Evil and Good – Sauron and Hobbits, Vader and Jedi, Harkonnens and Fremen, Nazis and Allies, War and Peace, Voldemort and Harry, Minotaur and Theseus – tales of titanic struggles.
The sheer genius, skill and persistence needed to turn these ideas into great books and memorable films staggers me. Any of them could be a powerful metaphor in the struggle for the biosphere. And yet…
What struggle? I sit comfortably, with a hot cup of tea. Friendly men and women, sportily attired, blue poop bags at the ready, walk their dogs. The trees show the very first signs of autumn yellow. The fridge is well stocked. The cats are fed, lounging in the sun. The news is of wars, of vicious election rhetoric, of all sorts of disasters – all are distant, in space and time.
But this struggle, possibly the greatest humanity has faced since the invention of agriculture, is right here and now. Wars, quite apart from the personal tragedies, are environmental disasters. The elections will matter, even if the champions of a “green” future are less than perfect. The floods, fires, famine, diseases and displacements are real and immediate.
Why then don’t we act to stop degrading the biosphere in the same way we acted to counter other calamities?
Because the Enemy is us.
The Evil of Sauron, the tragic fascination of the ring (a metaphor for money?), Orcs, Trolls, Balrogs with their bad teeth, black blood, and disgusting eating habits, all present an obvious Enemy that needs to be defeated by any means. “The Fellowship of the Ring” becomes inevitable.
The “Star Wars” Empire, with its dispassionate destruction of an entire planet and casual use of torture, justifies an armed Federation – with the Force on their side.
The hideous Lord Harkonnen and his weird nephews, abetted by the inept Emperor of “Dune” is justly defeated by the Fremen eco-warriors – using the power of spice and worms.
The Minotaur, half bull, half man, hides in his labyrinth (a metaphor for offshore accounts and shell companies?) and eats Athenian sacrifices until killed by Theseus. And Theseus only finds his way back out by following Ariadne’s thread.
All these stories have repellent villains and relatable heroes. If our champions have any flaws, they are all very forgivable, more than offset by the secret powers they manage to harness.
Closer to our reality, the second world war started just 85 years ago, 25 years after the start of the first one – the “war to end all wars”. The Evils of Hitler and the Nazi regime are exhaustively documented. As are the root causes and the need for an alliance to defeat them. Unfortunately, the lessons of that recent history seem to be forgotten. As Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) says in her voice-over to “The Fellowship of the Ring”; “Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.”
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But what if Evil hides in plain sight? When the supporters of biosphere degradation are well dressed, well-coiffed, articulate and successful A-type personalities the task becomes so much more difficult. They appeal directly to our wants – which have been nurtured in us since birth by continuous advertising and other stories. If our national, economic, religious and ethnic identities are at risk – and the prosperity of our family and community is threatened – should we not listen to their Siren song? (Metaphor… beware of the deadly reefs). And, secretly, don’t we wish to be friends with those confident, smiling, fit, young spokespeople who sell these ideas? Don’t we want to be like them?
This conundrum always brings me back to a logical, unemotional approach to the entire discussion. Others have brought long experience, deep knowledge, passion and determination to the fight. They have the skills and resources to create informative analyses, thoughtful recommendations and make them understandable, entertaining and convincing.
I will try and stick with the symbol “E” for the, seemingly invincible, forces that compel us to degrade the biosphere and “F” for the, as yet nonexistent, federation, or fellowship, of Environmental Organizations that I believe is needed to influence and change “E”.
By all means let’s use metaphors, but let’s also face up to the real effort, which needs us to join in honest, coordinated, consistent, difficult work – without magic.
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Despite all that, of course I can’t resist a metaphor, no matter how twisted. Here is my tale of Ariadne’s thread. It also appears in Appendix 3 of my “Appeal and Challenge to the Environmental Organizations”, here and on 1biosphere.org
ARIADNE’S THREAD
I admire Europe. Not the geography, the history, the castles or the cuisine – although those are all fascinating – but the idea. Here is a bunch of people that speak different languages, have different economies and, for much of recent history, have systematically maimed and killed each other. Yet, they have formed a union, a Federation, that works. It is an incredible achievement[1].
Europe’s flag, its symbol, is a circle of 12 gold stars on a blue background[2].
The flag, if you allow a little whimsy, reminds me of the constellation Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown.
This arrangement of stars is known as the “Poor People’s Bowl”, the “Camp Circle”, the “Woomera”, the “Boomerang”, or the Welsh goddess “Lady Arianrhod” among other titles.
But in Greek mythology this constellation is the crown, made by Hephaestus, which Ariadne threw into the sky after her wedding to Dionysus.
Titian, 1520 – “Bacchus and Ariadne” – National Gallery, London
Throwing her crown into the heavens is no mean feat, but Ariadne’s real fame comes from the slaying of the Minotaur. Without her Theseus would likely not have dared to venture into the labyrinth. Even if he did manage to find the monster, and kill it, he was unlikely to find his way out again.
That monster may still be devouring human sacrifices had she not secreted the red thread – Ariadne’s Thread – which Theseus unwound to find his way back out of the labyrinth.
Theseus and the Minotaur, Athenian black-figure kylix 6th century BCE. Toledo Museum of Art
Today, one meaning of “Ariadne’s Thread” refers to solving a problem which has multiple apparent ways to proceed – such as a physical maze, a logic puzzle, or an ethical dilemma – through an exhaustive application of logic to all available routes.
If the European Union is a logical solution to preventing another war on that continent, then, maybe, the union, or Federation, of Ecological Organizations (“F”) is a logical solution to preventing irreversible degradation of the biosphere – linked by Ariadne’s Thread and our basic axiom;
There Exists Exactly One Biosphere.
[1] It is a total shame that the UK decided to leave that union. And why, once again, are political parties that promise a retreat to the horrible past of nationalism, racism and so many other forms of discrimination, gaining support? See also my previous post on “Europe – what if?”.
[2] Why 12 stars? 12 is just a nice number – divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and itself. The EU currently has 27 member states.