Ecocide: The Psychology of Environmental Destruction

[Cliffy]

The Psychological Roots of Ecocide
The term "ecocide" has recently been coined to describe the potential danger we face. And even though the dangers are obviously linked to social and political factors, I believe it’s important to look into the psychological roots of "ecocide." What are the psychological causes of our abusive and exploitative attitude to nature?
In my view, there are two main psychological factors. The first is what I call our "over-developed sense of ego," or intensified sense of individuality. You could argue that this is the essential difference between Western so-called "civilised" peoples and tribal indigenous peoples. Most indigenous peoples don’t seem to exist as personal, self-sufficient egos to the same extent that we do. Their sense of identity seems to include their community and their land. For example, the anthropologist Silberbauer noted that for the G/wi people of the Kalahari Desert in Africa, identity was less more ‘group-referenced’ rather than individual, so that people would identify themselves in terms of their kin or another group (2). While according to Boydell, the indigenous peoples of Fiji have a concept of “the self-embedded-in-community [which] contrasts with the western value of individualism with its idea of the self as separate and separating from others.” (3).


Ecocide: The Psychology of Environmental Destruction

 

[BaalsTears]

It's not only western peoples who commit ecocide. The Maya and Rapa Nui did the same thing in an effort to preserve their communities.

 

[Ludlow]

I think it has to do with our appetites. But like anyone else is just another opinion typed on a screen.

like a plague of fvckin locusts consuming everything in their path.

yet even still, I feel that some day everything will be alright.

 

[Cliffy]

I think it has to do with our appetites. But like anyone else is just another opinion typed on a screen.

like a plague of fvckin locusts consuming everything in their path.

yet even still, I feel that some day everything will be alright.

There has been a profound shift in consciousness in the last year or so. Things are changing for the better, but the ruling class are also dealing in more violence to try to maintain the status quo. I think they will fail to hold onto their control. We'll see.

 

[Cliffy]

What kind of psychosis allows humans to view this as progress:

 

[captain morgan]

The Case of Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump

 

[Walter]

What kind of psychosis allows humans to view this as progress:

Precipicey wants everyone to live a cold, short, dark life.

 

[captain morgan]

I notice that Cliffy has no aversion to burning as much gas as his car can carry.

 

[Ludlow]

There has been a profound shift in consciousness in the last year or so. Things are changing for the better, but the ruling class are also dealing in more violence to try to maintain the status quo. I think they will fail to hold onto their control. We'll see.

Better would be good. Like to believe my children and grand children will live in an improved world.

 

[Nick Danger]

I was trying to post a video but couldn't get the link to work. To get a more comprehensive picture people should look into the reclamation work that goes on once a mining location has played out.

http://www.syncrude.ca/environmental-commitment/land-reclamation/

 

[damngrumpy]

People don't respond because the fear mongers have lost all credibility.
Science is not longer reputable they climbed in bed with the corporations
and government now both have thrown them under the bus for profit.
Green is about the money and extorting it by fear.
Do I think we should just do what we please? NO. But I don't want to live
by the rules of Corporate greed anymore than i want to be dictated to by
eco nazis Personally I want to drive my truck. I don't want transit or bike.
Bikes are useless you peddle your feet twice as hard to give your a** a ride

 

[MHz]

What kind of psychosis allows humans to view this as progress:

Without iot you wouldn't be posting anything, nor would anybody else. Advancements are only a bad thing when there is a cutoff point where some deserve the goodies and others don't. Guess which side makes the choice?

I was trying to post a video but couldn't get the link to work. To get a more comprehensive picture people should look into the reclamation work that goes on once a mining location has played out.

Alberta Oil Sands Land Reclamation | Syncrude

If you follow Youkon Gold or Bering Sea gold that is what is happening and the finances come from collecting the bit of gold that was missed. The reclamation that follows that would put the land back in a useful condition, the steeper creeks could be customized so they collected gold in the best way possible and to keep the claim active the hot spots could be vacuumed out and the gold collected with ripping the area apart again.

Even cities could dig into the old landfills and the biggest product would be sterilized black dirt and methane is a coverted or collected gas.

Personally I want to drive my truck. I don't want transit or bike.
Bikes are useless you peddle your feet twice as hard to give your a** a ride

E-bike it, motorcycle helmet and 30kph bike with a range of about 100K per charge. If you have a small gargae you could build them and sell them. I need a trike because of balance issues, still no insurance, no tickets even while drinking, legal texting probably. The pedals are to legally make it a bike. Yes you can hot-rod them easily also.

