Economy vs Nature, The Smackdown

Environment vs Money

Where did it all go wrong? When did we, as a society, decide the economy trumps all, including the very environment that makes human life, and in-turn our ‘benevolent’ system of trade possible? Was it a gradual shift or did it happen overnight? In either case here we are. I think Bill McKibben, the author of Eaarth, says it best:

” … Here’s a way of saying it. At least in the minds of our leaders, the economy has become more real than the physical world. That is we feel very strongly about all the injuries to the economy; oh its in recession, it’s not growing as fast as we want it to, it’s had a setback. All the metaphors are of illness. We cosset and coddle the economy with great delicacy and care, but the rest of the planet – the real world – we can’t bring ourselves to give it the same sort of care and attention. It just isn’t real to us, it’s just, sort of … background. that’s sad and it’s also a big mistake, because eventually we are going to find out which one of these actually is real, which one of them is dependent on the other. The physical world is not dependent on the economy but the economy is dependent on a planet that actually behaves like we are used to it behaving … “

I included the word “Smackdown” in the title of this post because it is a smackdown, the economy is not only winning, it is utterly annihilating it’s foe. This is a no-holds barred brawl from the economies perspective, in a fight nature didn’t even know it was in, the outcome of which has the potential to make or break our very existence. Strong words. But real words.

Think about it.