Seed magazine has had the good idea of asking leading scientists to come up with a single statement that represents the most important lesson for humanity from their field. Here's one answer, from Carl Folke of the Stockholm Resilience Centre:
“Humans have a tendency to fall prey to the illusion that their economy is at the very center of the universe, forgetting that the biosphere is what ultimately sustains all systems, both man-made and natural. In this sense, ‘environmental issues’ are not about saving the planet—it will always survive and evolve with new combinations of atom—but about the prosperous development of our own species.”
I've long wondered why it is that we talk about "saving the planet" when what we really mean is saving ourselves. The planet was here long before us and it will be here long after us. The planet couldn't care less.
Any red-blooded right wing capitalist ought to be an environmentalist if they take a long enough view. Tim Flannery's book is a revelation in this regard. The planet will be just fine - it has survived greater disasters than humanity, and has even been strengthened for it. We should worry more about ourselves.
Posted by: daniel | April 29, 2011 at 08:34 PM
Absolutely spot on. I thought this was pretty good when it appeared a few months ago:
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/environment/i%27ll-be-just-fine,-says-planet-20080306774/
Posted by: brian | May 02, 2011 at 10:32 PM