Vivienne Westwood is Right

 
Vivienne Westwood is Right:

 we need a law against ecocide

by Charles Eisenstein

The economic and legal system rewards corporations that bulldoze, stripmine and burn. A new law against ecocide could halt this destruction..

 Designer Vivienne Westwood in Brussels in 2011. She has spoken out in favour of a new law against ecocide. Photograph: Francois Lenoir/Reuters

Designer Vivienne Westwood expressed anguish and alarm at the worsening state of the planet, at a press conference yesterday. "The acceleration of death and destruction is unimaginable," she said, "and it's happening quicker and quicker."

Speaking in support of the European Citizens' Initiative to End Ecocide, her words echo a growing sentiment that we have to do something. One thing we can do is to enshrine the sanctity of the biosphere in law.

That ecocide – the destruction of ecosystems – is even a concept bespeaks a momentous change in industrial civilisation's relationship to the planet. To kill something, like Earth, presupposes that it is even alive in the first place. Today we are beginning to see the planet and all its subsystems as beings deserving of life, and no longer mere resource piles and waste dumps. As the realisation grows that we are part of an interdependent, living planet, concepts such as "rights of nature" and "law of ecocide" will become common sense.

Unfortunately, we live in an economic and legal system that contradicts that realisation. With legal impunity and at great profit, corporations bulldoze and cut, frack and drill, stripmine and burn, wreaking ecocide at every turn. It is tempting to blame corporate greed for these horrors, but what do we expect in a legal and economic system that condones and rewards them? Besides, all of us (in industrial society at least) are complicit. That's why we need a law of ecocide: a concrete emblem of the growing consensus that this must stop.

In moral terms the matter is clear, but what about economic terms? Is ending ecocide practical? Is it affordable? The economic objection implies, "Yes, we should stop killing the planet – but not now. We have to wait till the economy improves and we can afford it." Is this to say that we must accelerate our headlong depletion of natural capital in order that, in some mythical future, we will be rich enough to restore it? Does anyone really believe that we should preserve a living planet only if it doesn't disrupt business-as-usual?

The unvarnished truth that environmentalists might not like to admit is that a law of ecocide would hurt the economy as we know it, which depends on an ever-growing volume of goods and services, increased consumption so demand can keep pace with rising productivity at full employment. Today, that requires stripping more and more minerals, timber, fish, oil, gas, and so on from the Earth, with the inevitable loss of habitats, species, and ultimately the health and viability of the entire biosphere.

Changing that is no trivial matter. What about the estimated 500,000 jobs to be created by the ecologically devastating Albertan tar sands exploitation? We need to change our economic system so that employment needn't depend on participating in the conversion of nature into product. We will have to pay people to do things that do not generate goods and services as we know them today – to replant forests, for example, instead of clearcutting them; to restore wetlands instead of developing them. Every facet of modern life contributes to ecocide; we should expect, then, that every aspect of life will change in the post-ecocidal era.

It is more accurate to say that, instead of hurting the economy, a law of ecocide would transform the economy. It is part of a transition to an economy with less throwaway stuff, and more things made with great care, more bikes and fewer cars, more gardens and fewer supermarkets, more leisure and less production, more recycling and fewer landfills, more sharing and less owning.

What about the argument that if Europe criminalised ecocide, it would be put at a competitive disadvantage with countries that allow it? It is often the case that the rapid stripping of natural capital brings high short-term profits.

How can sustainably harvested lumber from one place compete with cheap, clearcut lumber from another? It can't – unless the principle of ending ecocide is also written into international trade agreements and tariff policies. Sadly, international trade agreements under negotiation today, such as the Transpacific Trade Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TPIP), threaten to do the opposite: corporations could have ecocide laws invalidated as barriers to trade.

We need to reverse that trend. A European anti-ecocide law would establish a new moral and legal basis for a global consensus to end ecocide and preserve the planet for future generations. Even if the law isn't enacted immediately, the initiative puts the idea on the radar screen. Sooner or later, such a law is coming, and far-sighted businesses that anticipate the changes it will bring will thrive in the long run, even if that requires difficult short-term transitions.

The European ecocide initiative has so far been signed by about 100,000 people – far short of the one million threshold required to compel the European Commission to consider it formally. Will future generations look back from a ruined planet and wonder why only 0.02% of Europeans exercised their democratic rights to stop ecocide? We can do better than that.

