
Of co#rse there are notable eBce!tions, for instance !rod#cts that fail strict safet&
g#idelines in one co#ntr& will not be sold there, b#t that does not mean the& cannot be
s#ccessf#l in co#ntries where those g#idelines don9t eBist( The m#ch*to#ted s#b*
T2=== car will, no do#bt, be a roaring s#ccess in 'ndia, its co#ntr& of man#fact#re, b#t
can ne.er be sold in @#ro!e, -anada or the +SA d#e to its !oor constr#ction( B#t in
the main, big, fast and chea! wins o#t6 so while the -a.endish banana is the t&!e
chosen b& the largest !rod#cers, who effecti.el& ha.e the banana mar/et cornered,
then that will be the banana that sits on s#!ermar/et shel.es, mar/et stalls and in fr#it
bowls aro#nd the world(
3o# ma& also as/ what all this tal/ abo#t bananas is doing in a cha!ter abo#t
nematodes( 8i/e almost all t&!es of food cro!, bananas are .#lnerable to attac/ b&
nematodes6 and in man& co#ntries the& can ca#ses lossesFC of <=*C= !ercent 1 that is
the difference between ma/ing a li.ing from banana sales, and not being able to
afford to grow the cro!( Two !artic#lar s!ecies of nematode, ?ratylenchus coffeae
and :adopholus similis, eBist right across the world, from the -aribbean, to @c#ador,
to -entral Africa, to the Phili!!ines 1 in fact e.er&where bananas are grown on a
commercial basis( There can be little do#bt that this .ast distrib#tion is the res#lt of a
single, geneticall& identical .ariet& of banana ha.ing a .irt#al mono!ol&( @.en if the
new strain of Panama isease doesn9t finish off the world9s banana cro!, then a tin&
writhing worm ma& well do so6 a tin& little worm whose relations we hardl& notice,
b#t which eBist in #nco#ntable n#mbers in almost e.er& animal, e.er& !iece of soil,
e.er& !lant and all the wa& down at the bottom of the ocean(
,,
Chapter 4
One $#ndredth Of A Metre
'magine a s!ring da&(
See it in &o#r mind6 the haAe of warmth at the edge of the field dist#rbing the
!atterns of air and gi.ing the im!ression of water, a narrow stri! of sil.er& light in a
.erdant land that has dr#n/ in the rains of A!ril( Smell it6 the head& scent of o!en
flowers releasing their aroma as the bleached s#n reaches its a!eB( Breathe it in6 the
shar! tang of a distant coast miBed with the moist#re of a dew*laden lawn( "eel it6 the
ro#gh wood& tr#n/ of the tree at &o#r bac/, the dam!ness on &o#r hands that lie in the
grass, the ho!e of a season of life and contin#it&(
$ear it( $ear the !#lsing drone of a distant light aircraft crossing the s/&6 hear the
e.idence of habitation, the mowers and the moan of traffic, 2#st o#t of sight6 hear the
tolling ch#rch bells drift across the land, stri/ing the noon, sending o#t a message of
time and di.init&6 hear the hone& bees( Silence( The aircraft drone lessens, the
mowers halt, the traffic sto!s, the bells lose their .oice, b#t the bees9 wings are not
beating( The em!t& silence that was once f#ll of h#mming life is total( This &ear the
!ollen will not be shared(
A .ision of co#ntr&side hell, !erha!s, b#t something that is becoming more li/el&
with each !assing season( The m#lti!le enemies of agric#lt#ral intensit&, climate
change, insect !arasites, genetic modification and man& other !ossible ad.ersaries,
ma/e life as a bee far less /ind than their sonoro#s h#m wo#ld s#ggest( The signals of
a !otential a!ian catastro!he ha.e onl& 2#st started emerging, and the& are am!lified
with e.er& bee colon& that #ndergoes --, or -olon& -olla!se isorder(
-- is dramatic, and final for the colonies that it affects0
'&AC&A, -alif., "eb. 23 G 8avid Bradshaw has endured countless stings
during his life as a beekeeper, but he got the shock of his career when he opened
his boxes last month and found half of his #11 million bees missing.
,>
R& have never seen anything like it,S @r. Bradshaw, 71, said from an almond
orchard here beginning to bloom. RBox after box after box are just empty.
There5s nobody home.S=0
8i/e -olic in children, which describes a n#mber of s&m!toms b#t no s!ecific
ca#se, -olon& -olla!se isorder is a condition b& which a hone& bee colon& 1 #s#all&
defined as a f#ll& f#nctioning social order incl#ding a :#een 1 dramaticall& red#ces in
n#mbers o.er a .er& short !eriod, sometimes o.ernight( The reall& odd thing is that
the hi.es are abandoned0 there are few if an& bodies and the abandonment is almost
total, to the eBtent that lar.ae are left in sealed cells, all of which will e.ent#all& die of
star.ation( Often the :#een remains along with 2#st a few lo&al wor/ers(
The im!act of -- worldwide is becoming more dramatic as it s!reads 1 bear in
mind that this isn9t a disease as s#ch, b#t it is ne.ertheless s!reading 1 since 2==C it
has mo.ed ra!idl& across the +SA and into -anada, and also affected A#stralia and
man& @#ro!ean co#ntries( Beca#se there is no central bee/ee!ing agenc& then
details and statistics tend to be s/etch&, b#t there is little do#bt that the t&!es of e.ents
being re!orted bear the hallmar/s of --( ;hat act#all& ca#ses it is another matter(
Man& theories ha.e been eB!o#nded, from the highl& feasible (!esticides, !arasites,
.ir#ses and f#ngi%, to the biAarre (mobile !hone signals% to those that are .er& diffic#lt
to show m#ch e.idence for at all (geneticall& modified cro!s and climate change%(
;e can easil& r#le o#t the mobile !hone iss#e0 bees do indeed #se some form of
electromagnetic na.igation s&stem, and mobile !hones (cell !hones% and their masts
do indeed #se a form of electromagnetism 1 microwa.es 1 b#t gi.en that the ma2orit&
of hi.es affected are in r#ral areas, which ha.e few masts, then we can safel& ignore
some of the wild s!ec#lation that !#r!orts to be science(FF Pesticides seem an eas&
target, and their im!act on the habitats and food so#rces of man& traditional farmland
birds since wide*s!ectr#m !esticides came of age is incontestable6 b#t again, e.idence
of their im!act on bees is s!arse and contradictor&( On the other hand, the !resence of
n#mero#s t&!es of disease ca#sing organisms, incl#ding common t&!es of f#ngi that
had been absent from hi.es for more than se.ent& &earsFE and also a !artic#larl&
.ir#lent !athogen called 'sraeli ac#te !aral&sis .ir#sE= in most affected colonies, gi.e
the im!ression that there are common factors in.ol.ed( As ' write no single ca#se has
been identified, b#t ' do ha.e m& own tho#ghts on this which go far dee!er than 2#st
,C
sim!le organisms0 as &o# will see in this cha!ter, bees are a lot more similar to &o#
and ' than &o# ma& realise(
)hat Are %ees+
't9s #nli/el& &o# don9t /now something abo#t bees0 in ;estern c#lt#res the term the
birds and bees is #sed to mean seB, when s!ea/ing to children6 Io&al ?ell& is sold
in man& health food sho!s as a s#!!osed miracle food, while on the other hand it can
ca#se a se.ere and !otentiall& fatal allergic reaction in some h#mansE76 being st#ng b&
a bee can be .er& !ainf#l, and fatal for the !er!etrator, altho#gh bee/ee!ers will be
more than ha!!& to shr#g off s#ch stings as 2#st !art of the 2ob6 bees create heBagonal
cells in which the& raise lar.ae to become members of their colon&, and to store
nectar which t#rns into hone&( ;innie the Pooh lo.es hone& and it ne.er, e.er goes
off if /e!t dr&6 which ma/es Pooh, with his hone& filled cla& !ots, a .er& sensible
bear indeed( ;e lo.e bees, e.en tho#gh a!i!hobia (fear of bees% is eBtremel&
common( ;hat a strange and wonderf#l relationshi! we ha.e with them(
)etting down to the science0 bees are closel& related to ants and was!s, altho#gh
man& t&!es of was! and ant are carni.oro#s, or at least omni.oro#s, whereas bees
feed solel& on nectar and !ollen( All bees occ#!& a single famil& called Apoidea,
which, altho#gh it incl#des certain t&!es of was!s that loo/ as tho#gh the& are
wearing corsets, mainl& contains bees, of which there are aro#nd 2=,=== .arieties(
4ectar is secreted b& flowers to attract insects6 bees feed on the nectar directl& and
also carr& it bac/ to the nest or hi.e (an artificial t&!e of nest% which then ferments to
ma/e hone&( The reason !lants !rod#ce tem!ting nectar is to enco#rage the .isits of
!ollinating insects, li/e bees, which then distrib#te the !ollen to other flowers and
th#s fertilise the !lant( As h#mmingbirds are also !rett& good !ollinators, the #se of
birds and bees as a e#!hemism for seB seems rather a!t( Pollen, which is !rod#ced b&
e.er& flower, is rich in !rotein, and is #sed b& bees to feed newl& emerged lar.ae,
fattening them #! before the& !#!ate(
Bees wor/ .er& hard collecting food, b#ilding their combs and bringing #!
&o#ngsters, b#t s#r!risingl& the& ma& s!end a large amo#nt of time bac/ at the nest
resting, collecting information and awaiting instr#ctions for finding a good so#rce of
foodE2( ;hen the food so#rce is identified b& a wor/er, bees dance, and the dance
,G
.aries de!ending on the distance and direction of the food so#rce( Some t&!es of bee
are solitar& or li.e in small gro#!s, b#t the .ast ma2orit&, in terms of absol#te
n#mbers, are social 1 li.ing in large comm#nities, or colonies( 't is the social bees that
!rod#ce hone&, and !ro.ide the b#l/ of the !ollination that h#mans de!end #!on for
man& t&!es of !lant food( 'f &o# eat hone& then &o# are eating the !rod#ct of a
com!leB and highl& e.ol.ed animal comm#nit&(
The 4eed 0or %ees
$as this e.er ha!!ened to &o#0 someone &o# idolise or dee!l& res!ect, for whate.er
reason, is ma/ing a !#blic a!!earance close to where &o# li.e, or ma&be &o# 2#st see
them wal/ing along( 3o# ta/e the o!!ort#nit& to s!ea/ to him or her and rather than
the wonderf#ll& formed n#ggets of wisdom &o# are eB!ecting, what comes o#t of
their mo#th is something that totall& throws &o# off balance 1 it9s nothing li/e &o#
were eB!ecting, and &o# no longer feel the same abo#t that !erson(
B&f the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have
four years of life left. <o more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no
more animals, no more man.BI3
This statement is commonl& attrib#ted to Albert @instein and, after reading it, '
tho#ght0 ;hat is he going on abo#t? -all &o#rself a scientist( A little research later
finds that @instein !robabl& ne.er said an& s#ch thing, and whoe.er did sa& this was
certainl& not a biologist of an& re!#te (which, incidentall&, @instein was not%( B#t sto!
thereH 'f &o# ha!!en to be a .iewer of the PBS tele.ision networ/ in the +SA, which
is watched b& G< million !eo!le a wee/ and !ro.ides high*:#alit& doc#mentar& and
dramatic entertainmentE, then &o# ma& ha.e come across a doc#mentar& called
Silence of the Bees, which showed the !otential im!act of -olon& -olla!se
isorder( ' hesitate to :#ote from the trailer, b#t here goes0
RCife as we know it, & don5t think will exist.S
REou won5t get any fruits, and you won5t get any vegetables.S
R,e5re scared to deathQSI7
,F
' ho!e those !eo!le were :#oted o#t of conteBt beca#se the& reall& loo/ed li/e the&
were gearing #! for global colla!se( Act#all&, that ma& not be s#ch a st#!id idea, b#t
it !robabl& won9t ha.e an&thing to do with bees( The sober tr#th is that if the world9s
bees disa!!eared we wo#ld be faced with a disaster of sorts, b#t that disaster wo#ld be
far more economic that ecological(
es!ite o#r claim to be omni.ores, h#mans eat a s#r!risingl& small n#mber of
different food items( This was certainl& not the case before ind#strial agric#lt#re
became the norm, leading to a foc#s on the easiest to grow, most disease and !est
tolerant, and most !rofitable cro!s 1 in fact ease of growing along with disease and
!est tolerance are 2#st different wa&s of ens#ring a stead&, reliable stream of income
in the modern age( iets !rior to the ind#strial agric#lt#ral s&stem tended towards
local a.ailabilit&, which is ob.io#sl& the onl& t&!e of a.ailabilit& in h#nter*gatherer
societies6 and e.en #! to .er& recent times in the ind#strial ;est, wides!read /itchen
gardens and home growing maintained a wide range of different food t&!es, as well as
a h#ge range of different .arieties of similar cro!s( 4ot onl& that, b#t it seems that the
earliest h#man diets, with their de!endence on local a.ailabilit& ma& also ha.e been
far healthier than modern diets which literall& ha.e the whole world on a !late0
Palaeolithic diets (we are tal/ing tens of tho#sands of &ears ago% had more fibre, less
sodi#m, more .itamins and minerals, and a .irt#al absence of refined s#gars(EC
-ons#m!tion of animals (meat and fish% and .egetables .aries aro#nd the world
de!ending !artl& on the !artic#lar c#lt#re, b#t es!eciall& on the le.el of
ind#strialisation(EG 'n the least ind#strialised !arts of the world, meat cons#m!tion is
aro#nd thirteen !ercent of total calories, whereas in ind#strialised co#ntries, as a
whole, the !ercentage of meat calories is twent&*eight !ercent( 'n the +SA .irt#all&
all cons#med meat, eBcl#ding fish, deri.es from cows, chic/ens and !igs(EF 3o# won9t
be s#r!rised then to hear that 2#st fift&*se.en single .egetable cro!s (incl#ding all
cereals, !#lses, t#bers, leaf& .egetables and fr#its% acco#nt for E,(> !ercent of global
.egetable*based food !rod#ction(EE 4ot :#ite a monoc#lt#re world, b#t a far cr& from
the tho#sands of !otential food so#rces that eBist0 if it ain9t farmed, it ain9t eaten(
es!ite the blin/ered attit#de to cro! .ariet& in ind#strial c#lt#res, as far as
!ollination goes this attit#de seems not to ha.e ca#sed too man& !roblems #! to now(
Aro#nd siBt& !ercent of the world9s !rod#ction of cro!s is com!letel& inde!endent of
animal !ollination7== (where animals incl#de man& t&!es of insects and, to a lesser
,E
eBtent, birds and bats%, rel&ing instead on wind or self*!ollination( This in itself is an
iss#e, es!eciall& where geneticall& modified cro!s that do rel& on wind !ollination are
grown, and ine.itabl& ca#se contamination where.er the !ollen enters a non*)M area(
B#t, and this is a medi#m siAed b#t that co#ld become a big b#t, something li/e
twent& !ercent of all cro! !rod#ction does re:#ire animal !ollination in order to
im!ro.e &ield, and abo#t fifteen !ercent re:#ires !ollination to im!ro.e seed
!rod#ction(7=7
'n -ha!ter Three ' said that we were !#shing the soil and nat#ral !lant .arieties
e.er harder in order to maBimise food !rod#ction( As well as this, h#mans are
wantonl& #sing .ast amo#nts of s&nthetic fertiliser to the same ends( The res#lt of
fertiliser o.er#se leads to the twin threats of nitro#s oBide being sent #! into the
atmos!here 1 which acco#nts for aro#nd eight !ercent of anthro!ogenic global
heating (that which is ca#sed b& h#mans% 1 and the e#tro!hication, or oB&gen
star.ation, of the waters into which nitrogen*rich rain and irrigation water flows(
)eneticall& modified cro!s are a t&!ical res!onse b& the agric#lt#ral ind#str& to
increased food stress0 rather than s#ggesting we red#ce the amo#nt of animals we eat
that are fed the .er& cro!s h#mans are stri.ing to grow in e.er greater :#antities (that
wo#ld mean red#cing o#t!#t, which is no wa& to do b#siness%, agrib#sinesses and
go.ernments together tr& to !ers#ade #s that fiddling aro#nd with genes is the wa&
forward(
That the margin between !otential cro! !rod#ction and act#al cro! cons#m!tion is
getting e.er narrower is not in do#bt 1 witness the startled reaction to f#el com!anies
b#&ing #! land and food cro!s from which the& can ma/e biof#els 1 so it is eas& to
#nderstand wh& the eBtra ad.antage, howe.er small, that hone& bees and other animal
!ollinators !ro.ide for farmers is act#all& .er& im!ortant indeed( The +nited 4ations
"ood and Agric#lt#ral OrganiAation !#t this star/l&0
@ost high->uality agricultural land is already in production. The marginal
benefit of converting new land diminishes. Available land and water resources
are declining in many developing countries. "uture food production growth will
primarily depend on further intensification of agriculture in high potential areas
and to a lesser degree in low potential areas.#12
>=
"ertile land being s#ch a scarce reso#rce for h#mans, e.en for h#mans that ha.e no
:#alms abo#t remo.ing tro!ical rainforests and draining marshland to obtain fertile
soil, means that something li/e -olon& -olla!se isorder co#ld 2#st as a!!ro!riatel&
be renamed Prod#ction -olla!se isorder6 b#t in this case, the disorder wo#ld most
definitel& be one of o#r ma/ing(
)h& Collapse appens
-olla!se, as the name im!lies, is not something that is grad#al b#t, to a certain eBtent,
it is !ossible to !redict it( 'f &o# ha.e a sea*cliff made of !oro#s chal/, #nderneath
which is a bed of cla& thro#gh which rainwater cannot !enetrate, and the fiss#res or
2oints in that chal/ are angled downwards towards the cliff face, then colla!se is !rett&
m#ch ine.itable( There is a maBim#m weight and a minim#m amo#nt of friction that
the bloc/s of chal/ can co!e with before the& start to slide a!art, and if &o# ha.e e.er
r#n &o#r finger along a !iece of wet chal/ then &o# can #nderstand how sli!!er& the
edges of the roc/ at the fiss#res will be after a !eriod of hea.& rain( After a while the
water, which has not been able to sin/ f#rther than the la&er of cla&, starts to rise
again as a water table, and that !erfect combination of factors 1 the sat#rated chal/
base, the sli!!eriness of the 2oints and the weight of the chal/ 1 means that it is not a
case of whether, b#t when the cliff will colla!se(
The same !ress#res and limitations a!!l& to all sorts of sim!le and com!leB
s&stems( A cliff face is a s&stem0 it has in!#ts (rain, wind and wa.es, road traffic
abo.e, b#rrowing animals below%, !rocesses (erosion, changes in friction, mo.ement
of materials% and o#t!#ts (water, roc/, soil%, b#t it is a relati.el& sim!le s&stem( The
global atmos!here, on the other hand, altho#gh still a s&stem, is a de.ilishl& com!leB
one which eB!lains wh& all the com!#ting !ower in the world can onl& ho!e to
acc#ratel& !redict small !arts of it e.en o.er small timescales( Than/f#ll&, we do ha.e
the eB!erience of man& !eo!le, along with n#mero#s tools and models that can allow
#s to ma/e !rett& good g#esses as to what will ha!!en in the f#t#re(
A bee colon& is a s&stem, and also a !rett& com!leB one, in.ol.ing as it does a
large n#mber of li.ing organisms each of which ha.e their own beha.io#ral
.ariations, as well as a range of different colon& beha.io#rs s#ch as collecting
!ollen and nectar, raising &o#ng bees, /ee!ing the colon& cool or warm, !rotecting the
>7
colon& and so on( That said, &o# can sim!lif& the !rocesses of the colon& and easil&
demonstrate what ha!!ens when different factors affect it( The t&!e of model in
"igure 7 ma& loo/ familiar to some !eo!le, b#t to others it ma& be #nfamiliar and
!ossibl& #nner.ing0 don9t worr&6 '9ll eB!lain it to &o#(
The !ict#re shows a gra!h with three different dimensions, or aBes( @ach aBis
indicates the relati.e strength of a !artic#lar factor( The horiAontal aBis, r#nning from
right to left, shows the stress ca#sed b& the .ario#s diseases that normall& affect the
colon&0 stresses that wo#ld affect the abilit& of a colon& to s#stain n#mbers( These
diseases incl#de a range of different !arasites s#ch as the notorio#s 5arroa mite !l#s
the .ir#ses and f#ngi mentioned earlier( The .ertical aBis shows the n#mber of bees
that the colon& is ca!able of maintaining at an& one time( The n#mber is limited b&
the siAe of the hi.e or nest, be&ond which some of the bees are forced to swarm in
order to find a new location( "inall&, the aBis on the left 1 the de!th aBis 1 shows all
the other stresses, on to! of the normal diseases, that ma& ma/e the difference
between the siAe of the colon& gradually decreasing, and the colon& #ndergoing a
collapse(
"igure 7$ Bee -olony -usp
8iagram (ource$ Author5s
image)
>2
Beca#se hone& bees ha.e e.ol.ed certain defences, both !h&siological and social,
against the .ario#s normal disease stresses, then the a!!earance of one or e.en two
different disease ca#sing organisms won9t necessaril& be de.astating 1 in most cases
there will be a red#ction in the o.erall n#mbers in the colon&, b#t colla!se is #nli/el&
#nless a new enem& emerges to which the bees ha.e no defence( This t&!e of scenario
is shown b& the bl#e line, which grad#all& c#r.es downwards as the normal stresses
increase( On the other hand, if the colon& is alread& wea/ened in some wa&, s#ch as
from a .er& !oor s#mmer which !ro.ides onl& small amo#nts of nectar and !ollen,
then the same diseases can ha.e a m#ch more destr#cti.e effect on the colon&( The
a!!earance of a ma2or infestation of the 5arroa !arasite co#ld, #nder these
circ#mstances, ca#se a dramatic red#ction in bee n#mbers, as co#ld a .ir#lent f#ngal
infection eBacerbated b& cool, moist weather( The red line shows how !reci!ito#s a
dro! this can be, s#ddenl& changing from a grad#al decline to a colla!se in n#mbers(
As ' said earlier, the 2#r& is o#t on geneticall& modified organisms and !esticides
as a ca#sal agent for --, b#t if &o# #se the c#s! diagram then it t#rns o#t that
climate change is another matter( -ool, moist weather is not something &o# wo#ld
eB!ect from the c#rrent trends in climate change, b#t shifting climate !atterns are
increasing the li/elihood of flash flooding in almost all !arts of the world, which can
ha.e a considerable im!act on the a.ailabilit& of flora( According to the
'ntergo.ernmental Panel on -limate -hange0 ;ides!read increases in hea.&
!reci!itation e.ents ha.e been obser.ed, e.en in !laces where total amo#nts ha.e
decreased( These changes are associated with increased water .a!o#r in the
atmos!here arising from the warming of the world9s oceans, es!eciall& at lower
latit#des( There are also increases in some regions in the occ#rrences of both dro#ghts
and floods(7=< The longer, drawn*o#t s#mmer dro#ghts that are alread& a!!arent in
large !arts of -hina, A#stralia and -anada, for instance, are also bad for flower
!rod#ction, which can be significant in mo.ing bee colonies from the relati.e safet&
of the bl#e line to the dangers of the red line( Professor @ric M#ssen, Secretar& of
the American Association of Professional A!ic#lt#ralists, agrees0
R& am pretty concerned about it this year because, at 8avis, in Tanuary we only
had 1.#0 of an inch of rain and we should have had . inches. The early mustard
K we never got it.S
><
R&n many situations the bees were weakened by not being able to get a nice mix
of nutrients that they needed from the pollens, and & think that weakened them.
Hnder those circumstances you can take all the other (causes), and there are
plenty of them, and combine them together and down go the bees.S#1.
Tem!erat#re change alone, as ' ha.e shown in earlier cha!ters, can !ro.ide an
eBcellent o!!ort#nit& for !arasites to breed more :#ic/l& and fre:#entl&0 the res#lting
eB!onential climb in !arasite n#mbers, !artic#larl& in the case of 5arroa (something
bee/ee!ers #ni.ersall& dread% wo#ld li/el& t#rn the !roblem from something that is
c#rrentl& manageable into one that co#ld silence entire hi.es in a matter of da&s(
S#ch is the !ower of the c#s! diagram, that it can be a!!lied to s#b2ects as di.erse
as a chal/ cliff, a bee colon& or e.en h#man ci.iliAation( -hange the horiAontal aBis to
indicate the normal im!acts of endemic disease, food a.ailabilit&, :#alit& of
healthcare and sanitation, and e.en go.ernment or c#lt#ral attit#des, on !o!#lation,
and &o# can follow the bl#e line :#ite ha!!il& #! and down to show how these affect
the h#man !o!#lation of a co#ntr& or a region( -hange the de!th aBis to incl#de
#n!redictable factors li/e the incidence of catastro!hic flooding and storms, the
o#tbrea/ of war or ci.il #nrest, the s#dden #na.ailabilit& of energ& s#!!lies that feed
e.er& s&stem in 'nd#strial -i.iliAation7=>, or an& other factor that can increase the
sensiti.it& of a !o!#lation, and &o# can be h#rtling straight into the red Aone :#ic/er
than &o# can sa&, ' want to get off( And this is certainl& not idle mathematical
s!ec#lation0 h#man ci.iliAations ha.e #ndergone colla!se after colla!se, in almost all
cases with the !ost*colla!se ci.iliAation barel& a h#s/ of its !re.io#s might( The
Ottoman @m!ire, the Ma&an -i.iliAation and the Ioman @m!ire all colla!sed for
different reasons0 all of the colla!ses were s#dden and #ncontrollable(
The British @m!ire colla!sed from its dominating a .ast area in eBcess of <>
million s:#are /ilometres in the late 7E<=s to little more than a few scattered
territories within the s!ace of ten &ears( The sheer siAe of s#ch an em!ire, which
constit#ted a ci.iliAation controlled according to the r#les of the Parliament of )reat
Britain, co#ld onl& be maintained while the !o!#lations of the different co#ntries were
relati.el& !lacid 1 often thro#gh a combination of militar& force and !olitical
corr#!tion( ;ith the British na.& and arm& f#ll& occ#!ied in the war effort between
7E<E and 7E,>, s#ch control was no longer feasible( This combined with the growth
>,
of a n#mber of ci.il !rotest mo.ements to ma/e colla!se almost ine.itable( 't is hard
to sa& that an& one of Othe man& !ress#resP was decisi.e b#t, witho#t an awa/ening of
national conscio#sness in a great man& colonies, se.eral eBternal !ress#res wo#ld
ha.e lost m#ch of their im!ortance(7=C 'n essence, it was not the normal stresses that
ca#sed the colla!se of the British @m!ire6 it was those eBtraordinar& additional
stresses that mo.ed it from the manageable bl#e line to the #ncontrollable,
catastro!hic red line(
The tr#e ca#se of -olon& -olla!se isorder ma& ne.er :#ite be resol.ed 1 the
ideas !resented abo.e are, after all, 2#st ed#cated g#esses 1 b#t the sil.er lining for the
bee is that man& are li/el& to ha.e esca!ed the hi.e in time to be able to form a new
colon& somewhere else( As ' see it, the colla!se of a h#man ci.iliAation ma& not
!ro.ide s#ch a clear c#t o!!ort#nit& to esca!e0 some !eo!le might ma/e it, b#t a lot
more ma& not ha.e the chance to get o#t in time( Before &o# go on to the neBt
cha!ter, it9s worth ta/ing some time to consider whether &o# thin/ h#mans are on the
bl#e line, or on the red line(
>>
Chapter !
One Metre
M& second fa.o#rite moment from the charming and bea#tif#ll& animated film,
"inding 4emo is when Marlin, ha.ing fo#nd the !erfect s!ot for a hatcher& shows,
with !ride, his eB!ectant !artner their .iew( "rom the coastal shelf, the seabed
t#mbles stee!l& down to the great &awning ab&ssal !lain that stretches into the distant
water& haAe0 the de!ths of the ocean foretelling the stor& to come witho#t a word
needing to be s!o/en( The efforts of a small team of com!#ter animators manage to
ill#strate the all*embracing .astness of the ocean far more effecti.el& than an& T5
doc#mentar& or !iece of writing ' ha.e &et enco#ntered( -all me a !hilistine if &o#
wish, b#t '9m still a s#c/er for a good mo.ie(
"or the record, m& fa.o#rite moment in "inding 4emo is when the little bo& in the
dentist9s waiting room lets his mo#th fall o!en at the terrif&ing e.ents ta/ing !lace in
the s#rger& the other side of the tro!ical fish tan/( ' lo.e that bit(
"inding 4emo was abo#t man& things0 lo.e, co#rage, the bea#t& of the nat#ral
world, the #ncaring attit#de of certain h#mans and the abilit& of man& different
s!ecies to comm#nicate (so it wo#ld seem 1 the& certainl& !assed on messages more
efficientl& than man& electronic s&stems%( ;hat finding 4emo was not abo#t was
enco#raging children to go o#t and b#& clownfish, b#t that9s what ha!!ened0 Sales of
clownfish across America increased almost o.ernight, with eager !arents harassing
!et sho!s for a Q4emo9 of their own( B#t in contrast to the common goldfish,
clownfish need a saltwater en.ironment * !l#s a lot of com!licated e:#i!ment * to
s#r.i.e( 'n the hands of ineB!erienced owners, co#ntless fish !erished(7=G ;e ha.e no
wa& of telling whether an& of the dominant messages in the film were ta/en #! b&
mo.ie*goers, howe.er ' wo#ld be willing to bet that once immersed again into a world
of ad.ertising, those messages wo#ld sadl& ha.e been !#shed to the bac/ of e.en the
most caring child9s mind(
;hether it is from the #se of eB!losi.es, the a!!lication of h&drogen c&anide or the
casting and dragging of miles of fine meshed net6 the !illaging of tro!ical waters to
>C
feed an insatiable desire for attracti.e, eBotic fish in the front rooms of the richer
nations9 cons#mers is big b#siness( The death toll is so large from ocean to fish tan/ 1
the +4 estimate that thirt& !ercent of fish are /illed in transit 1 that, were !rofit
margins not so great, no one wo#ld be interested in doing this /ind of thing on a large
scale( According to the +nited 4ations @n.ironment Programme, 2= million tro!ical
fish are remo.ed from the sea each &ear, destined for fish tan/s, along with 7= million
other animals and 72 million s!ecimens of coral 1 themsel.es collections of tin&
animals called !ol&!s(7=F
O.er se.ent& !ercent of all tro!ical fish are ca#ght in 'ndonesian waters, a fig#re
that the third largest !rod#cer of carbon dioBide 1 if &o# incl#de the amo#nt of carbon
released b& forest destr#ction 1 wo#ld ha.e to be !ro#d of, if astonishingl& bad
en.ironmental records were an&thing to be !ro#d of( On the fli! side, and with
asto#nding iron&, the reci!ient of G< !ercent of the world9s tro!ical fish is the +SA6 a
nation that, at the time of writing, still !rod#ced more greenho#se gases than an&
other nation on @arth, and had done more than an& other nation to !re.ent global
agreements being str#c/ to red#ce the emissions of these greenho#se gases( ;hen &o#
combine the ills of coral c&anide !oisoning to st#n tro!ical fish with the increase in
global tem!erat#res ca#sed b& greenho#se gases bleaching (effecti.el& /illing% large
areas of sensiti.e reef, then &o# find that the +SA is n#mber one in the world at
destro&ing coral reefs( The gas*g#AAling, coal b#rning, tro!ical fish /ee!ing c#stomer
is not alwa&s right 1 es!eciall& when it comes to the care of the most im!ortant
oceanic habitats on @arth(
'f the 7=cm long clownfish is a s&mbol of the wa& cons#mers disregard nat#re to
feed their !astimes, then the one metre long cod is s#rel& a s&mbol of the wa&
cons#mers disregard nat#re to feed their a!!etites(
' mentioned the wa& that the cons#m!tion of meat seems to mirror economic
de.elo!ment a while ago, b#t didn9t reall& to#ch on the !roblems that this brings( 'n a
n#tshell, meat re:#ires a far greater amo#nt of food energ& to !rod#ce com!ared to
!lants grown directl& for cons#m!tion 1 this can .ar& from abo#t > times more, in the
case of batter& farmed chic/ens, to 2> times or more for the finest :#alit& beef7=E( The
reason for this is sim!l& that in order to rear an animal for food, &o# ha.e to feed it6
and animals, tho#gh efficient #sers of food energ& need time in order to !rod#ce the
m#scle, which com!rises the meat( The food that these animals eat has to be !lanted,
>G
#s#all& #sing machiner& that cons#mes oil and !rod#ces carbon dioBide6 grown,
mostl& with the aid of fertilisers, !esticides, herbicides and so on, which ta/e energ&
to !rod#ce and contrib#te to global heating6 har.ested, !re*!rocessed and trans!orted,
2#st li/e all food destined directl& for o#r /itchens, all of which !rod#ces more carbon
dioBide6 and then finall& fed to the animal( 'f it ta/es ten !o#nds of grain or beets to
!rod#ce one !o#nd of food then, e.en allowing for the eBtra !rotein in animal m#scle,
the cons#m!tion of meat (and most dair& !rod#cts, for that matter% is considerabl&
worse for the en.ironment than the cons#m!tion of .egetable matter( 4ot s#r!risingl&
1 if &o# ignore the beneficial s#bsidies gi.en to the meat and dair& ind#str& b& most
of the go.ernments in the ind#strial world 1 calorie for calorie, meat also costs far
more to !rod#ce than fr#it, .egetables or grains(
;hich is a ma2or reason wh& fishing is a .ital !art of the economies of so man&
co#ntries, rich or !oor, s#bsistence or ind#strial( -atching fish is an effecti.e and
relati.el& chea! wa& of feeding a !o!#lation 1 or rather, it was(
)hat Are Cod+
-od are 2#st a t&!e of fish, li/e h#mans are a t&!e of mammal( That seems ob.io#s,
b#t it9s .itall& im!ortant to realise that the reason cod are seen as s#ch a significant
t&!e of fish, !ossibl& abo.e all others in im!ortance, is sim!l& beca#se h#mans ha.e
!robabl& eaten more of this t&!e of fish than an& other thro#gho#t histor&( ;e m#st
learn to se!arate the economic or c#lt#ral significance of an animal, li/e the lion or
bl#e whale6 a !lant, li/e an oa/ tree or stem of wheat6 or an& other organism, from
what it act#all& is( -od don9t /now that the& are economicall& or c#lt#rall&
significant, so for now, let9s 2#st treat them as a t&!e of fish(
There are onl& three tr#e s!ecies of cod, namel& the Atlantic, )reenland and
Pacific( @ach ha.e distincti.e breeding and schooling areas, s#ch as the Barents Sea,
and the waters aro#nd the "aroe 'slands and 4ewfo#ndland6 and each grow to a
different maBim#m siAe 1 the Atlantic -od being the biggest, at #! to two metres in
length, and the Pacific -od the smallest at aro#nd >=cm( There are also a n#mber of
related s!ecies, which aren9t strictl& cod, b#t do ha.e man& similar characteristics,
incl#ding the Arctic -od and Polar -od( "or commercial reasons, the& are #s#all&
>F
b#nched into the same categor&, b#t then commerce ne.er was .er& good at
#nderstanding nat#reH
-od are /nown as demersal fish, meaning the& s!end most of their li.es near to the
bottom of the sea, feeding off other marine animals rather than the rich flora nearer to
the ocean s#rface( Other t&!es of demersal fish incl#de haddoc/, whiting and
mon/fish( "ar larger, b& total mass, are the !elagic fish, which s!end most of their
time closer to the s#rface ma/ing the most of the food energ& that deri.es from
s#nlight, which is largel& absent from the dee!er areas of the ocean( Pelagic fish
incl#de ancho.ies, sardines, mac/erel and t#na, all of which are hea.il& fished
where.er the& occ#r in the world( As &o# can see, the .ertical location of the fish
doesn9t reall& ha.e an& bearing on siAe0 t#na are some of the world9s largest fish,
growing #! to 2(> metres in length and weighing in eBcess of 2==/g, whereas ad#lt
ancho.ies are often no larger than the siAe of a child9s finger( The 7*2 metre Atlantic
-od is no match for the largest t#na, b#t at 2=/g or more, is no tiddler6 b#t when was
the last time &o# saw a 2=/g cod on a !late?
-od can ta/e fi.e &ears or more before the& reach f#ll siAe, and ma& li.e for
twent& or thirt& &ears, no one is :#ite s#re( 'f &o# catch a cod before it reaches f#ll
siAe then &o# are effecti.el& catching a child or a growing teenager that has &ears of
de.elo!ment ahead of it( "ar worse than an& ethical iss#e &o# ma& ha.e abo#t eating
a &o#ngster (most meat eaten is immat#re, be it from a cow, a !ig or a t#na%, beca#se
cod ta/e at least three &ears before the& are able to breed, b& catching and eating cod
before the& reach seB#al mat#rit& then &o# are !#tting a bric/ wall in the wa& of the
breeding c&cle( This is now the acce!table face of fishing6 according to the Scottish
"isheries Iesearch Ser.ices0 B& the time the& reach two &ears old, &o#ng cod are
f#ll& eB!loited b& the commercial fisher& and man& are ca#ght long before the& ha.e
the o!!ort#nit& to s!awn(77=
8oo/ing bac/ to the beginnings of the mass fishing ind#str&, one is filled with a
sense that something was bo#nd to go wrong( Tales of being able to dro! b#c/ets into
the sea off of 4ewfo#ndland, the edge of the now def#nct )rand Ban/s fisher&, and
bring them bac/ #! f#ll to the brim with fish ma& not ha.e been far off of the mar/
d#ring the s!awning season 1 altho#gh the eB!lorer ?ohn -abot9s !ondering whether
he co#ld ha.e wal/ed from one side of the Atlantic to the other on the bac/s of the
cod wo#ld almost certainl& ha.e come to grief( The !oint is, tho#gh, that the
>E
fishermen (and the& were all men #! to onl& a few &ears ago% reall& tho#ght that there
was an endless marine bo#nt&( "ishing has alwa&s had an air of sentimentalit&,
co#rage and !ermanence to it0 men were made and bro/en, in dreadf#l conditions of
isolation, wild storms, tiredness and constant !ress#re, onl& !artl& eased b& songs,
whis/& and the tho#ghts of the famil& bac/ home( 3et it most certainl& was, and is a
wa& of life0 Some g#&s co#ldn9t wait Qtil the last da& of school so the& co#ld 2oin the
boat, sa&s Michael -oe, a former trawler s/i!!er at Peterhead in the north east of
Scotland, with gen#ine eBcitement(777 A wa& of life, b#t ne.ertheless an ind#str&,
!arta/en of b& tho#sands of boats across the great fishing gro#nds of the 4orth
Atlantic, So#thern Ocean, Arabian Sea, Mediterranean and where.er a mass of marine
life is there for the ta/ing(
B#t b#siness and es!eciall& the search for !rofit now ta/es !recedence in almost all
formerl& traditional and self*s#staining occ#!ations( ;hereas the sho!s and
resta#rants wo#ld formerl& !a& the going rate for fish and /ee! the ind#str& ali.e for
another season, it is now the s#!ermar/ets and fish*!rocessors who call the shots 1
c#lling !rices and !rogressi.el& smaller fish #ntil the s/i!!ers ha.e no choice b#t to
"igure 4$ Atlantic -od -atch by "ishing Area #I03-2114. 8ifferent colours denote the various
fishing areas in the <orth Atlantic. (ource$ &-9 "ishstats $ http$++www.ices.dk)
C=
search dee!er, f#rther and with more technolog&6 in the sad /nowledge that their
search for a high*.ol#me, low !rice reso#rce is destro&ing the .er& thing that /e!t
them going for co#ntless generations(
'n the last <> &ears, as shown .i.idl& in "igure 4, the .ol#me of Atlantic -od
retrie.ed from the water has !l#mmeted from a high (for that !eriod% of two million
tonnes, to less than half that( The t&!e of fish now being ca#ght disg#ises the real
.ol#me 1 the smaller, immat#re fish ma& /ee! the ind#str& tic/ing o.er for a few
&ears, b#t the f#t#re loo/s barren( "ish colonies are in 2eo!ard& aro#nd the world, with
o.er half of all stoc/s (a term #sed b& go.ernments to im!l& h#mans own these
nat#ral habitatsH% fished to f#ll ca!acit&, and a :#arter in decline or endangered(772
There is s#ch a fine line between near ca!acit& and o.er ca!acit& that it is fair to
sa& that three :#arters of the world9s ma2or fish colonies are in an #ns#stainable state0
the& are not self*reg#lating 1 their n#mbers are being reg#lated b& h#mans(
This is /nown as The Traged& Of The -ommons6 the ine.itable o#tcome of the
oceans being #sed as an infinite reso#rce, com!o#nded b& the wilf#l ignorance of a
mar/et econom& that ref#ses to see the ine.itable o#tcome of its greed( To !ara!hrase
)arret $ardin, the originator of the conce!t0 the b#siness benefits from its abilit& to
den& the tr#th e.en tho#gh societ& as a whole, of which it is a !art, s#ffers(77<
Amongst those !eo!le affected b& the decimation of stoc/s, this denial is not so m#ch
malicio#s as !athological, according to Mar/ D#rlans/&, a#thor of -od( The& do
not want to see this ha!!ening, so the& 2#st sh#t it off( Michael -oe sa&s he onl&
noticed a dro! in the cod n#mbers aro#nd the &ear 2===6 before then he claims he was
able to fish !rett& m#ch the same areas &ear after &ear for o.er thirt& &ears( This
certainl& doesn9t match the statistics( 'n 7EEC, the -anadian fisheries minister claimed
that he /new for s#re that the decline in the 4ewfo#ndland cod fisheries had ceased(
't had done nothing of the sort 1 there were something li/e 7>,=== cod co#nted,
com!ared to 7(2 million ten &ears before(77,
The ra!id eB!ansion in farmed fish, or a:#ac#lt#re, tells the tr#e stor& of the !anic
growing within the fishing ind#str&( B#& farmed fish and, 2#st li/e farmed meat, it
will ha.e been fed far more !rotein than it act#all& brings to &o#r !late 1 s#c/ing
smaller and smaller fish o#t of the sea( This hidden catch allows #s to !retend there
isn9t a !roblem at all( -hina is the global giant of a:#ac#lt#re, acco#nting for two
thirds of the world9s .ol#me of farmed fish(77> Most of these fish are freshwater car!
C7
which, #nli/e in the fish*collecting ;est, are #sed as a ma2or so#rce of !rotein,
es!eciall& in landloc/ed co#ntries and inland areas( The global .ol#me of farmed fish
!rod#ced in 2==, was ,F million tonnes, o#t of a total of 7,= million tonnes of fish
cons#med( M#ch of the fish !rod#ction is carried o#t #sing !lan/ton as a food so#rce,
b#t there is an increasing trend towards the !rod#ction of carni.oro#s s!ecies that are
fed on wild ca#ght fish0 two million tonnes of salmon, tro#t and related s!ecies were
farmed in 2==,, and well o.er two million tonnes of shrim! and !rawn in the same
&ear( These carni.oro#s s!ecies eat between two and fi.e times more fish !rotein than
the& contain at the !oint that the& are /illed for food(77C The farming of salmon and
tro#t alone re:#ires o.er eight million tonnes of wild ca#ght fish, or abo#t nine
!ercent of the global catch(
There is a m&th that ind#strial farming, whether of fish, meat or .egetables is an
efficient wa& to !rod#ce food( 4o do#bt it is a wa& to !rod#ce lots of food at a greater
densit& and lower cost (mainl& in terms of labo#r%, b#t it is clear from the beha.io#r
of the !arties in.ol.ed that ind#strial farming eBists to maBimise the !rofits of the
giant agrib#siness com!anies who swallow #! .ast areas of land, incl#ding
tho#sands of small*scale farms e.er& &ear( There is nothing s#stainable abo#t a high
energ&, high chemical, globalised cor!orate web0 the energ& re:#ired to farm in this
wa& far eBceeds the nat#ral ca!acit& of the soil or water to !ro.ide food( The m&th of
s#stainable ind#strial farming is !er!et#ated b& cor!orations s#ch as -argill 1 the
largest grain eB!orter in the world 1 in order to show to the !eo!le of @arth that
farming can onl& feed the mo#ths of the world if it is r#n b& big b#siness(
Tr& telling that to the aboriginal tribes thro#gho#t the tro!ics, who ha.e had their
h#nting gro#nds ta/en awa& and deforested in order to !rod#ce grain and graAe cattle(
Tr& telling that to the fishermen who ha.e lost an& chance of catching food for their
families off the west coast of Africa beca#se of the giant @#ro!ean !air*trawlers that
blan/et the oceans and sco#r them of life( Tr& telling that to the tho#sands who lost
their li.es and their homes in the 'ndian Ocean ts#nami of 2==C that battered the
coasts of east 'ndia and Sri 8an/a6 coasts that had !re.io#sl& been !rotected b&
mangro.es, b#t are now dominated b& shrim! farms as far as the e&e can see(
C2
)ea1in. A 0ish& )eb
;ebs and loo!s fascinate scientists for all sorts of reasons( One reason is that the& are
!otentiall& eternal0 a loo! will mo.e ro#nd and aro#nd getting larger, smaller, faster
or slower, or 2#st sta&ing the same( A web has things going into it, and o#t of it, b#t in
the main is self*contained with each !art of it being de!endent in some wa& on the
other !arts( $ere are a co#!le of eBam!les(
8et9s consider -hris, who li/es to go s/iing0 reg#larl& tra.elling from his genero#s
s#b#rban ho#se in Boston, to a dro!*dead gorgeo#s winter chalet in As!en, -olorado(
)etting there wasn9t too eas& a few decades ago, b#t the to#rist ind#str& wants !eo!le
to go s/iing beca#se that9s good for the com!anies who sell s/iing holida&s, so
air!orts ha.e been b#ilt in the most remote locations( -hris can ta/e a !lane from
Boston to en.er, then another one to As!en, with onl& a short taBi tri! at either end(
5er& con.enient( The !roblem here is that he is rather de!endent on there being snow
when he arri.es, otherwise he ma& ha.e to be content with en2o&ing the scener&, as
well as !arta/ing of lots of a!rUs*wal/ drin/s( "l&ing, as most !eo!le /now, is a s#refire
wa& of boosting the amo#nt of carbon dioBide, as well as a few other greenho#se
gases, in the atmos!here( 4ot onl& does it ta/e a lot of energ& to /ee! a h#n/ of metal
in the air, .ario#s chemical reactions from the aircraft9s contrails, es!eciall& in the
#!!er atmos!here, ma/e this effect all the more significant( 'f &o# are one of the few
scientists who don9t belie.e that o#r greenho#se gas emissions are heating the @arth
#!, and &o# ha.en9t got the f#nds from an oil com!an&, or a car man#fact#rer resting
in &o#r ban/ acco#nt, then &o# might want to s/i! this bit0 for e.er&one else who has
realised that o#r emissions are heating the @arth #! (e.en the conser.ati.e
'ntergo.ernmental Panel on -limate -hange are F=*E= !ercent s#re77G% this is what the
!rocess loo/s li/e0
7% Person ta/es flights from Boston to As!en
2% @missions from aircraft ca#se atmos!here to heat #!
<% $igher atmos!heric tem!erat#re means that snow melts :#ic/er
,% 8ess snow means that less s#n is reflected and more is absorbed
>% @arth heats #!, ca#sing atmos!here to heat #! more
C% Iet#rn to ste! <(
C<
Stages < to C are /nown as a feedbac/ loo!( ' admit that it is greatl& sim!lified b#t
the basic facts are correct, and it eBhibits two things that e.er&one needs to #nderstand
abo#t feedbac/ loo!s0 first, at least one !art of the !rocess goes ro#nd in a c&cle
fore.er, or #ntil some end !oint is reached (for instance, all the snow has melted%6
second, man& loo!s can be made more intense b& ha.ing inputs, s#ch as !eo!le
contin#ing to fl& to As!en (ste!s 7 and 2%, s!eeding #! the snow melting !rocess(
@.en witho#t the additional fl&ing, the loo! < to C is a positive feedbac/ loo!, in that
it is adding to the effect each time it goes ro#nd( A negative feedbac/ loo! is one that
gets wea/er with each c&cle0 if the land #nderneath the snow were as white as the
snow itself, and the fl&ing sto!!ed, the loo! wo#ld :#ic/l& brea/ down and, in the
absence of global warming, the snow wo#ld ret#rn(
Most !eo!le learnt abo#t food chains at school0 "ish 7 is eaten b& "ish 2 which, in
t#rn is eaten b& "ish < and so on( 'n this food chain, each fish occ#!ies a different
tro!hic, or food, le.el( This can easil& become a loo! if, when "ish < dies its bod&
deca&s to be eaten b& "ish 7( ;ebs are slightl& different( To ma/e this a food web,
there ha.e to be more connections between the different com!onents, ideall& in more
than one direction(
The sim!lified food web in "igure 0 shows that the #ltimate energ& so#rce is, as
with e.er&thing on @arth, the s#n( The algae, which are a t&!e of !h&to!lan/ton
(literall& meaning drifting !lant%, #se !hotos&nthesis to con.ert the s#n9s energ&
along with the carbon dioBide dissol.ed in the water to ma/e the bodies of the algae
themsel.es( These algae become food for an& herbi.ores (!lant eaters% !atrolling the
#!!er le.els of the sea( 'n fact, algae are the !rimar& so#rce of almost all food in the
dee! seas that the cod and other demersal fish occ#!&(77F The herbi.ores are eaten b&
carni.ores, which in t#rn are eaten b& bigger (or more ferocio#s% carni.ores6 these
carni.ores are more li/el& to be fish that occ#!& the dee!er !arts of the ocean beca#se
algae do not grow where there is no light( ;hen the carni.ores (or herbi.ores, for that
matter% die, their bodies are cons#med b& a !lethora of sca.engers at all le.els, right
down to the .er& floor of the ocean, where sca.enging is the lifest&le of choice( B#t
e.en those sca.engers are not free of danger, for carni.ores are also !artial to a tast&
bottom dweller or two( 'f the amo#nt of s#nlight, and th#s algae, going into the web
red#ces, the total food energ& in the web red#ces, and the total .ol#me of creat#res in
that web also red#ces(
C,
+nli/e the loo!, there is no !oint at which ' can sa&, and then it re!eats, beca#se
an& one of a n#mber of !rocesses co#ld ta/e !lace neBt0 the& are a real !ain to !redict
witho#t some .er& s!ecial anal&tical s/ills( This is another reason wh& scientists li/e
webs( Both webs and loo!s !la& a .ital !art in wor/ing o#t what will ha!!en to
biological (or ecological%, atmos!heric and other s&stems when en.ironmental
conditions change( ' !#r!osef#ll& wrote when, rather than if, beca#se
en.ironmental conditions are changing all the time6 and man& of those changes are of
o#r ma/ing(
A Moment Of 5eflection
'n Se!tember 2==G it became !ossible for the first time in li.ing memor& to tra.el b&
boat from the so#thern ti! of )reenland77E, across the sea north of -anada and then all
the wa& along the north coasts of I#ssia and Scandina.ia, before finall& meeting &o#r
starting !oint again( All of this witho#t an icebrea/er( "or climatologists and an&one
who has concern for the f#t#re habitation of this !lanet, this is a frightening
occ#rrence( "or oil and shi!!ing com!anies, as well as go.ernments wishing to
im!ress their !ower on other nations, it9s o!en season0
"igure 0 $ imple oceanic food web
showing four trophic levels. Arrows
indicate the direction of the energy
(food) supply (ource $ Author5s image)
C>
&n an exercise in sabre-rattling, the -anadian government has ordered two new
military bases to be set up in the Arctic region and commissioned six new patrol
ships. But the H is e>ually adamant that the passage remain free to all comers.
Angry exchanges Lin #I=7M prompted a #I== cooperation deal which is now
under threat. :ussia, 8enmark and <orway are separately involved in the
scramble to exploit the ArcticAs mineral riches.#21
't doesn9t ta/e a geni#s to realise that e.er& disaster is seen as a commercial
o!!ort#nit& b& someone in the world 1 b#t it is tr#l& breathta/ing to watch the
clawing and biting ta/ing !lace amongst national go.ernments, some of whom
!retend to be interested in !rotecting the !lanet, in order to gain commercial
ad.antage o.er each other( This scramble for material wealth (basicall& a high le.el
form of beat &o#r neighbo#r% both !#ts the lie to go.ernments9 claims to be
coo!erati.e, and also ma/es it .er& clear that the strongest moti.ation of all in the
ind#strial world is the ac:#isition of wealth( ;h& !eo!le are so strongl& moti.ated b&
wealth is something that ' will eB!lore in detail later on(
3o# ma& ha.e s!otted a feedbac/ loo! in this( 'f mone& is dri.ing climate change,
b& .irt#e of the greenho#se gases being !rod#ced b& commercial acti.it&, and climate
change is ca#sing more commercial o!!ort#nities to o!en #!, then clearl& this loo!
will contin#e to get stronger and stronger #ntil something sna!s 1 s#ch as the !lanet
no longer being able to s#!!ort h#man beings in an& great n#mber( Alternati.el&
something or someone ma& decide to dri.e a sta/e thro#gh that abs#rd c&cle before it
gets too late to sto! the feedbac/, and it is ta/en o#t of o#r hands(
Albedo is something ' mentioned a few !ages bac/( ' often ma/e the mista/e of
wearing a !artic#lar t*shirt ' li/e on s#nn& da&s6 it is gre&, b#t with tho#sands of
flec/s of blac/, and those blac/ flec/s absorb solar energ& (solar radiation% .er&
effecti.el&, lea.ing me hot and bothered( The difference between blac/ and white is
sim!l& that blac/ absorbs e.er& wa.elength of .isible light (if it is tr#l& blac/ it also
absorbs infra*red radiation, which ma/es things !artic#larl& hot% and white reflects
e.er& wa.elength( Bl#e colo#red ob2ects onl& reflect bl#e light and absorb e.er&thing
else, green ob2ects reflect green light, and so on( The more solar radiation absorbed b&
an ob2ect, the more energ& is being forced into it, ca#sing it to heat #!( Albedo is a
CC
meas#re of how m#ch radiation is reflected b& something0 the higher the n#mber, the
more reflecti.e it is(
The melting snow in As!en re.eals a dar/er s#rface than the snow itself( "resh
snow has an albedo of =(F to =(E 1 it reflects eight& to ninet& !ercent of the radiation(
)reen grass has an albedo of =(2>, and soil has an albedo of abo#t =(2( 'n other words,
the melting of snow increases the amo#nt of energ& ta/en into the gro#nd b& a factor
of fo#r( 4ow, com!are this to what is ha!!ening in the Arctic Ocean( Bare ice, which
is t&!icall& what floats on water, reflects siBt& to se.ent& !ercent of the solar radiation
falling on it, whereas o!en sea ma& reflect almost nothing, de!ending on the angle of
the s#n( This h#ge difference in absor!tion can ma/e the difference between the
tem!erat#re of the sea being below freeAing 1 so the ice doesn9t melt 1 or abo.e
freeAing( Once the sea gets abo.e freeAing !oint, that heat energ& s!reads o#t with the
mo.ement of the ocean c#rrents, melting more and more ice, which in t#rn ca#ses the
sea to heat #!( This is a dramatic !ositi.e feedbac/ loo! and it is ha!!ening right
now(727
The effect of this on marine life is com!leB, b#t not reall& s#r!rising( ;ater held at
close to freeAing !oint, can absorb abo#t 7, milligrams of oB&gen !er litre, whereas at
2=J- it can onl& hold abo#t E milligrams of oB&gen in the same .ol#me(722 The high
le.els of oB&gen in cold !olar waters com!ared to warm tro!ical waters affect the
abilit& of the water to s#stain life, b#t it is not eas& to find o#t what difference this
ma/es in !ractice( One st#d& in.ol.ing s:#id fo#nd a !la#sible relationshi! between
the tem!erat#re of the sea s#rface and the n#mber of s:#id in a shoal72<, some st#dies
find that higher tem!erat#res red#ce the amo#nt of food a.ailable to !redators, b#t
other st#dies sa& that the warmer the sea, the higher the biomass( The iss#e seems to
be that there are .er& com!leB relationshi!s between different s!ecies of marine life at
different de!ths of the ocean, and across different geogra!hical areas6 and when &o#
start loo/ing at the more com!leB food webs then some of these relationshi!s brea/
down, so it9s sometimes safer not to ma/e an& ass#m!tions at all(
This t&!e of !roblem infects all st#dies of com!leB s&stems, and ma/es it .er& eas&
for sce!tics to attac/ a bit here and a bit there while ignoring the o.erall !ict#re(
)reenho#se gas emissions contin#e to increase6 their le.els in the atmos!here
ineBorabl& rise, while global tem!erat#res contin#e to cree! #!6 and &et, the denials
contin#e( enial /ee!s fear at ba&( enial /ee!s the wheels of ind#str& t#rning(
CG
enial /ee!s rich !eo!le rich and !owerf#l !eo!le, !owerf#l( ' will eB!lain this in
Part Three(
A classic eBam!le of this selecti.e, con.enient denial occ#rred following the
release of a !a!er b& the eminent 4ASA climatologist ?ames $ansen( The !a!er
eB!lained that +SA tem!erat#res between 2=== and 2==G had been o.erstated b&
=(7>J- beca#se a necessar& ad2#stment in the climate models had not been a!!lied(72,
Bearing in mind that the global !ict#re was #nto#ched b& this ad2#stment, the reaction
b& the climate change sce!tics was o.er the to!, to sa& the least0
As to the stuff about the hottest years . . . ,ell, whaddya knowQ Turns out that5s
wrong, too. "igures from <AA5s /oddard &nstitute for pace tudies (/&)
now show the hottest year since #==1 was #I3.. <ineteen-ninety-eight dropped
to second, while the third hottest year was way back in #I2#. &ndeed, four of the
#1 hottest years were in the #I31s, while only three were in the past decade.#27
@Bc#se me for being !ic/&, b#t this onl& affected the +SA tem!erat#re record,
which !#ts the commentator on rather roc/& gro#nd to start with( As for the record
tem!erat#res, the +S -limatic ata -entre sa&s0 The last eight >*&ear !eriods O#! to
2==GP, were the warmest >*&ear !eriods (!entads% in the last 77< &ears of national
records, ill#strating the anomalo#s warmth of the last decade( The Eth warmest !entad
was in the 7E<=s (7E<=*<,%(72C SiB of the ten warmest &ears on record in the +SA
occ#rred in the last ten &ears( To add ins#lt to in2#r& (for the sce!tics, that is%, every
one of the ten warmest &ears globall& ha.e occ#rred since 7EE>( 4ow, let9s get bac/
to the bigger !ict#re(
The %i..er Picture
Part of this !ict#re is that cod grow tremendo#sl& fast at higher tem!erat#res(72G At
7,J- the growth of cod lar.ae is #! to fi.e times :#ic/er than at ,J-( The !roblem
with an& fast growing animal is that it re:#ires lots of food, and a bab& growing fi.e
times as fast as normal re:#ires at least fi.e times the normal amo#nt of food( 'n a sea
with #nlimited food then that isn9t m#ch of a !roblem, b#t in a sea where the amo#nt
of food is also being im!acted b& the increase in tem!erat#re that is a h#ge !roblem6
CF
es!eciall& when that bab& is near the to! of the food chain( 'f a bab&9s metabolism is
fast b#t it can9t get the food it needs then it will die(
Another !art of the !ict#re, and one mentioned a while ago, is that oB&gen can
ca#se a s:#eeAe if there is not eno#gh to match the metabolism of an animal(72F The
amo#nt of oB&gen re:#ired b& an animal relates directl& to the s!eed and efficienc& of
its nat#ral !rocesses 1 breathing, digestion, growth etc( 1 so if the amo#nt of oB&gen
a.ailable is not s#fficient for that animal9s metabolism then its metabolism will ha.e
to slow down or the animal cannot s#r.i.e( ?#st li/e when &o# reach the to! of a stee!
hill and &o# ha.e to sto! for air, if &o# /ee! r#nning or wal/ing witho#t a brea/ then
&o# will e.ent#all& colla!se( Iecent 4ASA data shows at least a ,J- increase in the
tem!erat#re of some Arctic waters com!ared to the 2=th cent#r& a.erage(72E 'f we #se
the fig#res from a co#!le of !ages bac/, this means that the amo#nt of oB&gen the
ocean can dissol.e has dro!!ed b& ten !ercent across significant !arts of the ocean(
The final !art of the !ict#re is that the amo#nt of !h&to!lan/ton, the !rimar&
so#rce of food for the oceans, is being badl& affected b& oceanic heating( This is
nothing to do with the increased acidit& of the oceans ca#sed b& growing le.els of
carbon dioBide being drawn into the sea, which in t#rn ca#ses the shells of
Aoo!lan/ton (tin& floating animals% to dissol.e6 instead, the warming of the ocean
s#rface means that cold water is not descending as ra!idl& as it needs to in order to
refresh the le.els of n#trients close to the s#rface( -old water is hea.ier than warm
water, so warm water will alwa&s reach the s#rface e.ent#all&6 b#t if the air abo.e the
water is warmer than the water itself, then the s#rface of the water is not cooled down,
miBing cannot ta/e !lace, and n#trients essential to the s#r.i.al of !h&to!lan/ton sta&
where the& are 1 o#t of the reach of the !lan/ton( The im!act of this is far*reaching7<=,
and is bo#nd to affect both the amo#nt of !re& a.ailable to cod, and the abilit& of the
cod to catch their !re& in the first !lace(
'f &o# add this all together then &o# get a !ict#re of a fish that is being, or will soon
be, ad.ersel& affected b& climate change0 enforced faster growth ca#sing star.ation,
red#ced oB&gen im!acting the normal f#nctions of the fish, and finall& a sim!le lac/
of food( 'n an age where we are fishing the oceans to eBha#stion beca#se of the
!ercei.ed need for high le.els of chea! animal !rotein, this additional .olle& of blows
co#ld be the last straw( ;hen the cod are gone what will be left to re!lace it?
$addoc/, mac/erel, t#na, swordfish 1 at what !oint do we decide to sto! !#lling
CE
tonnes of !rotein o#t of the oceans and let the nat#ral !rocesses get on with the 2ob of
re!airing themsel.es?
G=
Chapter "
One $#ndred Metres
Man& &ears ago, and it does seem li/e an age, ' was obsessed with geogra!h& at
school( There reall& wasn9t eno#gh information in those earl& teenage &ears to satisf&
m& interest, b#t what there was ' ra!acio#sl& gobbled #!( ' thin/ it was the words that
did it6 new, wonderf#l words li/e $interland, Thalweg, Tro!ics, T#ndra, Taiga( Taiga
was m& fa.o#rite, an immense word bringing to mind an ancient, tangled and wild
en.ironment that sho#ld ne.er be set foot in( The word is Siberian, !ossibl&
Mongolian, and seems to 2#st mean, wild forest(7<7 The originators of that word
m#st ha.e li.ed in s#ch an en.ironment all their li.es and, to them, it was their life0
their world(
The Taiga stretches across the northern hemis!here in a .ast swath of s!r#ce, !ine,
larch and fir, en.elo!ing m#ch of northern -anada, 8a!land and the entire length of
the I#ssian nation, often ta/ing great eBc#rsions so#thwards where the dr&
continental heart is a sa.age en.ironment for l#sh grasslands( The @astern Siberian
Taiga alone is a contin#o#s forest <(E million s:#are /ilometres (7(> million s:#are
miles% in area7<2 1 that is as large as 'ndia and Pa/istan combined( This is worth
re!eating0 the @astern Siberian Taiga alone is as large as 'ndia and Pa/istan
combined(
'n ?#l& 7E=F, at the heart of this .ast tract a might& eB!losion threw down millions
of trees, scorching the gro#nd for miles aro#nd0
& do not remember exactly the year, but more than twenty years ago during
ploughing season, & was sitting at breakfast on the house porch at 'anavara
trading post facing <orth. & suddenly saw that directly to the <orth, over
;nkoulAs Tunguska road, the sky split in two and fire appeared high and wide
over the forest. The entire <orthern side was covered with fire. At that moment &
became so hot that & couldnAt bear it, as if my shirt was on fire. & wanted to tear
off my shirt and throw it down, but then the sky shut closed.#33
G7
't was not #ntil 7E27, following a decision b& the then So.iet +nion to become a
force in the scientific world, that 8eonid D#li/, a I#ssian mineralogist, was
commissioned to find the so#rce of the eB!losion( 't wo#ld ta/e him #ntil 7E2G to find
the crater, along with the arboreal destr#ction that s!read o#t for miles0 The h#ge
trees of the taiga la& flat( Pines, firs, decid#o#s trees6 all had s#cc#mbed( The shar!
o#tlines of the winter landsca!e etched it li/e a !late(7<, 4earl& siB &ears to find a
disc of de.astation !erha!s se.ent& miles across6 this s#rel& sa&s something abo#t the
siAe of the area being s#r.e&ed(
3et this dar/ .astness that defines entire landmasses is now #nder attac/ from a
m#ltit#de of so#rces0 the loggers that thin/ nothing of !enetrating its m&steries to feed
o#r ra.eno#s a!!etite for timber, woodchi! and !a!er6 the changing rain and snowfall
in !laces flooding o#t stable soils, and in others desiccating the land6 the acid rain that
still falls on the branches, stri!!ing them bare( And who wo#ld ha.e tho#ght that s#ch
an eB!anse, containing some of the largest li.ing organisms in histor& 1 some
weighing in eBcess of a tho#sand tonnes 1 co#ld be bro#ght to heel b& a tin& beetle
meas#ring 2#st fi.e millimetres in length?
@.en the magical word Taiga is dro!!ing o#t of fa.o#r, to be re!laced b& the term
Boreal "orest( Still e.ocati.e0 b#t as with the 5ictorian habit of re!lacing the ancient
-eltic names of geogra!hical feat#res thro#gho#t Britain with florid descri!ti.e
alternati.es, when its name is changed, a !lace seems to lose !art of its identit&(
)hat *s A Spruce Tree+
More to the !oint, what is a tree? 'n essence, a tree is a li.ing machine that generates
energ& in order to feed its need to be taller than e.er&thing aro#nd it( A forest in its
nat#ral state is a set of different cano!ies tr&ing to com!ete with each other for light,
their roots reaching o#t for n#trients and water6 all the time at the merc& of the
landsca!e and the weather( The tallest trees are tremendo#sl& hea.&, their tr#n/s
bo#nd into col#mns of wood& t#bes that carr& water #!wards to the lea.es where it
ta/es its !art in the !hotos&nthetic !rocess 1 the con.ersion of carbon dioBide and
water into s#gars that the tree #ses to b#ild itself6 leaf, twig, root and tr#n/(
Photos&nthesis is common to all !lants( As with !h&to!lan/ton, the energ& #sed b&
the tree comes from the s#n6 and the b&*!rod#ct is oB&gen( Along with their cr#cial
G2
role in b#ilding and stabilising to!soil, !ro.iding habitats for co#ntless s!ecies and
moistening the air aro#nd them6 a waste gas liberated from them thro#gh a sim!le
chemical !rocess gi.es life to e.er& animal on @arth(
't is #tterl& remar/able, when &o# thin/ abo#t it, that all animals, incl#ding
h#mans, de!end on oB&gen for life, in ret#rn for which the& !rod#ce carbon dioBide(
The carbon added to the oB&gen to ma/e this waste gas comes to animals thro#gh the
cons#m!tion of (#ltimatel&% !lant matter( This !lant matter too/ its carbon from the
carbon dioBide that it absorbed from the atmos!here, which had been eB!elled b& the
animals, and in ret#rn it !rod#ced oB&gen, which animals de!end on for life( The
c&cle is so !erfect6 &et #ntil green !lants colonised the @arth, no animal eBisted 1
instead, the !lants de!ended on bacteria to !rod#ce the .ital carbon( "or most of
histor& the !lants themsel.es were 2#st microsco!ic bl#e*green algae, little more than
bacteria( "or eight&*fi.e !ercent of the s!an of all life on @arth7<> a slow battle too/
!lace in which the tiniest !#ffs of oB&gen released b& the tiniest !hotos&nthesisers
fo#ght to raise the oB&gen le.el against the chemical !rocesses that too/ the oB&gen
into e.er& roc/ in e.er& cre.ice and e.er& !ore(
B#t e.ent#all& the !lants mastered the atmos!here and the energ& that s#rro#nded
them( 4ow, after n#mero#s t#rb#lent glaciations, the forests are a hard o#tline of their
former l#sh glor&6 the oB&gen rich world of the -arbonifero#s7<C which boasted
insects the siAe of h#mans, with mosses and horsetails reaching twent& metres or more
in height7<G, also !rod#ced the .ast beds of coal that h#mans b#rn with abandon,
hardl& daring to care that the& com!rise millions of &ears worth of !hotos&nthesis,
and eno#gh carbon to end o#r time on @arth fore.er( The trees do their best to remo.e
the carbon, a great deal of the wor/ being concentrated in the disa!!earing hearts of
the great rainforests of the tro!ics( The h#ge Iedwoods, the o#glas "irs and the
Sit/a S!r#ce 1 the three largest of all the northern trees 1 grow more sedatel& than
those in the tro!ics, ta/ing the carbon the& need, storing it o#t of harm9s wa&(
The Sit/a S!r#ce is the largest of the man& .arieties of s!r#ce( 'f left to thri.e it
can reach E= metres, ma&be more( The one h#ndred metres in the title of this cha!ter
ma& contain a hint of artistic licence, b#t when com!ared to an& other li.ing things on
@arth, the scale of the largest trees are in a categor& all of their own( S!r#ce trees form
a gro#! of abo#t <> s!ecies of tree, that are !art of the greater famil& of !ines, and the
order that com!rises all conifers on @arth( A conifer is sim!l& a t&!e of !lant that
G<
!rod#ces cones in which its seeds are contained( S!r#ce are #ni:#e amongst the
conifers in that the& are both e.ergreen 1 the& do not shed their lea.es, or rather
needles in an& great :#antit& 1 and ha.e needles that form s!irals aro#nd each branch(
The& are eBtremel& hard& and can be fo#nd across the globe, from the +SA and
-anada, to 4orwa&, I#ssia, ?a!an and -hina(
The great -anadian forests are dominated b& 2#st a few s!ecies of tree0 blac/
s!r#ce, balsam fir, white s!r#ce, larch and white birch(7<F Of these, the two s!r#ces
and the fir are e.ergreen conifers, constantl& renewing the fragrant, acid car!et at their
bases( The larch is a rare eBam!le of a hard&, non*e.ergreen conifer, while the birch is
a hard& decid#o#s tree, one of the few that can s#r.i.e s#ch testing conditions(
't is eas& to forget, amongst all the m&ster& and .astness of the Taiga, that the
ma2orit& of the northern conifero#s forests ha.e onl& been in eBistence for a short
time( The last ice age onl& started to dissi!ate twent& tho#sand &ears ago, and the ice
was still !redominant #ntil abo#t ten tho#sand &ears ago( 't was not #ntil the
tem!erat#re and !reci!itation reached conditions s#itable for the growth of large trees
that an& significant forest growth was !ossible which ma/es it remar/able that s#ch a
massi.e area co#ld be f#ll& colonised in s#ch a short time, and with s#ch a richness
and di.ersit& of inhabitants( The Taiga is most definitel& a !rod#ct of the changing
climate, b#t itself is now instr#mental in im!ro.ing the stabilit& of the climate that we
are doing o#r best to change(
8oc-ed A(a& Carbon
-alc#lating the amo#nt of carbon dioBide loc/ed #! in these wooden towers is a fine
art, and de!ends on the age of the trees, their siAe, their densit& and, not least, the
amo#nt of carbon that wo#ld also be released from the soil if these trees were
remo.ed 1 soil is one ma2or t&!e of carbon reser.oir, forests are another t&!e( The
'ntergo.ernmental Panel on -limate -hange ha.e !rod#ced a detailed wor/boo/ and
set of g#idelines7<E for calc#lating the siAe of these reser.oirs, b#t e.en the& cannot tell
&o# the !recise amo#nt of carbon in a forest0 for boreal, the estimate is an&thing
between 22 and 77< tonnes of wood !er hectare( 'f we ta/e somewhere in the middle,
sa&, between ,= and G> tonnes, then we can #se this to wor/ o#t how im!ortant the
-anadian boreal forests are as a store for greenho#se gases( ;ood in trees is abo#t
G,
fift& !ercent carbon7,=, which gi.es between 2= and <G(> tonnes of carbon !er hectare6
b#t carbon is not a greenho#se gas, it onl& becomes that when it combines with
oB&gen thro#gh b#rning or decom!osition to ma/e carbon dioBide( ;hen that
ha!!ens &o# m#lti!l& the amo#nt of carbon b& <(C, which gi.es !otentiall& between
G2 and 7<> tonnes of carbon dioBide !er hectare of forest c#t down, b#rned,
cons#med or otherwise remo.ed(
The -anadian Boreal forest is estimated to occ#!& abo#t thirt&*fi.e !ercent of the
total landmass of -anada7,7, ma/ing it something in the region of <(2 million s:#are
/ilometres in area( 'f we #se the 'P-- fig#res, that means that between 2< and ,<
billion tonnes of carbon dioBide is stored in 2#st the trees of the forest( This store of
carbon slowl& ebbs and flows as the forest nat#rall& changes in densit&, age and
s!ecies miB, b#t as long as it remains intact, that carbon largel& remains loc/ed awa&
from the atmos!here(
'n 2==> -anada !rod#ced o.er siB h#ndred million tonnes of carbon dioBide from
the b#rning of fossil f#els alone7,2 (which doesn9t incl#de an& !rod#ced b&
deforestation%, so that means that if -anada were to ra!idl& lose all of its nati.e
Boreal forest, the e:#i.alent of abo#t seventy years worth of carbon dioxide emissions
wo#ld be !#ffed into the atmos!here in one giant breath of heat tra!!ing gas(
'n recent &ears, the go.ernment of -anada has, on !a!er, stood b& its D&oto
commitment7,< to c#t the amo#nt of greenho#se gases it is !#tting into the atmos!here,
e.en if that commitment doesn9t stand #! in realit&( Between 7EE= and 2==> the
amo#nt of carbon dioBide it !rod#ced went #! b& thirt&*fi.e !ercent( This was not
some tem!orar& aberration6 the :#antit& had been going #! &ear after &ear almost as
tho#gh no agreement eBisted at all( ;hen it realised that it was on a hiding to nothing,
and that the income from the l#crati.e oil sands mining in Alberta wo#ld ma/e it one
of the richest oil !rod#cing nations on @arth then it too/ decisi.e action 1 it ref#sed to
commit to an& red#ctions in greenho#se gases at all(7,,
B#t we m#stn9t blame the whole of the -anadian go.ernment machine for this, the
finger !oints !rimaril& at Alberta, whose !ro.incial web site bal/ed at the idea of
showing the amo#nt of greenho#se gases it had !rod#ced o.er the last few &ears7,>,
instead showing something called )reenho#se )as 'ntensit&( )reenho#se )as
'ntensit& com!ares the amo#nt of carbon !rod#ced to the amo#nt of mone& made 1
G>
the more mone& made in com!arison to the amo#nt of greenho#ses gases !rod#ced,
the lower the )reenho#se )as 'ntensit&( A!!arentl&, according to the gra!h shown on
the web site, the :#antit& of greenho#se gases went down b& twent& !ercent between
7EE, and 2==,6 b#t onl& when com!ared to the h#ge amo#nt of mone& Alberta is
ma/ing from oil !rod#ction( ;hen &o# consider that Alberta9s )ross omestic
Prod#ct7,C increased b& <(C !ercent !er &ear in the same !eriod7,G then it becomes clear
that, in fact, Alberta9s greenho#se gas emissions went up b& no less than twent&
!ercent( 't9s .er& eas& to lie with statistics, b#t not so eas& to hide the tr#th(
The !oint of all this statistical 2#ggling is to demonstrate how !owerf#l and
!otentiall& dangero#s fig#res can be( 't doesn9t ta/e a great deal of effort to show that
the !ro.incial go.ernment of Alberta is essentiall& l&ing abo#t their greenho#se gas
emissions( 't also doesn9t ta/e a great deal of effort to show that, beca#se -anada9s
o.erall carbon dioBide emissions ha.e been going #! b& an a.erage of two !ercent a
&ear, and will almost certainl& accelerate as the r#sh for sand and shale*based oil
gains moment#m6 that the Boreal forests become more im!ortant as a carbon sin/
e.er& &ear(
+nfort#natel&, the forests are not remaining intact( ' showed in -ha!ter One that
the -entral African Iainforest was #nder eBtreme !ress#re from logging and other
!ractices incl#ding the mining of mineral reso#rces( The nat#ral -anadian Boreal
forest ma& not ha.e the dee!l& rich ecological di.ersit& of the rainforest, b#t neither is
it a monoc#lt#re !lantation of identical trees marching across the landsca!e in some
grotes:#e militar& s!ectacle( The owners of !lantations in these forests !ro#dl&
claim the !lanting of two trees for e.er& one remo.ed 1 loo/ at the bac/ of a birthda&
card, or a !ad of !a!er 1 and the& are not l&ing6 &et the& fail to eB!lain that those two
trees are !art of a cash cro!, s#bstit#ting a com!leB interwea.ing of de!endent s!ecies
for a desert of :#ic/ growing sawmill fodder(
The -anadian )o.ernment re!ort to the +4 "ood and Agric#lt#ral Organisation
e.er& fi.e &ears on the state of its forests, &et mirac#lo#sl& ha.e stated identical
fig#res in each of the !re.io#s three re!orts0 an o#tstandingl& !recise <7=,7<,
hectares(7,F This has been eagerl& seiAed #!on b& the "orest Prod#cts Association of
-anada who state0 'f all co#ntries of the world co#ld eliminate or .irt#all& eliminate
deforestation as -anada has done, this wo#ld ha.e an im!act com!arable to
eliminating fossil f#el emissions in the +nited States in terms of ad.ancing )$)
GC
mitigation efforts7,E, which wo#ld be wonderf#l if it were tr#e( The "AO, in fact,
refer to the absence of information abo#t forest !lantations in -anada7>= and go on
to state0
,ood removals are declining in @exico and the Hnited tates of America, while
they continue to increase in -anada. This trend is reflected in economic data,
with modest growth in several economic indicators in -anada and a slight
decline in the other two.
