Wildlife population has declined 60% since 1970.
93% of reefs in The Great Barrier Reef have been bleached.
If the trend of the past 5 warmest years in 139 year history continues, the Arctic will be ice-free by 2040.
19 million people were displaced in 2017 – 12 times more than in 1951. 62% of these displacement were due to climate-related disasters (see picture below). There is a climate emergency.
Nearly 1/2 of the world’s population — more than 3 billion people — live in poverty. 1 billion of them are chronically hungry. According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. There is a humanitarian emergency.
And, there is a civilization emergency. The destructive force of the world’s nuclear arsenal is equivalent to 15 tons (33,000 lbs.) of TNT for every man, woman and child living on Planet Earth.
Apparently, 15 tons of TNT for each one of us is far from enough, because:
- In the past 5 years Canada has increased its military budget by 25% and the USA by 34%.
- 1.7 trillion dollars per year is spent on militaries around the world in circumstances where every 5 seconds a child dies from malnutrition, and where a mere 4% of these funds could put an end to all hunger and poverty in the entire world.
- Domestic laws of every country put behind bars a person who takes the life of another, while 63 million military personnel around the world are trained and paid to kill other humans. Forty-five armed conflicts being waged around the world at the present time are the direct result of this arrangement.
- 87% of members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 90% of members of the Senate voted to escalate the 2019 US military budget, in circumstances where the USA spends more on the military than China+ Russia+ UK+ France+ India+ Saudi Arabia+ Japan combined.
The world we live in makes no sense. “The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual, crime.”―Max Stirner
There is a dawning realization that the path of violence and inequality which mankind has followed for thousands of years has brought us to the brink of civilization-ending social and ecological disaster.
How to drastically change our course is a question which affects each and every one of our lives. No longer can we take the stand that these issues ought to be resolved by those who hold most of the cards, because it is our silent consent which has brought us to where we are today.
To shift to a net-zero world, to give each human being a chance at a dignified life, and to halt perpetual conflict requires fundamental modifications to our social and economical framework which is currently principled on extreme inequality and armed violence.
To commence with rudimentary changes requires a vision, of our world, that is grounded on diametrically different principles. A vision of a society in which man’s deep-rooted desires for equality, nonviolence, fairness and kindness forms the chief principle of sustainable life. A vision of human organization based on permanent peace and the well-being of all and our planet: A new metric which defines the success of each one of us, our human organization, and our ecosystem.
Spread this vision to give hope! Spread this vision to help people to overcome their apathy. But mainly, spread a vision that nothing can prevent mankind’s dream from becoming a reality once it is supported by the better part of the population.
Desire for the well-being of all including our planet in a culture of permanent peace is a vision which can unify all sectors of society; it is the enabler of collective action. Because, together, we are in charge. Only together. Humanitarian, social and ecological sectors must unite into one massive force in order to uplift mankind to the next plateau of its evolution. Policy adjustments resulting from subjective actions would serve nothing more than to prolong our and our planet’s suffering.
If only ten people undertake to enlist one other person every week, and each person so enlisted will do the same, in 6 months the positive power of the entire adult population of the whole of Planet Earth will compel the creation of good such as the world has never known. The first meaningful action anyone can take in these times of dire need is to join others! Together, we’ll build a road by walking.