Charles Eisenstein is a speaker and writer focusing on themes of civilisation and human cultural evolution.

Source: theguardian.com

The Awakening Soul

The Awakening Soul – Floodgate of the Apocalypse

by Zen Gardner

More and more terrific folks are stepping out and making serious conscious-driven life changes and it’s absolutely thrilling. When we’re led by our hearts it can’t go wrong. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be trials, tests and obstacles.

We all have them.

But acting in response to the awakening is a different batch of challenges compared to the trials of those attempting to just exist or get ahead in our matrixized world. Any conscious and aware lifestyle change to whatever degree is upstream in relation to the predominant down river current carrying those embroiled in the system. As a result we meet with criticism, cynicism, anger, a sense of betrayal from friends and loved ones, ridicule, financial challenges and other complications stirred up by those resentful of our freedom.

It’s not an easy road.

Most of us have experienced those challenges and setbacks to varying degrees our whole lives. I’ve had several major paradigm shifts and complete turnabouts in my life leading up to where I am now, as have so many. There were always wild, unexpected and difficult to deal with elements that were often either extremely traumatic, or just plain took me by surprise, several appearing as if I was hitting a wall…when I wasn’t.

The key is to keep moving. To keep moving you have to keep consciously responding, constantly dissolving elements you’re faced with one lie or easily solved situation at a time. If you do, the illusory world around you will crumble in significance as a new life of personal majesty is born.

Birthing the Apocalypse – We’re in Transition

Transitioning is a term used for going through the final stages of labor during the amazing act of giving birth. How appropriate. That idea is what triggered this post, and a response from one of the many wonderful folks who frequent my website. Many, like myself, are in serious transitions and learning profound life and consciousness lessons hand over fist.

The key is to be willing to let go of the shore. That’s where the seeming cost comes in, but in the grand scheme of things it’s infinitesimal, no matter what we let go of.

This is from Sand, inspired by a deep article penned by Ida:

    My husband and I made a move to provide a refuge for family if needed. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but are now discovering that was an understatement. During this adventure, I’m finding the need to call back to what Grandma S. taught me waaaayyyyy back when. The many lessons from Grandma are helping to get through some of the hard days. Just this past Sunday, while harvesting black walnuts, I had the nagging thought that our steps to “simplify” our life were not working out so well. I’ve been questioning whether it was the right thing to do.

    As I picked up the nuts, that little voice kept saying, “It’s too hard. I can’t keep up with all the work that needs to be done. I’ve made a huge mistake. I’ve made our lives harder – not easier. Harvesting food, preserving food, cutting firewood, building the woodshed – it’s too much to handle.”

    And then a memory popped into my head. I was maybe 8 years old, and Grandma and I were collecting black walnuts in the backyard. As we gathered, she would tell me the steps to getting to the delicious nutmeat. It seemed like such a difficult process and I told her so. She said, “if you don’t think about and just do it, it’s not so hard.” Hmmmm! Ok. That was a good clue, Grandma. Thanks.

    Never realized before, but Grandma S. is so zen. So, I guess I’ll keep going for now – get out of my head and just do it.

Those are brave folks who’ve taken the Truth to heart and acted upon it, despite all the unknowns in front of them. There are many like them. Look how it’s stirred them to new depths as well as heights, both of which are wonderful teachers in life. We each need to do the same however we’re called.

I have many other dear friends and acquaintances who are building gardens, preparing their families physically and spiritually, participating in local information campaigns and directly exposing the agenda, developing alternative methodologies such as reiki or other healing and other empowerment techniques, empowering others, uprooting and even selling their homes in order to move somewhere safer, or just tuning in mightily to the shift we’re undergoing and passing it on in any way they can via writing, speaking, music and many very creative multi-media formats.

Therein lies the revolution of spirit and humankind. Rejecting the matrix of deception and self-serving ego and stepping into a life led and empowered by the Creative Force, whatever the cost.

After all, it costs a lot more not to. It’s really a no-brainer.

We Are the Revelation Unfolding

Activism? Everything we do and share matters in more profound ways than we can imagine, especially in light of trying to change a decaying and obsolete system. Our every thought, deed and intention matter immensely. Our neighbors and friends realize we’ve activated when we step out. Your family will know you mean business and aren’t just blowing smoke about your “crazy” ideas and convictions. A lot of wonderful dynamics get initiated. It reverberates through many dimensional levels because of and beyond all those influences.

