A Thanksgiving message
November 21st, 2007 by Jim JustKelpie Wilson at Truthout has a powerful message for this Thanksgiving:
“Remember as you give thanks for the bountiful Earth, that back of the bread lies the oil. We should acknowledge that our food production system and every other aspect of our lives are utterly dependent on fossil fuels. We should also remember that before World War II, this was not the case. We may even have relatives who remember those days. We should take a look at the children sitting around the table. They will not live in a world of cheap, abundant oil. Give thanks for that too.”
“Why should we give thanks that the future holds no cheap oil? There are several reasons, but the first is that cheap oil has fueled a 50-year-long party in the industrialized West that has left us with an unsustainable economy that is wrecking the planet. The recent awareness of global warming is beginning to put a damper on our out-of-control binge, but not fast enough to slow the heating of the planet. Rising oil prices will force a cutback in consumption. Rising oil prices will also chill the fantasy of endless growth and force us to confront the reality of planetary limits.”
Carolyn Baker has premonitions that our lives are about to change:
“I’d be willing to bet almost anything that next Thanksgiving season will be dramatically different from this one.
She warns that confronting the crises that face us will require confronting ourselves.
“Americans not only refuse to accept the limits the earth is pounding them with, but demand that their response to those limits be effortless, cheery, hopeful, and above all not require them to change anything about their lives. Any suggestion that introspection, dramatically altering one’s lifestyle, and pondering one’s values, priorities, and life’s work are as important, if not more important, than voting for Green Party candidates, consuming less energy, or purchasing environmentally-friendly products is met with blank stares or my favorite response, the accusation of “fear-mongering.”"
Our situation calls upon us to recover our lost spiritual bearings. We should be thankful for the opportunity to redeem ourselves in our relationship with Earth. Let’s pray that we have the strength, the courage, and the integrity to see it through.