EARTHLINGS is a feature length documentary about humanity's absolute dependence on animals (for pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific research) but also illustrates our complete disrespect for these so-called "non-human providers." The film is narrated by Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix (GLADIATOR) and features music by the critically acclaimed platinum artist Moby. I dare you to watch it from start to finish without feeling a little changed. It can be viewed at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6361872964130308142#
EARTHLINGS exposes human propensity for hyprocracy and double standards. and for a blind eye or a deaf ear. Above all, it flags up the 'greed-is-good' philosophy of capitalist fundamentalism. The more efficient the capitalist machine, the more successful it is in expoiting, sorry, should I say 'harnessing', nature including all her species, human included, for sheer profits. Adam Smith's Invisible Hand is revered, forgetting his earlier equally, if not more important work, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (as Premier Wen Jiabao ironically pointed out in Davos during the global financial crisis.)
On the other side, much as the sufferings of species touch our hearts, the reality is that even if all the non-human species are left alone, animals do eat other animals or species to survive, and whole species die or go extinct over time, perhaps in horrible conditions, under the Darwinian laws of survival of the fittest.
The more important issue is whether Malthus is coming back to haunt us again. This time not just population growth, which is expected to peak probably by 2040 (7.5 billion) or 2075 (9 billion), according to UN's 'optimistic' or 'medium' projections. What is more likely to drive the limits is the aspirations of the world's fast burgeoning 'middle class' from the so-called BRIC countries and beyond, to get a bit more of what most may not want to call the American Dream - more meat, more disposable clothes, cars, and all the trappings of modern urbanization.
Compounded by Climate Change, the Age of Scarcity is well upon us (since the publication of The Coming Age of Scarcity, Dobkowsski & Wallimann (Ed.), Syracue Univesrsity Press, 1998). It doesn't take a nuclear scientist to realize that at the American per capita consumption of the world's resources, one world would not be enough.
It begs the question whether we are now at an inflexion point where we have to move from an 'industrial civilization' to an 'ecological civilization' (according to Pan Yue, China's Vice Minister of Environmental Protection) and to promote minimalism as a chic lifestyle, where green is cool and less is more.
Warm regards,
Andrew
www.andrewleunginternationalconsultants.com
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