Jem Bendell, Professor of Sustainability Leadership at the
University of Cumbria, U.K., wrote a paper titled “Deep Adaptation.” Previously, he had been involved in the
standard corporate-oriented stuff — Sustainable Development™, Sustainable
Growth™, and so on. He eventually
realized that these have little relationship to genuine ecological
sustainability. He also came to realize
that climate change was going to cause a collapse of society during the lives
of his students.
Corporate-oriented “sustainability” education teaches blind
faith in technology and human genius — full strength hopium. We can solve any problem! For them, nothing is more inappropriate than
honestly acknowledging reality. Speaking
honestly would scare students out of their wits, fill them with despair,
destroy their sanity, and ruin their lives forever!
Bendell was tormented by his realization that “the evidence
before us suggests that we are set for disruptive and uncontrollable levels of
climate change, bringing starvation, destruction, migration, disease and war…
in your own life.” Why is it taboo to
discuss this in academia? He decided to
break the taboo in his classes, and the result surprised him. He wrote:
“In my work with mature students, I have found that inviting
them to consider collapse as inevitable, catastrophe as probable, and
extinction as possible, has not led to apathy or depression. Instead, in a supportive environment, where
we have enjoyed community with each other, celebrating ancestors and enjoying
nature before, then looking at this information and possible framings for it,
something positive happens. I have
witnessed a shedding of concern for conforming to the status quo, and a new
creativity about what to focus on going forward.”
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