6/24/02 8:18 am

How much is enough (part 22)

In response to: http://iisd1.iisd.ca/pcdf/SVN_Living_Economies.htm

Self-limiting behavior from individuals and groups is a matter of struggle, a matter of triumph of spirit over cravings. No easy victory for the individual, a matter of self-discipline and/or of spiritual distillation via 'training'and enlightenment.

I have yet to see corporate or political bodies facing the same task of self-limitation without exacting a tremendous price from voiceless participants in this spiritual struggle. In the US, for example and because I can speak with some authority as a member-witness-student, we have had real material and martial successes, yes, but at the expense of voiceless victims. Examples of voiceless victims: the environment, those identified as 'other' and members of other cultures, societies and states. I don't think I need to say too much about rainforests, irretrievable erosion losses, hangings, mutilations, imprisonments and aborignal genocide to make my point. We are a vital society and a successful (as in powerful) one, yes. But that doesn't make us either the most virtuous, a dubious title anyway, or even 'safe'. [Am using safe here to mean: If we stick with the leadership and trends following from this society is it likely to become less destructive and thus be more likely to support health in the Gaian and Human World]? Initially I would have to say that we're not safe to ourselves, to nation states or to Gaia. We're demonizing any other cultures who object to the alliance of consumer/corporate consciousness that presently dominates economic and military world realities and we're ignoring the the irreversible and progressive degradations we are causing to the planetary ecosystem, Gaia .

Enough said on that. It's arguable for many, certainly, but sufficient for you to see my motivations whether you fully agree with my conclusions or not.

It is in this context that I am proposing a small experiment in large group consciousness raising. It will be built upon the rapid and democratic access to imformation that the internet provides. In short its goal is this: that all people on the planet will be given access to world, regional and local eco-health maps whenever they want. That those maps are truthful, and literally "up to date" [accurate based on data retrieved and integrated in the past 24 hours] and maintained by living and nonliving systems of impeccable credibility.

In short, this information system will involve voluntary contributions of intellectual, social and temporal capital and will work outside of present state, nation or corporate systems. It will give instantaneous and accurate information on the health of the world and local ecosystems.

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My first question is this: would access to the unimpeachable truth as to our actions' present cumulative and future effects on Gaia's health help us curb our destructive behavior.

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Second and Related Question: With this knowledge (and the social institutions that have been created to maintain it) would the probability that Gaia survives be significantly increased?

[The general question is this: If any multi-organization, multiperson suprasystem has timely access to unimpeachable evidence of its effects on 'the world' will it become significantly more able and likely to alter it's behavior for the better?]

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My third question would matter only if the answers to the first and second amount to a convincing [resounding would be better..but] 'Yes'. Why? Because, whatever the details of any answer in the affirmative, [I believe that] much sacrifice on the part of many will be required.
The third question would be "How will we do this quickly enough to matter?"

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[I've included a link to David Korten's work on Living Economies. Just discovered but clearly working with similar issues.]

Spike Hall