Something else in the "AO re!ort ca#ght m& e&e, too( 't is in a section called
"orest $ealth and 5italit&( British -ol#mbia, it seems, is #ndergoing its own
logging frenA&, not for economic gain, b#t to !rotect against !otential economic loss(
The )o.ernment of British -ol#mbia has dramaticall& increased logging in an
attem!t to slow the s!read of the beetle b& remo.ing recentl& infested trees and to
reco.er .al#e from trees alread& /illed( 'f B- is indeed logging to !rotect its f#t#re,
then somewhere else trees are ha.ing to be !lanted at a rate s#fficient to /ee! #! with
this6 which means that the age and di.ersit& of the Boreal is ta/ing a direct hit, and the
-anadian )o.ernment are ma/ing bare*faced lies abo#t the state of this might&
ecos&stem(
There also seem to be some big !roblems with beetles(
5acin. To The Pole
The stor& of the Tortoise and the $are7>7 has a nice moral0 slow and stead& wins the
race in the end( There are a co#!le of flaws in the telling of the original fable, tho#gh(
"irst, can &o# imagine what Aeso! wo#ld ha.e felt had it t#rned o#t that the finish
line had been reached before the hare too/ his first na! and, in fact, the hare was 2#st
en2o&ing a well*earned .ictor& bas/ #nder a tree? Second, what if both !rotagonists
were being chased b& a h#ngr& man with a big g#n? ' g#ess the hare wo#ld feel !rett&
good /nowing that he had a shin& gold medal and that he wasn9t going to be t#rned
into hare !ie( Poor tortoise(
Aeso! was tr&ing to ma/e the !oint that man& h#mans ha.e a tendenc& to r#sh into
things with their e&es closed, and end #! not seeing the bigger !ict#re6 which is a
good analog& for how the world has ended #! being on the c#s! of global
GG
en.ironmental catastro!he( 't seems, tho#gh, that the more !ower and wealth an
indi.id#al has, the more tortoise*li/e he becomes where iss#es of gen#ine global
im!ortance are concerned( ;hen faced with the need to ta/e ra!id action b& which
s#ch a catastro!he might be a.erted, then the tortoise becomes rather sh&( B& the
time he e.ent#all& slides his head o#t of the shell, loo/s aro#nd and sa&s, 4ow then,
what9s going on aro#nd here? the climate is changing, and e.er&thing is sliding in a
gidd&, #ntid& mess towards the brin/( Meanwhile the tortoise has decided to sit down
with the other tortoises and ha.e a good chat abo#t it(
Some races can9t be meas#red on a sto!watch, and ha.e little entertainment .al#e
for enth#siastic crowds6 b#t the& are ha!!ening, whether we li/e it or not( 'magine a
great rolling race between three hea.&weight contestants0 three giants of
en.ironmental change that, between them threaten to gobble #! enormo#s areas of
habitat and change the face of the @arth( Please allow me to introd#ce them(
Contestant One is the 'nd#strial 8ogger( ;e met him, earlier( Armed with
mechanical har.esters, feller*b#nchers and b#lldoAers for that tric/& #ndergrowth, and
bac/ed b& friendl& go.ernments, he s!ends his time !#nching great holes in the forest
"igure = $ 9>uipment used by -ontestant ;ne -- Tohn 8eere I7IT Tracked "eller-Buncher
(ource$ 8eere U -ompany ,ebsite)
GF
and stri!!ing down habitat lea.ing !iles of bro/en scr#b and h#ge geometric areas of
infertile, acid soil in his wa/e( 3o# can find them located all o.er the globe, where.er
mone& can be made from wood( Beca#se of @#ro!e9s cent#ries old a!!etite for .ast
amo#nts of timber and !a!er 1 an a!!etite #nfort#natel& not matched b& an& desire to
!reser.e nat#re 1 onl& fi.e !ercent of Scandina.ia9s forest remains in its nati.e state,
the rest being little more than !lantation(7>2 The timber frontier is now encroaching
on the Siberian Taiga0 in the ten &ears #! to 2==C, the timber !rod#ction of the
I#ssian "ederation rose b& ,7 !ercent(7>< As we ha.e seen, the 'nd#strial 8ogger has a
tendenc& not to tell the whole tr#th abo#t his acti.ities(
Contestant T(o are the Bar/ Beetles( ;eighing in at aro#nd one gram and with a
nose to tail length of >mm, the& are nonetheless tr#e giants in terms of im!act and
n#mbers( 8endroctonus micans, the S!r#ce Bar/ Beetle, t#nnels into the li.ing bar/
of s!r#ce trees to form galleries where their lar.ae feed and de.elo!, #ltimatel&
/illing the tree(7>, 'n Alas/a alone, the beetle is s!reading at a terrific rate, occ#!&ing
72=,=== acres of forest in 2==C, an increase of CF !ercent o.er the !re.io#s &ear(7>>
Bar/ beetles are .er& !ic/& abo#t what the& eat, b#t in large areas of forest that
"igure = $ -ontestant Two -- 8endroctonus micans, the pruce Bark Beetle. (ource$ HP
"orestry -ommission)
GE
contain a limited n#mber of tree s!ecies that is not a !roblem for them( The 2==C
o#tbrea/ of Mo#ntain Pine Beetle 1 another t&!e of bar/ beetle 1 in -olorado, +SA,
onl& affected lodge!ole !ines of a !artic#lar age, and no other trees6 ne.ertheless ,(F
million of these trees were /illed in that &ear, and eB!ectations were that the entire
7,=== s:#are mile (2,>E= s:#are /ilometre% area of lodge!ole !ines in -olorado wo#ld
be destro&ed, with another <C,=== s:#are miles f#rther north and west in similar
!eril(7>C
There are a n#mber of factors that affect the li/elihood of bar/ beetle attac/( The
age of the tree is :#ite im!ortant0 the thic/ bar/ of older trees !ro.ides some
resistance, b#t thic/ bar/ also tends to be more fract#red, allowing the beetles easier
access6 older trees also !ro.ide m#ch more sco!e for mass breeding, gi.en the .ol#me
of wood a.ailable( Another effect of age a!!ears to be the amo#nt of resin a tree is
ca!able of !rod#cing0 &o#nger trees tend to be more ade!t at !rod#cing resin( -o!io#s
!rod#ction of resin #!on attac/ has been shown to be a tree9s best defence against
bar/ beetles(7>G O.erall, old, large trees are more .#lnerable to attac/ than &o#ng ones,
which ma/es the im!act of the bar/ beetle !artic#larl& significant in terms of scale(
Iesin !rod#ction is something also affected b& the health of a tree0 the -olorado
attac/ followed a long*term dro#ght, lea.ing the trees #nable to !rod#ce s#fficient
sa!( There is also a sit#ation where we can once again #se the conce!t of egree
a&s(
Iemember in -ha!ter Three, we fo#nd that the amo#nt of time the tem!erat#re
sta&ed abo.e a certain threshold allowed the calc#lation of the s!eed at which a
nematode co#ld grow and re!rod#ce( The same a!!lies to bar/ beetles( According to a
re!ort from 2==,0 The s!r#ce bar/ beetle is strongl& affected b& the ambient
tem!erat#re( A higher fre:#enc& of storm damage e.ents and a higher tem!erat#re
can increase the ris/ for a b#ild #! of a large !o!#lation(7>F $igh tem!erat#res can
bring o#t the worst in bar/ beetles( Storm damage is an im!ortant factor too, for a
dead tree is not able to !rod#ce sa!, ma/ing itself a !erfect habitat for bar/ beetles( As
the 'P-- has shown, time and time again, storminess is something that is bo#nd to
increase with climate change in the f#t#re, lea.ing larger swathes of dead trees and
th#s, when combined with the steadil& rising tem!erat#res of the Taiga, a wonderf#l
s!ringboard for bar/ beetle infestation to s!read f#rther and f#rther across the land(
F=
Contestant Three is -limate -hange itself( The bar/ beetles are en2o&ing the benefits
of rising tem!erat#res 1 bas/ing in the eBtra degree da&s and occ#!&ing the
stormdamaged
timber6 b#t with climate change also comes changes in !reci!itation,
increasingl& earl& snow melt, and a whole world of !ain for s!ecies ada!ted to .er&
s!ecific climatic conditions( As tem!erat#res increase, the whole broad band of Taiga
is cree!ing northwards0 abandoning land in the so#th and occ#!&ing land to the north
that was once the sole !reser.e of st#rd& lichens and mosses( )i.en the !otential scale
of the shift, this is one of the more sinister im!acts of climate change0
9vidence of recent vegetation change is compelling. Aerial photographs show
LthatM along the Arctic to sub-Arctic boundary, the tree line has moved about #1
km northwards, and 2J of Alaskan tundra on the eward ?eninsula has been
displaced by forest in the past 71 years. #7I
Ten /ilometres in fift& &ears doesn9t seem terrif&ing, b#t then these im!acts are the
res#lt of a mere =(GJ- increase in global tem!erat#res, and wa& ahead of an& feedbac/
loo!s /ic/ing in( 'f &o# recall, the melting snow in As!en re.ealed a land s#rface that
had a far lower albedo6 it reflected less energ&, and allowed the gro#nd to absorb
more( The same albedo effect ha!!ens when conifero#s trees mo.e into !re.io#sl&
scr#bb&, snow& areas, li/e the T#ndra 1 an area of almost !ermanentl& froAen s#b*soil
to the north of the Taiga( 't t#rns o#t that the Taiga absorbs between three and siB
times as m#ch solar energ& as the T#ndra7C=, creating a !ositi.e feedbac/ loo! that
increases the tem!erat#re of the @arth9s s#rface, which in t#rn ca#ses a f#rther
northward shift in the Taiga( 'f the Taiga remained in the so#th, the additional eBtent
of forest might offset the red#ction in albedo, b#t as tem!erat#res increase, dro#ghts
and o#tbrea/s of forest fires7C7 also become more wides!read, !recisel& where eBtra
forest wo#ld be most beneficial
+sing methods that calc#late the area of climatic Aones based on tem!erat#re,
M#&in ;ang and ?ames O.erland ha.e estimated that the area of t#ndra lost
worldwide between 7EF= and 2=== was 7(, million s:#are /ilometres, or twent&
!ercent of the total(7C2 That wo#ld be bad eno#gh in most nat#ral habitats, b#t here we
are also loo/ing down the barrel of a methane*filled g#n(
L L L
F7
Beneath the T#ndra, dee! within the !ermafrosts of Siberia, northern -anada and
Alas/a, lie str#ct#res /nown as clathrates( These are tin& !oc/ets of froAen methane
ensconced in the s#b*soil that, d#e to the millions of s:#are /ilometres of land #nder
constantl& froAen conditions, loc/ awa& .ast amo#nts of this !otent greenho#se gas(
Some estimates s#ggest that beneath the Siberian !ermafrost alone there are G= billion
tonnes of methane7C<, onl& !re.ented from esca!ing thro#gh the chance enco#nter of
methane gas with inn#merable min#te ice cas/ets( The release of s#ch a h#ge amo#nt
of gas (it has at least twent& times the global warming !otential of the same amo#nt of
carbon dioBide% o.er a !eriod of fift& &ears wo#ld be eno#gh to raise the tem!erat#re
of the @arth b& aro#nd three degrees centigrade7C,, ca#sing tight, intense feedbac/
loo!s ra!idl& sending the !lanet into a climatic freefall(
This, &o# will a!!reciate, is not something that sho#ld be ha!!ening(
Some a#thors, largel& those /een on the !otential for mineral eB!loitation and the
o!ening #! of shi!!ing ro#tes, are re!orting the !otential changes as !ositi.e6 one
e.en goes so far as to sa&, the warming of the globe9s climate co#ld !ossibl& lead to
a more !rod#cti.e and !ositi.e nat#ral en.ironment than we ha.e toda&(7C> ' am
g#essing that most !eo!le with a semblance of concern for life on this !lanet wo#ld
cho/e on these words0 o!timism is fine, !ro.iding there is something to be o!timistic
abo#t 1 en2o&ing the fr#its of global climate change while mass eBtinction ta/es !lace
is little short of m#rdero#s(
'n the race between the .oracio#s ind#strial logger, the swarming, s!reading bar/
beetles and the seemingl& #nsto!!able forces of climate change, there is no winner(
The Taiga will shift and will fall, b#t the wa& we .iew this mar.ello#s ecos&stem, as
some /ind of !ermanent clothing on the s#rface of the @arth, s#ggests to me that we
still can9t see the wood for the trees(
F2
Chapter #
Beneath And Be&ond
'f &o# were to meas#re e.er& indi.id#al life form on @arth and ta/e an a.erage of
their siAe, &o# wo#ld end #! with something in.isible to the na/ed e&e, s#ch is the
domination of microbes in this world( That said, the range of siAes that /nown life
forms ta/e is tr#l& im!ressi.e( This ine.itabl& begs the :#estion0 's there an&thing
else? As far as we /now, !robabl& not 1 certainl& not that &o# co#ld co#nt as an
indi.id#al organism( B#t there is more0 &o# 2#st ha.e to broaden &o#r horiAons a little(
%eneath
es!ite the com!leB and often fragile nat#re of o#r relationshi!s with other
organisms, some h#mans want to rewrite life and brea/ the e.ol#tionar& monoton&
the& see as being a barrier to !rogress( 'ndi.id#al genes occ#!& a s!ace beneath
e.en that of the dimin#ti.e .ir#s( ;hat is so s!ecial abo#t genes is not that the& are
life itself, b#t the& allow life to ha!!en( The& are the magical molec#lar ingredients
that define what an organism will become0 its !h&sical ma/e#!, its mind, its !otential
as a s#r.i.or( Modif&ing them 1 mo.ing genes from one organism to another 1 is li/e
a com!lete, and !ossibl& male.olent, stranger swa!!ing an ingredient in &o#r
fa.o#rite ca/e reci!e for something &o# wo#ld ne.er eB!ect to find in ca/e( The ca/e
ma& taste better, b#t it ma& also !oison &o#(
't ma& seem as tho#gh these changes are being made to f#lfil some altr#istic desire
to do good 1 increasing cro! &ields, b#ilding in resistance to insects, c#ring h#man
diseases 1 b#t ' am not alone in ha.ing dee! s#s!icions( As ' said earlier, the
com!anies #sing, and ma/ing the mone& o#t of these .ent#res, won9t acce!t liabilit&
for the !otential failings of their !rod#cts( The largest of the cor!orations in.ol.ed in
genetic modification are also /een to !atent their in.entions as tho#gh it is !ossible
to own life7CC, li/e the nineteenth cent#r& sla.e traders who claimed to own their
cargoes of im!risoned h#manit&(
O.erriding all of this is that genetic modification is big b#siness0
F<
hares of the t. Couis-based agri-biotech giant L@onsantoM skyrocketed last
week when the company announced it nearly tripled its fiscal first >uarter
earnings, which rose from VI1 million in 2114 to V274 million. ales for the
period rose 34J to V2.# billion.
The stunning results are largely due to sales of @onsanto5s genetically modified
seeds, which have been engineered to repel pests and be immune to
herbicides.#40
;hate.er the histor& of genetic modification, eB!erimenting with the st#ff of life is
not something that sho#ld be g#ided b& !rofit( 4or m#st s#ch tin/ering be moti.ated
b& !olitics0 go.ernments tr&ing to show that the& are s#!!orters of b#siness, or of
scientific !rogress( Science does not ha.e an& !olitical leanings, nor does it 2#dge
whether one de.elo!ment or another constit#tes !rogress6 it is sim!l& a set of tools
and methods for showing whether something is !h&sicall& tr#e or not( Science does
not ha.e all the answers, not least beca#se not all :#estions can be co#ched in
scientific terms( 't is most certainl& tr#e, tho#gh, that the misuse of science does ca#se
!roblems(
3o# ma& be familiar with the dee! contro.ers& that arises where.er genetic
modification rears its head, b#t this ma& be as nothing com!ared to the contro.ers&
that threatens to en.elo! the #se of S&nthetic Biolog&( $ere is a definition6 see how
&o# feel abo#t it(
S&nthetic Biolog& is0
a% The design and constr#ction of new biological !arts, de.ices, and s&stems, and
b% The re*design of eBisting, nat#ral biological s&stems for #sef#l !#r!oses(7CF
Some f#t#ristic !i!e dream, &o# ma& thin/( Thin/ again0 s&nthetic biolog& is real
and it is being created at a #ni.ersit&, go.ernment or cor!orate research laborator&
near &o#( At this le.el of wor/ biolog&, technolog& and chemistr& f#se to !ro.ide the
means to create the b#ilding bloc/s of life from scratch or ma/e modifications to
li.ing things that wo#ld ha.e been im!ossible 2= &ears ago( A glance at one web
site7CE, #sed b& man& researchers as a h#b for information, re.eals a host of tools,
F,
methods, !rotocols and s&stems that wo#ld be far more at home in a com!#ter
!rogrammer9s librar&6 and essentiall&, that9s what it is 1 a librar& of tools for
re!rogramming life( "anc& a new strain of @( -oli, &easts with artificial chromosomes
or !erha!s a faster growing mo#se cell? 3o# can find instr#ctions for creating these
right now, on the 'nternet( ownloading s#ch reci!es from the web is !erfectl&
legal, &et were the same web site to host information assisting con.entional
terrorist7G= acti.ities li/e ta/ing o#t an electrical grid infrastr#ct#re, it wo#ld almost
certainl& be sh#t down(
Pro!onents of c#tting*edge biological research often #se the greater good
arg#ment to 2#stif& wor/ that wo#ld, in isolation, seem abhorrent to an&one concerned
abo#t genetic modification or other !rocesses that alter the nat#re of life( This idea
that there is a necessar& le.el of sacrifice 1 be that in terms of h#man life, that of other
animals or ma&be some long*held belief 1 re:#ired in order to achie.e a greater good,
is not new( The British !hiloso!hers ?erem& Bentham and ?ohn St#art Mill de.elo!ed
a conce!t /nown as +tilitarianism, which essentiall& means the greatest good for the
greatest n#mber( 'n fact, this is a gross o.ersim!lification of something, on the bac/
of which so man& false claims ha.e been made( ;hat Mill act#all& wrote in his boo/
was0
The utilitarian morality does recognise in human beings the power of sacrificing
their own greatest good for the good of others. &t only refuses to admit that the
sacrifice is itself a good. A sacrifice which does not increase, or tend to
increase, the sum total of happiness, it considers as wasted.#0#
@ssentiall&, an& sacrifice made m#st be .ol#ntar&, and that sacrifice is onl&
worthwhile if it increases the s#m total of ha!!iness, or good( B& co*o!ting this idea
in order to 2#stif& the cloning of embr&os as a c#re for wasting diseases, or o!en s/#ll
eB!erimentation on the brains of !rimates to disco.er the ca#ses of AlAheimer9s, the
s#!!orters of these methods seem to ha.e ignored the need for s#ch sacrifice to be
.ol#ntar&( ;hen considering the !otential ris/s that arise from creating selfre!licating
artificial life, or mani!#lating life in s#ch a wa& that its traits can be !assed
on to f#t#re generations, the sacrifice to be considered is one of global !ro!ortions(
An editorial in The @conomist from 2==C !#ts this s#ccinctl&0 4o technolog& is ris/
free, b#t s&nthetic biolog& has the twist that its mista/es can breed( Toda& the ris/s
F>
are not great( 4e.ertheless, as /nowledge increases, so will the ris/ that something
tr#l& nast& might be #nleashed(7G2
't seems to me that the greater good that is so glibl& s!o/en of b& enth#siastic
!oliticians and embedded scientific 2o#rnalists, is #tterl& ecli!sed b& a )reatest )ood0
the need to !rotect the f#t#re from the actions of the !resent(
%e&ond
;hate.er scale we eBamine life at, each indi.id#al organism is 2#st one com!onent of
a far greater mass0 the bees in their hi.es and swarms, the cod in their shoals, the trees
in their forests( 3et, e.en the greatest collections of indi.id#als are still onl& !arts of
the thing that binds all life together in an infinitel& com!leB dance of birth, s#r.i.al,
change and death( That which some call )aia, Mother 4at#re or -reation ma& 2#st be
a .ast ecos&stem, b#t it transcends all chance of descri!tion or scientific anal&sis 1
sometimes all we can do is loo/ on in awe( $#milit& is not a wea/ness0
Eou must, in studying <ature, always consider both each single thing and the
whole$ nothing is inside and nothing is outside, for what is within is without.
:ejoice in the true illusion, in the serious game$ no living thing is a unity, it is
always manifold.#03
On ?#l& ,, 2==> the s!ace !robe ee! 'm!act com!leted its mission s#ccessf#ll&(
8a#nched in ?an#ar& 2==> the s!acecraft containing the sacrificial !robe made a
beeline for the comet Tem!el 7, describing a c#r.ed tra2ector&, which !laced it in the
!ath of the comet orbiting the s#n between Mars and @arth( On a!!roach the larger
fl&*b& craft released ee! 'm!act, which !l#nged into the s#rface of Tem!el 7,
ca#sing a brilliant and ra!id release of d#st that momentaril& sat#rated the cameras
onboard the OlargerP s!acecraft(7G, The im!act crater was the siAe of a ho#se, and the
strength of the collision was s#fficient to allow the dee!er la&ers of the comet to be
released into s!ace for anal&sis b& the fl&*b& craft( The mission was hailed a
tremendo#s s#ccess b& 4ASA, and widel& recognised as a great achie.ement in the
annals of s!ace eB!loration(
;hat right do we ha.e to affect a stellar ob2ect in this wa&? ;hich celestial 2#dge
iss#ed h#manit& with the warrant b& which we wo#ld be allowed to ta/e ch#n/s o#t
FC
of #nearthl& bodies? And how can we /now that there was no life form on this comet
1 a life form we co#ld not ha.e detected !rior to im!act, and certainl& not one that we
ha.e the moral right to /ill( $#mans ha.e barel& #nloc/ed the first set of gates on the
!ath to disco.ering all that the @arth has to offer6 &et ci.ilised h#mans are now
ta/ing the de.il*ma&*care attit#de that has damaged so m#ch, to the stars, into a !lace
where the ideas of s#stainabilit& and balance lose their comfortable meaning(
-arl Sagan, the l#minar& cosmologist and !hiloso!her once wrote0 There are
worlds on which life has ne.er arisen( There are worlds that ha.e been charred and
r#ined b& cosmic catastro!hes( ;e are fort#nate0 we are ali.e6 we are !owerf#l6 the
welfare of o#r ci.iliAation and o#r s!ecies is in o#r hands(7G> $e co#ld ha.e also
added that, with s#ch enormo#s !ower and the abilit& to both create and destro&, we
ha.e a moral d#t& not onl& to c#rtail o#r destr#ction of the @arth, b#t also to ens#re
that, as we mo.e be&ond the confines of this !lanet we do not lose sight of that
res!onsibilit&( 'nd#strial -i.iliAation ma/es the ass#m!tion that life on other !lanets,
in other galaBies, will onl& be ad.anced if it can comm#nicate with #s6 b#t s#rel&
the tr#l& ad.anced societ& is one that, abo.e all, has attained e:#ilibri#m with its own
en.ironment( Technolog& is no meas#re of ad.ancement6 it is sim!l& a tool that ma&
be #sed b& life for good or ill(
'f we choose to search onl& for life that we consider ad.anced b& o#r own
meas#re then we are !otentiall& ignoring the ma2orit& of life elsewhere( The @arth
ma& be all that we are certain of that contains life, b#t that does not mean we sho#ld
not res!ect that which lies be&ond it0 we ha.e so far made a !rett& bad 2ob of loo/ing
after o#r own home( Sho#ld we be entr#sted with the care of an&one else9s?
%rin.in. *t All To.ether
So there &o# ha.e it0 from the .er& smallest organism that might 2#st :#alif& as life, to
the .er& largest that has e.er been, we ha.e seen the richness and com!leBit& of life
o!erating across a .ast range of scales, all of them within the thin en.elo!e of
atmos!here and ocean that !ro.ides a home for e.er& li.ing thing on @arth(
The tales &o# ha.e read which mo.e from .ir#s to bacteria, nematode to bee, cod
to s!r#ce, eBcl#de man& other life forms that ha.e so man& stories to tell6 b#t e.en
with these ine.itable ga!s one thing is clear( At e.er& scale we ha.e loo/ed at,
FG
h#mans are tied #! in the tale 1 both as ca#se and effect, often the !er!etrator of the
ills that ha.e befallen the life form, and alwa&s the .ictim( As &o# will see in Part
Two, nothing is so de!endent #!on other forms of life as h#mans, the #ltimate
cons#mers( @.er&thing we do has the !otential to disr#!t something, /noc/ it off
balance as we negotiate the finest of lines6 &et, that line we are re!eatedl& ste!!ing
o.er, with o#r batter& farms, o#r b#lldoAers, o#r trawlers and o#r relentless !rod#ction
of climate changing gases6 seems to be getting narrower(
'f an organism eBceeds the carr&ing ca!acit& of its en.ironment, a nat#ral
mechanism ta/es charge to ens#re that the en.ironment doesn9t colla!se entirel&(
"ood, the essential ingredient for s#staining life and allowing it to eB!and, de.elo!
and e.ol.e, becomes scarce( This is not intelligence as we wo#ld normall& #nderstand
it, it is 2#st something that ta/es !lace beca#se the nat#ral reso#rces of that
en.ironment are finite 1 the en.ironment can s#!!l& no more(
As food becomes scarce the organism contracts in terms of its distrib#tion o.er
s!ace, the n#mber of indi.id#als in a certain area, or both( This allows the food so#rce
to be nat#rall& re!lenished in s#ch a wa& that the life form, if eno#gh time is allowed,
can once again thri.e( As the organism once more eB!ands its distrib#tion and
increases its densit& the food so#rce will again start to r#n o#t( +nless a balance is
achie.ed between the food so#rce and the organism9s cons#m!tion of that food then
this !rocess will contin#all& ta/e !lace, li/e a tide of !lent& washing o.er the s!ace
that the organism occ#!ies, and then receding, time and time again(
The stead& state between nat#ral food !rod#ction and cons#m!tion is /nown as
s#stainabilit&, and it a!!lies to all reso#rces being #sed b& all life forms( 'f the
organism ref#ses or fails to contract in the face of diminishing reso#rces then the
en.ironment will reach a le.el of scarcit& from which it ma& not be able to ret#rn in
that organism9s lifetime( 4at#re doesn9t !#ll an& !#nches 1 an organism that ref#ses
to !la& the s#stainabilit& game will alwa&s lose( 4at#re will e.ent#all& reco.er(
;hether h#manit& will, is another matter(
Part T(o
)h& *t Matters
And for those of &o# who mo#rn &o#r li.es from one da& to the neBt,
;ell, let them ta/e &o# neBt(
-an9t &o# li.e and be than/f#l &o#9re here?
See * it co#ld be &o# tomorrow, neBt &ear(
(Trains To BraAil, )#illemots%
Against the wind,
;e were r#nning against the wind(
(Against The ;ind, Bob Seger%
A Matter Of Scale ;h& 't Matters
FE
Chapter '
;hat Are ;e?
'f &o# li.e in the ridic#lo#sl& named e.elo!ed ;orld, then &o# are !robabl& not
ha!!&( @.en if &o# thin/ &o# are ha!!& and feel contented with &o#r lot, &o# are
!robabl& still not ha!!&, and if &o# reall& are then it !robabl& won9t last( 'f &o# li.e in
the e:#all& ridic#lo#sl& named e.elo!ing ;orld then &o# ma& well be .er& ha!!&
indeed and not e.en realise it(
There is a good reason for this, and it will become clear shortl&( B#t '9m not going
to tell &o# wh& in this cha!ter, beca#se first ' need to eB!lain a bit abo#t what we are
made of( Dnowing this is /e& to #nderstanding o#r !lace in the world(
L L L
8ife as we /now it wo#ld not eBist witho#t deoB&ribon#cleic acid, or 4A( These
long*strand molec#les are essentiall& co!&ing machines0 the& create d#!licates of
themsel.es thro#gho#t e.er& cell of an organism( ;hen the organism dies, if it hasn9t
re!rod#ced, then the 4A will be sto!!ed in its trac/s 1 it will ha.e failed(
4A doesn9t want to s#r.i.e 1 &o# cannot ascribe h#man characteristics to a
chain of com!leB molec#les 1 it 2#st ha!!ens to ha.e that f#nction( Organisms are
sim!l& carriers for 4A, or S#r.i.al Machines(7GC Organisms ma& not #nderstand
wh& the& need to re!rod#ce (altho#gh we ha.e no wa& of /nowing for s#re% b#t the&
all feel that the& m#st re!rod#ce, and in order to re!rod#ce the& m#st be able to
s#r.i.e(( $#mans realise, at a high le.el, that the& want to re!rod#ce, b#t how man&
realise that this desire to re!rod#ce (and also to s#r.i.e% is sim!l& the calling of their
4A molec#les?
Some of &o# ma& be thin/ing that '9.e left an element o#t of here6 where is the
-reator? This boo/ ass#mes that e.ol#tion is a fact, b#t in the interests of harmon& '
ha.e no wish at all to gi.e &o# a lect#re on the rights and wrongs of e.ol#tion or
religion 1 at least not &et( 'f &o# want a good read, then ' recommend both The Selfish
)ene and The Ancestor9s Tale b& Iichard aw/ins from &o#r librar&( There, ' ha.e
!#t m& heart on m& slee.e, b#t !lease gi.e me time to eB!lain m&self(
E=
;hate.er &o# belie.e, /nowing what h#mans thin/ the& are is .er& im!ortant( To
start with, '9m going to r#n a few o!inions !ast &o# that other !eo!le ha.e gi.en
me(7GG
uman %ein.s are9
S)od9s creation
Sa fl#/e of the #ni.erse
Smostl& harmless
Sthe most dangero#s animals on the !lanet
Sfallible
Sfinite
San infestation #!on the @arth
Sbi!edal carbon*based life forms
Shere for a fleeting moment
Sthe !innacle of e.ol#tion
Sthe !innacle of creation
Sst#!id
S#naware of how l#c/& the& are
Sthe& 2#st are
;itho#t some serio#s mental rewiring, it is not !ossible for one !erson to
sim#ltaneo#sl& and sincerel& belie.e all of these o!inions( Some of them &o# ma&
sincerel& belie.e, and some of them &o# won9t( ;ith half an e&e on the list abo.e, '9m
going to brea/ the eB!lanation of what we are into fo#r small sections, each of which
concerns a different !h&sical as!ect of h#manit&( "irst of all, we need to /now where
h#mans stand, sit, /neel or lie down com!ared to other forms of life(
E7
Our Place *n The Tree Of 8ife
TaBonom& is a branch of science concerned with !#tting things into a certain order,
and taBonom& is #sed to create something called the Ph&logenetic Tree, of which
h#mans form a !art( ;ithin this monstro#sl& com!licated networ/ of tr#n/s,
branches, twigs and leaflets, can
be fo#nd h#mans6 as we see in
"igure #(
Ieading from the to!
downwards, &o# can see that it
ta/es eight stages to get to
modern h#mans( 4ot all s!ecies
or s#b*s!ecies ta/e so man&
le.els to get to6 h#mans are a
!rett& s!ecial case, being rather
central to o#r wa& of seeing
things( 'n fact, h#mans wo#ld be
recognisable at the le.el of the
"amil& %ominidae, e.en tho#gh
all li.ing h#mans are
#ndo#btedl& of the same S!ecies(
As &o# mo.e bac/ thro#gh histor&, &o# disco.er that o#r connections to the rest of
the animal /ingdom are not reall& that obsc#re( Iichard aw/ins refers to common
lin/s between different branches on the !h&logenetic tree as -oncestors(7GF ;e share a
concestor with, first, bonobos and chim!anAees, then gorillas, orang*#tans and
gibbons( O#r common lin/ with o#r closest s#r.i.ing animal relation, the
chim!anAee, with which we share at least E> !ercent of o#r 4A, !robabl& eBisted C
million &ears ago 1 a blin/ in the e&e of geological time( Ten concestors bac/ and we
connect to the rodents( "ifteen concestors, and we are at one with the d#c/*billed
!lat&!#s( $#mans and am!hibians share a common ancestor at <,= million &ears BP
(before !resent%, and it was ,C= million &ears ago 1 still onl& a tenth of the @arth9s
lifetime * that we s!lit off from the same branch that we share with shar/s(
"igure #$ %uman ?hylogenetic Tree (ource$
Author5s image)
E2
The Animal Dingdom first emerged, as the 2ell&fish li/e 9diacara, an&thing #! to
2=== million &ears ago7GE b#t, as we ha.e seen in Part One, animals were, and are,
most certainl& not alone( Iight #! at the le.el of Dingdom, we find that Animalia is
2#st one of man&(
Kingdoms of Life according to ITIS180
Animalia$ The animals, of which we are !art( This /ingdom is eBtremel& di.erse, b#t
not the most di.erse /ingdom( 't incl#des all insects, fish, mammals, cr#staceans,
moll#scs, corals and worms, among other things(
?lantae$ Plants( The most !h&sicall& di.erse /ingdom of all, and !robabl& the largest
in terms of total mass( 'ncl#des all mosses, m#lticell#lar algae (in all its man& h#es%,
flowering !lants, trees and grasses( ;itho#t !lants h#mans wo#ld ha.e no food,
eBce!t for f#ngi(
-hromista$ Possibl& a /ingdom of its own, formed of algae which ma& or ma& not be
incl#ded in the Plant Dingdom (conf#sing, ' /now%(
"ungi$ A /ingdom that seems sim!le eno#gh b#t incl#des a .ast arra& of different sac
f#ngi6 cl#b f#ngi 1 incl#ding all m#shrooms and toadstools6 &easts and mo#lds(
;itho#t f#ngi, nothing wo#ld deca&, and there wo#ld be no soil(
@onera$ Bacteria( As we saw in Part One, bacteria are e.er&where and witho#t them
life on @arth wo#ld not ha.e been able to de.elo!( This is now #s#all& di.ided into
the Tr#e Bacteria and the more resilient Archaea(
?roto6oa$ These are the single*celled animals( The& feed on bacteria and molds, and
the& are food for man& larger creat#res, as well as being an im!ortant so#rce of
disease(
4othing is sim!le in the world of taBonom&, tho#gh( Beca#se Tr#e Bacteria and
Archaea are considered to be so different from all other forms of life, the& are often
classified as forming two of the three omains in which all life is incl#ded, lea.ing all
other life forms on their own branch( O#tside of these domains are .ir#ses, as
disc#ssed in Part One6 no one is reall& s#re where the& sho#ld go( 'f we bring together
all different life forms in a single .ast genetic tree, we get something li/e "igure 2(
E<
All animals, incl#ding #s, sit on one s#b*branch, in the right hand corner, neBt to
slime mo#lds(7F7 )o bac/ 2#st >== &ears, tho#gh, and the common .iew!oint 1
scientific or otherwise 1 was that Man was #ndo#btedl& the dominant being on the
@arth( Aristotle, that )ree/ bastion of self*!romotion, concei.ed the idea that all life
forms in eBistence were set #!on a scale that reflected the degrees of !erfection that
each was endowed with( This was eBtended right #! to the Middle Ages in @#ro!e to
incl#de .ario#s religio#s entities at the !innacle of which was )od, the -reator(7F2
S#ch an egocentric .iew!oint, with h#mans 2#st a few r#ngs below )od, and
e.er&thing else less !erfect, is not s#ch an #ncommon .iew e.en toda&(
Of co#rse, h#mans are 2#st one .er& small (if relati.el& n#mero#s% !art of the
Animal Dingdom( ;e find o#r !lace among the tho#sands of different s!ecies of
mammals, which sit alongside the am!hibians, re!tiles and other animals that ha.e
bac/bones6 b#t most s!ecies of animal do not ha.e bac/bones( $#ge n#mbers of
animals ha.e shell*li/e eBos/eletons, !rotecti.e shells, or no form of s/eletal matter at
all 1 we are in the minorit&( 'ncredibl&, there ma& be as man& as 2= million different
animal s!ecies( Most of them ma& consist of onl& a few s!ecimens, b#t others are
teeming with #nimaginable n#mbers( Ants and termites, for instance, ma& form
between twent& and thirt& !ercent of the total animal mass of some large terrestrial
"igure 2$ 8omains ;f Cife (ource$ ,ikipedia -ommons)
E,
ecos&stems(7F< 'n ?#l& 2==G there were C(C billion h#mans on @arth( There are .er&
a!!roBimatel& two h#ndred tho#sand trillion termites(7F,
This is not some deliberate !lo& to ma/e &o# feel small and insignificant, or e.en
mostl& harmless6 there is no do#bt, howe.er, that o#r im!act on @arth 1 as described
in Part One 1 is o#t of all !ro!ortion to o#r global biological significance(
o( Si.nificant Are )e+
After all that &o# ma& be thin/ing, 'f we9re so small and insignificant, how come we
are able to change life on @arth so m#ch? and &o# wo#ld be right to as/ that
:#estion( 'f we were to base the im!ortance of an organism #!on how m#ch !otential
an organism has for long*term s#r.i.al, then &o# might thin/ that %omo apiens
apiens wo#ld be at the to! of the !ile( 3o# wo#ld be .er& wrong( 'f &o# recall the
wa& in which life forms are de!endent #!on each other, then one thing becomes
startlingl& clear0 most indi.id#al life forms that we are familiar with cannot s#r.i.e on
their own( 'nsects feed off !lants and other animals6 fish eat !lan/ton, weed and other
sea creat#res6 h#mans can li.e off nothing b#t !lant matter, b#t generall& cons#me a
combination of !lants, animals and f#ngi(
B#t here9s the catch0 all of the organisms mentioned in the !re.io#s list are
$eterotro!hs6 meaning the& cannot !rod#ce eno#gh food of their own to s#r.i.e
witho#t feeding off another organism( A#totro!hs, on the other hand, can ma/e all of
their food from raw materials 1 s#n, air, roc/s, dissol.ed minerals, .olcanic gases(
The .ast ma2orit& of !lants, algae and bacteria are a#totro!hs, and it is the&, the
organisms that can s#r.i.e witho#t an& hel!, often in eBtreme conditions7F>, that first
colonised this !lanet( $#mans are often described as the #ltimate !redator 1 the
s#!reme /iller which all other creat#res s#bmit to, albeit #nwillingl&( 'n energ& terms,
h#mans occ#!& a n#mber of tro!hic (food% le.els, and often ma/e conscio#s decisions
which le.el the& which to occ#!&0 from the .egan who cons#mes nothing b#t direct
!lant matter, to the omni.ore who ma& be cons#ming something, that cons#med
something, that cons#med something, that cons#med something else( This ma/es #s
eBtremel& fleBible, able to ta/e ad.antage of a .ast range of food so#rces, which has
contrib#ted to the s#ccess of the s!ecies( 'n effect we are not 2#st the #ltimate
!redator, b#t also the #ltimate sca.enger 1 f#ss& eaters ta/e note( 4e.ertheless,
E>
h#mans are, as we saw thro#gho#t Part One, eBtremel& .#lnerable to changes in the
ecos&stems that s#!!ort them(
'magine &o# are sitting on a beach, facing the o!en ocean with nothing b#t miles of
cream*colo#red sand stretching to either side of &o#( $#nger stri/es, and there is
nothing, nothing at all, for &o# to eat( The sea is barren6 marine life ha.ing been
fished to near*eBtinction( The sands are dr& and de.oid of green matter( Ie!tiles that
once bas/ed in the warm s#n before sc#ttling awa& to find insects ha.e not s#r.i.ed
whate.er armageddon led to this sit#ation( The @arth is an a!!arentl& lifeless globe of
ocean and land0 &o# will s#rel& star.e to death as the last of &o#r /ind( 'f onl& &o#
co#ld #se the energ& of the s#n to con.ert the air and the minerals from the @arth into
food( 'f onl& the tin& trace elements that sit eB!osed on the grains of sand co#ld be
con.erted into some sort of s#stenance( 3o# ma& ha.e reached an e.ol#tionar&
!innacle of sorts, b#t &o# are inca!able of li.ing witho#t the efforts or the bodies of
other organisms to feed &o#(
'f we aren9t caref#l, the a#totro!hs will inherit the @arth(
The Problem Of Population
'n 2=72, the world h#man !o!#lation is eB!ected to brea/ the G billion mar/7FC, and b&
aro#nd 2=C= will !robabl& reach aro#nd 7= billion( This !henomenal growth rate
s#ggests an organism that is o#t of control0 li/e bacteria that teem and m#lti!l& in an
infinitel& rich so#! of n#trients, or a ram!ant t#mo#r that m#st, somehow, be eBcised(
emogra!hic histor& tells #s a .er& im!ortant lesson abo#t the nat#re of h#manit&,
and how o#r o!!ort#nistic beha.io#r has made #s so dominant( "igure 3 shows the
world !o!#lation7FG o.er the last 72,=== &ears, beginning with the .er& a!!roBimate
estimate of 7 million !eo!le in 7=,=== B-@ (Before -ommon @ra%7FF and not doing
m#ch for abo#t E,=== &ears( 't is not #ntil after 7>== -@ (-ommon @ra%7FE that things
begin to get going, and if &o# loo/ to the far right of the gra!h then it is clear that the
!o!#lation is onl& reall& starting to go #! as the &ear 2=== a!!roaches(
'n order to get a clearer .iew of o#r !o!#lation histor&, &o# need a far more recent
set of data to go on, as shown b& "igure .( @.en with onl& 2=== &ears to re!resent the
histor& of h#man !o!#lation growth, &o# ha.e to eBamine the last tenth of the gra!h
to see something reall& notable ha!!en(
EC
'n the 2== &ears #! to the &ear 2==> the h#man !o!#lation increased from 2#st o.er
F== million to C>== million( Between 7E== and 2==> alone, the !o!#lation grew from
7>>= million to the gidd& heights of toda&9s .ast h#manitarian swarm( According to
the O!tim#m Po!#lation Tr#st7E=, the @arth may be able to s#stainabl& s#!!ort ,(C
billion !eo!le( Their anal&sis seems to be reasonable6 in which case we ha.e alread&
o.ershot that carr&ing ca!acit& b& abo#t >= !ercent, with the o.ershoot getting
more critical all the time(
;hat is e.ident from the gra!hs is that for most of h#man histor&, the !o!#lation
reall& didn9t change m#ch at all( +! to the first great wa.e of animal domestication b&
h#mans, in abo#t 7=,=== B-@7E7, the !o!#lation was stable at aro#nd 7 million(
omestication made it !ossible for h#mans to sta& in one !lace and eat, instead of
foraging for food 1 farming was born( Po!#lation growth remained fairl& stead& as the
reach of domestication s!read for the neBt E,=== &ears or so thro#gho#t the world, b#t
it wasn9t #ntil the emergence of the first modern ci.iliAations in the Mediterranean
basin and the Middle @ast that high*densit& h#man li.ing and mass trans!ortation
"igure 3$ ,orld ?opulation in the last #2,111 years (ource$ Author5s /raph)
EG
allowed the !o!#lation to increase more easil&, where !re.io#sl& !eo!le had had to
remain close to the so#rce of their food( This wo#ld become .er& significant later on(
)rowth accelerated in the late 7Eth cent#r&( +! to this !oint the largest regional
!o!#lations had been in -hina, 'ndia and So#th @ast Asia, which had economicall&
benefited from agric#lt#ral methods de.elo!ed o.er tho#sands of &ears( The 'nd#strial
Ie.ol#tion !ro.ided a so#rce of wealth, and f#rther ind#cement to m#lti!l&, for the
increasing !o!#lation of @#ro!e7E2, which grew ra!idl& in the late 7Eth and earl& 2=th
cent#r&6 b#t more than an&thing else it was the abilit& of h#mans to eB!loit and o!en
#! h#ge areas of land for food !rod#ction which allowed the world !o!#lation to /ee!
increasing( es!ite wars, the constant threat of disease, and nat#ral disasters, h#mans
fo#nd wa&s to s#r.i.e, and thri.e( According to the +nited 4ations0 The ra!id
growth of the world !o!#lation started in 7E>=, with red#ctions in mortalit& in the less
de.elo!ed regions, res#lting in aS!o!#lation of C(7 billion in the &ear 2===, nearl&
two and a half times the !o!#lation in 7E>=(7E<
;h& has the !o!#lation grown at s#ch a dramatic rate in the last C= &ears? The
sim!le answer is that !eo!le are not d&ing as readil& as the& did #! to the middle of
"igure .$ ,orld ?opulation in the last 2,111 years (ource$ Author5s /raph)
EF
the 2=th cent#r&( 'nfant mortalit& rates in most !arts of the world are at the lowest
since detailed records were first ta/en, and h#man life eB!ectanc& 1 at least in rich
nations 1 is similarl& at its highestSfor the time being( )ood n#trition along with
wides!read con.entional medicine (incl#ding .accinations% and sanitation are
ens#ring h#mans li.e thro#gh sit#ations that, onl& >= &ears !re.io#sl&, wo#ld ha.e
been almost certainl& fatal( O#r abilit& to s#r.i.e ailments, e.en as we create more of
them, has ens#red that, if the @arth is able to s#stain #s, there will be 7= billion
h#mans crawling, wal/ing, dri.ing and fl&ing aro#nd the @arth in the not too distant
f#t#re(
;e ma& thin/ of o#rsel.es as s#!erlati.el& mobile and ada!table today, b#t it
a!!ears that between 7==,=== and 7=,=== B-@ h#mans had tra.elled the world and
occ#!ied e.er& continent eBce!t for Antarctica7E,, and this d#ring a !eriod of almost
!er!et#al 'ce Age( 'n that time, with a world !o!#lation of less than a million, s#ch
mobilit& wo#ld ha.e had little im!act on the global ecos&stem( As of abo#t 7EF2,
when we o.ershot the @arth9s carr&ing ca!acit&, o#r c#rrent wa& of li.ing meant that
the @arth was sim!l& #nable to s#!!ort the n#mber of !eo!le li.ing on its s#rface
witho#t something starting to go .er& wrong(
Ci1ili:ed umans
The a#/s and the herring g#lls ha.e their cliffs6 from the shallow sandstones to the
!reci!ito#s o.erhanging crags of limestone and granite, battered b& th#ndero#s
wa.es, b#t rich in !lant and insect life, and close to a still !lentif#l sea( The !igeons,
starlings and s!arrows ha.e their cliffs too6 the sheer dro!s of s#llen concrete, r#sset
brown bric/ and gleaming glass that see a tide of h#mans below washing thro#gh the
can&ons on foot, and in their tireless .essels that sh#dder as the& wait im!atientl& for
the neBt green light( These cliffs and seas are no less !lentif#l for the birds0 litter, food
waste, discarded !ac/ets and canisters f#ll of last night9s lefto.ers 1 carrion V la carte(
"or the most !art, tho#gh, the wildlife sta&s awa&(
The contrast between r#ral and #rban li.ing is at its clearest in the densel& !ac/ed
cities of 'ndia, -hina, BraAil and So#th Africa( The cities !romise a life free of the
hand*to*mo#th s:#alor that is the s#fferance of o.ercrowded, !oll#ted co#ntr&side(
The cities ha.e 2ob o!!ort#nities, a!artments with e.er& modern con.enience and
EE
"igure 7$ ,orld :ural vs. Hrban ?opulation since #I71 (ource$ H< ?opulation 8ivision, 2117)
!a.ements of goldH 'n realit&, the cities ta/e !eo!le awa& from one world and enclose
them in another 1 and the s:#alor sim!l& !iles #! within the cit& walls(
'n 2==>, the +4 Po!#lation i.ision anno#nced that the #rban !o!#lation of the
world wo#ld eBceed the r#ral !o!#lation within < &ears( @.en as world !o!#lation is
growing, #rbaniAation is increasing as a !ro!ortion of this rising fig#re(
' thin/ that last sentence was wrong( -an ' re!hrase it?
;orld !o!#lation is growing, because #rbaniAation has allowed it to grow so
:#ic/l&( Modern #rban li.ing has !ro.ided h#mans with a m#ltit#de of ser.ices on
ta!, thro#gh wires or 2#st down the road, allowing !eo!le to get on with the im!ortant
b#siness of earning mone& and en2o&ing the fr#its of their last sho!!ing tri!( 't has
conse:#entl& also !ro.ided what architects refer to as ho#sing #nits, which can be
crammed in left, right, centre, #! and down6 in tower bloc/s, terraces and cl#sters of
identi/it ho#sing which /ee! !#shing towns and cities f#rther into the wild( S!ace to
li.e? S!ace to m#lti!l&, certainl&(
The +4 re!ort states0 #ring the neBt few decades the #rban areas of the less
de.elo!ed regions are !ro2ected to absorb all the !o!#lation growth eB!ected
worldwide( That is, global !o!#lation growth is becoming a largel& #rban
!henomenon(7E>
7==
+rbaniAation is #s#all& defined in terms of the densit& of h#man !o!#lation, b#t there
is more to it than that( An #rban en.ironment is dominated b& h#mans( The domain of
h#mans is becoming the cit&0 a com!leB infrastr#ct#re of ho#sing, commercial and
!#blic b#ildings, #tilities and trans!ortation, which has little or no s!ace for those
s!ecies that cannot ada!t to s#it the #rban wa& of life( The fift& !ercent le.el of
#rbaniAation is a mon#mental e.ent6 it indicates the !oint at which global h#manit&
has become not onl& c#lt#rall&, b#t !h&sicall& associated with the dominance of
cities( This is what it means to be ci.ilised(
;ith close to G billion !eo!le on @arth, the /ind of s#bsistence7EC beha.io#r that
s#!!orted 2#st a few !eo!le tho#sands of &ears ago, and still s#!!orts !oc/ets of
h#manit& in some areas, doesn9t seem !ossible 1 there doesn9t seem to be eno#gh land
or wildlife to go ro#nd( S#rel& cit& dwelling, with its em!hasis on high densit&, high
efficienc& li.ing is the onl& wa& to s#!!ort e.en the ,(C billion !eo!le that ;;" and
the O!tim#m Po!#lation Tr#st sa& is s#stainable, isn9t it? One wa& of answering that
:#estion is to consider how m#ch land a !erson needs to grow their own food and
obtain the other basic re:#irements for life, s#ch as shelter and clothing(
An interesting anal&sis was carried o#t b& And& -ollier in 2==G, who estimated7EG
that a famil& of fo#r wo#ld need aro#nd =(> acres (=(2 ha% to be f#ll& self s#fficient as
a famil& #nit( "or se.en billion !eo!le, this wor/s o#t as <(> million s:#are
/ilometres, or 2(, !ercent of the @arth9s land s#rface( @.en if we tri!le this to allow
for b#ilding, clothing and heating materials, it is still a mere se.en !ercent of the
entire @arth9s land s#rface 1 a tin& !ro!ortion of the land area that h#manit& is
directl& affecting at the c#rrent time( $owe.er, we do not li.e off the land, we li.e
largel& in a ci.iliAed c#lt#re(
't ta/es a radical thin/er li/e erric/ ?ensen to !#t that into !ers!ecti.e0 -ities,
the defining feat#re of ci.iliAation, ha.e alwa&s relied on ta/ing reso#rces from the
s#rro#nding co#ntr&side, meaning, first, that no cit& has e.er been or e.er will be
s#stainable on its own, and second, that in order to contin#e their ceaseless eB!ansion
cities m#st ceaselessl& eB!and the areas the& m#st ceaselessl& h&!er*eB!loit(7EF $e
goes on to eB!lain the !s&cholog& behind cit& li.ing6 a state of mind that allows #rban
dwellers to lose the connection with the areas that s#!!l& them with reso#rces 1 m#ch
li/e the increasing n#mber of !eo!le who don9t #nderstand how their food is made, or
wh& it is not necessaril& a good thing for a @#ro!ean or an American to ha.e sac/s
7=7
f#ll of !lastic to&s for -hristmas( The cit& dweller 1 the ci.iliAed h#man 1 is c#t off
from his life s#!!ort s&stem( The food, clothes, b#ilding materials, e.en the energ&,
ma& as well come from another world(
There is a sad sense of ine.itabilit& to all of this, in that we ha.e !robabl& got
where we are sim!l& beca#se of who we are( ;e are h#mans, we ha.e become more
n#mero#s than the @arth can a!!arentl& co!e with, b#t there is no t#rning bac/
beca#se e.ol#tion has ta/en #s somewhere that we feel is the !innacle of eBistence(
3o# ma& well thin/ that, and ' reall& wo#ldn9t blame &o# if &o# did( $old that
tho#ght(
7=2
Chapter 9
;ho Are ;e?
;hen m& wife and ' decided to ha.e children o#r first instinct was to tr& and ha.e one
child and see where things went after that( "ort#natel& for #s o#r first child was
health&, so we decided to ha.e one more 1 and onl& one more, regardless of an&thing
that ha!!ened afterwards( B& onl& ha.ing two children we are, in effect, contrib#ting
to the red#ction in global !o!#lation, beca#se the Ie!lacement "ertilit& in o#r !art
of the world is aro#nd 2(7 children !er co#!le(7EE ;e co#ld ha.e decided to ha.e 2#st
one child or none at all and, based on the !re.io#s cha!ter, &o# wo#ld thin/ that
wo#ld be the nat#ral choice for a committed en.ironmentalist6 b#t ' am also a h#man
being, with h#man instincts(
Being a h#man means ' am, li/e all organisms, s#sce!tible to the demands of m&
4A( 't also means that ' ha.e conscio#s awareness of the need to s#r.i.e 1 for
h#mans, and !robabl& few other life forms, biological #rges are not the be*all and
end*all( 'f an organism has the mental ca!acit& to #nderstand that it needs to s#r.i.e
and re!rod#ce, then it ma& also ha.e the mental ca!acit& to ma/e its own choices(
$#mans can choose whether to re!rod#ce and, in eBtremis, whether to li.e or die(
The& can also choose a lot more besides(
3o# are !robabl& reading this thin/ing that ' ha.e 2#st stated the ob.io#s and, in
fact, &o# co#ld choose to sto! reading this altogether and go and watch some !olice
chases on T5( This boo/, or !olice chases0 hardl& a life or death decision reall&,
altho#gh ' wo#ld stress that in.o/ing &o#r right to choose and closing this boo/ for
good co#ld de!ri.e &o# of a good read, and ma&be e.en a life*changing eB!erience(
The !oint is, &o# ha.e that choice, and it is a conscio#s one( @.en if that choice is not
&o#rs 1 for instance, someone wal/ing #! to &o# and ta/ing the boo/ awa& 1
someone, somewhere along the line made a conscio#s decision(
The conflict between choice and necessit& rarel& comes #! in o#r li.es now( Tr#e
necessit&, which in.o/es s#r.i.al instincts, is #s#all& enca!s#lated in a series of
conscio#s decisions abo#t when to eat, what to drin/, where to li.e, which 2ob to ta/e
and e.en whether to ha.e children or not( 'n the latter case, s#ch choice is not
7=<
!artic#larl& modern6 there are references to the #se of contrace!tion and abortion from
as far bac/ as 7>== B-@2==6 b#t who is to sa& that s#ch !ractices are not far older? 't
seems clear that the di.ision between choice and necessit& can be fo#nd where.er
s#r.i.al is at iss#e6 so, where infant mortalit& is high, and life eB!ectanc& low,
contrace!tion is not !artic#larl& rele.ant, and where the onl& means of earning a
li.ing is to wor/ down a mine or on a farm, then career choices go o#t of the window(
On a !ersonal le.el, ' ha.e chosen to become a .egetarian for a n#mber of reasons 1
the desire not to /ill animals and the #nderstanding that s#ch a diet is more
en.ironmentall& so#nd among them 1 b#t if ' was a nomadic 'n#it or a Dalahari
B#shman, then dietar& choice wo#ld onl& be !ossible if there was a s#r!l#s of the
necessar& n#trients to /ee! me ali.e( 'f ' had to eat meat to s#r.i.e then m&
.egetarianism wo#ld ta/e second !lace to m& h#nger(
4ot ;ust Ph&sical
O#r abilit& to choose, and the choices that we s#bse:#entl& ma/e are eB!ressions of
the wa& in which o#r minds are constr#cted( @ach eB!erience we ha.e, each emotion
that triggers a res!onse within #s, each time o#r senses are awa/ened, has an effect on
o#r f#t#re decisions( The stim#lation of o#r !h&sical and mental being reinforces
connections between different areas of o#r brain6 a fla.o#r which e.o/es a .i.id
childhood memor&, or a so#nd which ta/es #s to another !lace or another time, are
eBam!les we can all relate to( Some connections in o#r brain, tho#gh, are onl& made
ob.io#s when we ha.e to ma/e #se of o#r instincts(
An instinct is an& tho#ght or action o!erating at a le.el below o#r conscio#s
awareness( This is sometimes referred to as g#t feeling or g#t reaction6 the inference
being that what has occ#rred has b&!assed o#r conscio#s mind( B#t instincts are not
refleBes (actions which o!erate witho#t the direct in.ol.ement of o#r brain% the& are
the res#lt of something far more cerebral( ;hen ' hear a !erson ma/ing a racist
comment, m& instinct is one of distaste6 ' do not ma/e a conscio#s decision to feel
li/e that, it ha!!ens before ' ha.e a chance to thin/ abo#t it( Of co#rse, ' ha.e to
!rocess the comment in some wa& to decide whether the words s!o/en amo#nt to
something ' co#ld call racist, b#t the instant that this becomes clear, the instincti.e
g#t feeling of distaste occ#rs(
7=,
4ow here is an interesting iron&( The most widel& /nown modern !ro!onent of
instincti.e beha.io#r, Malcolm )ladwell, who wrote the boo/ Blin/, is shown on
the inside front co.er of that boo/( ' had enth#siasticall& read and en2o&ed The
Ti!!ing Point (more of this later%, which did not ha.e an a#thor !hotogra!h in the
!a!erbac/ .ersion6 b#t, almost certainl& beca#se ' am a white male bro#ght #! in a
c#lt#re of !redominantl& white male dominance, was later s#r!rised to see that the
a#thor was of miBed race( Iather li/e the do#ble*ta/e stor& of the s#rgeon 1 ass#med
b& most readers to be male 1 who will not o!erate on her da#ghter, o#r c#lt#ral
infl#ences define how we react0 what decisions we ma/e in the face of information( '
find racism disg#sting, b#t m& c#lt#ral filters still made the a#thor of The Ti!!ing
Point white b& defa#lt(
'n fact, it is almost im!ossible to entirel& ignore &o#r c#lt#ral filters( A
gro#ndbrea/ing tele.ision ad.ertisement for The )#ardian news!a!er that ran a few
&ears ago showed this .er& clearl&(2=7 The +D has a rich histor& of recreational
.iolence0 the sort that #sed to ta/e !lace on the beaches of Margate, Brighton and
So#thend*on*Sea between .ario#s gro#!s of !eo!le in the s#mmer s#n( 'n the 7EG=s
the tribes most commonl& in.ol.ed were the .ario#s gro#!s of s/inheads, who
wo#ld fight tooth and nail, before retreating to the local !#bs for a celebrator& drin/(
The s/inhead was, and still is, a s&mbol of white s#!remac& in man& !arts of the
world6 and also of man& other t&!es of beha.io#r often associated with the fringes of
societ&( The )#ardian ad.ertisement showed a hea.il& b#ilt s/inhead racing towards
a man in a !or/*!ie hat and s#it, from .ario#s angles( The tho#ght in m& mind, and
those of most !eo!le who saw the film, was that the man in the s#it was abo#t to be
attac/ed( The cr#nch came in the last ten seconds, which showed the scene from an
entirel& different angle0 the s/inhead was, in fact, sa.ing the other man from being
cr#shed b& a falling !allet of bric/s( -#lt#ral histor& has a h#ge !art to !la& in
defining the wa& we thin/(
The eBtent to which o#r decisions 1 conscio#s or instincti.e 1 are colo#red b& o#r
eB!eriences is a /e& to #nderstanding whether, and to what eBtent, !eo!le are li/el& to
be infl#enced b& news and other information abo#t en.ironmental damage( A st#d&
carried o#t at the +ni.ersit& of O#l#, "inland2=2 fo#nd that when loo/ing at the wa& in
which information is !ercei.ed across different c#lt#res, a h#ge range of factors had
to be ta/en into consideration, incl#ding0 the nat#re of a !erson and their beliefs6 a
7=>
!erson9s relationshi! with the eBternal en.ironment6 the wa& in which that !erson
comm#nicates6 and whether a !erson identifies with the !ast, !resent or f#t#re, and to
what eBtent( The st#d& fo#nd that technolog& onl& went !art of the wa& to bridging
c#lt#ral ga!s 1 far more im!ortant in o.ercoming c#lt#ral differences was sim!l& the
abilit& to #nderstand those differences( 'n short, in order to infl#ence, &o# first ha.e to
get inside !eo!le9s minds(
;hether !eo!le #nderstand what is going on in their own minds is another matter(
The 7Gth cent#r& !hiloso!her )ottfried 8eibniA belie.ed 1 !ossibl& in a moment of
wea/ness 1 that o#r minds are controlled b& inde!endent beings /nown as
$om#nc#li, which literall& means little men( S#ch images cro! #! thro#gho#t
histor&, #s#all& in a light*hearted manner, b#t few !eo!le wo#ld admit to ha.ing s#ch
serio#s beliefs now( $owe.er, as/ someone to eB!lain who the& are 1 what are the& in
themselves * and the& wo#ld !robabl& str#ggle to gi.e &o# a con.incing answer(
' s!ent a long time reading !hiloso!h& boo/s0 from Plato to Mill, from Machia.elli
to Dant, and finall& to a !hiloso!her that few !eo!le ha.e heard of 1 ere/ Parfit(
$alfwa& thro#gh Parfit9s Ieasons and Persons ' sto!!ed( ' had reams of notes( $ere
is a sam!le of m& tho#ghts0
CetAs suppose that when we sleep, our memories (for which read the specific
states of all the neurons in our brains) are transferred to another person. ;ur
brain K that which we inhabited prior to sleep K is destroyed. 8o we wake up in
the brain + body of the other personN
,ell, for a start, in order to transfer these memories to another person, we have
to fundamentally change the state of many, if not all, neurons in that personAs
brain. This will effectively, on most views, destroy the continuity of that person.
But do they become usN
At first glance the answer would seem to be yes, our mental state has been
transferred, so we are bound to wake up in the other brain + body.
But what happens if our original brain is not destroyed K would there be two of
usN And if so, could we be simultaneously aware of waking up in both of these
people.
7=C
't9s not the /ind of thing to gi.e &o# a good night9s slee!, if '9m being honest, and
that9s one reason wh& ' ga.e #! reading !hiloso!h&( M& st#dies allowed me to ma/e a
concl#sion abo#t what we are, in o#rsel.es 1 at least to m& own satisfaction0 ;e are
the res#lt of the interaction of o#r acc#m#lated memories with the awareness and
control of o#r !h&sical being and its s#rro#ndings( This is ob.io#sl& a gross
o.ersim!lification, b#t it gets ro#nd the idea of ha.ing little men cro!!ing #! in m&
brain !#lling le.ers and !#shing b#ttons6 after all, who is controlling the hom#nc#li?
The other reason ' ga.e #! !hiloso!h& was that ' realised it was fr#itless disc#ssing
the meta!h&sical nat#re of things when all aro#nd me a !h&sical battle for the f#t#re
of the !lanet was going on( ' wasn9t going to c#t carbon emissions b& contem!lating
the inside of m& head( One thing was clear alread&, tho#gh0 2#st b& a!!l&ing a little bit
more self awareness then some of the things that we hold so dear show themsel.es #!
to be com!letel& abs#rdH
The *mportance Of %ein. app&
't seems that be&ond the desire to li.e and (in most cases% re!rod#ce, we desire one
other thing that sometimes o#tweighs e.en the instr#ctions of o#r 4A 1 ha!!iness(
At a !h&sical le.el, ha!!iness comes from o#r senses being stim#lated in 2#st the right
wa&, whether b& to#ch, smell, sight, so#nd or taste6 to gi.e #s the feelings that we
associate with being ha!!&( ;e can also thin/ o#rsel.es ha!!& in .ario#s wa&s 1
s#ch as recalling ha!!& times, ridding o#rsel.es of worr&ing tho#ghts and so on 1
which are the end#ring res#lts of !re.io#s !leasant sensor& acti.it&(
't is no accident that we remember the things that ma/e #s !h&sicall& ha!!&6 o#r
memories are .ital for ens#ring we a.oid bad things and see/ o#t good things(
The roots of this are almost certainl& e.ol#tionar&( SeB (and th#s 4A re!lication%
wo#ld not ha!!en as often if we did not en2o& it6 we wo#ld not /now which foods
were safe to eat if we did not recei.e !ositi.e smell and taste stim#lation from them6
children wo#ld be less li/el& to remain in the safe care of their !arents if the& did not
feel ha!!& with them( ?ohn Iawls, the American !hiloso!her s!o/e of ha!!iness
being a combination of carr&ing thro#gh a rational !lan and being confident that it
will s#cceed(2=< This is an almost !erfect analog#e for s#r.i.al( )i.en this definition,
ha!!iness m#st be a good thing(
7=G
arrin McMahon, a#thor of $a!!iness0 A $istor& said, in a recent s!eech0 4o
matter how hard we tr& to fiB its meaning, the word and conce!t will alwa&s come to
#sSas the #ltimate h#man end, the final !lace of rest, the sol#tion and sal.ation to
h#man dissatisfaction, the answer to the riddle of the eBistence(2=, 4ot s#r!rising
then, that so man& as!ects of h#manit& re.ol.e aro#nd the need to attain ha!!iness,
and that so man& acti.ities, regardless of their o#tcome 1 short or long term, small or
large scale, constr#cti.e or destr#cti.e 1 offer the great !riAe of ha!!iness(
L L L
Ietail Thera!& is essentiall& sho!!ing to ma/e &o# feel better( @lated, in fact, if the
loo/s on the faces of those being sold goods on almost e.er& tele.ision and !ress
ad.ertisement are an&thing to go b&( $a.e &o# e.er seen an #nha!!& loo/ on the face
of a !#rchaser in an ad.ertisement?
retail therap& n. the !ractice of sho!!ing in order to ma/e oneself feel more
cheerf#l(2=>
Ies#lts2=C for each )oogle search :#er&0
retail thera!& W 7,2>=,=== res#lts
retail thera!& X ha!!& W <<,,=== res#lts
retail thera!& X bargains W 7C=,=== res#lts
retail thera!& X low !rices W <=,>== res#lts
retail thera!& X addiction W ,<,G== res#lts
There is an awf#l lot of s&mbolism in the abo.e res#lts( "irst, the hea.& a!!earance
of the !hrase retail thera!& in the first !lace, and its incl#sion in almost e.er& ma2or
dictionar&, im!lies the acce!tance of sho!!ing as something that ma/es !eo!le feel
ha!!&( The association of the !hrase with ha!!& is not s#r!rising 1 this is !art of the
common #se of the !hrase 1 b#t the association with bargains and low !rices is
more significant( Abo#t fifteen !ercent of all #ses of the !hrase retail thera!& come
with the word bargains0 the !hrase itself is being #sed to sell !rod#cts(
7=F
4one of this is li/el& to be startling to an&one who has s!ent time #nder the
infl#ence of ad.ertising, be it thro#gh the mass media or at the !oint of sale( ;e are
hardl& going to b#& something that is not absol#tel& essential to #s witho#t ha.ing a
!ositi.e feeling abo#t it( ' remember being gl#ed to the tele.ision d#ring the times '
was allowed to watch it as a bo& in the 7EG=s, and now carr& with me 2ingles and
catch !hrases that associated ha!!iness with goods0 The s#nshine taste of Dellogg9s
-orn "la/es, $a.e a crac/ing -hristmas at ;oolworths, '9d li/e to b#& the world
a -o/e, and /ee! it com!an&(
B#sinesses now realise, tho#gh, that the sim!le message of ha!!iness !#t across
from the earliest da&s of tele.ision ad.ertising is not eno#gh to tem!t sho!!ers to #se
their !artic#lar o#tlet or !rod#ct in the face of increasing com!etition, so m#st be
lic/ing their li!s as the rebranding of sho!!ing as a core leis#re acti.it& ta/es hold( '
fo#nd the following itinerar& ad.ertised on an American self*dri.e to#r website2=G0
CA82A53 < %A400=8A7> 8O?*S> < ;ASP>5 < >,MO4TO4
a& 7*2( @B!erience -algar&(
a& <*,( Tra.el to Banff and 8a/e 8o#ise area and en2o& the delights of the
s!ectac#lar scener& that abo#nd(
a& >*C( -ontin#e 4orth and .isit the Athabasca )lacier, Maligne 8a/e and ?as!er
4ational Par/ area(
a& G*F( Tra.el @ast to @dmonton for some last min#te sho!!ing at the ;est
@dmonton Mall (arg#abl& the largest sho!!ing Mall in 4orth America% before fl&ing
home(
a&s G and F, which ha.e sho!!ing as the main acti.it&, contrast shar!l& with the
!re.io#s da&s of eB!loring s!ectac#lar scener& and regions of geogra!hic interest(
3o# wo#ld be hard !#shed indeed to find an& to#rist location that does not boast some
form of sho! in an& !art of the ;estern world, and increasingl& co#ntries li/e
Thailand and 'ndia are #sing retail as a magnet to attract to#rists in addition to, and
sometimes instead of, c#lt#re and heritage( A 7EEE s#r.e&2=F of 4ew So#th ;ales,
A#stralia, .isitors fo#nd that sho!!ing was b& far the most !o!#lar !astime for
7=E
international .isitors, with F2 !ercent of all res!ondents stating this as a !reference(
The neBt most !o!#lar res!onse was )o to the beach at C= !ercent( The 5isit
Britain web site offers sho!!ing as main headings for its itineraries, attractions and
e.ents sections( 8eis#re acti.ities are those that !eo!le choose to carr& o#t for the
!#r!oses of en2o&ment( Sho!!ing has become a /e& !art of that en2o&ment( M& own
tri! (b& train and b#s% to 4orth ;ales in the s#mmer of 2==G bro#ght this stri/ingl&
home( The railwa& !latform, which famo#sl& bears the name of the longest !lace
name in @#ro!e, was em!t&6 the new sho!!ing mall and car !ar/ neBt to the railwa&
station was !ac/ed with to#rists b#&ing so#.enirs(
Some forms of ha!!iness are more s#btle, b#t no less intrinsic to o#r li.es(
@ @ @
'n earl& 2==G, ' wrote an article called id 3o# $a.e A )ood 8ife2=E, contrasting a
rich, s#ccessf#l man called Alan with a !oor, seemingl& #ns#ccessf#l man called
?ames( Alan Qs!ea/s9 of his material s#ccess0
Rit yourself downF it5s a nice sofa, isn5t itN -ream leather, with invisible
stitching, and mahogany inlays. & would have had walnut, but it doesn5t match
the wall unit, but the leather matches the car interior very wellF & upgraded to
the new :ange :over port 3 months ago, after & heard about the latest tumour.
,e thought, O,hat the hellN The life insurance will cover that, and the Cexus.5 &
don5t want Tean going withoutF she5s used to this way of life, and &5m not going
to deny her that after &5m gone.S
R&5ve had a really good life, when you think about it. Cook around K have you
seen a better par>uet than the one in the sitting roomN And when & look out of
the window, & know that most of that is mine. &t5s a great feeling. <o, &5ve got no
regrets K life5s for living, isn5t itNS
Alan thin/s he is ha!!&( $e reall& thin/s that a good life is something that can be
bo#ght with hard cash( ?ames, on the other hand, feels his life has been a fail#re0
R;h, hello. orry, & didn5t see you there. orry about the mess, &5ve been trying
to keep the place tidy, but haven5t got the energy lately. &f you5re going past
;xfam this afternoon could you pop in and see if they need any helpN That5s
really kindF & hate to let them down. 8o you want a teaN There are some bags in
77=
the jar by the kettleF mind the boxes, &5ve asked Tulie to pack up some of my old
clothes for the recycling K & don5t think &5ll be needing them any more.S
RThe airport are trying to get planning permission to extend the runway, and
they want to move a bit of the cemetery. ?rogress, & suppose, but they want to
move Cinda5s plot, and & can5t stand the thought of that. ,hy can5t they just
leave things aloneN & mustn5t complain too much, but sometimes life feels so
unfair K some people have it so much better.S
Both men are d&ing( ;hose life wo#ld &o# rather ha.e had? Often when ' write '
lea.e hidden meanings for !eo!le to find for themsel.es, b#t this seems li/e a good
time to re.eal one of those meanings( ?ames9 dialog#e incl#des a co#!le of sentences
that ' li/e to thin/ sa& more abo#t ha!!iness than an&thing else ' ha.e written0
R,e had our honeymoon at the seaside, at the same hotel we stayed at for years
after K it wasn5t too posh, but we liked it. ,e loved getting the trainF didn5t seem
any point driving as we5d only be stuck in a traffic jam.S
?ames doesn9t thin/ he has had a good life, b#t within these two sentences is a 2o&
that is entirel& missing from Alan9s words( Alan9s a!!arent ha!!iness rests on the
ac:#isition of material wealth, the a!!reciation of this wealth b& !eo!le within his
social circle and, no do#bt, the 2ealo#s& of those who had not achie.ed the le.els of
cons#m!tion that Alan has attained( $is ha!!iness #ltimatel& comes at the eB!ense of
other !eo!le and the nat#ral en.ironment from which the reso#rces that f#elled his
cons#m!tion were ta/en( Alan9s ha!!iness is !#rel& selfish 1 &et it seems that is what
most !eo!le within 'nd#strial -i.iliAation are stri.ing for(
Selfish %ein.s+
't9s tem!ting to thin/ that o#r nat#ral state of mind, and being, is selfishness6 we are
hard*wired for s#r.i.al, and an element of selfishness m#st be in #s all( S#r.i.al,
tho#gh, is not what ' mean b& selfishness( "or h#mans to s#r.i.e there will ine.itabl&
be some /noc/*on effect within another !art of the food Y ecological web that we
occ#!&, b#t that doesn9t ha.e to be at the eB!ense of another h#man( 't is !erfectl&
!ossible for one h#man to s#r.i.e witho#t ca#sing another h#man to die, e.en if it
seems that some !oliticians9 careers de!end on being in denial o.er that !osition( 'n
777
fact, in a s#stainable world o#r s#r.i.al need not be at the eB!ense of an& !art of the
global ecos&stem6 at least not so the affected !art cannot ad2#st to ta/e acco#nt of o#r
acti.ities( "or instance, the #se of wood from a -anadian s!r#ce forest is !erfectl& all
right, so long as its remo.al does not ca#se a net loss of the nat#ral biodi.ersit& within
that habitat(
Tr#e selfishness ha!!ens when the .eneer between s#r.i.al and eBcess is breached(
M& #se of the odd tree from a -anadian s!r#ce forest ma& be s#stainable on its own,
b#t the #se of that forest b& G billion other !eo!le is not going to lea.e .er& m#ch
forest at all( 'n a wa&, then, m& #se of 2#st one tree in a forest is selfish beha.io#r,
beca#se ' cannot ass#me to ha.e sole #se of that reso#rce amongst h#mans, or an&
other organism that de!ends on that forest for its own s#r.i.al( As we saw in -ha!ter
@ight, h#mans are c#rrentl& beha.ing in a selfish manner 1 the bios!here sim!l&
cannot s#!!ort o#r c#rrent net acti.ities as a s!ecies 1 b#t that does not mean that we
are indi.id#all& selfish( An interested obser.er wo#ld !robabl&, if .iewing h#mans as
a single entit& from afar, tar #s all with the same br#sh0 Selfish h#mansH o the&
reall& want to destro& their !lanet?
