Sacred Lands - Solutions

Changing Minds: Spreading the Word.

The best chance we have of saving the world is to change minds. That means that every person we meet is an opportunity to make a difference that might ultimately save the Earth. We must remember that it is not evangelizing to warn people about the deadly course of civilization any more than it would be evangelizing to shout a warning to a man walking along a sidewalk who is about to have a safe fall on his head. We are not some religion who believes that it is required by god that we should tell people the one right way to do things. We are trying to warn people of a single wrong way of doing things. A wrong way if we want to avoid extinction, and a wrong way if we want to avoid destroying four billion years of evolution.

We cannot live on the Earth with zero impact. That's simply not possible. Every plant or animal we kill to eat impacts the Earth. Every tree we cut to build a shelter impacts the Earth. Every breath we take impacts the Earth. What we must learn to do is to live in balance with the rest of the community of life. We must remember that we are not better than any other life form on the planet.

It's about taking responsibility for our actions. We don't have a responsibility to help every living thing on the planet, but we do have a responsibility to not hinder the community of life through domination. We have a responsibility to the next seven generations who will reap the world that we sow today.

..

Unraveling the Myth of Civilization: Teaching others to pay attention to the man behind the curtain.

Lord of Machines: Into Middle Earth with J.R.R. Tolkien - by James Bell

Enemy of the State: Interview with John Zerzan - by Derrick Jensen

What is Green Anarchy? - by the Green Anarchy Collective

Turning the Trolls to Stone - by Starhawk

Nonviolence and Its Violent Consequences - by William Meyers, III Publishing

..

Creating Visions of a New Future: Stories of a positive human lifestyle that can inspire others.

A Community Story - by Alex Guillotte (PDF Version)

Breaking the Technical Trance - by Michael Green, from the After Culture website

The New Native Americans - by Michael Green, from the After Culture website

..

Taking Action: What can I do?

Taking Action is a new section dedicated to collecting and presenting free ideas that one can use to change the world. If you should use an idea, it would be great if you send us your story so that we can share it with others, and hopefully inspire them as well. Of course if you should accidentally become financially successful, a donation to Sacred Lands to show your appreciation would not be turned away.

..

Preparing for the Crash: What happens when civilization comes to an end?

How will it happen?

At this time there are just way too many people who depend on civilization for their every day survival for there to be a "soft landing" as some would hope. So what will happen when civilization crashes? Well, we can't say for sure, but if I had to make an educated guess, I would say that it may go something like this:

The collapse will begin when the fuel runs out. We have used fossil fuels to artificially increase the carrying capacity of the land by borrowing energy from the past (what Thom Hartmann calls "ancient sunlight") in the form of oil, coal and natural gas, and they're running out. Unfortunately we have become so dependent on those fuels, that there is no way we can sustain ourselves at this population density and level of technology without them. Even something as basic as food becomes impossible to produce, process and transport without fuel.

When the fuel production begins to drop off, we will see the first signs of instability -- or perhaps we are seeing them already. Our rulers will know early on that the fuel is running out, and will begin to position themselves to seize control of the oil producing regions of the world. This will of course lead to wars in places like Iraq (I know that sounds crazy, but... oh, wait a minute). Many leaders will realize that their ability to control their slaves/citizens will become difficult as the oil runs out, and they will start to tighten their grip on the population a bit at a time by using real and fabricated emergencies to curtail freedoms that they deem "unsafe." Does anyone see a pattern yet?

The trigger for the collapse could be anything. Several major oil fields could be destroyed by wars meant to protect them, or climate change (in the form of droughts, hurricanes, blizzards, etc.) could disrupt infrastructures enough to put a significant strain on the remaining resources. Whatever the trigger happens to be, the crash will hit in the cities first since they are the most dependent on the importation of resources for their survival, and the lack of resources is more likely to incite violence within the population. The effect will not be limited to urban areas however, and the chaos will quickly spread out from the cities, infect the suburbs and move into the country. There will be no place that one could call "safe" in the strictest sense of the word, but there will be some places that will be safer than others.

Many of the things that we take for granted -- food, water, heat, electricity, waste removal, medical care, and police protection -- will evaporate as the collapse accelerates. Riots will erupt as food and water becomes scarce. The governments will attempt to take control of the situation and restore order, but it will become so widespread that it will be impossible. Hopefully we can avoid any kind of nuclear war, but I fear that those in power would rather go down fighting that admit defeat, and so if any soldiers remain at their posts, we may see some cities become radioactive dead zones.

