We should all want to be wise and careful stewards of the beautiful planet we
call home. But most of us realise that humans in general are not being good stewards. We are wasteful with our natural resources and have reduced biodiversity. Therefore, when we read about groups and organisations calling for a 'green revolution' and a new relationship between humanity and nature it is easy to agree with their ideas.
However, certain aspects of the modern green movement that
is permeating every segment of our society are not about protecting
the environment. You don’t have to dig very deep to discover
the true beliefs of the influential leaders who are using genuine
concerns about the environment to promote an agenda of fear and
control. Please carefully consider the implications of the opinions
that they so openly and freely express:
(references
and sources for the quotes below can be found here)
"The
common enemy of humanity is man.
In searching for a new enemy to
unite us, we came up
with the idea that pollution, the threat of
global warming,
water shortages, famine and the like would fit
the bill. All these
dangers are caused by human intervention, and
it is only through
changed attitudes and behavior that they can be
overcome.
The real enemy then, is humanity itself."
-
Club of Rome,
premier environmental
think-tank,
consultants to the United
Nations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We
need to get some broad based support,
to capture the public's
imagination...
So we have to offer up scary scenarios,
make
simplified, dramatic statements
and make little mention of any
doubts...
Each of us has to decide what the right balance
is
between being effective and being honest."
- Prof.
Stephen Schneider,
Stanford Professor of Climatology,
lead
author of many IPCC
reports
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We've
got to ride this global warming issue.
Even if the theory of
global warming is wrong,
we will be doing the right thing in terms
of
economic and environmental policy."
- Timothy
Wirth,
President of the UN Foundation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"No
matter if the science of global warming is all phony...
climate
change provides the greatest opportunity to
bring about justice
and equality in the world."
- Christine
Stewart,
former Canadian Minister of the
Environment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“The
data doesn't matter. We're not basing our recommendations
on the
data. We're basing them on the climate models.”
- Prof.
Chris Folland,
Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and
Research
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“The
models are convenient fictions
that provide something very
useful.”
- Dr David Frame,
climate modeler,
Oxford
University
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I
believe it is appropriate to have an 'over-representation' of the
facts
on how dangerous it is, as a predicate for opening up the
audience."
-
Al Gore,
Climate Change
activist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It
doesn't matter what is true,
it only matters what people believe
is true."
- Paul Watson,
co-founder of
Greenpeace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
only way to get our society to truly change is to
frighten people
with the possibility of a catastrophe."
- emeritus
professor Daniel
Botkin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and
spiritual
challenge to all of humanity. It is also our greatest
opportunity
to lift Global Consciousness to a higher level."
-
Al Gore,
Nobel
Peace Prize acceptance
speech
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We
are on the verge of a global transformation.
All we need is the
right major crisis..."
- David Rockefeller,
Club
of Rome executive
member
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Humanity
is sitting on a time bomb. If the vast majority of the
world's
scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a
major
catastrophe that could send our entire planet's climate system
into
a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather,
floods,
droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything
we have
ever experienced - a catastrophe of our own making."
- Al Gore,
An Inconvenient
Truth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We
are getting close to catastrophic tipping points,
despite the fact
that most people barely notice the warming yet."
- Dr
James Hansen,
NASA
researcher
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"By
the end of this century climate change will reduce the
human
population to a few breeding pairs surviving near the
Arctic."
- Sir James Lovelock,
Revenge of
Gaia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Climate
Change will result in a catastrophic global sea
level
rise of seven meters. That's bye-bye most of
Bangladesh,
Netherlands, Florida and would make London the new
Atlantis."
- Greenpeace
International
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This
planet is on course for a catastrophe.
The existence of Life
itself is at stake."
- Dr Tim Flannery,
Principal
Research Scientist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Coal
makes us sick. Oil makes us sick. It's global warming.
It's
ruining our country. It's ruining our world."
- Harry
Reid,
U.S. Senate majority
leader
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Climate
Change is the greatest threat that
human civilization has ever
faced."