'n the 7E>=s, the eB!lorer 8a#rens .an der Post eB!erienced something that sheds
light on the difference between the absol#te selfishness of ta/ing more from the @arth
than &o# gi.e bac/, and the ;estern .iew of selfishness, which seems to .al#e
ci.ilit& higher than an&thing else( "ollowing a game h#nt in So#th Africa, for which
a n#mber of San B#shmen had been !aid to assist the white h#nters, one of the !art&
noticed that the San did not than/ them for their gifts, thin/ing it r#de( Thom
$artmann ta/es #! the stor&0
;ne of van der ?ost5s assistants, a hunter who5d never encountered Bushmen
before, commented that they seemed ungrateful and uncaring. Ben, one of the
other men in the group who understood Bushman culture, responded that to give
another human food and water is only good manners and is routine behavior
among the Bushmen. &f the white men had been starving on a long trek and the
Bushmen had found them, they would immediately share their food and water,
even if it endangered their own survival. And they wouldn5t expect thanks in
response.2#1
772
't is onl& when &o# get #! close do &o# realise that selfishness is not some innate,
#nlearned h#man beha.io#r0 it is act#all& something almost totall& alien to !reind#strial
h#manit&(
The res!ect that 4ati.e Americans gi.e to their food reso#rces is widel&
doc#mented( Professor @rna )#ntha, an anthro!ologist at the +ni.ersit& of
;ashington, wrote eBtensi.el& abo#t the "irst Salmon -eremon&, which was (and is%
!erformed b& man& tribes along the north Pacific coast of 4orth America to celebrate
the ret#rn of the s!awning salmon to their ancient r#ns( She writes0 4one of the
tribes who catch the salmon !ractice agric#lt#re, b#t de!end largel& on fish( 'n most
streams OtheP s!ring salmon r#n comes in !rodigio#s n#mbers, and is awaited with
great eagerness( 't !resents an occasion for eB!ressing the attit#de of .eneration which
is held thro#gho#t the area toward the salmon(277 This .eneration for the salmon is a
reflection of the tribes9 need to ens#re the& ret#rn &ear after &ear6 the ceremon& ma&
not ha.e an effect on the salmon n#mbers, b#t if nothing else it reinforces in the
celebrants9 minds the need for salmon r#ns to be loo/ed after in !er!et#it&( ;hen the
eB!lorers 8ewis and -lar/ came across the salmon r#ns in 7F=< millions of wild
salmon thri.ed in the clean, o!en r#ns, des!ite aro#nd 7=,=== &ears of contin#ed
#se272 b& at least 7(F million tribes!eo!le(27< Selfishness, when it came to salmon,
wo#ld ha.e been catastro!hic for the 4ati.e Americans(27, As it was, b& 7FG2,
following fo#r decades of @#ro!ean disease and relentless sla#ghter, the 4ati.e
American !o!#lation had been red#ced to less than 2,=,===(27>
't a!!ears that s#ch #nselfish, s#stainable beha.io#r, when it comes to the #se of
nat#ral reso#rces, is t&!ical, and no do#bt essential, for the few remaining
h#ntergatherer
tribes aro#nd the world( Marshall Sahlins st#died this beha.io#r for man&
&ears in Africa and A#stralia( Altho#gh h#nter*gatherer acti.it& re:#ires a large area
of #nc#lti.ated land thro#gh which the tribe can mo.e in their :#est for food, the&
still cons#me less energ& !er !erson !er &ear than an& other gro#! of h#man beings(27C
't is not 2#st food that is #sed s!aringl&, tho#gh( Beca#se !ersonal belongings are a
b#rden, the& sim!l& do not man#fact#re nor ac:#ire an&thing that is not essential to
the h#nter*gatherer wa& of life( Iodne& "re&, Professor of American 'ndian27G St#dies
at the +ni.ersit& of 'daho, made a com!arison of the energ& re:#irements of different
societies27F( $is res#lts are startling, to sa& the least0
77<
unter<.atherer societ&0 the e:#i.alent of 7,111 kilocalories are needed dail& !er
ca!ita (2,=== /ilocalories food energ& and <,=== /cal firewood energ&%(
orticultural societ& (domesticated !lants har.ested b& hand from gardens%0 the
e:#i.alent of #2,111 kilocalories are re:#ired (,,=== /ilocalories food, ,,=== /cal
firewood and ,,=== /cal domesticated animals%(
A.ricultural societ&0 the e:#i.alent of 24,111 kilocalories are needed dail& (G,===
/ilocalories food, C,=== /cal firewood, 72,=== /cal domesticated animal and 7,===
/cal coal%(
'ndustrial societ&0 the e:#i.alent of 00,111 kilocalories are re:#ired !er ca!ita !er
da& (2,,=== /ilocalories food, G,=== /cal firewood, <2,=== /cal domesticated animals,
and 7,,=== /cal coal%(
Technolo.ical societ&0 the e:#i.alent of from 231,111 to 203,111 kilocalories are
needed !er indi.id#al each da& (E7,=== /ilocalories food, 7=,=== /cal firewood,
<<,=== /cal domesticated animals, C<,=== /cal coal and <<,=== /cal electricit&%(27E
't becomes clear, the more that &o# loo/ at o#r wa& of life in the distant !ast (and
those of some !eo!le who still manage to e/e o#t a s#bsistence li.ing from their
disa!!earing nat#ral habitats% that selfishness hel!s no one, not e.en the !rotagonist,
when it comes to s#r.i.al(
B#t not onl& is selfish beha.io#r ecologicall& #ns#stainable, it is also logicall&
#ns#stainable( The term Prisoners9 ilemma is #sed to describe a sit#ation where two
!eo!le ha.e the choice whether to beha.e selfishl& or not( 4igel ;arb#rton describes
it li/e this0 'magine that &o# and &o#r !artner in crime ha.e been ca#ght, b#t not
redhanded6
&o# are being interrogated in se!arate cells( 3o# don9t /now what &o#r
!artner has or hasn9t owned #! to( The sit#ation is this0 if neither of &o# confesses,
then both of &o# go free( At first tho#ght this seems the best co#rse of action(
$owe.er, the catch is that if &o# remain silent and &o#r !artner confesses and thereb&
incriminates &o#, he will be rewarded for his collaboration and set free(22=
-onfessing and then t#rning Z#een9s @.idence, th#s gi.ing &o#r !artner a heft&
time in 2ail, is selfish beha.io#r which seems to be beneficial for &o#( $owe.er, if
77,
&o#r !artner also t#rns Z#een9s @.idence, &o# will both recei.e time in 2ail( 't ma& be
that later on e.idence will a!!ear to incriminate either of &o# witho#t a confession
being re:#ired 1 and the act of committing a crime ma& be selfish in itself 1 b#t acting
selfishl& in order to gain a !ardon is not act#all& in &o#r own best interest( P#tting this
in an en.ironmental conteBt6 &o# ma& thin/ it !erfectl& acce!table to hel! &o#rself to
another fish from the ri.er, so that the angler on the other ban/ has to wor/ harder for
tomorrow9s dinner, b#t s#!!ose the angler on the other ban/ has the same idea? A
ri.er ma& be able to s#!!ort the .oracio#s a!!etites of two, ten or a h#ndred anglers
for a short while, b#t e.ent#all& an o.er fished ri.er becomes an em!t& ri.er6 and an
em!t& ri.er can feed no one at all(
77>
Chapter 1$
;h& oes 't Matter?
' don9t /now abo#t &o#, b#t ' ha.e a !roblem with death( 't9s there, at the end of the
2o#rne&, waiting to ta/e #s all, and there is nothing &o# can do abo#t it eBce!t ho!e
that the act of s#bmission is as !ainless as !ossible( -ome to thin/ of it, tho#gh,
ma&be e.en that doesn9t matter6 ma&be it9s better to go o#t /ic/ing and screaming in
throes of agon& ha.ing gi.en eath something to thin/ abo#t on &o#r wa& o#t(
't9s a romantic .ision of sorts( ;e li/e romantic .isions of death to ta/e the sting
o#t of o#r ine.itable fate0 from 'ngmar Bergman9s star/, obstinate chess !la&er
challenging eath to a final match to the dia!hano#s, flower*strewn O!helia being
drawn along to her doom b& the laA& ri.er in Millais9 celebrated !ainting6 death is
something we ha.e re!resented in as man& wa&s as we ha.e emotions(
4ot onl& do o#r re!resentations of death .ar& widel&6 the wa& we treat the dead
reflects so man& things abo#t the c#lt#res we li.e in( 'n "rance, bodies are ro#tinel&
"igure 4$ ,e don5t all end up this way (ource$ Author5s photo)
77C
cremated 1 a !ractice that is becoming more !o!#lar in almost e.er& ind#strial nation(
'n the +SA, on the other hand, bodies are encased in the finest wood, and then
entombed in concrete cas/ets, as tho#gh somehow death is not the end and we m#st
ens#re finalit& reigns( 'n 4eolithic @#ro!e high stat#s bodies were set into indi.id#al
b#rial mo#nds along with ob2ects s&mbolising their li.es whereas the ma2orit& of
!eo!le were b#ried in shared mo#nds or barrows, !rior to which bodies were left in
the o!en air and !rogressi.el& cleaned of all flesh b& the wind and the birds, lea.ing
the bones read& for the b#rial(227
;hether this eBcarnation ma/es &o# feel :#eas& !robabl& de!ends on &o#r .iew
of the bod& as the essence of a !erson9s eBistence, or as merel& a carrier for the so#l(
Both .iews are as ancient as h#mans, and neither can be !ro.en as false, s#ch is the
nat#re of faith( Ieligions eBist to hel! !eo!le /now the #n/nowable, to thin/ abo#t
the #nthin/able, to belie.e the #nbelie.able0 ' mean that last one sincerel& 1 faith
allows &o# to belie.e in whate.er &o# want to belie.e( 't is eBtremel& diffic#lt to
/now how man& !eo!le on @arth !rofess to follow or adhere to a formal religion, as
each !erson9s definition of follow or adhere ma& be different6 b#t one semireliable
so#rce gi.es the fig#re as being abo#t >(> billion(222 That is an awf#l lot of
!eo!le who belie.e in #s ha.ing something more than a !h&sical eBistence on @arth6
an awf#l lot of !eo!le who want more than mere birth, life and death(
"or most !eo!le, life is a set of re!etiti.e tas/s, inters!ersed b& occasional #!s and
downs( The seemingl& monotono#s treadmill that we occ#!& while on @arth is s#rel&
the essence of life itself, tho#gh, otherwise we wo#ld ha.e !eo!le ending their li.es as
soon as the& fo#nd o#t that there was a better, more f#lfilling eBistence be&ond o#r
mortal coils( B#t there are r#les0 life is a test6 it is what we will be 2#dged on in the
hereafter6 it is a stage in the e.erlasting !rogression towards a final !lace in eternit&(
Ma&be the r#les eBist beca#se we don9t act#all& want to die( Ma&be life is all there is(
The Three Self1ie(s
;hate.er &o#r s!irit#al .iew!oint 1 and ' am not going to be the 2#dge of an&one9s
afterlife, so long as ' am allowed to comment on a !erson9s life itself 1 while we are
on this @arth we find o#rsel.es in a web of differing c#lt#ral .iew!oints and attit#des6
social, economic and !olitical s&stems6 !h&sical and mental interactions with the
77G
world aro#nd #s6 all of which end #! gi.ing #s something we call a ;orld.iew(
"#ndamental to this ;orld.iew is how we en.isage o#r !lace on @arth in both a
tem!oral and s!atial sense6 and how we, as h#mans, relate to that sense of time and
s!ace( Dnowing what &o#r s!ecial t&!e of ;orld.iew is 1 '9m going to refer to it as
&o#r Self.iew 1 is one of the most im!ortant things &o# will e.er /now0 it is
nothing less than a tem!late on which all of &o#r actions are based(
Self1ie( One
$#mans are a .ital com!onent of life on @arth( The& ha.e a s!ecial !lace in the
!antheon of all life s#ch that the& m#st be treated with s!ecial re.erence( The& are
eternal beings that m#st ne.er fail( The& ha.e the right to dominion o.er all other life
and as s#ch hold the f#t#re of all life in their hands(
Self1ie( T(o
$#mans are !art of life on @arth( The& are no more s!ecial or im!ortant than an&
other organism( The& eBist to !la& their !art within the web of life and as s#ch, li/e
the .ast ma2orit& of organisms, are relati.el& short*term !la&ers( The& ha.e no more
right to decide the !ath of the bios!here than an& other organism(
Self1ie( Three
$#mans are nat#rall& of little rele.ance to the rest of life( The& are a sco#rge #!on the
@arth( The& ha.e less right than an& other organism to eBist and the @arth wo#ld be
better off witho#t them( The& m#st be willing s#b2ects to the actions of all other
organisms(
An interesting range of .iews, and all the more odd for being e:#all& eBtreme(
)i.en that these Self.iews r#n from the tr#l& des!otic to the h#mble self*loathing,
&o# wo#ld thin/ that the middle gro#nd wo#ld be acce!table to the ma2orit& of
!eo!le6 b#t to me, and ma&be to &o#, it feels no less eBtreme than the other two( $ow
can a middle gro#nd .iew be eBtreme? The answer lies in the :#estions(
As/ &o#rself the following fo#r :#estions, and ma/e s#re &o# are com!letel&
honest with &o#r answers0
77F
Wuestion ;ne0
;hat do &o# feel is h#mans9 !h&sical !lace within and in relation to the rest of life on
@arth?
Wuestion Two0
Are h#mans more im!ortant than, as im!ortant as, or less im!ortant than other life on
@arth, and to what eBtent?
Wuestion Three0
;hat is, or sho#ld be, the time s!an of h#mans9 eBistence on @arth 1 or an& other
!lace?
Wuestion "our0
;hat, if an&, right do h#mans ha.e to determine the co#rse of life for an&thing else on
@arth?
$ow did &o# do? ' ha.e absol#tel& no idea what &o# had as &o#r answers,
ob.io#sl&, b#t ' want &o# to loo/ bac/ at the three Self.iews and decide where, if
an&where, &o# fit now( ' s#!!ose &o# want to /now what ', as the !erson writing this
boo/, had as m& answers, b#t '9m not going to tell &o# &et 1 all that will become clear
d#ring the co#rse of this cha!ter( ' will sa& this, tho#gh0 there are more wa&s to s/in a
cat than &o# might s#!!ose(
The Three Tests
' want to sim!lif& the three Self.iews, so that the& can be e.al#ated more easil&( The
Self.iews are, in the order !re.io#sl& written0 $#mans Are 5ital6 $#mans Are
Iele.ant6 $#mans Are 'rrele.ant( There are three tests that now need to be a!!lied to
each of those Self.iews0 the @colog& Test, the -#lt#ral Test and the Personal Test( 'f
this is all starting to so#nd a bit anal&tical and long*winded, !lease bear with me 1 &o#
will #nderstand wh& this has to be done .er& soon(
77E
The @colog& Test is a wa& of ob2ecti.el& #nderstanding the !h&sical im!ortance of
h#mans within the bios!here( The whole of Part One and m#ch of -ha!ter @ight
loo/ed at this in detail, so the res#lts sho#ldn9t be too hard to !redict, sho#ld the&?
The -#lt#ral Test ta/es a wider loo/ at h#mans in terms of how we, as a s!ecies,
.iew o#rsel.es6 this was disc#ssed in -ha!ter 4ine( The c#lt#re &o# li.e in will ha.e
a h#ge bearing on the o#tcome of this test, so '9m going to gi.e &o# a few different
.iew!oints so we can wor/ this o#t between o#rsel.es, regardless of &o#r own
c#lt#ral beliefs(
The Personal Test finall& loo/s at o#r rele.ance from an indi.id#al !oint of .iew(
The o#tcome of this test is highl& !ersonal, b#t s#r!risingl& there seems to be 2#st one
o#tcome( $ow im!ortant this test is to &o#, tho#gh, de!ends on &o#r answer to this
:#estion0 'f a tree ma/es a so#nd when it falls in the forest, does it matter if no one is
there to hear it?
The Ecology Test
As we saw in Part One, small changes to the world9s ecolog&, to e.en the most min#te
organisms, can ha.e a de.astating im!act on the abilit& of h#mans to s#r.i.e( The
!roblem with being To! Predator is that &o# are bo#nd to the actions of e.er&thing
below &o#( To a certain eBtent &o# can control this, as has been attem!ted with the
#se of agric#lt#re and animal domestication6 b#t nat#re alwa&s finds a wa& to come
bac/ and bite &o#0 bl#etong#e disease, !otato blight, boll wee.il, a.ian fl# are fo#r
eBam!les 1 those that ha.e made the news 1 b#t don9t rest ass#red, there are far more
l#r/ing in the well of life(
$#mans can ingest 2#st abo#t an&thing that other heterotro!hs (organisms that
cannot ma/e their own food% are able to( One o#tcome of this is that ecologicall& it is
not that diffic#lt for h#mans to ado!t less damaging lifest&les0 not eating endangered
s!ecies6 not eating an&thing that damages habitats6 not eating animals6 not eating
an&thing !rod#ced b& animals6 not eating an&thing that ca#ses the death of a !lant(
3es, if &o# want to li.e a tr#l& s#stainable lifest&le then &o# don9t e.en ha.e to /ill
!lants0 "r#itarianism 1 a diet consisting entirel& of food gi.en b& !lants witho#t
/illing them 1 isn9t eBactl& wides!read, b#t it9s .er& ecologicall& so#nd( The @colog&
Test, howe.er, 2#dges how ecologicall& im!ortant h#mans currently are to the rest of
72=
life( 't is a test not of mere significance 1 we are ob.io#sl& significant b& the mere
fact that h#mans are ha.ing a colossal im!act on the nat#ral world 1 b#t a test of
whether h#mans ma/e a !ositi.e contrib#tion to the global ecolog&(
There is a school of tho#ght, mentioned earlier, that sa&s h#mans are f#ndamental
to life( The thin/ers that !lace h#mans at the to! of the tree of life (which,
incidentall&, feels li/e a !rett& !recario#s !lace to be in s#ch a large tree% ta/e what is
/nown as an Anthro!ocentric .iew!oint0 we are at the centre, head, to! 1 whate.er
sha!e this thing ha!!ens to be 1 of creation, which logicall& ma/es #s .ital to life
itself( ' ha.e to !oint the blame for this s:#arel& in the direction of those religio#s
leaders who eBtolled (and sadl&, some still do% this .iew!oint in the face of so m#ch
contrar& e.idence( 3et, as Shannon B#r/es writes0 The relati.e im!ortance of
h#mans in the cosmic hierarch& is made clear in the di.ine s!eeches at the end Oof the
Old TestamentP, which fail to mention an& h#man significance in creation, and instead
eBalt Behemoth, Qthe first of the great acts of )od,9 (,=07>% and 8e.iathan, Qon earth it
has no e:#al9 (,70<,%(22< Alwa&s chec/ &o#r references before &o# :#ote from them(
A similar school of tho#ght, less !olemical b#t seemingl& more ingrained in o#r
c#lt#re, sees the world as the o#tcome of h#man inter.ention0 i(e( it is what it is, so it
m#st be so( 8et me eB!lain( Beca#se h#mans ha.e had s#ch an im!act on, for
instance, the landsca!e of the !lanet, that landsca!e m#st, therefore, be nat#ral0 it is
nat#ral beca#se it is the res#lt of h#man agenc&, beca#se h#mans are !art of life( 't
ma/es some sense when &o# thin/ abo#t it( ;illiam ;ordsworth in his )#ide thro#gh
the istrict of the 8a/es as/s the reader to tr& and imagine the landsca!e witho#t an&
h#man inter.ention0
%e will form to himself an image of the tides visiting and revisiting the friths, the
main sea dashing against the bolder shore, the rivers pursuing their course to
be lost in the mighty mass of waters. %e may see or hear in fancy the winds
sweeping over the lakes, or piping with a loud voice among the mountain peaks
and, lastly, may think of the primaeval woods shedding and renewing their
leaves with no human eye to notice, or human heart to regret or welcome the
change.22.
The world that ;ordsworth inhabited was one of grand romanticism, of the
sanctit& of h#man design and in.ention, and one in which the as!ects of the nat#ral
727
world that mattered most were those which !leased the h#man e&e( The age that
.al#ed aesthetics has a legac& in the gro#!s of !eo!le that o!!ose wind farms on the
basis of attracti.eness, and wish to !reser.e a sense of order in the co#ntr&side rather
than let nat#re ha.e its wa&( 'f onl& the rest of life co#ld tal/(
RThere5s been so much death out there. ,ho gave the humans the right to
decide who5s a weed and who5s notN They say they5re doing it for the crops but
even the crops have started to complain. They don5t like being sprayed and
regimented, there5s no variety any more.S227
;e ha.e b#t one .iew!oint, that of the h#man( The rest of life onl& has a .oice in
modern c#lt#res when h#mans choose to offer it6 and e.en then an& rights we in.est
#!on other s!ecies are co#ched in o#r terms( The anthro!ocentric .iew!oint is onl&
rele.ant to our ecolog&( To get an idea of the difference h#mans ma/e to the rest of
life, &o# ha.e to imagine a world witho#t #s(
3o# can ta/e two a!!roaches to a world witho#t h#mans0 one of them in a world
where h#mans once dwelt s#ch as we are now, in the same n#mbers and with the
same im!act6 a second in a world in which h#mans ne.er eBisted at all( To #nderstand
the first world &o# m#st s#ddenl& ta/e h#mans awa&0 don9t e.en lea.e those who li.e
relati.el& s#stainable li.es 1 eBterminate #s all from the face of the @arth( ;ho wo#ld
miss #s? Pets ma&be 1 ' can en.isage a smattering of mo#rnf#l, solitar& )re&friars
Bobb&s la&ing at the bedsides of their former owners, !ining awa& 1 b#t e.en the
most de.oted com!anion wo#ld e.ent#all& be forced into following their instincts b&
the dri.es of thirst, h#nger and the need for a mate( Animals in cages wo#ld star.e,
after resorting to cannibalism( The same goes for farmed fish in concrete !ens and
s&nthetic nets, b#t the fish in !onds in gardens thro#gho#t the world wo#ld 1 as mine
started to man& &ears ago 1 li.e ha!!il& on weed, insects and other wildlife( "arm
animals in fields wo#ld brea/ down fences and roam wild0 flims& electrical ta!e being
no im!ediment after h#mans sto!!ed !rod#cing the so#rce of those little 2olts(
Bob $olmes too/ 4ew Scientist readers on a star/ ride into a world in which
h#mans once eBisted, ending0 't will onl& ta/e a few tens of tho#sands of &ears at
most before almost e.er& trace of o#r !resent dominance has .anished com!letel&(
Alien .isitors coming to @arth 7==,=== &ears hence will find no ob.io#s signs that an
ad.anced OsicP ci.iliAation e.er li.ed here(22C The toBic im!act of h#mans in the
722
ind#strial age lingers for a while, contin#ing to heat #! the @arth for decades before
this trend finds a nat#ral balance6 while the chemicals grad#all& brea/ down thro#gh a
host of nat#ral !rocesses, e.ent#all& dissi!ating to harmless le.els( This ma& ta/e
eons, and some s#bstances ma& ne.er com!letel& go awa&( ;hat is !artic#larl&
interesting is the ra!idit& with which o#r visual im!act brea/s down in the face of
4at#re( ;itho#t the constant attention gi.en to mowing, c#tting, sha!ing, beating
down, !lo#ghing, realigning and reclaiming the @arth9s s#rface, the !lanet will once
again ta/e on the softness that is the mar/ of life forms that intimatel& de!end #!on,
rather than !#sh bac/ and defend against, each other(
The second world, one in which h#mans ne.er eBisted wo#ld resemble the world
7==,=== &ears after h#mans had left0 a mere one fort&*siB tho#sandth of the lifes!an of
the @arth( 8ife wo#ld go on, all forms of life eBce!t for those we !#r!osef#ll& created
for o#r own ends0 the s&nthetic h&brids6 the chimaeras6 the geneticall& modified
organisms that ra.age the !lains of -anada and Argentina6 the farmed salmon that
threaten to dominate the gene !ool each time a marine wall brea/s down( And what of
the dodo, the !assenger !igeon, the 3angtAe Ii.er dol!hin, the #n/nowable n#mbers
of s!ecies that li.ed and then were sn#ffed o#t b& o#r agenc& 1 often witho#t #s e.er
realising we were doing it? 'magine a world in which h#mans had ne.er ca#sed a
single eBtinction0 this co#ld onl& be a world in which h#mans had ne.er eBisted(
;e don9t come o#t well on the @colog& Test0 the rest of life wo#ld be better off
witho#t #s( 't seems that we are irrele.ant(
The Cultural Test
' was listening to the news on the radio the other da&6 it was an article abo#t the +D
armed forces in Afghanistan losing soldiers beca#se of a lac/ of decent armo#red
.ehicles( The !hrase that str#c/ me was the same one that some other writers ha.e
!ic/ed #! on, O#r armed forces( ' don9t remember being as/ed !ermission for m&
armed forces to fight in Afghanistan, nor did ' realise that ' e.en had an& armed forces
that ' co#ld as/ to fight on m& behalf(22G 't t#rns o#t that m& sister has some armed
forces too, and m& best friend, and m& neighbo#rs who go e.er&where b& car(
;e all ha.e to share the same armed forces, of co#rse 1 well, at least if &o# are in
the same co#ntr& as me( B#t then who are those other !eo!le in Afghanistan, the
72<
4ATO lot? And there are lots of +nited 4ations forces tr&ing to sort o#t !roblems in
;est Africa( Are the& all mine? ;hich ones belong to me? '9m getting conf#sed( The
!roblem with tr&ing to ascertain which c#lt#re &o# belong to is that there seem to be
so man& different ones to choose from( ' co#ld easil& !#t m&self in the following
social Y racial Y religio#s etc( gro#!s0
@arth dweller
@#ro!ean
;hite
4on*religio#s
British
@nglish
All !rett& standard st#ff, and none of them contradictor& 1 or are the&? Britain is a
-hristian nation, according to .ario#s religio#s !eo!le ' hear on the radio( ' can be an
@arth dweller and ;hite, for s#re, b#t does this recognition of m& global !osition
mean '9.e o!ted o#t of an& regional or national geogra!hical identit&? 'n fact &o#r
c#lt#ral identit& is a miB of 2#st abo#t an&thing &o# want it to be0 football team,
fa.o#rite brand of cola, seB#al orientation, hair colo#r(
$owe.er &o# !osition &o#rself amongst others, tho#gh, &o# !robabl& feel &o#
belong in one of the few dominant c#lt#res on the !lanet, and almost certainl& the one
&o# ha.e been born into( Someone born in 4orth America, @#ro!e, A#stralasia,
certain states in Asia, So#th Africa and man& other !arts of the world, wo#ld ha.e
been dominated from birth b& a c#lt#re that is !redominantl& -hristian (at all !oints
along the belief s!ectr#m% and which is centred on the ac:#isition of mone& and
!ro!ert& thro#gh the !rod#ction of goods( This c#lt#re has a tendenc& towards
highcons#m!tion,
high*!oll#tion, the !ri.ate ownershi! of land and !ro!ert&,
re!resentati.e democrac&22F, the @nglish lang#age, and a relati.el& free !ress and
media( This c#lt#re is #s#all& /nown b& a combination of the words ind#strial,
;estern and ca!italist, tho#gh there are man& other names for it( There are
.ariations on the !redominant feat#res, es!eciall& in the #se of lang#age, b#t in
general that9s abo#t the siAe of it(
72,
Man& other !eo!le (or rather their go.ernments and es!eciall& their b#siness
leaders% as!ire to be li/e those in the ind#strial ca!italist ;est( Ieligions !ro.ide
some resistance, es!eciall& where the ch#rch and state are closel& lin/ed 1 'ran,
4igeria and Pa/istan are eBam!les 1 b#t e.en where religio#s belief is strong, li/e in
the +SA or 'tal&, the high*cons#m!tion, high*!oll#tion norms seem to do fine, or
e.en thri.e, on s#ch beliefs(
$#ge !o!#lation centres, li/e those of 'ndia and -hina 1 acco#nting for nearl& 2(>
billion !eo!le between them 1 ha.e their own c#lt#ral s&stems which originate from a
combination of theistic and sec#lar beliefs6 b#t the wholehearted embrace of
ca!italism b& both nations, if not that of the a!!earance of a democrac& or a free
!ress, s#ggests that other tr#l& distinct c#lt#res are more of the eBce!tion rather than
the norm( ' don9t thin/ ' wo#ld be ins#lting man& !eo!le b& ma/ing an ass#m!tion
that the ma2orit& of !eo!le reading this fall within the same basic c#lt#re that ' was
bro#ght #! in( 'f &o# were not, then &o# ma& come o#t of this test better than the
!eo!le who ha.e the ma2orit& of financial wealth on this !lanet(
"igure 4$ %ow many do you recogniseN (ource$ 'arious K Author5s image)
72>
One wa& of getting towards the le.el of ob2ecti.it& needed for the -#lt#ral Test is
b& loo/ing at the dominant s&mbols of a c#lt#re, and wor/ing o#t what the& sa&
abo#t the !eo!le within it( That can be com!licated, b#t also .er& enlightening(
' !#t together a montage of logos beca#se it seems to me that if &o# can bring
together man& of the s&mbols of a c#lt#re &o# can create something that act#all&
resembles that c#lt#re( ;hen ' went abo#t choosing the logos, ' selected those that '
tho#ght most !eo!le wo#ld be able to recognise thro#gho#t the entire ;estern
ind#strial ca!italist c#lt#re0 most of them are commercial, which is not s#r!rising
considering the im!ortance of commerce in almost e.er& as!ect of the c#lt#re6 some
of them are media organisations, li/e the BB-, -44 and MT5, which signifies the
im!ortance of the media in defining c#lt#ral in!#ts from da& to da&6 .er& few are
noncommercial
1 the Ied -ross Y Ied -rescent, the Star of a.id, the -hristian -ross
and the ;;" !anda amongst them( There are lots missing, of co#rse, b#t o.erall '
thin/ the montage fairl& re!resents the !riorities of this c#lt#re(
The message that this gi.es to me is that m#ch of h#manit& has become a
commercial entit&( 4o longer are we abo#t s#bsistence, des!ite the rich, f#lfilling life
that 1 as &o# ha.e seen 1 it can entail( There is a!!arentl& far more to life than this0
we en2o& listening to m#sic6 watching T56 b#&ing to&s, clothes, cars and com!#ters6
eating fast food6 fl&ing to far*off !laces and, when it s#its #s, gi.ing a little mone& to
charit&( ;e e.en !ra&, for others and o#rsel.es0 for longer li.es, for healthier li.es,
for the dead, for the li.ing, to ma/e #s wealth&, to ma/e #s ha!!&( Some of #s !ra&
for a healthier nat#ral en.ironment6 some of #s tr& to create a healthier nat#ral
en.ironment( ;hen it comes down to it, tho#gh, it9s reall& all abo#t ta/ing what we
want, so long as we can afford it(
$#mans are 5ital6 $#mans are Iele.ant6 $#mans are 'rrele.ant0 which is it to be?
The !redominant c#lt#re is one that certainl& !#ts h#mans at the centre of things, so
it9s clear that h#mans cannot be irrele.ant, b#t does this c#lt#re reall& s#ggest h#mans
are .ital? 'n this c#lt#re, wars are started and co#ntries are in.aded, within and
be&ond its c#lt#ral bo#ndaries( 'n this c#lt#re, onl& some !eo!le ha.e access to
#ni.ersal health care, and commercial !ress#re is enco#raging those co#ntries that do
ha.e it to !ri.atise their health !ro.ision( 'n this c#lt#re, hea.& metals are released
into the water and air6 organo!hos!hates and other long*li.ed h#man toBic chemicals
are widel& #sed in !oorl& controlled conditions6 cor!orations lobb& to !re.ent the
72C
control of cancer*ca#sing s#bstances( 'n this c#lt#re h#mans are warming the @arth as
a b&*!rod#ct of the commercialism that dominates those c#lt#ral s&mbols( The
im!lication is that some h#mans are .ital to this c#lt#re, b#t not all of them(
One more wa& of 2#dging the c#lt#ral im!ortance of h#manit& is to loo/ at the
as!irations of h#mans0 what it is the& want to achie.e in the long r#n( 't is certainl&
not a #ni.ersal tr#th that all h#mans as!ire to something be&ond li.ing their li.es in a
reg#lar wa&0 what can &o# !ossibl& as!ire to if &o#r life is dee!l& f#lfilling? 'n
;estern c#lt#res, on the other hand, as!irations to greatness ha.e dri.en technological
and social de.elo!ment to !laces where, witho#t the desire for greatness, the& wo#ld
ne.er ha.e reached 1 for better or worse( 'n ;estern ed#cational s&stems, and also
those of man& other modern c#lt#res, it is ass#med that !eo!le want to become
something, s#ch as a law&er, doctor or hairdresser, before the& ha.e e.en reached
their teenage &ears( Pres#mabl& man& !eo!les9 as!irations are going to be c#t
tragicall& short d#e to the /inds of acti.ities ' mentioned abo.e6 b#t there m#st be
more than 2#st commerce if h#mans reall& are 5ital(
Michio Da/#, a#thor of Parallel ;orlds, is a highl& res!ected cosmologist who
dabbles in !hiloso!h&( $e .iews h#mans as ha.ing enormo#s !otential for good, e.en
be&ond the lifes!an of the @arth, b#t has se.ere do#bts abo#t o#r c#rrent efforts to
realise that !otential( Be&ond carr&ing o#t #sef#l wor/ and gi.ing or recei.ing lo.e 1
two .ital ingredients (he sa&s% in ens#ring h#mans are f#lfilled 1 he sees two other
/e& factors that, in m& mind, ma/e the difference between whether h#mans are 5ital
or 2#st Iele.ant0 "irst, to f#lfil whate.er talents we are born with( $owe.er blessed
we are b& fate with different abilities and strengths, we sho#ld tr& to de.elo! them to
the f#llest rather than allow them to atro!h& and deca&(
Second, we sho#ld tr& to lea.e the world a better !lace than when we entered it(
As indi.id#als, we can ma/e a difference, whether it is to !robe the secrets of 4at#re,
to clean #! the en.ironment and wor/ for !eace and social 2#stice, or to n#rt#re the
in:#isiti.e, .ibrant s!irit of the &o#ng b& being a mentor and a g#ide(22E
oes this c#lt#re f#lfil all of Michio Da/#9s re:#irements? 'f so, then ' can,
witho#t hesitation, !rono#nce h#mans as being 5ital( B#t it9s not tr#e, is it? The
c#lt#re does not tr#l& care for the en.ironment6 it does not gi.e e:#al o!!ort#nit& for
all to f#lfil the range of their talents6 it does not !ro.ide wides!read !ro.ision for
72G
n#rt#ring mentors and g#ides( This c#lt#re as a whole does not e.en .al#e lo.e in an&
ob.io#s ca!acit&0 certainl& nowhere near as m#ch as it .al#es economic wor/( The
2==> @#ro!ean ;or/ing -onditions S#r.e&2<= fo#nd that an a.erage of F< !ercent of
wor/ers were either .er& satisfied or satisfied with their wor/ing conditions(
'nterestingl&, when as/ed abo#t 2ob o!!ort#nities to learn and grow (i(e( the 2ob
mentors and g#ides them%, onl& >, !ercent of res!ondents agreed that this was a factor
in 2ob satisfaction( An awf#l lot of !eo!le don9t see wor/ as a means of
selfim!ro.ement0
!erha!s there is a message there(
's it 2#st serendi!it& that the 4ew @conomics "o#ndation9s $a!!& Planet 'ndeB2<7
has managed to ta/e into acco#nt almost e.er& one of the abo.e factors and !ac/age
them into a con.enient meas#re of how m#ch a c#lt#re (in the sha!e of indi.id#al
nations% .iews h#manit& as a going concern? Possibl& not( +ns#r!risingl& we ha.e
ret#rned to ha!!iness as the /e& factor in 2#dging the well being of h#manit&( 4either
is it entirel& s#r!rising that the $a!!& Planet Ma! shows that the co#ntries most
dominated b& the ;estern ind#strial ca!italist c#lt#re 1 the +SA, A#stralia, -anada,
;estern @#ro!e 1 score as badl& as those co#ntries s#ffering from ab2ect !o.ert& or
!olitical re!ression( 'n fact, des!ite #s being told that ha!!iness is something &o# can
b#& in a sho!, -hina comes o#t better than an& of these other areas0 !olitical
re!ression aside, the !eo!le of -hina still manage (at the moment% to be !lanet
ha!!ier than m#ch of the rest of the world(
;hat ' es!eciall& li/e abo#t the $P' is that a c#lt#re that is en.ironmentall&
destr#cti.e will, on balance, comes o#t worse than a c#lt#re that is not( 3o# cannot
.al#e h#mans if &o# are ma/ing the en.ironmental conditions the& li.e in #nbearable(
According to the 2==G list, 5an#at#, -ol#mbia and -osta Iica come o#t on to!,
closel& followed b& ominica and Panama( To find the co#ntries that are most closel&
associated with the !redominant c#lt#re &o# need to go all the wa& down to A#stria,
at C7( The +D is at 7=F, sandwiched between 8aos and 8ib&a6 the +SA is at 7>=,
admittedl& bro#ght down with a tremendo#s b#m! b& its massi.e en.ironmental
im!act(
'n some c#lt#res h#mans are considered to be no more than Iele.ant, largel&
beca#se the rest of life is considered to be 2#st as im!ortant( 'n other c#lt#res h#mans
are considered to be transcendent 1 right at the to! of eBistence 1 &et s#ch c#lt#res
also manage to treat the nat#ral en.ironment with s#fficient care as to not being
72F
grie.o#sl& damaged( The !redominant c#lt#re, in which eBists the ma2orit& of
financiall& wealth& nations, and is ha.ing an increasing infl#ence on billions more
!eo!le, seems to !#t h#mans right at the centre of things6 b#t somehow it has
cons!ired to treat the ma2orit& of h#mans as not reall& im!ortant at all( As far as
'nd#strial -i.iliAation 1 the dominant c#lt#re 1 is concerned, h#mans were ne.er
going to be 2#dged as .ital( '9m afraid it was a bit of a fiB0 we are merel& Iele.ant(
The Personal Test
$ow wo#ld &o# feel if &o# were dead? 'f e.er there was a non :#estion then this is
s#rel& it( B#t, it9s still worth as/ing 1 critical to as/, in fact, beca#se #nless we /now
how we feel abo#t o#r death then we cannot !ossibl& /now the answer to the neBt
:#estion0 oes it matter to us if we are not here?
' want to ta/e &o# aside for a short moment to disc#ss the !ast and the f#t#re(
'magine, for a moment, that &o# are to #ndergo an o!eration2<2, one that will lead to a
great deal of discomfort for a few da&s re:#iring hea.& doses of mor!hine in order to
ma/e the !ain bearable( +nless &o# are the /ind of !erson who thri.es on !ain 1 and
there are s#ch !eo!le 1 then the chances are that &o# will need some s#!!ort from
others, a range of distractions and :#ite a lot of tea or coffee leading #! to the
o!eration( Once the o!eration is com!lete then, as ' ha.e said, there is !ain6 b#t
e.ent#all& the !ain goes and &o# are better off for the !roced#re that has been carried
o#t(
'f &o# loo/ bac/ on that o!eration &o# ma& feel a !ang of emotion, ma&be e.en a
!hantom memor& of !ain, b#t &o# won9t act#all& feel the !ain as it was6 nor will &o#
loo/ bac/ to the e.ent in the same wa& that &o# were forced to loo/ forward to it(
Time tra.els forwards and so we do too( The h#man bod& has .ario#s tric/s that it can
!#ll to ens#re we are in t#ne with the incessant mo.ement of time0 one of them is
hormonal, and e.er& new mother will ha.e eB!erienced this tric/ #nder normal
circ#mstances( ;hen a woman is gi.ing birth, large amo#nts of .ario#s hormones are
released into the bloodstream( One of these hormones is called OB&tocin, and it is this
hormone that !re!ares the mother to be for both the second stage of childbirth 1 the
deli.er& itself 1 and the essential tas/ of breastfeeding( #ring the most stren#o#s and
!ainf#l stages an odd thing ha!!ens0 the !it#itar& gland, that sits 2#st behind the
72E
forehead, releases f#rther chemicals /nown as @ndor!hins( The res#lt is a decrease in
!ain !erce!tion, :#ite nat#rall&( The rising le.el of endor!hins also contrib#tes to a
shift from a thin/ing, rational mind*set to a more instincti.e one( @ndor!hins create a
dream*li/e state, which a!!ears to hel! women in the tas/s re:#ired for gi.ing birth(2<<
4at#ral birth (witho#t artificial chemicals% ma& be a :#estion of taste, b#t there is
little do#bt that the nat#ral chemicals the h#man bod& is able to !rod#ce ma/e
childbirth a more bearable !rocess( 4ow here is the reall& cle.er !art0 the endor!hin
r#sh not onl& red#ces !ain, b#t it also acts to s#!!ress the memor& of that !ain, and
man& other as!ects of the birth itself( This effect is not #ni:#e to childbirth6 in fact
there are co#ntless doc#mented cases of !eo!le who ha.e #ndergone grie.o#s
in2#ries, immense tests of stamina and tra#matic incidents who 2#st can9t remember
the !ain of these e.ents(
;h& wo#ld this be beneficial? 'f &o# thin/ abo#t the /inds of sit#ations d#ring
which !ain*red#cing endor!hins are released then it becomes clear that !ain memor&
wo#ld not be hel!f#l in most cases( +ndo#btedl& the .is#al and other sensor& as!ects
of an e.ent ma& remain .i.id 1 ' still feel tense inside when ' recall the time ' sliced
the edge off m& left indeB finger with a Stanle& /nife when c#tting a !iece of card 1
b#t the !ain does not( ' ha.e no memor& at all of the !ain, so while ' wo#ld be more
caref#l with a shar! blade in the f#t#re, based on m& memories of the e.ent, ' co#ld
not tell &o# how m#ch that /nife incident h#rt( ;ith childbirth it is critical for the
4A to be able to re!licate, so the e.ol#tionar& !rocess that has led to endor!hins
being released ens#res that a woman can remember man& of the sights, smells and
so#nds of !re.io#s births b#t, cr#ciall&, cannot remember the !ain that wo#ld
otherwise disco#rage her from tr&ing for another bab&( 't seems that we ha.e e.ol.ed
to onl& remember the !arts of the !ast that it is worth remembering(
Another tric/ that h#mans ha.e de.elo!ed 1 wor/ing o#t how &o# wo#ld test for
this in an& other organism is challenging, to sa& the least 1 is o#r abilit& to treat the
f#t#re as more im!ortant than the !ast(
Time is a conce!t that !hiloso!hers, and more recentl& scientists, ha.e str#ggled
with for millennia( There is an organisation called the 'nternational Societ& for the
St#d& of Time that !res#mabl& tal/s abo#t nothing b#t time, and ha.e been doing so
for o.er fort& &ears with seemingl& little agreement( ' lo.e this :#ote from the 'nternet
7<=
@nc&clo!aedia of Philoso!h&0 Time has been st#died b& !hiloso!hers and scientists
for 2,>== &ears, and than/s to this attention it is much better understood today(
4e.ertheless, man& iss#es remain to be resol.ed( $ere is a short list of the most
im!ortant onesSwhat time act#all& is6 whether time eBists when nothing is changing6
what /inds of time tra.el are !ossibleSwhether the f#t#re and !ast are realS2<, and
so on( Ma&be the a#thor has had his or her iron& gland remo.ed, or ma&be the& forgot
to read what the& had 2#st written, b#t it is !rett& ob.io#s that time is something that
we #nderstand .er& !oorl&(
;e do /now that time is distinct from s!ace in as m#ch as &o# can tra.el forwards
and bac/wards in s!ace, b#t &o# cannot tra.el bac/wards in time0 the notional fo#rth
dimension tag gi.en to time is merel& a con.enience based on the fact that h#mans
are three*dimensional beings( 'f we were two*dimensional then (a% we wo#ld treat the
third dimension differentl& to the wa& we do as three*dimensional beings and (b%
la&ing gas, sewage and water !i!es to ho#ses wo#ld be an absol#te nightmareH Ma&be
if we were fo#r* (or fi.e*, or siB*% dimensional beings then time tra.el wo#ld be a
breeAe, b#t onl& relati.e to beings that eBist in fewer dimensions(
4ot being able to mo.e bac/wards in time ma& seem li/e a bind, b#t an&one who
has watched octor ;ho or Bac/ To The "#t#re will #nderstand wh& it9s !robabl& a
good thing that we can9t go bac/ in time and alter the co#rse of e.ents 1 regardless of
m& o.erwhelming desire to go bac/ to 7EF= and !resent to e.er& st#dent what we
now /now abo#t climate change( M& &o#nger da#ghter became .er& #!set when she
realised that, if m& wife and ' had ne.er been born, or had ne.er met, or had ne.er
decided to go to o.er one 4ew 3ear9s da&, she wo#ld ne.er ha.e been born0 s#ch
tho#ghts are of no !ractical #se, and rarel& tro#ble the ad#lt mind( The fact that we are
alwa&s mo.ing forwards thro#gh time, eating #! o#r f#t#re as it becomes o#r !resent
and then o#r !ast, means that it wo#ld be com!letel& !ointless for #s to ha.e e.ol.ed
a fear of the !ast( ' fear the f#t#re 1 ' wo#ld not be writing this boo/ if that were not
the case 1 b#t ' am onl& aware of what has ha!!ened in the !ast( The aforementioned
!ainf#l o!eration, once it has occ#rred, merel& becomes a memor& of something that
can ne.er ha!!en again(
The !oint of all this disc#ssion abo#t time is to gi.e &o# another !ers!ecti.e on to!
of the s!atial one that &o# read abo#t in -ha!ter @ight( ;e sho#ld not onl& see
o#rsel.es as relati.el& insignificant when it comes to /nowing o#r !lace in the Tree of
7<7
8ife6 we also need to !#t the !ast into !ers!ecti.e( B& all means we can learn from it,
reflect on it and en2o& the memories it has gi.en #s, b#t what matters to #s will not
ha!!en in the !ast 1 it will ha!!en in the f#t#re(
As/ &o#rself the :#estion again0 8oes it matter to us if we are not hereN
Iemember the disc#ssion abo#t selfishness in -ha!ter 4ine? The concl#sion of this
was that selfishness is #ns#stainable, and that we m#st ta/e acco#nt of other things in
order to ens#re that o#r beha.io#r does not lead to #ns#stainabilit&( S#stainabilit& is
not 2#st abo#t the #se nat#ral reso#rces6 it is abo#t the #se of o#r li.es(
'f we do not s#r.i.e then o#r 4A will not s#r.i.e, therefore o#r 4A will ha.e
failed in its role as re!licators of information( 'f &o# are thin/ing that we can den& o#r
genetic information then go ahead, do something fatal 1 ta/e a /nife, or a ro!e or
some non*!rescri!tion dr#gs and den& &o#r 4A their inb#ilt destin&( 't9s not
something that an&one wo#ld carr& o#t lightl&, nor is it something that ha!!ens .er&
often( S#icide, altho#gh relati.el& more common amongst older men, is not a leading
ca#se of death on a global scale( The ;orld $ealth Organisation estimates that
s#icide acco#nts for less than two !ercent of all deaths, ninet& !ercent of whom ha.e
been diagnosed with a !s&chological condition, which wo#ld increase the li/elihood
of the s#fferer ta/ing their own life(2<>
't is worr&ing to note, tho#gh, that the global rate of s#icide has been steadil& on
the increase, #! b& ,= !ercent amongst females, and C= !ercent amongst males since
7E>=( @conomic !ress#re and social fragmentation, in a c#lt#re in which the words,
There is no s#ch thing as societ&2<C ha.e become iconic, ha.e no small !art to !la&
in this trend(2<G St#dies in a wide range of c#lt#res ha.e consistentl& fo#nd a close
negati.e relationshi! between the !ersonal .al#e !eo!le !lace on material wealth, and
their !s&chological health2<F0 de!ression a!!ears to be less common amongst !eo!le
who don9t li.e their li.es in the !#rs#it of wealth(
The role that religion !la&s in the :#estion of s#icide is fascinating( 't wo#ld be
tem!ting to thin/ that a religio#s belief that has as !art of its articles of faith the
eBistence of an afterlife wo#ld be rife with followers eager to ta/e the neBt ste!
towards a di.ine f#t#re( 't is significant, as ' hinted earlier at the beginning of this
7<2
cha!ter, that all of the world9s ma2or religions treat s#icide as a mortal sin or its
e:#i.alent, which draws the concl#sion that the fo#nders of s#ch doctrines were not
too /een on their followers ta/ing a shortc#t to eternit&( ;as this a conscio#s (or
S#!er*conscio#s% decision to maintain the nat#ral desire to !reser.e life? -ertainl& the
!resence of willing .ol#nteers in s#icide bomb attac/s is testament to the !ower of
religio#s belief to o.ercome the nat#ral desire to s#r.i.e, both for the !er!etrator and
the .ictims0 were it not for certain t&!es of religio#s indoctrination, s#ch attac/s
wo#ld be far less common(
The rarit& of s#icide o.erall, and the !re.alence of !s&chological !roblems
amongst those who do commit s#icide ma/es a .er& strong case for h#mans as being
nat#ral s#r.i.ors( 'f this were not the case then h#mans wo#ld ha.e died o#t long ago
thro#gh nat#ral !rocesses, m#ch li/e an& other organism that, thro#gh a lac/ of .iable
health& ada!table 4A, no longer eBists(
More than 2#st o#r nat#ral tendenc& to s#r.i.e, tho#gh, is the manifestation of that
s#r.i.al instinct in the wa& we thin/( -onsider the :#estion0 ;hat wo#ld &o# ris/
&o#r life to sa.e? M& initial instinct is to sa& m& famil& then me then, with a little
more tho#ght, the @arth in general and m& friends( Iemo.e the @arth from the
e:#ation and &o# ha.e the /ind of answer that most !eo!le gi.e( 'n fact, all three
t&!ical res!onses are directl& related to the nat#ral instinct for s#r.i.al( ;e want to
!rotect o#r famil& in order to sec#re the contin#ation of o#r 4A thro#gh blood
relati.es and the !eo!le the& de!end #!on to s#r.i.e( ;e want to !rotect o#rsel.es in
order to !rotect o#r own 4A, and the o!!ort#nit& for that to be f#rther re!licated(
;e want to !rotect o#r friends beca#se the& too are h#man beings, b#t not onl& that,
we ha.e conscio#sl& chosen o#r closest friends beca#se of what the& ha.e in common
with #s 1 the& are almost li/e famil&(
't might seem crass to bring all of this down to genes and 4A, b#t it ma/es
!erfect sense when &o# thin/ abo#t it( ;hen a male s!ider mates with a female it has
to ado!t .ario#s strategies to ens#re that it will not be eaten or /illed !rior to
inseminating its mate6 its #tmost !riorit& is to ens#re its 4A gets !assed on to the
neBt generation of s!iders( Male redbac/ s!iders, that are doomed to die following
mating, ha.e de.elo!ed a method of carr&ing o#t d#al insemination 1 a remar/able
ada!tation that co#nters the female9s abilit& to choose between the s!erm of different
mates2<E( The e.en more remar/able thing is that the ada!tation does not ens#re that
7<<
the male s!ider himself s#r.i.es, in fact the eBtended mating time ma/es death e.en
more li/el&0 the s!ider is sim!l& ens#ring that his 4A has the best !ossible chance
of s#r.i.ing( This is the wa& of nat#re, and we are sim!l& following nat#re9s r#les(
The @colog& Test showed that h#mans, howe.er s#ccessf#l in e.ol#tionar& terms,
are irrele.ant to the contin#ation of the @arth9s ecos&stem( The -#lt#ral Test showed
that altho#gh the dominant c#lt#re on the !lanet !#ts h#mans abo.e all else, it is not
treating h#mans as tho#gh we were .ital 1 we are merel& rele.ant( The Personal Test
has gi.en another o#tcome entirel&0 h#mans are the #ltimate eB!ression of all we hold
dear, and nothing else comes before #s(
L L L
The o#tcome of the both the @colog& Test and the -#lt#ral Test co#ld change
dramaticall&, de!ending on how we treat both the @arth and how we treat o#rsel.es(
;e co#ld choose to li.e li.es that are f#ll& s#stainable and gi.e all other s!ecies on
@arth the abilit& to eBist according to the r#les of nat#re, rather than the toBic r#les we
ha.e drawn #!( ;e co#ld choose to li.e in a c#lt#re that .al#es h#mans as
indi.id#als, treats them e:#all& and does not threaten o#r .er& eBistence thro#gh its
destr#cti.e acti.ities( But we can never change what we are$ survivors(
'n the end, s#rel& what matters is what matters to #s(
Part Three
Ma-in. The Connection
' still care abo#t this !lanet
' am still connected to nat#re
And to m& dreams for m&self(
($alf*)ifts, -octea# Twins%
;on[t someone tr&, o!en #! &o#r e&es
3o# m#st be blind if &o# can[t see
The ga!ing hole called realit&(
(-onnected, Stereo M-s%
A Matter Of Scale Ma/ing The -onnection
7<>
Chapter 11
;h& -onnect?
'n ?an#ar& 2==F, the amo#nt of carbon dioBide in o#r atmos!here to#ched <F> !arts
!er million(2,= That same month, r ?ames $ansen of the )oddard S!ace 'nstit#te in
4ew 3or/ ga.e a short !resentation to the Io&al -ollege of Ph&sicians in 8ondon2,70
in it he stated that, based on historical data com!aring atmos!heric carbon to global
tem!erat#res, the maBim#m safe le.el for carbon dioBide in the atmos!here was <>=
!arts !er million 1 be&ond this, the @arth9s nat#ral s&stems wo#ld change irre.ersibl&(
As ' t&!e these words, the .ol#me of -O2 miBed with the air in the chill& bac/ room '
am sitting in eBceeds this safe limit b& 7=\( ' am inhaling something that is alread&
ca!able of remo.ing the )reenland ice ca! and raising the le.el of the ocean b& se.en
metres(2,2 Se.en metres? ' go to a web site that shows what this wo#ld mean to the
world9s coastal regions2,<, clic/ on the dro!*down arrow and select XGm(
The web site /nows which co#ntr& ' li.e in0 m#ch of the fertile growing land in
eastern @ngland is #nder water along with half of the 4etherlands( ' scroll the ma!
down and Aoom o#t a little0 most of @#ro!e is safe at the moment( Across the Atlantic
the Mississi!!i elta is flooded 1 the reco.ering towns and cities of so#thern
8o#isiana ha.e ta/en their last breath( The !la&gro#nds of the "lorida De&s and
Ocean -it& are gone, along with great swathes of the eastern seaboard( ' scroll
eastwards( So#th @ast Asia is hit terribl&0 Shanghai and $ong Dong are 2#st small
islands in a sea of floodwater6 Bangladesh sees !ermanent floods be&ond the
imagination of e.en those who eB!erienced the catastro!he of 7EG=( And this is 2#st
the calm, tidal ocean, witho#t storm s#rges and h#rricanes6 :#ite #nli/e the
tem!est#o#s one we can loo/ forward to in the neBt fift& &ears, e.en with the carbon
dioBide le.els in the atmos!here #nchanged, at 2#st <F> !arts !er million(
-arbon dioBide acco#nts for abo#t siBt&*fi.e !ercent of all anthro!ogenic global
heating that is ta/ing !lace2,, (the word anthro!ogenic 2#st means, made b&
h#mans%( -arbon dioBide is es!eciall& significant, not onl& beca#se it is res!onsible
for a large !ortion of the #nnat#ral )reenho#se @ffect b#t also beca#se it is the one
gas whose le.el is contin#ing to rise while the others 1 s#ch as methane and nitro#s
7<C
oBide 1 are relati.el& controlled, for the moment(2,> The lac/ of carbon control is
e.er&where0 from the belching S+5s and !ower*h#ngr& air conditioners of high*tech
+SA, to the teeming coal*fired !ower stations of newl& commercial -hina and 'ndia6
from the f#ming !eat left b#rning after the 'ndonesian forests were scorched, to the
ree/ing oil sands of -anada( Oil, wood, coal and gas are being ignited across the
world to feed a growing a!!etite for more of e.er&thing( More technolog&6 more heat6
more cold6 more meat6 more mone&6 more greed6 more !rofit6 more s!eed6 more
.acations6 more need(
More deserts(
More flooding(
More storms(
8ess ice(
8ess food(
8ess life(
"igure #$ ,orld ?opulation vs. ,orld -arbon 8ioxide 9missions (ource$ Author5s own image,
derived from various sources)
7<G
'n 7E== the world !o!#lation stood at abo#t 7(> billion !eo!le, abo#t the same as
the c#rrent !o!#lation of 'ndia, Bangladesh and Pa/istan combined( 'n the same &ear,
historical statistics show that the amo#nt of carbon dioBide being !rod#ced b& fossil
f#el b#rning was 7(E billion tonnes2,C, or 2#st #nder a third of what the +SA !#t into
the atmos!here in 2==,( B& the beginning of the Second ;orld ;ar, the !o!#lation
had risen considerabl&, to 2(< billion, an increase of o.er fift& !ercent6 b& the same
&ear global carbon dioBide !rod#ction was aro#nd ,(G billion tonnes( The war too/ the
edge off ind#strial !rod#ction in the ;est so that, b& 7E,>, emissions had fallen b&
nearl& ele.en !ercent, b#t it had ta/en a global e.ent that directl& ca#sed fift& million
deaths for ci.iliAation to red#ce carbon dioBide !rod#ction b& 2#st a tenth(
The #!t#rn in !o!#lation growth that ' described in -ha!ter @ight has its
significance in the wa& it too/ h#man n#mbers from a relati.el& modest 2(> billion
!eo!le in 7E>=, #! to C(> billion in 2==>6 an increase of 7C= !ercent in 2#st fift&*fi.e
&ears( O.er that same !eriod of time carbon emissions grew from siB billion tonnes to
twent&*nine billion tonnes, a lea! of eBtraordinar& !ro!ortions0 no less than <F=
!ercent, or nearl& two and half times the rate of !o!#lation growth( This was achie.ed
e.en with almost an entire decade of carbon stabilit& in the 7EF=s(
"rom the first gra!h it is e.ident that !o!#lation growth and carbon dioBide
emissions do ha.e something in common, b#t the increase in h#man n#mbers doesn9t
go an&where near eB!laining where all the carbon is coming from( Once ' had fed in
some economic fig#res from the ;orld Trade OrganiAation2,G and !rod#ced "igure 2,
tho#gh, something was startlingl& clear0 it is not population growth that is driving
greenhouse gas emissions, it is money(
The gra!h, which ill#strates the !eriod between 7E>= and 2==>, has s!ro#ted
another line, the !in/ one, showing how trade between different co#ntries boomed
o.er a !eriod of >> &ears( Trade is affected b& a great n#mber of things, b#t the most
im!ortant of them is whether there is a mar/et for something or not0 if there is a
mar/et then a !rod#cer can sell things to a cons#mer( The mar/et for something will
e.ent#all& become sat#rated #nless the !rod#cer can find wa&s of ma/ing the
cons#mer interested in b#&ing more of a !rod#ct, b#t it is often easier to o!en #! new
mar/ets for the same thing, which is one reason that trade has roc/eted since 7EF>(
'9m getting ahead of m&self, tho#gh 1 what is im!ortant here is the #ncann& similarit&
between the sha!es of the @missions line and the Trade line(
7<F
The !ost*war boom in the ind#strial ;est6 with its acceleration in the #se of
cons#mer goods 1 s#ch as tele.isions, .ac##m cleaners and refrigerators 1 the rise of
the car c#lt#re and an #!s#rge in the n#mber of new ho#ses6 !#shed global carbon
emissions #! b& 2>= !ercent in 2#st 2> &ears( -oal was the f#el of choice for
electricit& generation, and massi.e oil disco.eries in the Middle @ast d#ring the 7E>=s
and 7EC=s, incl#ding se.en of the largest oil fields e.er fo#nd2,F, meant that chea!
f#el, almost literall&, dro.e cons#m!tion thro#gh the roof( The oil crisis, in the 7EG=s,
and two ma2or economic recessions in the 7EF=s !#shed emissions growth down a
little, b#t still it s!ed ahead of !o!#lation growth, and b& 7EF> emissions beat
!o!#lation b& a factor of fo#r to one( Bearing in mind that the& had been almost
nec/and*
nec/ in 7E==, this is !henomenal growth b& an&one9s standards(
Between 7E>= and 7EG=, international trade (im!orts and eB!orts% grew from TC=
billion to a still relati.el& modest T<7G billion0 growth of ,7< !ercent in 2= &ears is
im!ressi.e, b#t nothing com!ared to later on( 'nternational trade started to climb
ra!idl& after 7EG> 1 beca#se the gra!h onl& shows trade between different nations, the
freeing #! of international mar/ets d#ring the 7EG=s is !artic#larl& .isible, as is the
massi.e global recession in the 7EF=s, and the eB!losi.e growth in the international
trade of cons#mer goods since 2===( These .ariations in world trade2,E between 7EG>
"igure 2$ ,orld ?opulation vs. ,orld -arbon 8ioxide 9missions vs. ,orld Trade (ource$
Author5s own image, derived from various sources)
7<E
and the !resent da& are closel& matched b& changes in carbon dioBide emissions 1
with the notable eBce!tion of the earl&*7EE=s, when the smo/estac/s of m#ch of
@#ro!e sto!!ed belching following the colla!se of the So.iet Bloc, and the emergence
of nat#ral gas as a cleaner generator of electricit&( This bli! was not to last long(
es!ite !romises b& man& go.ernments and b#sinesses to control their emissions,
the slo!e is stee!ening( This inflationar& 2#m! is !rimaril& the res#lt of man#fact#ring
being shifted from rich nations in which labo#r is relati.el& well !aid, to !oorer
nations 1 in which wor/ers are generall& !aid a !ittance 1 that generate electricit& b&
far dirtier means( The fr#its of this transfer of labo#r are then laborio#sl& trans!orted
bac/ to the rich nations that b#& the goods, th#s !rod#cing e.en more carbon
dioBide(2>= This is com!o#nded b& another l#crati.e eB!ort0 the ind#strial ;est9s lo.e
affair with cars, ho#sehold cons#mer goods and a meat*rich diet is no longer the
!reser.e of rich nations 1 it is increasingl& seen as something that all !eo!le ha.e the
right to be a !art of( The fact that this beha.io#r fattens the wallets of b#siness leaders
in the ;est is not entirel& coincidental(
L L L
The connection between mone& and carbon emissions, worrisome as it is, is 2#st one
of man& social, !olitical and economic connections that we enco#nter on an almost
dail& basis2>7, often witho#t realising it6 b#t there is a far more im!ortant connection
that we now need to consider 1 one that is the s#b2ect of the rest of this cha!ter and
the one after that( 't is so im!ortant that '9m going to sim!l& refer to it as The
-onnection(
The Connection
o &o# ha.e a s!are shoe &o# can loo/ at? An& shoe, it doesn9t reall& matter as long
as it fastens #sing laces( 'f &o# are wearing one then that will be fine( 'f &o# need to
fetch the shoe then !lease get it now, ' won9t go an&where(
O/a&?
4ow loo/ caref#ll& at the lace 1 #ndo it if it has a /not or a bow 1 find the righthand
end and hold it in &o#r hand( This end is &o#0 a h#man being, no different to an&
other h#man being on @arth, whate.er c#lt#re &o# li.e in, whate.er race &o# ma& be
7,=
or lang#age &o# ma& s!ea/( 4ow find the left*hand end, and hold on to that as well(
This end is e.er&thing else in the world0 from the smallest atom of carbon, to the
microbes, the worms, the bees, the fish, the trees, the forests, the oceans and the
atmos!here that &o# are breathing in(
Two ends of a !iece of string, so close together0 one totall& de!endent on the other(
'f &o# ha.e read this far &o# will /now b& now which end is most de!endent on the
other( The webs and chains that loc/ li.es together in a s&mbiotic embrace eBist in
order that life on this !lanet can be as com!leB and .aried as it is( $#mans wo#ld be
nothing at all witho#t the ancient histor& of interconnections that ha.e been made
between different s!ecies( Most of the strands ha.e let go, fallen beside the fo#r
billion &ear !ath for others to re!lace them and ta/e the strain6 b#t the new strands
still hold on, for if the& didn9t then h#manit& wo#ld fall li/e a sac/ of roc/s into a
dee! well(
S!lashH As eas& as that(
That we sho#ld care abo#t o#r descent into the ic& well water and o#r #ntimel&
eBtinction is be&ond do#bt( ;e are s#r.i.al machines and we eBist to contin#e o#r
s!ecies 1 there is no greater moti.ation than the sim!le #rge to sta& ali.e, and for that
reason it is sim!l& not !ossible to be h#man and not care abo#t o#r fate( &t follows that
it is simply not possible to be a free thinking human being and not care about what is
happening to the planet that we depend on.
Ta/e another loo/ at the shoelace( "ollow each end downwards as the wo.en
strands mo.e in and o#t of the holes, intersecting, to#ching each other and finall&
meeting at the end( The two ends alwa&s were together( "rom the origins of life o#r
fate has been intimatel& tied #! with the fate of the rest of o#r @arthl& com!anions,
and there is nothing &o# can do abo#t it(
L L L
;o#ld &o# ris/ &o#r life to sa.e a tree along the street &o# li.e in6 wo#ld &o# !#t
&o#rself between the tr#n/ of a !lant and a chainsaw, aBe or machete 1 howe.er
slender that !lant ma& be 1 in order to !reser.e it for another da&? 'f it were woodland
near to &o#r home, or e.en a forest at the other side of the world that was imminentl&
threatened with remo.al, wo#ld &o# then endanger &o#r life to !rotect it?
7,7
A British en.ironmental acti.ist ' ha.e /nown for &ears was narrowl& sa.ed from
death b& an OBfordshire !olice officer( 't9s ironic that the reason the !olice officer had
to stem the blood g#shing from an arter& was that the arter& was se.ered while A
was tr&ing to esca!e from a !olice cell( A des!eratel& wanted to esca!e in order to
ret#rn to the scene of his crime so he co#ld once again hold #! tree felling wor/6
felling wor/ that was ta/ing !lace in order that a !ower com!an& co#ld fill a thri.ing
la/e with the s!oil from a coal*fired !ower station( M& friend tho#ght little of his fate,
eBce!t that the trees m#st be sa.ed( $is attem!ts to sto! the trees being c#t down were
deemed illegal, and so he was arrested and sent to the !olice cell in which he nearl&
died( es!ite his br#sh with death, he has since told me that he wo#ld do it again0 '
wo#ld tr& and sa.e life again, ris/ing m& own life, beca#se all life is worth sa.ing(2>2
The tem!tation, in societies where the fate of s!ecies other than h#mans is
regarded as incidental, is to label s#ch beha.io#r eBtreme, or e.en !s&chotic(
-ertainl& m& friend was labelled both an eBtremist and a tree h#gger, and !#nished
for his actions( The term tree h#gging is often #sed as a dis!araging term to
describe en.ironmentalists, li/e m& friend, who greatl& .al#e the distinct and
irre!laceable ser.ice that trees carr& o#t for the bios!here( 'n fact, b& definition, to be
a Tree $#gger is to be someone who wo#ld !lace &o#rself at the merc& of whate.er
h#manit& might eBist in the minds of a !erson determined to destro& the tree, which
&o# are embracing( The )arhwal $ills of northern 'ndia contains a n#mber of tribes
whose li.es ha.e changed little in 7>== &ears and !robabl& far longer(2>< The& also
contain the origins of the -hi!/o Andolan (literall&, h#g the trees% mo.ement( 'n
7EG<, following decades of s#ccessi.e remo.al and !artitioning of the forests b& both
the British and the 'ndian go.ernments 1 forests that the indigeno#s !eo!le de!ended
on for their well*being 1 the !atience of the )arhwali finall& ran o#t0 the .illagers had
been ref#sed !ermission to c#t twel.e trees in order to ma/e tools while,
sim#ltaneo#sl&, a s!orting goods com!an& was granted !ermission to c#t far more
trees from the same forest to ma/e tennis rac:#ets(
The women of the .illage, in !artic#lar, started !rotecting the trees with their own
bodies, tr&ing to grab the aBes of the loggers0 ris/ing their li.es at the hands of those
who had been charged to remo.e the trees that the )arhwali so badl& needed to be
managed res!onsibl& and s#stainabl&( A state officer, who was #nder the im!ression
7,2
that the go.ernment owned the trees, not some #!start tribal women, attem!ted to
confront the !rotestors0
&t was time to settle the matter once and for all. %e and his entourage went into
the forest to lay down the law, but instead witnessed a sight that was both
fascinating and disarming$ hundreds of women, more than he could count,
milling about among the trees, singing songs and chanting, many with infants
strapped to their waists and children at their feet. :eali6ing that to lay down the
law would re>uire some kind of brutal offensive against all of the women and
children in the area, he left chastised and embarrassed.27.
o &o# feel that the actions of the )arhwali women in 'ndia were an& less, or more
eBtreme than those of the British en.ironmentalist? Again, it wo#ld be tem!ting to
s#ggest that the -hi!/o Andolan were ta/ing #nnecessar& ris/s in order to sa.e some
trees, b#t their li.es de!ended on the forests remaining intact6 to !ro.ide a s#stainable
so#rce of wood for coo/ing, heating and tool ma/ing6 to stabilise the gro#nd and
!re.ent m#dslides in the mo#ntaino#s terrain6 to ens#re that the waters remained fresh
and constantl& a.ailable( Most !eo!le wo#ld agree that some /ind of acti.ism wo#ld
be 2#stified 1 b#t wo#ld &o# ris/ &o#r life to maintain a wa& of life in the face of
cree!ing de.elo!ment, and the !romise of a more modern lifest&le0 the /ind that the
British en.ironmentalist has no choice b#t to lead?