In any case, the next stage will be a kind of "Mad Max" scenario where the survivors will fight over the remaining resources. Some governments may consolidate their power into small, totalitarian states, while the rest of the population scrambles for purchase on the last bit of the carcass of civilization. The primary killers in this stage will be disease (Remember the build-up of human waste?), war (world, national and local), starvation/dehydration, and suicide.

Now I have heard the argument that people will just adapt and find ways to survive, and I'm sure for some that will be true, but for most, the loss of civilization will be unthinkable. Always remember that civilization is the ultimate faith. It is greater than Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, or any of the other civilized religions you can name. We have been taught since birth that this is the one right way for people to live, and it is our divine right to rule over the Earth. Some people will wait to be saved by people in authority (I suppose that's what the folks in New Orleans thought too), while others will take matters into their own hands and work to hold on to the last vestiges of civilization until they can "rebuild" it.

Of course once the fossil fuels run out, there is no way to rebuild. There is no energy source that can power a civilization like this ever again. What's that you say? What about nuclear power, or hydrogen power, or wind, water, or even antimatter (for you Star Trek fans)? Well the truth is that all of those methods of power generation require energy to get them started and maintained. Even solar panels and wind turbines require power to make and maintain them. Sure there may be pockets of survivors who will harness wind, water and sun using civilized technology for a while, but eventually the machines will wear out. Where do you buy new ball bearings for your wind turbine? How do you make a solar panel without plastic or wires? How do you refine the metals needed to make circuits and transistors? How do you ship your nuclear waste away from the plant -- electric trucks? Oh, but who makes those, and where do they get all the parts that they need? Most of the people who knew how to make the really cool technology are dead anyway or too busy hunting and fishing to worry about making you a new set of solar panels anyway.

The problem is that all the technology upon which we have come to depend requires a complete and sophisticated infrastructure to produce and maintain it, and that infrastructure is based on fossil fuels. Take that away, and the rest is all but impossible.

..

What can we do about it?

Well, there is very little we can do to stop the crash, but we can prepare ourselves and those close to us (those who will listen anyway) for the aftermath. The following list is incomplete, but I will work on it as time allows:

1. Be Aware - Watch for the signs of collapse. Listen to the land and the other animals -- they can usually sense when a storm is coming.

2. Prepare Your Escape - In order to escape the destructive change that is likely to come, you will need to make your escape plans.

The first thing to think about is where to go. Pick someplace isolated, with access to relatively fresh water, away from (and preferably upwind from) major population centers, and with a reasonable food supply (i.e. lots of edible plants and animals).

The second thing is to learn about that place. Learn about the land including what is edible or medicinal and what is not. Learn about the climate and seasonal patterns. Visit it often and get to know its voice.

The third thing is to prepare a bug-out kit. This should include short term supplies (like emergency food, matches, camping equipment, etc. that will get you through the first six months) and long term supplies (like an excellent knife, magnesium fire starter, ceramic water filter, etc. that will hopefully last you for many years). The kit should be easy to transport and not dependent on motorized transportation (since fuel may not be available). It should be something that you could carry in a pinch.

The fourth thing to do is to learn as much about primal living as possible. By primal living I mean learning the skills that will allow you to live in the wilderness indefinitely. These skills must include (but are not limited to) building shelter, tracking, hunting, fishing, making tools, making fire, making clothes, preparing and using medicinal plants, finding water, and identifying edible plants. If possible you should get some practical experience with all of these, but at the very least you should read as much as you can so that you at least have a chance.

The fifth thing is to build a tribe. Find a group of people who feel as you do and who share your core values, and plan to leave together when the time comes. Make sure that you have alternate meeting places in case you are unable to leave together or get separated. Keep in mind that the people you bond with are likely to be your only companions for a long time to come, so make sure that you are compatible. In a way, your tribal relationships are as serious as your romantic ones.

3. Leaving - When the time comes to leave (you'll know it when it comes) do not hesitate. You may have a few months of breathing room, but don't take it for granted. Just get everyone in your tribe together, make your decision, pick up any last minute supplies, and head for the terrain of your choice. I would recommend at least one person in your group own a "costume of authority" to make the get-a-way easier. A police uniform could be tricky and/or dangerous, but having one of you dressed like a soldier, a catholic priest, a fireman, a doctor, or even a security guard may be useful. If some kind of check points are established, the powers-that-be are less likely to harass someone who appears to be an authority figure than a bunch of backpacking hippies.

Also see Primal Links.