- Angela Merkel,
German
Chancellor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Climate
change is real. Not only is it real, it's here,
and its effects
are giving rise to a frighteningly new
global phenomenon: the
man-made natural disaster."
- Barack Obama,
US
President
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We
simply must do everything we can in our power to
slow down global
warming before it is too late."
- Arnold
Schwarzenegger,
Governor of
California
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Climate
change should be seen as the
greatest challenge to ever face
mankind."
- Prince
Charles
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Climate
change makes us all global citizens,
we are truly all in this
together."
- Gordon Brown,
British Prime
Minister
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We
have reached the critical moment of decision on climate
change.
Failure to act to now would be deeply and unforgivably
irresponsible.
We urgently require a global environmental
revolution."
- Tony Blair,
former British
PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We
are close to a time when all of humankind
will envision a global
agenda that encompasses
a kind of Global Marshall Plan to address
the
causes of poverty and suffering and
environmental
destruction all over the earth."
-
Al Gore,
Earth in the
Balance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"In
Nature organic growth proceeds according
to a Master Plan, a
Blueprint. Such a ‘master plan’ is
missing from the
process of growth and development of
the world system. Now is the
time to draw up a master plan for
sustainable growth and world
development based on global
allocation of all resources and a new
global economic system.
Ten or twenty years form today it will
probably be too late."
- Club of Rome,
Mankind
at the Turning
Point
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We
need a new paradigm of development in
which the environment will
be a priority.
World civilization as we know it will soon end.
We have very little time and we must act.
If we can address
the environmental problem,
it will have to be done within a new
system, a
new paradigm. We have to change our mindset,
the
way humankind views the world."
- Mikhail
Gorbachev,
founder of Green Cross
International
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
concept of national sovereignty has been immutable,
indeed a
sacred principle of international relations.
It is a principle
which will yield only slowly and reluctantly to
the new
imperatives of global environmental cooperation."
-
UN Commission on Global Governance
report
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Democracy
is not a panacea. It cannot organize everything and
it is unaware
of its own limits. These facts must be faced squarely.
Sacrilegious
though this may sound, democracy is no longer well
suited for the
tasks ahead. The complexity and the technical nature
of many of
today’s problems do not always allow elected
representatives
to make competent decisions at the right time."
-
Club of Rome,
The First Global
Revolution
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
emerging 'environmentalization' of our civilization
and the need
for vigorous action in the interest of the entire global
community
will inevitably have multiple political consequences.
Perhaps the
most important of them will be a gradual change
in the status of
the United Nations. Inevitably, it must
assume some aspects of a
world government."
- Mikhail Gorbachev,
State
of the World
Forum
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I
envisage the prinicles of the Earth Charter to
be a new form of
the ten commandments.
They lay the foundation for a
sustainable
global earth community."
- Mikhail
Gorbachev,
co-author of The Earth
Charter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"In
my view, after fifty years of service in the United Nations system,
I
perceive the utmost urgency and absolute necessity for proper
Earth
government. There is no shadow of a doubt that the present
political
and economic systems are no longer appropriate
and will lead to
the end of life evolution on this planet.
We must therefore
absolutely and urgently look for new ways."
- Dr
Robert Muller,
UN Assistant Secretary
General,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nations
are in effect ceding portions of their sovereignty
to the
international community and beginning to create a
new system of
international environmental governance
as a means of solving
otherwise unmanageable crises."
- Lester
Brown,
WorldWatch Institute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Regionalism
must precede globalism.
We foresee a seamless system of governance
from
local communities, individual states, regional unions
and
up through to the United Nations itself."
- UN
Commission on Global Governance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A
keen and anxious awareness is evolving to suggest that
fundamental
changes will have to take place in the world order
and its power
structures, in the distribution of wealth and income.
Perhaps only
a new and enlightened humanism
can permit mankind to negotiate
this transition."
- Club of
Rome,
Mankind at the Turning
Point
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
alternative to the existing world order can only
emerge as a
result of a new human dimension of progress.
We envision a
revolution of the mind, a new way of thinking."