The )arhwali !eo!le ha.e a .illage*based c#lt#re6 farming and #sing the land
aro#nd the .illages in the most s#stainable manner the& can( ;itho#t treating the land
in s#ch a wa& their distinct wa& of life wo#ld ha.e been wi!ed o#t long ago( Beca#se
of their similarit& to some more recent c#lt#res, the )arhwali are able to ma/e minor
ada!tations to their li.es, witho#t greatl& affecting their c#lt#ral integrit&0 b#t there
are limitations, and large, enforced changes wo#ld, as with so man& other societies
before them, ca#se irre.ersible damage(
The tribal !eo!le of ;est Pa!#a li.e in a manner that is entirel& alien to most of
modern h#manit&( According to Bernard 4ietschmann0 The !eo!le of ;est Pa!#a
are different in all res!ects from their r#lers in O'ndonesiaP0 lang#age, religions,
identit&, histories, s&stems of land ownershi! and reso#rce #se, c#lt#res and
allegiance(2>> 'magine, for a moment, li.ing in s#ch a wa& that &o# had no conce!t of
o#tside r#les, beliefs and c#lt#re6 when, s#ddenl&, the land &o# ha.e n#rt#red for
7,<
cent#ries with delicate care is ri!!ed awa& from &o# to be handed to a cor!oration
intent on mining it for metals, lea.ing the land in tatters and tho#sands of tonnes of
toBic s!oil leaching !oison into the gro#nd( This is !recisel& what ha!!ened in the
&ears following 7ECG #nder the des!otic leadershi! of President S#harto of 'ndonesia
(who also forcibl& too/ control of the co#ntr& following a militar& co#! in 7EC>%(
Two large mining com!anies from democratic nations6 "ree!ort, based in the +SA,
and Iio Tinto Minc, a +D Y A#stralian conglomerate6 were handed the mineral rights
for a large !art of ;est Pa!#a in ret#rn for genero#s donations to the S#harto regime(
es!ite S#harto9s bloodthirst& beha.io#r across his em!ire, incl#ding res!onsibilit&
for the sla#ghter of half a million 'ndonesians in 7EC>, the -@O of "ree!ort, ?ames
Ioberts, called S#harto, a com!assionate man(2>C
The nati.e ;est Pa!#ans ha.e ne.er had the land ret#rned to them, !rimaril&
beca#se there is no !rofit to be made in gi.ing a !eacef#l, nat#re res!ecting !eo!le
stewardshi! of a region #nder which there are rich mineral reso#rces to be !l#ndered(
Since the 7EG=s the sit#ation has, if an&thing, worsened with the rise in illegal
deforestation for the l#crati.e eB!ort of tro!ical hardwood, !#l!wood with which to
ma/e !a!er, and the !alm oil from monoc#lt#re !lantations which goes into s#ch
;estern essentials as chocolate chi! coo/ies, hair conditioner and !otato cris!s( S#ch
acti.ities 1 illegal or otherwise 1 are acti.el& condoned b& the new democratic
go.ernment and, des!ite the best efforts of +nited 4ations and h#man rights wor/ers,
intimidation is rife0
The pecial :epresentative is also concerned about complaints that defenders
from ,est ?apua working for the preservation of the environment and the right
over land and natural resources (deforestation and illegal logging) fre>uently
receive threats from private actors with powerful economic interests but are
granted no protection by the police!This climate of fear has reportedly
worsened since the incident of Abepura in @arch 2114, where five members of
the security forces were killed after clashes with protesters demanding the
closure of the gold and copper mine, ?T "reeport. Cawyers and human rights
defenders involved with the trial received death threats.270
Tree $#gging in s#ch an isolated and tightl& controlled landsca!e of fear c#ts no
ice with !ri.ate sec#rit& firms or the 'ndonesian go.ernment( 'n a world where the
7,,
media rarel& ta/es an interest, and the !#blic are disbarred, who is to /now whether
the defenders are 2#st being /illed b& the militar& or !ri.ate sec#rit& g#ards? 't is clear
from reg#lar obser.ations that, where the indigeno#s !eo!le ha.e clashed with
de.elo!ers, the de.elo!ers ha.e alwa&s won in the long r#n(2>F This !#ts indigeno#s
!eo!le in a terrible dilemma0 do the& contin#e to fight for the ret#rn of land that their
entire eBistence de!ends #!on6 or do the& enlist the hel! of o#tside agencies or, e.en
more contro.ersiall&, rel& on the com!assion of the b#sinesses act#all& res!onsible
for the land*grab in the first !lace? S#ch com!romises almost alwa&s lead, as
mentioned before, to irre.ersible c#lt#ral change( Their li.es are on the line,
whiche.er wa& the& t#rn( ;hat wo#ld &o# do in their sit#ation?
efending something that is central to &o#r life is not !s&chotic beha.io#r, nor is
it eBtreme6 it is sim!l& h#man nat#re( A man who tries to ta/e m& life from me b&
s#ffocation, b& forcibl& holding his hands o.er m& mo#th and nose, is immediatel&
loc/ed in his own life*or*death str#ggle, for ' wo#ld fight to the death to retain m&
own life 1 as an& sane !erson wo#ld( The connection between the assailant9s hands
"igure 3$ "ishing tribesman from Baliem 'alley, ,est ?apua (ource$ -reative -ommons &nternet
image)
7,>
and m& own fate is immediate0 there is no do#bt that the two are connected in this
!artic#lar sit#ation( 'n a slightl& less direct sense, the total loss of &o#r food so#rce,
shelter or an& other means of s#staining &o#rself clarifies the connection between the
thing that &o# de!end #!on and &o#r desire to s#r.i.e( ' don9t need to tell &o# this6
ta/e these things awa& and it becomes ob.io#s(
As ' said in Part Two, the -it& weller is c#t off from his life s#!!ort s&stem( 'n a
world where more than fift& !ercent of h#manit& li.es in cities this is an e.er more
.ital obser.ation0 as far as an& h#nter*gatherer, or indeed an& !erson !rod#cing their
own food is concerned, &o# ma& as well ha.e &o#r so#rce of n#trition com!letel&
ta/en awa& from &o# if &o# ha.e no sight or /nowledge of its origin( As &o# !ic/
&o#r read&*meal or bottle of -o/e off the shelf of &o#r local s#!ermar/et (if that is
where &o# sho!, or what &o# b#&% do &o# ha.e an& conce!t of where those items
come from? -ertainl&, the mere fact of ha.ing a read&*meal made from n#mero#s
different and obsc#re ingredients immediatel& distances cons#mers from the food the&
are eating6 and where on @arth do those ingredients come from? Two st#dies carried
o#t in 2==7 fo#nd that the distance a.erage food items in the +SA and the +D had
been trans!orted from farm to for/ had risen b& a factor of two and fi.e times
res!ecti.el&2>E in 2#st two decades( A.erage fig#res for common foodst#ffs ranged
from 2,>== to ,,=== /ilometres 1 these are a.erage fig#res, nothing li/e the longest
distances that some foods tra.el(
The .ast distances in.ol.ed 2#st to bring a head of broccoli or a !int of mil/ to
&o#r table 1 sometimes between .er& similar t&!es of co#ntries, and sometimes (and
#s#all& in this direction% from !oor to rich co#ntries 1 !laces a !s&chological barrier
between the !erson eating the food and the !lace where that food was grown( 4ot
onl& that, b#t the means of !rod#ction, whether for food or an& other !rod#ct of the
ind#strial econom&, has been di.ided #! in s#ch a wa& that the different !arties
in.ol.ed in that !rod#ction can barel& concei.e what the im!act of their !artic#lar
niche is on the en.ironment( As -#rtis ;hite !#ts it0 The .iolence that we /now as
en.ironmental destr#ction is !ossible onl& beca#se of a com!leB economic,
administrati.e, and social machiner& thro#gh which !eo!le are se!arated from
res!onsibilit& for their misdeeds( ;e sa&, Q' was onl& doing m& 2ob9 at the !a!er mill,
the ind#strial incinerator, the logging cam!, the coal*fired !ower !lant, on the farm,
on the stoc/ eBchange, or sim!l& in front of the P- in the cor!orate carrel( The
7,C
di.ision of labo#rS hides from wor/ers the real conse:#ences of their wor/(2C= 4ot
s#r!risingl&, concern for the damage ca#sed to the nat#ral en.ironment in which the
food was !rod#ced 1 be that deforestation for beef cattle or so&beans in BraAil,
remo.al of mangro.es for shrim! farming in 'ndia, or the !lo#ghing #! of wildflower
meadows to grow ra!eseed in the @nglish co#ntr&side 1 is m#ted in ind#strial nations,
at best( To me, it is this lac/ of concern that is !s&chotic, not the other wa& ro#nd(
L L L
'n A!ril 2==F, ?ames S!eth, Professor of @n.ironmental Polic& at 3ale +ni.ersit&
made the following sober, and startling remar/s0
All we have to do to destroy the planetAs climate and its biota and leave a ruined
world to our children and grandchildren is to just keep on where weAre going
today, just keep releasing greenhouse gases at current rates, just keep
degrading and homogeni6ing and destroying our biological resources, just
continue releasing toxic chemicals at current rates, and by the latter part of this
century, the world wonAt be fit to live in.24#
;hen &o# consider the t&!e of changes that are ta/ing !lace as a res#lt of h#man
agenc&, across the com!lete range of scales in which life o!erates6 and that man&, if
not all of those changes will im!inge #!on &o#r abilit& to s#r.i.e, do &o# feel
connected with those life forms?
"or h#ndreds of millennia, h#mans connected tightl& to the land and the life forms
their s#r.i.al de!ended #!on, beca#se that was how it had to be( "ail#re to connect
was not an o!tion6 if &o# didn9t /now how !lants grew, how animals bred, how ri.ers
ran, how the seasons and the weather changed, then &o# did not s#r.i.e( 'n some !arts
of the world 1 the 4ati.e American tribal lands of ;est -oast +SA, the dense forests
of ;est Pa!#a, the dee! .alle&s and 2agged mo#ntains of northern 'ndia 1 these
connections remain, and cling on des!ite the best efforts of those who see/ to gain
more from the land than mere s#r.i.al( This connection has ebbed awa& from the
ma2orit& of h#manit&, in man& cases to the eBtent that !eo!le feel nothing for
an&thing h#mans ha.e not created themsel.es( B#t we cannot eat concrete6 we cannot
breathe tele.ision6 we cannot drin/ mone&(
7,G
Are 3ou 5ead&+
The -onnection is a .er& !ersonal thing( 't can manifest itself as a whole range of
emotions, all of which lin/ !eo!le with their s#rro#ndings and the things the& de!end
#!on for their contin#ed s#r.i.al( That odd s#rge in the g#t as &o# loo/ #! into the
branches of a tree6 that frisson of eBcitement that comes from en.elo!ing &o#rself in
the sea6 that strange feeling that &o# ha.e something in common with the animal
loo/ing &o# in the e&e0 the& are all s&m!toms of The -onnection( 't is nothing great
and m&sterio#s6 it is sim!l& the necessar& instinct that ens#res we do not damage the
abilit& of the nat#ral en.ironment to /ee! #s ali.e( "ailure to connect is the reason
humanity is pulling the plug on its life-support machine.
-onnection is a two*stage !rocess0 first, we m#st learn to connect beca#se we ha.e
to, beca#se if we don9t then we die6 second, we ha.e an innate need to connect
beca#se it is !art of who we are( The whole of this cha!ter has been de.oted to the
first stage 1 the clear im!erati.e that we m#st connect the two ends of the lace
together 1 what we are and what we are doing( This is a learning !rocess, and for
!eo!le in the earl& throes of ;esternisation then -onnecting ma& be as eas& as falling
off a lifest&le0 it is sim!l& a case of reconnecting with a wa& of life that eBisted not so
long ago, and which still manages to s#r.i.e in !oc/ets tragicall& being s:#eeAed o#t
b& the r#sh to become !art of a cons#mer c#lt#re( "or man& others, the ma2orit& of
!eo!le in the ind#strial ;est who identif& most strongl& with a h&!er*cons#ming wa&
of life, learning how to reconnect o#t of necessit& is a str#ggle0 most of #s ha.e ne.er
eB!erienced an&thing b#t the disconnected li.es we inhabit(
The second stage of -onnection 2#st is( 8i/e the in.isible 2oin between the two
ends of the lace, we ha.e alwa&s been connected, we 2#st need to recognise how
nat#ral and comfortable it is to be this wa&( 'f &o# feel &o# are read& to reconnect, or
2#st want to see what it is li/e to ta/e the !l#nge from &o#r world to the real world,
then read on(
7,F
Chapter T(el1e
$ow To -onnect
@ach one of #s is different0 don9t tr& and co#nt the wa&s( As o#r finger!rints ma/e #s
#ni:#e, the wa&s we can connect re.eal the man& different states of mind that ma/e
#s indi.id#als( -onnection doesn9t re:#ire some m&stical transference of wisdom
from master to st#dent6 it doesn9t demand that &o# sit in a dar/ened room for ho#rs6 it
doesn9t e.en need !eace and :#iet 1 e.er& second of e.er& da& thro#gh e.er& sensor&
lin/ we ma/e with the world, m&riad connections are ta/ing !lace( The /e& is to
ca!t#re that information and recognise it for what it is, not ignore it as 2#st one more
rog#e signal amongst the noise of life( ;ith a little hel! and g#idance, e.er&one can
ma/e their own connection(
7/s Connection
Seag#lls0 that9s what ta/es me there( The re!eating bright, shar! calls, o.er and o.er
again, calling to each other and calling to the s/& 1 that ta/es me somewhere else(
There m#st ha.e been some !erfect moment, some id&llic sit#ation in the !ast when
e.er&thing fitted together flawlessl&, and b#rnt the connection between m&self and the
coast into m& conscio#sness0 ma&be it was the endless, s#n washed da&s in the
s#mmer of 7EGC when ' co#ld wal/ from o#r g#est ho#se to the beach and !la& #ntil
the s#n disa!!eared behind the cliffs, and then !la& some more in the fading light(
Memories hel! #nloc/ those connections for me(
' find the coast is what draws me bac/ to nat#re6 ma/es me #nderstand the endless
!la& between the sea 1 the immense .ol#me of life*filled water from which e.er&thing
first came 1 and the land on which h#mans, and immeas#rable :#antities of life now
thri.e( The coast is the interface between the two0 a !lace of constant change and
disr#!tion6 its contents t#rned o.er b& the tides and the wa.es6 eroded b& the sea, the
rain and the wind6 mo.ed relentlessl& along the shoreline 1 alwa&s in motion,
intimatel& connecting one thing with another( The coast, with its sensor& wash allows
7,E
me to throw off so man& of the distractions and worries of modern life, lea.ing behind
something m#ch sim!ler(
&t is August. A concrete sea wall is behind me, scooped deeply inwards and then
thrown back out in a curve designed to deflect the beating of the winter waves.
Traffic moans, the pitch shifts as each vehicle moves from one ear to the other K
towards then away K in an irregular, artificial beat. "ootsteps above me and a
shadow flits across my head, then one more, making elongated human patterns
on the sand. & close my eyes and shiver as a bree6e ruffles my clothes, taking
with it a patina of sand grains that gently patter down onto my arms. The sun
warms my back and my head, and & relax onto the undulating surface of the
beach.
hoosh!shhhhQ hoosh!shhhhQ The sea sweeps in and out across the gentle
slope at the edge of the waterF the lightest of sounds K white noise. Then a
disturbance$ a seagull takes off from its perch on the sea wall and another
shadow crosses my face, the sunlight flickers off for a moment, then back as it
wheels towards the sea taking its incessant song with it. @ore birds join it K a
chorus of plaintive cries as they jostle for space in the open sky, swooping and
crying, swooping and crying, effortlessly merging with the high shouts of
children that mimic their sounds. :unning, thump!thump!thump!thump and
joyous cries from friends who push into the water, turning the glossy surface
into foam, and immersing themselves in the oceanF shouting in harmony with the
seagulls that continue their avian music.
& feel the sand on my back, between my shoulder blades and ruffling my neck K
hot from the morning sun K the grains falling and rising with my breathingF
tumbling into gullies beneath me. The redness on my eyelids gradually turns to
black$ & am growing drowsy and the sounds of the seagulls, the laughing
children and the metronomic sea wash, merge into a sound of restfulness. &
could stay here forever.
7>=
;/s Connection
As the songwriter a.id $#ghes s#ggested, being a !oet, &o#9re wor/ing all the
ho#rs that )od sends, &o#r so#l ne.er slee!s, &o#r heart ne.er mends(2C2 This was
ne.er tr#er than in the case of ?ohn -lare, a man for whom nat#re and lo.e were his
twin m#ses6 and -onnection with either or both was a golden thread r#nning thro#gh
all of his wor/(
es!ite 1 or !erha!s beca#se of 1 his !oor ed#cation, and lowl& social !osition as a
farm labo#rer, -lare managed to eB!ress a connection with the rest of nat#re that few
!eo!le, before or since, e.er achie.ed( There is a sense of organic harmon& between
!oet and nat#re disco.erable in the b#l/ of -lare9s wor/( -lare was a ha!!& !oet6
there is more ha!!iness in his !oetr& than in most others( This was no mere animal
contentment of bod& and senses, b#t a :#iet ecstas&SS#ch ha!!iness is not to be had
eBce!t at a !rice(2C< "or ?ohn -lare, the !rice he !aid was resentment b& his !eers,
and a mental t#rmoil that had far more to do with a lac/ of res!ect shown b& the
!eo!le who eB!loited him and threw him bac/ when his commercial !otential was
s!ent, than his s#bmission to the sim!licit& and !erfection of the nat#re he lo.ed(
These tiny loiterers on the barley5s beard,
And happy units of a numerous herd
;f playfellows, the laughing ummer brings,
@ocking the sunshine on their glittering wings,
%ow merrily they creep, and run, and flyQ
<o kin they bear to labour5s drudgery,
moothing the velvet of pale hedge-roseF
And where they fly for dinner no one knows K
The dew-drops feed them not K they love the shine
;f noon, whose suns may bring them golden wine.24.
't is a testament to the man that, des!ite the demands of the newl& emerging
ind#strial econom&, -lare stands almost alone in 2#st wanting to eB!ress his feelings
for the nat#ral world that s#rro#nded him( The !oetr& is flawed, often dream& to the
!oint of ind#lgence, b#t ne.er short of wonderf#ll& descri!ti.e detail0 This :#er&ing
attention to detail e!itomises -lare[s !oetr&0 he is loo/ing into the nest, seeing it for
what it is, and sim#ltaneo#sl& seeing it in words( @.en in the finished !oem, &o# can
7>7
glim!se the notes he made while !eering between the branches, and hear him
str#ggling to do 2#stice to these embr&onic nightingales, which will one da& f#el
Deatsian fantasies, b#t which are for now sim!l& brown*green eggs(2C>
%ow subtle is the birdQ he started out,
And raised a plaintive note of danger nigh,
9re we were past the bramblesF and now, near
%er nest, she sudden stops K as choking fear,
That might betray her home. o even now
,e5ll leave it as we found it$ safety5s guard
;f pathless solitudes shall keep it still.
ee thereQ she5s sitting on the old oak bough,
@ute in her fearsF our presence doth retard
%er joys, and doubt turns every rapture chill.
ing on, sweet birdQ244
S/s Connection
S( li.es on a small lightl&*wooded, elongated triangle of land in the east of @ngland(
$is bedroom is b#ilt from a miBt#re of discarded wooden !allets, !lastic sheeting and
a few bits of timber he bo#ght himself( The few items of electrical e:#i!ment he has 1
a !hone, radio and torch 1 are charged from a solar !anel that is !ro!!ed #! in front of
this small str#ct#re( $e s!lits his time between domestic d#ties 1 cho!!ing wood for
the b#rner, coo/ing, cleaning 1 in the comm#nal area, which itself was constr#cted
from donated items and waste materials6 growing food in the shared allotment a
co#!le of miles from the site6 cam!aigning for the !rotection of the area onto which
he mo.ed in order to sa.e it from a new road6 and disco.ering what it means to be
connected to something s!ecial( All of this is a far cr& from his !re.io#s career as an
engineer for a large motor man#fact#rer(
-onnection ha!!ened b& accident0 't was a !rocess that e.ol.ed o.er the time that
we were here, and that9s something that can onl& ha!!en with time, effort and !eo!le
reall& so ' feel more connected to the cam!, connected to a degree to the !eo!le
aro#nd me at the moment 1 and there are .ario#s !eo!le li.ing here 1 so, it was a
res#lt of other things( 'f &o# go loo/ing for it, &o# wo#ldn9t necessaril& find it6 it9s a
7>2
.er& eB!erience based thing(2CG $e reflects on the t&!e of !eo!le that he meets at
similar !rotest cam!s 1 societ&9s cast*offs, in a wa& 1 and s#s!ects that re2ection,
whether b& famil& or societ& at large, ma/es the act of connecting a little easier0 't9s
interesting that it9s almost li/e &o# fall o#t of the mainstream c#lt#re and ' g#ess for
me, and '9.e tho#ght abo#t this, it !robabl& goes bac/ and starts for me with being a
miBed*race /id growing #! in the QG=s here, and &o# get s#b2ected to racism and
&o#9re made to feel different, and the one time when it9s reall& im!ortant to feel a !art
of things, and connected, &o# don9t get that o!!ort#nit&( "or S(, connection is as
m#ch with other !eo!le as with the wider nat#ral world(
,hether you go looking for it, or whether you happen to come across it K this
connection K it takes time, and that5s why & wanted to do this LinterviewM here,
and particularly sitting under this tree, because it5s about having that sense of
place and feeling more complete and feeling more whole, and it sounds really
pretentious, but it5s the only way & can describe it.
&t5s like the feeling & get if & walk into the allotment site, or if & go to a cemetery
of all placesF it5s that feeling of peace, of stillness, that sense of tran>uillity
which you don5t get the opportunity to experience so much in modern life. &t5s
about stoppingF it5s about slowing down, and it5s about feeling rooted K and as
stressed as you might be and as hectic as things might get, you know when you
go to that place, when you stand by that tree, you light the burner, it all just
goes out the window when you realise that all the things that are constructed by
society ultimately are pretty meaninglessF it5s all very!transitory, it5s a passing
through and people don5t make the most of the moment, living in the now. & think
that is forced upon you here K & always feel more grounded in this place than &
do elsewhere, and when &5ve been around and working in Condon and doing
other things, it just feels alien, it feels bi6arre, it feels wrong$ when &5m here, as
bad as things might be!you knowN
There5s a sense of stillness, a sense of safety, a sense of feeling more complete.
Eou can go away, it can be hectic, but you can come back and it5s all right, it5s
always there!it5s something you can dip in and out of. Cike going somewhere
>uiet, & guess for some people it would be like the stillness on top of a mountain
or walking along an empty beach, it5s that sort of feelingF but it5s not something
7><
you would just have for two weeks of the year when you go on holiday because
the rest of your life5s all fucked up, because you5ve got to work doing a job you
hate. &t5s more readily available but you5ve got to make the trade.
3our Connection
'9m going to ma/e an ass#m!tion abo#t &o# 1 forgi.e me, ' wo#ld lo.e to /now more
abo#t &o# b#t it9s diffic#lt from where ' sit( ' am ass#ming that &o# li.e in a fairl&
technological societ&, or at least one where technolog& !la&s a ma2or !art in the li.es
of the ma2orit& of !eo!le( ' thin/ that might be right for most of &o#( 'f &o# are li.ing
the /ind of life where technolog& is #nim!ortant to &o# then &o# almost certainl&
ha.e a good connection to wild nat#re 1 another ass#m!tion, b#t a nice one to ma/e, '
ho!e &o#9ll agree( The !oint of this ass#m!tion is so that ' can g#ide &o# thro#gh an
eBercise that is rele.ant to the ma2orit& of !eo!le reading this boo/( 'f &o# find it9s not
rele.ant to &o#, !erse.ere and it ma& s#ddenl& !ic/ &o# #! along the wa& 1 &o#9ll see
what ' mean when &o# read it( Of co#rse, if &o# alread& feel &o# are well connected
then &o# don9t need to ta/e !art0 b#t ' still recommend &o# read the teBt, e.en if onl&
as an interested b&stander(
Shall we start?
L L L
' want &o# to ta/e &o#rself to a !lace where &o# can hardl& hear &o#rself thin/, where
the lights are bright and e.er changing, where s!ace is a l#B#r& and green is 2#st a
!ict#re on a magaAine or the !aint on the walls( This !lace is indoors 1 awa& from the
wind, the s#n, the rain6 awa& from animal life and !lant life0 not e.en a !otted fern sits
in the corner( 3o# are encased in a s&nthetic en.ironment0 air conditioned and
artificiall& heated6 chairs and tables made of !lastic6 and the noiseH The h#mming of
machiner&6 the so#nd of ringtones and cell!hone /e&!ads6 the tele.ision calling o#t
s!orts res#lts( 5oices merge into the noise, barel& intelligible6 faces are ill#minated b&
the screens of com!#ters, gaming machines or T5 sets6 smells are !rocessed chemical
odo#rs 1 microwa.e meals, air fresheners, artificial realit&( 3o# need to relaB0 stress
h#rts( Too m#ch !ress#re6 so little time6 a web of acti.it& lin/ing dee!er and dee!er
and e.er more com!leB as &o# str#ggle to !rocess each signal, while another ten
7>,
whiAA thro#gh &o#r head and o#t into the ether( This is a !lace called -i.iliAation( 't is
where &o# li.e(
-ome to &o#r senses( All of them0 not 2#st the fi.e we are told we ha.e, b#t the
co#ntless senses that are tin& .ariations on those familiar ones, and those senses we
hold inside #s 1 that g#t feeling that tells #s when something is wrong6 the sense that
/nows when we are standing #!right, and where o#r hands are e.en when we can9t
see them6 the sense that time is !assing too :#ic/l& and we need to slow down( Ta/e a
breath and slow down0 let the shar! so#nds become grad#all& m#ffled as tho#gh &o#
are l&ing bac/ into a bath, &o#r ears being immersed in the warm, dee! water( 3o#
can hear the beating of &o#r heart and the indeterminate r#shing so#nds as &o#r bod&
carries on its wor/ #nabated( The high*!itched blee!ing of each electrical de.ice
becomes s!arse and m#ted6 the tele.ision anno#ncer is c#t off6 the h#mming motors
and roaring engines s!#tter o#t as the& are en.elo!ed b& stillness( 3o# ta! &o#r
fingers and feel the .ibrations coming #! thro#gh &o#r arms( The o#tside world is
silenced(
Ta/e another breath6 taste the air6 smell it( Smell and taste are direct !aths to o#r
digesti.e s&stem, b#t are far more besides0 the& trigger memories6 the& identif& friend
and foe6 the& gi.e #s some of o#r dee!est !leas#res( There is no s!ace for them now(
3o# smell nothing 1 2#st the moist closeness of the densest fog0 the dro!lets of water
coat e.er& hair and e.er& !assage with a ne#tral, distilled cleanliness( A cold, fresh
stream of water washes &o#r tong#e and mo#th, remo.ing e.er& trace of fla.o#r( 3o#
are left with total blandness 1 sensiti.e to the smallest molec#le of scent or taste(
The shar! edges and hard s#rfaces that d#g into &o#, !#shed &o# and sha!ed &o#
are n#mbing( A c#shion of air see!s aro#nd &o#0 warm, !erfectl& warm, li/e a second
s/in that lifts awa& an& sensation of to#ch( 'magine the feeling as &o# wa/e #! with
no sensation in &o#r arm 1 !#sh this to &o#r whole bod&, &o#r chest, &o#r head, down
&o#r tr#n/ and thro#gh &o#r legs all the wa& to &o#r toes( on9t be scared, don9t
mo.e0 &o# are !erfectl& safe( All aro#nd &o# are the sights of &o#r former life0 switch
them off now(
Blin/H The lights in the ceiling are eBting#ished( Swee! &o#r e&es across the walls,
and as &o# !ass b& each a!!liance thin/, off( 3o#r !assing e&es t#rn o#t motors,
electrical circ#its, gas flames( o &o# feel comfortable? 3o# ha.e the abilit& to ta/e
7>>
this all o#t and !l#nge this !lace into a !owerless state0 not a single watt of electricit&
is cons#med, not a single therm of gas is b#rnt( 4otice e.er&thing that had to be
man#fact#red at the eB!ense of something else0 e.er& bric/6 e.er& dro!let of oil
t#rned into !lastic windows, chairs, in/6 e.er& !ane of glass( 4ow ta/e these things
awa& 1 see them disa!!ear as the !eo!le stand with onl& each other for com!an&(
Their !hones, their iPods, their clothing 1 sim!l& disa!!ears( o &o# still feel
comfortable? 4othing eBists eBce!t for &o# and the !eo!le aro#nd &o#0 do &o# want
them to go? 3o# can wa.e &o#r hand and the& will be gone, if that9s what &o# want(
8et9s sa& goodb&e, and lea.e &o# alone with onl& &o#rself and the c#shion of &o#r
senses for com!an&(
4ow, sto! all the cloc/s( 8isten to &o#r own rh&thms, not the sched#les being
forced #!on &o#( 8ea.e the wor/ing da& behind6 ta/e a siesta, slee! when &o# are
tired 1 wa/e when &o# are refreshed( As the s#n sets, slow down and t#rn in0 relaB
and let &o#r bod& tell &o# when to dro! off( 'n the morning &o# can wa/e with the
s#nrise0 b#t for now &o# can rest all &o# li/e(
;hat do &o# want now? 3o# can bring bac/ an&thing &o# li/e0 2#st sa& the word
and it can all come bac/( 3o# can ha.e a crowd of !eo!le, electrical !ower and
a!!liances, bright lights, !lastic chairs, a caco!hon& of so#nd 1 is that what &o# want?
on9t do it &et6 instead, 2#st thin/ of something sim!le that &o# cra.e0 a wal/ in the
fresh air with trees abo.e &o#r head and the swee! of a .alle& before &o#6 a crac/ling
fire !o#ring heat into the air aro#nd &o# as &o# sit with a good boo/ or a !ac/ of
cards, ill#minated b& the flic/ering of the b#rning wood and a co#!le of candles6 the
com!an& of friends, sharing a 2o/e or stories of good times !ast, and times to come 1
tal/ing, being together and sa.o#ring each other9s com!an&6 &o#r children,
grandchildren or !arents, en2o&ing a !erfect da& with &o# 1 something &o# will
remember for the rest of &o#r life(
L L L
3esterda& was S#nda&( ' s!ent a li.el& few ho#rs in the garden6 tid&ing this and that,
c#tting brambles and !r#ning the raAor shar! !&racantha that seemed to sa& to its
trailing neighbo#r, So, &o# thin/ &o#9re to#gh, do &o#? P&racantha is a challenge,
b#t it !ro.ides food for the birds thro#gho#t the winter 1 the& don9t seem to mind the
7>C
thorns( After two wee/s of on*and*off rain the gro#nd s!ic/led and b#bbled with each
footste!, b#t now the s#n was o#t and the warmth was eB:#isite(
;ith the tools loc/ed awa& ' fo#nd m&self drifting0 m& birdsong recognition is
miserable b#t, somewhere in the concoction of delicate so#nds the e.ening chor#s
threw #!, there was the #nmista/able descending trill of a chaffinch, ending its call
with a 2#mble of notes as tho#gh it had so m#ch to sa& and not eno#gh time( This was
too good to /ee! to m&self( At the bac/ door ' in.ited m& children o#tside6 the& !#t
on m#d soa/ed trainers and wal/ed with me to the little meadow ' loo/ after at the
end of the garden 1 2#st a small !atch of !erfection( ;e stood and listened, and
together we connected(
7>G
Chapter Thirteen
;h& -an9t ;e -onnect?
The effect of being eB!osed to the world after a !eriod of enforced sensor&
de!ri.ation is intense6 .i.id colo#rs, shar!, dee! odo#rs, rich so#nd teBt#res 1 li/e
being reborn, or ta/ing &o#r first gas!s of air ha.ing been #nderwater for far too long(
"or a while &o# can en2o& being connected with the worldS#ntil &o# are forcibl&
held down and the mas/ of de!ri.ation is sli!!ed on &o# again(
Things wo#ld ne.er be the same for the tho#sands of !eo!le who had their
connected li.es ta/en from them d#ring the -learances0 a s&stematic and
economicall& moti.ated !eriod of Scottish histor& that began in the middle of the 7Fth
cent#r&( Prior to the e.ents that o.ercame h#ge swathes of Scotland, dis!lacing and
ra.aging its inhabitants, the ma2orit& of !eo!le li.ed in comm#nal townshi!s, or
bailes of #! to a h#ndred indi.id#als( Sometimes the& were forced to scratch a li.ing
d#ring bad weather6 sometimes the men had to dro! their tools and fight in -lan
battles2CF6 b#t in the main, this runrig form of life was !eacef#l and 1 b& the mere fact
of being totall& de!endent on the forces and materials !ro.ided b& it 1 .er& close to
nat#re( 'n the e&es of the newl& ind#strialising #!!er and middle classes of Britain,
and the go.ernment which the& had total a#thorit& o.er, this was an #nacce!table
sit#ation0 the cities needed food and raw materials, and the $ighlands had to be
im!ro.ed(
&mmediately after @ay term day Lin #=#2M, and about two months after they had
received summonses of removal, a commencement was made to pull down and
set fire to the houses over their headsQ The able-bodied men were away at their
cattle or otherwise engaged at a distanceF so that the old people, women and
children began to try to preserve the timber, which they were entitled to
consider as their own. But the devastators proceeded with the greatest celerity,
demolishing all before them, and when they had overthrown the houses in a
large tract of land, they ultimately set fire to the wreck. Timber, furniture, and
7>F
every other article that could not be instantly removed was consumed by fire or
otherwise utterly destroyed.24I
;e are in a constant state of enforced sensor& de!ri.ation6 /e!t in that state in
order that we can be willing !artici!ants of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation( The fear among
those that /ee! #s in that state is tangible 1 e.er& time a new connection is made a
new mas/ has to be !laced #!on #s( 'f we connect with the real world !ermanentl&
then the s!ell will be bro/en0 we will no longer be .iewers, c#stomers,
cons#mers, .oters, citiAens, we will 2#st be #s( Iemember0 failure to connect is
the reason humanity is pulling the plug on its life-support machine.
;ho are these !eo!le that want to /ee! #s disconnected and wh& are the& doing it?
' am going to tell &o# soon6 b#t first, ' thin/ it9s time &o# were told abo#t the .ario#s
methods, !rocesses and techni:#es that are being acti.el& #sed, right now, to /ee! #s
disconnected 1 the Tools of isconnection(((
o( To 7eep People ,isconnected
One: e!ard "s #or $eing %ood Consumers
The rewards of life are manifold0 lo.e, a feeling of belonging, ha!!iness and !leas#re,
a sense of wellbeing ha.ing done good things 1 all of these are rewards in themsel.es
and, #ltimatel&, as ' showed in Part Two, s#ch rewards are the reason we do things,
for better or worse( After the biological need to re!rod#ce, o#r main aim, as a h#man
being, is to gain rewards s#ch as those mentioned abo.e( 't seems ob.io#s, then, wh&
!eo!le tr& to earn mone& or ta/e !art in lotteries, or e.en carr& o#t robberies 1 so that
the& can #se this mone& to b#& things that gi.e them a sense of well being(
;hich, of co#rse 1 as ' also showed in Part Two 1 is a com!lete fallac&(
The ha!!iness that comes from holding a new !iece of technical wiAardr& in
&o#r hands is something created b& the s&stem that needs &o# to feel ha!!& in b#&ing
that !iece of technical wiAardr&6 beca#se if &o# didn9t feel ha!!& then &o# wo#ldn9t
want to b#& it( The sad fact is that there are few real rewards to be had from following
the cons#mer dream, a!art from the initial fl#sh of eBcitement that raises o#r
endor!hin le.els 1 the same hormones that ma/e childbirth more bearable 1 and th#s
lea.e &o# with a chemicall&*ind#ced sense of ha!!iness or wellbeing( This then leads
7>E
&o# to associate b#&ing things (or ta/ing !art in other artificial eB!eriences for that
matter% with good times, so &o# do it again, and again, and again( 'f all this so#nds
li/e a circ#lar arg#ment, then &o# ha.e s!otted the eBact !oint ' am ma/ing 1 &o#,
the cons#mer, are st#c/ in a !ositi.e feedbac/ loo! which is growing increasingl&
#rgent0 B#& now, while stoc/s lastH $#rr&, closing down saleH 8imited editionH
S!ecial offerH And all the while the econom& /ee!s growing, and the amo#nt of
carbon dioBide being thrown into the atmos!here /ee!s going #!(
5ictor 8ebow, a leading retail anal&st, enca!s#lated the desires of the cons#mer
econom& 1 the econom& that most of &o# reading this boo/ are a !art of 1 in a
startlingl& candid manner, and one that is so m#ch more rele.ant toda& than it was
bac/ in 7E>>0
;ur enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our
way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek
our spiritual satisfactions, our ego satisfactions, in consumption. The measure
of social status, of social acceptance, or prestige, is now to be found in our
consumption patterns. The very meaning and significance of our lives is today
expressed in consumption terms. The greater the pressures upon the individual
to conform to safe and accepted social standards, the more does he tend to
express his aspirations and his individuality in terms of what he wears, drives,
eats!these commodities and services must be offered to the consumer with a
special urgency. ,e re>uire not only Rforced draftS consumption, but
RexpensiveS consumption as well. ,e need things consumed, burned up, worn
out, replaced and discarded at an ever increasing pace.201
3o#r reward for being a good cons#mer is the abilit& to cons#me more, and feed
the econom& so it can /ee! growing( That9s it( And &et, we /ee! doing it beca#se we
contin#e to belie.e it ma/es #s ha!!ier, more content and better !eo!le(
T!o: &a'e "s #eel %ood #or (oing Tri)ial Things
8ast &ear ' red#ced the amo#nt of energ& ' cons#me in m& home b& aro#nd a :#arter0
that made me feel good beca#se ' /new that b& doing this ' had red#ced the amo#nt of
carbon dioBide ' !#t into the atmos!here( ' had to do the feeling good for m&self
7C=
beca#se no one else was going to do it( 4o, what ' wo#ld ha.e had to ha.e done in
order to be told ' was a good !erson was lots of rec&cling0 certainl& m& local co#ncil
li/e to tell residents that the& are good !eo!le beca#se the& are rec&cling more than
the& were last &ear, b#t when ' called them #! to as/ whether the& wo#ld tell !eo!le
to sto! b#&ing goods, so that the co#ncil wo#ld ha.e to collect less r#bbish o.erall, '
was met with cold silence( The reason was sim!le0 if &o# b#& less st#ff then &o# will
sto! the econom& growing6 whereas, &o# can rec&cle with abandon while still b#&ing
more and more things( 'n fact, the more &o# b#&, the more &o# will be able to rec&cle
1 res#ltH
oing 3o#r Bit, is the clarion call for a new light green generation( ;e can all
do o#r bit and ma/e a !ositi.e difference for the en.ironment 1 a!!arentl&( T#rn &o#r
thermostat down (for heating% or #! (for air conditioning% a degree6 change a
con.entional light b#lb for a com!act fl#orescent one6 b#& organic .egetables rather
than non*organicSdee! breath, ' want &o# to read this list !rod#ced b& the car
man#fact#rer 8eB#s2G70
,hen remodeling, consider sustainable materials like bamboo flooring.
&nstead of sending someone cut flowers, give them a plant.
,hen redecorating, use latex paint instead of one that5s oil-based.
Peep your tires properly inflated. Eou5ll get better gas mileage.
<ext time you have a dinner party, use cloth napkins.
8on5t toss out your old cell phoneF donate it to a charity.
Peep a canvas bag in your car so you5ll have it handy when you go grocery
shopping.
Sand so on( 4one of these things are bad, as s#ch, b#t the& are tri.ial0 nowhere in
the list do 8eB#s s#ggest that &o# sho#ld get rid of &o#r car, or e.en dri.e less, which
is not s#r!rising beca#se the idea of the list is to ma/e the 8eB#s owner feel good
abo#t their !#rchase( The 'nternet abo#nds with lists li/e this6 some !rod#ced b&
b#sinesses, some b& local a#thorities and go.ernments, some b& well meaning
en.ironmental organisations that are nai.el& reg#rgitating the same ideas as the
b#sinesses and the !oliticians( The whole !oint of !raising !eo!le for carr&ing o#t
tri.ial acti.ities, howe.er worth& the& ma& be, is so that those !eo!le carr& on li.ing
in almost eBactl& the same manner as the& did before0 &o# ha.e to eB!end onl& a little
7C7
effort in order to feel better, while the b#sinesses and !oliticians that de!end on a
.ibrant econom& for their eBistence can contin#e to carr& on o!erating in almost
eBactl& the same manner as they did before(
Three: %i)e "s Selected #reedom
;hat is meant b& freedom? The most ob.io#s answer wo#ld seem to be, the right to
li.e &o#r life in whate.er wa& &o# choose, whilst not interfering with the right of
an&one else to li.e in the wa& that the& choose( This is fra#ght with !roblems, not
least beca#se 1 ta/en to eBtremes 1 &o# wo#ld ha.e to acco#nt for the im!act of all of
&o#r actions, howe.er tri.ial, on e.er&one else( The biggest !roblem with this
definition, tho#gh, is that not all rights are e:#al0 sho#ld ' choose to li.e a life witho#t
electricit& in order to hel! !re.ent climate change, then ' wo#ld be den&ing the
em!lo&ees of the electricit& com!an& their rights to a 2ob( Again, ta/en to eBtremes6
sho#ld ' choose not to ta/e crac/ cocaine then ' wo#ld be den&ing the crac/ dealer
their right to earn a li.ing( The crac/ dealer is c#rrentl& s#ffering as a res#lt of m&
non*eBistent dr#g habit(
'n fact, freedom is one of those things that has to be ta/en in !ers!ecti.e( )oing all
the wa& bac/ to -ha!ter Se.en, we see the idea of the )reatest )ood coming into !la&
1 the idea that we sho#ld stri.e towards something that benefits the greatest n#mber
of !eo!le in the most effecti.e wa& 1 alongside a n#mber of rights that no h#man
sho#ld do witho#t0 clean air, fresh water, shelter, food and a basic le.el of mental and
!h&sical stim#lation( 4o one can reasonabl& den& an&one those rights( The s#m of the
)reatest )ood along with these basic h#man rights act#all& leads to a m#t#al res!ect
and care for the nat#ral en.ironment( The millions of !eo!le breathing in the rancid,
cho/ing air of MeBico -it&, Bei2ing, and co#ntless other towns and cities aro#nd the
world ha.e had their rights c#rtailed6 as ha.e those !eo!le who drin/ !oll#ted, toBic
water6 as ha.e those !eo!le who had their nati.e food so#rces ta/en awa& from them
b& mining com!anies6 as ha.e those !eo!le whose homes were destro&ed to clear
s!ace for agric#lt#re and commercial eB!ansion( This is not freedom(
;hat we are act#all& gi.en are those freedoms selected in order to ens#re
minim#m disr#!tion to the contin#ed b#siness of ma/ing mone&0 .oting is a !erfect
eBam!le( ' am often str#c/ b& the sheer brilliance of the !hrase, 'f .oting changed
7C2
an&thing, it wo#ld be illegal( This is often attrib#ted to the social reformer and
anarchist, @mma )oldman, who ma& not ha.e said these eBact words, b#t most
certainl& railed against the !retence that .oting was something worth doing6 and in
doing so made herself eBtremel& #n!o!#lar amongst those who were fighting at the
time for the right of women to .ote( As ' write, the Mimbabwean dictator, Iobert
M#gabe, is still ref#sing to re.eal the o#tcome of the !residential election after two
wee/s of waiting( The o!!osition leader, Morgan Ts.angirai won the election, which
is wh& the res#lt is being withheld, and there is nothing the .oting !#blic can do abo#t
it within the laws that Iobert M#gabe !#t in !lace 1 the& ha.e cast their .otes, the&
ha.e eB!ressed their democratic right, and a dictator remains( Thin/ abo#t &o#r
o!tions in the co#ntr& in which &o# li.e 1 how m#ch change can &o# reall& ma/e b&
casting a .ote, while all the time the millions of !eo!le aro#nd &o# cast theirs?
"orget the politicians K they5re an irrelevance. The politicians are put there to
give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. Eou don5t. Eou have no
choice.202
The neBt Presidential election in the +SA will be won b& either a emocrat or a
Ie!#blican, and nothing will change be&ond a little tin/ering aro#nd the edges and
the t&!e of rhetoric being s!o#ted b& the new President( 't is sobering to note that
before )eorge ;( B#sh came to !ower, Al )ore 1 2oint 4obel Peace PriAe winner,
and the !oster bo& for the new light*green generation 1 had alread& terminall&
wea/ened the D&oto Protocol that B#sh s#bse:#entl& ref#sed to sign( As 5ice*
President, Al )ore realised that not incl#ding !oor co#ntries in the Protocol wo#ld be
a .ote loser, and th#s ens#red 1 thro#gh his infl#ence on the negotiating table 1 that
rich co#ntries wo#ld be able to, b& trading their emissions with !oor co#ntries, b#&
their wa& o#t of an& !otential !#nishment when the emissions were added #!(2G<
"#nn&, the difference a bit of !ower ma/es to !eo!le(
So, go and !rotest, ma/e some noise, wa.e some banners, sign a !etition0 2#st
ma/e s#re &o# sta& within the law( ' mean it 1 !rotest of some form or another is
!ermitted in most nations, b#t the se.erit& and the t&!e of !rotest allowed de!ends in
the legislation that is in !lace6 both standing legislation and the widel& #sed state of
emergenc& which, in fact is sim!l& an eBtension of the eBisting laws( As the
Mimbabweans !onder their electoral fate, the M#gabe regime has im!osed
7C<
emergenc& laws to !re.ent an& form of gathering that ma& threaten the go.ernment(
;hat the M#gabe regime /nows onl& too well is that in Mimbabwe, as with man&
other African, So#th American and Asian states, !rotest often ta/es an entirel&
different form to the t&!e of !rotest the !eo!le of the ind#strial ;est ha.e become
acc#stomed too( The M#gabe regime /now that real !rotest is ca!able of
o.erthrowing go.ernments6 whereas in the +SA, for instance, it almost goes witho#t
sa&ing that !rotest will lead to nothing more than a warm feeling in the hearts of those
ta/ing !art0
;ne will find hundreds, sometimes thousands, assembled in an orderly fashion,
listening to selected speakers calling for an end to this or that aspect of lethal
state activity, carrying signs RdemandingS the same thing!and K typically K the
whole thing is >uietly disbanded with exhortations to the assembled to Rkeep
workingS on the matter and to please sign a petition.
Throughout the whole charade it will be noticed that the state is represented by
a uniformed police presence keeping a discreet distance and not interfering with
the activities. And why should theyN The organi6ers will have gone through
Rproper channelsS to obtain permits. urrounding the larger mass of
demonstrators can be seen others!their function is to ensure the demonstrators
remain Rresponsible,S not deviating from the state-sanctioned plan of protest.20.
8a#ghable, isn9t it, that s#ch a well controlled e.ent 1 and this is the wa& e.er&
official rall& ' ha.e e.er been on wor/s 1 sho#ld be considered a !rotest b& the
organisers? The laws in each co#ntr& are tailored to s#it the a!!etite of the !o!#lation
for change0 a co#ntr& f#ll of !eo!le that want to fight for change needs to be /e!t
tightl& controlled6 a co#ntr& f#ll of catatonic, dri!*fed cons#mers can march all the&
li/e, be gi.en a well*controlled soa!boB on T5 1 and the .oltage on the tasers can be
t#rned right down(
That is, #nless someone decides to brea/ the law(
#our: Pretend *e +a)e , Choice
;hen &o# acce!t the label of cons#mer, &o# acce!t that &o# ha.e become a
financial ob2ect, willing to be mani!#lated b& whate.er mar/eting tric/s abo#nd(
7C,
-ons#mer choice wo#ld be far better entitled -onchoice, a term describing the tr#e
le.el of choice that indi.id#als are !ro.ided with, sho#ld the& find themsel.es within
the cons#mer c#lt#re( Ben2amin I( Barber !#ts it li/e this0 The a!!arent widening of
indi.id#al consumer choices act#all& shrin/s the field of social choicesS"or
eBam!le, the American9s freedom to choose among scores of a#tomobile brands was
sec#red b& sacrificing the libert& to choose between !ri.ate and !#blic trans!ortation(
This !olitics of commodit&Soffers the feel of freedom while diminishing the range of
o!tions and the !ower to affect the larger world(2G> The indi.id#al is being conned0
there is no choice(
Ste! o#tside the b#siness districts of most cities in the ;estern world, and &o#r
abilit& to mo.e aro#nd is dramaticall& c#rtailed( ' tried to ad.ise an ecologist friend of
mine how to tra.el the 7<== miles to Boston from a town in 'owa witho#t #sing car or
aircraft 1 it was 2#st abo#t !ossible #sing a combination of s#b#rban and cross co#ntr&
b#ses, along with three different trains r#nning on three different rail networ/s and a
co#!le of taBi 2o#rne&s along the wa&( $er 2o#rne& wo#ld ha.e ta/en aro#nd <7
ho#rs, not incl#ding the waits between the .ario#s legs of her 2o#rne&( $er choice,
in realit&, was one fold0 a car to the air!ort, and a !lane to Boston 1 abo#t se.en ho#rs
in all(
America is a .er& large co#ntr&, b#t e.en in small co#ntries the wa& !eo!le tra.el
is limited b& whate.er economic !olicies the go.ernment of the time decide best ser.e
the thin/ing of the time( The 7EC=s nearl& dealt the railwa& s&stem in Britain a fatal
blow0 had the recommendations of r Iichard Beeching 1 a trans!ort ad.iser wor/ing
for the British go.ernment 1 been f#ll& carried thro#gh, the +D wo#ld ha.e been left
with 2#st <,=== miles of tr#n/ ro#te rather than the 72,=== miles that eBists toda&(
As it was, a third of the stations and a third of the trac/ was sh#t down in the s!ace
of two &ears( 't t#rns o#t, that octor Beeching was onl& doing what he was told6 as
-harles 8oft writes0 OTrans!ort MinisterP @rnest Mar!les was a self*made man who
owned a road*constr#ction com!an&( $e was re:#ired to sell his sta/e in the b#siness
on becoming Minister of Trans!ort in October 7E>E, b#t was slow to do soSit was
eas& to attrib#te #lterior moti.es to the Minister[s a!!arent enth#siasm for clos#res,
!artic#larl& as he also !resided o.er a shift in in.estment from rail to roadS;ith
both road freight and the motor*car ind#str& now essential sectors of the British
econom&, with restrictions on motoring a !olitical im!ossibilit& and congestion a
7C>
growing !roblem, the case for more and better roads seemed clear(2GC There is little
do#bt that the British go.ernment, #nder se.ere !ress#re from the car ind#str&, had
tried 1 and !artiall& s#cceeded 1 to /ill off the railwa&s, and entirel& remo.e one
gen#ine choice(
8oo/ at the wa& &o# are c#rrentl& li.ing0 &o# can choose between !lasma, 8-,
cathode ra& t#be or 'nternet T5, b#t not ha.ing a tele.ision is inconcei.able to most
!eo!le in the cons#mer c#lt#re6 &o# can choose between sho!!ing at ;almart,
Aldi, Tesco, -arrefo#r or an& other s#!ermar/et, b#t not #sing a s#!ermar/et is
im!ossible for h#ndreds of millions of !eo!le who need to b#& food and ha.e no wa&
of growing it themsel.es( Some choices are e.en more blatantl& false0
An off-camera interviewer asks a woman, R,hat would you rather have$ a car
or a cleaner environmentNS
The woman pauses, seemingly thoughtfully, before at last saying, R& can5t
imagine me without my car. ;f course &5d rather have a clean environment, but
& think that that compromise is very hard to make where we are.S
The ad ends with a voiceover saying what B? is doing to make the world a
better place.
%ow would the ad run if we changed the >uestion to, R,hat would you rather
have, a planet that is not being made filthy and in fact destroyed by automobiles
and other effects of civili6ation, or your carNS200
$ow m#ch of &o#r life was sim!l& !ic/ed off the shel.es of the -onchoice Mall,
and how m#ch of it came o#t of a conscio#s decision to li.e in that !artic#lar wa&?
$a.e a thin/ abo#t that :#estion for a while(
#i)e: Sell "s , (ream
On 7 A!ril 2==G, the BraAilian cit& of S]o Paolo officiall& became billboard free( The
tide of ad.ertising that had swam!ed e.er& !h&sical dimension of the cit& had become
intolerable, e.en to the local a#thorities6 s#ch was the scale of the !roblem( The law
that demanded the remo.al of all billboards was 1 incredibl& 1 !assed b& a h#ge
ma2orit&, with the onl& no .oter being an ad.ertising eBec#ti.e on the co#ncil(
7CC
Peo!le are ha!!&, eBce!t the ad.ertisers, who made their !osition clear after the law
was !ro!osed0
Border, the Bra6ilian Association of Advertisers, was up in arms over the move.
&n a statement released on 2 ;ctober, the date on which law ?C 30I+14 was
formally approved by the city council, Border called the new laws Bunreal,
ineffective and fascistB. &t pointed to the tens of thousands of small businesses
that would have to bear the burden of altering their shop fronts under
regulations Bunknown in their virulence in any other city in the worldB.20=
;e9re all smart eno#gh to see thro#gh the rhetoric of these comments0 #nreal,
ineffecti.e and fascist are !erfect descri!tors for the s&nthetic, disconnected, material
world that ad.ertising has forced #!on h#manit& 1 a world that is swam!ed with
branding, cor!orate messages, s!onsorshi!, fl&ers, free sheets, !o!#!s and
n#mero#s other forms of cor!orate !ro!aganda( S]o Paolo ma& ha.e lost its
billboards, b#t the ad.ertisers can still feed their messages to the !#blic thro#gh
news!a!ers, magaAines, tele.ision, radio6 e.en schools, into which cor!orations don9t
so m#ch snea/ ad.ertising, as blatantl& tr#m!et the goodness of their !rod#cts and
ser.ices( Almost e.er& school in the +D collects Tesco and Sainsb#r&s s#!ermar/et
to/ens, thro#gh which the& can ac:#ire com!#ters and boo/s( @.er& to/en handed
o.er b& e.er& child is a gra!hic ad.ertisement for com!eting brands that want their
c#t of the famil& sho!!ing b#dget, and the f#t#re lo&alt& of the children who carr&
these little !ieces of !a!er into the classroom( 4orth America has it far worse0 't is
ne.er eno#gh to tag the schools with a few logos( $a.ing gained a foothold, the brand
managers are now doing what the& ha.e done in m#sic, s!orts and 2o#rnalism o#tside
the schools0 tr&ing to o.erwhelm their host( The& are fighting for their brands to
become not the add*on b#t the s#b2ect of ed#cation(2GE As &o# ha.e seen, the
indi.id#al is not offered real choice in this c#lt#re of cons#m!tion 1 sim!l&
-onchoice( The real choice has alread& been lost in fa.o#r of cor!orations that ha.e
sold entire !o!#lations down the commercial ri.er0 the indi.id#al9s #ltimate dream is
no longer a res!onse to what can ' achie.e in m& life? b#t what can ' b#&?
This goes bac/ f#rther than &o# can imagine( 8ong before mass ad.ertising and
com!etition between cor!orations, commerce was the !rime moti.ator in the foreign
!olicies of the im!erial !owers of @#ro!e and, later on, the +SA( The e.ents in $aiti
7CG
o.er the last >== &ears reflect this !erfectl&( 8i/e co#ntless tribal !eo!les !rior to
@#ro!ean settlement, the Ta^no2F= !eo!le li.ed a connected life with the land, the sea
and the s/& that dro.e m#ch of their m&tholog&( Then -hristo!her -ol#mb#s landed
at $is!aniola in 7,E2 1 the island that wo#ld become $aiti and the ominican
Ie!#blic 1 and irre.ersibl& changed things0
&t took no time at all for the LpeopleM who first greeted -hristopher -olumbus to
be all but erased from the face of the earth!less than 31 years after -olumbusA
three ocean-crossing ships dropped anchor off the island of %ispaniola, the
TaXno would be destroyed by panish weaponry, forced labor and 9uropean
diseases.2=#
Those that s#r.i.ed li.ed at the behest of the in.aders, and somehow managed to
hold on to a semblance of their ancestr&( The commercial ad.antage s#ch a fertile
en.ironment !ro.ided to in.aders in terms of cro!s, sla.e labo#r (both local and
im!orted% and trading ro#tes made $aiti the s#b2ect of contin#ed negotiation and
conflict e.er since6 b#t it was the s!ecific words that were #sed with reference to $aiti
that re.eals so m#ch( 'n 7F<<, in relation to the $aitian !eo!le b#t, no do#bt, a .iew
that co#ld be a!!lied across the entire British @m!ire, a British !arliamentarian
obser.ed0 To ma/e them labo#r, and gi.e them a taste for l#B#ries and comforts,
the& m#st be grad#all& ta#ght to desire those ob2ects which co#ld be attained b&
h#man labo#r( There was a reg#lar !rogress from the !ossession of necessaries to the
desire of l#B#ries6 and what once were l#B#ries, grad#all& came(((to be necessaries(
This was the sort of !rogress the negroes had to go thro#gh, and this was the sort of
ed#cation to which the& o#ght to be s#b2ect in their !eriod of !robation(2F2 'n a
stri/ing !arallel to this, Arth#r Mills!a#gh, an ad.isor to the occ#!&ing +SA
go.ernment wrote in 7E2E0 The !easants, li.ing li.es which to #s seem indolent and
shiftless, are en.ariabl& (sic(% carefree and contented6 b#t, if the& are to be citiAens of
an inde!endent self*go.erning nation, the& m#st ac:#ireSa new set of wants(2F< 'n
other words0 the commercial AmericaniAation of a c#lt#re(
Z#ite what the !eo!le of $aiti did to deser.e s#ch a long !eriod of t#rmoil,
es!eciall& considering their carefree and contented eBistence in the !ast, is diffic#lt
to #nderstand at first glance( The more &o# loo/ at the histor& of commerce tho#gh 1
the ra.eno#s British @ast 'ndia -om!an&6 the endemic sla.er& to feed the coffee,
7CF
cotton and s#gar ind#stries6 the limitless ambition of -oca*-ola and Mconalds 1 the
more &o# realise that this is 2#st !ar for the co#rse( The reason &o# are s#rro#nded b&
logos, ad.erts and brands, and the reason entire c#lt#res are being c#t #! into bitesiAed
!ieces and swallowed is beca#se commerce needs to constantl& sell a dream of a
new realit& in order to s#r.i.e(
Si-: E-.loit Our Trust
'f ' were to tell &o# to hit someone, 2#st beca#se ' wanted them h#rt, &o# wo#ld
almost certainl& ref#se, and !robabl& re!ort me to the a#thorities for s#ggesting s#ch
a thing 1 and :#ite right, too( 'f ' were to don a white coat, welcome &o# into a
laborator& and eB!lain that &o# were to ta/e !art in an eB!eriment, and that the !erson
on the other side of the screen who &o# were abo#t to a!!l& eBtremel& !ainf#l electric
shoc/s too was a willing .ol#nteer, &o# wo#ld !robabl& sa&, Than/s, b#t no than/s(
Or wo#ld &o#?
The gro#ndbrea/ing eB!erimental wor/ of Stanle& Milgram2F, sim!l& reinforced
what he alread& /new 1 that indi.id#als, when eB!osed to an a#thorit& fig#re in a
!ress#re sit#ation will obe& the a#thorit& fig#re far more readil&, and to a greater
eBtent, than wo#ld ha.e been !ossible in other circ#mstances( The reason Milgram
alread& /new the !ower of a#thorit& 1 altho#gh he was, himself, s#r!rised at the le.el
of obedience in his eB!eriments 1 was historical( 'n 7EC7, when the eB!eriments were
first cond#cted, ;orld ;ar '' was fresh in the minds of e.er& ad#lt li.ing in the !arts
of the world where the conflict had ta/en !lace( The hierarch& of a#thorit& within the
ABis "orces had been caref#ll& designed to ens#re maBim#m obedience0 from $itler,
the master orator and sa.io#r of the )erman !eo!le6 thro#gh to the SS g#ards and
local enforcers o!erating on behalf of the Third Ieich6 the weight of !ower #!on
ordinar& citiAens and soldiers was irresistible( B#t, e.en gi.en s#ch a le.el of
a#thorit&, it is still shoc/ing to read of the ease in which !eo!le were coerced to carr&
o#t a!!alling acts0
Tudicial interrogations of some #27 of the Lreserve police battalionM men
indicated that, while no one had to participate!the great majority stayed in
ranks and later killed whoever was brought to them out of loyalty to those ranks,
7CE
and to maintain their standing in their units. Thus the men chose to become
murderers rather than look bad in the eyes of the other men.
;ver time, as the battalion participated in more and more mass murders, it
became far more relaxed and efficient in its deadly operations. These ordinary
men got used to killing thousands of people at close range as part of their day5s
work. By the time their part of the R"inal olutionS was completed in ?oland,
the battalion had shot at least 3=,111 Tews to death.2=7
3o# might thin/ that &o# wo#ld beha.e differentl& to these ordinar& !eo!le ca#ght
#! in the rigors of war, and that &o# wo#ld ref#se to obe& the re:#ests of those in
a#thorit&( 'n fact, onl& abo#t 2= !ercent of those ordered to /ill ?ewish !risoners,
witho#t fear of re!erc#ssions if the& ref#sed, did ref#se(2FC The chances are that if &o#
were !#t in this same sit#ation, &o# wo#ld not ref#se and wo#ld, &o#rself, become a
m#rderer( 't is a chilling tho#ght that the sim!le act of being in a controlled sit#ation
where there is a hierarch& of a#thorit& !#shing down on &o# can t#rn !eo!le into
something that wo#ld otherwise be #nthin/able to them 1 b#t that is the !ower of
a#thorit&( 'n effect, it is o#r good nat#re, o#r tr#st of other !eo!le that allows #s to be
mani!#lated in s#ch a dramatic wa&6 and not e.en the threat of certain death can
change that(
The dail& grind of wor/ eB!oses billions of !eo!le to some form of a#thorit&, b#t
onl& in a minorit& of cases do !eo!le e.er thin/ to :#estion the tas/s the& are gi.en(
To be s#re, man& of the !eo!le carr&ing o#t their wor/ are in a .er& diffic#lt sit#ation0
howe.er m#ndane and so#l*destro&ing, the com!letion of these tas/s is sim!l& the
onl& wa& the& can foresee earning the mone& necessar& to b#& food to /ee!
themsel.es ali.e( The sweatsho!s of So#th @ast Asia and -entral America star/l&
bear testament to that realit&( There are !eo!le, tho#gh, who carr& o#t wor/ that is
#tterl& destr#cti.e6 &et beca#se of the dee! disconnection between what that !erson is
doing and the im!act of that wor/ on the en.ironment, and h#manit& in general, the&
contin#e to do it 1 and a#thorit& ser.es to dee!en that disconnection(
The !erson o!erating the feller*b#ncher in -ha!ter SiB /nows, :#ite clearl& that he
is remo.ing trees, destro&ing habitat and lea.ing behind bare earth which will be
washed awa& in the neBt rainstorm( $e also /nows 1 des!ite the efforts of those who
ha.e tried to s#!!ress this information 1 that the remo.al of trees contrib#tes to the
7G=
greenho#se effect, which is heating #! the !lanet and threatening to bring on a
catastro!hic c&cle of e.ents at all scales of life( $e /now all these things and &et he
contin#es(2FG The -@O of the forestr& com!an&, sa& )eorgia*Pacific, Dimberl&*-lar/
or Asian P#l! And Pa!er, /nows the im!act of his com!an&9s acti.ities6 as do the
directors, #!on whom the !ress#re to meet financial targets is im!osed b& their -@O6
as do the managers, #!on whom the !ress#re to im!ro.e o#t!#t is im!osed b& their
directors6 as do the o!erators of the feller*b#nchers, who ha.e been clearl& told that
the& are doing an im!ortant 2ob, and the& ha.e to !rocess a set tonnage of timber
e.er& da& otherwise the contract will be lost( The hierarch& im!oses a#thorit&, and the
destr#ction contin#es(
As &o# will see later, the threat of financial loss is most definitel& a factor in the
contin#ation of highl& destr#cti.e acti.ities6 b#t, as Stanle& Milgram demonstrated all
those &ears ago, we don9t reall& need those threats0 we 2#st do what we are told(
Se)en: Lie To "s
't seems so ob.io#s, es!eciall& after reading to this !oint, that in order to thri.e as a
s!ecies h#manit& is de!endent on a f#ll& f#nctioning, health& and di.erse global
ecolog&( ;hen &o# t#rn on the tele.ision news, listen to the radio or read a
news!a!er, the state of the global ecolog& is shown clearl& as im!ro.ing or red#cing
in :#alit& o.erall, with B n#mber of s!ecies ha.ing been created or become eBtinct,
and certain tro!hic le.els becoming more or less dominant( Or rather, this is what we
sho#ld be seeing and hearing0 instead, we learn abo#t the state of the global economy,
whether the mar/ets are rising or falling6 how man& 2obs ha.e been gained or lost6
which com!anies are ta/ing o.er others, and which sectors of the econom& are
thri.ing or failing( The econom& is /ing6 the ecolog& is a footnote(
't is im!ossible to create something o#t of nothing( 4ational economies or, in
microcosm, the finances of indi.id#al com!anies cannot grow #nless the& ta/e
something from somewhere else0 this can either be in the form of mar/et*share from
other nations or com!anies, or b& creating !rod#ct from a reso#rce li/e oil, metal ore,
limestone (for cement% or the ecological com!leBit& of a nat#ral habitat, s#ch as an
ancient forest2FF( The global econom& cannot ta/e mar/et share from another !lanet6 it
can onl& grow b& #sing additional reso#rces ta/en from this !lanet(
7G7
Ta/en li/e that, it is ob.io#s that economic growth is #ltimatel& #ns#stainable 1
es!eciall& gi.en the narrow, ca!ital based definition #sed to define the term
econom& in the ind#strial world 1 &et, we contin#e to be fobbed off b& the message
that we m#st ha.e economic growth in order to !rogress or de.elo! as h#mans( Of
co#rse, if we 2#dge de.elo!ment or !rogress in terms of the n#mber of tele.isions,
com!#ters and cars we ha.e, the siAe of home we ha.e or the amo#nt of energ& we
#se6 then economic growth most certainl& does lead to a more de.elo!ed h#man
race( 'f we 2#dge de.elo!ment or !rogress on rather more esoteric (and, :#ite fran/l&,
more im!ortant% meas#res s#ch as clean water and air, !h&sical and mental health,
freedom of eB!ression, and ha.ing a f#t#re that o#r descendants will be able to thri.e
in6 then economic growth is failing on almost all of these co#nts( $#mans in e.er&
!lace to#ched b& the ran/ hand of ind#strialisation are told that de.elo!ment based
#!on economic growth, is good( ;hen &o# thin/ abo#t it, tho#gh, the onl& tr#e form
of de.elo!ment is that which mo.es #s into balance with o#r nat#ral en.ironment 1 in
effect a re.ersal of what we are now doing( 3o# do not ha.e to be financiall&
!ros!ero#s in order for &o#r water to be clean 1 &o# 2#st need a basic le.el of h&giene,
sensible water management techni:#es and, most of all, a lac/ of toBic m#c/ being
!o#red into the water s#!!l& b& ind#strial !rocesses(
9conomic growth as a necessity is the biggest lie that humanity has ever been sold6
&et we are la!!ing it #! beca#se the lie is re!eated da& after da& b& e.er& information
so#rce we are #nfort#nate eno#gh to be s#b2ected to(
L L L
'n a rather wonderf#l cha!ter of his boo/ $eat, )eorge Monbiot describes how the
.ested interests of climate change 1 the cor!orations, agencies and indi.id#als whose
eBistence de!ends on !rod#cing greenho#se gases 1 ha.e coll#ded for decades to
ens#re the !#blic, &o# and me, are /e!t conf#sed and ill*informed( The methods now
#sed for den&ing that h#mans are changing the climate are the same methods #sed b&
the tobacco ind#str& thro#gho#t the late decades of the twentieth cent#r&2FE0 cor!orate
f#nded articles and !ress*releases that s!ecialise in misinformation and !se#doscience6
fa#B !#blic interest gro#!s /nown as Astrot#rfs6 a host of media
re!resentati.es f#nded b& ind#str&6 and an #nhealth& dose of greenwash2E=,
s!ecificall& designed to ma/e com!anies loo/ en.ironmentall& s#stainable, when the&
are nothing of the sort( This is a !et hate of mine, so m#ch so that, at the start of 2==F,
7G2
' set #! an anti*greenwashing website called The +ns#itablog( 'n one article,
regarding the mining com!an& B$P Billiton, ' wrote0
Cike all destructive companies, B%? Billiton are engaging in some striking
greenwash$ in fact they have just agreed a new -limate -hange ?olicy, which is
not surprising considering their operations emit nearly 72 million tonnes of
carbon dioxide e>uivalent into the atmosphere every year (that5s about the same
as 8enmark - yes, the entire countryQ) &t5s a pity they have entirely failed to
commit to any reductions in greenhouse gases at all. 9xactly what kind of
-limate -hange ?olicy is thisN2I#
-or!orations, in !artic#lar, ta/e ad.antage of the innate tr#st we ha.e in a#thorit&
fig#res, often hiring scientists (in the s!irit of Stanle& Milgram9s electric shoc/
eB!eriments% to s!ea/ to the media, a!!arentl& on their own behalf while, in fact,
ens#ring that the information !#t across is !recisel& the information the cor!orations
want the !#blic to hear( The damage that this has been ca#sed b& the contin#o#s
stream of lies and denial is im!ossible to :#antif&0 certainl& it has !#t bac/ !#blic
awareness of the climate sit#ation b& a decade, at least( ;hen &o# consider that most
en.ironmental damage has been ca#sed in co#ntries whose go.ernments s#!!ort the
biggest lie of all 1 the need for economic growth 1 it is clear that the greenwashing
cor!orations are in .er& good com!an& indeed(
Eight: Scare "s
;e li.e in times of fear0 fear of the im!act of terrorism on o#r abilit& to li.e in safet&6
fear of the res#lts of economic colla!se on o#r f#t#re financial sec#rit&6 fear of what
strangers and !aedo!hiles might do to o#r children( Some of #s are e.en afraid of
climate change( 'nd#strial -i.iliAation instils #s with a s#ccession of fears not onl&
beca#se we ma& be gen#inel& afraid of a !artic#lar thing ha!!ening b#t also beca#se
we li.e in a state of com!arati.e ignorance( "ew !eo!le ha.e a good #nderstanding of
the nat#re of ris/ so, for instance, a !erson might tell &o# that she dri.es her child to
school in order to !rotect them from stranger danger, and in doing so eB!oses the
child to the far greater ris/ of being the !otential .ictim of a .ehicle crash( This is
sim!le ignorance0 the t&!e of fear ' want to tell &o# abo#t !re&s on o#r !oor
#nderstanding of ris/, and is !ro!agated on !#r!ose in order to /ee! #s in chec/(
7G<
An&one who grew #! in the +nited States in the 7E>=s will be familiar with the
fear of -omm#nism, and the man& lists that Senator Mc-arth& threatened to release
in order to eB!ose those !eo!le who were threatening the stabilit& of the +SA with
their left*leaning !olitical ideals( ;hat most !eo!le in the +nited States don9t realise,
is that Mc-arth&ism, as the s!ecific attit#de came to be /nown as, had as m#ch to
do with -omm#nism as the t&!e of !olitics being es!o#sed in the So.iet +nion had to
do with gen#ine -omm#nism( A certain s#s!ension of belief is re:#ired when &o#
consider that last sentence 1 es!eciall& if &o# grew #! in either the +SA or the +SSI
d#ring the -old ;ar 1 beca#se it com!letel& denies two articles of faith that were in
!lace at the time( "irstl&, Senator Mc-arth&, along with the entire state hierarch&
(with a co#!le of eBce!tions%, hel!ed to s!in a web of fear in order to enco#rage
!atriotism amongst the American !eo!le, and ens#re e.er&one was /e!t on side(
The a#thor Bill Br&son, who grew #! in 7E>=s America writes0
Thanks to our overweening preoccupation with -ommunism at home and
abroad America became the first nation in modern history to build a war
economy in peacetime. 8efence spending in the "ifties ranged between V.1
billion and V73 billion a year K or more than the total government spending on
everything at the dawn of the decade.2I2
$istor& re!eats itself, as alwa&s6 so it was that >= &ears later )eorge B#sh ?r(,
along with his cadre of high*ran/ing !olitical colleag#es (all of whom had financial
interests in either the arms ind#str&, the oil ind#str& or both% #sed the threat of global
terrorism on the +SA to ease thro#gh militar& s!ending bills totalling more than T<
trillion dollars since Se!tember 2==7( The 2==F Pentagon b#dget alone is eB!ected to
be a shade #nder TC== billion 1 nearl& a tho#sand times the amo#nt of mone& s!ent
on di!lomatic relations(2E< 't was the threat of terrorism that ens#red Americans
mee/l& acce!ted the Patriot Act, and its e.en more intr#si.e s#ccessor, Patriot Act ''(
't was the threat of terrorism that ens#red that the tort#re of h#ndreds of innocent
!eo!le in )#antanamo Ba&, and tho#sands more in 'ra: and Afghanistan was
tolerated b& the ma2orit& of !eo!le in ;estern 'nd#strial -i.iliAation( 't was the threat
of terrorism that ens#red that, since 2==7, e.er& conference of the richest ind#strial
nations had national sec#rit& at, or near, the to! of its agenda 1 !#shing climate
change !re.ention con.enientl& down the list( Since Se!tember 77, 2==7, not a single
7G,
American has died on +S soil as a res#lt of a terrorist attac/6 &et, in that same !eriod
at least <==,=== !eo!le in the +SA ha.e died as a res#lt of motor .ehicle incidents(2E,
$ow man& times do &o# hear &o#r !olitical leaders #rging &o# to be afraid of cars?
The second denial of an article of faith ' ma/e is that the +SSI #nder Stalin,
Dhr#shche. and BreAhne., was ne.er a -omm#nist co#ntr&( -omm#nism im!lies
comm#ne and comm#nit& 1 it does not im!l& centralised control of all assets with
an elite minorit& benefiting greatl& from the labo#rs of the !oor ma2orit&( B#t, 2#st
li/e in the +SA and e.er& other ind#strialised nation since the start of the Agric#lt#ral
Ie.ol#tion, the So.iet +nion !racticed a deliberatel& bastardised form of
-omm#nism designed to f#nnel economic wealth to a rich and !owerf#l minorit&( As
with the +SA, the !eo!le of the So.iet +nion were /e!t in a state of fear b& their
go.ernment( This eBcer!t from a 7E,7 MarBist doc#ment ill#strates what had alread&
ha!!ened to the -omm#nist ream0
The oviet Hnion can be best understood as a great trade union fallen into the
hands of corrupt and degenerate leaders. ;ur struggle against talinism is a
struggle within the labor movement. The oviet Hnion is a ,orkers5
tate!degenerated because of talinist rule.2I7
@ssentiall&, two go.ernments were creating a state of fear within their res!ecti.e
borders in order to control the !eo!le, and that state of fear was an almost total
fabrication of the tr#th( The -old ;ar was sim!l& two im!erialist, hierarchical states
tr&ing to gain global !ower b& force( 'f onl& the ma2orit& of !eo!le in those states had
/nown that at the time(
L L L
"ear doesn9t onl& ha.e to be an eBtension of a real, if m#ted, threat tho#gh( -ast &o#r
mind bac/ to the Tree $#ggers of northern 'ndia, and the nati.e ;est Pa!#ans, who
were !re!ared to challenge go.ernment and b#siness in order to !rotect their wa&s of
life( 't is now standard !ractice amongst certain .ested interests to refer to s#ch !eo!le
as eco terrorists or the green mafia0 an&thing that creates a sense of fear is a .ital
wea!on in ens#ring the !#blic at large see en.ironmental action as a negati.e thing(
"or man& b#siness*friendl& !oliticians, the do&en of green mafia writing is Michael
-richton, whose dramatic, b#t #ltimatel& fictional boo/ abo#t eco terrorism, State Of
"ear la#nched a tho#sand s!in*offs and a great man& newl& con.erted climate
7G>
sce!tics( 'n fact, the eco terrorism arg#ment goes far dee!er than the boo/s of fiction
writers 1 howe.er m#ch the& manage to scare !eo!le( Senator ?ames 'nhofe, former
chairman of the +S Senate -ommittee on @n.ironment and P#blic ;or/s is a
selfconfessed
climate change sce!tic who #sed the fear agenda in the most direct wa&
!ossible 1 b& com!aring en.ironmentalists to 4aAis0
B&t kind of reminds . . . & could use the Third :eich, the big lie,B &nhofe said.
