So, what if we are about to go extinct? (Ecotrain)
(photo by Sarah Rosenberg @icmultitudes)
This week I went through a profound existential crises, which was brought on by an article I read on facebook. The article described some of the ways (about twenty all in all, but that was just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak) that we, the human race along with most of life on Earth is about to go extinct. Possibly very soon.
As soon as the next decade, it said, large parts of the Earth could become completely uninhabitable. They will either be too hot and dry for human survival, or they will be underwater. And then it went on to outline some of the feedback loops that could send climate spiraling out of control. Vast quantities of carbon gasses trapped under rapidly melting artic ice, for example.
I'm not going to relate the whole article to you. I'll post a link to it in the comments section if you are interested in reading some very pessimistic predictions. Suffice to say, it was very convincing and backed up by a lot of scientific evidence. I believed, after reading it, that even if it isn't bound to happen, it's still a very real possibility.
I couldn't work that day. I tried, but I just couldn't see the point.
I went back to my facebook, which was full of photos of a massive Antarctic ice shelf which had just that day broken off and was now drifiting away to sea. Was that a sign? Did it signify the point of no return? That now, no matter what we do, it's just too late to save ourselves and the planet?
I thought about my children. What could I possibly give them or teach them to prepare for the sudden end of a geological period? Realistically, not much. How can you prepare for your own extinction?
I wrote to my friend who had posted the article and told him, 'I feel like the best thing I can do now is take my family to some remote northern hills - to some bunker, stocked up with tinned food, guns and ammunition - and try somehow to survive what's to come.'
He said, 'That's just your first reaction. Give it time.'
He's very wise like that, but I wanted to scream at him 'But there isn't any time!!! It's too late!'
Then he said, 'We literally are the change. Getting everyone upset about this is the first step to generating thousands of resilient solutions.' So we got on with discussing whether or not planting trees everywhere could save us, and if it would be enough, and if it would be possible, and what other ideas were going around...
I tried again to get on with some work. Some friends are building their dream home nearby and they've asked me to build a certain window for it. But doing carpentry is really difficult when your mind is stuck on the imminent extinction of 97% of life on Earth.
There have been five or six great extinctions throughout Earth's history - one of which was caused by an asteroid but the others by natural climate change and changes to the atmospheric composition.
I thought about the dream house this couple were building and how much care, consideration and importance they put on every little detail - how many hopes and dreams, how much time and energy, not to mention money, was invested in this building. I wanted to make the window well - to honor their vision and help them fulfill their dream - even if it was just an illusion and they'd have to abandon the house in the end as refugees, just like everyone else, never to return...
I just couldn't seem to get the corners straight or work out how it would all fit together. It was supposed to be a simple job, but it just seemed impossibly difficult and complicated. My mind was elsewhere. It was too hot, I was too tired. It felt like a waste of precious time.
I wrote to another friend of mine who I don't know very well, but who I know is also quite wise and who was suffering illness last time we spoke. I wanted to check if he was ok. I inquired as to his health and he replied that he's much better. I told him of my existential crises and my anxiety about extinction. He paused for a moment, and then replied:
'Any time
a solar flare
a little stronger than usual
can end life on Earth
in a glimpse.
But I believe there is something deeper than our physical existence.
There is a glory in the Universe beyond the casual fleeting coincidence
When we create something artistically,
we feel eternity in time
and forget about time and death.
Often it's not about the results accomplished,
it's about reaching that state.
As the Zen masters say -
Do the little things to reach perfection.
Do you know that Zen monks practice sweeping every day, as a way to learn patience?
They have pebble gardens where they create sweeping patterns before destroying them later.
Just emptying the mind is sometimes healing.'
I decided to try to work on a guitar instead, although it also seemed somehow pointless as there would ultimately be no one left to play it - or hear it not being played. But I got on with it anyway. It's work I enjoy and I find it therapeutic to create something by hand – especially if it's a guitar.
Then I remembered music, so I put on Aretha Franklin singing gospel songs with a church gospel choir - there's nothing better to lift you up when you're feeling down.