That’s the revelation.

It’s the revelation of you, it’s the revelation of me. It’s the personal conscious release of the wellspring of infinite love, awareness and conscious creative power. As we each wake up and manifest the very real infinite world of loving inter-connectivity and unlimited spiritual resources, the new world we long for is being born.

Trying to patch up or redesign the existing structure in the face of this gargantuan awakening is like trying to put out the sun with a garden hose. Yet they try.

The Point – Universal Birthing Is Everything

We’re up against very serious forces that seem to “out man” us. They don’t. We just need to awaken our own innate spiritual nature and raise our conscious awareness to deal with them at the most effective level. What appears impressive that they’ve showcased, and has apparently taken our covert scientific community by storm, is none other than matter manipulation by mind and technology.

Oh, how the greedy reptilian left brain mind craves for this type of shallow technology–just as it was programmed to do. How convenient.

Fact is we all have these innate superior consciousness capabilities, no matter how technologically advanced this ugly onslaught against humanity appears. However, we conscious humans wouldn’t think of using such magnificent power and energy in such ways as those manipulative controllers. Yes, we would rather heal the planet and everything on it. Instead of clamoring for power we’d feed the world, dissolve any wars, and cultivate a planet of love, plenty, empowerment and discovery here and far beyond.

Is that why they hate us so? Is our very loving existence the bane of theirs?

It would appear so. We’re certainly diametrically opposed.

Approach life consciously – but dive in wholeheartedly and do your part.

The Apocalypse is here – and it’s you and me.

That’s the true Revelation.

It’s that simple.

Love always,  Zen

zengardner.com

Big Transition

 The biggest transition since…

by Prometheus

I was reading an old article in Time magazine about the singularity and the author made the bold claim that the singularity is the biggest transition in human history since the invention of language.  I thought this was kind of a funny thing to say, especially since language has no real beginning point, all life communicates (and I’m sure similar sliding scale arguments can be applied to the singularity).

So, what transition is as big a deal as the singularity? industrialism? agriculture? no, nothing that small. The singularity is a broader event even than human history. it belongs perhaps to a higher class of transitions, such as the transition from simple to complex cells, or cells to multicellular life. I would say it’s even more significant, on par with the beginning of life on this planet, or the beginning of the universe. Is that too far you think?

I’m reminded of the Low Energy Nuclear Reaction technology I talked a bit about. A few people complared such a discovery to the discovery of fire, saying it would bring about explosive possibilities (pun). Seemingly free limitless energy on a small cheap scale, massive amounts of intelligence to create and harness that energy, This situation is far beyond the way that life has worked on this planet for the last 4 billion years.

Window to the soulThere is significance here far beyond life on our planet. This is an event of universal significance, this is the time that the universe begins to recognize itself as the universe. Our sense of individuality, our separateness from each other, is completely threatened by our urge to build intelligence and deconstruct our minds into basic replicatable parts, our incessant drive to share our thoughts, feelings, memories, and opinions. when we no longer own all of this information in our brains, when that information is free, your “self” can be distributed everywhere. Any matter can be turned into intelligence and perception, the entire universe is soil for the growth of intelligence. This is why I say this is the time of the universe recognizing itself as the universe. We are the universe, erupting exponentially with intelligence and consciousness, this is the transition toward that realization.

-Prometheus

psychesingularity

December 21st.

 The day we realize it is not about nations, and the whole world is one.. oh, that will be the grandest of days” ~ Gandhi

On the Universal Significance of

 December 21st, 2012

World Centering and World Renewing and A Proposal for a World Wide Cultural Event !

The question about the year 2012 and in particular December 21st, is not— what’s going to happen—but rather what are we going to make happen !!

Twenty-Twelve has shaped up to be an exceptional year from any angle you look. Here’s a snap shot of what’s looming for 2012.

    Growing global movement to purge governmental and economic systems of their corrupt and exploitive polices.

    Growing global movement to purge corporations of their corrupt and exploitive polices.

    Western Imperialists are chomping at the bit to attack Iran and overthrow the Syrian Regime.

    Not to mention ongoing US led wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen.

    Not to mention that Iraq and Libya have been savagely brutalized and in total chaos thanks to US imperialism.

    Not to mention covert operations in who knows how many countries.

