VA 10, Ep. 5 The Power of WE; NO Technology Adequately Replaces Concerted Human Efforts

Our home planet, Earth, is showing signs of dis-ease. The Amazon Rainforest is becoming a hypertropical climate due to unprecedented drought and heat. At the same time, the EPA and other regulatory and safety agencies are being dismantled and co-opted. A sobering document recently released by the UN's Global Environmental Outlook asserts that unsustainable practices in food production and fossil fuel extraction are inflicting environmental harm valued at $5 billion every single hour. The report warns that without radical shifts in global governance, economics, and finance, societal collapse could become an unavoidable reality. Marina Silva, environmental minister of Brazil reminds us: "We know what is coming towards us, we know what needs to be done and we have the means to do it, yet we don’t take the necessary measures.” A minuscule new frog found in the Amazon last week heralds hope, as well as the season that celebrates rebirth. Sebastiáo Salgado once again, offers wisdom to guide our way, this time found in his majestic book "Workers". The text and images are testament to the fact that no matter how many machinations we conjure to substitute human endeavor and community; nothing adequately replaces the power of concerted human efforts.