The ecological crisis “time limit”

More on my thoughts about the “soft denial” that permeates a lot of “Progressive/Liberal” thinking re: the Ecological Crisis. This quote from McKibben has a lot to say to illuminate my sense of how inadequate are all of our accustomed-to political language.  “The question of time is the question that haunts me. I remain optimistic enough to think that in Continue Reading

The “soft denial” argument

The typical “soft denial” argument: “You do know nothing gets accomplished in politics without compromise? What’s more important: your ideology, or actually doing something?” Me: Ecology doesn’t run on polls; it doesn’t “take into account” what we think. It merely deals with the balances or lack of it. We need to face up to that, and “adapt” (which means to Continue Reading

Drawdown Conference , Fayetteville , AR , April 27, 2019

Western dualism pollutants

“All of our lenses have various perspectival tints, but Western worldviews seem to have several in common, including the foundational influence of Platonic dualism, inherited from the Greeks. This particular influence absolutizes the realm of the abstract (spirit, soul, mind) and reduces the importance of the concrete realm (earth, body, material), disengaging them from one another. In dualistic thinking, we Continue Reading

The “Progressive” Kingdom

“The left is rightly committed to a separation of church and state … but we need to not be afraid to invoke arguments that are convincing on why Christian faith is going to point you in a progressive direction.”  This is a very good brief statement on a “Church and State Separation” articulation that also does not preclude “ANY mention” Continue Reading

SCIENCE can’t , but SCIENTISTS can

More thoughts on “We scientists don’t know how to do that” quote (see https://www.facebook.com/groups/progressivemethodists/permalink/1644595002310632/ ) Many are sharing this and commenting on its profundity. I agree that it is a profound statement. I have also seen it pressed into service of lobbying against actual efforts to address Climate Change. I first noticed this at the 2016 General Conference, where this graphic quote Continue Reading

Another reminder / recommendation of a great TV presentation on the Climate Crisis (PBS/Nova)

Seems a good time for another reminder/recommendation of the PBS Nova episode, rich with information and explanation/exploration of important science information about this ecological situation in which we find ourselves. There’s so much disinformation being accepted which causes a very dangerous dismissal of the urgency of this, or even its existence.  Decoding the Weather Machine | Season 45 Episode 7 Continue Reading

The Prodigal Species

I posted this share of a great blog post sent around by Leah Jacobs Schade last week, and I was just re-pondering it a few minutes ago, and posting it to group that I’ve been attempting to “evangelize” for the better part of the past year, since March of 2018 (this is a group that is mostly very conservative United Methodists. I have Continue Reading

‘The need to keep the wheels of capitalism well-oiled takes precedence even against a backdrop of fires, floods and hurricanes.’ Photograph: Fire & Rescue NSW/AFP/Getty Images

Incompatible

“Climate change is the result of our current economic and industrial system. GND-style proposals marry sweeping environmental policy changes with broader socialist reforms because the level of disruption required to keep us at a temperature anywhere below “absolutely catastrophic” is fundamentally, on a deep structural level, incompatible with the status quo.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/18/ending-climate-change-end-capitalism Ending climate change requires the end of capitalism. Continue Reading