    Growth of totalitarian State powers and out of control Governments. NDAA, SOPA etc.

    Countless localized ecological nightmares and urgent ecological conditions elsewhere.

    US Presidential Elections aka Parade of Goons

    Solar maximum is expected to peak near end of 2012.

    Socio-economic chaos is expected to peak in 2012.

    World economy teeters on the edge of the abyss.

    December 21st, 2012

Based on the macro-trends in motion it does indeed look like the “end of the world” as we know it is upon us. The crystallization of the 99%/Occupy movement represents the leading edge of the emergent culture movement, aka the birth of a planetary culture. The great mythologist Joseph Campbell said that the next stage of human cultural evolution would be dependent upon the creation of the planetary mythos. The planetary mythos is nothing less than the presently unfolding story of how humanity’s collective yearning for a better world is turned into reality via a collective movement to save the planet and her inhabitants from the clutches of the Current World System. It is the story of how we as a whole outgrew our straightjackets of tradition, fear, enthnocentrism, self-absorption and apathy to embrace the worldview of a cooperative Planetary Culture.

A Planetary Culture would be characterized by the following attributes.

    Direct democracy

    Ecological sensitivity

    Evidence based policies

    Gender balance-respect

    Diplomacy and cooperation

    Government transparency

    Incorruptible monetary system

    Cross cultural unity and respect

    Egalitarian socio-cultural philosophy

    Egalitarian lawmaking

        By egalitarian lawmaking I mean the enactment of rules, laws, and codes that do not favor any particular group or individual to the detriment or disadvantage of the rest.

    Demilitarization, disarmament and non-violence

    Clean and harm minimizing technologies and products

    Identification with the Planet as a whole i.e. Planetary/Global Citizens

    Acceptance of others customs and beliefs with the following exceptions;

        Militarism, coercion or force as a solution,

        The subjugation of women and minorities

        Slavery of any kind,

        Discrimination based on sexual orientation,

        Child sexual abuse,

        Religious proselytizing

It should be glaringly clear to all, but the most self-absorbed and isolated among us, that the Current World System is a menace to life, liberty, sanity and universal prosperity. And by universal prosperity I don’t mean that everyone should have the same standards of living. Natural inequality is a fact of life, but legalized criminality, organized predation and systematic exploitation is the socio-economic strategy of the “one percent” and not a fact of life.

Hope in Action

What the Mayan Elders are Saying About 2012 by Carlos Barrios

    Carlos Barrios is a Mayan priest, historian, anthropologist, researcher, and an expert in the Sacred Maya Calendar. Carlos was born in Guatemala.  After studying with traditional elders for 25 years he became a Mayan Ajq’ij, a ceremonial priest, shaman, and spiritual guide and member of the ‘World Council of Mayan Elders.

    Carlos initiated an investigation into the different Mayan calendars circulating. Carlos along with his brother Gerardo studied with many teachers and interviewed nearly 600 traditional Mayan elders to widen their scope of knowledge.  Carlos found out quickly there were several conflicting interpretations of Mayan hieroglyphs, petroglyphs, Sacred Books of ‘Chilam Balam’ and various ancient text. Carlos found some strong words for those who may have contributed to the confusion:

    Carlos Barrios: “Anthropologists visit the temple sites and read the inscriptions and make up stories about the Maya, but they do not read the signs correctly. It’s just their imagination. Other people write about prophecy in the name of the Maya. They say that the world will end in December 2012. The Mayan elders are angry with this. The world will not end. It will be transformed.”

The hope is that the meme of transformation spreads to as many people as possible. The world will only be transformed if enough people lend themselves to this task. Mr. Barrios seems to imply that the transformation will occur on December 21st, 2012.  The transformation has been afoot for some time already, but the process of transforming imperial civilization into a sane planetary culture is a work of indeterminate length.  December 21st, 2012 marks only the formal end of the Maya Long Count Cycle and it has the potential to be a mega-historic event in terms of a ritualized mass social observance with planetary scaled sociocultural implications.

    “We are no longer in the World of the Fourth Sun, but we are not yet in the World of the Fifth Sun. This is the time in-between, the time of transition. As we pass through transition there is a colossal, global convergence of environmental destruction, social chaos, war, and ongoing Earth Changes.”

