Fall 2007

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The Binge Generation

by Guy Dauncey

We are the binge generation—the ones who wanted it all. We are the last of the innocents who believed that this tiny Earth, floating in the vastness of space, could provide for all our wants, however wild or stupid.

We wanted the fish—so we took them. At the current rate, almost all of the world’s commercial fish stocks will be gone by 2050.

We wanted the energy—so we took it. Now we are waking up to the appalling impacts that global climate change will bring.

We wanted the land—so we cut down the Earth’s forests from the Amazon to Bear Mountain, and turned them into farms and subdivisions, driving out eagles, frogs and plants.

All over the Earth, the things we have used and discarded lie scattered in landfills. We are like two-year-olds who have known nothing but the generosity of our parents’ love, whose parents are now saying “Enough.”

Will we respond with foot stamping and tantrums, demanding the right go on being the centre of attention, regardless of the distress we are causing to others on the planet? Or will we come to our senses and learn that there is another way of living, beyond shouting and selfishness, where cooperation and respect create a harmony in which all may flourish?

There is well-researched evidence that when we choose to live within Earth’s limits, there will be ample sufficiency for all.

There is well-researched evidence that when we choose to farm organically, within the limits of Earth’s bounty, we will receive more nutritional goodness than we do with our current poisonous methods of treating the soil.

There is evidence that when we choose to manage our forests ecologically, instead of “grab and get rich” methods, we will harvest more resources, while sustaining the old-growth character of the forest.

There is evidence that we can obtain all the energy we need from the Sun, Earth and gravity, leaving the remaining fossil fuels in the ground for the next Ice Age, when it might be useful to counter Earth’s cooling.

To sustain our present level of binge-living, we would need three or four additional planets—and this while a billion of our fellow humans still manage to live, or fail to live, on less than a dollar a day.

To live in harmony, we will need to reduce our footprint on the planet by tenfold over the next 100 years. That need not mean any loss of the things that matter. We can design zero net energy homes that are ten times lovelier than many of the boxes we call home today. We can design things that are constantly recycled and reused, as nature has done for eternity. We can fill our cities with urban gardens, rooftop greenery, and fruit and nut trees on the boulevards.

Life in a post-industrial, sustainable world can contain all the things that make life wonderful—friendly neighbours, fulfilling work, cooperative families, peaceful green spaces, beautiful architecture, locally brewed beer, music, art, protected wilderness, protected wildlife, inspiration, and love.

We need not fear the change that is coming. The Berlin Wall that blocked the way to environmental acceptance is coming down; the path to harmony is opening before us. But we have work to do.

Climate Change - What are you teaching?
We would like to hear what teachers across Canada are doing to raise awareness among students about climate change, and how schools are working to implement solutions to this crisis. Tell us what is happening in your classroom or school—send a note to dmumford@CanadianTeacherMagazine.com with “Climate Change” in the subject line. We’ll print your responses in the next issue of the magazine to inspire others. To inspire you to send a note, we’ll draw from all submissions for copies of An Inconvenient Truth (adapted for youth edition) by Al Gore, donated by Penquin Canada, and Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change by Guy Dauncey with Patrick Mazza.

Guy Dauncey is an author and frequent guest on CBC radio who works to develop a positive vision of a sustainable future through his work as president of the BC Sustainable Energy Association, co-chair of Prevent Cancer Now, founder of The Solutions Project, co-founder of the Victoria Car-Share Cooperative and editor of Eco-News. www.earthfuture.com