Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto
By Stewart Brand 2009
336 pages
Brand, the founding editor of the influential Whole Earth Catalog charts a new course for he 21st century environmental movement taking a pragmatic approach to many issues dogmatically dismissed by traditional greens. Cities, Nuclear, and Genetic Crops have been derided as the cause of many of the worlds problems. Brand argues these are necessities for building a sustainable future for mankind. He cites the incredible innovation and quality of life improving potential of some of the worlds biggest slums and cities. While they may appear to be human tragedies they in fact represent the quickest way out of poverty for much of the world’s destitute. Nuclear may leave behind some of the deadliest residue known to man, but it is entirely controllable and miniscule in scale compared to traditional energy sources. New Nuclear technology will make this a necessary and efficient component of the transition away from fossil fuels which needs to happen as fast as possible. Genetic crops are an ongoing battleground for many that cary the green banner. Now more than ever the world needs cheap, abundant food that can withstand the threats of rapid climate change. Only GM provides a means of preventing millions of starvation deaths. The technology has been proven safe and it is now pure hubris on the part of the developed world to say that poor need to starve because we have moral qualms about a technology that WILL save lives. Brand is first and foremost a pragmatist. He recognizes the issues of the day and argues for effective solutions, but most important, he is not afraid to change his mind as the situation does. This is a must read for anyone concerned with building a sustainable future.