Conclusion: Can Ecoshift Be Accomplished?

"It has often been said that, if the human species fails to make a go of it here on Earth, some other species will take over the running. In the sense of developing intelligence this is not correct. We have or soon will have exhausted the necessary physical prerequisites so far as this planet is concerned. With coal gone, oil gone, high-grade metallic ores gone, no species however competent can make the long climb from primitive conditions to high-level technology. This is a one-shot affair. If we fail, this planetary system fails so far as intelligence is concerned. The same will be true of other planetary systems. On each of them there will be one chance, and one chance only." -- Fred Hoyle [1964]

Whether our time will be known as the time of the Great Turning or the time of the Great Unraveling is a question of choice, not destiny. The leadership must come from the growing number of those among us who have awakened from the cultural trance, said no to the addictions of Empire, and acquired the perspective and wisdom of a mature human consciousness." -- David Korten [The Great Turning, p. 353]

"Wealth today is culturally associated with extensive physical possessions, large financial portfolios, social celebrity, pricey educations, and ease of life enjoyed by a few... Wealth should be measured more by our ability to give and the fact that we do.... In such a cultural paradigm education would again become prized by parents and children. Our money would satisfy simpler needs, modest homes and tamed budgets. Things that keep us so stressed and busy now would drop out of our lives as more meaningful things of intrinsic value are pursued. Celebrity would come to those who give of themselves and their resources in the most profound ways." -- Eric Kristjanson [World Ark, Sept/Oct 2006]

Fred Hoyle was a well-known astronomer who fought the concept of the Big Bang (which he named) for many years in spite of the overwhelming weight of the evidence. (So you may choose to discount his immensely powerful statement above.) What he is saying is that each planet probably gets only one chance at developing a technologically knowledgeable civilization like ours, because it takes billions of years of geology to concentrate the minerals like iron and oil that seem to be required for such civilization. There can be no second chance if the civilization quickly disperses or burns up those minerals. One possible reason we have not detected signals from extra-terrestrials may be that civilizations that can produce such signals do not last long, even though we are now proving that there are planets around most stars.

The many facets of Ecoshift described in this book outline an alternative to a high-tech future. Ecoshift recognizes that changes need to be much deeper than emission trading, geothermal energy, and other sustainable technofixes. "Solving" our energy and climate issues will not solve problems of poverty, species extinction, and overpopulation. The holistic Ecoshift movement encompasses a wide variety of activities, choices, paths, and beliefs. Yet many concerned individuals and organizations remain unaware that they are part of a broad movement. Perhaps this book can help remedy that situation.

Ecoshift can be accomplished if the movement continues to grow, but growth will take desire and dedication to educating humanity. The energy/climate crisis and the rapid increase in fossil fuel prices in early 2008 create a "climate" of concern amongst the general public and thus an opportunity for teaching about the concepts of Ecoshift. Environmentalism, especially preachy "gloom and doom", has not worked to change basic behavior; change does not result from scare tactics or from blaming others. Ecoshift offers a positive and fundamental paradigm shift from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism, from human arrogance to human respect for the diversity of humanity and the other-than-human wild. Ecoshift does not yet have detailed answers for all human-Earth problems. It is a direction, not a specific plan. The details need to be worked out over subsequent decades and may well differ deeply in different places.

Personal Change

Jim Merkel's "Radical Simplicity" provides both inspiration and a plan of action for moving from unconscious unsustainability through conscious unsustainability to conscious sustainability and finally unconscious sustainability. He describes in detail a personal data-based mechanism for individual saving of time, money, and ecological footprint while enhancing enjoyment of life. He concludes simply that "Achieving sustainability [while leaving 80% of Earth for continuing non-human creation] is only two steps away:

1. single child families (on average) until population reaches one billion (about 100 years), and
2. a personal ecological footprint not to exceed six acres [1/4th of the current U.S. average]."