- Mikhail
Gorbachev,
State of the World
Forum
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We
require a central organizing principle - one agreed to
voluntarily.
Minor shifts in policy, moderate improvement in laws
and regulations,
rhetoric offered in lieu of genuine change -
these are all forms of
appeasement, designed to satisfy the
public’s desire to believe that
sacrifice, struggle and a
wrenching transformation
of society will not be necessary."
-
Al Gore,
Earth in the
Balance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Adopting
a central organizing principle...
means embarking on an all-out
effort to use every
policy and program, every law and
institution...
to halt the destruction of the environment."
-
Al Gore,
Earth in the
Balance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Effective
execution of Agenda 21 will require a profound
reorientation of
all human society, unlike anything the world
has ever experienced
a major shift in the priorities of both
governments and
individuals and an unprecedented
redeployment of human and
financial resources. This shift
will demand that a concern for the
environmental consequences
of every human action be integrated
into individual and
collective decision-making at every level."
- UN Agenda
21
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
current course of development is thus clearly unsustainable.
Current
problems cannot be solved by piecemeal measures.
More of the same
is not enough. Radical change from the
current trajectory is not
an option, but an absolute necessity.
Fundamental economic, social
and cultural changes that
address the root causes of poverty and
environmental
degradation are required and they are required
now."
– from the Earth Charter
website
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
goal now is a socialist, redistributionist society,
which is
nature's proper steward and society's only hope."
-
David Brower,
founder of Friends of the
Earth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"If
we don't overthrow capitalism, we don't have a chance of
saving
the world ecologically. I think it is possible to have
an
ecologically sound society under socialism.
I don't think it is
possible under capitalism"
-
Judi Bari,
principal organiser of Earth First!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Isn't
the only hope for the planet that the
industrialized
civilizations collapse?
Isn't it our responsiblity to bring that
about?"
- Maurice Strong,
founder of the UN
Environment
Programme
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A
massive campaign must be launched to de-develop the
United States.
De-development means bringing our
economic system into line with
the realities of
ecology and the world resource situation."
-
Paul Ehrlich,
Professor of Population
Studies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
only hope for the world is to make sure there is not another
United
States. We can't let other countries have the same
number of
cars, the amount of industrialization, we have in the US.
We have
to stop these Third World countries right where they are."
-
Michael Oppenheimer,
Environmental Defense
Fund
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Global
Sustainability requires the deliberate quest of poverty,
reduced
resource consumption and set levels of mortality control."
-
Professor Maurice
King
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We
must make this an insecure and inhospitable place
for capitalists
and their projects. We must reclaim the roads and
plowed land,
halt dam construction, tear down existing dams,
free shackled
rivers and return to wilderness
millions of acres of presently
settled land."
- David Foreman,
co-founder of
Earth First!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Complex
technology of any sort is an assault on
human dignity. It would
be little short of disastrous for us to
discover a source of
clean, cheap, abundant energy,
because of what we might do with
it."
- Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain
Institute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
prospect of cheap fusion energy is the
worst thing that could
happen to the planet."
- Jeremy Rifkin,
Greenhouse
Crisis
Foundation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Giving
society cheap, abundant energy would be the
equivalent of giving
an idiot child a machine gun."
- Prof
Paul Ehrlich, Stanford
University
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Our
insatiable drive to rummage deep beneath
the surface of the earth
is a willful expansion
of our dysfunctional civilization into
Nature."
- Al Gore,
Earth in the
Balance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
big threat to the planet is people: there are too many,
doing too
well economically and burning too much oil."
– Sir
James Lovelock,
BBC
Interview
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"My
three main goals would be to reduce human population to
about 100
million worldwide, destroy the industrial infrastructure
and see
wilderness, with it’s full complement of species,
returning
throughout the world."
-Dave Foreman,
co-founder
of Earth First!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Current
lifestyles and consumption patterns of the
affluent middle class -
involving high meat intake,
use of fossil fuels, appliances,
air-conditioning,
and suburban housing - are not sustainable."
-
Maurice Strong,
Rio Earth Summit
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mankind
is the most dangerous, destructive,
selfish and unethical animal
on the earth."