 

[Cliffy]

Members of a Canadian indigenous tribe turned down $267,000 per person to allow a pipeline to be built through their land

The Lax Kw’alaams Band, a Canadian first nations people living in a remote part of British Columbia, turned down an offer amounting to $267,000 per person to allow a natural gas pipeline and processing facility to be built on their lands.
Malaysian energy giant Petronas and its partners had offered the 3,600-member band a total of $960 million to allow construction of its $30-billion-dollar Pacific NorthWest LNG terminal and Prince Rupert gas pipeline to proceed.
The band wasn’t interested.
“This is not a money issue: this is environmental and cultural,” the band said in a statement. Representatives of the band voted unanimously against the offer.


Members of a Canadian indigenous tribe turned down $267,000 per person to allow a pipeline to be built through their land | Fusion

 

[EagleSmack]

The Case of Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump

Hateful cretins!

 

[DaSleeper]

The Longer You Live In The Past, The Less Future You Have To Enjoy

 

[Ludlow]

The Longer You Live In The Past, The Less Future You Have To Enjoy

I think being aware of the past is not necessarily living in the past. Maybe sometimes we obsess over it but stripping away the whitewash can reveal mistakes that we might not repeat in the future.

 

[Nick Danger]

People don't respond because the fear mongers have lost all credibility.
Science is not longer reputable they climbed in bed with the corporations
and government now both have thrown them under the bus for profit.
Green is about the money and extorting it by fear.

I agree with this, it just becomes more important for rank and file citizens to get a comprehensive picture of the issue before deciding where to place their support. The amount of money involved in big oil is huge, and the economic benefits for everyone are substantial, but it is a dirty business like all resource extraction. The decision of course, is "is it worth it" ? Simple on the surface but bear in mind that the information needed to make that decision from a place of informed responsibility is not as easy as it seems. It has been suggested in some circles that much of the opposition for Northern Gateway is in fact financed by American oil interests who see oilsands oil as a threat to their bottom line. Fact or fiction ?

I admire the integrity of the Lax Kw’alaams Band in turning down what appeared to be a pretty attractive offer, but I have to ask what sort of information that decision was based on and where did it come from ?

 

[Twila]

I notice that Cliffy has no aversion to burning as much gas as his car can carry.

how about we keep this discussion about the topic and not the messenger?

Maybe we'll be able to have a discussion instead of some elementary school name calling sandbox type stupidity.

 

[captain morgan]

how about we keep this discussion about the topic and not the messenger?

Maybe we'll be able to have a discussion instead of some elementary school name calling sandbox type stupidity.

That comment I made is at the core of this issue and the reference to Head Smashed In buffalo jump sums up reality nicely

Fact is, everyone, in all cultures and over human history absolutely need to engage nature in an opportunistic and exploitative manner in order to survive. The food you eat, the manner in which you secure shelter, warmth and security all happen as a result of exploiting your surroundings... The FN communities used the Head Smashed In buffalo jump site to feed themselves, families and community - that's what they needed to do - clearly, if one was to have a rant on ecocide, driving thousands of buffalo over a cliff to feed a small group would be the epitome of ecocide.... It has nothing to do with any BS about a 'communal' mindset versus individualism, it's about survival

Cliffy wants to use this platform as an anti-energy or oilsands (multiple vids) or development or materialism podium... I am just simply reminding him that without a lifestyle that consumes the resources around us, we all cease to exist... End of story.

You can wrap up the agenda points with the newly formed word ecocide, but the fact remains, it is just another eco-lobby that promotes a message that is completely unrealistic and unachievable.

That said, this IS about the gas in Cliffy's car, the groceries in my fridge and the heating oil/nat gas that Twila uses to heat your house.

 

[MHz]

Members of a Canadian indigenous tribe turned down $267,000 per person to allow a pipeline to be built through their land

The Lax Kw’alaams Band, a Canadian first nations people living in a remote part of British Columbia, turned down an offer amounting to $267,000 per person . .. . .

Let's assume for a moment that the money would solve a lot of 'problems' for the generations that follow. Elders are always set in their ways and change never comes easy. The ones the money would help and the ones that will be running things when the line is in operation would best be solved the same way they could have solved the original treaty issue. Rather than subdue them through submissive actions elevate them to a level that counts as an act of subduction.
Let's assume for a moment places exist that is similar and pipelines exist there and both benefit, the locals and the customers that vive some distance away.
Remote also means the goodies they end up with have to be repairable or spares in stock. I don't think it would raise too many eyebrows if selective channels were not optional and it covered things like local and international news just to let them know there are places that are a lot worse off. Education is point and click these days but the access to such items is not promoted as much as a gaming console that has the games that get some complaints. Perhaps a map of their own location could be the 'map' and do the SimCity and GTA combo pac where even the elders want to control the player once it is all set up. What parent wouldn't want their kids and pets chipped so instant messages could be sent, to either, Right Rover? Rover come home command through his blue-tooth hearing aid.