John E Marks

Slash and Burn - extinction rebellion

by John E Marks

Wednesday 9th October 2019 10:36 pm

Planet earth she suffers

Torn at by your knife,

Slashed at by machete

Exploited all your life.

Poisoned by your chemicals

Murdered, raped and pillaged

Consider the obscenity -

The whole world is just one village.

But you really ain't bothered, are you?

You've got your money in the bank

You own your slice of heaven

You're comfortably numb, to be frank.

........

We are forever stewards

This land is lent not given.

So give your wealth away;

Maybe, you'll be forgiven.

🌷(2)

◄ David

What have you done? ►

Comments

<Deleted User> (22444)

Fri 11th Oct 2019 23:10

Well-penned John, and I've enjoyed all the responses. There's something to take from every perspective.

Don Matthews

Fri 11th Oct 2019 22:37

"Overpopulation I would suggest is the main reason for many of the world's current troubles" ( Brian Maryon)

Sheesh, you're Quote Village Brian.... ?

<Deleted User> (18980)

Fri 11th Oct 2019 22:14

Blimey you're Quote City John!

John Marks

Fri 11th Oct 2019 21:47

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

Don Matthews

Fri 11th Oct 2019 15:23

Brian

You've read my mind on this. I agree with you 100%

'Overpopulation I would suggest is the main reason for many of the world's current troubles'

But Don we need more people
To make more money, things
(But we'll get more pollution)
(And shit that people bring)

The planet can only support a finite number of people. This factor seems to be missing from any future planet-development plans.....

If I were world-leader I would adopt a one-baby limit (like China did once).

Hooray!! Boo!!.....

Sheesh...I can't win Brian

John Coopey

Fri 11th Oct 2019 00:02

Every one of us is hypocritical on this issue. From the nay sayers to the Extinction Rebellion protesters (of which I count myself a supporter). We all of us rely and suckle at society's infrastructure of power, heat and light. We all rely on modern transport and communication. We all require feeding etc etc etc. But that does not mean that we should not try to limit or even reduce our reliance on some aspects of these things.
I sit squarely ( from my armchair) with the protesters.

<Deleted User> (18980)

Thu 10th Oct 2019 19:58

Overpopulation I would suggest is the main reason for many of the world's current troubles. I take responsibility for my part in this as I have three children, though this pales into insignificance when compared with those parts of the world that not only discourage contraception, but actively encourage conception because it is 'God's will'.

John Marks

Thu 10th Oct 2019 12:27

Thank you Brian, Don, Graham and Ray for your responses. An accusative voice Brian? Well if the cap fits. It certainly fits my big head.Though I have recently learnt much from my children - how to use fewer resources, how to help the global poor more effectively, how to think more positively about the future, particularly concerning the role of technology in moderating the worst effects of human activity e.g.pollution. I'm not so sure about the 'blink of an eye analogy' Graham. I don't know much about Environmental Science but I'm pretty sure that human activity can accelerate changes that do great harm to the planet and to its poorest inhabitants e.g. through rising sea levels - human activities, like burning fossil fuels, are responsible for 87 percent of the sea level rise since 1970 that's been caused by the swelling volume of the upper ocean.

John

Don Matthews

Thu 10th Oct 2019 11:04

Pollies will get it all sorted
We elect them to do this, (don't we?)
To work in our interests, not themselves
But it seems they just don't want to see

Or care....

So what is the answer, the solution?
Politicians seem to have lost the way
I'm just a lowly rhymer, no pollie
And what I write down holds no sway.......

raypool

Thu 10th Oct 2019 10:44

Hi John. Many years ago I read a book by teilhard de Chardin a palaeontologist and philosopher who predicted the rapid rise of global awareness and has been proved right in terms of the Internet which has brought it about. The mutual responsibility for our behaviour Is now unavoidable and it is painful to be so aware of our folly collectively. The pathetic scramble we are seeing is the backlash. What we need is the second coming. (joke). There is no central coordination with the will to oversee our salvation. Remember the meeting of Obama and Attenborough? Really a cosy chat about the future. No great international event was triggered. As for politicians will- check out brexit! Great poem by the way.

Ray

Don Matthews

Wed 9th Oct 2019 23:58

'and will of course die out as a species ' I don't follow you here Graham?

Graham Sherwood

Wed 9th Oct 2019 23:52

Cosmologically the planet will die, that much is known already. Taken as a big picture, we are all products of the earth's natural resources ourselves and will of course die out as a species long before the earth does.

Of course we should all be better at consuming less, but in the great order of things, we are in the blink of an eye timeline wise. We matter very little.

Don Matthews

Wed 9th Oct 2019 23:39

Yes Brian, we are all responsible in some way....

<Deleted User> (18980)

Wed 9th Oct 2019 23:27

Pieces such as this always seem to be written in an accusative way, pointing the finger at other un-named persons or organisations. But aren't we all responsible in some way or another? All our lifestyles in the West rely on using resources taken from a finite supply.

Don Matthews

Wed 9th Oct 2019 23:09

Well done John....

And well-chosen, appropriate video clip.

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