Last night we were invited to our friends Sean and Robin’s place to watch the film Being Caribou. This film was created by Karsten Heuer & Leanne Allison, a Canadian couple who followed the porcupine caribou migration on foot. I recommend you rent the film as it documents a thoughtful journey and captures some spectacular scenes from life among the herd.

In some ways the film parallels my own journey, although I’m not following caribou, but instead, am a pilgrim searching for wisdom and/or insight into human nature in a technological world. The main parallel is the exploration of human nature. What is it to be human, and in my project, where does our nature end, and our technology begin? Or are they one in the same?

For example, is the Mackenzie Gas Project a part of nature? Is it part of the natural process to continue the expansion of an unsustainable fossil fuel dependent system, exhausting the planet’s resources? Is this continued expansion necessary for our short term survival and comfort as we transition towards greener more sustainable forms of energy? Or, are we simply built to self-destruct, unaware of the energy dead end up ahead, as we continue to take mother earth for everything she's worth?

Considering every major civilization throughout history has collapsed, I begin to think, as seen everywhere in the wilderness, that the rise and fall is just part of the process; simply the ebb and flow of the universe at work. If this is the case, it could be part of the cycle for us to exhaust all resources, eventually forcing ourselves back into balance with nature? Perhaps it's our fate to be thrust painfully backwards, towards a life of simplicity? When I look around at our world, I fear this may be the case.

It seems the interest in slowing down and reducing our ecological footprint is still limited to small pockets of our population, not yet a mainstream idea, except for lip service. The question becomes, how and when does a paradigm shift to a sustainable future begin?

I would argue that, in general, the majority of citizens in modern industrialized nations are fully committed and dependent upon the current model of unsustainable consumption. We’re locked tight into the comfort zone, trapped in what Howard Kunstler has aptly named the “consensus trance”. The consensus trance being: If we all agree everything is ok, then everything is ok. The problem becomes, that in this consensus trance, we’ve ceased the critical analysis of our methodology, and have mistakenly begun to passively accept everything sold to us as progressive. In many cases we’ve opted for speed and convenience versus things that truly make sense. We buy into things without considering the full equation of where they came from and where they will end up. It’s become increasingly difficult, in the sea of product placements, to take the time to find the things that truly make sense. It usually involves a little research versus buying that new MAGIC mop ON SALE NOW! You know the one I’m talking about, the one with the convenient disposable head that’s easy to throw out and replace for just $4.99… you know, the ones filling up landfills everywhere alongside all those other magical products. You know, the ones we’ve all bought into with the hope of making cleaning fast, easy, and so much more enjoyable.

Question: What was wrong with the old style mop and bucket of water with vinegar? You know, the mop used for countless generations without fail. You know, the mop featuring a biodegradable wooden handle with biodegradable rope tangle. You know the one, the one that we’ve all left far behind for the “progressive” alternative.

Often, I can’t help feel we’re all stuck in a loop, emotionally sucked into a bad TV show, unaware we have the power to change the channel. Unaware that the steps towards true progress are simply a matter of making conscious choices. But again, maybe this is all part of the process. Maybe our lack of consciousness is the result of an overabundance of everything needed to survive. Maybe, with everything needed close within reach, we've relaxed our survival instincts. And maybe, this relaxation and passive comfort is somehow working to ensure that we, and the societies we build, are always held in check.

If necessity is the mother of invention… what does it mean to live in a world with so much that is unnecessary?

peace,
d