Tag Archives: civilization

What Jeff Gibbs Should Have Said in ‘Planet of the Humans’

Solving climate change alone will not save us—especially when the so-called solutions involve ramping up technologies that are decimating the biosphere. Nothing can make a difference unless we find a way to end our fatal addiction to economic growth.

What Midwives Taught Me About Anarchism (Anarchism for Civilians series)

Though they’re often used synonymously, civilization is not the same thing as culture. Many of the things that are attributed to civilization, such as art and healing, existed before civilization and outside of states. And many of the lauded “improvements” brought by civilization were not really improvements, or else they were improvements which came at a terrible cost.

Part 5 of the Halstead-Green debate

All honest environmental activists will feel despair at some point. The solution isn’t to run from it, or repress it, or deny it. There’s only one way to deal with despair, and that’s to go though it. We have to feel our feelings. Despair can be a teacher. It can lead us to a greater wholeness, more compassion, and a deeper sense of purpose.

Beyond Doom: A Response to Mark Green

I’m not going to try to tell you where to focus your energy. But I will say this, if your choice is being motivated by a fear of despair, if you are fighting down a feeling of hopelessness, consider letting yourself feel it. Really feel it. Trust that there is wisdom in all of our feelings, even the dark ones, maybe especially the dark ones. And see where it takes you.

“Damn Dirty Humans!”: ‘Planet of the Humans’ and Progressive Denial

“The film is asking us to come to terms with some difficult realities which we have yet to face: namely, that sustaining our infinite growth, industrial civilization on renewables is neither desirable nor possible, yet that is exactly what green capitalists are intent on pursuing.”