As I worked away, planing the soundboard down to ultimate thickness - which is as thin as it can possibly be without actually exploding under the tension of the strings - my mind became more peaceful, my spirit more joyful. The real threat was still there, and just as real, but a glimmer of hope flickered in the corner of my soul, that maybe, just maybe it's still not too late - and even if it is, I still have this moment.
Later that evening I was back on facebook. Three old friends showed up, writing from various corners of the world. Lenny made a joke. Alex took it further. Ashley said something hilarious. I said something outrageous, or maybe completely random. It was one of those conversations that only a bunch of old friends can have, that you actually do end up laughing out loud and rolling on the floor laughing. There we were - four old friends in far flung corners of the world, laughing together at some crazy conversation that probably sounded like madness to anyone else. It didn't matter.
Moments.
It's for moments like these that we live
when all troubles are forgotten
at least for the moment.
Time is more precious than money.
It's always running out.
So let's spend what time we have wisely.
It may not be too late, yet.
[ @ecotrain Seva ]
Thank you so much for using my photo for this beautiful post. I can't imagine it ever being used for anything better than accompanying your words here. And speaking of time, even more certain that I managed to make very wise choices regarding how I spent mine these past few weeks during this bubble of my Israel visit. Can't wait to read more! It's amazing what gifts life puts before us.
Thanks Sarah. The photo seemed just right for the story. You said it was your last sunset over the sea in Israel for a long time. Of course, the world keeps on spinning through space - the sun will continue to set and rise again in the morning - but the knowledge that it may be the last time you see it (at least for a while - I hope you'll be back again before too long) makes it all the more poignant and significant.
That's just how it is, but we don't always notice, being so often caught up in our busy, complicated lives. Every moment we have is a precious gift.
So many moments, so many gifts. Too many to count if you can look at it that way.
Gideon, content aside, your writing sounds as good as your guitars, very resonating :-)
Thanks bub. It was a kind of improvisation on a theme. I'm glad you found something to relate to there.
nice post :)
everything is about how to spend time ^^
Thanks. Yes, exactly
This was the article I read:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/07/climate-change-earth-too-hot-for-humans.html
I'm deeply cynical on this issue...I've even gone as far as saying to fucking stop *posting scientific journal articles if you're going to post about the inanities of celebrity culture on the same page....The disconnect is staggering!
The sad truth is, though, I think there are only about a half dozen scientists who have made any attempt to change their lifestyle even among those who harbor worst case views....
All in all, it's a clusterfuck.....
*Huff-Post being the worst exp. on this one...
Thanks for your comment. If I understand you right, you're saying that everyone is just talking about climate change / environmental destruction, but doing nothing about it. It is essentially one more topic of entertainment.
You may be absolutely right about that. It's like how the band played on while the Titanic was sinking. At the same time, these scientific articles are like warning bells. If we're going to stand a chance of averting the worst case scenario, it's going to need everyone to wake up to the seriousness of the reality we are facing.
Your understanding is exactly correct! I have no quarrel with the scientific journals, but scientists fail to understand the significance of hypocrisy and its corrosive nature; they also don't seem to grok that it may not be a bad thing to lead by example on this one!
On hope: the world's leaders in Paris put the most corrupt company in human history in charge of the atmosphere: Goldman-Sucks.......If worst case comes to pass and some survive it will be The Preppers and possibly The Oligarchs who buried themselves deep underground. That's assuming the earth and its life forms survive in some mode which I'm inclined to think they will....I'm not an earth will be Venus believer.
Indeed, witnessing hypocrisy is an infuriating thing. At the same time, most of us are guilty of it to a greater or lesser degree.
Fortunately there are also some incredible people around doing amazing things - leading by example. Check out and support @ecotrain to give more power to inspiring people who are dedicated to being the change.
As for oligarchs and corrupt politicians who would bury themselves underground. They should be aware that there may yet be someone left above ground who would certainly put a big padlock on the door.
Usually, I'd agree with you on hypocrisy but the scale and scope of this problem make your comparison null and void, IMO.. This is hypocrisy on an unprecedented level....
Luthier, eh?
I worked for Larrivee' back in the day. Loved him as a person but hated his capitalist proclivities.....
There are many obvious problems - hypocrites and liars in positions of wealth and power being just one, as you rightly point out and are rightly angered by. The question is.. what are the solutions? Time is short for pointing fingers of blame.