The Myth of the Fifth Sun is derived from an Aztec creation story that says that the world has been created and destroyed 4 times and that we are presently in the 5th Sun or world. But Mr. Barrios says we are in the 4th sun going into the 5th.  The most widely accepted version of the Aztec creation myth is that we are in the 5th Sun.    The Aztec creation myth is a clear reference to a cycle of some sort, but it is unclear as to how long each creation cycle is?  Each creation cycle starts with one of the Tzolkin calendar’s 20 archetypal signs, but again we don’t have a reference to a specific time period(s).

Whatever the case we needn’t interpret the creation myth in literal terms.  The most important cycle to the Aztecs was the 52 year cycle. And they did indeed observe each transition with rituals symbolic of destruction and subsequent regeneration. In many cases they do go so far as to destroy and rebuild significant temples.   Interestingly the Aztecs were not tracking the Maya Long Count cycle that ends on December 21st, 2012. So it is very curious to see Mr. Barrios mixing uncomplementary aspects of Aztec and Maya calendrics.  He acknowledges the woeful human-planetary condition as a sign that we have reached some sort of potential turning point. “Earth changes” is a popular term used among the New Age community as a reference to changes supposedly consistent with the age of transformation. Currently any cataclysmic event is considered as an “earth change” event even if such events have been present since time immemorial.

    He continues: “Humanity will continue, but in a different way. Material structures will change. From this we will have the opportunity to be more human. We are living in the most important era of the Mayan calendars and prophecies. All the prophecies of the world, all the traditions are converging now. There is no time for games. The spiritual ideal of this era is action.”

Here we have his reference to “prophecies” and as always the case the authors fail to mention what they are or at least where we may find them. I pointed out in my last article that the ancient Mesoamericans were not in the practice of issuing prophecies because they didn’t need to nor can anybody know the specifics of what will happen in the future. I wrote that ‘Implicit in the closing of a cycle is the notion of transition. Transition implies the extraordinary changes that concur with such times”  His mention of the “spiritual idea of the time as action” corresponds to my proposal to encourage people to realize events in honor of the zeitgiest or spirit of the times and with the specific intent to…

    to catalyze Global participation toward the co-creation of a better world !

    to inspire hope in action, co-creation and collaboration on a scale never before seen !

emergent-culture

Planetary Culture

 THE LEGEND OF 2012 IS ALL ABOUT THE SOCIAL REALM!

A Planetary Culture would be characterized by the following attributes.

    Direct democracy

    Ecological sensitivity

    Evidence based policies

    Gender balance-respect

    Diplomacy and cooperation

    Government transparency

    Incorruptible monetary system

    Cross cultural unity and respect

    Egalitarian socio-cultural philosophy

    Egalitarian lawmaking

        By egalitarian lawmaking I mean the enactment of rules, laws, and codes that do not favor any particular group or individual to the detriment or disadvantage of the rest.

    Demilitarization, disarmament and non-violence

    Clean and harm minimizing technologies and products

    Identification with the Planet as a whole i.e. Planetary/Global Citizens

    Acceptance of others customs and beliefs with the following exceptions;

        Militarism, coercion or force as a solution,

        The subjugation of women and minorities

        Slavery of any kind,

        Discrimination based on sexual orientation,

        Child sexual abuse,

        Religious proselytizing

It should be glaringly clear to all, but the most self-absorbed and isolated among us, that the Current World System is a menace to life, liberty, sanity and universal prosperity. And by universal prosperity I don’t mean that everyone should have the same standards of living. Natural inequality is a fact of life, but legalized criminality, organized predation and systematic exploitation is the socio-economic strategy of the “one percent” and not a fact of life.

By virtue of its definition it is the destiny of a Planetary Culture to abolish the horrors and stupefying inequalities perpetrated by the owners of the Current World System (CWS). There is no bright future in store for the Earth and her inhabitants unless the CWS is dismantled and transformed. The ongoing breakdown of the CWS and the emergence of a Planetary Culture is precisely what the Legend of 2012 is all about. An old epoch(culture) is coming to a close and a new one(culture) is dawning.

The ancient Mesoamericans responsible for the much maligned and misunderstood Maya Meso-American Calendrical (MMAC) system made no predictions about what would happen at the end of the Maya Long Count cycle that ends on December 21st, 2012. They did not need to. Implicit in the closing of a cycle is the notion of transition.

Transition implies the extraordinary changes that concur with such times.

emergent-culture