- Michael Fox,
vice-president of
The Humane Society
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Human
beings, as a species,
have no more value than slugs."
-
John Davis, editor of Earth First!
Journal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Humans
on the Earth behave in some ways like a
pathogenic micro-organism,
or like the cells of a tumor."
- Sir James
Lovelock,
Healing
Gaia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
Earth has cancer
and the cancer is Man."
- Club of
Rome,
Mankind at the Turning
Point
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A
cancer is an uncontrolled multiplication of cells;
the population
explosion is an uncontrolled multiplication of people.
We must
shift our efforts from the treatment of the symptoms to
the
cutting out of the cancer. The operation will demand many
apparently
brutal and heartless decisions.''
- Prof Paul
Ehrlich,
The Population Bomb
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I
don't claim to have any special interest in natural history,
but
as a boy I was made aware of the annual fluctuations in
the
number of game animals and the need to adjust
the cull to the
size of the surplus population."
- Prince
Philip,
preface of Down to
Earth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A
reasonable estimate for an industrialized world society
at the
present North American material standard of living
would be 1
billion. At the more frugal European standard
of living, 2 to 3
billion would be possible."
- United Nations,
Global
Biodiversity
Assessment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A
total population of 250-300 million people,
a 95% decline from
present levels, would be ideal."
- Ted Turner,
founder
of CNN and major UN
donor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...
the resultant ideal sustainable population is hence
more than
500 million but less than one billion."
-
Club of Rome,
Goals for
Mankind
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"One
America burdens the earth much more than
twenty Bangladeshes.
This is a terrible thing to say.
In order to stabilize world
population,we must eliminate
350,000 people per day. It is a
horrible thing to say,
but it's just as bad not to say it."
-
Jacques Cousteau,
UNESCO
Courier
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"If
I were reincarnated I would wish to be returned to earth
as a
killer virus to lower human population levels."
- Prince
Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,
patron of the World Wildlife
Fund
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I
suspect that eradicating small pox was wrong.
It played an
important part in balancing ecosystems."
- John Davis,
editor of Earth First!
Journal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
extinction of the human species may not
only be inevitable but a
good thing."
- Christopher Manes, Earth
First!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“The
extinction of Homo Sapiens would mean survival
for millions, if
not billions, of Earth-dwelling species.
Phasing out the human
race will solve every
problem on Earth - social and
environmental.”
-
Ingrid Newkirk,
former President of
PETA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Childbearing
should be a punishable crime against
society, unless the parents
hold a government license.
All potential parents should be
required to use
contraceptive chemicals, the government
issuing
antidotes to citizens chosen for childbearing."
-
David Brower,
first Executive Director of the Sierra
Club
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
fate of mankind, as well as of religion, depends upon
the
emergence of a new faith in the future.
Armed with such a faith,
we might find
it possible to resanctify the earth."
-
Al Gore,
Earth in the
Balance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
greatest hope for the Earth lies in religionists and
scientists
uniting to awaken the world to its near fatal predicament
and then
leading mankind out of the bewildering maze of
international
crises into the future Utopia of humanist hope."
-
Club of Rome,
Goals for
Mankind
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What
an incredible planet in the universe this will be
when we will be
one human family living in justice,
peace, love and harmony with
our divine Earth,
with each other and with the heavens."
-
Robert Muller,
UN Assistant
Secretary
General
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
earth is literally our mother, not only because we depend on
her
for nurture and shelter but even more because the human
species
has been shaped by her in the womb of evolution....
Our salvation
depends upon our ability
to create a religion of nature."
-
Rene Dubos,
board member, Planetary
Citizens
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Each
element, plant, insect, fish and animal
represents a certain
aspect of Gaia's - and our - being.
In a way, we are Gaia's
intelligence and awareness
- currently lost in self-destructive
madness.
We must acknowledge, respect and love her for being
the
Mother she is to us or we deny our very selves.
Nurture the
Mother as she nurtures us."
