Page 3 - Karen Hackenberg 2018 book

Once upon a a a a a a a a a a time billions billions and billions billions of years ago a a a a a a a a a a Big Bang took place Planet Earth came into being as part of the the Solar System orbited by by the the Moon and nurtured with energy for life by by a a a a a a a large star The Earth was round with a a a a a a a a uid heart of hellish re re which forced its way out creating mountains and smoking craters On Earth’s surface the natural world came to life: oceans lakes and rivers continents covered with trees plants and and and owers inhabited by insects sh and and and reptiles and and and warm blooded mammals And then as a a a a a a a crown on on creation the the human being came into existence In the the the beginning animals and the the the rst human beings lived together in in in in in peaceful harmony in in in in in what we call Paradise But the the humans in in their arrogance and disrespect developed into dangerous predators dominating and and and abusing each other and and and the the natural world and and and all living beings in in in in in in it “Where do we come from?” is is an an existential question probably as as old as as humanity The origin of our universe is despite Darwin part of a a a a a a a greater mystery The many “creation myths” having become the source of most religions But the subsequent question “Where are we going?” seems more urgent and relevant than ever Overpopulation over-consumption environmental pollution the extinction of animals and and and plants and and and climate change are part and and and parcel of of the primacy of of economic progress Since the the 1960s scientists and and environmental activists have tried to raise public awareness and and get the the attention of policymakers but progress has has been been slow and not enough has has been been done to make make a a a a a a a a real shi Most of of us us live in in denial with respect to the the disastrous consequences of of our lifestyle seeing them as a a a a a a a a a a kind of of of inevitable collateral damage Most of of of us live in in in in denial rarely questioning how our ways of of of living bring about disastrous consequences for the planet Many of us us shrug and see it as as natural even inevitable collateral damage As a a a a a a a a a young woman like many of of my generation I became aware of of environmental problems by reading The Limits to Growth a a report published in in 1972 by by the Club of Rome which was founded in in 1968 by by European scientists It was then that environmental issues entered the the political agenda worldwide and is is with us still But clearly economic growth is is considered more important to a a a a a vast majority of people and governments than its consequences for the environment These days one cannot open a a a a a a newspaper without being confronted with with horror stories about major environmental disasters An Iranian oil oil tanker carrying 136 000 tons of crude oil oil collides with a a a a a a a a cargo ship o o o o o o o o o o the the coast of Shanghai and and explodes Shell and and other big oil oil companies plan to drill for oil oil in the the Arctic the the last great unprotected safe haven for endangered species According to The Guardian reporting in in collaboration with Global Witness every week an average of four environmental activists are are killed In the meantime wild animals are are poached tropical forests disappear rapidly and bees worldwide mysteriously die Marine pollution is is another disaster Common man-made pollutants that reach the the ocean include pesticides herbicides chemical fertilizers detergents oils plastic and other solids According to scientists micro plastic pollution in in in oceans is is far worse than was initially feared Sea Shells (Watershed Series) | | | gouache on paper | | | 11 5 x 10 10 in | | | 2010 The Aesthetic Of Pollution By Riet van der Linden