Are you a luthier too? It's a wonderful craft, but doesn't sit well with capitalist proclivities. Nobody ever went into guitar making to get rich quick - even Mr Larivee, I'm sure.
No, not a Luthier, but this Gibson (my 2nd oldest possession) did go flying off of John's buffer one Saturday morning in 87. John comes running over and laughs and sees no damage done and declares them very well built fucking guitars! :)
Um, no, on C.C.: I've given up hope on this issue. If action and rhetoric have to be congruent to mean anything then the only logical conclusion is that this topic is a money making hoax!
Sorry, I know you won't accept such a view....
You may or may not like this:
https://steemit.com/openmic/@andrewmarkmusic/living-in-the-end-times
Beautiful post, i especially like the end.. Its so true.. None of us know what is in store for us and our world. As a scientist myself, i know that it is hard if not impossible to predict things that are so complex we cannot really understand the many interactions and implications.. because we can miss just one element that can turn the whole story on its head.
So, nothing makes more sense than to surrender and do the best we can and more importantly to enjoy whatever beautiful moments we can. One thing is for sure, individually we will all become extinct at the end of our lives, and so we should do our best to just be and enjoy!
Great post Gideon!
Thanks Alex. I'm glad you could relate to what I was trying to convey. It's an existential question we all have to face in our own way - how to live a meaningful life and make a difference in the world when faced with our own mortality. The prospect of global extinction, and the idea that it could be prevented, gives a greater urgency to these philosophical questions. After all, it's up to us to try to ensure that future generations will also continue to have the gift of life and the opportunity to figure out what it means for themselves.
In case of fun-da-mental crisis watch this:
Kind of fun, kind of mental, but it doesn't make me feel better. Because if we are smart, if we work together, if we really care... we may be able to avert (or at least postpone) this tragic end to human evolution. In the future humans may not see themselves as a virus upon the Earth.
I agree with you though - it's always good to look on the bright side and try to see the bigger picture. Thanks for sharing this video. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Maybe both.
It made me think of a song; Om shanti by Edo and Jo.
The seasons change but we are here
The stars will spin but we'll remain
Th earth will shake
and the seas will salt
The world may end but we'll remain and
Om Shanti Om.
Nice song. But what does it mean.. The world will end but we'll remain? How would you explain that? Sorry if it's a silly question. I'm sure I've missed the deeper meaning.
It makes me feel like our souls can not go extinct. I guess I believe our essence will live on no matter what happens and maybe even the soul of the earth too, until everything is created again. It's a bit like what you say about having at least this moment here and now where you are enjoying yourself, that is also essential and so somehow eternal even if it's just a single moment. How about that huh? ;-)
Or this one from Bob Marley: 'Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time' ( redemption song) also reminds me of our eternity. <3
Well, yes, it's very comforting to believe that we have a soul that will live on - perhaps going from one life to the next, or else existing in some eternal place, like heaven or hell, as many people believe.
But what caused this crisis was the thought - what if there is nothing else? What if this is all there is for us - this one life, this one planet, this one chance to do the right thing, this one moment... and we blew it.
I think it would be tragic to be the cause of our own extinction, if it could yet be prevented. I can imagine getting to heaven and God saying, 'You had one job...'
Bob marley was a prophet. His soul lives on in everything
Do you really feel that way? And that you as a person failed at it, or we as the human race? I think God can not expect us to do more then our best and I think I am and if I may be so free, I think you are too ;-)
I do feel that if we cause our own extinction, and also mass extinction of other lifeforms which share the planet with us, then it would be an unspeakable tragedy - if we could have prevented it and failed to do so.
I try not to have any expectations, and I don’t expect God does either.
Ah, that's so sweet. No, now that you mention it, I don't think God has expectations... That feels kind of nice :-) Off course it would be a tragedy, but you can not hold yourself accountable for it, when you' re doing your best.
Believe in technology bro, everything will be good!
I've got nothing against technology... well, not much... but I do believe it will play a crucial role in finding solutions to very big challenges ahead. The main thing is finding ways to use technology for its higher purpose - not just how to use it for greater destruction.
Thank you Gideon.