BEou say something over and over and over and over again, and people will
believe it, and thatAs their strategy.B2I4
;hich, of co#rse, is eBactl& how go.ernments all aro#nd the world ad.ance the
message that economic growth is necessar&6 along with the message that !eo!le of
different colo#rs, religions or !olitical beliefs are a constant threat to the sec#rit& of
the !eo!le those go.ernments r#le o.er( 'n BraAil, s#ch ideas flow freel& from the
/e&boards of man& 2o#rnalists and !oliticians( A !lan b& ;;" 1 one of the most
conser.ati.e of the big en.ironmental 4)Os2EG 1 to set #! a large wildlife reser.e in
the AmaAon rainforest was met with t&!ical contem!t0
RThis is a new form of colonialism, an open conspiracy in which economic and
financial interests act through nongovernmental organi6ations,S said Coren6o
-arrasco, editor and co-author of RThe /reen @afia,S a widely circulated
antienvironmentalist
polemic. R&t is evident these interests want to block the
development of Bra6il and the Ama6on region by creating and controlling these
reserves, which are full of minerals and other valuable natural resources.S2I=
;hen &o# don9t ha.e the fear of -omm#nism or terrorism to fall bac/ on, then it9s
time to roll o#t those old sta!les, !re.enting de.elo!ment and bloc/ing economic
growth( There is most certainl& a !attern emerging here( Sadl&, tho#gh, ' ha.e to
now lea.e behind the mere threat of loss and mo.e on to the realit& 1 the eBec#tion, as
it were 1 and ' don9t e.en ha.e to change co#ntries to find the first eBam!le(
/ine: ,0use "s
?#st another da& in the BraAilian AmaAon rainforest0 the dan/, h#mid air hangs li/e
lianas, the moist#re dri!!ing from leaf to branch and down onto the shad& litterA
Matter Of Scale Ma/ing The -onnection
7GC
strewn soil6 insects feed on !lant matter, and themsel.es are !re&ed #!on b& birds 1
the t#m#lt the& create being heard for miles across the dee!, dense 2#ngle6 chainsaws
b#AA and scream as the& car.e #! massi.e tr#n/s, lea.ing behind acid, infertile soil
that ma& ne.er again be fertilised b& the tree cano!&6 oroth& Stang, an American
n#n, defending the same area of forest she had defended for 2= &ears, is shot siB times
1 m#rdered in cold blood b& a hit man hired b& a cattle rancher, determined to ens#re
that this swath of forest can be cleared and graAed for a health& !rofit(
The men directl& res!onsible for oroth& Stang9s m#rder in 2==> were e.ent#all&
!rosec#ted and sentenced, b#t it too/ another two &ears for the cattle rancher, who
owned (or rather, too/ from the nati.e inhabitants% the land, to be !rosec#ted( 'n
fact, des!ite nearl& eight h#ndred !eo!le being /illed in the hea.il& forested Para
region of BraAil in land dis!#tes, onl& fo#r !eo!le ha.e e.er been con.icted0
'ntimidation b& loggers and land*grabbers, corr#!t local a#thorities and a lac/ of law
enforcement reso#rces mean that man& of these cases go #nin.estigated and #nsol.ed(
Meanwhile, the decimation of the AmaAon contin#es at alarmingl& high rates(2EE
;hat &o# will ne.er see is the con.iction of an&one higher #! the ladder than the
rancher 1 the chain of res!onsibilit& ends where it connects to those who ha.e a
significant !art to !la& in the global econom&0 these !eo!le will ne.er be held to
acco#nt( The sim!le fact is, cor!orate leaders in.est in wholesale h#man miser& and,
where re:#ired, the& will initiate and then ignore the sla#ghter that is in.ariabl& the
o#tcome of their acti.ities 1 e#!hemisticall& /nown as t#rning a blind e&e( This
sla#ghter is not necessaril& the !ernicio#s, grad#al t&!e either 1 the roasting of the
!lanet, or the toBification of the land and the oceans 1 some forms of cor!orate
sla#ghter are .er& m#ch in the o!en and .isible to all( These most .isible forms of
cor!orate sla#ghter ha.e almost alwa&s been state sanctioned(
The British colonial sla.e trade, and the #se of sla.es as a form of chea! (free%
labo#r, which !ersisted thro#gho#t the 7Fth and 7Eth cent#r& in order to !ro.ide a
read& s#!!l& of eBotic foods for the !#blic, and .ast financial rewards for the
com!anies in.ol.ed, was readil& sanctioned and o.erseen b& the British go.ernment(
The br#talit& of the ;est 'ndian !lantations, which were the so#rce of the British
com!anies riches (and not 2#st com!anies, the -h#rch of @ngland were the
landowners of one of the most notorio#s !lantations, at -odrington in Barbados<==%,
led to a death toll that we wo#ld now call genocide0
7GG
,hen slavery ended in the Hnited tates, less than half a million slaves had
grown to a population of four million. ,hen it ended in the British ,est &ndies,
total slave imports of well over two million left a surviving slave population of
only about 401,111!The -aribbean was a slaughterhouse.31#
'f &o# are #nder an& ill#sions that s#ch cor!orate and state*sanctioned atrocities are
no more, thin/ again( The mining com!anies9 destr#ction of the nati.e ;est Pa!#ans9
forest 1 their means of s#r.i.al 1 was, as disc#ssed in -ha!ter @le.en, abl& assisted
b& the S#harto go.ernment of 'ndonesia( The contin#ed, senseless sla#ghter of
tho#sands of S#danese in the oil*rich arf#r region is regarded b& both the S#danese
go.ernment (who are gaining tremendo#s wealth from oil sales% and the -hinese
go.ernment (who ha.e an insatiable thirst for oil% as an #na.oidable conse:#ence of
economic acti.it&<=2( Arms com!anies thro#gho#t the +SA ha.e benefited
tremendo#sl& from the !#rchase of billions of dollars worth of wea!ons b& the +S
militar& for the second )#lf ;ar in 'ra: 1 which, incidentall&, to!s #! the )P of the
co#ntr& in which the wea!ons are man#fact#red( The war has been res!onsible for at
least F=,=== ci.ilian deaths<=< since 2==<(
S#ch ab#se of !eo!le and !ower ma& seem, on the s#rface, to be #nrelated to the
en.ironmental disconnection h#manit& has had foisted #!on it6 b#t this wo#ld be
ignoring the s#bteBt( The dri.er for this ab#se is !rimaril& to gain wealth for a
!ri.ileged few( The #nwritten reason for #sing ab#si.e tactics, as with #sing fear, is to
ease !eo!le into a state of denial( enial of a sit#ation, howe.er terrif&ing, is the
standard h#man res!onse to !rolonged ab#se of all t&!es6 whether !arent*child ab#se,
em!lo&er*em!lo&ee ab#se or state*ci.ilian ab#se( Iiane @isler, !resident of the -enter
for Partnershi! St#dies in the +SA, writes0
&n a top-down, authoritarian family that relies on fear and force, children often
learn to be in denial about their parents5 behaviour since they depend on them
for survival. This makes it easy to later be in denial about RstrongS leaders who
abuse power, and to identify with them. ?eople5s willingness to countenance the
erosion of democratic safeguards!and their support for the preemptive &ra>
,ar, even though it was justified by false information, are also largely due to
early habits of obedience to authority figures coupled with denial that RstrongS
leaders can be wrong.31.
7GF
The .ario#s tools and methods #sed in order to disconnect #s from the real world
and acce!t the wa& that the world is being r#n on o#r behalf 1 the wa& that the !lanet
is being trashed for economic gain 1 acc#m#late o.er time, from birth to death, to
create an almost ins#rmo#ntable !ersonal barrier( ;e willingl& disconnect beca#se,
e.ent#all&, we see it as the onl& o!tion(
That said, there is one final method that ' need to tell &o# abo#t0 one that almost
e.er&one on @arth is a !art& to, and one that feels so nat#ral to acce!t that it co#ldn9t
!ossibl& be to o#r disad.antage 1 or so &o# wo#ld thin/(
Ten: %i)e "s +o.e
4ot all ho!e is bad( There is the sim!le t&!e6 the benign wish or blessing, that shows
&o# care0 ' ho!e &o# ha.e a good da&, $o!e to see &o# again soon, ' ho!e &o#
!ass &o#r eBam( 'n isolation, and as merel& a gest#re, then this /ind of ho!e can
ma/e someone feel wanted and rather s!ecial( This /ind of ho!e is nice 1 it is
harmless(<=>
There is a second /ind of ho!e that is not harmless6 it is the /ind of ho!e that
im!lies more than benign wishes( This /ind of ho!e is, essentiall&, !ra&er 1 religio#s
or otherwise( Ieligio#s !ra&er, we all /now abo#t and, as we saw in -ha!ter Ten, a
large !ro!ortion of the world9s !o!#lation #se !ra&er of one sort or another( @.en
when not religio#s, sec#lar !ra&er bears all of the hallmar/s of its religio#s
namesa/e, and carries the same dangers that are faced when someone9s f#t#re is
entr#sted to it(
8i/e it or not there a!!ears to be no em!irical e.idence showing that !ra&er wor/s(
The Ieligio#s Tolerance web site<=C has caref#ll& bro/en down the methods and
res#lts in, and reaction to, all of the recent ma2or st#dies carried o#t on the
effecti.eness of !ra&er6 and the concl#sion &o# ha.e to reach is that !ra&er alone
sim!l& does not ha.e an& recordable effect( The reactions that that this /ind of
statement in.o/es are often f#rio#s, b#t also more s!ecificall& along the lines that
)od m#st not be tested( As one theologist !#t it 0 _3o#[re going to do &o#r best to
limit the !ra&er some !eo!le get so that &o# can meas#re the benefits for those who
recei.e a lot of !ra&er? o &o# thin/ that[s how )od intended !ra&er to be #sed?_<=G
7GE
So that a!!ears to be that( @Bce!t that when &o# loo/ dee!er into the research, &o#
find something .er& interesting( A widel& cited and caref#ll& controlled st#d&<=F into
the relati.e effects of !ra&er on !ost*o!erati.e coronar& reco.er& fo#nd no significant
difference in reco.er& rates between those who recei.ed !ra&er #n/nowingl& and
those who did not recei.e !ra&er at all( B#t here9s the interesting bit0 the gro#! of
!atients who /nowingl& recei.ed !ra&er had a 7> to 2= !ercent worse reco.er& rate
than the other two gro#!s( Some commentators s#ggested this was beca#se of the
increased !ress#re of /nowing &o# were eB!ected to res!ond to !ra&er, b#t ' belie.e
the ca#se to be down to something different(
$o!e(
3o# see, when &o# ho!e for something to ha!!en 1 not the benign good wishes,
b#t the dee!, heartfelt ho!e that aches for an o#tcome of &o#r choosing 1 then
something ha!!ens to &o#0 &o#r moti.ation to wor/ for the desired o#tcome act#all&
decreases( 8i/e the detached wor/er who can9t acce!t their res!onsibilit& for the
destr#cti.e o#tcome of the !rocess the& are !art of, b& entr#sting an o#tcome to the
ethereal entit& that is ho!e then &o# are !assing on res!onsibilit& to something that
is o#t of &o#r control( This is what &o# are doing when &o# !ra&0 &o# !ass on the
res!onsibilit& for the o#tcome of &o#r !ra&ers, meditations and dee!est wishes to an
eBternal force(
A !ositi.e state of mind is often a .ital attrib#te in reco.ering from illness, whether
mental or !h&sical, and also other conditions s#ch as addiction( Z#ite how this wor/s
is #ncertain, b#t more st#dies than not show that maintaining !ositi.it& is beneficial(
Dnowing that someone cares abo#t &o# eno#gh to !ra& for &o# is one thing, tho#gh6
thin/ing that the 2ob of getting &o# better has !assed from &o# to something &o# ha.e
no control o.er is another thing entirel&(
L L L
@.er& da&, in all sorts of wa&s, we hand o.er the res!onsibilit& of o#r actions to other
!arties( ;e entr#st religio#s leaders to act as !roB& s#!reme beings, to gi.e #s
blessings and !ra& for the deli.er& of o#r so#ls and, as is becoming more common,
the !rotection of the nat#ral en.ironment( ;e entr#st !oliticians to 2#stl& r#n districts,
states, co#ntries, the whole !lanet, on o#r behalf, and deli.er whate.er is in their
2#risdiction from whate.er e.ils we ha.e as/ed them to deal with( ;e as/ the heads
7F=
of cor!orations to #se !rofits wisel&, to !ro.ide fair wages, allow #nion re!resentation
and listen to their staff and res!ond a!!ro!riatel& 1 we as/ them not to destro& the
!lanet( ;e as/ en.ironmental organisations to loo/ after the !lanet on o#r behalf, to
lobb& fiercel& and !etition !r#dentl&, to gi.e #s a world worth li.ing in(
,e are guilty of a mass dereliction of responsibility(
;hen we .ote we ho!e the !oliticians will do the right thing after the& ha.e been
elected( ;hen we b#& a !rod#ct from a com!an&, we ho!e that com!an& are acting in
the best interests of e.er&one and e.er& thing the& im!act( ;hen we sign a !etition,
go on a !rotest march or write a letter, we ho!e that it will change things for the
better( B#t it is ne.er that sim!le(
5oters .ote for different things0 &o#r ho!e that a !olitician will increase !oll#tion
controls will be r#nning co#nter to the ho!e of another .oter that !oll#tion controls
will be wea/ened( 3o#r entr#stment of a com!an& that the& will act ethicall& r#ns
contrar& to the basic needs of a shareholder in that same com!an&, that demands an
increase in !rofits, which re:#ires !oorer labo#r standards, increased #se of nat#ral
reso#rces, corner c#tting and cost slashing across the board( 3o#r !etition or !rotest
march ma& gi.e &o# ho!e that something will change when in fact &o# ha.e sim!l&
channelled &o#r anger and concern into a s&mbolic action that threatens not a single
media eBec#ti.e, com!an& director or head of state( 3o# innocentl& belie.ed that
right wo#ld o#t sim!l& beca#se &o# !laced &o#r demands on the wings of dear ho!e(
,hen we stop hoping for external assistance, when we stop hoping that the
awful situation we5re in will somehow resolve itself, when we stop hoping the
situation will somehow not get worse, then we are finally free K truly free K to
honestly start working to thoroughly resolve it. ,hen hope dies, action begins.31I
L L L
The $ighland -learances were 2#st !art of the Agric#lt#ral Ie.ol#tion 1 the starting
!oint for the disconnection which the newl& dominant ;estern c#lt#re t#rned into an
art form( "rom this !oint onwards a gash was clea.ed between !eo!le and the real
world that has been growing wider and wider e.er since( This was, and is, entirel&
intentional( 't is now time to identif& the c#l!rits and tr& to eB!lain wh& the& are doing
what the& do(
7F7
)ho *s 5esponsible+
't is far easier to blame others for something than to blame o#rsel.es( There is
something all#ring in !inning the woes of o#r sit#ation on forces that are o#t there 1
st#!endo#s, #nreachable forces that chart o#r e.er& mo.e and g#ide o#r hands to do
their bidding( Somewhere, in the minds of the disenchanted, there is a room in which
the most !owerf#l !eo!le in the world sit and decide the fate of entire continents,
!olitical s&stems, religions and the @arth itself( ;hat wo#ldn9t &o# gi.e to wal/ into
that room and ta/e o#t e.er& one of those !eo!le6 wal/ bac/ o#t br#shing &o#r hands
together !roclaiming, @.er&thing is going to be all right( Oh, what wo#ldn9t &o#
gi.e for that chance?
And, &es, there are rooms in which far*reaching decisions are made b& eBtremel&
wealth& and !owerf#l !eo!le0 The )F, The Bilderberg )ro#!, The ;orld @conomic
"or#m, 4ATO, The +nited 4ations Sec#rit& -o#ncil, The ;orld Trade
OrganiAationSb#t the& aren9t in charge( The& are 2#st f#lfilling an obligation to
something far more !owerf#l0 the belief that this is the wa& it has to be( 3o# won9t get
an&where near the !eo!le on the to! tables of these gro#!s, an&wa&, beca#se the& are
being !rotected b& those who belie.e that the& m#st be !rotected6 who wo#ld
!robabl& gi.e their li.es to /ee! the s&stem in good health( B#t the& aren9t in charge
either( The& are 2#st f#lfilling an obligation to the belief that this is the wa& it has to
be( And e.en if &o# do get near, and manage to dis!atch the !rotectors and the
!rotected, it won9t change things, beca#se the !eo!le in the sho!s, the !eo!le in their
cars, the !eo!le in their offices, the !eo!le at home watching the news on the
tele.ision and the !eo!le !rotesting on the streets are sim!l& f#lfilling an obligation to
the belief that this is the way it has to be(
$o!eless, isn9t it?
B#t, of co#rse, you5re not going to ho!e, are &o#? $o!e is one of the wa&s in
which we are disconnected from the real world, 2#st li/e e.er&one ca#ght #! in this
acc#rsed c#lt#re 1 The -#lt#re of MaBim#m $arm, as aniel Z#inn acc#ratel&
describes it<7=( The ten Tools of isconnection ' ha.e s!ent !ages of eBha#sti.e
anal&sis showing &o#, are real( The& are, more or less, the essence of 'nd#strial
-i.iliAation0 the& are what ma/e it what it is( ;e all acce!t this beca#se we cannot
7F2
thin/ of an&thing else 1 beca#se we are so disconnected from the real world and
attached to this wa& of being that an& other wa& of life seems im!ossible(
B#t sto!H -an &o# imagine what wo#ld ha!!en if &o# wal/ed #! to a gro#! of
!eo!le o#tside of this c#lt#re and said, This is how &o# are going to li.e from now
on0 instead of loo/ing after the land, water and air on which &o# #tterl& de!end 1
witho#t which &o# will die 1 &o# are going to wrec/ it( 'nstead of ta/ing onl& what
&o# need to s#r.i.e, &o# are going to ta/e far more 1 stoc/!ile it and call it wealth(
'nstead of en2o&ing the li.es &o# ha.e, the interaction &o# ha.e with the world and the
rich, intense stim#lation that it !ro.ides &o# with, &o# are going to withdraw from it,
!ro.ide &o#rsel.es with artificial stim#lation and !a& others 1 with the wealth &o#
ha.e acc#m#lated 1 to entertain &o#( 'nstead of being ha!!& with what &o# ha.e, &o#
are going to li.e in a state of constant anBiet& and restlessness, cra.ing more and more
things that &o# are told are necessar&( 'nstead of thin/ing for &o#rsel.es, &o# are
going to be told how to thin/, and &o# will learn to see this as the onl& wa& to thin/(
-an &o# imagine what the res!onse wo#ld be?
;e are in the terminal stages of the greatest addiction h#manit& has e.er seen( ;e
li.e in a constant disconnected haAe6 dri!*fed a coc/tail of !roto*choice, dreams, lies,
fear, ab#se and ho!e( ;e are #sers of this c#lt#re, and it ma/es #s feel good 1 #ntil we
need another dose( ;e are also !la&ers in this c#lt#re( ;hate.er &o#r social stat#s6
whate.er &o#r class6 whate.er &o#r le.el of wealth or infl#ence, &o# are li/el& to be
ta/ing !art in the !rocess of disconnection 2#st beca#se of the 2ob &o# do or !osition
&o# hold(
'9m going to re!eat the Tools of isconnection, adding 2#st a few eBam!le roles to
each0 if &o# are in one of these roles, or an&thing remotel& similar, then &o# are
!robabl& a !art& to that method, whether &o# li/e it or not(
One0 Ieward +s "or Being )ood -ons#mers 1 store managers, mar/eting
eBec#ti.es, in.estment ban/ers6
Two0 Ma/e +s "eel )ood "or oing Tri.ial Things 1 local !oliticians, writers,
thera!ists6
Three0 )i.e +s Selected "reedom 1 national !oliticians, 2#dges, dictators6
7F<
"o#r0 Pretend ;e $a.e A -hoice 1 .ehicle sales!eo!le, tra.el agents, sho!
assistants6
"i.e0 Sell +s A ream 1 ad.ertisers, ed#cators, missionaries6
SiB0 @B!loit O#r Tr#st 1 scientists, militar& officers, office managers6
Se.en0 8ie To +s 1 economists, go.ernment ministers, !#blic relations officers6
@ight0 Scare +s 1 2o#rnalists, broadcasters, c#stoms officers6
4ine0 Ab#se +s 1 soldiers, !olice officers, !ro!ert& de.elo!ers6
Ten0 )i.e +s $o!e 1 religio#s and s!irit#al leaders, com!an& directors,
en.ironmentalists(
There is a whole web of integrated and interde!endent interests whose !rimar&
goal is to ens#re that e.er& single member of this c#lt#re, incl#ding themsel.es, is
/e!t dosed #! with the same head&, addicti.e coc/tail( So com!letel& are the different
interests immersed in their roles that it is no longer !ossible to establish indi.id#al
res!onsibilit&( This web of interests is, to !#t it sim!l&, the s&stem itself0
&t is not merely individuals acting in accord with their perceived needs and
ac>uired desires, but the global treadmill of production itself that has become
the main culprit in the ecocidal endgame. This treadmill has been churning for
some time, creating predicament that is at odds with the ecological health of this
planet.3##
Of co#rse, there are some who wo#ld a!!ear to benefit far more than others( The
@lites, the !eo!le who ha.e more infl#ence, and more material and financial wealth
than the rest of #s ha.e !la&ed the s&stem as far as it is !ossible to !la& it( $istor&
shows these @lites9 infl#ence stretching across oceans, commanding armies, shi!!ing
fleets and masses of sla.es in a giant im!erial game of Iis/( One false mo.e and
entire em!ires co#ld colla!se0 and so the& did, thro#gh carelessness or the greater
!ower of other em!ires, commanded b& their own @lites( ;hat is #ni:#e abo#t this
new ci.iliAation 1 the most !er.asi.e in histor& 1 is that !#re !ower is no longer
desirable0 with !ower comes tremendo#s res!onsibilit&, and tremendo#s ris/( ;hat is
far more desirable now is wealth( ;ealth can be acc#m#lated6 it can !ro.ide stat#s
7F,
s&mbols6 it can !ro.ide a lifest&le that com!letel& c#ts the holder off from an&
disr#!ti.e infl#ences 1 as if that is a desirable state to be in( This adoration of wealth
!ro!agates from the to! to the bottom, b& infl#ence, generating a mad clamo#r for a
!artic#lar lifest&le0 ' can be li/e himH ' can ha.e a big car6 a big ho#se6 fl& to eBotic
!laces and eat eBotic food 1 and e.en if ' can9t, ' can as!ire to li.e s#ch a life (s#ch a
lie%( ' can s#rro#nd m&self with goods and read abo#t the rich and famo#s, while
imagining what it wo#ld be li/e(
;e b#& into the tra!!ings of this lifest&le beca#se it ma/es #s feel li/e we are
ta/ing a ste! #! the ladder( ;hat also ha!!ens is that the !rofit that is generated from
o#r !#rchases and acti.ities goes bac/ #!wards, gi.ing a little c#t to e.er&one
in.ol.ed6 right #! to the @lites, who can create for themsel.es an e.en more l#B#riant,
disconnected lifest&le(
L L L
+nless &o# are born into it, sheer wealth does not come easil&0 it ta/es time to b#ild
#! ca!ital, and most often a great deal of effort6 in fact, it almost alwa&s re:#ires the
holder to also be in a !osition of !ower, whether that be as the head of a media
organisation, an oil com!an&, an agric#lt#ral conglomerate, a retail chain, or as the
des!otic leader of a nation( The tr#l& !owerf#l are the wealth&6 and the tr#l& wealth&
are the !owerf#l(
The !roblem for them, and for #s, is that h#mans are sim!l& not e.ol.ed to co!e
with s#ch !ower and wealth 1 we ha.e e.ol.ed as connected beings who m#st wor/
together, and with nat#re, in order to s#r.i.e( -oo!eration is an essential !art of life0 a
!lethora of ancient tribes s#r.i.ed for man& tho#sands of &ears beca#se of the close
coo!eration of their members and, of co#rse, their close connection to nat#re( +nli/e
ci.iliAations that ha.e come and gone in s#dden #rgent s!i/es of acti.it&, ancient
tribal societies grad#all& de.elo!ed to reach a state of balance with their en.ironments
1 the& were not intending to go an&where soon( ;ere it not for the acti.ities of those
!eo!le, at all le.els of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation, who ha.e hel!ed to dis!lace,
disenfranchise, infect and sla#ghter tribal !eo!le, then we wo#ld still ha.e man& of
these ancient tribes6 b#t, sadl&, there are !recio#s few remaining(
7F>
es!ite the close le.el of coo!eration within tribes, loose hierarchies and leaders
do eBist 1 leadershi! is essential for a wide range of tas/s( +nli/e 'nd#strial
-i.iliAation, leadershi! is alwa&s based on abilit&0
Among the most primitive societies, i.e. the hunters and the food gatherers,
authority is exercised by the person who is generally regarded as being
competent for the task. ,hat >ualities this competence rests on depends much
on the specific circumstancesF generally they would include experience, wisdom,
generosity, skill, RpresenceS, courage. <o permanent authority exists in most of
these tribes, but an authority emerges in the case of need. ,hen the >ualities on
which the authority rests disappear or weaken, the authority itself ends.3#2
This is /nown as a meritocrac&0 &o# earn &o#r !lace in societ& b& .irt#e of &o#r
#sef#lness to the gro#! as a whole 1 &o# are not born into an& !osition of !ri.ilege6
&o# cannot fight or b#& &o#r wa& to the to!( "#rthermore, as aniel Z#inn writes0
Tribes ha.e leaders, and sometimes .er& strong leaders, b#t leadershi! carries little
or nothing in the wa& of s!ecial benefits that are denied to other members of the
tribe(<7< O#r ancestral bac/gro#nd has not !re!ared the @lites for their !osition in
societ&0 nothing can !re!are the h#man mind for the incredible r#sh of !ower that
comes to those at the .er& to!( The o#tcome is megalomania6 !athological, terrible,
megalomania that ma/es those !eo!le feel that this reall& is the life6 the onl& life that
is !ossible, and so others m#st thin/ li/e them0 3o# are not going to thin/ for
&o#rsel.es6 &o# are going to be told how to thin/, and &o# will learn to see this as the
onl& wa& to thin/(
' feel sorr& for them(
's that s#ch a biAarre statement to ma/e? ;ell, let9s !#t it this wa&0 there are
leaders6 the& do ha.e immense wealth and !ower o.er large !arts of h#manit& and 1
thro#gh their leadershi! and the wa& the& mani!#late the s&stem to their own ends 1
o.er the fate of the @arth6 b#t the& are still following the same toBic dream as the rest
of #s( ;e are all !la&ing o#r !art in the toBic dream( 't seems terribl& sim!listic to
sa&, Societ& is to blame, b#t it does e.ent#all& come down to that( The 'nd#strial
-i.iliAation we li.e in has ta/en on a life of its own, and we are all swimming aro#nd
in its effl#ent tr&ing to grab hold of whate.er solids are floating b&( Those at the to!
7FC
merel& sit on a larger !ile of eBcrement than the rest of #s 1 disconnected and
com!letel& at odds with the wa& we need to li.e in order to gi.e #s a f#t#re(
A friend wrote to me recentl&( She said0 ;hen ' watch doc#mentaries or read
boo/s abo#t indigeno#s tribes, ' can see the ancient wisdom in their e&es, the
eB!eriences of life with the land etched on their faces, and ' en.& them their bea#tif#l
f#lfilled li.es 1 and mo#rn the lost li.es we will ne.er li.e0 growing #! free and
learning from o#r elders the real s/ills of life6 not algebra or h#manities, b#t how to
li.e with the land( ' don9t /now if we deserve another chance, b#t ' thin/ that if there
is a wa& of reclaiming those lost li.es then it has to be worth a tr&(
The %e.innin.
'f, b& now, ' ha.en9t managed to con.ince &o# that 'nd#strial -i.iliAation has to end
then &o# are !robabl& not read& to be !art of the sol#tion( Most !eo!le who ha.e been
bro#ght #! in this -#lt#re of MaBim#m $arm still belie.e that this is the onl& wa& to
li.e 1 the forces that ha.e stopped &o# thin/ing for &o#rself and ma/ing the
connection between the fate of this !lanet (on the brin/ of catastro!he% and the
!rimar& moti.ation for being h#man (to s#r.i.e% are immensel& !owerf#l(
B#t, if &o# do want to ta/e #! the challenge, and ens#re the s#r.i.al of those &o#
care abo#t, then read on0 there is a lot to do, and a great ad.ent#re to be hadS
Part 0our
o( To Sur1i1e
Ah well, that9s this world o.er(
Ah well, neBt one begins(
(This ;orld O.er, RT-%
One more robot learns to be,
Something more than a machine(
(One More Iobot, The "laming 8i!s%
A Matter Of Scale $ow To S#r.i.e
7FF
Chapter 0ourteen
)etting Angr&
't too/ me a long time to realise that what ' tho#ght was m& own free will was
act#all& a mercilessl& mani!#lated and largel& !redetermined wa& of li.ing m& life0
free will was whate.er this ci.iliAation told me was the right wa& to li.e( 't too/
me e.en longer to acce!t that ' didn9t ha.e to li.e this wa& 1 that there was a
m#ltit#de of other !aths that m& life co#ld ta/e, if onl& ' co#ld sha/e off the de.il that
seemed to cling to m& bac/, alwa&s #rging me to follow the right wa&6 the wa& of
the machine, the wa& of economic growth and the wa& of the cos& disconnected
eBistence(
Then ' got angr&(
A few &ears ago, anger wasn9t something ' considered to be hel!f#l( M& fi.e &ears
as a )reen!eace acti.ist<7, contrib#ted to !erha!s one slight change0 a n#mber of
timber merchants wo#ld no longer stoc/ illegall& har.ested tro!ical hardwood( More
significantl& ' learnt abo#t 4on 5iolent irect Action, or 45A, a conce!t first
introd#ced b& the religio#s Z#a/er gro#!, and ado!ted b& a n#mber of !rotest
organisations aro#nd the world d#ring the 2=th cent#r&( The essence of 45A is to
ens#re that whate.er &o# are doing does not res#lt in .iolence of an& sort( Of co#rse
definitions of .iolence .ar& widel&, with man& en.ironmentalists and en.ironmental
gro#!s claiming that .iolence can be committed against not onl& !eo!le and other
animals, b#t also inanimate ob2ects( This is the .iew that most ;estern go.ernments
also hold( On the other hand, destro&ing a !iece of machiner& in order to !re.ent the
discharge of a toBic s#bstance 1 is that .iolence? Agreement won9t be coming along
an& time soon6 b#t m& eB!erience in carr&ing o#t 45A was that neither .iolence
(against both animate and inanimate targets% nor anger wo#ld be tolerated0 the two
seemed to be tied #! together to s#ch an eBtent that on n#mero#s occasions, acti.ists
were im!lored to calm down b& others carr&ing o#t the same action, lest the& do
something the& might regret later( This mantra of non*.iolence and non*anger
b#rrowed into m& head and st#c/ there6 it too/ something startling to shift it(
7FE
A -or!oration is a com!an& that has the same rights as a h#man being 1 more so,
in fact( 'n most ;estern legal s&stems, cor!orations are gi.en !referential legal
treatment com!ared to indi.id#al members of the !#blic, es!eciall& when it comes to
the enforcement of en.ironmental and h#man rights legislation( The /e& to this is
something called limited liabilit&, which all cor!orations are now s#b2ect to0 it
means that the shareholders of a cor!oration are onl& liable for the !ro!ortion of the
cor!oration that the& own6 in effect, the res!onsibilit& for the actions of the
cor!oration as a whole is s!lit amongst, !otentiall&, millions of indi.id#als( On the
other hand a cor!oration, as a whole, can act as an indi.id#al( 4oam -homs/&
eB!lains that #! to the 7Eth cent#r&0
-orporations, which previously had been considered artificial entities with no
rights, were accorded all the rights of persons, and far more, since they are
Rimmortal personsS and RpersonsS of extraordinary wealth and power.
"urthermore, they were no longer bound to the specific purposes designated by
tate charter, but could act as they chose, with few constraints.3#7
The #!shot of this is clear to an&one who follows the acti.ities of cor!orations
aro#nd the world0 en.ironmental negligence, corr#!tion, labo#r ab#ses and scant
regard for the rights of indi.id#als(<7C 't was while watching The -or!oration<7G, an
astonishingl& tho#ght*!ro.o/ing doc#mentar&, that ' came across some of the .er&
worst eBam!les of cor!orate eBcess0 those acti.ities that ta/e absol#tel& no acco#nt of
the rights of indi.id#als( ' was !artic#larl& str#c/ b& the wa& that the !eo!le of the
cit& of -ochabamba in Boli.ia had fo#ght bac/ against both the corr#!t actions of the
cit& a#thorities and the !rofit*h#ngr& moti.es of the ser.ices m#ltinational Bechtel( 'n
7EEE the ;orld Ban/ !ro.ided a loan to the Boli.ian go.ernment in ret#rn for which
the go.ernment had to !ri.atise all m#nici!al water s#!!lies 1 the contract for
-ochabamba went to a Bechtel*owned consorti#m called Ag#as de T#nari, which
immediatel& !#t into effect strict control meas#res( ;hen a !ri.ate com!an& is
granted s#ch control o.er one of the most basic h#man needs that it becomes illegal
e.en to store the water which collects on the roof of &o#r ho#se, and &o# ha.e to
s!end 2=*<= !ercent of &o#r income 2#st on water bills, something is bo#nd to gi.e(
;hat did gi.e was the !atience of the residents who 1 b& enacting two general stri/es
and com!lete sto!!ages of the trans!ortation networ/, as well as co#ntless minor acts
7E=
of sabotage and ref#sal to coo!erate with the a#thorities 1 reclaimed their rightf#l
a#thorit& o.er the cit&9s water s#!!l&( 'n answer, The go.ernment res!onded with
!olice, tear gas, and b#llets as well as the re!eated detention of ci.il societ&
leaders(<7F
es!ite the !redictable and hea.&*handed res!onse of the a#thorities, the !eo!le
won o#t, and Bechtel were banished, lea.ing a cit& a#thorit& .er& m#ch with its tail
between its legs( The reason the !eo!le of -ochabamba were so s#ccessf#l in their
concerted efforts, both in scale and eBec#tion, was beca#se the& got angr& 1
something sna!!ed inside a great man& !eo!le and that anger was realised thro#gh the
!ower of their actions( $ad the !eo!le not got angr& then Bechtel wo#ld still control
the water s#!!l&, and the o#tcome in terms of !#blic health co#ld ha.e been
horrendo#s(<7E
This !attern is re!eated thro#gho#t the world, thro#gho#t histor&0 the !artici!ants
of the 7<F7 @nglish Peasants Ie.olt were angr&6 the wor/ing class "rench
re.ol#tionaries of 7GFE were angr&6 the Tree $#ggers of 4orthern 'ndia were angr&(
S#ccess is not g#aranteed, b#t #nless the !eo!le themsel.es realise the !roblem, and
#nderstand that the& can fiB it, then the !roblem will ne.er go awa&( -on.ersel&, if
the !eo!le #nderstand the !roblem, /now there is a fiB, and ha.e eno#gh of their own
dri.e and s!irit to co#nter the c&nical and barbaric Tools of isconnection a!!lied on
behalf of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation, then the& can fiB the !roblem(
Anger is necessar&(
)hat *s An.er
There are two t&!es of anger, -onstr#cti.e and estr#cti.e( B& -onstr#cti.e Anger, '
don9t mean the /ind that ma/es &o# b#ild a sandcastle with a big flag on it sa&ing,
Sa.e O#r -r#mbling ;orldH On the other hand, b& estr#cti.e Anger ' don9t mean
going aro#nd with steam coming o#t of &o#r ears brea/ing and hitting e.er&thing that
gets in &o#r wa& 1 altho#gh it co#ld mean that6 it de!ends on the conteBt(
estr#cti.e Anger doesn9t achie.e an&thing #sef#l, and can often ma/e things
worse than the& alread& are( 'nterestingl&, this means that the .ast ma2orit& of !rotest
marches, rallies and other non*.iolent e.ents, if f#elled b& anger, are destr#cti.e(
-onstr#cti.e Anger, on the other hand, does achie.e something #sef#l 1 e.en if it ma&
7E7
not be eBactl& what was originall& intended( "or instance, if all the e.idence &o# ha.e
to hand s#ggests that remo.ing a sea wall or a dam will ha.e a net beneficial effect on
the nat#ral en.ironment then, howe.er &o# go abo#t it 1 eB!losi.es, technical
sabotage or man#al destr#ction 1 the remo.al wo#ld be a constr#cti.e action( 'f this
action was f#elled b& anger then &o#r #se of eB!losi.es in.ol.ed -onstr#cti.e Anger(
The negati.e connotations of anger, in !artic#lar their relationshi! with .iolence,
are c#lt#ral( At the beginning of the 2=th cent#r&, man& American !s&chologists
decided that all h#man emotions 1 rather than being a com!leB miB of internal and
eBternal, s#b2ecti.e and ob2ecti.e, conscio#s and #nconscio#s 1 were onl& rele.ant if
the& co#ld be obser.ed ob2ecti.el&( Altho#gh Beha.io#rism, as it was called, came
#nder increasing attac/ in the late 2=th cent#r& for neglecting not 2#st conscio#sness,
b#t feelings, it sha!ed m#ch s#bse:#ent !s&cholog&<2=, and th#s sha!ed the wa&
societ& obser.es and #nderstands itself( The sim!lification of emotion s#ited the
de.elo!ment of ad.anced ;estern societ& !erfectl&0 intense emotions, rather than
being a !oorl& #nderstood, often .er& !ersonal manifestation of the h#man condition,
co#ld now be !almed off as re!tilian or !rimiti.e( Iather than treating
#ncontrollable emotions in a holistic wa&, the& were treated #sing barbaric, !h&sical
techni:#es incl#ding enforced isolation, lobotom& and electro con.#lsi.e thera!&(
This fear of the !rimiti.e and the need to defeat it is reflected in the .iews of earlier
@nlightenment thin/ers, s#ch as "rancis Bacon and IenK escartes, who held the /ind
of ideas that 'nd#strial -i.iliAation embraced and increasingl& #sed against nat#re0
The 9nlightenment period saw nature as a dead and mechanical world, a view
that permits people to think of ecosystems and their inhabitants as mere
resources for human use. The ultimate purpose of this mode of thinking is
absolute control over both living beings and material nature.
"rancis Bacon, for example, hoped to con>uer and subdue nature and Rto shake
her to her foundations.S "or 8escartes, animals were Rsoulless automataS and
their screams in death the mere clatter of gears and mechanisms. &ndeed, in this
view, nature is nothing but a machine.32#
These .iews wo#ld seem astonishing if the& were not intrinsic com!onents of o#r
c#lt#ral wa& of thin/ing( The #nderstanding that emotions, s#ch as anger, are not
sim!l& rabid, !rimiti.e #rges, b#t are in fact com!leB things that re:#ire a dee!er
7E2
sense of awareness to f#ll& a!!reciate, brings #s f#ll circle( The notions of escartes
and other @nlightenment thin/ers, s#ch as 'saac 4ewton, are indeed enlightening, b#t
not in the intended sense0 the& re.eal a dee! distr#st and fear of being !art of nat#re,
as tho#gh somehow connection was a real tem!tation that the& were scared of
s#cc#mbing to( 'nd#strial -i.iliAation, as !romoted b& the .iews of the @nlightenment
thin/ers and enforced b& co#ntless !la&ers all becoming grad#all& addicted to the
tra!!ings of a certain wa& of life, demands that we remain se!arated and terminall&
disconnected from the .er& thing which we need to s#r.i.e( Anger is a b#rning f#se
that can either be eBting#ished or allowed to trigger something bigger( Anger is a
catal&st for connection(
A Catal&st 0or Connection
S#blimation is an interesting word6 it has two meanings, both of which seem to be
different b#t are lin/ed in a .er& s#r!rising wa&( The first meaning is scientific0 it is
the change of state from a solid to a gas, b&!assing the li:#id state( This onl& occ#rs
in certain s#bstances, generall& those that are gas at room tem!erat#re, s#ch as carbon
dioBide( 3o# can handle solid carbon dioBide (also /nown as dr& ice% for a short
time 1 m& old !h&sics teacher #sed to 2#ggle l#m!s of it in the classroom 1 #ntil it
becomes !ainf#l and b#rns the s/in6 and &o# can watch it as the clo#ds of s#blimated
gas laAil& drift across its s#rface and dissi!ate into the air(
The second meaning of s#blimation is beha.io#ral0 it is the act of #sing a
distraction acti.it& to !re.ent an emotion or feeling from becoming too intense( 'n
single*seB @nglish !#blic schools it was (and ma& well still be% common !ractice to
send adolescent bo&s o#t r#nning in the most atrocio#s weather to s#blimate an&
nat#ral #rges the& ma& ha.e( 'n other words0 if teenage bo&s started thin/ing abo#t
seB, a good r#n was meant to get it o#t of their s&stem( And it !robabl& wor/ed for a
short while6 the drenching rain and ic& wind wo#ld ha.e ta/en their minds off 2#st
abo#t an&thing(
;hen ' watch a !rotest march on the news, and the organisers tal/ #! the s#ccess
of the !rotest, the word that immediatel& comes to mind is s#blimation( The
descri!tion of the legal !rotest ' re!rod#ced in -ha!ter Thirteen, !artic#lar the
gaseo#s dissi!ation of the !rotestors at the end, demonstrates how s&mbolic actions
7E<
(as o!!osed to those which achie.e something% are merel& a wa& of ma/ing !eo!le
feel better 1 hel!ing them b&!ass an& #sef#l emotions and instead, harmlessl& drifting
awa&( As ' wrote in the last cha!ter0 3o#r !etition or !rotest march ma& gi.e &o#
ho!e that something will change when in fact &o# ha.e sim!l& channelled &o#r anger
and concern into a s&mbolic action that threatens not a single media eBec#ti.e,
com!an& director or head of state( ;hen &o# ta/e !art in a !rotest that does not
directl& threaten the thing &o# are !rotesting against, &o# are sim!l& s#blimating an&
anger &o# might ha.e(
Of co#rse, there are eBce!tions( 'ne.itabl&, the more determined schoolbo&s fo#nd
wa&s to get what the& wanted, regardless of the r#les or the ic& winds( The sad realit&,
tho#gh, is that the ma2orit& of schoolchildren did com!l&( The bo&s wo#ld shift
#ncomfortabl& in their seats, /nowing that in order to be !art of the s&stem the& had
to com!l& 1 as the& wo#ld contin#e to com!l& thro#gho#t their wor/ing li.es and into
retirement6 s#blimated and e.ent#all& #nable to rebel in wa& whatsoe.er(
?#st li/e the !rotestors(
L L L
"igure #$ ?rotestors in Condon (ource$ Author5s photo)
7E,
Scattered thro#gh this boo/ are eBam!les of where anger has !#shed !eo!le into
doing things the& wo#ld otherwise ha.e not been ca!able of doing( ' need to gi.e &o#
one more eBam!le(
The "irst ;orld ;ar, or )reat ;ar, was terrible in more wa&s than it is !ossible
for a sane !erson to imagine( ' hinted at the conditions in -ha!ter Two, b#t cannot
describe the filth& trenches and /illing fields ade:#atel& witho#t the hel! of a !oet(
Man& !oets emerged from this f#tile and !oliticall& moti.ated war, among them
Siegfried Sassoon and ;ilfred Owen( Both were talented and, significantl&, both
eB!erienced the horrors of war on the front line, dee!l& affecting them emotionall&(
Of the two, it was ;ilfred Owen, the less financiall& !ri.ileged, tho#gh e.ent#all& a
great friend of Sassoon, who made the greatest im!ression on the !#blic( +ndo#btedl&
charged with anger, his !oems are an attem!t to eB!ose war for what it is and allow
others to #nderstand it( )enerall& recognised as his finest !oem, 8ulce 9t 8ecorum
9st reflected his shift in tone from !ersonal :#estioning to righteo#s anger<226 an
inflammator& $ow dare &o# s#b2ect others to thisH that changed !eo!les9 !erce!tion
of war fore.er0
&f in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
%is hanging face, like a devilAs sick of sinF
&f you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
-ome gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
;bscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
;f vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
@y friend, you would not tell with such high 6est
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old CieF 8ulce et 8ecorum est
?ro patria mori.323
The words, #lce et ecor#m est !ro !atria mori mean it is sweet and right to
die for &o#r co#ntr&( Owen realised that no war was worth the /ind of s#ffering that
his colleag#es had to end#re( 'n the three short .erses that com!rise that !oem,
7E>
;ilfred Owen #sed his anger to change the f#t#re0 no longer wo#ld !eo!le willingl&
and blindl& acce!t blood& battle 1 war wo#ld no longer be the eas& o!tion(
There are hints that s#ggest the !ower of anger as a moti.ation for !ositi.e action,
thro#gho#t the .is#al arts, films, theatre and literat#re 1 artistic o#t!o#rings that often
short*circ#it the c#lt#ral limitations in which we li.e the ma2orit& of o#r li.es( 3o#
find them e.er&where( Onl& last night ' disco.ered this short !assage in ?ohn
Steinbec/9s The )ra!es Of ;rath, a mon#mental stor& of lost ideals and cor!orate
!ower 1 a stor& abo#t 'nd#strial -i.iliAation in the 7E<=s and 'nd#strial -i.iliAation
now0
ome of the owner men were kind because they hated what they had to do, and
some of them were angry because they hated to be cruel, and some of them were
cold because they had long ago found that one could not be an owner unless one
were cold. And all of them were caught in something larger than themselves.32.
;ho are the ma2orit&? The& are the cold !eo!le6 those that ha.e acce!ted the wa&
it has to be and got on with their li.es, doing what the c#lt#re tells them to do( The
/ind !eo!le #nderstand that there is a better wa& to act, and the& treat others with
res!ect6 b#t the& are not angr& 1 the& will not change an&thing( The /ind !eo!le are
li/e those who march, and !etition, and ho!e that things will get better( The angr&
!eo!le #nderstand that there is a better wa& to li.e( The angr& !eo!le ha.e the
!otential to change things beca#se the& do not mee/l& acce!t the sit#ation( The angr&
!eo!le are different(
Bac/ in -ha!ter Twel.e ' tried to g#ide &o# thro#gh the !rocess of connecting
with the real world6 the one that doesn9t need #s, b#t which we em!haticall& do need(
This in.ol.ed a !rocess of first disconnecting from the smog of artificial realit& that
intr#des e.er& tho#ght and e.er& sense, twent&*fo#r ho#rs a da&6 the !rocess then
mo.ed on to grad#all& reconnecting with whate.er &o# felt was most a!!ro!riate for
&o#0 a sand& beach, a thic/et of trees, a gro#! of friends, a close*/nit famil&( id &o#
find it eas&?
' am g#essing that most !eo!le find this !rocess intensel& diffic#lt, not onl&
beca#se of the efforts this ci.iliAation ma/es to ens#re &o# remain disconnected, b#t
beca#se &o# still ha.e, in &o#rself, little !ersonal moti.ation to be connected( Part
One of this boo/ showed man& eBam!les of the terrible damage that h#mans are
7EC
doing to the nat#ral en.ironment at e.er& scale imaginable, and how this damage is
coming bac/ to bite #s with deadl& force( Part Two showed where h#mans eBist in the
m`lKe of life, and wh& we are #ltimatel& the most im!ortant thing to o#rsel.es( ' now
want &o# to consider these things again, along with the #nderstanding that we are
being constantl& mani!#lated to sto! #s from e.er changing(
4ow consider this0
&t is not knowledge we lack. ,hat5s missing is the courage to understand what
we know, and to act.327
3o# ha.e the /nowledge 1 &o# ma& ha.e alread& had it before &o# !ic/ed #! this
boo/, and if &o# ha.e read this boo/ thro#gh then &o# most certainl& ha.e it now( The
co#rage is also in &o#0 &o# are a h#man, for goodness sa/eH 3o# need to get angr& at
&o#r sit#ation6 angr& at ci.iliAation6 feel real, growing anger that &o# ha.e allowed
catastro!he to come to &o#r door and ha.e been !re.ented from doing an&thing abo#t
it( )et angr&, ta/e co#rage, and connect(
L L L
$ello( Are &o# connected now?
;elcome to change(
7EG
Chapter 0ifteen
3o# Are The S&stem
;e9re nearl& read& to do something mon#mental, b#t not :#ite(
' #sed to manage 'T s&stems for a /e& com!onent of the global econom& (it ma/es
me feel a bit gloom& that ' /nowingl& hel!ed !ro! #! 'nd#strial -i.iliAation for a
while, b#t more of that later% and whene.er a ma2or !iece of wor/ was d#e to be
carried o#t ' wo#ld first anal&se all of the stages of the tas/, finding o#t where
!roblems might occ#r6 ' wo#ld then assemble a team of !eo!le to hel! iron o#t an& of
these flaws and identif& an& other !otential !roblems ' might ha.e missed( There were
alwa&s one or two small things ' missed, right #! to the da& of eBec#tion6 and #s#all&
things that we had to deal with on the fl&0 no !lan is !erfect( That said, if a great
deal of effort went into the !lanning !rocess, the wor/ was li/el& to be far more
s#ccessf#l than 2#st !l#nging into it, ho!ing e.er&thing wo#ld go fine(
So, here9s the !lan0 first, ' want to go o.er a few /e& !oints, 2#st so the& are
absol#tel& clear in &o#r mind, no :#estion6 second, ' want to go thro#gh the a!!roach
' ha.e ta/en, in creating what ' thin/ is an effecti.e sol#tion( The reason for this
trans!arent thin/ing is mainl& beca#se ' don9t want &o# going into this as an
#nwilling !artner( So man& so*called en.ironmental sol#tions ass#me that the
reader Y watcher Y listener will blindl& obe& whate.er tas/s are set before them,
leading to an o#tcome where the b#rnished s#n sets o.er the shimmering sea, and we
all march off into +to!ia arm*in*arm(
't doesn9t ha!!en that wa&(
'9m not sa&ing the o#tcome won9t be far better than what we ha.e toda& (it can
hardl& be worse% b#t ' am in no mood for half*meas#res and want something that
act#all& does the 2ob of fiBing the !roblems we face6 not !#tting little green stic/ing
!lasters o.er the eB!anding crac/s( ;hat ' am going to !ro!ose is radical,
f#ndamental and frightening( 't is also long*term, eBhilarating and absol#tel&
necessar&( ' wo#ld m#ch rather scare !eo!le off who are not read& to ma/e the
commitment for a change of this scale than !retend the& will be able to fiB things b&
7EF
changing their electricit& s#!!lier, #!grading their cars and enlisting their friends in
an org& of greens#m!tion(<2C
Trans!arenc& is the b&*word, then( B& reading this cha!ter &o# will #nderstand
wh& ' ha.e !ro!osed what ' ha.e later on in the boo/( 'f &o# don9t li/e m& train of
tho#ght then &o# co#ld tr& reading -ha!ters Se.en, Ten and @le.en again and see if
the& clarif& things6 if that fails then !#t this boo/ down and come bac/ to it in a few
months time( Before &o# do an&thing, ' want &o# to feel comfortable in &o#r own
mind with what lies ahead(
3our Part *n All This
'n -ha!ter Thirteen ' went some wa& towards describing how 'nd#strial -i.iliAation
o!erates6 in !artic#lar the methods #sed to ma/e s#re !eo!le are no threat to the
dominant c#lt#re, and an eB!lanation of where the !ower reall& lies( 'f &o# were
eB!ecting a cons!irac& theor&, which !laced the elite members of societ& in some
#nassailable !osition, g#iding o#r e.er& mo.e, then &o# !robabl& ended #!
disa!!ointed( 3es, the rich and !owerf#l do get a lot more material benefit from this
#ne:#al set#!, b#t the& are also teetering on the brin/ of !s&chosis whene.er the
!ower r#sh gets too m#ch( There are an increasing n#mber of !eo!le who s#bscribe to
4ew ;orld Order theories and the li/e6 ideas that seem .er& a!!ealing when &o#
are st#c/ in a dar/ !lace, tr&ing to get o#t( The 'nternet is awash with cons!irac&
sites<2G describing in min#te detail e.er& cartel6 e.er& meeting6 and e.er& deal that
ta/es !lace to ens#re !ower is /e!t with the !eo!le who alread& ha.e it( The com!leB
str#ct#res that act#all& eBist to ens#re economic growth contin#es are benefiting
greatl& from this !aranoid acti.it&(
$ere9s one eBam!le0 s#!!ose there is a large trawler that comes into !ort, da& after
da&, its hold brimming with fish( Time !asses and the siAe of the other crews9 ha#ls
begin to diminish, as the fish stoc/s are grad#all& de!leted( The local !o!#lation starts
to become concerned abo#t their f#t#re( One of the locals !ro!oses a theor& that the
s#ccessf#l s/i!!er is getting information abo#t fresh shoals of fish from some
m&sterio#s so#rce who has /nowledge far be&ond their #nderstanding0 a s#!ernat#ral
force, !erha!s( This idea becomes acce!ted fact( ;his!ered disc#ssions abo#t this
higher !ower fill the inns for man& nights, b#t nothing is e.er done beca#se there is
7EE
nothing that can be done to defeat s#ch !owerf#l entities( Meanwhile, the s#ccessf#l
s/i!!er contin#es to bring home hea.& catches, and the fishing stoc/s /ee! getting
smaller(
't t#rns o#t that the s#ccessf#l boat is act#all& e:#i!!ed with a better form of sonar
than all the other boats, im!orted from another co#ntr& where it is alread& widel&
#sed( This being a small isolated fishing !ort, nobod& else is aware of this new
technolog&( $ad the other crews ta/en time to loo/ closer to home and cleared their
heads of higher !ower tho#ghts, then the& wo#ld ha.e realised that one boat sim!l&
had better e:#i!ment than all the others( 'n order to !rotect the fishing stoc/s, their
sim!le tas/ then wo#ld ha.e been to sabotage the sonar on the s#ccessf#l boat( @.er&
time that sonar was re!aired, the& wo#ld sabotage it once again(
'gnoring the fact that the law ma& ha.e e.ent#all& ca#ght #! with the sabote#rs 1
after all, the law exists to maintain economic success above anything else 1 their
efforts in attac/ing the immediate ca#se of the hea.& catches wo#ld ha.e !re.ented
the fish stoc/s falling for a while6 b#t then other boats in other !orts ma& ha.e started
to #se this sonar, hitting the stoc/s e.en harder( 'f the sabote#rs wanted to deal with
this f#rther !roblem the& co#ld ha.e became e.en more ambitio#s, the& might wish to
bloc/ the s#!!l& lines for the im!ort of sonar e:#i!ment6 the& might go to the co#ntr&
of origin, or enlist local hel!, to !re.ent the man#fact#re of the sonar( @.ent#all&
tho#gh, as this is the -#lt#re of MaBim#m $arm, 2ealo#s& and greed wo#ld ta/e o.er,
and the other crews wo#ld realise it was in their immediate economic interests to
install their own sonar s&stems, catch e.er&thing the& co#ld, and to hell with the
terminal decline of the fishing stoc/sH
There are two lessons here( "irst, the answer to a !roblem #s#all& lies in a far more
m#ndane !lace than !eo!le realise6 it is onl& the wa& that we ha.e been mani!#lated
that ca#ses #s to loo/ in the wrong !laces for sol#tions0 to the law, to b#siness, to
!olitics, to ho!e( ;e rarel& loo/ closer to home for answers( ;e rarel& loo/ in the
mirror and :#estion o#r own moti.es( Iichard $einberg, a#thor of Pea/ @.er&thing
has this to sa& abo#t o#r addled state0
As civili6ation has provided more and more for us, itAs made us more and more
infantile, so that we are less and less able to think for ourselves, less and less
able to provide for ourselves, and this makes us more like a herd K we develop
2==
more of a herd mentality K where we take our cues from the people around us,
the authority figures around us.32=
Second, good intentions rarel& last long in this c#lt#re( 'n a wa&, there was some
higher !ower in !la& here0 the !ower that ma/es !eo!le gi.e #! good intentions and
follow the !ath chosen for them b& 'nd#strial -i.iliAation( The fishermen sto!!ed
tr&ing to !re.ent the !roblem getting worse and instead decided to !#t their own
sno#ts into the tro#gh( That9s 2#st the wa& it is0 it9s what we ha.e been bro#ght #! to
do(
;hen &o# thin/ abo#t it, h#mans in this c#lt#re seem to want cons!irac& theories
abo#t strange things we don9t #nderstand6 we seem to want #nassailable forces
r#nning o#r li.es from i.or& towers6 we seem to want this beca#se we cannot acce!t
that !erha!s we are all in this together and the tr#th will h#rt a bit too m#ch( ri.ing a
giant S+5, fl&ing half wa& across the world for !leas#re or b#&ing the res#lts of
rainforest de.astation beca#se o#r c#lt#re ma/es these acts acce!table does not
absol.e the #ser 1 we m#st ta/e some res!onsibilit&, for witho#t acce!ting o#r role in
this s&stem then we ha.e no chance of being freed from it(
3o# are !art of the s&stem( )et #sed to it(
L L L
The act of gi.ing someone bad news is often easier than the tho#ght of doing so0 the
!eriod leading #! to gi.ing this news can get inside &o#r head, in.ade &o#r dreams
and start to gnaw awa& at &o#6 the act of !assing on the news might be #ncomfortable,
b#t the moment is :#ic/l& gone, howe.er diffic#lt that moment is( The longer &o#
lea.e things, the worse it feels( Iecei.ing bad news wor/s in m#ch the same wa&6
eBce!t that #s#all& !eo!le don9t realise the& are going to get it( The tho#ght that
something bad might ha!!en to &o# in the f#t#re6 now, that reall& can !la& tric/s with
&o#r mind 1 &o# tr& and a.oid the sit#ation, !#t it off for as long as &o# can b#t, as
long as the o#tcome isn9t tr#l& terrible, the eBec#tion is rarel& as bad as &o# imagine it
might be(
'n the mo.ie The MatriB, the tho#ght that something was wrong gnawed at 4eo,
the !er!etrator of e.ent#al change, for &ears6 b#t when he fo#nd the tr#th, it was as
m#ch a liberation for him as it was a shoc/( 4eo fo#nd that he co#ld do something
abo#t his sit#ation beca#se he had /nowledge, and beca#se he f#ll& #nderstood his
2=7
!osition( Once &o# acce!t things as the& are 1 that &o# are !art of the !roblem and,
th#s, &o# ha.e a !art to !la& in the sol#tion 1 &o# act#all& start to feel better, as
tho#gh the weight of ages has been lifted from &o#r sho#lders(
3o# are !art of the s&stem6 &o# ha.e to ta/e res!onsibilit& for &o#r !art of the
!roblem0 how does that feel?
3o#r !lace in the s&stem is as a com!onent in a massi.e food web( 8i/e all food
webs, it is dri.en b& energ&6 !h&sical energ& so#rces li/e oil, gas, coal and radioacti.e
materials dri.e the machines that ens#re mone& /ee!s floating to the to! of the .at
where the @lites s/im it off to add to their wealth( 'f &o# are reso#rcef#l or in a role
that holds some stat#s, &o# can ha.e some of this wealth too, and the material
tra!!ings that come with it( ;itho#t the energ& that dri.es the web, tho#gh, there is
no mone&, and there is no web( 't is not 2#st the oil, gas, coal and the .ario#s so#rces
of radiation that /ee! the web o!erating tho#gh 1 !eo!le are e:#all& .ital, more so in
fact( +nless !eo!le r#n the machines, staff the sho!s, b#ild the !rod#cts, dri.e the
lorries, create the ad.ertisements, read the news and enforce the law, the web will
colla!se #!on itself, bringing the entire hierarch& down with it(
Thin/ bac/ to the cha!ter abo#t cod( The cod are !ositioned high #! in the food
web in terms of the amo#nt of food energ& the& re:#ire to remain ali.e0 the& o!erate
at a high tro!hic le.el, b#t witho#t the organisms at the lower le.els 1 the sand eels,
the tin& co!e!ods and the min#te !lan/ton 1 the& cannot eBist( ;itho#t the cod, the
sca.enging hagfish might start to s#ffer (altho#gh the windfall of bodies wo#ld
!ro.ide rich !ic/ings for a long time% b#t the sand eels one le.el down wo#ld be
delighted0 the& wo#ld flo#rish( Thin/ of &o#r !lace in ci.iliAation6 thin/ of &o#r 2ob,
or &o#r role in societ&, and how it relates to the !eo!le sitting right at the to!, or e.en
those somewhere in the middle, as!iring to mo.e #!wards( ;hat do &o# want to be, a
wheel or a cog?<2E
3es, &o# are !art of the s&stem6 b#t &o# are far more im!ortant than the !eo!le
higher #! in the web0 &o# are the engine, the energ& so#rce, the reason for its
contin#ation( 3o# are the s&stem( ;itho#t &o#r coo!eration, witho#t &o#r faith, the
s&stem wo#ld ha.e no energ& and then it wo#ld cease to eBist(
' don9t /now abo#t &o#, b#t that ma/es me feel good(
2=2
%uildin. Solutions
'nd#strial -i.iliAation has to end6 ' made that clear in Part Three( There is no do#bt
that, sooner or later, it will colla!se, ta/ing m#ch of its s#b2ected !o!#lation with it0
oil crisis, credit cr#nch, en.ironmental disaster, !andemic 1 whate.er the reason, it
will e.ent#all& fail in a catastro!hic manner( This ma& not ha!!en for fift& or a
h#ndred &ears6 b& which time global en.ironmental colla!se will be ine.itable( That is
one o!tion6 the other is for it to die, starting now, in s#ch a wa& that those who ha.e
the ner.e and the no#s to lea.e it behind can sa.e themsel.es and the nat#ral
en.ironment that we are totall& de!endent #!on(
Be ass#red, no one is going to go into the heart of the machine and ri! it limb
from limb, beca#se the machine has no heart, it has no brain( This ci.iliAation is what
we ha.e ended #! with after a series of deliberate (and sometimes accidental% e.ents
intended !rimaril& to gi.e !ower and wealth to a !ri.ileged few( ;hat we ha.e now
got is an entire c#lt#re that .al#es economic growth abo.e e.er&thing else, a tool/it of
malicio#s methods for /ee!ing that c#lt#ral belief in !lace, and an elite, e.erchanging
gro#! of !eo!le who ha.e become !athological megalomaniacs, #nable to
co!e with the sheer amo#nt of wealth and !ower this c#lt#re allows them to ha.e(
)i.en that we all a!!ear to be in this together (altho#gh some of #s are beginning
to realise that it doesn9t ha.e to be that wa&% how on @arth is it !ossible to bring down
something so mon#mental? The answer lies in the nat#re of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation
itself 1 its /e& feat#res are also its greatest wea/nesses(
Ta/e the sim!le article of faith that is @conomic )rowth( ;e ha.e, ' g#ess, agreed
that there is nothing s#stainable abo#t it 1 howe.er &o# c#t the !ie, the nat#ral
en.ironment is bo#nd to lose o#t all the time the econom& is growing( 'n order to
s#stain a health& le.el of economic growth, the cons#ming !#blic has to /now that
when the& s!end some mone& the& will still ha.e some left( The definition of ha.ing
mone& to s!are has been stretched o#t of all !ro!ortion in recent &ears as creditors
ha.e eBtended !eo!les abilit& to s!end be&ond their means, while still thin/ing the&
are sol.ent( ;hether that s!are mone& is in the form of sa.ings, cash, in.estments or
credit, tho#gh, the im!ortant factor is that the !otential cons#mer will sto! being a
!otential cons#mer as soon as the& realise there is no more mone& left to s!end(
2=<
$a.ing a !aid 2ob is one wa& of ens#ring (at least for a while% that &o# can !a& for
things6 in fact, this is the ma2or factor affecting -ons#mer -onfidence(
Across the world, go.ernments and the cor!orations that control them are in a
constant c&cle of meas#ring cons#mer confidence( The +SA -onference Board<<=
!ro.ides the model for most of the indices #sed b& the anal&sts( The im!ortance of
confidence to economies is critical0
&n the most simplistic terms, when!confidence is trending up, consumers spend
money, indicating a healthy economy. ,hen confidence is trending down,
consumers are saving more than they are spending, indicating the economy is in
trouble. The idea is that the more confident people feel about the stability of
their incomes, the more likely they are to make purchases.33#
This creates an interesting sit#ation0 it is !ossible, indeed !robable, that to create
catastro!hic colla!se within an econom&, and th#s bring down a ma2or !illar of
'nd#strial -i.iliAation, the !#blic merel& ha.e to lose confidence in the s&stem( This is
reflected in other, related !arts of ci.iliAation0 following the attac/s on the ;orld
Trade -enters in 2==7, the global air trans!ort ind#str& #nderwent a mini*colla!se6 the
BS@ o#tbrea/ in the +D in the earl& 7EE=s ca#sed not onl& a tem!orar& halt in the
sale of +D beef, b#t also a significant dro! in global beef sales( An&thing that can
se.erel& #ndermine confidence in a ma2or !art of the global econom& can th#s
#ndermine ci.iliAation(
The need for confidence is a psychological feat#re of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation6 there
are also two physical feat#res that wor/ together to create critical wea/nesses( The
first of these is the com!leBit& that so man& s&stems now eBhibit( ' mentioned the
farm to for/ conce!t in -ha!ter @le.en, indicating that the distance tra.elled b&
food items is becoming increasingl& #ns#stainable( O.erall, the methods #sed to
!rod#ce food on a large scale, in !artic#lar the high energ& cost in.ol.ed in
c#lti.ating land, feeding li.estoc/, transforming raw materials into !rocessed foods,
chilling and freeAing food, retailing it and finall& bringing it home to coo/, not onl&
demonstrates h#ge inefficiencies b#t also eB!oses the n#mber of different stages,
in.ol.ed in s#ch a com!leB s&stem( The same a!!lies to electricit&6 in most cases
electricit& is generated b& the b#rning or deca& of a non*renewable material, which
has to be remo.ed from the gro#nd in the form of an ore, !rocessed and then
2=,
trans!orted in b#l/ to the generation facilit&( Once the electricit& is generated, in a
facilit& with a ca!acit& of an&thing #! to fi.e gigawatts<<2, it has to be distrib#ted,
initiall& o.er a series of .er& high .oltage lines, and then thro#gh a n#mber of
different !ower transformation stages (all the time losing energ&% #ntil it reaches the
!lace where the !ower is needed( Both of these eBam!les 1 and there are man& more,
incl#ding global mone& mar/ets and tele.ision broadcast s&stems 1 consist of a great
man& stages6 most of which, if the& indi.id#all& fail, can ca#se the entire s&stem to
colla!se(
The second of this !otentiall& debilitating !air of feat#res is the o.erde!endence on
h#bs( S&stems are #s#all& described as containing lin/s and nodes, a node being the
thing that 2oins one or more lin/s together6 a road is a lin/, and the 2#nctions that
connect the different roads together are the nodes( S&stems that ha.e man& lin/s and
nodes are called networ/s6 food webs are networ/s, with the energ& #sers being the
nodes, and the energ& flows being the lin/s( 4etwor/s made #! of lin/s that de.elo!
o.er time, based on need, are referred to as random networ/s0 the +S interstate
highwa& s&stem is one s#ch random networ/, as is the set of t#nnels created b& a
famil& of rabbits( 4etwor/s created intentionall& to f#lfil a !lanned !#r!ose, #s#all&
with the !otential to eB!and, are called scale*free networ/s, good eBam!les being
the ro#tes of ma2or airlines(
"igure 2$ :oute map for a major H airline, showing the almost total dependence on three large
hubs (ource$ -ontinental Airlines :oute @aps)
2=>
A node within a networ/ that 2oins together a great man& lin/s is /nown as a h#b0
'nd#strial -i.iliAation #ses h#bs a lot( Thomas $omer*iBon describes the sit#ation
li/e this0
Although researchers long assumed that most networks were like the interstate
highway system, recent study shows that a surprising number of the world5s
networks K both natural and human made K are more like the air traffic system.
These scale-free networks include most ecosystems, the ,orld ,ide ,eb, large
electrical grids, petroleum distribution systems, and modern food processing
and supply networks. &f a scale-free network loses a hub, it can be disastrous,
because many other nodes depend on that hub.
cale-free networks are particularly vulnerable to intentional attack$ if someone
wants to wreck the whole network, he simply needs to identify and destroy some
of its hubs.333
'n ?#l& 2==7, a railwa& t#nnel fire in Baltimore, +SA ca#sed the sh#tdown of a
large !art of the downtown area d#e to the heat generated within the t#nnel, and the
health ris/ !osed b& an acid s!ill( O.er the neBt few da&s the s#rro#nding rail
networ/s were affected b& the eBtra freight traffic di.erted onto other lines, ca#sing a
n#mber of bottlenec/s in the greater Baltimore area(<<, There was also one #neB!ected
im!act0 'nternet access across m#ch of the +SA slowed down dramaticall&( The
$oward Street T#nnel ho#ses an 'nternet !i!e ser.ing se.en of the biggest +S
'nternet 'nformation Ser.ice Pro.iders ('SPs%, which were identified as those 'SPs
eB!eriencing bac/bone slowdowns( The fire b#rned thro#gh the !i!e and se.ered
fiber o!tic cable #sed for .oice and data transmission, ca#sing bac/bone slowdowns
for 'SPs s#ch as Metromedia "iber 4etwor/, 'nc(, ;orld-om, 'nc(, and PS'4et,
'nc(<<> The $oward Street t#nnel was a ma2or arter& for 'nternet traffic6 its se.erance
ca#sed the same im!act that the destr#ction of a ma2or networ/ h#b wo#ld ca#se(
;hen &o# combine a set of /e& com!leB s&stems consisting of a large n#mber of
interde!endent com!onents, with networ/s that are increasingl& becoming de!endent
on a small n#mber of h#bs, &o# create a str#ct#re that is eBtremel& sensiti.e6
irres!ecti.e of an& safeg#ards that ma& ha.e been b#ilt into it( -i.iliAation is b#ilt
#!on these com!leB, interde!endent s&stems, and these s&stems rel& on networ/s to
2=C
/ee! the flows of energ&, data, mone& and materials mo.ing( -i.iliAation also
de!ends #!on its h#man constit#ents (&o# and '% ha.ing com!lete confidence in the
wa& it o!erates0 it needs faith( 'n both !h&sical and !s&chological terms, 'nd#strial
-i.iliAation is eBtremel& fragile0 one big !#sh and it will go(
L L L
These are 2#st tho#ghts, ideas, im!erfect s/etches for something that co#ld wor/ if it9s
done !ro!erl&( ' can9t !redict how things are going to t#rn o#t, e.en if what ' am
going to !ro!ose does s#cceed6 nobod& can !redict something that hasn9t started &et(
M& train of tho#ght won9t sto! with the end of this boo/, b#t here9s where ' am at the
moment0
7( The world is changing ra!idl& and dangero#sl&, and h#mans are the main reason
for this change( 'f we fail to allow the @arth9s !h&sical s&stems to ret#rn to their
nat#ral state then these s&stems will brea/ down, ta/ing h#manit& with them(
2( $#mans are !art of nat#re6 we ha.e de.elo!ed in s#ch a wa& that we thin/ we are
more than 2#st another organism6 b#t in ecological terms we are irrele.ant(
<( Iegardless of o#r !lace in the tree of life, h#mans alwa&s ha.e been, and alwa&s
will be the most im!ortant things to humanity( ;e are s#r.i.al machines(
,( O#r fail#re to connect the state of the !lanet with o#r own inarg#able need to
s#r.i.e will ens#re o#r fate is sealed( This m#st not ha!!en(
>( 'n order to bring #s to a state of awareness, we m#st learn how to connect with the
real world6 the world we de!end #!on for o#r s#r.i.al( ;e are all ca!able of
connecting(
C( O#r lac/ of connection with the real world is a condition that has been created b&
the c#lt#re we li.e in( The .ario#s tools #sed to /ee! #s disconnected from the
real world are what ma/e 'nd#strial -i.iliAation the destr#cti.e thing that it is(
G( To gain the necessar& moti.ation to free o#rsel.es and act against ci.iliAation we
need to get angr&6 and #se that anger in a constr#cti.e wa&(
F( To #nderstand how to remo.e 'nd#strial -i.iliAation we m#st realise that we,
along with e.er&one else in 'nd#strial -i.iliAation, are the s&stem(
2=G
E( 'nd#strial -i.iliAation is com!leB, faith*dri.en and eBtremel& sensiti.e to change
and disr#!tion( 't will colla!se on its own, b#t not in time to sa.e h#manit&(
' ha.e read a lot of boo/s, and a lot more articles and essa&s related to the
!roblems that we face( ' ha.e heard !eo!le tal/ing on the radio and on tele.ision
!ro!osing how e.er&thing can be sorted o#t( ' ha.e seen some wonderf#l mo.ies that
describe where we are going, how we got here and where we might be going( Some of
these wor/s reach an ecstatic crescendo before !etering o#t in a gentle rain of ho!e(
Some of them tell me what we sho#ld be doing6 when it is ob.io#s that the things
s#ggested will not hel!, and co#ld e.en ma/e things worse( Some of them tell me '
sho#ld not be loo/ing for sol#tions to the !roblem at all 1 that there are no
sol#tions, no c#res, !robabl& no chance at all( ' ha.en9t read, heard or watched
an&thing that co#ld act#all& ma/e things better(
$a.e ' missed something?
' don9t thin/ so( "or one thing, ' don9t s#bscribe to the idea that there are no
sol#tions0 agreed, there is no wa& of /nowing if ' ha.e left something o#t 1 ' !robabl&
ha.e 1 and no wa& of com!letel& tid&ing #! the fallo#t that will ine.itabl& res#lt from
the massi.e shift in societ& that is re:#ired( B#t that doesn9t mean &o# can9t ha.e
sol#tions, !ro.iding &o# /now what the !roblem is( ' /now what the !roblem is, and
so do &o#0 at its heart, it is not en.ironmental change and it is not h#manit& itself 1 it
is that we are disconnected from what it means to be h#man( The sol#tion is the
answer to this sim!le :#estion0
%ow can we reconnect with the real worldN
'9m not as/ing !eo!le to hel! b#ild a new set of s&stems, constr#ct a new world
order, design a new f#t#re 1 that /ind of ambition is the st#ff of ci.iliAation6 the st#ff
of control, hierarch& and !ower( -onnection is the most liberating, and !owerf#l ste!
&o# can ta/e( 'f &o# /now what is ha!!ening6 if &o# /now wh& it matters6 if &o#
/now how to connect6 and if &o# ha.e the strength to re2ect the wa& this c#lt#re
disconnects #s, then &o# can change &o#r own world, at the .er& least( That is the start
of e.er&thing(
There are two dimensions to the sol#tion, both of which ' want to briefl& eB!lain
before ' show &o# the sol#tion( The reason ' am #sing dimensions is beca#se the
2=F
sol#tion is not sim!le6 it is m#ch easier to #nderstand something com!leB if &o# can
brea/ it down a bit(
The #irst (imension: Cutting ,cross
'n this dimension are the different actions that can be carried o#t to deal with the
!roblem itself0 o#r lac/ of connection( There are a few different as!ects to this, some
of which are more #sef#l than others6 b#t the nat#re of them ma/es it diffic#lt to 2#st
ma/e lists 1 the& do tend to c#t across each other de!ending on how &o# a!!roach the
!roblem( "or instance, if we ass#me (correctl&% that to bring ci.iliAation to its /nees,
economic growth has to sto!, then it wo#ld seem logical to directl& attac/ the
instr#ments of the global econom&0 the in.estment ban/s, clearing ho#ses, treas#ries
and the .ario#s things that lin/ these nodes together( The !roblem is that, howe.er
eBciting an idea this is, it doesn9t deal with the dee!er !roblem 1 that ci.iliAation
act#all& wants economic growth to ta/e !lace0 #nless this mindset is remo.ed then the
s&stems will 2#st be reb#ilt in order to re*establish a growing econom&(
@.en more f#ndamentall&, #nless the reasons !eo!le feel that economic growth is
necessar&, i(e( the Tools of isconnection are remo.ed, then .er& few !eo!le are
li/el& to s!ontaneo#sl& reconnect with the real world and re2ect economic growth(
3o# can see, straight awa&, wh& a n#mber of different dimensions are necessar&( To
!#t it sim!l&, tho#gh, the c#tting across dimension consists of those actions that (a%
remo.e the forces that sto! #s connecting, (b% hel! !eo!le to reconnect and (c% ens#re
that the Tools of isconnection cannot be re*established( 'f &o# are /een, tr& and
thin/ of at least one wa& to address each of these6 then see if o#rs match #! later(
The Second (imension: (rilling (o!n
Almost e.er& sol#tion ' ha.e come across onl& deals with the !roblem at one or, at
most, two le.els( ' feel li/e a raAor blade com!an& now, b& sa&ing ' ha.e a three le.el
sol#tion (4ot one, not two, b#t three le.els of !roblem sol.ingH% b#t it9s no accident
there are three le.els( ' started thin/ing abo#t the nat#re of the !roblem at a fairl&
s#!erficial le.el 1 the /ind of le.el most of the one million wa&s to green &o#r
world lists !itch at 1 and immediatel& realised that, while s#ggesting what can be
done to ma/e things better is necessar&, it ass#mes that there is a h#ge mass of !eo!le
2=E
who act#all& want to do these things( 3o# /now alread& that .er& few !eo!le are
connected eno#gh to go ahead and do the, :#ite fran/l&, .er& radical things that need
to be done0 two more le.els are necessar&(
The second le.el, therefore, loo/s at the wa& indi.id#als and gro#!s of !eo!le
change o.er time, and how the necessar& changes in attit#de can be transmitted
thro#gho#t the !o!#lation in a str#ct#red wa&, then accelerated be&ond what
con.entional theor& tells #s is !ossible( ' am onl& going to to#ch on the theor& of this
as it is !rett& dr& st#ff, b#t the !ractical side of it ma/es for .er& interesting reading(
The bea#tif#l thing abo#t #sing this m#lti*le.el a!!roach 1 which &o# ma& alread&
ha.e realised 1 is that acti.ities can be ta/ing !lace at the first le.el, amongst the
!eo!le who are alread& connected and read& to act, which then ma/es the !rocess of
moti.ating the more st#bborn sectors of the !o!#lation !rogressi.el& easier(
The final le.el is the most f#ndamental of all, witho#t which none of this can
ha!!en( 't9s all .er& well me sa&ing what !eo!le sho#ld do and how different sectors
of the !o!#lation can be !rogressi.el& mobilised, b#t #nless the indi.id#als in.ol.ed
are read& to be engaged, nothing will ha!!en( This le.el has to deal with the !rocess
of engagement and !re!aring !eo!le so that when as/ed, the& act#all& want to act(
The reason this is almost ne.er addressed is a combination of, (a% writers who ma/e
the ass#m!tion that things will t#rn o#t o/ (the ho!e tra!% and (b% that this is a .er&
diffic#lt thing to do( ' am going to attem!t to resol.e this(
27=
Chapter SiAteen
Ma/ing The -hange
;here do we need to end #!? ' s#!!ose the best answer ' can gi.e &o# at this stage is,
h#manit& in a state of connection with the world aro#nd it, li.ing with a dramaticall&
red#ced im!act s#ch that the @arth9s nat#ral s&stems can once again f#nction
normall& 1 an& f#rther and things start to get m#ch more diffic#lt to !redict( 'n man&
wa&s that sim!le, non*!rescri!ti.e statement is eBactl& how it sho#ld be( M& decision
not to offer &o# a f#ll& ma!!ed o#t, single new wa& of li.ing, be&ond the wonderf#l
state of being connected was ins!ired b& aniel Z#inn0
There is a clear sense in which ours is just a special case of a much wider story,
written in the living community itself from the beginning, some five billion years
ago$ There is no one right way for A<ET%&</ to live.
