“Policy is largely set by economic elites and organized groups
representing business interests with little concern for public attitudes or
public safety, as long as
the public remains passive and obedient.”
~ Noam Chomsky on the Transatlantic Agreement and US Policy
The news and I have an on-again-off-again relationship. For
the most part, I strive to surround myself with positive elements. After over
forty years on this Earth, I’ve learned that worrying about something that hasn’t
yet happened, or might happen, or is happening but there’s nothing I can do
about it, is actually a waste of time. Right here, right now, in my life,
wonderful things are happening and those are the things I do not wish to miss,
simply because I was stressed about something that’s completely out of my
control. In spite of the fact that I'm writing a dystopian trilogy, I truly believe that the world is NOT out to get me.
Yet, as a writer of science fiction, I do a lot of
research, and the news is a part of that. Particularly political news, since
that is where the power lies—in the hands of those who work in our governmental
agencies.
This morning, I found the quote above from Noam Chompsky
very telling. It sums up the entire attitude of governance in America at this
moment in time. Decisions are not made in the name of the people, but rather
for those who have an economic hand in them. These decisions are being made
daily, behind closed doors. However, given the fact that we are one human race,
sharing one atmosphere, one biosphere and one planet, any decision made behind
closed doors affects all of us, whether the politicians realize it or not.
It has long surprised me that most people refuse to believe
that their government would hurt them. Folks like to complain about the
government, but suggest that decisions might be made intentionally without
regards to our safety, and people cry, “CONSPIRACY THEORY!” and tune you out.
“That’s impossible! The government would never do that.”
Is it? Take Chomsky’s quote above. I agree it’s a stretch to
believe the government would kill citizens intentionally, but when economic
powers are concerned, our governments already have a track record of disdain
for our safety and our freedom. Take the nuclear testing in the 1960’s, which
released new forms of radioactive carbon into the air we all share, and thus
into all of our bodies. Remember Erin Brockovich? PG&E knowingly spewed
carcinogenic waste into a town’s water supply as a way to cut costs.
And today, as I read Charles Eisenstien’s latest article for
The Guardian, I learned that, “the
US National Research Council endorsed a proposal to envelop the planet in a
layer of sulphate aerosols to reduce solar radiation and cool the atmosphere.”
This plan, also known as geoengineering, is an important one
because it involves changing our atmosphere without our consent. One country has
decided to spray a layer of sulphate aerosols across the planet, without any
testing of the long term effects on human and planetary health. Why would we
rush to this type of solution for the environmental crisis we’re in? And why do
we, the people, sit back and let it happen? Why are we so obedient?
Let me be clear, I don’t think this is a conspiracy to wipe out humanity, but for some strange reason, we’ve all been trained by the media to think that. Most people won’t discuss
it when I bring it up, and I know I risk being seen as “out there” for mentioning it. But hear me
out. Geoengineering our skies has been an idea for quite some time. Most likely
it started out as a really cool patent that would help some company make a lot
of money. It wouldn’t be too hard to figure that one out, there are many
patents registered under this category. They’ve been testing and spraying since
the late 90’s. Money is the driving factor here.
But now we’ve got a real climate change issue on our hands
and geoengineering has yet another reason to be pursued—saving humanity. We
must cover our atmosphere in a layer of metals so that we can cool the planet.
It will save all of us! Yet will it? I’d like to see some answers first.
What is the impact on human health to be breathing in
sulphates? How about animals, or insects? How cool do we want to go? What if we
get too cool, how do we heat things back up? What do we spray then? The Earth
naturally cools and heats over centuries, in patterns we don’t really
understand, so are we sure we know exactly how to do this right?
The questions are endless, yet many aren’t asking them, for fear of being seen as crazy. Instead we look to the skies and say the grid like cloud patterns are normal, and that they’ve always been there. That’s only true for people born since the early 90’s.
The rest of us know better, yet we don’t question. It’s as author Miguel Angel
Ruiz said, “We only see what we want to
see; we only hear what we want to hear. Our belief system is just like a mirror
that only shows us what we believe.”
For me, the real reason we need to wake up and ask the hard
questions of those making policy is because both business and government have
shown us that they don’t understand the web of life in which we live. Policies
are short sighted, profit driven and made without regard to safety and
wellbeing. A new perspective must enter our leadership. As Eisenstein puts it
so well...
“The quick fix
mindset behind geoengineering must be transformed to one that seeks a humble
partnership with nature if we are to address climate change.”
