How much is it worth? The convenience of your morning commute, a nice sized house, a plane flight across the world? Is it worth a community, an island, a culture? And how many of them? The last remaining coral reefs?People must look at us and see us as people who want to lead a normal life, but we cannot lead a normal life because other people are doing what they want for their own development. What about us? -Tuvalu resident to the BBC
In the Gulf of California sonic blasts are being used to search for underwater oil fields. At 260 decibels, the blasts are loud enough to rattle the brains, cause internal bleeding and destroy the hearing of beaked whales. Whales cannot live without their extraordinary hearing capabilities. Of course, the science is sketchy and so it continues, while the dead whales wash up on the beach.*
Not to mention a little conflict, we're having in Iraq...
It is obviously worth it to find more oil right? More oil to fuel our current lifestyles that will eventually play a huge role in sinking Tuvalu. And the only solution so far has been to offer Tuvaluans sanctuary in Australia and New Zealand.
And it seems to me the solution is not going to be car-pooling, nuclear or alternative fuels, giving up air travel, easing your consuming habits, using eco-friendly light bulbs, dishwashers, washing machines, recycling, composting or whatever. They are mere band-aids on a gaping wound. The solution is going to have to be pretty damn drastic and I wonder how long it will be before this 'solution' starts to crop up in everyday conversation. Sure, global warming is discussed daily these days. Al Gore and Leonardo Di Caprio write books and make films about it but very few people have the courage to suggest what it is really going to take to save the planet, myself included.
Tuvalu can't afford another two degrees. Nor can the Maldives or Bangladesh. Nor can we. One day civilization, will have to accept that it is unsustainable and eventually self-defeating and it will have to be taken apart if anyone or anything is to survive.
*Source 'Endgame: The Problem Of Civilization' by Derrick Jensen