This is how we humans got from there to here, by enacting this story, and it
worked sensationally well until about ten thousand years ago, when one .er&
odd culture sprang into being obsessed with the notion that there must be a
single right way for people to live K and indeed a single right way to do almost
everything.334
3o# realise now that o#r disconnected state is the o#tcome of this s!rawling
homogeno#s s&stem that has one aim0 to ha.e more of e.er&thing( The wa& the .ast
ma2orit& of #s are li.ing has been decided for #s b& the c#lt#re that we li.e in, of
which we are an intrinsic !art( Beca#se the& are onl& !resent in ci.iliAations, neither
governments nor corporations have any part to play in the solution( es!ite the
!rotestations of the mainstream en.ironmental mo.ement, it is ob.io#s now that the
best thing cor!orations and go.ernments can do is to sh#t #! sho! and lea.e h#mans
to go bac/ to the em!haticall& less destr#cti.e beings the& were before 'nd#strial
-i.iliAation too/ control( M& 2ob is in all of this is to get #s to a !oint where we can
ma/e the decision to change for o#rsel.es 1 with a clear, o!en, connected mind6
#nfettered b& blind ambition6 #ncontaminated b& ci.iliAation(
277
8e1el One: )a&s To 8i1e
)i.en that this boo/9s aim is to regain o#r lost connections with the real world, and
gi.en what ' ha.e said abo#t the s#!erficial nat#re of green lists, it might seem odd
that ' am now going to describe some /e& greening actions0 actions that will
dramaticall& red#ce o#r im!act on the nat#ral en.ironment( The reason for this is that
' belie.e the best actions are those with m#lti!le im!acts 1 the direct im!act of the
actions ' am going to !ro!ose is, indeed, to red#ce the amo#nt of greenho#se gases
being emitted b& h#man acti.it&, red#ce the amo#nt of ecological degradation ta/ing
!lace, and to allow the @arth9s nat#ral biological and chemical !rocesses to begin to
ret#rn to a stable state( The .er& welcome side effect of these actions is the& trigger
the ra!id re.ersal of the ind#strial or ca!ital*based econom&(<<G ?#st as the s#ccess of
'nd#strial -i.iliAation is defined in terms of economic growth, a lac/ of economic
growth will ca#se 'nd#strial -i.iliAation to brea/ down<<F0
@odern capitalism5s stability K and increasingly the global economy5s stability
K re>uires the cultivation of material discontent, endlessly rising personal
consumption, and the steady economic growth this consumption generates.33I
The a#thor of this statement goes on to insist that a fail#re to grow will res#lt in
ra!id and fierce societal brea/down0 a Aero*s#m conflict (i(e( a battle to gain the
most of a finite reso#rce%( To a !erson rooted in the -#lt#re of MaBim#m $arm, that
so#nds li/e a good reason to maintain economic growth fore.er6 to ens#re there is
alwa&s eno#gh to go ro#nd to satisf& an insatiable desire for more of e.er&thing( To
me this so#nds li/e a s&stem that is fatall& flawed and needs to be remo.ed from the
face of the @arth, before the ine.itable ecological colla!se brings it down in far more
horrible circ#mstances( ;hether &o# agree with this thesis de!ends on whether &o#
!lace an& .al#e on ha.ing a liberated, connected and s#r.i.able f#t#re(
There is a third role that these actions f#lfil, and that is of engaging indi.id#als
with their actions6 in other words, allowing !eo!le to thin/ abo#t the im!act 1 both
!ositi.e and negati.e 1 of the things the& do( As an eBam!le, sim!l& b& localising
&o#r food s#!!l&, &o# ha.e to #nderstand the !rocesses b& which &o#r food gets to
&o#, and th#s &o# become engaged( @.en deciding not to do something (b& which '
mean, ma/ing a conscio#s decision to re2ect a s#ggestion%, &o# still ha.e to engage
272
&o#r tho#ght !rocesses in the iss#es( 4ot s#r!risingl&, this wor/s at man& le.els,
!artic#larl& 8e.el Three0 'nfl#encing, which we will come to later on(
The following list is not eBha#sti.e, b#t based on m& own wor/, and that of
co#ntless other writers, scientists and thin/ers6 the& are the things, which ' belie.e to
be !otentiall& most effecti.e in f#lfilling the 2oint !#r!ose set o#t abo.e( The :#ic/er
and more thoro#ghl& the s#ggestions are followed, the more ra!id the im!act will be(
' ha.e intentionall& left o#t the act of -onnecting from this list as it is im!licit in
e.er&thing that h#mans do in their li.es 1 if &o# need a reminder on the reasons for
connecting and how to do it, !lease read -ha!ters @le.en and Twel.e( "inall&, there is
one more item, near at the end of the list which ma& not seem to fit in with the rest 1
the act of sabotage 1 b#t in lea.ing it o#t ' wo#ld be ignoring an essential tool in the
armo#r& of an&one serio#s abo#t reclaiming their libert&0 it is as m#ch a constr#cti.e
action as all of the rest ' ha.e listed(
Consuming
There are commonl& tho#ght to be three I9s in en.ironmental !arlance0 red#ce, re#se
and rec&cle( @Bce!t, .er& few !eo!le in this c#lt#re bother doing the first two beca#se
we ha.e been led to belie.e that doing the last one is eno#gh 1 which wo#ld be f#nn&
if it weren9t so serio#s( 't9s time to add a co#!le more I9s to the list, and get rid of
one0 here are m& fo#r0
:educe0 o ' need to b#& this thing at all?
:epair0 -an ' re!air or ref#rbish this thing, or ha.e somebod& do it for me?
:euse0 -an ' b#& or obtain this thing, or something similar, !re*owned?
:espect0 -an ' loo/ after this thing better?
To ta/e the sim!le act of red#cing0 if e.er& !erson in 'nd#strial -i.iliAation were
to red#ce their cons#m!tion of all goods and ser.ices b& 2> !ercent, this wo#ld ca#se
a contraction in the siAe of the econom& (in fact, e.en if e.er&one 2#st bo#ght the
same amo#nt of st#ff each &ear the econom& wo#ld start to s!#tterH% s#fficient to
ca#se serio#s !roblems for s!ec#lators and go.ernments ali/e( 'f &o# foc#s that
o.erall red#ction on non*essentials 1 s#ch as cons#mer electronics, leis#re goods and
ser.ices, and cosmetic home im!ro.ements 1 then those !arts of the econom& will fall
27<
a!art ra!idl&( 't is those !arts of the ind#strial econom& that maintain o.erall
economic growth, beca#se the& ta/e #! the slac/ left b& the essential<,= econom&
(sta!le food, healthcare, #tilities, ed#cation etc(% that, beca#se of its non*cons#mer
nat#re, grows .er& little or not at all( )i.ing #! a new T5 or a cinema tri! won9t do
an&thing to sa.e the world, b#t it will c#rtail o.erall economic growth and also hit
ad.ertising and !romotional (i(e( tools of disconnection% b#dgets( That said, red#cing
&o#r cons#m!tion of essential items, s#ch as energ&, also has an ob.io#s
en.ironmental benefit, and again hel!s to mo.e the econom& in the right direction( 't
is .ital to remember that we are not consumers6 we are indi.id#als who ma& or ma&
not choose to b#& things 1 indi.id#als who cannot be !igeonholed into con.enient
categories for the benefit of the econom&(
Ie!airing, which incl#des ref#rbishing and renewing !arts of the things that &o#
alread& ha.e, ma/es the act of red#cing the !#rchase of new things far easier( Of
co#rse, 'nd#strial -i.iliAation will tr& and con.ince &o# that &o# need to #!grade that
thing beca#se ha.ing the latest thing is !art of li.ing the cons#mer dream0 b#t there is
more to re!airing than 2#st /ee!ing the same thing f#nctional 1 it also brings a sense
of !ride and ownershi!( A chair with a bro/en leg is, in the e&es of the cons#mer
c#lt#re, cr&ing o#t to be re!laced with a new chair 1 hellH )o and b& a whole set of
themH B#t if &o# insert a small !iece of dowel, and then gl#e or screw the leg bac/ in
!lace, &o# now ha.e a chair that you repaired( $ow co#ld &o# 2#st throw it awa&
now? Ie!airing and b#ilding from scratch 1 things we ha.e clearl& forgotten how to
do, b& .irt#e of the off*the*shelf econom& 1 are wa&s of connecting with the
belongings &o# ha.e0 the& allow &o# to Ies!ect what &o# ha.e( Once &o# start to
res!ect the things &o# ha.e, then &o# don9t want to throw them awa& 1 and &o# treat
them with care( Man#fact#rers ma& gi.e goods !lanned obsolescence, so that the&
sto! wor/ing after a short time, b#t &o# can eBtend the lifetime of something
indefinitel& if &o# loo/ after it(
Then there is the im!ortant act of Ie#sing( 8ogging onto eBa&, or going to the
charit& sho! is certainl& one wa& of re#sing !re*owned goods 1 again, this res#lts in
the red#ction of goods that are bo#ght new, ca#sing the econom& to contract 1 b#t
these acti.ities can be bro#ght closer to home b& selling things directl& that &o# no
longer need, or 2#st gi.ing them awa&( Two sim!le acti.ities are almost absent from
the mone&*based li.es we now lead0 donation and bartering( onation is 2#st gi.ing
27,
something awa& 1 don9t want that table that has been cl#ttering #! the shed, 2#st gi.e
it to someone6 want a bic&cle b#t don9t e.en ha.e a bro/en one to re!air 1 go and see
what other !eo!le ha.e thrown o#t in their s/i! or d#m!ster( onation can wor/ both
wa&s( Barter, on the other hand, alwa&s wor/s in two, or more wa&s0 if &o# ha.e a
ser.ice &o# can offer, or something &o# ha.e made or grown, then eBchange it for
something someone else has( ' ma& ha.e a gl#t of tomatoes this s#mmer from m&
garden, and someone #! the road has some seasoned firewood ' co#ld #se in m&
b#rner 1 g#ess what '9m thin/ing(
onation and barter are in.isible acti.ities as far as 'nd#strial -i.iliAation is
concerned, beca#se the& ha.e no economic .al#e6 b#t the& are !erfect as tools for
beginning a new wa& of life that doesn9t re:#ire the eBchange of cash, or the needless
!rod#ction of goods( One meas#re of how threatened a ci.iliAation is, is the laws it
ma/es0 )eorge B#sh ?r( and his economic ad.isors ma& ha.e fo#nd it !r#dent in 2==F
to bribe middle and high*income earners to s!end more mone& on cons#mer goods<,7,
b#t the moment certain acti.ities start to threaten the ind#strial econom& &o# can be
s#re the& will be made illegal( ' am not allowed to remo.e #nbro/en !lates or
!erfectl& good boo/s from the d#m!sters at m& local rec&cling site0 this is nothing to
do with liabilit&6 it is e.er&thing to do with threatening economic growth(
'n all cases where an acti.it& has a negati.e im!act on the nat#ral en.ironment,
and hence h#man s#r.i.al, the act of reducing must always be the first option in the
decision making process.
Eating
There are three facets to eating that sho#ld all be ta/en into acco#nt0 how m#ch &o#
eat, what &o# eat, and how it is !rod#ced( 't wo#ld be eas& to fill an entire boo/ with
anal&sis on this .er& emoti.e s#b2ect 1 emoti.e beca#se what &o# !#t in &o#r bod&, in
a .er& real sense, defines what &o# are 1 b#t a few words on each sho#ld be s#fficient
to ma/e things clear( "irst, how m#ch &o# eat goes bac/ to the last section on
cons#ming( Ob.io#sl& the less &o# eat, the less energ&, soil, chemicals and labo#r is
re:#ired to !rod#ce it6 b#t there is clearl& a minim#m amo#nt of food that can be
healthil& cons#med de!ending on what /ind of life &o# lead 1 it9s abo#t 2>==
27>
/ilocalories for a man, and 2=== for a woman( 'f &o# are eating more food than &o#
need then red#cing it will go some wa& to red#cing &o#r im!act, b#t not .er& far(
Obesit& is a ma2or health iss#e for societies not 2#st in highl& ;esternised areas,
b#t also in those areas 2#st beginning to be to#ched b& the aggressi.e hand of
commercialism0 wh& eat a sandwich when &o# can ha.e a Big Mac6 wh& ha.e a glass
of water when &o# can ha.e a -o/e? O.erweight and obese !eo!le, s#r!risingl&,
aren9t eating more calories than those !eo!le of a health& weight 1 the& ma& e.en be
eating fewer, as those with .er& !h&sical li.es ha.e to cons#me more to sta& health& 1
b#t the& are eating more calories contained in fats<,2 and !rocessed s#gars( Obesit& is
a s&m!tom of the lifest&le that most benefits the cons#mer c#lt#re0 sedentar&, digital
and mechanised li.ing6 a diet dominated b& !rocessed, high !rofit foods( ;hat &o#
eat, the second facet is .er& im!ortant here(
As ' showed earlier, #nless &o# are self*s#fficient, a diet containing a high .ol#me
of meat is en.ironmentall& #ns#stainable6 so the first, and sim!lest wa& of red#cing
the en.ironmental im!act of a diet is to red#ce the amo#nt of meat contained in it( As
' also all#ded to in -ha!ter "o#rteen, a diet dominated b& meat or !rocessed foods
re:#ires far more stages of !rod#ction than a diet which is based aro#nd things that
come straight o#t of the gro#nd and into &o#r mo#th( Ob.io#sl& some element of
!rocessing is re:#ired for man& foods, b#t the fewer stages that are re:#ired, the
lower the en.ironmental im!act of that food, and the less the #ser of that food
de!ends #!on the ind#strial food !rocessing s&stem(
This ta/es #s neatl& into the third facet0 how &o#r food is !rod#ced( Iecentl&, '
ha.e started sa&ing to !eo!le that there are three s/ills that e.er& !erson will ha.e to
ha.e in order to s#r.i.e the f#t#re (whether it changes b& accident or design%0 the
abilit& to ma/e sim!le things, incl#ding str#ct#res, from scratch6 the abilit& to coo/
good, n#tritio#s meals from basic ingredients6 and the abilit& to grow, and rear if
necessar&, &o#r own food( Ste! bac/ onl& a few decades and it wo#ld ha.e been
#nthin/able to not be able to do these things, &et it seems that !art of the
disconnection that ci.iliAation has forced #!on #s is to ma/e #s lose these critical life
s/ills( ,e have become dependent upon the various systems of this culture to provide
us with what we, until recently, could provide for ourselves0 right down to the insi!id,
!ac/aged read&*meals that mas:#erade as food(
27C
Since gi.ing #! !aid wor/ as !art of the ind#strial econom& a &ear ago 1 ma/ing
m&self no longer economicall& .iable 1 ' ha.e learnt to re!air and ma/e lots of
things from scratch6 coo/ a h#ge .ariet& of meals with whate.er food is local, in
season and from m& store c#!board6 and, starting with herbs and leaf& .egetables,
ha.e grad#all& learnt how to grow m& own food( Ta/en together, these three things
ha.e made me feel eBtraordinaril& liberated and gi.en me the confidence to do more(
4ot s#r!risingl&, ' ha.e also become connected with the things ' ha.e made, the food
' #se, and the small !atch of earth that will be !ro.iding m& famil& with more and
more good st#ff as time goes on(
' wonder how long it will be before growing food in bac/ &ards is made illegal(
Tra)elling
There are two ma2or t&!es of trans!ort0 motorised and non*motorised( The& are eas&
to disting#ish, es!eciall& in the e&es of a child who hasn9t &et been indoctrinated in
the wa&s of the machine0 cars, tr#c/s, trains, aero!lanes, mechanised boats,
motorc&cles and coaches are all motorised6 legs, bic&cles, sailboats and animal*drawn
.ehicles are not motorised( eciding between a mode of trans!ort that is .er& energ&
efficient (non*motorised% and one that is not (motorised% is sim!le, reall&6 altho#gh
&o# wo#ld be forgi.en for thin/ing it is not( 3o# see, man#fact#rers, and all of the
other .ested interests in.ol.ed in a !artic#lar mode of trans!ort 1 es!eciall& the
mone&*rich car and air ind#stries 1 will do an&thing to ens#re &o# stic/ to that mode
of trans!ort( Aircraft man#fact#rers ma/e a big deal of the energ& sa.ing !otential of
the new Airb#s*A<F= or Boeing GFG, whilst con.enientl& glossing o.er the need to
b#rn tonnes of f#el to /ee! an enormo#s l#m! of metal in the air( -ar man#fact#rers
(along with their good friends in the oil ind#str&% bring o#t all sorts of new green
.ehicles, whilst at the same time fighting to ens#re that f#el econom& reg#lations are
/e!t strictl& .ol#ntar&(<,< -hanging the wa& we tra.el is abo#t far more than changing
the model of .ehicle or the airline we #se 1 these are blatant distractions from the real
iss#e 1 it is abo#t the method of trans!ortation we #se, and the distance and rate b&
which we tra.el in the first !lace(
'n essence, the method we #se to get aro#nd is far more im!ortant than
disting#ishing between different .ersions of the same method( Some recent wor/
27G
concl#ded that the h#mble bic&cle was the most efficient (land based% form of
trans!ort b& a long wa&<,,, which ma/es !erfect sense when &o# consider the
combination of gear s&stem, efficient traction wheels and most im!ortantl&, being
!owered b& a h#man being, rather than a comb#stion or electrical engine( $#man
beings !rod#ce onl& 7==g of -O2 in their breath c&cling or wal/ing twent&
/ilometres, com!ared to a car !rod#cing between three and siB /ilograms of carbon
dioBide(<,> $owe.er, this /ind of eBertion wo#ld re:#ire abo#t >== /ilocalories, which
if ta/en in the form of beef wo#ld emit aro#nd se.en /ilograms of carbon dioBide(<,C
This latter information has, not s#r!risingl&, been #sed as a reason to dri.e rather than
wal/<,G 1 ass#ming !eo!le eat nothing b#t beef( 'f &o# ha.e an a.erage global diet,
tho#gh, with onl& 7> !ercent of &o#r calories from meat, then the total carbon dioBide
emissions of h#man and bic&cle (or on foot% are well #nder a /ilogram(
The !oint of this anal&sis is not onl& to deb#n/ some of the more fat#o#s
arg#ments !#t forward b& trans!ort ind#str& lobb&ists, b#t also to show how ob.io#s
it is 1 b& #sing a little bit of common sense 1 that motorised trans!ort is not the wa&
forwards, regardless how green a man#fact#rer ma& claim their .ehicle is( Bear in
mind, also, that a .egan (based on disc#ssions in Part One% wo#ld emit less than half a
/ilogram of carbon dioBide all*in o.er that twent& /ilometres0 far better than a f#ll&
laden b#s or coach( Self*!ro!elled, non*motorised trans!ort is a threat to ci.iliAation6
which is the !erfect reason to switch the engine off for good0
The cyclist creates everything from almost nothing, becoming the most energyefficient
of all moving animals and machines and, as such, has a disingenuous
ability to challenge the entire value system of a society. -yclists donAt consume
enough. The bicycle may be too cheap, too available, too healthy, too
independent and too e>uitable for its own good. &n an age of excess it is minimal
and has the subversive potential to make people happy in an economy fuelled by
consumer discontent.3.=
More im!ortant e.en than method, tho#gh, is distance and s!eed( -#lt#rall&, the
world is getting faster, not onl& in terms of trans!ortation b#t also the accelerating
flow of information intended to /ee! #s cons#ming, and /ee! #s disconnected from
the real world( The a#tomobile made door*to*door ra!id trans!ortation !ossible, as
well as being res!onsible for a large !ro!ortion of the anthro!ogenic greenho#se
27F
effect( 'n e.er& ind#strial nation, the car is /ing, with the aero!lane coming #! a close
second 1 able to ta/e !eo!le f#rther and more :#ic/l& than an& other form of mass
trans!ort( The need for s!eed is a s&m!tom of o#r !ercei.ed lac/ of time0 no longer
is the 2o#rne& !art of the eB!erience6 it is merel& an ad2#nct to the destination we m#st
reach( The relationshi! between s!eed and distance is two*wa&, with great distances
being achie.able d#e to the great s!eeds we can attain, and great s!eeds being
necessar& d#e to the great distances we wish to tra.el( 4either the desire for s!eed,
nor the desire for distance is nat#ral 1 'nd#strial -i.iliAation, wishing to s:#eeAe more
and more !rofit o#t of s&nthetic desires, has !laced them in o#r minds( The reason
s!eed creates a thrill is beca#se h#mans are, rightl&, afraid of its !otential to in2#re or
/ill 1 &et tra.elling faster than o#r legs can carr& #s is considered a !ositi.e thing,
largel& beca#se there is mone& to be made o#t of it( The reason we desire to tra.el
long distances is beca#se the tra.el ind#str& tells #s we sho#ld(
Abo#t fifteen or siBteen &ears ago ' made the decision to tra.el onl& within m&
own co#ntr&0 not for an& 2ingoistic reason, b#t sim!l& beca#se ' realised that there
was so m#ch to disco.er and en2o& close to home 1 ' didn9t need an&where else(
Aro#nd the same time as ma/ing this decision, and !erha!s the& were related, '
com!leted a trans!ort st#d& of the road networ/ on the small island of )#ernse&(
;hat ' disco.ered was that, before 7F== (aro#nd the time when roads were b#ilt to
!rotect against 4a!oleonic in.asion% the .ast ma2orit& of tra.el too/ !lace within
indi.id#al !arishes, little more than a co#!le of miles across0 a holida& was a wee/ in
a neighbo#ring !arish( Tra.el too/ !lace from home to the mar/et, to friends and
famil&, to !laces of worshi! and to !laces of wor/ 1 all of which were within eas&
wal/ing distance(
The logical res!onse to the immense !ress#re on #s to tra.el f#rther, faster and b&
more technicall& com!leB forms of trans!ort is to draw bac/6 to onl& tra.el where and
in a wa& that &o# consider absol#tel& essential, not that which has been decided b&
ci.iliAation on &o#r behalf( This is the wa& h#manit& was #ntil .er& recentl&0 having
what we needed close to us (li/e food, famil& and friends%, learning what the local
en.ironment had to offer and ma/ing the best of it( 't ma& not be !ossible where &o#
are to li.e in s#ch a wa&, b#t then !erha!s that is the best reason of all to ste! o#tside
of the s&stem and ma/e &o#r own decisions(
27E
Li)ing
@.er&one needs a !lace to call home, b#t not e.er& !lace !eo!le call home is a !lace
desirable to li.e in( ;itho#t clean water, clean air and an a!!ro!riate le.el of shelter
and warmth, no one can reasonabl& be eB!ected to li.e for long0 &et across the world,
the ci.iliAed world of cities, ind#str& and democratic go.ernments6 !eo!le li.e in
conditions that an 'n#it, an A!ache, a HD#ng or a Ta^no wo#ld ne.er call home(
Those at the bottom li.e in conditions of grinding !o.ert&, /e!t afloat b& the cr#mbs
of the ind#strial econom& and the dail& !romises of material f#lfilment( Those at the
bottom of ci.iliAation are far worse off for the real needs of h#mans than most of
those who li.ed (and still li.e% #nci.iliAed li.es(
Those abo.e the breadline, li.ing in 'nd#strial -i.iliAation, ha.e the basic
necessities of a f#lfilled life0 then the& are eBhorted to !ac/ these li.es o#t with eBcess
as soon as a bit more mone& becomes a.ailable( The eBcess 1 the entertainment
s&stem, the air conditioning, the conser.ator&, the f#ll&*fitted /itchen 1 !ro.ides some
s#!erficial !leas#re, while at the same time dri.ing a wedge between indi.id#als, their
families, their comm#nities and nat#re( The !lastic b#bble of modern li.ing !ro.ides
the !erfect c#lt#ral !ro!h&lactic0 a barrier between &o# and the real world(
's there no middle gro#nd?
'n this c#lt#re, ' don9t belie.e there is, #nless somehow &o# are able to distance
&o#rself from e.er& attem!t to disconnect &o#( There reaches a !oint, tho#gh, when
&o# can go no f#rther0 &o# cannot go be&ond ci.iliAation if &o# eBist within
ci.iliAation<,E( ;hen ' s#ggest a raft of different means for re.ersing the damage and
disconnection ca#sed b& o#r cons#ming, o#r eating and o#r tra.elling, ' /now that at
some !oint we are all going to ha.e to sa&, ' wo#ld lo.e to, b#t ' can9t, beca#se the
s&stem doesn9t allow it( That is the !oint at which &o# need to ste! o#tside of the
s&stem, and go be&ond ci.iliAation(
'f &o# consider the home6 the t&!ical bric/, wood or concrete b#ilt home of a
;estern ci.ilian, with s!ace and water heating, r#nning water and sewerage, lighting
and .ario#s electrical a!!liances, certainl& there are h#ge ste!s that can be made in
order to red#ce its en.ironmental im!act( There are h#ge ste!s that can be ta/en to
red#ce the de!endenc& of that home, and that of the !eo!le li.ing in it, on the
infrastr#ct#re laid down b& the .ario#s !rofit*ma/ing #tilities 1 some of which are
22=
e.en recommended b& a#thorities and s#!!liers( Most of these r#n off the tong#e of
the a.erage ;esternised ci.ilian0 t#rn &o#r heating and &o#r air conditioning down6
switch off lights and a!!liances6 b#& energ& efficient de.ices6 ha.e showers instead of
baths6 install do#ble glaAing and loft ins#lation( There are o!tions for going a bit
f#rther, too0 &o# can install solar heating and electricit&6 &o# can install a wood b#rner
for s!ace heating, and also #se it to heat water6 &o# can install gro#nd or air*so#rced
heat !#m!s, wind t#rbines, combined heat and !ower6 &o# can !lant cooling greener&,
lo#.ers and sh#tters, !assi.e solar ca!t#re s&stems( +se some common sense, and &o#
can ma/e :#ite a big difference(
B#t there is a catch0 go.ernments and #tilit& com!anies ass#me that most !eo!le
won9t do these things so the o.erall im!act of these actions is minimal6 as soon as the
ma2orit& of !eo!le start doing these things, the energ& com!anies start to cr& fo#l 1
the grants dr& #! and the eBhortations m&sterio#sl& sto!( This s#ggests that, as with
cons#ming, eating and tra.elling, a large n#mber of !eo!le changing the im!act of
their dail& li.es will start to h#rt the econom&6 and that is wh& go.ernments, #tilities
and the en.ironmental organisations that follow their lead, sto! short of as/ing for
ma2or societal change in the wa& that !eo!le li.e within 'nd#strial -i.iliAation( 't is
not in their interests for things to change too m#ch 1 in fact it wo#ld be commercial
s#icide(
?#st how eas& is it to reall& ta/e &o#rself off grid? At what !oint do &o# decide
that &o# don9t need mains water or sewage? ;hen eBactl& do &o# as/ the local
a#thorities to sto! collecting &o#r trash? ?#st abo#t the !oint at which &o#r #se of
energ& and water, and &o#r !rod#ction of waste, ha.e dro!!ed to less than the le.el of
a ci.iliAed !erson( That9s the !oint at which &o# !robabl& start eB!eriencing
freedom(
*or'ing
At what age do &o# thin/ &o#r wor/ing f#t#re is !lanned o#t for &o#? ' thin/ b& now
&o# wo#ldn9t be s#r!rised that the answer is0 from birth( There is a se!arate section
in this cha!ter called @d#cating, b#t it9s nothing to do with the ed#cation s&stem and
it is nothing to do with on the 2ob learning or career !aths6 after all, wor/ing is what
!eo!le ha.e been bro#ght #! to do in 'nd#strial -i.iliAation, and not 2#st an& old
227
wor/( 'f &o# cast &o#r mind bac/ to -ha!ter @ight, where we tho#ght abo#t
!o!#lation, &o# will remember that it was the 'nd#strial Ie.ol#tion that was largel&
res!onsible for the beginning of the !o!#lation eB!losion0 a mass of willing sla.es
bro#ght #! in the cities to be com!onents of the ind#strial machine( To create wealth
&o# need !rod#ct6 to create !rod#ct &o# need !eo!le(
There were a few who saw what was going on and realised that some of the most
br#tal as!ects of !h&sical wor/ needed changing0 the great !hilanthro!ists of the ;est
1 Tit#s Salt, 8ord 8e.erh#lme, ?ose!h Iowntree 1 bear the !assing of time, mellowed
into a whimsical tale of !#re goodness6 ignoring the fact that the !hilanthro!ists were
largel& ens#ring that their wor/forces remained lo&al and hard*wor/ing( To be bl#nt,
wor/ing d#ring the 'nd#strial Ie.ol#tion in the ;est was hell6 wor/ing in the new
'nd#strial Ie.ol#tion in the sweatsho!s, mines and factories of -hina, 'ndia,
'ndonesia, 5ietnamSdifferent sets of e&es, b#t the same .ision of hell( Time ma&
ha.e !assed, b#t all that has reall& changed is the location(
3et, incredibl&, the !artici!ants see s#ch conditions as a necessar& e.il(
+nionisation, a li.ing wage and the !romise that the com!an& will do its best not to
shorten &o#r life is the best that can be ho!ed for( S#ch .ictories ma/e life tolerable
for those !eo!le wor/ing to ma/e the shoes &o# wear, the food &o# eat and the
tele.isions &o# watch, b#t the& do not change the fact that we are all !art of the
machine( The ed#cation s&stem is where it starts(
"or cent#ries go.ernments and dictators ha.e twisted a !o!#lation9s /nowledge
base to their own ends( ;e ma& loo/ bac/ in histor&, and ga!e at the rit#al b#rning or
enforced s#!!ression of the wor/s of a#thors whose !rinted ideas did not match those
of the acce!ted orthodoB&, b#t the flames are closer than we li/e to admit( The 4aAi
elite stirred #! hatred of anti*4aAi materials in a coordinated s&nchroniAation of
c#lt#re<>=, while onl& a decade later the +S go.ernment elite stirred #! hatred of
leftleaning
beliefs in a coordinated eBh#mation of so*called -omm#nist s&m!athisers6 the
-hinese go.ernment installed the )reat -hinese "irewall to s#!!ress immoral
'nternet access, while at the same time the +S go.ernment contin#e to control
information coming o#t of wartime 'ra: and Afghanistan thro#gh the #se of
embedded 2o#rnalists( 'n the last few decades, stories of censored schoolboo/s in
far off lands<>7 ha.e made those in s#!!osedl& more enlightened nations cringe, &et in
222
a c#lt#re that a!!arentl& !romotes freedom of tho#ght and eB!ression, teachers are
forced to become mo#th!ieces for the -#lt#re of MaBim#m $arm0
The /overnment has worked with partners from the statutory and voluntary and
community sectors to define what the five outcomes mean. ,e have identified 27
specific aims for children and young people and the support needed from
parents, carers and families in order to achieve those aims!372
This is from the +D )o.ernment @.er& -hild Matters !rogramme, which sets o#t
the national framewor/ for local change !rogrammes to b#ild ser.ices aro#nd the
needs of children and &o#ng !eo!le so that we maBimise o!!ort#nit& and minimise
ris/(<>< Twent&*fi.e aims, s#!!osedl& to !romote the well*being of children, &et
containing the following items0
:eady for school
Attend and enjoy school
Achieve stretching national educational standards at primary school
Achieve stretching national educational standards at secondary school
8evelop enterprising behaviour
9ngage in further education, employment or training on leaving school
:eady for employment
Access to transport and material goods
?arents, carers and families are supported to be economically active
4ational ed#cational standards6 @nter!rising beha.io#r6 Iead& for em!lo&ment6
Access toSmaterial goods6 @conomicall& acti.e 1 the !rogression is there for
e.er&one to see( @.en when .eiled as being in order to im!ro.e the li.es of
children, the ed#cational s&stem is little more than an instr#ction man#al for creating
little wheels and cogs( ' #rge &o# to loo/ at &o#r own national c#rric#l#m, searching
for words li/e -itiAenshi!, @nter!rise and S/ills 1 it won9t ta/e long to find the real
moti.ation behind the ed#cation s&stem where &o# li.e( A child in the wor/ c#lt#re
is as/ed, Q;hat do &o# want to be?9 rather than Q;hat do &o# want to do?9 or Q;here
22<
do &o# want to go?9 The brainwashing to become some /ind of wor/er starts &o#ng
and ne.er sto!s(<>,
This is a wa/e #! call0 loo/ at the wor/ &o# do and how it neatl& fits into the
ind#strial machine, ens#ring economic growth and contin#ed global degradation6
thin/ abo#t &o#r 2ob and what !art it !la&s in ens#ring we remain disconnected from
the real world6 read &o#r children9s boo/s, tal/ to their teachers 1 find o#t how &o#r
own flesh and blood is being sha!ed into a machine !art( As we are enco#raged to
wor/ more and more in order to feed o#r inherited desire for material wealth and
artificial realities, we lose to#ch with the real world6 we !ac/ o#r children off to da&
centres and child minders in order that we can remain economic #nits, and sto! being
!arents6 most of #s wor/ to !rod#ce things that nobod& needs, and we are #nable to
!ercei.e the things that we do need 1 food, shelter, clean air, clean water, lo.e,
friendshi!, connection(
The .ast ma2orit& of #s don9t need to do the 2ob we do( The l#c/& few, who
thro#gh chance or design ha.e fo#nd wor/ that is a f#lfilling !art of their li.es rather
than their li.es being a sla.e to wor/, !ro.ide eBam!les for the rest of #s( Once &o#
decide to brea/ o#t of this c&cle for all the right reasons and red#ce &o#r eB!enses to
the bear minim#m b& ref#sing to follow the instr#ctions of ci.iliAation, lea.ing &o#r
2ob and ta/ing on something that !ro.ides &o# with a real li.ing becomes eas&(
e.roducing
'9m rarel& afraid of stating the tr#th, b#t some tr#ths are far harder to gi.e than others6
one of them is that !eo!le will die in h#ge n#mbers when ci.iliAation colla!ses( Ste!
o#tside of ci.iliAation and &o# stand a !rett& good chance of s#r.i.ing the ine.itable6
sta& inside and when the crash ha!!ens there ma& be nothing at all &o# can do to sa.e
&o#rself( The s!eed and intensit& of the crash will de!end an awf#l lot on the n#mber
of !eo!le who are ca#ght #! in it0 greater n#mbers of !eo!le ha.e more str#ct#ral
needs 1 s#ch as food !rod#ction, !ower generation and healthcare 1 which need to be
!ro.ided b& the colla!sing ci.iliAation6 greater n#mbers of !eo!le create more social
tension and more o!!ort#nit& for eBtremism and .iolence6 greater n#mbers of !eo!le
create more sewage, more waste, more bodies 1 all of which ca#se f#rther illness and
death(
22,
-i.iliAation is defined, more than an&thing else, b& the cities in which it !rimaril&
o!erates0 as the cities get larger, the& m#st im!ort more and more energ&, food,
materials and finished goods from a larger area o#tside of the cit&6 and the& m#st also
become more com!leB( 3o# cannot sim!l& ma/e s&stems bigger to s#!!ort larger
n#mbers of !eo!le6 abo.e a certain threshold a ste! change is re:#ired, and a la&er
of com!leBit& has to be added 1 s#ch as re:#iring a distrib#tion s&stem to feed a
million !eo!le, com!ared to a single farmer who can directl& feed a few doAen
!eo!le( This leads to considerable stresses( As ?ose!h Tainter writes0
@ore complex societies are more costly to maintain than simpler ones,
re>uiring greater support levels per capita. As societies increase in complexity,
more networks are created among individuals, more hierarchical controls are
created to regulate these networks, more information is processed, there is more
centrali6ation of information flow, there is increasing need to support specialists
not directly involved in resource production, and the like. All this complexity is
dependent upon energy flow at a scale vastly greater than that characteri6ing
small groups of self-sufficient foragers or agriculturalists.377
The cit& !rogressi.el& becomes a hel!less foet#s feeding thro#gh the cit&9s
#mbilical lin/ages with itself and 1 !artic#larl& the energ& gleaned from 1 the o#tside
world( 'f those lin/s are se.ered, or the m#lti*le.el s&stems that ci.iliAation de!ends
#!on start to brea/ down, then the cit& becomes hel!less0 it star.es to death( The more
com!leB and de!endent the s&stems re:#ired to s#!!ort the larger n#mber of !eo!le
are 1 the more ra!id and more intense the crash is li/el& to be( More f#ndamentall&6
the larger the cit&, the larger the mass of !eo!le in one de!endent location and th#s,
the more !eo!le will be /illed in one go b& a catastro!hic s&stemic fail#re( As
'nd#strial -i.iliAation becomes more #rbanised, !assing fift& !ercent of the global
!o!#lation and ninet& !ercent of the !o!#lation of man& highl& ind#strialised
nations<>C, the ris/ of catastro!hic colla!se contin#es to intensif&(
'n short, the greatest immediate ris/ to the !o!#lation li.ing in the conditions
created b& 'nd#strial -i.iliAation is the !o!#lation itself( -i.iliAation has created the
!erfect conditions for a terrible traged& on the /ind of scale ne.er seen before in the
histor& of h#manit&( That is one reason for there to be fewer !eo!le, !ro.iding &o# are
!lanning on sta&ing within ci.iliAation 1 ' reall& wo#ldn9t recommend it, tho#gh(
22>
The second reason is slightl& more ob.io#s and has been co.ered earlier in this
boo/0 the more !eo!le there are, the more reso#rces the& will #se #!, the more
greenho#se gases the& will release and the more damage the& will do, as more !eo!le
become cons#mers within the -#lt#re of MaBim#m $arm( The !lan, after all, is for
e.er& h#man on !lanet @arth to become a good cons#mer( Ied#cing the !o!#lation in
an increasingl& reso#rce h#ngr& societ& is essential to !re.ent a net increase in
en.ironmental degradation( @.en if &o# are !lanning to lea.e ci.iliAation it9s not the
/ind of thing &o# can r#sh into, and the .ast ma2orit& of !eo!le wal/ing the road from
hell are going to s!end a few &ears on that road( 3o# will remain a de facto ci.ilian
#ntil &o# lea.e and, within the s&stem, are bo#nd to create more waste, emissions and
degradation than o#tside of it0 'nd#strial -i.iliAation ma/es a .irt#e of eBcess(
Morall&, fewer offs!ring is something &o# ha.e to serio#sl& consider #ntil &o# are no
longer de!endent #!on ci.iliAation(
A third, and rather more !roacti.e reason to ha.e fewer children, is to hasten the
sh#t down of the ind#strial machine( This seems a little contradictor&, considering that
fewer children will red#ce the intensit& of societal colla!se, b#t there is a big
difference between wanting to bring down ci.iliAation in a meas#red wa& (well, as
meas#red as we can manage, gi.en its com!leBit&%, and wanting to ens#re that
millions of !eo!le die in a catastro!hic im!losion( ' ma& be !ragmatic, b#t '9m not
that !ragmaticH The /e& !oint here is that ci.iliAation needs !eo!le to /ee! it going0 as
' made clear in the last section, h#mans are the feedstoc/ of the ind#strial machine(
The fewer !eo!le there are, the fewer em!t&, cons#mer*dri.er o!!ort#nities can be
filled( Of co#rse, commerce being what it is, the desire for !rod#ction will mo.e from
an area bereft of willing sla.es to one where the !o!#lation has been s#itabl& !rimed
to lea! on the new !ositions being created 1 a!!arentl& for their benefit( B#t that is
ignoring the fact that ;estern economies in !artic#lar, at least on a national scale,
reall& do s#ffer when there is a dro! in the a.ailabilit& of s#itable local wor/ers(<>G
4ot ha.ing children co#ld be a .er& #sef#l strateg&, both for destabilising an
econom&, and remo.ing the worries of bringing #! children in a colla!sing societ&(
There is a fo#rth reason, b#t it is nothing to do with li.ing within ci.iliAation( 8ater
on &o# will learn wh& balancing the n#mber of children &o# ha.e with the need to
/ee! h#manit& going will be critical in ens#ring &o# can thri.e in a world o#tside of
ci.iliAation( 8et9s not go there for the moment 1 there is .ital wor/ to be done now(
22C
estoring
The @arth9s nat#ral s&stems will, o.er time, do a wonderf#l 2ob of restoring the !lanet
to a stable condition 1 !ro.iding ci.iliAation has gone( 'n the !resence of 'nd#strial
-i.iliAation, these s&stems are str#ggling to o.ert#rn the changes that o#r c#lt#re is
hea!ing #!on the !lanet( The increase in atmos!heric greenho#se gases eBceeds an&
!re.io#s increase in s!eed and intensit&6 the remo.al of forests and other critical
ecos&stems is 1 in an& normal sense of the word 1 irre.ersible thro#gh nat#ral
!rocesses6 ri.ers, seas and gro#ndwater are being toBified not onl& b& eBcessi.e
:#antities of basic elements and nat#ral molec#les, b#t also b& large amo#nts of
s&nthetic chemicals for which there are no nat#ral restorati.e !rocesses( -i.iliAation
has !laced a b#rden on the @arth that 1 if we are to s#r.i.e be&ond the neBt one
h#ndred &ears 1 will ha.e to be !eeled bac/ b& h#mans(
There are two wa&s to do this0 the first is a combination of +nloading and Setting
Aside6 the second is Acti.e Iestoration( ;ithin the -#lt#re of MaBim#m $arm the
first o!tion is im!ossible to achie.e(
+nloading essentiall& means the remo.al of an eBisting b#rden0 for instance,
remo.ing graAing domesticated animals, raAing cities to the gro#nd, blowing #! dams
and switching off the greenho#se gas emissions machine( The !rocess of ecological
#nloading is an acc#m#lation of man& of the things ' ha.e alread& eB!lained in this
cha!ter, along with an (almost certainl& necessar&% element of sabotage( 'f carried o#t
willingl& and on a s#fficientl& large scale, this !rocess wo#ld re:#ire dismantling
man& of the /e& com!onents of ci.iliAation6 no !erson wo#ld be foolish eno#gh to c#t
off their own limbs #nless the& were s#ffering from some /ind of !s&chotic del#sion,
and no ci.iliAation wo#ld be willing to remo.e man& of the !illars of its own
eBistence( 8oo/ing from the o#tside, tho#gh, a ci.iliAation hac/ing off its own
eBtremities wo#ld seem li/e eBactl& the right thing to do( 't9s not going to ha!!en, of
co#rse(
Setting Aside is similarl& s#icidal for ci.iliAation( 'n order to contin#e the #!ward
s!iral of economic de.elo!ment, ac:#iring all of the s&mbols and c#lt#ral attit#des
that entails, an increasing amo#nt of reso#rces ha.e to be #sed b& ci.iliAation( "or
eBam!le, in order to s#!!ort an increasing desire for a ci.iliAed diet containing fish,
the oceans ha.e to be stri!!ed of life 1 &et, in order for the ocean9s nat#ral balance to
22G
ret#rn to a semblance of its !re.io#s condition at least fort& !ercent of its area wo#ld
need to be set aside in !er!et#it&(<>F S#ch a ste! is totall& incom!atible with the
c#rrent ambitions of this c#lt#re0 it will not ha!!en( Similarl&, if a third (to be
conser.ati.e% of all of the ma2or land habitats on @arth were to be set aside, not onl&
wo#ld man& of ci.iliAation9s !rocesses ha.e to halt, or at least contract significantl&,
b#t those co#ntries with larger !ro!ortions of those /e& habitats within their borders
wo#ld not acce!t ha.ing to ta/e on the b#rden of setting aside !otential economic
reso#rces( The eBtreme diffic#lt& eB!erienced b& s#ch gro#!s as The ;ilderness
Societ& (in the +SA and A#stralia%, )reen!eace (in BraAil% and the 'nternational
-onser.ation +nion to increase the amo#nt of land set aside from agric#lt#re and
other de.elo!ment, and strengthen the le.el of !rotection<>E in the face of determined
go.ernment and cor!orate o!!osition, ma/es this all too clear( Once again, tho#gh,
Setting Aside is an ine.itable conse:#ence of following the s#ggestions set o#t in this
cha!ter(
Acti.e Iestoration is all that is left6 and &o# wo#ld be forgi.en for thin/ing that
there is ho!e for this methodolog&, gi.en the t&!es of s#ggestions coming from
cor!orations, a#thorities, scientific instit#tions and other gro#!s of !eo!le( 'deas
incl#de seeding the ocean with iron to restore le.els of carbon absorbing !lan/ton<C=6
re!lanting rainforest areas with nati.e s!ecies6 s#c/ing carbon o#t of the atmos!here
and into the ocean basin<C76 and instigating a !rocess of managed retreat in salt
marshes( Predictabl&, all of this is ins#fficient at best, and c&nical !rofit*mongering at
worst( The ins#fficienc& is sim!l& beca#se the scale of en.ironmental degradation
being carried o#t in the name of economic growth dwarfs e.en the most ambitio#s
!lans of the !ro!onents of acti.e restoration( M#ch of the restoration wor/ is in the
form of the heralded techno*fiB0 the idea that the tools of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation can
be #sed to b#ild sol#tions to the !roblems of ci.iliAation<C2( The two f#ndamental
flaws with techno*fiBes, tho#gh, are that (a% the& are almost all !rofit*moti.ated,
bac/ed b& cor!orations who ha.e no intention of re.ersing the damage done and (b%
the& ass#me that technolog& is an ade:#ate re!lacement for nat#ral restorati.e
!rocesses, f#rther widening the disconnection between h#manit& and the real world(
4ow, '9m not s#ggesting for a moment that restoration is #nnecessar&, nor is it the
wrong thing to do, b#t it m#st be carried o#t in s#ch a wa& that it com!lements nat#ral
!rocesses( ' ha.e a small meadow at the bottom of m& hea.il&*wooded garden, which
22F
' ha.e !lanted with nati.e grasses and flowers, and which ' allow to grow in what
e.er wa& it li/es 1 a tin& momento of the wide meadows that once crossed so#thern
@ngland, b#t something !ositi.e nonetheless( Managed retreat to restore salt marshes
is a good thing, and ' can thin/ of few things more satisf&ing than breaching the sea
walls that once allowed farmland to reign o.er the coastal ecos&stem( @.en some of
the more #n#s#al ideas, s#ch as b#r&ing biomass in the form of whole trees<C< or far
more stable biochar (charcoal% ha.e their merits b#t, as with the !rocesses of
#nloading and setting aside, the& are onl& going to achie.e an&thing s#bstantial in the
conteBt of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation becoming a thing of the !ast( o what &o# thin/ is
right and enco#rage others to do the same6 b#t ne.er forget that restoration is 2#st a
ste!!ing*stone to o#r real f#t#re(
Sa0otaging
-i.iliAation is not going to go down witho#t a fight, and the forces #nleashed can be
tr#l& terrible if the !ast and c#rrent beha.io#r of go.ernments, their cor!orate owners
and their militar& marionettes is an&thing to go b&( 'n -ha!ter Thirteen ' wrote0 The
laws in each co#ntr& are tailored to s#it the a!!etite of the !o!#lation for change(
This statement is es!eciall& rele.ant to sabotage0 if the r#ling @lites feel that their
belo.ed s&stem is #nder threat then the& will do their best to s#!!ress this threat( This
s#!!ression ma& be carried o#t legall& and .isibl&, or illegall& and in.isibl&( P#blic
acti.ities that were once !ermitted will be criminalised, and an&one that directl&
challenges the stabilit& of the machine will be ta/en o#t of harm9s wa& and, where
necessar&, made an eBam!le of(
't wo#ld be rec/less of me not to tell &o# this(
The s&stem has legitimised all of its efforts to fight bac/ and s#!!ress o!!osition
beca#se the .ast ma2orit& of !eo!le who are s#b2ected to its acti.ities are f#ll& !aid #!
members of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation( 't is right that ci.iliAation maintains its stabilit&
beca#se witho#t stabilit&, ci.iliAation colla!ses and can no longer im!ose its will #!on
the !o!#lation( oes that so#nd li/e a coherent arg#ment to &o#? 'n all tr#th, that
reall& is the best arg#ment ci.iliAation has for its contin#ed eBistence0 it has to be
maintained beca#se it has to be maintained( @.en a heroin addict, shooting #! to get
the fiB that the& agonisingl& cra.e /nows that their habit will e.ent#all& /ill them(
22E
@.en a lifelong nicotine addict will admit that smo/ing is bad for them and the&
sho#ld sto!( $ands #! if &o# thin/ 'nd#strial -i.iliAation sho#ld be sto!!ed(
L L L
' ta/e no great !ride in /nowing that for a large !art of m& wor/ing life, o.er the last
fi.e or so &ears, ' co#ld ha.e ca#sed a brea/down in the global econom&6 &et ' chose
not to ma/e this ha!!en of m& own accord( M& !osition !laced me in charge of /e&
data centres, front line 'T sec#rit& and technical disaster reco.er& mechanisms, the
fail#re of which wo#ld ha.e ca#sed ma2or disr#!tions in the global financial trading
engine( ' co#ld ha.e been a hero of the anti*ci.iliAation mo.ement0 b#t no one wo#ld
ha.e /nown m& name, and no one wo#ld ha.e fo#nd o#t what ' did( That9s not wh& '
didn9t do an&thing, tho#gh(
M& lac/ of moti.ation to ma/e the change 1 to sabotage the global econom& in
some wa& 1 was largel& down to li.ing, for man& &ears, the life of the ind#strial
wor/er6 a sla.e to m& mortgage and to the s&stem that told me that this was the wa& it
had to be( ' wasn9t connected eno#gh6 ' wasn9t angr& eno#gh6 ' tho#ght this was 2#st
the wa& it had to be( ' g#ess there are lots of !eo!le in the same sit#ation ' was0
!erfectl& !oised to screw #! the s&stem in some wa&, b#t not s#re if it is the right
thing to do(
Ma&be &o#9re in that boat, b#t f#rther down the ri.er0 informed, reso#rcef#l,
connected, angr&Show do &o# decide whether it9s the right thing to do?
't comes down to Iis/ and Ieward0 the Iis/ is essentiall& the s#m total of the
fallo#t that co#ld occ#r as the res#lt of &o#r actions6 the Ieward is the eBtent to which
'nd#strial -i.iliAation and its abilit& to desecrate the @arth, has been wea/ened( ;hen
it comes to Iis/, &o# m#st go into things with a clear mind 1 &o# ma& ha.e a rabid
hatred for some !art of the s&stem, b#t &o# still need to ta/e res!onsibilit& for &o#r
actions0 will an&one die or be serio#sl& harmed as a direct res#lt of what &o# do, and
are &o# !re!ared to ta/e on the res!onsibilit& for the harm &o# ma& ca#se? Ieading
ahead, for a moment, if &o# ta/e I#le "o#r into acco#nt, &o# are .er& #nli/el& to
enco#nter this /ind of moral dilemma6 the .ast ma2orit& of acts of sabotage that are
li/el& to be effecti.e are small acts that are !art of a larger, beneficial, whole 1 small
acts that, in themsel.es do not ca#se moral dilemmas( 'f &o# do enco#nter diffic#lt
choices, tho#gh, then Ieward can !la& a !art(
2<=
Ieward is a meas#re of the net im!ro.ement in the long*term s#r.i.al of
h#manit&6 based #!on the im!ro.ement in the condition of o#r nat#ral life*s#!!ort
machine( 't is most certainl& not abo#t fame and glor&( "ew, if an&, !eo!le are
:#alified to 2#dge whether an act of sabotage has s#fficient reward to 2#stif& a high
degree of collateral damage6 the best ad.ice ' can gi.e is that for all acts of sabotage 1
large or small, morall&*com!leB or not 1 alwa&s abide b& I#le One(
I#le One0 Ask yourself, R&s it worth itNS
Tho#gh the battle*worn troo!s of ;ord ;ar '' resol#tel& denied @#ro!e e.er had a
soft #nderbell&, ;inston -h#rchill ne.ertheless !iled the combined forces of the
;estern Allied armies into 4orth Africa, across the Mediterranean and into so#thern
@#ro!e in 7E,<( The I#ssian forces, along with the I#ssian !eo!le, died in their
millions to hold off a ram!ant ABis arm& on the @astern "ront6 while all the time the
Allies were wor/ing their wa& northwards, !eeling off di.ision after di.ision of
)erman soldiers, wea/ening the 4aAi defences as the& went( Onl& after $itler9s
fighting machine had been diminished thro#gh a combination of eastern attrition and
so#thern g#ile was it !ossible for the *a& landings to ta/e !lace on the northern
coast of "rance( Beating the #nbeatable was a slow, b#t highl& calc#lated !rocess0 at
no !oint after the disastro#s attem!t to land at ie!!e, did the Allied forces e.er
attem!t a direct assa#lt #!on a f#ll*strength enem&(
A good com!#ter hac/er will s!end a large amo#nt of time not onl& !lanning the
attac/ methodolog& (this is /nown as sco!ing% b#t also ens#ring that once the attac/
has been com!leted, no trace of it remains( This is not too diffic#lt if the attac/ is a
:#ic/ smash and grab to eBtract information, change data or bring down all or !art
of an 'T s&stem6 where it gets diffic#lt is in the more destr#cti.e and less re.ersible
hac/s 1 those that install some /ind of mechanism that allows the hac/ed s&stem to be
remotel& controlled or re*entered easil& tho#gh a bac/ door, or those that are
designed to /ee! on attac/ing the s&stem a#tomaticall&( The best wa& a hac/er can
co.er his or her trac/s is to ma/e s#re there is someone on the inside hel!ing them(
There is no wa& of telling how man& times insiders ha.e been #sed to assist with or
wholl& carr& o#t s#ch attac/s, b#t &o# can be s#re that it is far more than com!anies
and go.ernment de!artments are willing to disclose0 after all, who wo#ld want to
re.eal that their own em!lo&ees can9t be tr#sted? 'n fact, beca#se 'T s&stems ha.e
2<7
become among the most critical com!onents within all the ma2or cor!orate and
!olitical instit#tions, 'nd#strial -i.iliAation is increasingl& at the merc& of hac/ers
and, b& eBtension, /een sabote#rs( There are man& different t&!es of sabotage0 the& all
need to be caref#ll& !lanned o#t(
I#le Two is0 8on5t go blundering in K plan your approach.
' was in a !erfect !osition to, at least !artl&, sabotage the economic machine, b#t '
wo#ld ha.e been a !rime s#s!ect d#e to m& m#lti!le !ositions of a#thorit& and m&
well*/nown en.ironmental leanings0 if ca#ght m& first action ma& well ha.e been m&
last( The best large*scale sabote#r has all of the assets mentioned earlier, b#t is also
the one !erson whom no one will e.er s#s!ect 1 who has no ob.io#s moti.e and is
seen as #nli/el& to e.er eB!loit his or her !osition( mitr& Orlo., an a#thorit& on the
colla!se of the So.iet +nion, describes it this wa&0
To do it right, you have to get paid to do it. /ood industrial sabotage is
indistinguishable from black magic$ nobody should know that it was sabotage,
or how it worked, especially not the person actually doing it. The absolutely
worst thing that a half-competent saboteur can be accused of is negligence, but
it really should be more of a Bmistakes were madeB sort of thing.34.
't is no accident that the most effecti.e forms of sabotage are carried o#t from
inside 1 as Br#ce Schneier writes0 'nsiders can be im!ossible to sto! beca#se the&9re
the eBact same !eo!le &o#9re forced to tr#st(<C> @B!loiting the tr#st of someone ma&
feel morall& re!rehensible, b#t remember that &o# are being tr#sted b& someone who
is a willing (and !ossibl& eager% !artici!ant in the most destr#cti.e c#lt#re e.er seen
on the face of the @arth(
The most recent +D 8abo#r )o.ernment was almost bro#ght down thro#gh lea/s
made b& indi.id#als within its own de!artments0 the lea/s concerned something that
had forced co#ntless !eo!le to reflect on their inner feelings abo#t the moralit& of a
single acti.it&0 the 'ra: ;ar( r a.id Dell& 1 the onl& named so#rce in the
re.elation that a dossier, s!ecificall& !rod#ced for the Blair )o.ernment as a case for
going to war, was ho!elessl& inacc#rate 1 !aid for his going !#blic with his life(
;hether he died at his own hands or those of other agencies will ne.er be /nown for
s#re, b#t Dell& was not the onl& so#rce of lea/s concerning the odg& ossier, and
2<2
was certainl& not the onl& so#rce of the man& lea/s, off*the*record con.ersations,
anon&mo#sl& sent memos and #ncensored go.ernment files related to the 'ra: ;ar(
;hen something li/e a :#estionable war, a genocide or a global ecological
catastro!he in.o/es the morals of !eo!le in !ositions of tr#st, the& can, and will #se
whate.er tools the& ha.e at their dis!osal to #ndermine whate.er is the ca#se of the
!roblem( 'f the !rotagonist (or sabote#r, if we are being acc#rate here% is able to
remain in that !osition of tr#st, m#ch as -old ;ar s!ies were able to !ass on secrets
for &ears #ndetected, then the& are all the more effecti.e(
I#le Three is0 8on5t get caught.
B#t what /inds of sabotage are we tal/ing abo#t? 4o do#bt it9s a ma2or
achie.ement to bring down a corr#!t go.ernment, b#t it will onl& be re!laced b& one
that o!erates along the same lines as its !redecessor 1 to !romote the need for
economic growth and to s!read the infl#ence of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation aro#nd the
world on behalf of its cor!orate masters( Bringing down an oil com!an& or e.en a
single refiner& will, indeed, ca#se a halt in the !rod#ction and sale of a large amo#nt
of climate changing h&drocarbons and, if the com!an& or refiner& is large eno#gh,
co#ld trigger economic #nrest6 b#t there are other oil com!anies and man& more
refineries, and there are alwa&s !owerf#l instit#tions, and h#ge n#mbers of del#ded
!eo!le, who will ens#re that the oil /ee!s flowing 1 at least #ntil it r#ns o#t( The
!rimar& targets for sabotage, if eno#gh !eo!le are to carr& o#t the tas/s necessar& to
reclaim the @arth for those that act#all& want to s#r.i.e, are the things that are
sto!!ing !eo!le from connecting with the real world0 the Tools of isconnection( 'f
&o# read -ha!ter Thirteen, &o# will get a !rett& good idea of the /inds of things that
sho#ld be targeted(
I#le "o#r is0 -oncentrate your efforts on the Tools of 8isconnection.
The first reason for this is that disconnection is the biggest !roblem h#manit& is
facing, and we are tr&ing to deal with the root of the !roblem here( 't ma& be
satisf&ing to b#rn down a garage f#ll of S+5s if &o# ha.e a .ir#lent hatred of
gasg#AAling
road trans!ort6 b#t these !laces are ins#red and there are !lent& more S+5s
where the& came from( 'n the conteBt of reconnecting h#manit&, s#ch actions are onl&
s&mbolic( "ar better to sabotage the ad.ertisers and mar/eting media that enco#rages
2<<
!eo!le to b#& S+5s in the first !lace6 far better to sabotage the go.ernment agencies
and trade bodies that ens#re that .ehicle sales and !rod#ction remain a high !riorit&6
far better to sabotage the efforts of the oil and motor com!anies in con.incing !eo!le
that climate change is nothing to do with them, and e.en if it is, the disa!!earing
iceca!s
are not reall& that m#ch of a !roblem(
The second reason to concentrate on the Tools of isconnection is that the laws
that !rotect the global econom&, and the forces that ens#re the global econom&
remains the !rimar& concern of h#manit&, are c#rrentl& foc#ssed on !rotecting the
s&mbolic elements of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation( ' don9t belie.e for a moment that these
forces won9t mo.e to !rotect the Tools of isconnection if, and when, a concerted
sabotage effort ta/es !lace6 ' don9t belie.e for a second that laws will not be made to
ens#re those of #s who want to o!t o#t of the s&stem are enco#raged to sta&0 b#t for
the moment, it is the traditional targets of the s&mbolic !rotester 1 the b#ildings and
.ehicles and indi.id#al elite members of societ&, for eBam!le 1 that are best
!rotected( 'f &o# attac/ a cor!orate head:#arters or chief eBec#ti.e then &o# will be
sto!!ed and !robabl& im!risoned6 if &o# di.ert or co!& all confidential doc#ments
coming o#t of a cor!orate lobb& gro#! to a !#blisher of s#b.ersi.e materials or a
local friendl& radio station then who is going to come off worse?
' am not going to dwell on the n#mero#s methods of sabotage o!en to those who
ha.e the moti.ation and the means to carr& them o#t 1 those !eo!le (of which &o#
ma& be one of% are almost certainl& far better e:#i!!ed than me, and also /now how
to do it far more effecti.el& and secreti.el& than ' co#ld o#tline in a boo/ of this
nat#re 1 b#t ' will reiterate what ' thin/ are the fo#r /e& r#les of sabotage, sho#ld &o#
chose to ta/e that !ath alongside the other things ' ha.e s#ggested in this cha!ter0
7( -aref#ll& weigh #! all the !ros and cons, and then as/ &o#rself, 's it worth it?
2( Plan ahead, and !lan well, acco#nting for e.er& !ossible e.ent#alit&(
<( @.en if &o# #nderstand the worth of &o#r action, don9t get ca#ght(
,( Ma/e the Tools of isconnection &o#r !riorit&6 an&thing else is a waste of time
and effort(
L L L
2<,
One :#estion still remains #nanswered, b#t has been well co.ered b& erric/ ?ensen
in his @ndgame boo/s0 $ow can 2#st a few determined sabote#rs ma/e it easier for
the rest of h#manit& to reconnect with the real world? The sim!le answer is that far
fewer !eo!le ha.e to ma/e the first mo.e than &o# might s#!!ose( As ?ensen re.ealed
d#ring a con.ersation with a former militar& officer0
They don5t have to break everything in sight. All they have to do is give the first
in each line of dominoes a hearty enough heave. ;nce the reaction has achieved
a critical threshold a fire will feed itself and grow uncontrollably. ?art of the
key is winning the minds of the people who would otherwise plug all the
machinery344 right back in again. ;nce they reali6e they can actually walk away,
without repercussions, they5ll be able to exercise their human freedoms in
prodigious ways.340
'f &o# har/ bac/ to the disc#ssions abo#t the fragilit& of ci.iliAation then it
becomes less of a !i!e dream and more of a realit& to thin/ that a few !eo!le can start
the dominoes ti!!ing( And an&wa&, who is to sa& that tho#sands of !eo!le are not
alread& !arta/ing in a health& slice of disconnection sabotage? @.en if &o# sim!l&
!ost a dodg& internal cor!orate memo to &o#r local news!a!er in an #nmar/ed
en.elo!e in a !ost boB far from &o#r home, or e.en if &o# 2#st !aint 8iarsH on a
billboard near a b#s& road 2#nction in the dead of night, &o# are alread& 2oining the
swelling ran/s of the sabote#rs(
Educating
Dnowledge is !ower, and the greatest threat to 'nd#strial -i.iliAation is a
/nowledgeable !o!#lation( As we saw in Part Three, the h#ge effort #nderta/en b&
co#ntless a#thorities o.er man& cent#ries to ens#re that information is controlled,
bears testament to the danger the& see of information falling into the wrong (or rather,
the right% hands( Iemember, we are not tal/ing abo#t cons!iracies and dar/ secrets
here, b#t basic information abo#t the wa& com!anies and go.ernments o!erate on a
da&*to*da& basis6 ob2ecti.e information abo#t the damage we are doing to the .er&
en.ironment we need to remain health& in order for #s to s#r.i.e6 the wa& in which
we are being s&stematicall& disconnected from the real world6 and the sim!le b#t
2<>
de.astatingl& effecti.e meas#res e.er&one can ta/e to change all of this( B#t it doesn9t
sto! there(
?#st as sabotage is .ital in c#tting the arteries of ci.iliAation9s disconnection
machine, ed#cation in its !#rest form is .ital in healing the dee! di.isions that ha.e
been created b& that machine( Ieal ed#cation is a form of sabotage0 it sabotages the
ed#cation s&stem that t#rns children into !otential em!lo&ees, !otential .oters and
!otential cons#mers( -hildren, and ad#lts for that matter, need to become world*wise,
connected and able indi.id#als6 the& also need to become !eo!le who want to wor/
together, not as economic #nits, b#t as comm#nities of !eo!le stri.ing to achie.e
something far more real than an&thing 'nd#strial -i.iliAation co#ld e.er offer them(
4ot onl& is s#ch an ed#cation far more rele.ant to the real world, it is im!erati.e that
!eo!le are e:#i!!ed with the s/ills to s#r.i.e whate.er will ha!!en in the neBt few
decades( a.id Orr, star/l& laid o#t one of the f#t#re decisions we will ha.e to ma/e
following the ine.itable colla!se of cities, in a 7EE, lect#re0
The choice is whether those returning to rural areas in the century ahead will
do so, in the main, willingly and expectantly with the appropriate knowledge,
attitudes, and skills!or arrive as ecological refugees driven by necessity,
perhaps desperation. "or all of the fashionable talk about cultural diversity,
schools, colleges, and universities have been agents of fossil energy powered
urban homogeni6ation.34=
As a !eo!le, we are losing basic and .ital s/ills with frightening ease6 !artl& o#t of
ignorance, b#t mainl& beca#se we ha.e been made to belie.e that ci.iliAation will
loo/ after #s, !ro.ide for o#r e.er& need and ma/e s#ch s/ills as growing, b#ilding,
coo/ing and caring obsolete( ;e ha.e become inca!able of loo/ing after and thin/ing
for o#rsel.es( One of &o#r tas/s as an intelligent, /nowledgeable and connected
!erson is to ens#re that #sef#l information sta&s o#t there 1 in the minds of as man&
!eo!le as !ossible(
The classrooms in the ed#cation s&stems of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation onl& !ro.ide
s#fficient /nowledge to t#rn h#mans into good wor/ers6 that is not where the
ed#cating sho#ld ta/e !lace( 't sho#ld ta/e !lace in the homes of families and friends6
in !#bs and resta#rants6 in s!orts .en#es6 at !o! concerts and m#sic festi.als6 in !ar/s,
woods, fields, beaches and on the street6 in trains and b#ses6 in offices, sho!s and
2<C
factories6 e.en in !la&gro#nds( Person to !erson, #nfiltered and #ncensored 1 2#st
information that can be disc#ssed, debated, added to, written down, remembered and
!assed on again and again( 3o# need to /ee! this information ali.e and acc#rate6 &o#
need to /ee! it interesting and rele.ant6 &o# need to be a teacher beca#se, li/e it or
not, the s&stem is not going to ed#cate an&one on how to li.e in a world where the
s&stem is not in charge(
8e1el T(o: )a&s To Accelerate Chan.e
This is the !oint when most en.ironmental g#ide boo/s tail off into a ha!!&
concl#sion, generall& along the lines of, 'f we all follow these s#ggestions, the world
will be a better !lace( That is, of co#rse, com!lete garbage( "or a start, the
recommendations in these g#ide boo/s are generall& no more radical than installing a
wind t#rbine on &o#r roof, or lobb&ing &o#r go.ernment re!resentati.e Y friend of the
global econom& for change( Also, as ' said in the last cha!ter, the ass#m!tion that
e.er&one reading the boo/ (let alone a large eno#gh n#mber of !eo!le to reall& ma/e
a difference% will follow the recommendations is foolish at best( A concl#sion at this
!oint wo#ld ma/e no sense at all 1 &o# can9t change a societ& if onl& a tin& minorit&
of !eo!le are !re!ared to change themsel.es( ' /now that the things ' ha.e s#ggested,
as well as those ' ha.e warned against, will onl& initiall& be ta/en #! b& a .er& few
!eo!le0 what is needed is a wa& of !ro!agating that change to a far larger gro#! in the
shortest time !ossible(
Inno)ators1 Early ,do.ters1 ,nd The est
'f &o# ha.e read #! to this !oint of &o#r own accord, and are !re!ared to ta/e on the
challenge of #sing .ario#s methods to grad#all& cr#mble 'nd#strial -i.iliAation, then
that ma/es &o# an 'nno.ator( The first wa& of accelerating the change !rocess is based
#!on the iff#sion of 'nno.ations theor&, which the American sociologist @.erett
Iogers de.elo!ed into something far*reaching and rather brilliant(<CE An 'nno.ation
can be an&thing that has not been done before6 whether that be ado!ting a new
technolog&, watching a new tele.ision !rogram or changing a societ&( Iogers
!ro!osed fi.e different gro#!s of !eo!le thro#gh which the inno.ation has to !ass
before an entire !o!#lation can be said to ha.e ado!ted it0 'nno.ators (sometimes
2<G
called Pioneers%, which acco#nt for aro#nd 2(> !ercent of the !o!#lation6 @arl&
Ado!ters, 72(> !ercent of the !o!#lation6 @arl& Ma2orit&, <> !ercent6 8ate Ma2orit&,
<> !ercent and, finall&, 8aggards who are the last 7> !ercent of !eo!le to ta/e on an
inno.ation( The !ercentage fig#res can change de!ending on the t&!e of inno.ation
and also the nat#re of the !o!#lation6 b#t what is more im!ortant is that the fi.e
gro#!s each describe a time*lag0 the @arl& Ma2orit& will not ado!t an inno.ation #ntil
the @arl& Ado!ters ha.e, and so on(
On its own, that seems sim!le eno#gh, b#t what ma/es things more com!licated is
that each indi.id#al within each gro#! #s#all& has to go thro#gh a n#mber of different
!hases in order for their !ersonal ado!tion to be achie.ed, as follows<G=0
7( Dnowledge 1 !erson becomes aware of an inno.ation and has some idea of how it
f#nctions,
2( Pers#asion 1 !erson forms a fa.o#rable or #nfa.o#rable attit#de toward the inno.ation,
<( ecision 1 !erson engages in acti.ities that lead to a choice to ado!t or re2ect the
inno.ation,
,( 'm!lementation 1 !erson !#ts an inno.ation into #se,
>( -onfirmation 1 !erson e.al#ates the res#lts of an inno.ation*decision alread& made(
Peo!le in one gro#! are #nli/el& to start their ado!tion !rocess #ntil those in the
!re.io#s gro#! ha.e, at least, started their 'm!lementation !hase, and !robabl& not
#ntil the -onfirmation !hase0 8ea!s of "aith are as #ncommon as the& are ris/&(
The -onfirmation !hase is when the ado!ter decides whether the& are ha!!& with the
o#tcome of the ado!tion, and is in the best !osition to enco#rage others 1 friends,
famil&, colleag#es, neighbo#rs and so on 1 to start the ado!tion !rocess themsel.es( 'f
the members of one gro#! ne.er reach the -onfirmation !hase, there is .er& little
chance of the inno.ation !assing to the neBt gro#!(
;ith all that said, it so#nds as tho#gh an& ma2or change in societ& towards a
s#r.i.able f#t#re is going to ta/e an age, es!eciall& when &o# consider the enormo#s
!ress#re constantl& !laced on indi.id#als to ens#re that the& don9t change at all( This
is where &o# come in(
2<F
L L L
' said in the last cha!ter that some of this theor& was a bit dr& so, rather than
!lo#gh on and ris/ losing &o# thro#gh sheer boredom6 '9m going to eB!lain how this
needs to wor/ in !ractice( '9m going to describe the most im!ortant inno.ation of all0
the one that com!rises the raft of different radical meas#res described in the last
section6 the one that !eo!le need to ado!t in order for them to become !art of the
sol#tion(
The difference between a !o!#lation deciding to watch a new tele.ision
!rogramme and them ta/ing on a com!letel& new wa& of li.ing is !rofo#nd0 for a
start, switching o.er a T5 channel, e.en arranging things so &o# are near to &o#r
tele.ision at the time the !rogramme starts ta/es .er& little time 1 changing &o#r life
can ta/e &ears, es!eciall& if &o# are a dee!l& ingrained cons#mer( More ob.io#sl&,
!ers#ading someone to change their life as o!!osed to changing their T5 channel
re:#ires a lot more effort0 something ' will deal with in the 8e.el Three section(
"igure 3 shows the !rocess gra!hicall&, with the thin bands indicating the smaller
!o!#lation gro#!s, and the increasing ado!tion time for each gro#! indicating the
additional effort re:#ired for a more ingrained !erson to change their life( The
'nno.ators Y Pioneers gro#! is highlighted beca#se nothing can ha!!en #ntil this
gro#! begins ado!ting the change( There is no absol#te time scale6 &o# will see
shortl& that it is almost im!ossible to !redict how :#ic/l& the !o!#lation will change
beca#se there are so man& factors to consider(
-onsider lighting a fire0 &o# can9t send a s!ar/ to a large, dense !iece of timber
and eB!ect it to ignite 1 &o# ha.e to start with the smaller, more reacti.e materials(
"irst the news!a!er or tinder catches6 then the small stic/s 1 the /indling 1 begin to
b#rn6 then the larger !ieces of wood and, when the flames ha.e reached a high eno#gh
tem!erat#re, the logs will start to b#rn( 3o# end #! with a !owerf#l, intense fire, hot
eno#gh to set light to almost an&thing that is !laced near to it( 4ow, what if &o# are
lighting the fire #nder different conditions0 in some cases &o#r materials ma& be dr&,
&o# ha.e a good air flow b#t not eno#gh wind to blow the flames o#t6 com!are this to
a fire made from slightl& dam! materials 1 it9s raining, the wind is blowing hard(
'n 8e.el One, ' s#ggested lots of different changes6 some of which are harder to
achie.e than others( -hange isn9t going to ha!!en in one big bang, e.en among the
2<E
'nno.ators6 it will re:#ire different le.els of effort and different timescales, so it9s
im!ortant to /ee! !l#gging on, e.en when &o# ha.e made what &o# consider to be big
changes in &o#r life( ;hen &o# ha.e made a significant change 1 sa& &o# ha.e
sto!!ed being a cons!ic#o#s cons#mer or &o# ha.e sto!!ed fl&ing and dri.ing
entirel& 1 that is a good !oint to start infl#encing the !eo!le in the neBt !hase, while
still contin#ing with &o#r !ersonal efforts( ' /now it so#nds a bit con.ol#ted, b#t it9s
act#all& a .er& nat#ral wa& of doing things6 after all, &o#r friend, who ma& be :#ite
/een to change is more li/el& to be !#t off from changing when the& see what a
massi.e g#lf there is between &o# and them( 'nstead, if &o# are in a !osition to g#ide
&o#r friend thro#gh the same change &o# ha.e 2#st com!leted, the& are far more li/el&
to go along with &o#6 and also !ass on their more comfortable (albeit :#ite radical%
eB!erience to others(
't is im!ortant to also #nderstand that &o# are .er& #nli/el& to !ers#ade someone to
change if the& are two or more !hases behind &o#0 ' long ago ga.e #! tr&ing to
disc#ss en.ironmental and social changes with man& of the !eo!le ' /new 1 the
con.ersation might ha.e been interesting, b#t there was no chance of them agreeing to
act#all& do an&thing abo#t it( Miracles do ha!!en and !eo!le do ha.e moments of
"igure 3$ implified 8iffusion of &nnovations graph for fundamental life changes (ource$ Author5s
own image)
2,=
re.elation, b#t the best strateg& 1 as shown b& the ab2ect fail#re of gro#!s li/e
)reen!eace and "riends of the @arth to change a defiant !#blic en masse 1 is to
concentrate your efforts on those most likely to be persuaded( An& other a!!roach
flies in the face of social theor& and, to be honest, common sense(
"inall&, ' 2#st want to mention something that was !ointed o#t b& a close relation
2#st a few da&s ago0 how do &o# deal with the sit#ation where someone is tr&ing to
!ers#ade &o# not to change? This is all abo#t !eer !ress#re, and !eer !ress#re can be
eBtremel& toBic at its worst( A !erson who decides to go .egetarian, for instance, will
come #! against not onl& the s&stem itself, #sing its Tools of isconnection, b#t lots
of !eo!le who might !ers#ade them to 2#st ha.e a bit of meat or to not change on
the gro#nds of health, con.enience and the m#ltit#de of other reasons !eo!le gi.e for
a.oiding a change in their diet( '9m not s#ggesting for a second that &o# sho#ld a.oid
&o#r friends or relations (altho#gh it might be a good time to consider who &o#r real
friends are%, b#t ' wo#ld sa& that times li/e this re:#ire a great deal of self*confidence,
and not a little tact( 't is !ossible that the !eo!le as/ing &o# not to change are act#all&
closer to changing themsel.es than the& will e.er admit 1 as -arol Adams writes, with
reference to !eo!le that tr& to sabotage .egetarians0 Sabote#rs ma& be the gro#!
most tr#l& threatened b& .egetarianism( That9s the last thing the& can admit to
themsel.es or &o#(<G7
Iemember when ' said earlier on that if &o# were not read& to ta/e the !l#nge then
&o# sho#ld ta/e time o#t to reflect and re*read certain sections of this boo/? One
reason is to ens#re that &o# are in a !osition to disregard an& !otential distractions and
!lo#gh &o#r own f#rrow 1 there is little !oint going into this half*heartedl& if a few
da&s later &o# are going to be right bac/ where &o# started beca#se a relati.e told &o#
that &o# were being foolish( on9t get mad at someone beca#se the& don9t /now an&
better0 eB!lain wh& &o# are doing what &o# are doing6 describe what ci.iliAation is
doing to h#manit& in the sim!lest terms6 show them how &o#r life has im!ro.ed
immeas#rabl& beca#se of the changes &o# ha.e alread& made and, if that doesn9t sto!
them, 2#st ignore them( ' find that wor/s .er& wellH
2,7
&a)ens1 Connectors and Sales.eo.le
't wo#ldn9t be fair of me to ta/e the credit for this section, b#t ' bet when he was
writing abo#t Sesame Street and $#sh P#!!ies, Malcolm )ladwell ne.er tho#ght the
ideas he !ro!osed in The Ti!!ing Point<G2 wo#ld be #sed to tr& and bring down
'nd#strial -i.iliAation( 'f &o# create something com!elling, effecti.e and &et infinitel&
fleBible, tho#gh, then it is bo#nd to be #sed for things other than for which it was
intended(
There are three /e& elements to The Ti!!ing Point, each of which ha.e their own
rele.ance to triggering ma2or change0 the first is /nown as The 8aw of the "ew( This
!res#!!oses that for each s#ccessf#l idea or inno.ation, to #se the !re.io#s
terminolog&, &o# ha.e three different t&!es of !eo!le in.ol.ed( Ma.ens are !eo!le
who identif& trends and ha.e an instinct for /nowing when something is right(
-onnectors are those !eo!le who, #s#all& thro#gh their 2ob or social standing, are able
to lin/ together the /inds of !eo!le who can broadcast and !ro!agate an idea to other
similar !eo!le( Salesmen (or women% are those !eo!le who are eB!erts in !ers#ading
large n#mbers of !eo!le that the idea sho#ld be ado!ted(
;ho can we #se to bring down ci.iliAation?
