If the plight of this planet were compared to a sinking ship the common cause referenced in the title of this piece would refer to our coming together to save the ship. I believe the more important issues raised here on Op-Ed News and elsewhere reflect meaningful, intractable and harmful practices in our midst--political malpractice, environmental degradation economic disparities and more. Did it occur to you that solving the above issues will in no way mitigate against the downward spiral of the planet's descent ending her ability to to support life and lifeforms here. Clear-cutting rain forests, depleting ground water. the loss of top soil, the soul-rending loss of species and much, much more show clearly the common cause we have a responsibility to embrace is to reduce the destructive burden of excessive human population on this planet.
To move from exploiting the planet to death to becoming shepherds of this globe is our responsibility and requires a shift in consciousness from an exploitative mindset that assures I get my piece of the pie to a commitment to common cause. To roll your eye at this is like saying to the captain of a sinking ship who says all must lend a hand, "I want my breakfast". It does seem likely we will avoid common cause and choose to continue serving our children processed human waste as drinking water.
A sane person would choose, rather, tp serve the needs of the planet until she can once again provide clean air and water--her fate is our fate. We can do this without permission from our rulers. Logging interests will stop clear cutting rain forests when falling populations require less lumber and excess housing becomes available. Lake Mead could fill to the brim, fish populations would recover, the light of a better future will illuminate us all if ????
So how hard is this? Making a choice of one child per family would do it. We can so much more easily solve the problems of a falling population than deal with with what we are faced with. Again, this is squarely in our hands, we can do this. The extractive industries and Wall Street will have to accept our common cause to assure life and a future for our kids, An interesting possibility for us to consider which will be helpful regarding population issues. In the United States about five per cent claim LGBTQ status. Generation Z claims 21% LBGTQ status. These are people in their early twenties. If this trend holds the planet may be saved by off-planet decisions to reincarnate here in ever-increasing numbers as non0heterosexual. Finally, we would do well to consult with our indigenous peoples who ever caution us to protect the land/ Don Scotten
