philosophy — Transition Voice

Seeing the choice: the New Existentialism (Part 2)

By Chris Weller November 21, 2012

When you and I speak of saving the world, we mean saving the world roughly as we know it now -- a world populated by elephants, gorillas, kangaroos, bison, elk, eagles, seals, whales, and so on...There are only two ways to save the world in this sense. One of them is to destroy you immediately -- not to wait for you to render the world uninhabitable for yourselves...The only other way to save the world is to save you. Is to show you how to get the things you so desperately need -- instead of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Transition Tagged With: Daniel Quinn, existentialism, philosophy

Cheer up — things really are as bad as you think

By Erik Curren November 13, 2012

In last week's election, Obama may have been a better choice than the alternative, but no American president is likely to have much positive impact on climate change, peak oil and the worldwide economic crisis anytime soon. Given the sorry state of national governments, controlled as they are by rapacious corporations driven by the profit motive, there's little chance of either hope or change coming from the top in Washington or any other capital. So, it's up to local communities around the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: local government, optimism, Paul Kingsnorth, pessimism, philosophy, urban farming

Philosophy and conservation

By Guy McPherson October 7, 2011

This essay is excerpted from Guy McPherson’s (2011) memoir, Walking Away from Empire: A Personal Journey. Asking a contemporary scientist in possession of a Ph.D. any question about philosophy typically draws a blank stare or, occasionally, an inquisitive gaze. Philosophy rarely is taught in science classes at any level of education, including the Ph.D. Across campus, a dose of science is taught in the philosophy department, but practicing scientists rarely are involved in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: climate change, communication, dystopia, philosophy

Wendell Berry’s weapons of mass destruction

By Erik Curren September 20, 2011

I'm pretty sure that in his now-famous press briefing of Feb. 12, 2002, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wasn't trying to write poetry in the vein of William Carlos Williams. Yet, how beautifully he captured the conundrum at the center of all human attempts to make sense of reality, helpfully set to verse by Slate: The Unknown As we know, There are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know There are known unknowns. That is to say We know there are some things We do … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Donald Rumsfeld, epistemology, philosophy, poetry, torture, TS Eliot, Wendell Berry, William Carlos Williams

Readers and authors talk

Elisabeth J. Potts on Climate collision course: CO2 levels about to hit 400 ppm » As of this week, we have already reached the 400ppm milestone. Here's the thing: We all need some sp...
Ed Johnson on Roundup of distressing climate news » Thank you all for your comments and commitments. I too sense this with out all the research backgrou...
Lee Samelson on The climate change mountaintop » It seems like the stages occur in reverse order for climate hawks Climate hawks or climate activists...
Steve on For sale, habitable planet, too late » Doug, I am in a similar place to you, I think. I have probably never really faced up to the reality ...