;ell, it9s clear that, gi.en what we are tr&ing to get rid of, we are not tal/ing abo#t
the #s#al networ/ of fashionistas, mar/eting eBec#ti.es or #sed car salesmen 1
altho#gh s#ch !eo!le might themsel.es be !ers#aded to 2oin the other side( 'n fact we
don9t act#all& need Ma.ens here beca#se the idea has alread& been identified at 8e.el
One in this cha!ter0 whether it is the /ind of idea that is li/el& to s#cceed is a moot
!oint 1 it has to s#cceed, which is wh& -onnectors and Sales!eo!le are so im!ortant(
The -onnectors are !rett& well established and, again, this is where &o# !la& &o#r
!art if &o# are in a !osition to do so0 bloggers with a readershi! consisting of other
bloggers, along with a range of infl#ential !eo!le6 2o#rnalists and broadcasters not
shac/led b& a !artic#lar editorial regime6 !eo!le who are reg#lar commentators on
!o!#lar web sites, reg#larl& !#blished letter writers to news!a!ers and !eo!le who
can get s!ots on radio and tele.ision shows6 finall&, !eo!le who ha.e large social
networ/s consisting of those !eo!le who are most li/el& to change themsel.es( 'f &o#
are one of these t&!es of !eo!le, or can !ers#ade an& that &o# /now to be a
-onnector, then so m#ch the better(
2,2
The Sales!eo!le are s#ch a di.erse b#nch that '9m not going to list them here, b#t
the& are essentiall& the /inds of !eo!le who are read& to ma/e the change themsel.es,
and are !ers#asi.e eno#gh to get ideas across that wo#ld normall& be anathema to this
c#lt#re( ;e all /now !eo!le who can sell things6 the& 2#st need to be con.inced that
the& ha.e a far more im!ortant 2ob to do than selling cars, .acations, ho#ses or hi*fi
e:#i!ment( More li/el&, the best !eo!le for the 2ob are those that are alread& #sed to
selling ideas rather than things 1 m#sicians, actors, teachers and lect#rers for
eBam!le<G< 1 b#t &o# ne.er /now who might be willing to hel!( 'f &o# are, or are good
friends with a Sales!erson who is also a -onnector then &o# ha.e a real star on &o#r
handsH
The second Ti!!ing Point element is the Stic/iness "actor( The message in this
boo/ is !rett& sim!le, b#t ta/es :#ite a lot of digesting0 what if the message co#ld be
!resented in s#ch a wa& that e.er&one gets it? At least it wo#ld gi.e the largest
n#mber of !eo!le a chance of changing( The !roblem is that the message 'nd#strial
-i.iliAation m#st end is not .er& stic/& at all0 the statement ma/es no sense to most
!eo!le( O/, it will a!!eal to the con.erted, the !eo!le who are alread& on their wa&
down the !ath o#t of ci.iliAation, b#t those !eo!le are in s#ch small n#mbers that the&
ha.e little chance of triggering an& /ind of mo.ement 1 the message needs to stic/
with eno#gh !eo!le to create gen#ine moment#m(
?aul :evere started a word-of-mouth epidemic with the phrase RThe British are
coming.S &f he had instead gone on that midnight ride to tell people he was
having a sale on the pewter mugs at his silversmith shop, even he, with all his
enormous personal gifts, could not have galvani6ed the @assachusetts
countryside.
The specific >uality that a message needs to be successful is the >uality of
Rstickiness.S &s the message memorableN &s it so memorable, in fact, that it can
create change that can spur someone to actionN30.
This is not a small boo/, and ' wo#ld be fooling m&self if ' tho#ght millions of
!eo!le were going to read it6 and e.en if the& did, most of those !eo!le wo#ld be
recreational readers with little intention of e.er changing( The !oint is that, somehow,
the /e& messages in this boo/ need to be condensed down and con.e&ed in s#ch a
wa& that those messages stic/ with a large eno#gh n#mber of !eo!le( ' had a go at this
2,<
near the end of -ha!ter "ifteen, brea/ing what had been said into nine /e& !oints6 b#t
e.en that ma& be too m#ch for some !eo!le to con.e& in a short time, and none of the
s#mmarised information is :#alified in an& wa& 1 &o# need to read the boo/ for that(
't9s a dilemma( At some !oint &o#9re going to ha.e to decide which bits of the
message are li/el& to stic/ with the !eo!le who are going to be the main reci!ients0
the -onnectors and the Sales!eo!le, and /e& !eo!le in the neBt !hase of 'nno.ation(
Alread& the need for a third le.el is emerging6 and it is in that section that the nat#re
of the message itself will be co.ered(
The third and last Ti!!ing Point element is The Power of -onteBt0 whether the idea
is rele.ant to the en.ironment in which it is !resented( ;e can bang on all we li/e
abo#t how the !lanet is being degraded b& 'nd#strial -i.iliAation6 abo#t how we ha.e
been forcibl& disconnected from wild nat#re6 abo#t how there are man& wa&s to deal
with this, most of which don9t follow the cos& ideolog& of the mainstream
en.ironmentalist 1 b#t #nless the conteBt is right then the message 2#st won9t sin/ in(
$ere9s a :#ic/ eBam!le0 last &ear ' wrote a comment on an infl#ential blog abo#t Al
)ore9s 8i.e @arth concerts in which ' said that the& had almost no chance of
infl#encing !eo!le d#e to their s#!erficial nat#re( This comment was !ic/ed #! b&
MT5, who called me for an inter.iew, which d#l& a!!eared on the front !age of the
mt.(com web site for o.er a wee/(<G> S#bse:#entl&, ' was inter.iewed b& -B-, the
-anadian broadcaster and a!!eared on their b#lletins for the whole da& that the 8i.e
@arth concerts were ta/ing !lace(
This is not to sa& that m& efforts and the criticisms of others had an& im!act on the
!#blic, altho#gh Al )ore was forced to de.elo! a G Point Pledge and defend the
concerts !#blicl&6 the !oint is that ' was as/ed to s!ea/ beca#se the conteBt was 2#st
right( 8i.e @arth was ha!!ening, and m& comments hit a ner.e( The wider conteBt of
this boo/ is that en.ironmentalism is e.er&where and we are being im!lored to do
something<GC, b#t sadl& that conteBt is so broad as to be irrele.ant0 the general
en.ironmental conteBt is not going to hel! !#sh the necessar& changes thro#gh
societ&( 4e.ertheless, as the 8i.e @arth eBam!le showed, it is !ossible to ta/e
ad.antage of !artic#lar e.ents, es!eciall& those that are media friendl&, and !#t an
anti*ci.iliAation slant on them 1 this is where the Sales!eo!le can reall& come to the
fore( 3o# can e.en force the conteBt b& associating or 2#Bta!osing the ideas &o# want
to get across with something of more interest to &o#r a#dience0 rec&cling is im!ortant
2,,
to lots of !eo!le, so sa&ing to a friend or colleag#e that rec&cling is largel& a wa& of
distracting !eo!le from act#all& doing something effecti.e, after the& tell &o# that
the& religio#sl& rec&cle all their cans and bottles, will certainl& be memorable(
The conteBt of an idea and its stic/iness are, regardless of the !ower of the idea,
c#lt#re s!ecific( 'f an idea is onl& rele.ant to a small sector of societ& then it will
ne.er ma/e the lea! to a wider a#dience witho#t some form of c#lt#ral translation(
Some of the eBam!les of how com!anies ha.e made c#lt#ral changes to their
mar/eting to sell !rod#cts are cringe*ind#cing, to sa& the least, and not a little c&nical
1 well, all commercial mar/eting is c&nical b& its nat#re0 the ;orld9s local ban/<GG
cam!aign b& $SB- s!rings to mind, b#t there are man& others( Iegardless of
c&nicism, tho#gh, s#btle c#lt#ral ad2#stments do wor/6 largel& beca#se, as we saw in
-ha!ter Ten, there is alread& a dominant c#lt#re that most !eo!le on @arth are
affected b&( This boo/ was originall& written in @nglish, and ' ha.e li.ed in the +D
all m& life, so man& of the references and eBam!les are close to home for me( That
said6 ' ha.e ta/en a global and c#lt#re*ne#tral .iew!oint as far as m& eB!eriences
allow, which is designed to a!!eal to a far wider a#dience( 'ronicall&, the more !eo!le
on @arth that eB!erience the -#lt#re of MaBim#m $arm, the more !eo!le the ideas in
this boo/ will be rele.ant to0 b#t ' wo#ld li/e to thin/ that there are -onnectors o#t
there who can cross o.er the c#lt#ral bo#ndaries that still eBist (!artic#larl& in large,
recentl& ind#strialised societies li/e 'ndia, -hina and 'ndonesia%, and who can
shortcirc#it
this c#lt#ral de!endenc& before the whole world loses its identit&(
%umming ". The *or's
All the while !hases are being considered and ti!!ing !oints are being targeted there
remains one big st#mbling bloc/0 the one all the how to sa.e the world !#r.e&ors
manage (or more li/el& choose% to ignore( This is the ele!hant in the room that was
disc#ssed at length in -ha!ter Thirteen0 the Tools of isconnection( At 8e.el One we
c#t across, showing the h#ge range of different things that need changing in o#r li.es
if we are to stand an& chance of ma/ing !rogress with s#r.i.ing the neBt cent#r& or
more, while ac/nowledging the h#ge !ower that 'nd#strial -i.iliAation has o.er o#r
acti.ities( @d#cating o#tside of the ed#cational s&stem was shown to be a /e& wa& of
s#b.erting this control, and this ed#cating effort 1 as &o# ha.e seen in the last few
2,>
!ages 1 is a /e& !art of the iff#sion of 'nno.ations and Ti!!ing Point conce!ts( B&
ed#cating !eo!le abo#t the !ower of the s&stem and how it see/s to !re.ent change
!eo!le can #nderstand better how to reach each s#bse:#ent sector of the !o!#lation(
't9s still eBtremel& diffic#lt 1 the ele!hant is still there, glowering at all attem!ts to
mo.e it(
' !refer to let the !oor ele!hant r#n free 1 it ma& be big and gre&, b#t it has been
done a gra.e disser.ice in meta!hor*land( @le!hants li.e as s#stainabl& as all other
non*ci.iliAed li.ing creat#res0 the& control their !o!#lations and the areas the& #se
thro#gh nat#ral !rocesses 1 an& attem!t to be #ns#stainable wo#ld be s#icide for an
ele!hant herd( 4o, ' !refer to #se a different meta!hor0 a gigantic machine chewing #!
the @arth9s nat#ral reso#rces, belching o#t !oll#ting li:#ids and gases, r#n b& a
wor/force made #! of billions of willing sla.es( One of the machine9s 2obs is to ma/e
s#re e.er&one ignores what the machine is doing and 2#st carries on wor/ing for it,
tho#gh thic/ and thin( Hnless the machine is slowed down it will carry on until there
is nothing left to feed it, and no one left to o!erate it( Some of #s ma& wish to sto!
sho!!ing, sto! tra.elling, change o#r eating habits, lea.e o#r 2obs and li.e s#stainable
li.es6 some of #s ma& wish to re.erse !o!#lation growth and hel! restore the
degraded land6 some of #s ma& wish to ed#cate !eo!le and sabotage the tools of
disconnection b#t 1 and here is the !aradoB 1 #nless the sabotage is ta/ing !lace, none
of this will get an& easier, not e.en the sabotage( Sabotage creates the conditions for
change(
This is wh& sabotage is both the single most im!ortant 8e.el One acti.it& and also
the single most im!ortant 8e.el Two acti.it&( ' don9t thin/ ' need to re!eat what ' said
in the last section 1 we /now there are !eo!le read& to do the wor/, and &o# ma& well
be among them( Those !eo!le, &o# incl#ded, are the /e& to getting this !rocess
mo.ing at the s!eed it needs to go( '9m sorr& if this so#nds li/e needless re!etition,
b#t ' wo#ldn9t re!eat it if it wasn9t im!ortant0 in order to motivate entire groups of
people to change, the things holding them back must be removed.
L L L
't might feel as tho#gh we are lea.ing the s#ggestions !ro.ided in 8e.el One behind6
don9t worr&, the list of ;a&s To 8i.e is still com!letel& rele.ant and lies at the
heart of !re.enting catastro!hic en.ironmental damage( Iead it, !rint it o#t, stic/ it on
2,C
&o#r wall( 3o# ma& also thin/ that ' ha.e gone into more than eno#gh detail abo#t the
mechanisms of change in 8e.el Two6 and, indeed, ' ha.e s!ent :#ite a bit of time on
them 1 s#ggesting how we sho#ld li.e is all .er& well, b#t witho#t man& !eo!le
ado!ting these changes, there is no chance of these catastro!hes being !re.ented(
8e.el Two is also .itall& im!ortant(
There is one more le.el that is missing, tho#gh0 the one that lies far dee!er than
an&thing ' ha.e &et seen in an en.ironmental boo/ 1 the le.el that shows how to
act#all& lift !eo!le o#t of their ci.iliAation*ind#ced sl#mber in the first !lace( ;itho#t
something that act#all& !ic/s !eo!le #! and, at least meta!horicall&, gi.es them a
good sha/e, e.en the .er& best Sales!erson has nothing to wor/ with( That is what we
need to disc#ss now(
8e1el Three: )a&s To *nfluence People
M& &o#nger da#ghter told me recentl& that if we were to show all the !eo!le dri.ing
,B,s the last few min#tes of The a& After Tomorrow then the& wo#ld sto!
dri.ing( ' thin/ this le.el of confidence is wonderf#l in a nine*&ear old, b#t ' had to be
honest and tell her that most !eo!le dri.ing ,B,s weren9t read& to change (' didn9t
eB!lain iff#sion of 'nno.ations to her 1 '9m not that meanH% 't got me thin/ing,
tho#gh, that there m#st be something that can wa/e at least the @arl& Ado!ters #!, and
smell the green grass, newl& watered soil and fresh air( As ' said earlier, there is a big
!roblem with creating a message that is s#fficientl& stic/& and also contains the
information necessar& to steer !eo!le in the right direction( ;e can concoct a decent
message from the h#ge amo#nt of information ' ha.e incl#ded in this boo/ 1 !erha!s
something that fills a !oster, or a short b#rst of con.ersation 1 b#t what wo#ld ma/e
that message good eno#gh to c#t thro#gh the cons#mer noise and light*green
!latit#des that are c#rrentl& occ#!&ing !eo!les9 minds?
The idea of the Meme is a good starting !oint( Iichard aw/ins first coined the
term meme (!rono#nced meem% in his boo/ The Selfish )ene6 describing it as a
re!licator, which acts, not on genes, b#t on c#lt#ral ideas li/e songs, religions, s!orts,
fashions, art, methods of constr#ction, or ideas li/e e.ol#tion, gra.it& and faith(<GF
+nli/e genes, which ha.e been literall& !#lled a!art b& scientists, we ha.e a !rett&
!oor #nderstanding of how memes wor/0 the best that can be said is that the& share
2,G
some of the characteristics of genetic beha.io#r b#t, #nless &o# incl#de their !h&sical
re!resentations 1 boo/s, !aintings, recorded m#sic etc( 1 the& onl& eBist in the minds
of the carriers( aw/ins s#ggests there are two wa&s in which a meme might
s#ccessf#ll& re!licate to the neBt generation or gro#! of h#mans0 either the& ha.e
merit (in other words the& ha.e some intrinsic abilit& to remain, regardless of
an&thing that s#rro#nds them% or the& are highl& com!atible with the c#lt#ral
en.ironment(<GE The idea that it is good to s#r.i.e, rather than die, has merit and has
th#s re!licated thro#gho#t all of h#manit&( The idea that the dail& habits of a
!artic#lar mo.ie or m#sic star are worth& of disc#ssion has little merit in itself b#t, as
long as that star is shining brightl&, then that meme will be re!licated0 when the star is
no longer a star then the meme fails(
One characteristic that memes do share with genes is that if the& m#tate more
ra!idl&, or to a greater eBtent, than is beneficial to their contin#ed s#ccess, then the&
:#ic/l& lose their ad.antage o.er other memes( Ia!id m#tation can be a good thing if
we are !re!ared to acce!t h#ge collateral damage for the sa/e of one highl& ada!ted
s#!er*meme6 b#t if that final meme bears little resemblance to the thing &o# wanted to
be re!licated then it is little better than no meme at all( 'n fact, in the world of
en.ironmental information, the s#!er*meme ma& be eBtremel& damagingH
;hat we are seeing in a so*called age of @n.ironmental @nlightenment is act#all&
a set of basic ideas abo#t the wa& we need to act and the reasons for acting, being
m#tated o#t of eBistence in the caco!hon& of com!eting ideas, which no one can seem
to agree #!on( This is in !art d#e to the !resence of the !owerf#l commerciall&f#nded
bod& of sce!tics6 b#t made worse b& a h#ge range of en.ironmental gro#!s
that are each tr&ing to com!ete for a slice of the we hel!ed sa.e the world !ie(<F=
The ideas and messages are changing so often that there is c#rrentl& little chance of a
gen#inel& effecti.e idea dealing with the com!etition(
Or is there?
' belie.e is it !ossible to create something that will moti.ate !eo!le to act in the
right wa&, regardless of e.er&thing else that is ta/ing !lace( S#ch an @co*Meme m#st
ha.e the following three characteristics0
2,F
7( &t is sufficiently RstickyS to get an individual5s attention(
The #ni:#eness of the message is an im!ortant factor here 1 we are not tal/ing abo#t
7= ;a&s To Sa.e The ;orld b#t something far more interesting and far more
stri/ing0 the need to bring down something that we ha.e been brainwashed into
thin/ing we cannot do witho#t( To ma/e the message .er& stic/&, tho#gh, it needs to
be short, eas& to #nderstand and memorable( A message that is too com!licated will
fail to stic/(
2( &t is powerful enough to appeal to an individual5s basest instincts to act(
The message needs to harness the things that go to the heart of what it means to be
h#man0 s#r.i.al is one of them6 another is the #ni:#e eB!erience of being connected 1
something that is im!ossible to achie.e witho#t t#ning o#t of ci.iliAation6 the final
one is the nat#ral anger that comes from realising &o# are being forcibl& disconnected
b& the s&stem &o# ha.e tr#sted, !ossibl& for all of &o#r life(
<( &t is robust enough to avoid losing its meaning when passed on(
Again, sim!licit& is a /e& here 1 if e.er&one can #nderstand the message then there is
a greater chance of it remaining intact when it is !assed on6 the shorter the message,
the greater the chance of it being !assed on in its entiret&( This boo/ is not the
message, b#t beca#se it has been written to be easil& #nderstood b& a large n#mber of
!eo!le then the message can be reinforced b& the s#!!orting material(
To create a message that is s#itable as an @co*Meme, we need to first boil down all
the rele.ant material into a short b#rst of information( The first !art needs to contain
the wh&? information, i(e( ;h& do ' need to do something?
't loo/s something li/e this0
+uman acti)ity is destroying the natural systems that !e de.end u.on for our
sur)i)al2 Our most 0asic instinct as humans is to sur)i)e3 yet !e continue to destroy
our life4su..ort machine2 Connected humans understand this terri0le
contradiction3 disconnected humans do not2
/ot all humans are res.onsi0le: 5ust those !ho are .art of Industrial Ci)ili6ation2
Industrial Ci)ili6ation de.ends on economic gro!th and the unsustaina0le use of
2,E
natural resources1 so it has de)elo.ed a com.le- set of tools for 'ee.ing .eo.le
disconnected from the real !orld and li)ing a life that 'ee.s ci)ili6ation running2
+umans ha)e 0een mani.ulated in order to 0e .art of a destructi)e system
The only !ay to .re)ent glo0al ecological colla.se and thus ensure the sur)i)al of
humanity is to rid the !orld of Industrial Ci)ili6ation2
The second !art needs to contain the how? information, i(e( $ow can ' ma/e this
ha!!en? Again, it needs to be in s#ch a form that it is s#itable as an @co*Meme0
Ci)ili6ation is com.le- and delicate: it de.ends on e)erything running smoothly and
also de.ends u.on .eo.le ha)ing faith in its goodness2 %lo0al ecological systems
are changing in un.redicta0le and ma5or !ays3 natural resources are running out
ra.idly3 the .o.ulation is gro!ing1 .articularly the .o.ulation of ur0an areas3 there
is considera0le .olitical and ci)il unrest de)elo.ing throughout the !orld: all of
these things !ill lead to a sudden and catastro.hic colla.se of ci)ili6ation during
the 71st century2
It is .ossi0le to create a situation !here ci)ili6ation is left to crum0le gradually1
reducing the im.act on humanity 8 the sooner this is done3 the less the glo0al
en)ironment !ill 0e harmed2 The 'ey things !e need to do are:
19 econnect !ith the real !orld1 so that !e can understand our close relationshi.s
!ith it in e)erything !e do2 The more you connect1 the more you !ill realise ho!
unreal ci)ili6ation is2
79 Li)e in such a !ay that !e do not contri0ute to the e-.ansion of the glo0al
economy1 reducing our im.act on the natural en)ironment in the .rocess2 $e a!are
that authority figures !ithin the system1 such as .olitical leaders and cor.orations1
!ill attem.t to .ro)ide you !ith :green; ad)ice: this ad)ice is designed to ensure
that ci)ili6ation continues1 and should 0e ignored2
<9 Create the conditions so that others may also change through education and1
more im.ortantly1 sa0otaging the tools that ci)ili6ation uses to 'ee. us .art of the
machine2 (on=t !aste time .rotesting: this changes nothing 8 that is !hy it is legal2
2>=
, future outside of ci)ili6ation is a 0etter life3 one in !hich !e can actually decide
for oursel)es ho! !e are going to li)e2
'9m s#re a better writer than me co#ld go thro#gh this and constr#ct something more
elo:#ent, b#t that is the essence of the message6 and that is what ' thin/ needs to go
o#t to h#manit& 1 at first to a rece!ti.e minorit& and then, as conditions become more
cond#ci.e to change, to a !rogressi.el& larger a#dience(
L L L
4ow we ha.e the basis of a sim!le, b#t com!rehensi.e message, we need to ens#re it
stands the best chance of being s#ccessf#l in the big, bad world that is the -#lt#re of
MaBim#m $arm( There are a few things we can do to hel!(
"irst, we need to be caref#l abo#t the words we use( Some words, which we
#nwittingl& #se in ne#tral terms, are dee!l& gro#nded in ci.iliAation6 as tho#gh that is
the onl& wa& of being( -ons#mer has become a general term for a !erson going
abo#t their dail& life, when it act#all& means someone who is ta/ing !art in a
cons#ming acti.it&, li/e sho!!ing or to#rism( Ad.anced and e.elo!ed are terms
#sed to describe c#lt#res that are at the !ea/ of h#man endea.o#r, when the& are
act#all& .er& s!ecific terms to describe a high le.el of technological or economic
acti.it&6 li/ewise, Bac/ward and +nde.elo!ed are #sed to !#t non*ind#strial, low
reso#rce #se societies in a !oor light, as o!!osed to good ci.iliAation( e.elo!ing
is !#rel& as!irational0 it im!lies that a societ& or co#ntr& that is not de.elo!ed is
as!iring to become so( -i.iliAed and +nci.iliAed are similarl& #sed to im!l&
!ositi.e and negati.e as!ects of a c#lt#re or societ& when these words act#all&
describe to what le.el it is based aro#nd li.ing in cities( ;ords li/e Sa.age, ;ild
and Animal ha.e been framed in almost com!letel& negati.e terms, when the&
sim!l& im!l& that something is nat#ral(
Iedefining s#ch words will, in the short term, 2#st be conf#sing0 instead, where a
word is alwa&s going to be seen as negati.e, li/e Sa.age, it sho#ld be a.oided6 and
where a word s!ecificall& relates to 'nd#strial -i.iliAation in !ositi.e terms, we
sho#ld tr& and #se it negati.el&( 't is s#r!rising how :#ic/l& this t&!e of meme (the
definition of a word% can s!read thro#gho#t a !o!#lation(
2>7
On a related !oint, we need to start tal/ing as tho#gh not ha.ing st#ff, not
cons#ming, not tra.elling etc( is a !ositi.e thing0 how can being gen#inel&
en.ironmentall& friendl& be an&thing b#t !ositi.e? T&!icall&, a !erson in the -#lt#re
of MaBim#m $arm, if the& are as/ed abo#t something relati.el& non*destr#cti.e the&
own or ha.e done, tries to !la& it down in order to seem normal( "or instance, the&
might sa&0 ' 2#st went cam!ing Y holida&ed locall& or '9m going to get one neBt
wee/ or Sorr&, ' can9t afford it at the moment( ;e ha.e become eBtraordinaril&
co& abo#t not being rabid cons#mers, when we sho#ld be !ro#d of it( Again, this is a
/ind of lang#age change that can be eBtremel& effecti.e(
' ha.e tal/ed at considerable length abo#t sabotage, b#t '9m going to mention it
again0 in order for a message to get o#t in its strongest !ossible form and remain
#ntainted, ci.iliAation m#st not be allowed to mess aro#nd with it( 't is not !ossible
for a cor!oration to be green, therefore at no !oint m#st the message be allowed to
incl#de b#siness as an all&6 !oliticians are not enablers of change, the& eBist to
maintain the stat#s :#o, so are not going to !la& a !art in the sol#tion6 connection can
onl& be made with an artefact of the real world, it cannot be re!rod#ced in a
technological eB!erience( 'n this case, sabotage needs to be foc#ssed on eB!osing
the damaging alternati.es to real change as greenwash, lies and attem!ts to /ee! #s
as !arts of the machine(
"inall&, we m#st ne.er forget the way in which the message is delivered0 tr#st is b&
far the most im!ortant factor here( The best !erson to !ers#ade someone wh& and how
the& need to change is a !erson that the& tr#st, howe.er h#mble and #nass#ming( The
best sales!erson isn9t alwa&s the !erson who has been in the game the longest or has
the best trac/ record6 he or she ma& 2#st be someone who has the ear of someone else(
3o# are deli.ering a message that is criticall& im!ortant and #ndeniabl& !ositi.e in its
o#tcome0 it will not be a breach of tr#st to deli.er this message, howe.er hard it ma&
be to digest( ;e ma& not all be heroes, b#t we can all be !art of the change(
L L L
;hat we ha.e eB!erienced o.er the last tho#sand or more &ears is a !rogressi.e
addiction to a wa& of life that cannot, #nder an& circ#mstances be maintained( There
is no c#re to addiction and almost all of #s will feel a certain amo#nt of withdrawal as
we mo.e awa& from a life of toBic ab#se to one that !ro.ides little or none of the
2>2
!ara!hernalia we ha.e become so de!endent #!on( The neBt generation, tho#gh, will
not be addicted0 the& can grow #! in a c#lt#re that doesn9t tr& to c#t them off from
realit&( The c#rrent generation ma& become a generation of eB*ci.ilians6 the neBt
generation will sim!l& be free(
)etting rid of ci.iliAation is not going to be eas&, b#t the alternati.e is far, far
worse( 'n the neBt cha!ter ' am going to show &o# how ma/e the !rocess of
withdrawing from this c#lt#re easier for &o#rself, and hel! ins#late &o# from the
worst of the after*effects of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation0 when something that big comes
down, howe.er it comes down, it is bo#nd to ma/e a bit of a mess( 't doesn9t h#rt to
be !re!ared(
2><
Chapter Se1enteen
Being O#rsel.es
"ind a !atch of s#nshine or a !lace where it is warm and still6 sit or stand, whiche.er
is most comfortable( 3o#9ll need to !#t the boo/ down in a moment beca#se ' want
&o# to sh#t &o#r e&es and imagine what it will be li/e after ci.iliAation has gone( 'f
&o# ha.e e.er been somewhere tr#l& wild, e.en 2#st for a cam!ing tri! or a long wal/,
then that will hel! &o#r imagination( 'f &o# alread& li.e somewhere tr#l& wild then
this will be an eas& eBercise6 if &o# are de!endent #!on 'nd#strial -i.iliAation to
!ro.ide &o# with e.er&thing then it will be hard, ma&be im!ossible( 'magine no cities,
no !a.ed roads, no !&lons, no offices or factories 1 imagine ha.ing to grow
e.er&thing, ma/e e.er&thing, do e.er&thing for &o#rself(
4ow close &o#r e&es and go there for a whileS
L L L
MiBed feelings( 8oss, em!tiness, a sense of solitar& isolation( To#gh wor/, endless
toil, dirt, disease and death( I#bble, d#st, twisted metal and !oisoned water6 constant
battles, tribal ri.alries and insectile hostilit&( istance6 a de!ra.ed !ast and a
!romising f#t#re( -leanliness, fresh air, fresh water, o!en to the elements and a
feeling of raw, real li.ing( Iichness, f#lfilment, connection, freedom(
Most of #s are not mentall& or !h&sicall& read& to co!e with the loss of something
we ha.e been made to belie.e is so im!ortant to #s( Ta/e awa& ci.iliAation tomorrow
and we co#ld fall too far to sa.e o#rsel.es( ;e ha.e to start thin/ing li/e s#r.i.ors
beca#se, one wa& or another 1 s#ddenl&, thro#gh this c#lt#re9s self*destr#cti.e
beha.io#r, or more grad#all&, b& o#r own caring hands 1 that is the world we will be
seeing in two or three generations, !ossibl& onl& one(
'f &o# are !re!ared for it then the 2o#rne&, and the e.ent#al destination can show
&o# what it is reall& li/e to be h#man( Pre!are, and &o#r eBistence o#tside of
ci.iliAation can be something that &o# can only find o#tside of ci.iliAation0 something
real and tr#l& good(
2>,
Preparin.
-i.iliAation has ta#ght #s that there is onl& one wa& to go, and that9s forwards in a
straight line 1 alwa&s increasing, alwa&s renewing, alwa&s dis!osing of the !ast and
reaching for something more( ;e r#sh headlong into the f#t#re with o.erwo#nd
enth#siasm, tr#sting o#r s#r.i.al to the blind faith that /ee!s #s mo.ing forwards with
the c#rrent, getting faster and faster, !#lling #s towards a !lace that has not been
made, &et one that we are told is the onl& !lace to go( ;e are st#c/ in a ri! c#rrent of
o#r own ma/ing6 s#c/ing #s into the o!en sea, o#t of control(
't9s s#r!risingl& eas& to get o#t of a ri! c#rrent0 2#st swim sidewa&s(
;e rightl& loo/ to the !ast as a wa& of #nderstanding how we got here, and also so
we can learn lessons abo#t the right and the wrong wa& to do things6 b#t remember
what we tal/ed abo#t in Part Two, abo#t the wa& we are bo#nd to o#r tem!oral life 1
we ha.e to li.e for the f#t#re, rather than the !ast0 it9s 2#st that there is more than one
future( As a good friend of mine wrote0 ;hat we do in the f#t#re is what co#nts( And
' thin/ we need to become something new, not ret#rn to some earlier state( 4ow we
ha.e to #se o#r brains and o#r /nowledge to change o#rsel.es in deliberate wa&s(<F7
Ste! o#t of the ri! c#rrent and ste! into something else0 a more docile, less #rgent
flow of time, one that #nderstands how we relate to the nat#ral !rocesses of the world,
that allows #s to grab hold of a branch or a !iece of weed as it drifts into o#r !ath and
see what it has to offer(
;bviously, we cannot turn back the clock. But we are at a point in history where
we not only can, but m#st pick and choose among all the present and past
elements of human culture to find those that are most humane and sustainable.
,hile the new culture we will create by doing so will not likely represent simply
an immediate return to wild food gathering, it co#ld restore much of the
freedom, naturalness, and spontaneity that we have traded for civili6ationAs
artifices!,e need not slavishly imitate the pastF we might, rather, be inspired
by the best examples of human adaptation, past and present. &nstead of Rgoing
back,S we should think of this process as Rgetting back on track.S3=2
)etting bac/ on trac/( ' li/e that( 'nd#strial -i.iliAation is a blin/ in h#man
histor&6 a ra!id, artificial cataract on o#r man& and .aried co#rses downstream( )rab
2>>
hold of something if &o# can, or ste! sidewa&s and 2oin a flow that &o# can control(
$ere9s how to b#ild &o#r own boat, with its own sail(<F<
L L L
Z#ite a few !ages bac/ now, was a section called ;a&s To 8i.e( id &o# notice
some things missing from it? ' !#r!osef#ll& a.oided s#ggesting technological
sol#tions and wa&s of li.ing that de!end #!on the s&stem rather than &o#r own free
will( @.er& wa& of li.ing written there r#ns co#nter to the needs of ci.iliAation6 e.er&
change that ' laid down is a change that !#lls &o# o#t of the #ncontrollable flowing
water( Ta/e -ons#ming, for eBam!le0 ' tal/ed abo#t red#cing, re!airing, bartering and
donating 1 all anathema to the -#lt#re of MaBim#m $arm( ;hat abo#t Tra.elling0
there was no energ& efficient technolog& or go.ernment s!onsored tra.el !lans6 we
need to remo.e o#r de!endence on motorised trans!ort, and the s!eed we tra.el, and
the distance( The same with ;or/ing0 no switching off com!#ters in the office, no
telecomm#ting, no cor!orate carbon offsetting 1 2#st the sim!le message to sto! li.ing
as !art of the growth econom&(
B& following ;a&s To 8i.e &o# are !re!aring &o#rself for a life witho#t
ci.iliAation6 &o# are distancing &o#rself, drawing &o#rself awa& from the c#lt#re that
&o# feel so attached to( The 8e.el One sol#tions are abo#t far more than red#cing o#r
im!act on the nat#ral en.ironment 1 the& are wa&s of sto!!ing the s&stem in its trac/s
and hel!ing &o# !re!are for when the ine.itable ha!!ens( ;hen ci.iliAation colla!ses,
starting with the inner cities, b#t ra!idl& !rogressing to the infrastr#ct#re*de!endent
s#b#rbs and the smaller towns that ha.e sto!!ed being self*s#fficient, then the
s#r.i.ors (' mean those who are really li.ing, not those scrabbling aro#nd in a
!osta!ocal&!tic
swill% will be those who ha.e loosened eno#gh ties with ci.iliAation to be
able to get on witho#t it( mitr& Orlo. writes0
&f the economy, and your place within it, is really important to you, you will be
really hurt when it goes away. Eou can cultivate an attitude of studied
indifference, but it has to be more than just a conceit. Eou have to develop the
lifestyle and the habits and the physical stamina to back it up.3=.
4ow we9re starting to disco.er a few more needs( Ph&sical stamina and strength
are necessar&0 &o# can9t saw and c#t logs, dig half an acre of land or e.en c&cle a few
miles to do some errands if &o# s!end &o#r life sl#m!ed in front of a com!#ter screen6
2>C
altho#gh it9s s#r!rising how :#ic/l& the fat dro!s off and the m#scle b#ilds #! once
&o# decide the best #se for &o#r hands is something other than !ressing the remote
control or hitting the indicator le.er( Mental strength is e:#all& im!ortant 1 !robabl&
more so( "irstl&, beca#se #nless &o# ha.e the willingness to /ee! at it, &o# can
:#ic/l& find &o#rself sli!!ing bac/ towards the eas& cons#mer life6 secondl&,
beca#se, howe.er good and com!lete the li.ing is, ad2#sting to a life that is
f#ndamentall& different to what &o# ha.e become #sed to is ne.er eas&( Attit#de is
.ital0 !rimaril& a !ositi.e attit#de that, if &o# are doing something for the right reason,
is not reall& that hard to start off with( To maintain it, tho#gh, is something &o# ha.e
to wor/ at( Brent 8add went headlong into a s#bsistence wa& of life that he wasn9t
ade:#atel& !re!ared for, so had a to#gh time dealing with things as the& ha!!ened(
$is attit#de hel!ed him tremendo#sl&0
&t is important to know skills like fire making inside and out, but if youAre caught
in a rainstorm or bli66ard or whatever, and you let the weather get to you
psychologically K it could mean hypothermia. & am learning that & need a sense
of confidence and courage to live the way & have in the past two years. @any
doubts have entered my mind about what & am doing. & have had to suck it up
and get past the fears and let myself know & can do it. &f & fail, & try again.
A sense of humor is a big part of the right attitude. Being able to laugh at myself
(& do it often) helps a great deal. ,hen things donAt go just the way &Ave planned,
& can either get down on myself, blame someone else, or laugh at myself or the
situation. %aving been through what & have, & can say that laughter is indeed the
best medicine. ,hen & began to live a free lifestyle, my personality also became
more free.3=7
8earning to li.e o#tside of ci.iliAation is !ossible on &o#r own, if &o# are #ni:#el&
able to deal with e.er&thing wild nat#re can throw at &o# 1 b#t let9s be honest, most
of #s ha.e no idea what nat#re is reall& li/e close #!( 'n realit&, &o# are not going to
be going abo#t this on &o#r own, e.en as 2#st a famil& gro#!0 &o# will need others on
the boat with &o#(
Eou may feel like you want to do it alone, but you have never done it alone. To
survive the breakdown of this world and build a better one, you will have to
trade your sterile, insulated links of money and law for raw, messy links of
2>G
friendship and conflict. The big lie of post-apocalypse movies like ;megaman
and @ad @ax is that the survivors will be loners. &n the real apocalypse, the
survivors will be members of multi-skilled well-balanced cooperative groups.3=4
A!ocal&!se, fallen b& the wa&side or managed, intentional defection6 whate.er the
reason for li.ing witho#t ci.iliAation, comm#nit& is where &o# will ha.e to end #!
li.ing( 8oo/ing at the two metre !anel fences and bric/ walls s#rro#nding the homes
of the ci.iliAed ' can see there is a h#ge difference between the wa& we are now, the
wa& we were and the wa& we need to be( ' ha.e some !hotogra!hs of gardens from
the 7E<=s and 7E,=s in Britain0 there are no solid fences, no im!enetrable barriers 1
2#st a bit of chic/en mesh, often to sto! rabbits and chic/ens from getting into the neBt
garden( This was not some halc&on age of e.ergreen landsca!es6 the s/ies were often
f#ll of coal smo/e, altho#gh the amo#nt of carbon dioBide in the air was some twent&
!ercent less than it is now (low eno#gh to /ee! the Arctic ice froAen% 1 b#t !eo!le
tal/ed to each other( The endless tittle*tattle across the flims& di.iders often crossed
man& gardens6 !eo!le wo#ld chat in the street, wal/ along together rather than 2#m!
in their cars and dri.e anon&mo#sl& from one !lace to another6 !eo!le reall& did lea.e
their doors #nloc/ed beca#se the& /new someone wo#ld alwa&s be watching o#t for
them( ;hat ha!!ened? ;e became so enmeshed in o#r dri.e to become economicall&
s#ccessf#l that we segregated o#rsel.es from those that mattered0 families ha.e
become s#bdi.ided b& a !ercei.ed lac/ of time and shattered b& financial !ress#res6
the age of the three generation ho#sehold is gone<FG 1 the elderl& are !ac/ed awa& to
care homes to li.e o#t their remaining &ears in .irt#al isolation6 children and
!arents ha.e forgotten how to tal/ to each other( The segregated societ& ma& benefit
the economic dream where !eo!le com!ete to materiall& o#tdo each other, b#t as a
!lace for s#r.i.ors, the segregated societ& is a ho!eless case(
;e need !eo!le to disc#ss !lans and ideas with, to hel! #s get things off o#r
chests, to la#gh and en2o& things together, to 2#st be there when we are feeling low0
we need !eo!le beca#se h#mans are social animals( 't9s not 2#st a !s&chological need,
tho#gh0 howe.er m#lti*s/illed we ma& be, there will alwa&s be someone else who
/nows more than #s abo#t something and can teach #s6 who can lend a hand when a
2ob gets too to#gh, or we are not feeling well eno#gh to com!lete it6 who is !art of a
team that has a .ariet& of different roles, all essential, all as .al#able as one another(
Barn*raising, once so common in r#ral America b#t now limited to Amish and other
2>F
more traditional comm#nities, was 1 #ntil the ad.ent of b#ilding contractors 1
im!ossible witho#t the hel! of a siAeable n#mber of willing wor/ers, all foc#ssed on a
single tas/ for the longer*term benefit of the comm#nit&( A s#bstantial barn co#ld be
raised in less than a wee/<FF #sing the combined labo#r of all those who had the
necessar& strength and stamina 1 which, in a self*s#fficient comm#nit&, was almost
e.er&one( B#t the wor/ wasn9t 2#st abo#t getting something done as :#ic/l& as
!ossible0 it was a chance to eat, tal/, sing, and (eBce!t for the Amish% drin/ together6
it was a demonstration of !eo!les9 confidence in each other( A comm#nit& or tribe<FE 1
for that is where we need to be headed 1 that cannot rel& on its own !eo!le is bo#nd to
fail0 a tribe that draws together, recognises the im!ortance of the indi.id#als within it,
and whose indi.id#als recognise the im!ortance of the tribe as a f#nctional whole, can
thri.e indefinitel&(<E=
;e all ha.e o#r own s!ecialities as indi.id#als0 man&, b#t b& no means all of
them, are re:#ired in the comm#nit& and, o.er time, the tribe( Man& of the s/ills we
ha.e learnt in ci.iliAation ma& be transferable, !artic#larl& for those who wor/ closel&
with the land, with !eo!le and with materials 1 artistic s/ills can also be im!ortant for
morale( @:#all&, man& of the s/ills we ha.e !ic/ed #! in ci.iliAation are irrele.ant to
s#stainable li.ing o#tside of ci.iliAation and co#ld be dangero#s, for the& ma& be
intrinsicall& lin/ed to the contin#ation of ci.iliAation0 ma/e no mista/e, there is a
trade to be made(
The following list is gathered from a n#mber of different so#rces<E7, as well as the
!ersonal eB!eriences of !eo!le ' ha.e the !ri.ilege to /now( 't doesn9t contain e.er&
s/ill &o# ma& need, for that wo#ld im!l& ' co#ld !redict e.er&thing that co#ld
!ossibl& ha!!en to &o#6 b#t it does !ro.ide a starting !oint o.er a n#mber of
timescales( 'f the list were an& more s!ecific, it wo#ld im!l& that each tribe and gro#!
of !eo!le wor/ing to become self*s#fficient is going to be the same0 of co#rse it will
not( Iemember that there is no one right wa& to li.e(
7e& S-ills for 2oin. %e&ond Ci1ili:ation
Short4Term > Emergency (surviving for a few days or weeks)
;ater disco.er& Y ca!t#re, !#rification and storage
2>E
"ire ma/ing
Shelter b#ilding
;ild food identification and disco.er&6 food !re!aration and coo/ing
"riendshi! and comm#nit& s!irit
Basic first aid
&edium4Term (surviving for a few months or years)
Peo!le s/ills<E20 conflict resol#tion6 entertaining6 consens#s decision*ma/ing6
ob2ecti.e setting and !lanning6 co#nselling and !s&cholog&
S#stainable food gathering and tra!!ing
"ood !rod#ction (Permac#lt#re%<E<0 land and soil management6 food growing6
!re!aration, storage and !reser.ation6 coo/ing
Sanitation and waste management
Bab& and child care0 birthing, feeding, caring, ed#cating
Medical s/ills0 first aid, herbolog& and anatom&
8ocal /nowledge0 !lant and animal lore6 meteorolog&6 !h&sical geogra!h&
$ome economics (domestic management of reso#rces 1 not finance%
B#ilding constr#ction and maintenance
Mechanics, electricals, chemistr& and other #sef#l scientific s/ills
Long4Term (surviving forever)
This is not so m#ch a list of needs as an idea of some of the /e& s/ills &o# sho#ld
de.elo! or retain for im!ro.ing &o#r chances( 4otice that none of them are !ractical 1
b& this stage &o# will ha.e identified all of the !ractical s/ill &o# will e.er need(
Sociolog& and !olitical anal&sis0 to ma! o#t o!tions for the societ& Y comm#nit& Y
tribe &o# are e.ol.ing
Teaching, learning s/ills and ada!tation0 to !ass on s/ills and /nowledge, and
enco#rage their ac:#isition
$istor& and fol/lore0 to learn from the !ast and !rotect the f#t#re
The willingness to learn
2C=
O.er the time ' ha.e been writing, blogging and ma/e a general n#isance of m&self,
!eo!le ha.e sent me notes eB!laining how the& are !re!aring themsel.es for the
f#t#re in all sorts of wa&s 1 going off grid6 becoming self*s#fficient in food6
b#ilding their own homes awa& from the dangers of ci.iliAation (as far as that is
!ossible%6 learning abo#t e.er&thing the& !ossibl& can( Some !eo!le who ha.e seen
these notes ha.e s#ggested the& are sim!l& dro!!ing o#t of life and ma/ing a mo.e
that is the !reser.e of the affl#ent few0 if &o# can afford to do it then that9s o/, b#t
what abo#t the rest of #s? To me that9s missing the !oint entirel&0 we sim!l& cannot
afford not to ma/e the change( ' a!!la#d the bra.e few who ha.e ta/en the !l#nge(
;here the& lead, others ha.e to follow(
L L L
'n the section called Ie!rod#cing, ' mentioned there was a fo#rth reason to ha.e
fewer children6 ' can now eB!lain( -i.iliAation needs a contin#o#s s#!!l& of wor/ers
in order to feed the growing econom&, and this feedstoc/ has to be !rod#ced for
generation after generation( Sometimes !roblems occ#r, s#ch as with #neB!ected
immigration, which can ca#se a shortage in the s#!!l& of ho#ses, school !laces,
wor/!laces, !rison !laces and so on 1 b#t these are tem!orar& aberrations0 ci.iliAation
is .er& good at cons#ming more reso#rces in order to !rod#ce more of what it needs
as re:#ired( As we /now, the reso#rces 'nd#strial -i.iliAation de!ends #!on are finite
1 both the ones that it remo.es from the @arth, and the ones into which it throws all
the cra! we don9t need an& more 1 and 'nd#strial -i.iliAation is hitting all sorts of
reso#rce limitations which will, in combination, lead to its downfall(
;e ha.e to ta/e these lessons .er& serio#sl&0 li/e all s!ecies on @arth, h#mans
ha.e to obser.e the nat#ral limits we are !ro.ided with( ;hen we li.e a connected
life that doesn9t let #s ignore these limits, we ha.e to ad2#st as conditions change, and
1 if we aren9t able to glean o#t more from less 1 one of the f#ndamental ad2#stments
we ha.e to ma/e is to the n#mber of !eo!le li.ing in a !artic#lar geogra!hical area(
That is wh& ens#ring that !o!#lations are /e!t below the le.el that can be comfortabl&
s#!!orted is critical( Balance is the /e&0 between the n#mber of !eo!le &o# need to
maintain a s#ccessf#l comm#nit&6 the n#mber of !eo!le that can be comfortabl&
s#!!orted6 and also the wider world in which &o# li.e, so &o# ha.e no need to intr#de
on other comm#nities, how e.er m#ch the grass ma& seem greener on their side(
2C7
' need to finish this section on a contentio#s note( A factor that /ee!s rearing its
head in disc#ssions abo#t lea.ing ci.iliAation behind is healthcare0 the fear that the
moment we ste! o#tside of the comfortable arms of modern li.ing we will be
s#b2ected to all sorts of medical horrors that will stri/e #s down, and which we will
ha.e no defence against( To this there are fo#r things that need to be said0 first, the
/ind of healthcare that has made eternal !reser.ation a distinct !ossibilit& is restricted
to a .er& !ri.ileged few in 'nd#strial -i.iliAation( @.en a nation li/e the +SA which
s!ends more on healthcare !er !erson than an& other ci.iliAed nation on @arth<E, has
dramatic health ine:#alities 1 if &o# don9t ha.e health ins#rance, &o# onl& get treated
as a last resort( Second, 'nd#strial -i.iliAation ma& ha.e !rod#ced new and inno.ati.e
wa&s of fighting h#man disease, b#t at the eB!ense of tens of millions of other
animals each &ear<E>, and the release of #n/nown :#antities of s&nthetic antibiotics
and other s#bstances into the nat#ral en.ironment( Third, !robabl& the single biggest
/iller of newl& eB!osed tribal !eo!les is the introd#ction of foreign !athogens to
which the& ha.e no imm#nit&<EC B#ilding imm#nit& from scratch ta/es time, b#t in the
absence of a gl#t of antibiotics, most h#mans are able to increase their le.els of
imm#nit& to common !athogens :#ic/l&6 after onl& a single eB!os#re in the case of
.ir#ses( This is not to sa& that !eo!le will not die from disease 1 that ha!!ens
regardless of healthcare !ro.ision 1 b#t medicine doesn9t need to be s&nthetic, we 2#st
need to learn how to find the meta!horical doc/*leaf6 a s/ill we ha.e lost in the
cosseted world of hos!itals and o.er*the*co#nter remedies(
"inall&, ci.iliAation itself is the worst disease of all6 not onl& beca#se of the raft of
cancers, diet and habit related diseases and mental conditions #ni:#e to the -#lt#re of
MaBim#m $arm6 not onl& beca#se it has t#rned largel& benign, isolated organisms
into global /illing machines<EG6 not onl& beca#se of the com!lete fail#re of ci.iliAation
to e:#i! #s with the basic tools to loo/ after o#rsel.es6 b#t also, and !rimaril&,
beca#se of the catastro!he that is edging towards #s in the form of irre.ersible
climatic and en.ironmental change 1 all ci.iliAation9s doing( 8osing &o#r cabinet of
s&nthetic !harmace#ticals and &o#r amb#lance ser.ice ma& be one /ind of loss6 b#t in
the big scheme of things, it9s a loss that has so man& gains attached to it(
2C2
2i1in. The >arth A 0uture
@arl& in 2==C, ' started to write on a small and insignificant web site called The @arth
Blog( "rom the beginning it was s#btitled, )i.ing The @arth A "#t#re, and !eo!le
had often said to me things li/e0 B#t, the @arth has got a f#t#re, it9s 2#st that we
might not be a !art of it( That9s what got me thin/ing, abo#t man& things that
c#lminated in the writing of this boo/0 it forced me to get a gri! on the com!leBit& of
the change that was ta/ing !lace, which seemed to ha.e no beginning and no end, and
which no one seemed to ha.e made an& sense of, and it made me realise how far we
had lost contact with the real world, and to #nderstand how this co#ld ha.e ha!!ened
beneath o#r .er& noses( Most #neB!ectedl& 1 ' thin/ it was while ta/ing a shower of
all things 1 it bro#ght me to the concl#sion that, des!ite the harm that man& h#mans
ha.e inflicted on the @arth, and des!ite o#r insignificance as 2#st one of millions of
s!ecies6 to #s, we reall& are the most im!ortant things on the entire !lanet( 'f we sn#ff
o#rsel.es o#t then nothing that ha!!ens after can !ossibl& matter(
' also ha.e one slightl& more !ragmatic res!onse to those who do#bt that we ha.e
a d#t& to gi.e the @arth a f#t#re0 if, thro#gh the acti.ities of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation,
h#manit& ceases to eBist, it will #ndo#btedl& lea.e a legac& of t#rmoil( -limatic
s&stems that will ta/e eons to read2#st6 ri.ers, soil, oceans and animals f#ll of the toBic
b&*!rod#cts of o#r ind#strial !ast6 and !robabl& worst of all, at least G= !ercent of all
s!ecies on @arth wi!ed off the face of the !lanet in a s&nthetic re!la& of the great
Permian eBtinction e.ent that occ#rred aro#nd 2>= million &ears ago 1 one that was
accom!anied b& the /inds of climatic conditions that we are bringing the @arth
towards at an e.er increasing rate(
;e can loo/ at the res#lts of the eB!eriment called ci.iliAation and feel hel!less, or
we can loo/ at what we ha.e in o#rsel.es, and what remains #ndamaged on the @arth,
and thin/, ;e can do better( The f#t#re is still o#rs if we ha.e the determination to
s#r.i.e it and, whether &o# li/e it or not, the f#t#re will be determined b& the
decisions &o# ma/e( )i.ing The @arth A "#t#re seems abo#t right in these
circ#mstances, and we ha.e 2#st the sol#tion at o#r fingerti!s0 all we ha.e to do is
wa.e goodb&e to the -#lt#re of MaBim#m $arm, and learn once again to be
o#rsel.es(
L L L
2C<
That wo#ld ha.e been a good !lace to finish, b#t some !eo!le are ne.er satisfied( '
can9t !redict where we are going to end #!, b#t ' can !redict what some !eo!le are
going to thin/ #!on finishing this boo/0 ;hat abo#t the long*term f#t#re? ;hat
abo#t the neBt 7==,=== &ears, when we might be wi!ed o#t b& an asteroid6 or what
abo#t the neBt fi.e billion &ears, when the @arth will cease to eBist 1 wh& are &o# so
concerned abo#t the short term? ;h& do &o# want to sto! ci.iliAation in its trac/s and
!re.ent an& ho!e of #s sto!!ing the asteroid or ho!!ing from !lanet to !lanet in
search of other habitable worlds?
M& sim!le answer is this0 if we don9t deal with the neBt one h#ndred &ears, then
what ha!!ens a h#ndred tho#sand &ears or fi.e billion &ears in the f#t#re doesn9t
matter at all( ' can offer &o# a few decades, ma&be a bit longer 1 eno#gh for two or
three more generations, b#t at least a starting !oint for what comes after( ;hen we
ha.e managed to s#r.i.e the neBt few decades in one !iece then ma&be o#r
grandchildren can tal/ abo#t the distant f#t#re6 sitting b& the s!ar/ling, clean ri.er6
breathing in the fresh air6 s#rro#nded b& an ab#ndance of life(
oes that so#nd li/e a !lan?
A Matter Of Scale Ieferences
2C,
4otes and 5eferences
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2 4ot e.er&one infected with $'5 will de.elo! f#ll*blown A'S6 the main reason being that man& will
die of other ca#ses before the inc#bation !eriod has !assed( 'f the reci!ient of the infection does s#r.i.e
the inc#bation !eriod (#! to 7= &ears, b#t far less witho#t dr#g thera!&% then it is almost certain that
the& will contract A'S(
< htt!0YYwww(who(intYmediacentreYfactsheetsYfs77GYenY (accessed 2F 4o.ember 2==G%
, Ste!hen Ding, The Stand, 7EGF, 4ew @nglish 8ibrar&(
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22 As described in the (former% -hicago -on.ention, 7E,,0 "#el, l#bricating oils, s!are !arts, reg#lar
e:#i!ment and aircraft stores on board an aircraft of a contracting State, on arri.al in the territor& of
another contracting State and retained on board on lea.ing the territor& of that State shall be eBem!t
from c#stoms d#t&, ins!ection fees or similar national or local d#ties and charges( 'nternational -i.il
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2C>
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2F A carbon sin/ is an&thing that loc/s awa& carbon rather than it being released into the atmos!here(
2E +4 "AO, ibid(
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<7 'bid(
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<< Toni )abaldon and Marti2n A( $#&nen, Ieconstr#ction of the Proto*Mitochondrial Metabolism,
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<, ?erem& D 4icholson, @laine $olmes, ?ohn - 8indon b 'an ;ilson, The challenges of modeling
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<> 'bid(
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<G I()( @agon, Pse#domonas natriegens, a marine bacteri#m with a generation time of less than 7=
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<E htt!0YYwww(ni(#nimelb(ed#(a#YdocsYfor#mY>*-ara!etis(!df (accessed 7< ecember, 2==G% which
ta/es its fig#res from ?onathan I -ara!etis, Andrew - Steer, @ Dim M#lholland and Martin ;eber,
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,7 Trialling a new .accine for t#berc#losis, ;ellcome Tr#st,
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,< Iichard "orte&, 8ife0 An +na#thorised Biogra!h&, $ar!er-ollins, 7EEG(
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>= S!i/e Milligan (edited b& ?ac/ $obbs%, M#ssolini0 $is Part 'n M& ownfall, Peng#in Boo/s,
7EGF(
>7 ' won9t !retend to ha.e remembered this word for word, ' ha.e The Sim!sons Archi.e
(htt!0YYwww(sn!!(comYe!isodesYG"7E(html% to than/ for the eBtract(
>2 -enters for isease -ontrol, 8&me isease *** +nited States, 2==7c2==2,
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2CC
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htt!0YYwww(who(intYwerY2==,YenYwerGE<<(!df (accessed 2= ecember, 2==G%
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>C T(@( Amera#lt and T(O( Iob&, -ard test an acc#rate and sim!le !roced#re for detecting
ana!lasmosis, ;orld Animal Ie.iew, 7EF7,
htt!0YYwww(fao(orgYO-I@PY==,YRC><F@YRC><F@=,(htm (accessed 7< ?#ne, 2==F%(
>G Secretariat of the Pacific -omm#nit&, -attle Tic/,
htt!0YYwww(s!c(intYrahsYMan#alYBO5'4@Y-ATT8@\2=T'-D@($TM (accessed 2= ecember, 2==G%
>F "or eBam!le, all leo!ards are of the same gen#s as each other, as are all hone& bees(
>E -hris ?( ( Marafonetis, The T&!h#s "e.ers in 'nternal Medicine 'n ;orld ;ar '',
htt!0YYhistor&(amedd(arm&(milYboo/sdocsYwwiiYinfectio#sdis.oliiYcha!terG(htm (accessed 2= ecember,
2==G%(
C= a.id ;( TschanA, T&!h#s "e.er On The @astern "ront 'n ;orld ;ar ',
htt!0YYentomolog&(montana(ed#Yhistor&b#gY;;'YT@"(htm (accessed 2= ecember, 2==G%
C7 Michael ;( )ra&, Iic/ettsia, t&!h#s and the mitochondrial connection, 4at#re (<EC%, 7EEF(
C2 'n the world of commercial !est control almost e.er&thing that mo.es is a !otential !est( A few
commentators ha.e obser.ed that ma&be the onl& tr#e !ests are h#mans, e(g(
htt!0YY:#er&(n&times(comYgstYf#ll!age(html?resWEF=7@2B72<""E<7A2>G>G-=AEC7E-FBC<
(accessed 7< ?#ne, 2==F%(
C< Plant Parasitic 4ematodes, +SA AIS, htt!0YYwww(ars(#sda(go.YSer.icesYdocs(htm?docidWEC2F
(accessed < ?an#ar&, 2==F%
C, 4( A( -obb, 4ematodes and their relationshi!s, e!t( Agric( 3earboo/, 7E7, (:#oted in I( 4(
$#ettel and A( M( )olden, 4athan A#g#st#s -obb, Ann( Ie.( Ph&to!atholog& (2E%, 7EE7%(
C> ibid(
CC 5ictor $( ro!/in, 'ntrod#ction to Plant 4ematolog&, ?ohn ;ile& and Sons, 7EF=(
CG Meat b ;ool 4ew Mealand, ;ool @B!orts,
htt!0YYwww(meatandwoolnA(comYmain(cfm?idW2>Ed<<7 (accessed < ?an#ar&, 2==F%
CF I( ano.aro et al, @B!onential ecline of ee!*Sea @cos&stem "#nctioning 8in/ed to Benthic
Biodi.ersit& 8oss, -#rr( Biolog& (7G%, 2==G(
CE The Scottish )o.ernment, Potato c&st nematodes * a technical o.er.iew for Scotland,
htt!0YYwww(scotland(go.(#/Ycons#ltationsYagric#lt#reYP-4aTechnicalaPa!eraScotlandaS@@IA(!df
(accessed <= ecember, 2==G%
G= SeedZ#est, BAS" eB!ects @#ro!ean +nion a!!ro.al of Amflora !otato within wee/s,
htt!0YYwww(seed:#est(comY4ewsYreleasesY2==GYdecemberY272>=(htm (accessed <= ecember, 2==G%
G7 M( To!arla/ et al, -ontamination of -hildrens Pla&gro#nd Sand!its with ToBocara
eggs in 'stanb#l, T#r/e& OMFT TOPARLAK, AYEN GARGILI, ERKUT TZER, VEDAT
KELE, MELTEM ULUTA ESATGL, HANDAN ETNKAYA], T#r/ ? 5et Anim Sci (2C%,
2==2(
G2 A $istor& of -ro! Protection and Pest -ontrol in o#r Societ&, -ro!life -anada,
htt!0YYwww(cro!life(caYenglishY!dfYAnal&Aing2==<YT7$istor&(!df (accessed G ?an#ar&, 2==G%
G< -AM@O -hemicals, -hemical data sheet for0 -o!!er Acetoarsenite,
htt!0YYcameochemicals(noaa(go.YchemicalY2EF7 (accessed G ?an#ar&, 2==G%
G, Sorr& abo#t the terminolog&, it 2#st means insect /iller(
G> Iand& )a#gler, 4ematodes, -ornell +ni.ersit&,
htt!0YYwww(n&saes(cornell(ed#YentYbiocontrolY!athogensYnematodes(html (accessed 2 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
GC ;illiam T( -row, +sing 4ematodes to -ontrol 'nsects0 O.er.iew and "re:#entl& As/ed
Z#estions, htt!0YYedis(ifas(#fl(ed#Y'4,CF (accessed F ?an#ar&, 2==F%(
GG Simon )owan, +ni.ersit& of Ieading, !ersonal comm#nication(
GF )( -( Smart ?r( @ntomo!athogenic 4ematodes for the Biological -ontrol of 'nsects, S#!!( ?(
4ematolog& (2G%, 7EE>(
GE A($( ?a& B#rr and A "orest Iobinson, 8ocomotion Beha.ior in @ds( Iand& )a#gler, Anwar 8(
Bilgrami, 4ematode Beha.ior, -AB' P#blishing, 2==,(
F= So#thern 'llinois +ni.ersit& -arbondale, Ioot*/not nematode mo.ing into 'llinois fields, 2==7,
htt!0YYnews(si#(ed#YnewsY?#ne=2Y=C=,=2/277,(html (accessed E ?an#ar&, 2==F%
F7 'owa State +ni.ersit&, Iesearchers Bioengineer Plants Iesistant to e.astating Pathogen, 2==C,
htt!0YYwww(ag(iastate(ed#YaginfoYnewsY2==CreleasesYba#m(html (accessed 7= ?an#ar&( 2==F%
F2 +ni.ersit& of -alifornia 'PM, Phenolog& Model atabase0 -ol#mbia Ioot Dnot 4ematode,
htt!0YY#ci!m(#cda.is(ed#YP$@4O8O)3Ymn*col#mbiaaroota/not(html (accessed 7= ?an#ar&, 2==F%
2CG
F< "red Pearce, B&e B&e Bananas, Boston )lobe, htt!0YYwww(thedominican(netYarticlesYbanana(htm
(accessed 7= ?an#ar& 2==F%
F, an Doe!!el, -an This "r#it Be Sa.ed?, Po!#lar Science,
htt!0YYwww(!o!sci(comY!o!sciYscienceY>a,d,c<ee,d=>=7=.gn.cm7=====,eecbccdrcrd(html (accessed
7= ?an#ar&, 2==F%
F> AleBandra Abrahams, Ado!t A 5eg, The @cologist,
htt!0YYwww(theecologist(orgYarchi.eadetail(as!?contentaidW2<7 (accessed 7= ?an#ar&, 2==F%
FC B#rrowing and 8esion 4ematodes of Banana, Secretariat of the Pacific -omm#nit&,
htt!0YYwww(s!c(intYPPSYP"\2=PA8sYPA8\2==>\2=Banana\2=B#rrowing\2=4ematode(!df
(accessed 7= ?an#ar&, 2==F%
FG AleBie Barrione#.o, $one&bees 5anish, 8ea.ing Dee!ers in Peril, 4ew 3or/ Times,
htt!0YYwww(n&times(comY2==GY=2Y2GYb#sinessY2Gbees(html (accessed 7> ?an#ar&, 2==F%
FF This is a !artic#larl& good (bad% eBam!le of the biAarre tho#ght !rocesses that lead to scare stories0
htt!0YYwww(i*sis(org(#/YMobilePhones5anishingBees(!h!( Mobile !hones don9t e.en #se the same
microwa.e fre:#encies as @-T !hones( A friend of mine d#g o#t e.en more eBam!les incl#ding 0
htt!0YYwww(monstersandcritics(comYtechYnewsYarticlea72E<77<(!h!YMobilea!honesamassacringahone&
beesa,
htt!0YYwww(newscientist(comYblogYen.ironmentY2==GY=,Yare*cell!hones*wi!ing*o#t*bees(html,
htt!0YYconser.ati.ec#lt#re(comY2==GY=,Y&o#r*tal/ing*the*hone&*bees*to*death and
htt!0YYwww(hese*!ro2ect(orgYhese*#/YenYiss#esYnat#re(!h! (all accessed 7< ?#ne, 2==F%(
FE iana -oB*"oster, Pre!ared Testimon& before the +(S( $o#se of Ie!resentati.es -ommittee on
Agric#lt#re S#bcommittee on $ortic#lt#re and Organic Agric#lt#re on -olon& -olla!se isorder in
$one& Bee -olonies in the +nited States,
htt!0YYmaarec(cas(!s#(ed#Y--P!tY-oB"osterTestimon&"inal(!df (accessed 7F ?an#ar&, 2==F%
E= ?(I( Min/el, M&sterio#s $one&bee isa!!earance 8in/ed to Iare 5ir#s, Scientific American,
htt!0YYwww(sciam(comYarticle(cfm?idW@=@=<C2"*@G"2*EE"*<","GF7F<EC-FGEb!ageW7 (accessed
7F ?an#ar&, 2==G%
E7 Testi S( et al, Se.ere ana!h&laBis to ro&al 2ell& attrib#ted to cefonicid(, ? 'n.estig Allergol -lin
'mm#nolog& (7G%, 2==G
E2 Alan -am!ion, Bees at the bottom of the garden, 4orthern Bee Boo/s, 2==7(
E< Z#oted in man& !laces, incl#ding Bee decline threatens o#r dinner and the co#ntr&side, ail&
Telegra!h, htt!0YYwww(telegra!h(co(#/YearthYmain(2html?BmlWYearthY2==GY=FY=<Yeabees7=<(Bml
(accessed 2E ?#ne, 2==F%(
E, htt!0YYwww(!bs(orgYabo#t!bsY (accessed 7F ?an#ar&, 2==F%
E> 3o# can watch the whole, hilario#s trailer at0 htt!0YYwww(!bs(orgYwnetYnat#reYbeesY (accessed 7F
?an#ar&, 2==F%
EC 8( Mc-l#re, 's a Paleolithic Age iet an O!timal iet for Modern $#man Beings?,
htt!0YYescholarshi!(#massmed(ed#Yss!Y2GY
EG ;orld $ealth OrganiAation, iet, 4#trition and the Pre.ention of -hronic iseases,
htt!0YYwww(fao(orgYdocre!Y==>YacE77eYacE77e==($TM (accessed 7F ?an#ar&, 2==F%
EF Mildred M( $ale&, -hanging -ons#mer emand for Meat0 The +(S @Bam!le, 7EG= 1 2===,
+SA, htt!0YYwww(ers(#sda(go.Y!#blicationsYwrs=77Ywrs=77g(!df (accessed 7F ?an#ar&, 2==F%
EE AleBadra*Maria Dlein etc al, 'm!ortance of Pollinators in -hanging 8andsca!es for ;orld -ro!s,
Proc( I( Soc( B( (2G2%, 2==G(
7== ibid(
7=7 ibid(
7=2 -#rrent world fertiliAer trends and o#tloo/ to 2==EY7=, +4 "AO,
ft!0YYft!(fao(orgYaglYagllYdocsYcwfto=E(!df (accessed 7F ?an#ar&, 2==G%
7=< -limate -hange 2==G, The Ph&sical Science Basis, 'P-- ;or/ing )ro#! 7, htt!0YYi!ccwg7(
#car(ed#Ywg7Ywg7*re!ort(html (accessed 27 ?an#ar&, 2==F%
7=, Z#oted in )eorge Iaine, Man& ca#ses blamed for hone&bee die*off, San "rancisco -hronicle,
htt!0YYwww(sfgate(comYcgi*binYarticle(cgi?fWYcYaY2==GY=CY=7YB+)Z2Z>AA'22(T8 (accessed 27
?an#ar&, 2==F%
7=> At this stage ' need to define the word, which re!eats thro#gho#t the teBt in e.er more acc#sati.e
terms0 -i.iliAation( efinitions of -i.iliAation .ar& b#t in essence the word means, cit& dwelling,
and is defined b& it9s de!endence for reso#rces on a larger geogra!hical area than the ci.iliAation
act#all& occ#!ies( The best general s#mmar& for ci.iliAation ' can find (from
htt!0YYanthro!i/(comY2==>Y=<Ywhat*is*ci.iliAationY 1 accessed 2E A!ril, 2==F%0
2CF
?rimary -riteria$
#. ettlement of cities of 7,111 or more people.
2. "ull-time labor speciali6ation.
3. -oncentration of surplus.
.. -lass structure.
7. tate-level political organi6ation.
econdary -riteria$
#. @onumental architecture.
2. Cong-distance trade.
3. ophisticated art.
.. ,riting.
7. ?redictive sciences (math, astronomy, etc.)
The secondary criteria have a general correspondence with civili6ation, but are not definitive. There
are plenty of civili6ations that lack one or more of them, two out of five (predictive sciences and
sophisticated art) are human universals, and two of the remaining items (monumental architecture and
long-distance trade) are known among non-civili6ed societies.
