Image by John Englart via Flickr
with Chris Hedges
RT America on Jun 20, 2020
On the show, Chris Hedges discusses the criticism and censorship surrounding Michael Moore’s film “Planet of the Humans,” with director, Jeff Gibbs.
See also:
Attacking the messenger: Planet of the Humans spears sacred beliefs
From the archives:
There Will Be No Social Or Racial Justice Worth Having On A Dead Planet, by Paul Street
Chris Hedges: The Prospect and Need For Ecosocialism
The Twisted Climate Equation of the Ruling Class by Rainer Shea
Will Griffin: The US Military is the Largest Institutional Consumer of Fossil Fuels
Dandelion Salad 
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IMHO: It’s a film! Both the producer and director did a stellar job making this happen and getting it out to the masses, especially during a pandemic. Let’s all face it, in the case of climate change; we need to come to terms with this dire predicament, now, if we want to think of a future beyond the next few years. To most of us, the oncoming climate storm is invisible in our daily lives. Many of us are actually afraid to think about the troubled Earth and how it makes us feel. We know our environmental problems won’t be solved on an individual level. And we also know that there is no proven technical fix or scientific breakthrough on the horizon that will help stop the unfolding abrupt climate changes happening around the world today.
Scientists, in general, have had an overly narrow focus on risk over the years primarily due to an incomplete knowledge which leaves science advice to non scientists vulnerable to the social dynamics of groups and to manipulation by political pressures seeking legitimacy, justification and blame management which is typical of elected officials today. And now, here we are. A scientific and culturally advanced species acting like a parasite or predator consuming its own habitat to a point of total destruction.
The question is how much ignorance and ambiguity are we going to continue to tolerate from our elected officials and the scientific community? There is a real need for more honesty in regards to scientific rigour and democratic accountability. Polarizing the general public with climate denial and false optimism is not only unethical but immoral — definitive science-based decisions must be unambiguous and in line with the truth of this dire predicament.
Climate change, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, food crises, water crises, conflict and war are now critically threatening the biosphere and its capacity to support human life on Earth. Nature and its vital contributions to human life, which together embody biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, have gravely deteriorated worldwide. Direct and indirect drivers of climate change have already accelerated beyond all known and reasonable conservation and sustainability choices.
Achieving transformative changes across economic, social, political and technological factors in time to save human civilization is now impossible to coordinate within the current capitalist system which is built upon the foundation of the fossil fuel industry. As far as humans and our civilization is concerned, the situation is dire and our species will undoubtedly go extinct. Knowing we cannot save ourselves, and knowing humanity and nature are inseparable, maybe we should try a little harder to fulfill our role as guardians of all life on Earth and help comfort the most vulnerable among us, including nature herself?
Thanks, Doug for your excellent commentary.
Michael Moore and Jeff Gibbs are now experiencing the “Shoot the Messenger” response that I have been receiving for 6 yrs and my cohost on Nature Bats Last for 10, for pointing out the elephant in the room which is often mistakenly described as ‘Renewable Energy’, which ignores the science of Dr Tim Garrett from the University of Utah and his work on industrial civilisation being a heat engine regardless how it’s powered.
Professor McPherson and I will be interviewing Jeff Gibbs on July 7 on NBL on PRN.FM about the censorship and what life is like confronting these inconvenient truths. That episode will be uploaded to the extensive NBL archive at the Progressive Radio Network shortly after the live broadcast at 3pm EST on the 7th of July .
Thanks, Kevin. I appreciate all your work. Look forward to this interview.
Agree with David Foster (it’s our moral duty to do something) which is why I wrote my book, a true story, or roman a clef:
A few years ago Tom had helped form part of the zero in a giant human 350– the symbolic representation of the maximum parts per million of allowable carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the only planet proven capable of supporting human life.
Why didn’t we get it? Governments get it, academics get it, the Pentagon gets it, even energy CEO’s get it, but the corporate slave-hold insists on blaming cows for farting. (page 214) http://www.theredjeep.com
Thanks, David.
It’s hugely problematic and complex. We are facing a colossal crisis. Where I live we had a substantial online debate about the film locally, & reviewed the most adequate criticisms quite thoroughly. It left us all rather perplexed, torn and conflicted. The message of the film certainly has merit, & Michael Moore has faced some tough grilling. Unfortunately, its content lacks documentary sophistication and resorts to cras polemic in particular sections.
Frankly I think it has been a fail for both sides of the argument, if indeed there is a legitimate argument to be settled. However, the controversy has raised multiple issues, so has real utility because it is not at all a simple either/or matter. The dilemma is real and the prognosis dire, so right action is gravely, urgently needed; listening to Jeff here in reasoned conversation clarifies quite a few potential ambiguities. His position is defensible, but the film itself was not well put together, regrettably.
The real crisis is not about hope but confidence. The evidence is overwhelming now that we are facing catastrophic systemic planetary tipping points. The most recent coral bleaching event alone is enough to set off all the feedback alarms. So here we are staring at a cataclysmic event horizon, feeling powerless to cope.
Amory Lovins published a significant approach 23 years ago called ‘factor four.’ It has considerable merit. You simply do more with less. Materials can be better designed. Products can be far more efficient. Personal behaviour can improve: for example, travel less but achieve more. Double and halve. Don’t travel unless you really have to, or use a better mode of transport. We can all be far more productive and happier if we amend our habitual (bad) behaviours; prudence functions as an inverse exponential. All it needs is a measure of civic discipline, imagination and simple common sense.
Instead of squandering precious resources, we can use our advanced know-how to gain maximum productivity from minimum inputs; it is all doable if we think clearly. We have to abandon the cliched ‘American’ way of limitless waste and gratuitous consumption. So long as we persist in that, we are merely addicted to reflex stupidity. The carrying capacity of the Earth is finite. So more than twenty years on now since Factor Four, we must educate ourselves better and take the imminent global threats very seriously, indeed.
We can improve our quality of life just by sharing knowledge, being more intelligent, generous spirited and community minded. Inevitably, some sluggards will need a stern kick up the backside. Why reward the profligate? The simple Lovins idea is to halve wasteful consumption but double capacity.
It can be done. Why not talk more about that? There needs to be an acceptance that the right, responsible thing is what everyone must do. Must. This is an emergency. If necessary, call it the patriotic thing. In other words, it is our moral duty to encourage everyone to behave in this (spiritually advanced & dignified) co-evolutionary way, to use their own intelligence to maximum advantage; to do whatever they can. The gains will be mutual and reciprocal. We can become planetary citizens, only if we sincerely aspire to.
The alternative is without a doubt, absolute disaster. Choose wisely.
Thank you, David, as always.
All wonderful ideas!