- Prof. Michael J. Cohen,
Ecopsychologist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It
is the responsibility of each human being today to
choose between
the force of darkness and the force of light.
We must therefore
transform our attitudes, and adopt a renewed
respect for the
superior laws of Divine Nature."
-
Maurice Strong,
first Secretary General of
UNEP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
spirit of our planet is stirring!
The Consciousness of Goddess
Earth
is now rising against all odds,
in spite of millennia
of suppression,
repression and oppression inflicted on Her
by
a hubristic and misguided humanity.
The Earth is a living
entity, a biological organism
with psychic and spiritual
dimensions.
With the expansion of the patriarchal religions
that
focused on a male God majestically
stationed in Heaven ruling
over the Earth and the
Universe, the memory of our planet's
innate Divinity
was repressed and banished into the
collective
unconscious of humanity."
- Envision
Earth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Still
more important is the implication that the evolution of
homo
sapiens, with his technological inventiveness and his
increasingly
subtle communications network, has vastly increased
Gaia's range
of perception. She is now through us awake and aware
of herself.
She has seen the reflection of her fair face through the
eyes of
astronauts and the television cameras of orbiting spacecraft.
Our
sensations of wonder and pleasure, our capacity
for conscious
thought and speculation, our restless curiosity and
drive are hers
to share. This new interrelationship of Gaia with man
is by no
means fully established; we are not yet a truly collective
species,
corralled and tamed as an integral part of the biosphere,
as we
are as individual creatures. It may be that the destiny of
mankind
is to become tamed, so that the fierce, destructive, and
greedy
forces of tribalism and nationalism are fused into a
compulsive
urge to belong to the commonwealth of all
creatures which
constitutes Gaia."
–
Sir James Lovelock,
Gaia: A New Look At
Life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Little
by little a planetary prayer book is
thus being composed by an
increasingly united
humanity seeking its oneness. Once
again,
but this time on a universal scale, humankind is
seeking
no less than its reunion with 'divine,'
its transcendence into
higher forms of life. Hindus
call our earth Brahma, or God, for
they rightly
see no difference between our earth and the
divine.
This ancient simple truth is slowly dawning again
upon
humanity, as we are about to enter our cosmic age
and
become what we were always meant to be:
the planet of god."
-
Robert Muller,
UN Assistant
Secretary
General
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What
if Mary is another name for Gaia? Then her capacity for
virgin
birth is no miracle . . . it is a role of Gaia since life began . .
.
She is of this Universe and, conceivably, a part of God. On
Earth,
she is the source of life everlasting and is alive now;
she
gave birth to humankind and we are part of her."
-
Sir James Lovelock,
Ages of
Gaia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nature
is my god. To me, nature is sacred;
trees are my temples and
forests are my cathedrals."
- Mikhail Gorbachev,
Green Cross
International
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
spiritual sense of our place in nature...
can be traced to the
origins of human civilization....
The last vestige of organized
goddess worship
was eliminated by Christianity."
- Al
Gore,
Earth in the
Balance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Christianity
is our foe. If animal rights is to succeed,
we must destroy the
Judeo-Christian Religious tradition."
- Peter Singer,
founder of Animal Rights
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I
pledge allegiance to the Earth and all its sacred parts.
Its
water, land and living things and all its human hearts."
-
Global Education Associates,
The Earth Pledge
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"By
fostering a deep sense of connection to others and to the earth
in
all its dimensions, holistic education encourages a sense
of
responsibility to self to others and to the planet."
-
Global Alliance for Transforming
Education
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The
earth is not dead matter. She is alive.
Now begin to speak to the
earth as you walk.
You can speak out loud, or just talk to her in
your mind.
Send your love into her with your exhalation. Feel
your
heart touching upon the heart of the planet. Say to
her
whatever words come to you: Mother Earth, I love you.
Mother
Earth, I bless you. May you be healed. May all
your creatures be
happy. Peace to you, Mother Earth.
On behalf of the human race, I
ask forgiveness
for having injured you. Forgive us, Mother
Earth"
- US Student
Textbook,
"Prayer to the Earth"