Susan Mokelke [Timeline March 1995] asks "Pledge to affirm each day that 'I am totally responsible for my life, for my attitude, my actions, and my level of consciousness.'" I ask that we each do what we can and not berate ourselves for not doing more, and that we change gradually but persistently. It takes a long time to change the human world because change is created by millions of individual choices. Individuals form into groups and, as Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

The World of the Future

Does Ecoshift require the destruction of capitalism? Some people obviously think so, but I am not sure. Although capitalism may prove unsupportable in the absence of fossil energy, I hope instead that we can separate what is good from what is bad in capitalism and add some socialism back in. Socialism, after all, is simply being socially responsible, which is caring about one's personal impact on others. Money as a medium of exchange is not the problem per se and ownership of a business is not the problem per se. The greed that leads to huge size of businesses is a problem. The sole goal of profit to owners/managers is a problem. Lack of respect for workers, cultures, and Earth systems is a problem. Ecoshift will see the public will broadening the purpose of "business" to promotion of stability (as opposed to growth) and of just community (as opposed to pursuit of monetary wealth). We will not see a return to primitive life, but will be more judicious in what we do.

People will applaud a variety of actions/choices that are now looked down upon as "different" or even strange:

• eating vegetarian
• being childless
• using human-powered transportation
• downsizing home
• ignoring advertising
• buying local products at a higher price
• vacationing locally
• tree-hugging.

Our economy will shift to non-material sectors, especially education and the arts. Education will become a life-time project. Reading will recover its pre-television status. People will work only two or three years out of four. Music, art, theater, and dance will take center stage. Food production will shift back to local human labor with potential involvement of all of us in growing some of our own food. Sports will become more local, participatory, and equipment-free. Living spaces will be condensed. There will be no more wars, partly because there will be no more fossil fuel to run them.

Humans will relearn ways to "have fun" without expensive and fossil-energy based equipment. Humans will relearn the arts of music-making, conversation, and long walks. Humans will relearn natural history with its connection to nature and the joys it brings.

But all these changes will still not solve the basic issue of humanity's domination and destruction of people and of nature. The third principle of deep ecology says "The flourishing of human life and cultures is compatible with a substantially smaller human population. The flourishing of non-human life requires a smaller human population." As described in the Population chapter, a world population of one billion people may be able to live a quality existence without destroying Earth's systems and while leaving half of Earth for other species and landscapes to evolve as free as possible from human interference. Such a population is possible with one-child families for a hundred years. Humanity needs to recognize that NOTHING is sustainable unless we reduce human population to a billion or less. Only when human population is small enough that there is "enough" for everybody will the desire to become more affluent while others become poorer go away.

In keeping with the spirit of ECOSHIFT even this concluding chapter connects to further reading. "A Manifesto for Earth" by Ted Mosquin and Stan Rowe on their Ecospheric Ethics web site summarizes the concepts of ecocentrism and Ecoshift in a different way than I have done in this book. A 2007 conference, titled "Toward a New Consciousness: Values to Sustain Human and Natural Communities", generated a downloadable summary publication that details a variety of methodologies for promotion of Ecoshift. Finally, Duane Elgin's "Awakening Earth" takes a long-range look at the past, present and future of human evolution. His Awakening Earth web site includes several videos and talks, including "Is Humanity Growing Up?", which portrays widespread agreement that humanity is only in its teen-age years. Elgin makes a deeply positive statement that we have to move through the current (adolescent) world lifestyle in order to get to a more highly evolved (mature) consciousness. This consciousness will move Earth into an Ecozoic Era that justifies humanity as the mind of the Universe, as the Universe becoming aware of itself.

There are many more ways to say what I have said, and much more that has been said by others. Yet, this book must end. All the change described here does not mean that we will achieve the goals of Ecoshift, but if we hope for it we must also strive for it. Ecoshift is an odyssey that continues throughout life. Our future and our grandchildren's future depends on us.