This blog finds its inception amidst turbulent times, so I find it a propos that a "critical angle" be my starting point....
For too long, it seems, we have knowingly lied to ourselves about the genuine potential (and, truly, the increasing immanence) of either an environmental or human-made catastrophe. What is more, it is a glaring characteristic of our culture to put problems off—to wait until political interests align correctly with economic interests, economic interests with scientific interests,…. All the while, we have seen in less than a year’s time a combination of natural disasters (choose your earthquake) and human-made calamities (avoid seafood from the Gulf of Mexico). So whether or not one believes in the veracity of global warming (straight script cannot capture the irony in this statement) or the legitimate threat of widespread nuclear proliferation, one certainly does not suffer from a dearth of indicators that we are nearing a wide array of social, political, economic and environmental tipping points. Now, I am not an alarmist, but I think I would have to live by bluff to be unaware of their prominence.
Broadly, a tipping point is a displacement of equilibrium. It is a concept that has been around for quite some time, and we recognize it both for its roots in physics and its expression as a colloquialism in times of turmoil or utter frustration. Malcolm Gladwell, in his recent book The Tipping Point, perhaps cemented it as a sociological term and identified it as a critical moment at which fundamental changes occur in human relations. On the human-to-human level, such changes can come in the form of conflict or concord. On the human-to-world level, they can manifest as anything from climate change to the extinction of species. The one is reversible; the other is, in many cases, not.
In September 2009, artist and satirist Ralph Steadman wrote a letter to the magazine, Architecture Week. In it he echoes a sentiment that was sounded off in an article in The Onion that appeared just after the 9/11 attacks: that we are long overdue to renew and reciprocate a sweeping recognition of one another’s humanity—and this whether or not one has divine faith. The call comes after the construction of a shopping mall in Maidstone, U.K., which stands as a metonymic monument for a “world [that] is riven with strife and decimation caused by religious bigotry, including political extremism, ideological cant and economic domination, specifically Capitalism, which in itself is the fervent religion worshipped with far more zeal than most other religions put together.” Steadman’s solution, of course, would be to build in its place a new kind of mall—a “Cathedragogue,” which would provide “new and varied ‘pick n mix’ spiritual values” that, rather than foster a univocal and unidirectional vision of earthly progress or transcendental good, would “engender harmony and understanding as a genuine attempt to sow the seeds of a new perception of how our world can learn to live in Peace.” Here is the mockup:
An idealistic vision and “gargantuan task,” indeed, but perhaps just what is needed alongside “swift, radical and creative action” toward salvaging not only our collective humanity but also the very eco-systems in which it subsists. This is, after all, what the U.N. has recently called for in yet another report which delivers the “bad news” that our earthly existence is nearing a tipping point. Consider:
In the photo we see a deceptively tranquil image. Yet what appears lush and green (Trees? Money?) at the surface is countered by a barren array of coral (Health. Wealth.) beneath. The green, of course, is often all that shows up on the front page, on an accountant’s ledger....
And so—once again—we are reminded of our confrontation with the ultimate irony: that the very same technological prowess that serves to "save" us and support our subsistence could eventually kill us. Environmental degradation by way of rampant industrialization, worldwide climate catastrophe in the wake of global warming, nuclear winter following the detonation of an atomic bomb—we might quip: “Take your pick.” Of course, we might do well to consider drawing up our own plans for a better reality than the one in which we currently live. For a revaluation of our own goals as a species seems as necessary as it is within the realm of possibility, and regaining/maintaining balance is always easier before something or someone begins to tip. The fact remains, however, that neither “God” nor political/economic/scientific quibbling can any longer be the scapegoat for inertia.
Note: If you would like a fantastic, satirical take on the issue, check out this article from The Onion.
Image Credits: “Cathedragogue,” appears on Ralphsteadman.com; Getty Images.
No comments:
Post a Comment