One of the biggest habits that humanity has to kick is that of seeing a human-free space and assuming it’s worthless/empty unless we fill it up with something. It’s happening with plans for the ocean, deforestation for “development”, talk of delivery drones filling the future sky, cube sats that will hide the stars. This “space” is the planetary engine, and it’s incredibly valuable NOW. doing all sorts of things that keep us alive & enrich our lives. We should protect it. #ocean#climate#Earth
@helenczerski@mastodonmigration As an Australian I visited Scotland and found empathy in the emptiness … there’s a natural fear I’ve seen in some of travelling for 30 minutes without seeing another human
@helenczerski I heard a very interesting podcast once how open spaces (in mind or landscape) make humans restless. That’s why people try to fill every single second of their day with something - and every acre of land and sea and sky.
@helenczerski
That isn't a habit of "humanity". Many humans and cultures already value such spaces. It's more a habit of colonialism and capitalism.
Blaming all Of humanity, lets the architects of capitalism and it's cheerleaders off the hook.
@helenczerski the day they reveal themselves you will realize that humans alone have no motive of harm but rather a Hadow force perpetuating what is going on.
@helenczerski It's some sort of twisted horror vacui. Humanity's utter inability to leave at least some parts of our surroundings be, to walk, see, breath & enjoy without further alteration (they needn't be virgin forests or unaltered coastlines).
Often the more we mess with them, profitwise, the worse the outcome.
@helenczerski Counterpoint: this is not a habit of humanity. This is a habit of particular cultures. Many Indigenous cultures do not share this worldview.
@helenczerski Yes, but let’s be clear, what you’re describing is in large part a philosophical idea that was developed to justify enclose of common lands and theft of indigenous land. It’s way less a “human” problem than it is a “European kleptocrat” problem.
@helenczerski Agreed, but this is a trait of many, if not all animals, to perceive areas as empty because there are no or few other animals like themselves. But other animals don't fill the sky with cube sats.We must, not should protect it.
Anything else you're interested in is not going to happen if you can't breathe the air and drink the water. Don't sit this one out.
Do something. You are by accident of fate alive at an absolutely critical moment in the history of our planet.
-Carl Sagan-
Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore profit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.
@helenczerski
"The deep sea is well suited for depositing radioactive waste containers" -US Patent No. 3,760,753
I had to pause, then reread this sentence to make sure I read it right when I first saw it.
@helenczerski I flew across the US yesterday and, looking out the window, noticed how humans have manipulated nearly every square inch of flat land and a significant portion - noticeable from a few miles up - of mountainous land too. Flying presents a perspective that emphasizes the beauty of the non-manipulated land and water
@helenczerski For the capitalists, empty space is an untapped opportunity to extract profit. Remember the existential panic when work from-home became so pervasive in some places (like New York City) that they started losing some of that profitability?
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