The primary criteria, though, help us to begin to understand the true nature of civili6ation. &t is my
supposition that these criteria form a reflexive setF that no one of these criteria can be met without also
fulfilling the other four. That these five primary criteria form a single cultural Rpackage,S best defined
by the word Rcivili6ation.S
' ha.e #sed the eBtended term *ndustrial Ci1ili:ation to disting#ish the c#rrent, most destr#cti.e
form of ci.iliAation from the .ario#s ci.iliAations that ha.e eBisted in the !ast( 't is 'nd#strial
-i.iliAation that needs to be dealt with( 'ne.itabl&, other ci.iliAations will follow 1 that !roblem will
ha.e to be dealt with when it ha!!ens(
7=C T(O( 8lo&d, @m!ire0 The $istor& of the British @m!ire, -ontin##m, 2==7(
7=G [4emo[ mania !oses threat to clownfish, The 'nde!endent,
htt!0YYwww(inde!endent(co(#/Yen.ironmentYnemo*mania*!oses*threat*to*clownfish*>F7,C>(html
(accessed 2F ?an#ar&, 2==F%
7=F "rom Ocean To A:#ari#m 0 The global trade in marine ornamental s!ecies, +4@P Y ;-M-,
2==<(
7=E 5acla. Smil, ;orldwide transformation of diets, b#rdens of meat !rod#ction and
o!!ort#nities for no.el food !roteins, @nA&me and Microbial Technolog& (<=%, 2==2(
77= "isheries Iesearch Ser.ices, htt!0YYwww(frsscotland(
go.(#/Y"IS(;ebYeli.er&Ydis!la&astandalone(as!B?contentidW,G2 (accessed 2E ?an#ar&,
2==F%
777 Personal comm#nications (?an#ar&, 2==F%( The name has been changed6 there is a great deal of
sensiti.it& amongst fisherman o.er these iss#es 1 the& are often loath to tal/ to an&one who ma& gi.e
the fishing ind#str& a bad name(
772 The State of ;orld "isheries and A:#ac#lt#re 1 2==C, "AO,
htt!0YYwww(fao(orgYdocre!Y==EYa=CEEeYa=CEEe==(htm (accessed 2 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
77< )arrett $ardin, The Traged& Of The -ommons, Science (7C2%, 7ECF( The original wording is0
The indi.id#al benefits as an indi.id#al from his abilit& to den& the tr#th e.en tho#gh societ& as a
whole, of which he is a !art, s#ffers( '9m s#re he wo#ld a!!reciate the sentiment(
77, Mar/ D#rlans/&, -od, 7EEG, 5intage(
77> +4 "AO, ;orld a:#ac#lt#re !rod#ction of fish, cr#staceans, moll#scs, etc(, b& !rinci!al !rod#cers
in 2==>, ft!0YYft!(fao(orgYfiYSTATYs#mmar&Ya*,(!df (accessed 22 "ebr#ar&, 2==G%
77C Iosamond 8( 4a&lor et al, @ffects of A:#ac#lt#re on ;orld "ish S#!!lies, +S @PA,
htt!0YYwww(e!a(go.YwatertrainY!dfYiss#eF(!df (accessed 22 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
77G The 'P-- re!ort sa&s0 The obser.ed wides!read warming of the atmos!here and ocean, together
with ice mass loss, s#!!ort the concl#sion that it is extremely unlikely that global climate change of the
!ast >= &ears can be eB!lained witho#t eBternal forcing, and very likely that it is not d#e to /nown
nat#ral ca#ses alone( 'P-- ,th Assessment Ie!ort, ;or/ing )ro#! 7, S#mmar& for Polic&ma/ers,
'P--, 2==G(
77F ?ohn )ordon, ee! Sea emersal "isheries, ?oint 4at#re -onser.ation -ommittee,
htt!0YYwww(2ncc(go.(#/Y!age*2>2>(
2CE
77E More !ro!erl& /nown as Dalaallit 4#naat, in )reenlandic, b#t for con.enience ' will refer to it as
)reenland(
72= 'ce melts o!ening #! 4orthwest Passage, ail& Telegra!h,
htt!0YYwww(telegra!h(co(#/YearthYmain(2html?BmlWYearthY2==GY=EY7>Yea4;77>(Bml (accessed 7
"ebr#ar&, 2==F%
727 A sim!le b#t stri/ing !resentation of this can be fo#nd at
htt!0YYma!s(grida(noYgoYgra!hicYclimatefeedbac/s*
the*connecti.it&*of*the*!ositi.e*ice*snow*albedo*feedbac/*terrestrial*snow*and*.egetationfeedbac/s*
and*the*negati.e*clo#d*radiation*feedbac/ (accessed 7 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%, which shows both
feedbac/ loo!s and a web of connections between the different com!onents(
722 )o.ernment of British -ol#mbia, Ministr& of @n.ironment, Ambient ;ater Z#alit& -riteria for
issol.ed OB&gen, htt!0YYwww(en.(go.(bc(caYwatYw:YB-g#idelinesYdoYdo*=7(htm (accessed ,
"ebr#ar&, 2==F%
72< 8a#rence -hallier et al, @n.ironmental and stoc/ effects on recr#itment .ariabilit&
in the @nglish -hannel s:#id 8oligo forbesi, A:#at( 8i.ing Ieso#r( (7F%, 2==>(
72, 4ASA )'SS, )'SS S#rface Tem!erat#re Anal&sis0 A#g#st 2==G +!date and @ffects,
htt!0YYdata(giss(nasa(go.Ygistem!Y#!datesY2==G=F(html (accessed 2< "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
72> Michael "#mento, ?ames $ansen9s $ac/s,
htt!0YYwww(f#mento(comYen.ironmentYglobalwarming(html (accessed > "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
72C 2==G Ann#al -limate Ie.iew +(S( S#mmar&, +S 4--,
htt!0YYwww(ncdc(noaa(go.YoaYclimateYresearchY2==GYannY#s*s#mmar&(html (accessed > "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
72G @( Otterlei et al, Tem!erat#re de!endent otolith growth of lar.al and earl& 2#.enile
Atlantic cod ()ad#s morh#a%, '-@S ?o#rnal of Marine Science (>E%, 2==2(
72F a.id O( -ono.er, @ffects of -limate -hange on "isheries,
htt!0YYwww(ston&broo/(ed#YsbYtestimon&(!df (accessed > "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
72E 4ASA )'SS, )'SS S#rface Tem!erat#re Anal&sis0 )lobal Tem!erat#re Trends0 2==G
S#mmation, htt!0YYdata(giss(nasa(go.Ygistem!Y2==GY (accessed , "ebr#ar&, 2==F%( The a.erage is
officiall& between 7E>7 and 7EF=, b#t this wor/s o#t to be .er& close to the a.erage for the entire
cent#r&(
7<= Michael ?( Behrenfeld et al, -limate*dri.en trends in contem!orar& ocean !rod#cti.it&, 4at#re
(,,,%, 2==C(
7<7 @nc&clo!aedia Britannica, RR''', 7FFF0 The& Othe AltaiP are chiefl& h#nters, !assionatel& lo.ing
their taiga, or wild forest(
7<2 ;;", @astern Siberian Taiga * A )lobal @coregion,
htt!0YYwww(!anda(orgYabo#tawwfYwhereaweawor/YecoregionsYeasternasiberianataiga(cfm (accessed G
"ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7<< @&ewitness testimon& from 4( 5( 5asilie. et al, @&ewitness acco#nts of T#ng#s/a (-rash%, 7EF7,
htt!0YYt#ng#s/a(tsc(r#Yr#YscienceY7Y= (accessed F "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7<, Simon ;elware and ?ohn "airle&, Arth#r -( -lar/e9s M&sterio#s ;orld, "ontana, 7EF=(
7<> The slow battle is eB!lained bea#tif#ll& b& Iichard "orte& in 8ife, $ar!er-ollins, 7EEG(
7<C The -arbonifero#s !eriod stretched from <C= to 2E= million &ears before !resent, and ta/es its name
from the carbon*based fossil f#els laid down d#ring this time of eBtreme foliage !rod#ction(
7<G ?anet Marinelli, Power PlantscThe Origin of "ossil "#els,
htt!0YYwww(bbg(orgYgar2Y!gnY2==<s#afossilf#els(html (accessed F "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7<F -8' -anada, Boreal "orest "act Sheets,
htt!0YYwww(stemnet(nf(caY-'T@YartsmartsYborealafactsheets(P" and -anadian ;ildlife Ser.ices0
4iterland ;ho9s ;ho, -anada[s Boreal "orest, htt!0YYwww(hww(caYhww2(as!?idW<>, (accessed F
"ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7<E Ie.ised 7EEC 'P-- )#idelines for 4ational )reenho#se )as 'n.entories, 'P--,
htt!0YYwww(i!ccnggi!(
iges(or(2!Y!#blicYglYin.sCd(htm (accessed 77 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7,= S( $( 8amlom and I( A( Sa.idge, A reassessment of carbon content in wood0 .ariation within and
between ,7 4orth American s!ecies, Biomass and Bioenerg& (2>%, 2==<(
7,7 4at#ral Ieso#rces -anada, Boreal "orest,
htt!0YYatlas(nrcan(gc(caYsiteYenglishYlearningreso#rcesYthemeamod#lesYborealforestYindeB(html (accessed
77 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7,2 @nerg& 'nformation Administration, 'nternational @nerg& Ann#al 2==>,
htt!0YYwww(eia(doe(go.Y!#bYinternationalYiealfYtableh7co2(Bls (accessed 77 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7,< The D&oto Protocol, ratified b& -anada in 2==2, committed the go.ernment to red#ce emissions to
C\ below 7EE= le.els d#ring 2==F*2=72( This wo#ld mean a <=\ red#ction in carbon dioBide alone,
from 2==>, and certainl& more from 2==F*2=72( There is almost no chance of this being achie.ed(
2G=
7,, @n.o&s ta/e o.ernight brea/ as Bali conference eBtended, -B- 4ews,
htt!0YYwww(cbc(caYworldYstor&Y2==GY72Y7,Ybali*conference(html (accessed 77 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7,> 3o# can tr& to find them &o#rself 1 the best ' co#ld do was the 'ntensit& fig#res at
htt!0YYwww<(go.(ab(caYen.YsoeYclimateaindicatorsY7>aghg(html( British -ol#mbia are ha!!& to !ost
theirs at htt!0YYwww(en.(go.(bc(caYsoer!tYEECgreenho#seYemissionsglance(html (both accessed 77
"ebr#ar&, 2==F%(
7,C )ross omestic Prod#ct is an indicator of the financial earnings of a co#ntr& or region( As it is
based on earnings onl& it is no indicator of the o.erall economic strength of a co#ntr&, nor does it sa&
an&thing abo#t the o.erall :#alit& of life of the !eo!le in that co#ntr&( 't wo#ld be better renamed
)rossl& amaging Prod#ction(
7,G Alberta9s @conomic Performance 7EE,*2==,, Alberta Office of B#dget and Management,
htt!0YYwww(finance(alberta(caYabo#talbertaYs!otlightsY2==Ca=<2<aalbertaaeconomica!erformance(!df
(accessed 77 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7,F State Of The ;orld9s "orests 2==G, +4 "AO,
ft!0YYft!(fao(orgYdocre!YfaoY==EYa=GG<eYa=GG<e=G(!df (accessed 7C "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7,E "orest Prod#cts Association of -anada, "orest Prod#cts 'nd#str& -alls for )reater Scr#tin& of
"orest Management Practices in the ;orld9s "orests, 2==G,
htt!0YYwww(f!ac(caYenYmediaacentreY!ressareleasesY2==GY2==G*=F*2=agreen!eaceAnno#ncement(!h!
(accessed 7C "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7>= +4 "AO, ibid(
7>7 Aeso!9s fable, The Tortoise and the $are, tells the stor& of an o.erconfident hare that challenges a
h#mble tortoise to a race( The hare, so enamo#red b& its lead, halfwa& thro#gh the race, decided to ta/e
a na!, d#ring which time the tortoise !lods !ast and wins the race(
7>2 Trends, "riends and @nemies, Taiga Iesc#e 4etwor/, 2==<,
htt!0YYwww(taigaresc#e(orgYa.<YfilesY!dfY<E(!df (accessed 7C "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7>< +4 "AO, "oresSTAT, htt!0YYfaostat(fao(orgYsiteY<F7Ydefa#lt(as!B
7>, "orestr& -ommission, Management of great s!r#ce bar/ beetle,
htt!0YYwww(forestresearch(go.(#/YfrY'4"*CRP-F (accessed 7C "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7>> "orest $ealth -onditions 'n Alas/a 2==C, +SA, 2==G(
7>C an )laister, Plag#e of beetles raises climate change fears for American bea#t&, The )#ardian,
htt!0YYwww(g#ardian(co(#/Yen.ironmentY2==GYmarY7EY#snews(conser.ationandendangereds!ecies
(accessed 7F "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7>G "( 8ie#tier, $ost Iesistance to Bar/ Beetles and its 5ariations, in Bar/ and ;ood Boring 'nsects
in 8i.ing Trees in @#ro!e, a S&nthesis, Dl#wer Academic P#blishers, 2==<(
7>F A(M( ?ohnson et al, 'ncreased Bar/ Beetle amage d#e to -hanging -limate @Btremes?,
)eo!h&s( I( Abstracts (C%, 2==,(
7>E -limate -hange 'm!acts, Ada!tation and 5#lnerabilit&, 'P-- ;or/ing )ro#! '',
htt!0YYwww(i!cc*wg2(orgY (accessed 7F "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7C= "(S( -ha!in et al, Arctic and boreal ecos&stems of western 4orth America as com!onents of the
climate s&stem, )lobal -hange Biolog& (C%, 2===(
7C7 According to Amber ?( So2a, et al(, -limate*ind#ced boreal forest change0 Predictions .ers#s
c#rrent obser.ations, )lobal and Planetar& -hange (>C%, 2==G, 'n Siberia, G of the last E &ears ha.e
res#lted in eBtreme fire seasons, and eBtreme fire &ears ha.e also been more fre:#ent in both Alas/a
and -anada(
7C2 M( ;ang and ?( O.erland, etecting Arctic -limate -hange +sing De!!en -limate
-lassification, -limatic -hange (CG%, 2==,(
7C< "red Pearce, -limate ;arning as Siberia Melts, 4ew Scientist, 2==>(
7C, Deith "arnish, ef#sing The Methane Timebomb, The @arth Blog, htt!0YYearthblog(
bra.e2o#rnal(comYentr&Y22C77 (accessed 7F "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7C> Tra#sti 5alsson, $ow The ;orld ;ill -hange ;ith )lobal ;arming, +ni.ersit& of 'celand
Press, 2==C(
7CC )M "reeAe, 'nde!endent assessment of the im!lications of !atents on genetic reso#rces,
htt!0YYwww(gmfreeAe(orgY!age(as!?idW2<<biT&!eW7=F7 (accessed 22 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7CG Mone& Morning, Monsanto Iea!s $#ge Iewards "rom 'ts Blossoming Seed B#siness,
htt!0YYwww(mone&morning(comY2==FY=7Y=GYmonsanto*rea!s*h#ge*rewards*from*its*blossoming*
seedb#sinessY
(accessed 22 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7CF efinition from htt!0YYs&ntheticbiolog&(orgY (accessed 22 "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7CE O!en;et;are, htt!0YYo!enwetware(orgYwi/iYMaterials (accessed 2< "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
2G7
7G= Terrorism is in the e&e of the target( The word has been ridic#lo#sl& mis#sed in recent &ears, s#ch
that &o# can be branded a terrorist in both the +SA and the +D sim!l& for s#ggesting that s#icide
bombers ma& sometimes ha.e 2#st moti.ation for acting as the& do( Terrorism has become a classic
!ro!aganda word, in the same sense that -omm#nism was a !ro!aganda word d#ring the Mc-arth&
era (+SA from the mid*7E>=s #ntil the late 7EC=s%0 it instils fear, th#s allowing for greater control o.er
those who are !ers#aded to be afraid(
7G7 ?ohn St#art Mill, +tilitarianism 0 Second @dition, $ac/ett, 2==7(
7G2 S&nthetic 8ife, The @conomist, 2==C, htt!0YYweb(rollins(ed#YftlairsonYtechYs&nlife>(html (accessed
2< "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
7G< ?(;( .on )oethe, @!irrhema, from )oethe 0 Selected 5erse, translated b& a.id 8#/e, Peng#in,
7EC,(
7G, ee! 'm!act !ost*enco#nter factsheet, 4ASA,
htt!0YYsolars&stem(nasa(go.Ydee!im!actYmissionYfactsheet*!ostenco#nter(!df (accessed 2< "ebr#ar&,
2==F%
7G> -arl Sagan, -osmos, Maconald, 7EF7(
7GC ' li/e the term QS#r.i.al Machine9( 3o# can read more abo#t this term at
htt!0YYwww(edge(orgYdoc#mentsYThird-#lt#reY2*-h(<(html (accessed 7= October, 2==G%
7GG These o!inions are ta/en from friends, common beliefs and m& own tho#ghts( 3o# might li/e to add
some of &o#r own(
7GF Or -Ommon a4-@STOIS0 Iichard aw/ins, The Ancestor9s Tale, $o#ghton Mifflin, 2==,(
7GE Iichard "orte&, 8ife0 An +na#thorised Biogra!h&, $ar!er-ollins, 7EEG(
7F= 'T'S (the 'nteragenc& TaBonomic 'nformation S&stem% is a +S )o.ernment reso#rce, b#t is
a.ailable to all 'nternet #sers( See htt!0YYwww(itis(go.Yitisa!h&(html (accessed 77 October, 2==G%
7F7 ' am tr&ing to remain consistent with m& s!elling of words that are different, de!ending #!on the
Qt&!e9 of @nglish being #sed( Man& AmericaniAed s!ellings 1 li/e QAmericaniAed9 1 are act#all&
deri.ed from the original British s!ellings( Mid*Atlantic is the best wa& of describing m& a!!roach(
7F2 ;illiam "( B&n#m, The )reat -hain Of Being After "ort& 3ears0 An A!!raisal, $istor& Of
Science (7<%, 7EG>(
7F< @dward O( ;ilson, S#ccess And ominance 'n @cos&stems0 The -ase of Social 'nsects, 7EE=,
@colog& 'nstit#te(
7F, Ma& I( Berenba#m, B#AAwords, ?ose!h $enr&, 2===(
7F> 't is tr#e that the archaea bacteria that sit at the .er& roots of life are anaerobes, i(e( the& can li.e
witho#t oB&gen, and oB&gen is lethal to man& of these bacteria (Iichard "orte&, 8ife, "lamingo,
7EEF%, b#t it is also tr#e that the ma2orit& of a#totro!hs do not re:#ire s#ch harsh conditions(
7FC +4 e!artment of @conomic and Social Affairs0 htt!0YYesa(#n(orgY#n!!Y (accessed 7> October,
2==G%
7FG So#rces 0 htt!0YYesa(#n(orgY#n!!Y (+4 e!artment of @conomic and Social Affairs% and
htt!0YYwww(cens#s(go.Yi!cYwwwYworldhis(html (+S -ens#s B#rea#% (accessed 7> October, 2==G%
7FF B-@0 Before -ommon @ra( This is a standard con.ention for historical dating( @:#i.alent to B- in
-hristian c#lt#res(
7FE -@0 -ommon @ra( -@ is another standard con.ention( This is e:#i.alent to A (Anno omini%(
7E= O!tim#m Po!#lation Tr#st, @cological foot!rinting and the 8i.ing Planet Ie!ort,
htt!0YYwww(o!tim#m!o!#lation(orgYo!t(s#stainable(n#mbers(html (accessed 7> October, 2==G%( Their
fig#res are based on the ;;" re!ort mentioned in the reference, along with widel& a.ailable
demogra!hic data(
7E7 ?eff $echt, on/e& omestication Began in Africa,
htt!0YYwww(newscientist(comYarticle(ns?idWdnC=<2 (accessed 7> October 2==G%
7E2 -harles More, +nderstanding The 'nd#strial Ie.ol#tion, Io#tledge, 2===(
7E< +4 Po!#lation i.ision, The ;orld at SiB Billion,
htt!0YYwww(#n(orgYesaY!o!#lationY!#blicationsYsiBbillionYsiBbil!art7(!df (accessed 7> October, 2==G%
7E, @d( )eoffre& Par/er, The Times Atlas Of ;orld $istor&, Times Boo/s, 7EE<(
7E> +4 Po!#lation i.ision, ;orld Po!#lation Pros!ects0 The 2==> Ie.ision,
htt!0YYwww(#n(orgYesaY!o!#lationY!#blicationsY;+P2==>Y2==>;+P$ighlightsa@BecaS#m(!df
(accessed 7F October, 2==G%(
7EC S#bsistence is another wa& of sa&ing li.ing off the land( 3o# catch, !ic/, dig #! and fell an&thing
that &o# need to s#r.i.e(
7EG And& -ollier, Self S#fficienc&, htt!0YYthesietch(orgYm&sietchYgreens!reeY2==GY=GY7GYselfs#fficienc&Y
(accessed 7F October, 2==G% and !ersonal comm#nication(
7EF erric/ ?ensen, @ndgame( 5ol#me 70 The Problem Of -i.iliAation, Se.en Stories Press, 2==C(
2G2
7EE I( @ngelman and @( 8eah&, $ow Man& -hildren oes 't Ta/e to Ie!lace Their Parents?
5ariation in Ie!lacement "ertilit& as an 'ndicator
of -hild S#r.i.al and )ender Stat#s,
htt!0YY!aa2==C(!rinceton(ed#Ydownload(as!B?s#bmission'dWC=72> (accessed 7> October, 2==G%( 't9s
2(=G in the +D, b#t a great deal higher in most other co#ntries(
2== M( Potts and M( -am!bell, $istor& Of -ontrace!tion, )&naecolog& and Obstetrics (C%, 2==2(
2=7 Ad.ert for The )#ardian, The ;hole Pict#re( This can be .iewed at
htt!0YYwww(&o#t#be(comYwatch?.W@<h*T<DZ4B+ (accessed 2F "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
2=2 Mir2a 'i.onen, iane $( Sonnenwald, Maria Parma and @.el&n Poole*Dober , Anal&Aing and
+nderstanding -#lt#ral ifferences0 @B!eriences from @d#cation in 8ibrar& and 'nformation St#dies,
7EEF, htt!0YYwww(ifla(orgY'5YiflaC,Y=GG*7>>e(htm (accessed 2, October, 2==G%
2=< ?( Iawls, A Theor& Of ?#stice, OBford +ni.ersit& Press, 7EEE(
2=, 4ew irections in the St#d& of $a!!iness0 +nited States and 'nternational Pers!ecti.es, 2==C
(htt!0YYwww(nd(ed#Yfad#ttYacti.itiesYdoc#mentsYMcMahon4otreameTal/(!df%
2=> -oncise OBford @nglish ictionar&, O+P, 2==,(
2=C Searches carried o#t on www(google(com, 22 October, 2==G(
2=G Ianch Iider, Self ri.e To#rs, htt!0YYwww(ranchrider(comYdri.eto#rs(html (accessed 22 October,
2==G%
2=F To#rism 4ew So#th ;ales, 4ational 5isitor S#r.e& and 'nternational 5isitor S#r.e&
research findings,
htt!0YYcor!orate(to#rism(nsw(go.(a#YSitesYSite'CYob28ib7<Y,anat#reato#rismaresearchafindings(!df
(accessed 22 October 2==G%
2=E Deith "arnish, id 3o# $a.e A )ood 8ife?, htt!0YYearth*blog(bra.e2o#rnal(comYentr&Y7EF2F
(accessed 2F October, 2==G%
27= Thom $artmann, The 8essons Ancient Peo!le $a.e "or +s,
htt!0YYwww(thomhartmann(comYindeB(!h!?o!tionWcomacontentbtas/W.iewbidW2=<b'temidWF=
(accessed 2F "ebr#ar&, 2==F%
277 @rna )#nther, A "#rther Anal&sis Of The "irst Salmon -eremon&, +ni.ersit& of ;ashington
P#blications in Anthro!olog&, 7E2F(
272 Sa.e O#r ;ild Salmon, 8ewis and -lar/, htt!0YYwww(wildsalmon(orgYlibrar&Ylewis*clar/(cfm
(accessed 7 4o.ember, 2==G%
27< o#glas $( +bela/er, 4orth American 'ndian !o!#lation siAe, A(( 7>== to 7EF>, Amer( ?(
Ph&sical Anthro!olog& (GG%, 7EFF(
27, Man& of the salmon r#ns are now dead 1 ind#strial h#mans ha.e ta/en it #!on themsel.es to dam
the ri.ers for electricit& generation(
27> 4ati.e American oc#ments Pro2ect, Ann#al Ie!ort of the -ommissioner of 'ndian Affairs to the
Secretar& for the 3ear 7FG2 from htt!0YYwww(cs#sm(ed#Ynad!YrFG2==7d(htm (accessed 77 ecember,
2==G%
27C Marshall Sahlins, The Original Affl#ent Societ& from htt!0YYwww(eco*action(orgYdtYaffl#ent(html
(accessed 7 4o.ember 2==G%
27G American 'ndian and 4ati.e American are #sed interchangeabl& thro#gho#t the literat#re( ' !refer
the term 4ati.e American sim!l& beca#se it im!lies !rior habitation of the 4orth American
continent(
27F Iodne& "re&, Original Affl#ent Societ&,
htt!0YYwww(web!ages(#idaho(ed#Yfrfre&Y22=original(html (accessed 7 4o.ember, 2==G%
27E The increasing fig#res for food reflect the wa& that food is grown, trans!orted and !rocessed( The
fig#res for domesticated animals reflect this in terms of the wa& their feed is !rod#ced, as well as the
amo#nt of animal !rod#cts we cons#me(
22= 4igel ;arb#rton, Philoso!h&0 The -lassics( 2nd @dition, Io#tledge, 2==7(
227 @nglish $eritage, 4ormanton own Barrows * B#rial Pre!arations in the 4eolithic !eriod,
htt!0YYwww(english*heritage(org(#/Ystonehengeinteracti.ema!YsitesYnormantonY=2(html (accessed C
4o.ember, 2==G%
222 Ieligion "acts, The Big Ieligion -hart, htt!0YYwww(religionfacts(comYbigareligionachart(htm
(accessed C 4o.ember, 2==G%
22< Shannon B#r/es, )od, Self, and eath( The sha!e of religio#s transformation in the second Tem!le
Period(, ?( St#d& of ?#daism S#!!lements (GE%, 2==<(
22, ;illiam ;ordsworth, )#ide thro#gh the istrict of the 8a/es (:#oted in ;()( $os/ins, The
Ma/ing of the @nglish 8andsca!e, Peng#in, 7EF>(%
22> Ana Salote, Tree Tal/, S!ea/ing Tree, 2==G(
2G<
22C Bob $olmes, 'magine @arth ;itho#t Peo!le,
htt!0YYwww(newscientist(comYchannelYlifeYmg7E22>G<7(7== (accessed F 4o.ember, 2==G%( ' !#r!osel&
inserted the OsicP in relation to the disc#ssion of o#r !lace on @arth( +se of the word ad.anced
needs an awf#l lot of :#alification 1 the word ind#strial wo#ld ha.e been far more s#itable(
22G erric/ ?ensen disc#sses this brilliantl& in @ndgame, Se.en Stories Press, 2==C(
22F That9s not to sa& that democrac& is a good thing in itself( @thicall& it9s almost certainl& a better
choice than totalitarianism in all its forms, b#t it still doesn9t seem to wor/ .er& well in sol.ing the
!roblems we find o#rsel.es in(
22E Michio Da/#, Parallel ;orlds, Peng#in Boo/s, 2==C(
2<= @#ro!ean "o#ndation for the 'm!ro.ement of 8i.ing and ;or/ing -onditions, "o#rth @#ro!ean
;or/ing -onditions S#r.e&s, 2==>,
htt!0YYwww(e#rofo#nd(e#ro!a(e#YewcoYs#r.e&sY@;-S2==>Yewcs2==>indi.id#alcha!ters(htm (accessed
7< 4o.ember, 2==G%
2<7 4ew @conomics "o#ndation, A ma! of the world colo#r*coded b& $P',
htt!0YYwww(ha!!&!lanetindeB(orgYma!(htm (accessed 7< 4o.ember, 2==G%
2<2 Both Thomas 4agel and ere/ Parfit ha.e infl#enced m& thin/ing here(
2<< ?#dith A( 8othian, ;h& 4at#ral -hildbirth?, ?( Perinatal @d#cation (,%, 2===(
2<, The 'nternet @nc&clo!edia of Philoso!h&, Time, htt!0YYwww(ie!(#tm(ed#YtYtime(htm (accessed 7,
4o.ember, 2==G%
2<> ;orld $ealth OrganiAation, S#icide !re.ention (S+PI@%,
htt!0YYwww(who(intYmentalahealthY!re.entionYs#icideYs#icide!re.entYenY (accessed 7E 4o.ember,
2==G%
2<C Margaret Thatcher "o#ndation, 'nter.iew for ;oman[s Own (_no s#ch thing as societ&_%, 7EFG,
htt!0YYwww(margaretthatcher(orgYs!eechesYdis!la&doc#ment(as!?docidW7=CCFE (accessed 77
ecember, 2==G%( Margaret Thatcher act#all& said and so the& are casting their !roblems on societ&
and who is societ&? There is no s#ch thingH There are indi.id#al men and women and there are families
and no go.ernment can do an&thing eBce!t thro#gh !eo!le and !eo!le loo/ to themsel.es first(
@ffecti.el& she was washing her hands of social res!onsibilit&(
2<G This is a large s#b2ect and there is no s!ace to eB!lore it here( The s#b2ect is co.ered eBtensi.el& in
Iobert @( 8ane, The 8oss of $a!!iness in Mar/et emocracies, 3ale +ni.ersit& Press, 2==7(
2<F Tim Dasser, The $igh Price Of Materialism, M'T Press, 2==2(
2<E Matthew )age, @.ol#tion0 SeB and -annibalism in Iedbac/ S!iders(, -#rrent Biolog& (7>%, 2==>(
2,= 4OAA0 Trends in Atmos!heric -arbon ioBide, htt!0YYwww(esrl(noaa(go.YgmdYccggYtrendsY
(accessed , March, 2==F%( Parts Per Million, or PPM, is the standard meas#re of the .ol#me of carbon
dioBide gas in the atmos!here( Methane and 4itro#s OBide are meas#red in Parts Per Billion beca#se
the& are !resent in smaller :#antities(
2,7 ?ames $ansen, )lobal ;arming 0 The Perfect Storm, Presentation made to the Io&al -ollege of
Ph&sicians, 8ondon, htt!0YYwww(col#mbia(ed#Yf2eh7YIo&al-ollPh&scnsa?an=F(!df (accessed 7<
March, 2==F%
2,2 "red Pearce, )reenland ice ca! [doomed to meltdown[, 4ew Scientist, 2==,,
htt!0YYen.ironment(newscientist(comYchannelYearthYclimate*changeYdn,FC, (accessed 7< ?#ne, 2==F%(
2,< htt!0YYflood(firetree(netY (accessed 7< March, 2==F%
2,, +ntil .er& recentl&, water .a!o#r was not considered an anthro!ogenic greenho#se gas, b#t recent
wor/ b& a.id ;asdell (www(meridian(org(#/% among others has fo#nd a n#mber of feedbac/ loo!s
which co#ld !lace the amo#nt of water .a!o#r .er& m#ch in the o#r hands( ;ater .a!o#r is res!onsible
for a great deal of the nat#ral )reenho#se @ffect, which ma/es life on @arth !ossible(
2,> ;ith the increase in r#minant animal cons#m!tion methane le.els are almost ine.itabl& going to
start to increase again after the recent dro! in le.els ca#sed b& dr&ing wetlands
(htt!0YYwww(noaanews(noaa(go.Ystories2==CYs2G=E(htm0 accessed <7 March 2==F%( 4itro#s oBide
le.els co#ld also increase again as aircraft #se rises eB!onentiall&, and more land is o!ened #! for
agric#lt#re #sing nitrogen*based fertilisers (see htt!0YYwww(e!a(go.Ynitro#soBideYso#rces(html0
accessed <7 March 2==F%
2,C "ig#res are s#!erficiall& deri.ed from a nice chart at
htt!0YYen(wi/i!edia(orgYwi/iY8istaofaco#ntriesab&acarbonadioBideaemissions, b#t ha.e been
crosschec/ed
thro#gh the -arbon ioBide 'nformation Anal&sis -enter,
htt!0YYcdiac(ornl(go.YtrendsYemisYtreaco#n(htm (accessed > March, 2==F%(
2,G Based on fig#res from the ;orld Trade OrganiAation,
htt!0YYwww(wto(orgYenglishYresaeYstatisaeYstatisae(htm (accessed > March, 2==F%
2,F Thomas $omer*iBon, The +!side Of own, So#.enir Press, 2==G(
2G,
2,E omestic trade (within the same co#ntr&% fig#res are #nreliable for the whole world, b#t e.en so,
some eB!lanation is needed as to wh& ' ha.e #sed international trade as an indicator instead( Between
7EG> and 2===, total man#fact#ring o#t!#t in the +nited States went #! b& 7F= !ercent (based on
fig#res from the +S -ens#s B#rea#, htt!0YYwww(cens#s(go.YindicatorYwwwYm<YhistYm<bendoc(htm *
accessed 7= March, 2==F% to T7(E trillion( 'n the same !eriod, im!orts into the +SA went #! b& 77==
!ercent (Based on fig#res from the ;orld Trade OrganiAation,
htt!0YYwww(wto(orgYenglishYresaeYstatisaeYstatisae(htm * accessed > March, 2==F% to T7(< trillion 1 an
increase more than fi.e times that of domestic !rod#ction( )i.en the !owerho#se stat#s that the +SA
still has in global economics, it is clear that international trade is a good indicator for the world
econom& after 7EG>(
2>= Anal&sed in detail in0 Deith "arnish, ;hose -arbon 's 't An&wa&? The @arth Blog, htt!0YYearthblog(
bra.e2o#rnal(comYentr&Y2=>GE (accessed 77 March, 2==F%(
2>7 ;e ha.e loo/ed at a n#mber of them in Parts One and Two, s#ch as the lin/ between genetic
modification and !rofit, and that between ha!!iness and the cons#m!tion of goods( There is also the
connection between the #rgenc& for war and the desire b& b#sinesses to increase their !rofits, and a
n#mber of others that will become clear in -ha!ter 7<( 5er& few of these social, !olitical and economic
connections are coincidental(
2>2 Personal comm#nication(
2>< 4o records eBist earlier than abo#t C==-@ (see
htt!0YYwww(garhwalhimala&as(comYfeelagarhwalYearl&histor&(html0 accessed 7< March, 2==F%, b#t the
nat#re of man& tribes is that the& lea.e no e.idence of their eBistence eBce!t thro#gh oral histories(
2>, Brian 4elson, -hi!/o re.isited * -hi!/o Andolan forest !rotection mo.ement6 'ndia, ;hole @arth
Ie.iew, 7EE<0 accessed .ia htt!0YYfindarticles(comY!YarticlesYmiam7>7=YisanGEYaia7<F=><G2Y!ga7
(accessed 7< March, 2==F%
2>> Z#oted in Al )edic/s, Ieso#rce Iebels0 4ati.e -hallenges to Mining and Oil -or!orations,
So#th @nd Press, 2==7(
2>C 'bid(
2>G +nited 4ations )eneral Assembl&, Ie!ort of the S!ecial Ie!resentati.e of the Secretar&*)eneral
on the sit#ation of h#man rights defenders, Ms( $ina ?ilani( Addend#m0 Mission to 'ndonesia(
htt!0YYwww(#nhcr(orgYcgi*binYteBisY.tBYrefworldYrwmain?!ageWbdocidW,GbaaebC2 (accessed 7F
March, 2==F%
2>F See +S State de!artment re!orts for .ario#s &ears, e(g(0
htt!0YYwww(state(go.YgYdrlYrlsYhrr!tY2==>YC7C=E(htm ('n "ebr#ar& the $#man Iights -ommission in
So#th S#lawesi concl#ded that the !olice committed a gross h#man rights .iolation in 2==< when the&
fired on farmers and indigeno#s !ersons attem!ting to reocc#!& lands leased b& the go.ernment to the
8ondon S#matra -om!an&6 fo#r !ersons were /illed and more than a doAen were in2#red% and
htt!0YYwww(state(go.YgYdrlYrlsYhrr!tY2==CYGFGG,(htm (#ring the &ear indigeno#s !eo!le, most notabl&
in Pa!#a, remained s#b2ect to wides!read discrimination, and there was little im!ro.ement in res!ect
for their traditional land rights( Mining and logging acti.ities, man& of them illegal, !osed significant
social, economic, and logistical !roblems to indigeno#s comm#nities( The go.ernment failed to !re.ent
domestic and m#ltinational com!anies, often in coll#sion with the local militar& and !olice, from
encroaching on indigeno#s !eo!le[s land(%
2>E Z#oted in Brian $alweil, $ome )rown0 The -ase "or 8ocal "ood 'n A $ome )rown Mar/et,
;orldwatch 'nstit#te, 2==7(
2C= -#rtis ;hite, The @colog& Of ;or/, Orion MagaAine,
htt!0YYwww(orionmagaAine(orgYindeB(!h!YarticlesYarticleY2CG (accessed 27 A!ril, 2==F%
2C7 ?ames S!eth, transcri!t of s!eech made at The Broo/ings 'nstit#tion, 7C A!ril 2==F,
htt!0YYwww(broo/ings(ed#YfYmediaY"ilesYe.entsY2==FY=,7Cas!ethY2==F=,7Cas!eth(!df (accessed 7E
A!ril, 2==F%(
2C2 a.id $#ghes, Being A Poet, from the alb#m Iecognised, The "ol/ -or!oration, 2==2(
2C< ?ames Iee.es, ed( Preface to, Selected Poems of ?ohn -lare, $einemann, 7E>,(
2C, @Bcer!t from ?ohn -lare, 'nsects, in ?ames Iee.es, ed(, Selected Poems of ?ohn -lare,
$einemann, 7E>,(
2C> ?onathan $eawood, Poor -lare * rh&me, b#t no reason, The Obser.er,
htt!0YYboo/s(g#ardian(co(#/Yre.iewsYbiogra!h&Y=,,7=E7=CE,==(html (accessed 2E March, 2==F%( The
title of this article re.eals m#ch abo#t the wa& a sim!le lo.e for nat#re is treated in the 27st cent#r&(
There was e.er& reason in the world for -lare to write as he did6 more reason than most modern
2o#rnalists ha.e to write what the& doH
2CC @Bcer!t from ?ohn -lare, The 4ightingale9s 4est, ibid(
2G>
2CG Personal comm#nications(
2CF Baile )ean, $ighland "ol/ M#se#m, htt!0YYhighlandfol/(m#se#mYbailegean(!h! (accessed 7>
A!ril, 2==F%
2CE @d( o#glas Mac)owan, The Stonemason0 onald Macleod[s -hronicle of Scotland[s $ighland
-learances, )reenwood P#blishing )ro#!, 2==7(
2G= 5ictor 8ebow, Price -om!etition in 7E>>, ?o#rnal Of Ietailing (<7%, 7E>>(
2G7 8eB#s, $&brid 8i.ing 's @as&( ?#st "ollow These Ti!s(
htt!0YYwww(leB#s(comYh&briddri.eY!dfYh&bridali.ingati!s(!df (accessed 7C A!ril, 2==F%
2G2 )eorge -arlin, ta/en from $BO s!ecial, 8ife is ;orth 8osing , a.ailable to hear at
htt!0YYwww(informationclearingho#se(infoYarticle7FCE=(htm (accessed 2< ?#ne, 2==F%(
2G< )eorge Monbiot, $#rra&H ;e9re )oing Bac/wardsH
htt!0YYwww(monbiot(comYarchi.esY2==GY72Y7GYh#rra&*were*going*bac/wardsY (accessed 2= A!ril,
2==F%(
2G, ;ard -h#rchill, Pacifism As Patholog&, AD Press, 2==G(
2G> Ben2amin ?( Barber, ?ihad .s( Mc;orld, -orgi Boo/s, 2==<(
2GC -harles 8oft, The Beeching M&th0 "ort& 3ears On, $istor& Toda& (><%, 2==<(
2GG erric/ ?ensen, @ndgame 5ol#me ''0 Iesistance, Se.en Stories Press, 2==C(
2GF Patric/ B#rgo&ne, S]o Pa#lo0 The -it& That Said 4o To Ad.ertising, B#siness ;ee/,
htt!0YYwww(b#sinesswee/(comYinno.ateYcontentY2#n2==GYid2==G=C7Fa>=>>F=(htm (accessed 7G A!ril,
2==F%
2GE 4aomi Dlein, 4o 8ogo, "lamingo, 2==7(
2F= Ta^no was the name gi.en b& the nati.e island !eo!le to -hristo!her -ol#mb#s on being as/ed
who the& were0 it means good or noble and is !refiBed b& the name of the island on which each
tribe li.es(
2F7 Michael ( 8emonic/( Before -ol#mb#s estro&ed almost o.ernight b& S!anish in.aders, the
c#lt#re of the gentle Taino is finall& coming to light, Archeolog& (7>2%, 7EEF(
2F2 Z#oted in 4oam -homs/&, 3ear >=70 The -on:#est -ontin#es, 5erso, 7EE<( This boo/ is
a.ailable in f#ll, online at htt!0YYwww(Amag(orgY-homs/&Y&earY&ear*contents(html (accessed 7G A!ril,
2==F%
2F< Z#oted in $ans Schmidt, The +nited States Occ#!ation of $aiti, 7E7>*7E<,, I#tgers +ni.ersit&
Press, 7EE>(
2F, Milgram9s wor/ is described in detail in Stanle& Milgram, Obedience To A#thorit&0 An
@B!erimental 5iew, $ar!er-ollins, 7EG,(
2F> Bob Altema&er, The A#thoritarians, +ni.ersit& of ;inni!eg, 2==C( This im!ortant boo/ can be
downloaded or read online at htt!0YYhome(cc(#manitoba(caYfalteme&Y (accessed 2C ?#ne, 2==F%(
2FC 'bid(
2FG '9m ass#ming the o!erator is male 1 there ma& be female feller*b#ncher o!erators and l#mber2ac/s,
b#t the& are .er& few and far between( "or the sa/e of readabilit&, sometimes &o# ha.e to ma/e
ass#m!tions(
2FF ' acce!t that it is !ossible to #se renewable reso#rces s#ch as wind, solar !ower, some forms of
biomass or wa.e !ower, b#t these are in a tin& minorit& and do not constit#te the ma2orit& of raw
materials from which 'nd#strial -i.iliAation is constr#cted(
2FE )eorge Monbiot, $eat0 $ow To Sto! The Planet B#rning, Peng#in, 2==C(
2E= )reenwash is a combination of the words )reen and ;hitewash, and is often #sed to describe all
forms of !retend en.ironmental acti.it&(
2E7 Deith "arnish, B$P Billiton0 Ol&m!ic S!onsors * ToBic T&rants, The +ns#itablog,
htt!0YYthesietch(orgYm&sietchY/eithY2==FY=<Y7,Ybh!*billiton*ol&m!ic*s!onsors*toBic*t&rantsY (accessed
27 A!ril, 2==F%
2E2 Bill Br&son, The 8ife and Times of the Th#nderbolt Did, o#bleda&, 2==G(
2E< an )laister, B#sh #n.eils record T<(7 trillion b#dget, The )#ardian,
htt!0YYwww(g#ardian(co(#/YworldY2==FYfebY=>Y#sa(international7 (accessed 22 A!ril, 2==F%
2E, -onser.ati.el& eBtra!olated from -enters for isease -ontrol statistics0
htt!0YYweba!!a(cdc(go.YsaswebYnci!cYleadca#s7=(html (accessed 22 A!ril, 2==F%
2E> efend the So.iet +nion0 Manifesto of the Socialist ;or/ers Part&, 7E,7, re!rinted in The
@nc&clo!edia of Trots/&ism, htt!0YYwww(marBists(orgYhistor&YetolYdoc#mentYfiY7E<F*7E,EYwwY7E,7*
ww=<(htm (accessed 22 A!ril, 2==F%
2EC ?im M&ers, $eat wa.e has senator stic/ing to beliefs, T#lsa ;orld,
htt!0YYwww(t#lsaworld(comYnewsYarticle(as!B?article'W=C=G22a4eaA7a$eatwG2=,= (accessed 22
A!ril, 2==F%
2GC
2EG 4on*)o.ernmental Organisation0 essentiall& an organisation !erforming a !#blic ser.ice witho#t
go.ernment in.ol.ement( There is nothing to sto! an 4)O ha.ing cor!orate in.ol.ement, and ;;"
are sadl& all too wiling to allow cor!orations 1 regardless of re!#tation 1 to carr& their logo for a fee, so
long as the& carr& o#t some tri.ial en.ironmental acti.it&(
2EF 8arr& Iohter, 'n the AmaAon0 -onser.ation or -olonialism? 4ew 3or/ Times,
htt!0YYwww(n&times(comY2==GY=GY2GYworldYamericasY2GamaAon(html?arW7borefWslogin (accessed 22
A!ril, 2==F%
2EE -onor "ole&, Sister oroth& can rest in !eace, The )#ardian,
htt!0YYcommentisfree(g#ardian(co(#/Yconorafole&Y2==GY=>Ysisteradoroth&acanarestaina!eace(html
(accessed 2< A!ril, 2==F%
<== Adam $ochschild, B#r& The -hains0 The British Str#ggle to Abolish Sla.er&, Pan Boo/s, 2==>(
<=7 'bid(
<=2 $#man Iights ;atch, S#dan0 @.ents Of 2==G,
htt!0YYhrw(orgYenglishwr2/FYdocsY2==FY=7Y<7Ys#dan7GG>E(htm (accessed 2< A!ril, 2==F%
<=< "ig#res from 'ra: Bod& -o#nt (htt!0YYwww(ira:bod&co#nt(orgY% as of 2< A!ril, 2==F( These are
relati.el& conser.ati.e fig#res0 in 2==,, the British Medical ?o#rnal !rod#ced a ci.ilian death fig#re in
eBcess of 7==,=== after 2#st eighteen months of conflict, based on anecdotal e.idence0
htt!0YYwww(bm2(comYcgiYcontentYf#llY<2EYG,G,Y7=CC (accessed 2< A!ril, 2==F%
<=, Iiane @isler, The Ieal ;ealth Of 4ations, Berrett Doehler, 2==G(
<=> This section is !artl& re*edited from Deith "arnish, The Problem ;ithS$o!e, The @arth Blog,
htt!0YYearth*blog(bra.e2o#rnal(comYentr&Y2,2FG (accessed 2, A!ril, 2==F%
<=C B( A( Iobertson, @ffecti.eness of Qdistant healing9 !ra&er #sed in addition to medical treatment,
Ontario -ons#ltants on Ieligio#s Tolerance, htt!0YYwww(religio#stolerance(orgYmedicalC(htm (accessed
2, A!ril, 2==F%
<=G onal P( O[Math#na, Pra&er Iesearch0 ;hat Are ;e Meas#ring? ?o#rnal of -hristian 4#rsing
(7C%, 7EEE(
<=F $erbert Benson et al, St#d& of the Thera!e#tic @ffects of 'ntercessor& Pra&er (ST@P% in cardiac
b&!ass !atients0 A m#lticenter randomiAed trial of #ncertaint& and certaint& of recei.ing intercessor&
!ra&er, American $eart ?o#rnal (7>7%, 2==C(
<=E erric/ ?ensen, @ndgame 5ol#me '0 The Problem Of -i.iliAation, Se.en Stories Press, 2==C(
<7= aniel Z#inn, Be&ond -i.iliAation, Three Ii.ers Press, 7EEE(
<77 "ranA ?( Broswimmer, @cocide, Pl#to Press, 2==<(
<72 @rich "romm, To $a.e Or To Be? Abac#s, 7EGC(
<7< aniel Z#inn, 'bid(
<7, ' #se the word acti.ist with dee! reser.ations( 5er& few actions carried o#t b& en.ironmental or
social change organisations constit#te what ' wo#ld consider to be action( As shown in -ha!ter 7<,
the& sim!l& reinforce the a#thorit& of the law, and tem!er an& emotion that the acti.ist ma& be
feeling(
<7> 4oam -homs/&, Mar/et emocrac& in a 4eoliberal Order0 octrines and Iealit&, a.ie 8ect#re,
+ni.ersit& of -a!e Town, 7EEG, htt!0YYwww(Amag(orgYMMagYchom/s&da.ie(htm (accessed <= A!ril,
2==F%(
<7C 4#mero#s eBam!les of cor!orate acti.ities are doc#mented b& organisations s#ch as -or!orate
;atch (htt!0YYwww(cor!watch(orgY%, -or!orate ;atch +D (htt!0YYwww(cor!oratewatch(org(#/Y%,
$#man Iights ;atch (htt!0YYwww(hrw(orgY% and the Polaris 'nstit#te (htt!0YYwww(!olarisinstit#te(orgY%
among others(
<7G The -or!oration, 2==,, directed b& Mar/ Achbar and ?ennifer Abbott,
htt!0YYwww(thecor!oration(comY(
<7F The -ochabamba Stor&, -ommission on )lobalisation, htt!0YYwww(worldfor#m(orgY-ommission*
On*)lobalisationYhomelin/sYbraAil7=(htm (accessed <= A!ril, 2==F%(
<7E The British go.ernment !romoted !ri.atisation of the ?ohannesb#rg, So#th Africa, water a#thorit&,
led to a h#ge red#ction in basic h&giene de to the eBcessi.e cost of water0 The cost of water has had
serio#s health re!erc#ssions( Iecent research has shown that the installation of !re!aid water meters
has been shown to dramaticall& red#ce hand washing, raising the ris/ of water*borne disease( O#t of
those res!ondents who re!orted ne.er washing their hands, GG\ had !re!aid water meters in their
homes, s#ggesting the& co#ld not afford to wash( ;ar On ;ant, The ;ater 's O#rsH
htt!0YYwww(waronwant(orgYThe2=water2=is2=o#rs27X7,>>2(twl (accessed <= A!ril, 2==F%(
<2= B( "( S/inner, Beha.io#rism, in @d( Iichard 8( )regor&, The OBford -om!anion To The Mind,
O+P, 7EFG(
<27 "ranA ?( Broswimmer, @cocide, Pl#to Press, 2==<(
2GG
<22 aniel ;( $i!!, The Poetr& of Shell Shoc/0 ;artime Tra#ma and $ealing in ;ilfred Owen, '.or
)#rne& and Siegfried Sassoon, Mc"arland, 2==>(
<2< ;ilfred Owen, #lce @t ecor#m @st, 7E7F(
<2, ?ohn Steinbec/, The )ra!es Of ;rath, 5i/ing Press, 7E<E(
<2> And ;hile 8ondon B#rns, a#dio to#r !rod#ced b& Platform Prod#ctions,
htt!0YYwww(andwhilelondonb#rns(com (accessed 7 Ma&, 2==F%(
<2C That9s green cons#m!tion( A mar.ello#s misnomer that ' wo#ld #se far more if an&one
#nderstood what it meant(
<2G "or eBam!les &o# can .isit www(cons!irac&archi.e(com, www(cons!irac&!lanet(com,
www(theforbidden/nowledge(com and www(abo.eto!secret(com( There are lots more &o# can tr&( The
sad thing is that there are a lot of cle.er !eo!le writing a lot of good st#ff, b#t cons!irac& theories /ee!
sidetrac/ing them( Iemember, a cons!irac& is sim!l& gro#!s or indi.id#als wor/ing together o#t of the
!#blic e&e0 &o# onl& ha.e to read -ha!ter Thirteen to realise that the reall& sinister o!erations of
'nd#strial -i.iliAation are widel& /nown6 b#t we ignore them beca#se that9s the wa& it has to be(
<2F Z#oted in ;hat A ;a& To )o0 8ife At The @nd Of @m!ire, 2==G, irected b& Tim Bennett,
www(whatawa&togomo.ie(com(
<2E mitr& Orlo., -i.iliAation Sabotages 'tself,
htt!0YYwww(c#lt#rechange(orgYcmsYindeB(!h!?o!tionWcomacontentbtas/W.iewbidW777b'temidW,2
(accessed G Ma&, 2==F%
<<= As of A!ril 2==F, the +S -ons#mer -onfidence 'ndeB was down, reflecting the dice& !osition of the
global econom&0 a combination of the s#b*!rime mar/et colla!se, and the h#ge rise in oil !rices(
htt!0YYwww(conference*board(orgYeconomicsY-ons#mer-onfidence(cfm (accessed G Ma&, 2==F%(
<<7 ?im Mc;hinne&, +nderstanding the -ons#mer -onfidence 'ndeB, 'n.esto!edia,
htt!0YYwww(in.esto!edia(comYarticlesY=>Y=7=C=,(as! (accessed G Ma&, 2==F%(
<<2 eri.ed from M;h fig#re for global generating stations at htt!0YYcarma(orgY!lant (accessed F Ma&,
2==F%(
<<< Thomas $omer*iBon, The +!side Of own, So#.enir Press, 2==G(
<<, Mar/ I( -arter et al, @ffects of -atastro!hic e.ents on Trans!ortation S&stem Management and
O!erations0 $oward Street T#nnel "ire( +S e!artment of Trans!ortation, 2==7(
<<> 'bid(
<<C aniel Z#inn, Be&ond -i.iliAation, Three Ii.ers Press, 7EEE(
<<G The -a!ital @conom& is the newest t&!e of econom& 1 that which relies on the transfer and
ac:#isition of material (monetar& and ob2ect% wealth( @conomics is act#all& the management of the
home, and all of the most basic things needed to ens#re it can be r#n effecti.el&( Iiane @isler (The
Ieal ;ealth Of 4ations, Berrett Doehler, 2==G% !osits siB sectors of the econom&, the first three being
most critical b#t largel& ignored in 'nd#strial -i.iliAation0 $o#sehold @conom&, +n!aid -omm#nit&
@conom& and 4at#ral @conom&( The other three sectors are Mar/et @conom&, )o.ernment @conom&
and 'llegal @conom& (essentiall& the non*legal Mar/et @conom&%(
<<F The economic s&stem is headed in one direction 1 #! 1 so an& mo.e in the o!!osite direction !laces
tremendo#s !ress#re on the instr#ments that s#!!ort this s&stem( Thomas $omer*iBon (The +!side
Of own, So#.enir Press, 2==G% writes0 The American econom&, for eBam!le, m#st eB!and < to >
!ercent ann#all& 2#st to /ee! #nem!lo&ment from rising Othe #nem!lo&ment being created b& increases
in technological efficienc&, !o!#lation growth and immigrationP( And to get this growth, o#r leaders
and cor!orations 1 o!erating on the im!licit ass#m!tion that !eo!le can be inc#lcated with insatiable
desires and e.er*rising eB!ectations 1 relentlessl& enco#rage #s to be h&!e*cons#mers(
<<E Thomas $omer*iBon, ibid(
<,= The definition of essential .aries according to whate.er c#lt#ral s&stem dominates( "or h#mans6
food, water, air, shelter and warmth are essential 1 that is all( 'n some meas#res of !o.ert&, a
de!ri.ed !erson is one who lac/s a tele.ision and a refrigerator6 clearl& something has gone wrong if
de!ri.ation is defined in terms of cons#mer goods( The #se in the teBt is merel& relati.e6 most
essentials are #nnecessar& o#tside of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation(
<,7 President B#sh signed a T7CF billion economic stim#l#s !ac/age on ;ednesda& that will eBtend
rebates to +(S( taB!a&ersS9;e ha.e come together on a single mission and that is to !#t the !eo!les[
interests first,9 B#sh said at a ;hite $o#se signing ceremon&( $e was flan/ed b& members of -ongress
and his cabinet( (from Iobert Schroeder, B#sh signs economic stim#l#s !ac/age, Mar/etwatch,
htt!0YYwww(mar/etwatch(comYnewsYstor&Yb#sh*signs*economic*stim#l#s!ac/ageY
stor&(as!B?g#idW\GBB,A<B2@B*C=@F*,A27*F,,F*="@<"=F>"7"\G (accessed 7, Ma&,
2==F%( -learl& the !eo!les9 interests means maintaining the stat#s :#o of control and disconnection(
2GF
<,2 Date Smith, Balance not calories ma/ing children fat, S#nda& $erald,
htt!0YYwww(s#nda&herald(comYnewsYheraldnewsYdis!la&(.ar(7E,><==(=(balanceanotacaloriesama/inga
childrenafat(!h! (accessed 7, Ma&, 2==F%(
<,< @Bam!les incl#de0 A#to ind#str& s!ent record TG=(<m lobb&ing -ongress,
htt!0YYwww(motora#thorit&(comYnewsYind#str&Ya#to*ind#str&*s!ends*record*G=<m*lobb&ing*congressin*
2==GY6 -ar ealers 8obb& Against <> MP),
htt!0YYwww(thecarconnection(comYA#toa4ewsY)reena-ara4ewsY-araealersa8obb&aAgainsta<>aMP
)(S7EC(A72CC,(html6 @+ bows to car lobb& on !oll#tion limits,
htt!0YYwww(inde!endent(co(#/YnewsYe#ro!eYe#*bows*to*car*lobb&*on*!oll#tion*limits*,<><<7(html6
)erman& torn on @+ climate !lan as car lobb& bites,
htt!0YY#/(re#ters(comYarticleYen.ironment4ewsYid+D82<CFG27E2==F=,2< (all accessed 7> Ma&,
2==F%(
<,, ;h& Bi/es Are a S#stainable ;onder, Sightline 'nstit#te,
htt!0YYwww(sightline(orgYresearchYs#statool/itYsol#tionsYbic&cleY (accessed 7C Ma&, 2==F%(
<,> The fig#re is deri.ed as follows0 'n @#ro!e, the a.erage a#tomobile emits abo#t 7G= grams of -O2
for e.er& /ilometre( 'n the +SA and -anada this is considerabl& higher, b#t let9s ta/e the @#ro!ean
a.erage as a starting !oint( 'f ' were to tra.el from A to B b& car then m& .ehicle wo#ld emit
a!!roBimatel& <(,/g of carbon dioBide( 'f ' tra.elled at an a.erage of 7==/!h (abo#t C=m!h%, then the
2o#rne& wo#ld ta/e 72 min#tes, d#ring which time ' wo#ld not eBert m&self, and th#s !ersonall& emit
onl& F grams of -O2( The total for the 2o#rne& wo#ld th#s be <(,/g of carbon dioBide, gi.e or ta/e a
few grams( 'f, instead, ' tra.elled b& bic&cle, then ' wo#ld ha.e to eBert m&self( There is no wa& '
co#ld c&cle at 7==/!h, b#t can easil& reach 2=/!h, ma/ing m& 2o#rne& last 7 ho#r( ;hen ' c&cle '
breathe at between 2= and <= breaths !er min#te, so let9s ass#me <=b!m, with no increase in oB&gen
inta/e !er breath( O.er that ho#r of c&cling, a !erson wo#ld therefore emit onl& 7== grams of carbon
dioBide, or 2#st <(,\ of the carbon emitted b& the combined .ehicle and h#man(
<,C aniele "anelli, Meat is m#rder on the !lanet, 4ew Scientist, 2==G,
htt!0YYen.ironment(newscientist(comYarticleYmg7E>2C7<,(>== (accessed 7C Ma&, 2==F%(
<,G ominic Denned&, ;al/ing to the sho!s Qdamages !lanet more than going b& car9, The Times,
htt!0YYwww(timesonline(co(#/YtolYnewsY#/YscienceYarticle27E>><F(ece (accessed 7C Ma&, 2==F%(
<,F Attrib#ted to ?im Mc)#rn, !robabl& in -&cling Monthl& (def#nct%, 7EE,(
<,E "or a detailed, b#t !robabl& #nintentional, anal&sis of the ho!elessness of s#fficientl& lowering
greenho#se gas emissions within 'nd#strial -i.iliAation, read )eorge Monbiot, $eat, Peng#in, 2==C(
Monbiot9s anal&sis is based on a C= !ercent global red#ction in greenho#se gases b& 2=<=6 which is
ins#fficient, based on ?im $ansen9s recent wor/ 1 and which Monbiot himself has recentl& admitted is
too little( @.en a C= !ercent c#t is mon#mentall& diffic#lt within the constraints set b& 'nd#strial
-i.iliAation(
<>= Boo/ B#rning, +nited States $oloca#st Memorial M#se#m,
htt!0YYwww(#shmm(orgYwlcYarticle(!h!?langWenbMod#le'dW7===>F>2 (accessed 2= Ma&, 2==F%(
<>7 "or eBam!le0 -hina seiAes boo/s from ?a!an school beca#se of Taiwan ma!, ?a!an Toda&, 2F
?#ne 2==>, htt!0YYwww(i!cs(orgY?#na=>a2a!an(!df6 Ali Asghar IameAan!oor, The Sco!e and Str#ct#re
of -ensorshi! in 'ran, )oAaar, htt!0YYwww(goAaar(orgYtem!late7(!h!?idW7=7Gblang#ageWenglish(
<>2 @.er& -hild Matters0 -hange "or -hildren, $M )o.ernment, 2==,,
htt!0YYwww(e.er&childmatters(go.(#/YafilesY"E@<"E,7-F,>F=><E@@,-G,<@E<G7(!df (accessed
2= Ma&, 2==F%( The @.er& -hild Matters scheme was im!lemented as a res!onse to the terrible ab#se
s#ffered b& &o#ng 5ictoria -limbie at the hands of her carers6 the +D )o.ernment too/ the
o!!ort#nit& to sandwich the -itiAenshi! elements within the otherwise well tho#ght o#t
recommendations on ens#ring child !rotection standards are raised( Of co#rse, in a c#lt#re where
caring is .al#ed more than mone&, s#ch schemes wo#ld be absol#tel& #nnecessar&(
<>< 'bid(
<>, ?an 8#ndberg, +nl#c/& to ha.e a 2ob, -#lt#re -hange,
htt!0YYwww(c#lt#rechange(orgYcmsYindeB(!h!?o!tionWcomacontentbtas/W.iewbidW77>b'temidW7
(accessed 2= Ma&, 2==F%(
<>> ?ose!h Tainter, The -olla!se of -om!leB Societies, -ambridge +ni.ersit& Press, 7EFF(
<>C +nited 4ations Po!#lation i.ision statistics, htt!0YYesa(#n(orgY#n#!YindeB(as! (accessed 2= Ma&,
2==F%(
<>G "or eBam!le0 Tim -olebatch, @#ro!e !a&ing for ageing !o!#lation, The Age,
htt!0YYwww(theage(com(a#YarticlesY2==,Y=,Y=EY7=F7<2CE227CF(html6 "rance Mo.es to @nco#rage
8arge "amilies, e#tsche ;elle, htt!0YYwww(dw*world(deYdwYarticleY=,27,,,7G2=E27,==(html6 -( ?(
-hi.ers, P#tin +rges Plan to Ie.erse Slide in the Birth Iate, 4ew 3or/ Times,
2GE
htt!0YYwww(n&times(comY2==CY=>Y77YworldYe#ro!eY77r#ssia(html (all accessed 27 Ma&, 2==F%( 't is
interesting to obser.e that man& !oliticians stress the threat to !ensions and the care of those in old age,
when the& are clearl& worried abo#t the threat to the national econom&6 the& are merel& a!!ealing to
the !#blic9s soft s!ot( 'nterestingl& President P#tin (43T article% s#ggests a threat to the I#ssian State6
something that is still /e& in the hearts of .oters(
<>F -all#m M( Ioberst et al, Ioadma! to Ieco.er&0 A global networ/ of marine reser.es,
)reen!eace 'nternational, 2==C, htt!0YYwww(green!eace(orgYinternationalY!ressYre!ortsYroadma!*
toreco.er&
(accessed 22 Ma&, 2==F%( The reason that the section on im!lementation is so brief in this
eBtensi.e re!ort is that there reall& is no wa& of im!lementing s#ch a grand scheme in the c#rrent
regime of #ncontrolled marine ta/e 1 ci.iliAation wo#ld ne.er allow it(
<>E The ;orld -ommission on Protected Areas (!art of the '+-4% sa&, of ;est Africa0 Protected areas
co.er more than F(C\ of the land area of Africa b#t, in man& cases, the& are threatened b& ci.il #nrest,
wea/ instit#tions, !oorl& trained staff and limited b#dgets(
(htt!0YYcms(i#cn(orgYabo#tY#nionYcommissionsYwc!aYwc!aawor/Ywc!aaregionsYwc!aawcafricaYindeB(cf
m% The ;ilderness Societ& +SA state0 "or o.er a cent#r&, the 4ational ;ildlife Ief#ge S&stem has
!rotected America9s #ni:#e wildlife and irre!laceable habitats( B#t se.eral &ears of stagnant or
declining b#dgets ha.e eBacerbated the more than T2(> billion o!erations and maintenance bac/log,
and ha.e forced a dramatic 2= !ercent red#ction in staff nationwide( (America9s Treas#res ;ildlife
Ief#ges on the Brin/, htt!0YYwww(wilderness(orgY8ibrar&Yoc#mentsY#!loadYIef#ge-#ts*
ThreatsTo;ildlife(!df%( )reen!eace BraAil state0 Altho#gh the organiAation recogniAes the recent
efforts of the federal go.ernment in bra/ing the destr#ction of forests, as O!eration Arc de "ogo and
the embargo of illegall& deforested areas, the re!ort released in March shows that the go.ernment f#ll&
com!lied with onl& <=\ of the acti.ities !ro.ided for in its Plan to combat deforestation(
(esmatamento na AmaAgnia cai F=\ em marho em relah]o a fe.ereiro,
htt!0YYwww(green!eace(orgYbrasilYamaAoniaYnoticiasYdesmatamento*na*amaA*nia*cai*F%( (All accessed
27 Ma&, 2==F%(
<C= Ste.e -onnor, Iesearchers [seed[ ocean with iron to soa/ #! -O2, The 'nde!endent,
htt!0YYwww(inde!endent(co(#/Yen.ironmentYclimate*changeYresearchers*seed*ocean*with*iron*to*soa/#!*
co2*,,G277(html (accessed 22 Ma&, 2==F%(
<C7 ?ames 8o.eloc/ and -hris Ia!le&, Ocean !i!es co#ld hel! the @arth to c#re itself, 4at#re (,,<%,
2==G(
<C2 ' don9t see a !roblem with the tools of ci.iliAation being #sed to hel! bring down ci.iliAation, at
least in a wa& that the !roblem is not eBacerbated0 the 'nternet, for instance, has become essential to
reach the h#ge n#mbers of !eo!le s#b2ected to the Tools of isconnection( This is one eBam!le of a
necessar& ethical sacrifice6 something that will be enco#ntered in the section on Sabotage(
<C< Iichard 8o.ett, B#r&ing biomass to fight climate change, 4ew Scientist (2C>,%, 2==F(
<C, mitr& Orlo., -i.iliAation sabotages itself, -#lt#re -hange,
htt!0YYwww(c#lt#rechange(orgYcmsYindeB(!h!?o!tionWcomacontentbtas/W.iewbidW777b'temidW,2
(accessed 2G Ma&, 2==F%(
<C> Br#ce Schneier, Secrets b 8ies0 igital Sec#rit& in a 4etwor/ed ;orld, ;ile&, 2==,(
<CC This incl#des all of the meta!horical and !h&sical machiner& of ci.iliAation, not 2#st the mechanical
cogs and wheels(
<CG erric/ ?ensen, @ndgame 5ol#me ''0 Iesistance, Se.en Stories Press, 2==C(
<CF a.id ;( Orr, The )reening of @d#cation, Sch#macher 8ect#re, Bristol, 7EE,,
htt!0YYwww(ecoaction(
orgYdtYorr(html (accessed <= Ma&, 2==F%(
<CE "or the f#ll anal&tical teBt, see @.erett M( Iogers, iff#sion of 'nno.ations0 "ifth @dition, "ree
Press, 2==<(
<G= )regg Orr, iff#sion of 'nno.ations, b& @.erett Iogers, boo/ re.iew,
htt!0YYwww(stanford(ed#YclassYs&mbs&s2=>Yiff#sion\2=of\2='nno.ations(htm (accessed <7 Ma&,
2==F%(
<G7 -arol ?( Adams, 8i.ing Among Meat @aters0 The 5egetarian9s S#r.i.al $andboo/, -ontin##m
'nternational, 2==<(
<G2 Malcolm )ladwell, The Ti!!ing Point, Abac#s, 2==2(
<G< 't seems that ed#cators, des!ite being restrained b& a s&stem that s#!!resses change, are some of the
most radical !eo!le in societ&( This eBtends to librarians, boo/sellers and man& !eo!le wor/ing in the
social ser.ices(
<G, 'bid(
2F=
<G> )il Da#fman, ;hat[s The Point Of 8i.e @arth? "acing -riticism, Al )ore Sa&s -oncerts Are ?#st
The Beginning, htt!0YYwww(mt.(comYnewsYarticlesY7>C,=C2Y2==G=G=>Yida=(2html (accessed < ?#ne,
2==F%(
<GC There is a wonderf#l !arod& of this do something, do an&thing attit#de in a m#sic .ideo starring
I#ssell Brand( 't9s in the mo.ie "orgetting Sarah Marshall (2==F% and at the time of writing co#ld be
seen at
htt!0YYwww(heatworld(comYArticleY,EE,YI#ssellXBrandYSeeXI#ssellXBrand\e2\F=\EEsXamaAingX
m#sicX.ideo (accessed < ?#ne, 2==F%(
<GG The cam!aign was la#nched in 2==2, and is still at the forefront of $SB-9s efforts to increase its
global reach6 s#ch is its s#ccess( See htt!0YYwww(hsbc(comY7Y2YnewsroomYnewsYnews*archi.e*
2==2Ynew*cam!aign*for*the*worlds*local*ban/ (accessed < ?#ne, 2==F%(
<GF Iichard aw/ins, The Selfish )ene, O+P, 7EGC(
<GE Iichard aw/ins, The )od el#sion, Bantam Press, 2==C(
<F= Ta/e a loo/ at the s#ccesses !ages of an& n#mber of en.ironmental organisations9 web sites or
magaAines and &o# will see .ast n#mbers of achie.ements being tr#m!eted when, in fact, almost
nothing tangible is achie.ed or the organisation in :#estion !la&ed little or no !art in the s#ccess(
Partic#larl& e&e*watering eBam!les incl#de0 htt!0YYwww(climatear/(orgY/#dosY,
htt!0YYwww(earthactionnetwor/(orgYs#ccess(!h! and an& n#mber of !ress releases !ages of larger
gro#!s(
<F7 M& good friend is ?o&ce @mer&, also /nown as )reen )rann&( 3o# can read more of her wise words
at htt!0YYwww(greengrann&(org(
<F2 Iichard $einberg, The Primiti.ist -riti:#e of -i.iliAation, !a!er !resented at the 2,th ann#al
meeting of the 'nternational Societ& for the -om!arati.e St#d& of -i.iliAations at ;right State
+ni.ersit&, Ohio, 7EE>, htt!0YYwww(!rimiti.ism(comY!rimiti.ist*criti:#e(htm (accessed E ?#ne, 2==F%(
<F< Meta!hor shamelessl& ta/en from 8emon& Snic/et, The ;ide ;indow, @gmont Boo/s, 2==<(
-hildren9s literat#re is awash with allegor& and meta!hor 1 m& fa.o#rite allegor& for o#r controlled,
disconnected state is in $arr& Potter and the Order Of The PhoeniB (?( D( Iowling, Bloomsb#r&, 2==<%0
read and en2o&H
<F, mitr& Orlo., -losing the [-olla!se )a![0 the +SSI was better !re!ared for colla!se than the +S,
@nerg& B#lletin, 2==C, htt!0YYwww(energ&b#lletin(netY2<2>E(html (accessed E ?#ne, 2==F%(
<F> Brent 8add, Iealities of )oing Primiti.e, ;ilderness ;a& (2%,
htt!0YYwww(wwmag(netYrealities(htm (accessed E ?#ne, 2==F%(
<FC Ian Prie#r, $ow to S#r.i.e the -rash and Sa.e the @arth, 2==,,
htt!0YYran!rie#r(comYessa&sYsa.eearth(html (accessed E ?#ne, 2==F%( ' wo#ld recommend Ian Prie#r9s
essa& abo.e all others as an accom!animent to this cha!ter 1 it is a mine of #sef#l information in a
small s!ace(
<FG Between 7E,= and 2===, the a.erage ho#sehold siAe in the +SA dro!!ed from <(CF to 2(>E
(htt!0YYwww(cens#s(go.YstatabYhistY$S*72(!df 1 accessed 7= ?#ne, 2==F% e.en as !o!#lation growth
remained stead& 1 in fact the !o!#lation grew at its fastest rate e.er in 7EE=*2===, d#ring which time
the ho#sehold siAe contin#ed to shrin/( 'n Scotland it is !ro2ected that the a.erage ho#sehold siAe will
fall to below 2 !ersons b& 2=2, (htt!0YYwww(scotland(go.(#/Y4ewsYIeleasesY2==CY=>Y<==E7E>> 1
accessed 7= ?#ne, 2==F%(
<FF The circ#mstances determine the s!eed of the barn*raising in Amish comm#nities, b#t as man& as
<==*,== men co#ld be directl& in.ol.ed in the b#ilding effort following a traged& (when a barn is
destro&ed b& fire%( 'nformation from Iand& 8effingwell, The American Barn, MB' P#blishing
-om!an&, 2==<(
<FE Tribalism is the long*term .iew of comm#nit&0 a comm#nit& can eBist for a short !eriod of time6 a
tribe cannot beca#se a tribe has eBisted long eno#gh to de.elo! its own identit&( S!ecificall&, when '
tal/ abo#t -omm#nities, ' am tal/ing abo#t gro#!s of interde!endent !eo!le6 when ' tal/ abo#t Tribes '
am tal/ing abo#t gro#!s of interde!endent !eo!le who are no longer de!endent #!on other
comm#nities (altho#gh interaction is not r#led o#t% d#e to their highl&*de.elo!ed abilit& to o!erate as a
self*s#fficient gro#!( Ieligio#s or m&stical ideas are not mandator& in tribal li.ing, des!ite what some
!#rists ma& thin/6 b#t s#stainabilit& is mandator&, otherwise the tribe will cease to f#nction(
<E= The Transition Town idea !ro.ides a #sef#l starting !oint on the 2o#rne& towards the inde!endent
tribal comm#nit&0 the cl#e (intentional or not% is in the name( 'nformation can be fo#nd at
htt!0YYwww(transitiontowns(orgY (accessed 7 ?#l&, 2==F%( Beware, tho#gh, as some so*called Transition
Towns are nothing of the sort, ha.ing embraced man& of the facets of 'nd#strial -i.iliAation that need
to be remo.ed( As ' said, this is 2#st a starting !oint(
2F7
<E7 One notable reference for the shorter*term s/ills is Ian Prie#r, $ow to S#r.i.e the -rash and Sa.e
the @arth, htt!0YYran!rie#r(comYessa&sYsa.eearth(html (accessed 77 ?#ne, 2==F%(
<E2 S#r.i.alist a#thors and man& others !romoting ma2or societal change on en.ironmental gro#nds
tend to demote the im!ortance of !eo!le s/ills, !referring to concentrate on !ractical efforts, !erha!s
ho!ing that the comm#nit& 1 whate.er it loo/s li/e 1 will t#rn o#t fine( 't will not t#rn o#t fine if &o#
are not !re!ared to wor/ at relationshi!s and the wa& comm#nities o!erate 1 that is what ci.iliAation
has ass#med6 that it will ta/e care of e.er&thing and ab#se indi.id#als9 reliance on the im!osed social
str#ct#res( Seeds for -hange (see htt!0YYwww(seedsforchange(org(#/Y% are a gro#! that !ro.ide training
and ad.ice in a n#mber of /e& areas related to coo!erati.e li.ing(
<E< Permac#lt#re is abo#t more than 2#st food !rod#ction, b#t is centred on !rod#cing the basic energ&
#nits re:#ired to s#stain a comm#nit& of !eo!le( Permac#lt#re !rinci!les sho#ld be a!!lied where.er
!ossible0 ad.ice is a.ailable from the Permac#lt#re 'nstit#te (htt!0YYwww(!ermac#lt#re(org%,
Permac#lt#re Acti.ist (htt!0YYwww(!ermac#lt#reacti.ist(netY% and an& boo/ b& Bill Mollison,
!artic#larl& Permac#lt#re0 A Practical )#ide for a S#stainable "#t#re, 'sland Press, 7EE=(
<E, ;orld $ealth OrganiAation Statistical 'nformation S&stem (;$OS'S%,
htt!0YYwww(who(intYwhosisYenYindeB(html (accessed 77 ?#ne, 2==F%(
<E> A!!roBimatel& 7= million .ertebrates are #sed for medical eB!erimentation each &ear in the @+,
?a!an and the +SA combined according to the 4#ffield -o#ncil on Bioethics, The ethics of research
in.ol.ing animals, 2==>, htt!0YYwww(n#ffieldbioethics(orgYfile8ibrar&Y!dfYI'AaIe!orta"'4A8o!t(
!df (accessed 77 ?#ne, 2==F%(
<EC According to S#r.i.al 'nternational "ollowing first contact, it is common for more than >=\ of a
tribe to die( htt!0YYwww(s#r.i.al*international(orgYtribesYisolated!er# (accessed 77 ?#ne, 2==F%(
<EG B#bonic !lag#e wo#ld also not ha.e occ#rred on an&thing li/e the scale it did, o.er three cent#ries
had it not been for trading shi!s and the eB!loitation of foreign reso#rces( See -ha!ters One and Two
for lots of other eBam!les(

A Matter of Scale The Scale of The Problem

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