Seven Billion Billion Billion Atoms and the XR Movement

I am in awe of the opportunity to briefly be alive and experience the Universe. I can't believe how anyone can NOT be in amazement, yet most people simply go through their lives in pre-recorded patterns and only focus on their immediate gratification. But a few us are sentient, and whether we like it or not, we are given an awareness of the overall world.

Nearly 14 billion years ago the mysterious Big Bang occurred, sending zillions of hydrogen atoms everywhere. Through fusion and heat, eventually atoms fused into more complex elements. At one miraculous point the complex atoms formed into living cells and those cells grew into spectacularly complex lifeforms. So, wow, here I am, alive, for a brief period of time. The cool thing is that of the trillions of atoms in our body, two-thirds of them are still basic hydrogen, and a quarter of our atoms are a slightly more complex atom — oxygen. So, the point being is that we are not very different from the Universe itself.

I know a lot of people brush off the miracle of life with a religious story, and in my opinion that's an insult to our Universe. There was no magician who made us out of dirt — that was just a story that ancient people created to "fill the gap" until we could figure things out more.

Sentient Beings

All my life my brain has been in constant overdrive and I think way too much. As a child I grew up in a super religious household and I remember trying to figure out how "Jesus came into your heart." At age 8 I pictured a bunch of little scientists in my brain pushing buttons, and when I became a Christian they were all thrown out, and Jesus sat in the middle of my brain with a glowing light behind him.

I'm a firm believer in the 80-20 rule which is roughly the same composition of air — 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, and the other 1% is argon, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases. I believe that human awareness is the same composition. Eighty percent of humanity eats, poops, and screws without ever questioning their existence -- they just continue on with the recordings that their parents put in their heads. The other 20% of humanity is aware of their existence and are usually sympathetic to the environmental issues that affect us. But it's that wonderful 1% of humanity who are the activists and organizers, and who make things happen in the world. These are the people who are humanitarians, environmental leaders, and politicians. They are the ones who chart the course for the future and even protect and guide us. I love these special people and they are the ones who give me hope.

Extinction Rebellion & Climate Change

I am just now learning about a new movement called the Extinction Rebellion, which conducts demonstrations around the world to raise awareness to climate change. These activists have my deepest respect. While millions of people are in church this morning, singing a few octaves off key, there are other people on hunger strikes and risking arrest to try and save our planet.

For 100 years we've been sucking oil out of the ground and burning it for transportation, warmth, electricity, and to run our factories. We've learned how to make thousands of products out of the black goop, which are all aimed at making our lives better and more comfortable. For this convenience we are paying a horrible price — we are sacrificing the future of our planet and children for the sake of convenience and comfort now. Well, golly, isn't that what we humans always do?

As a crotchety old environmentalist, I must admit I dig all the rhetoric of the Extinction Movement. But even if we plant millions of trees a day the best we can hope for is a carbon neutral society, and reversing the damage from the last few decades will be an uphill struggle.

I am perplexed as to why conservatives are so dead-set against recognizing the climate fiasco. The favorite line they tell me is, "Well, scientists don't really know. In the 70s they predicted the Earth would become a giant ice ball." Hey, okay, as a kid I remember seeing those pictures. Okay, I give you credit for that. But now the science is concrete and the symptoms of climate change are real and all around us. We are the frog in the slowly boiling water

Allow me to share some of the text from the Extinction Rebellion website (also known as the XR Movement):

The symbol above represents extinction. The circle signifies the planet, while the hourglass inside serves as a warning that time is rapidly running out for many species. The world is currently undergoing a mass extinction event, and this symbol is intended to help raise awareness of the urgent need for change in order to address this crisis. Estimates are that somewhere between 30,000 and 140,000 species are becoming extinct every year in what scientists have named the Holocene, or Sixth Mass Extinction. This ongoing process of destruction is being caused by the impact of human activity. Such a catastrophic loss of biodiversity is highly likely to cause widespread ecosystem collapse and consequently render the planet uninhabitable for humans.

It's a given that industry will resist climate action because they fear it will hit their pocketbook. Politicians will resist because they are owned by industry. Religionists will resist because climate action doesn't fit into their story line. But the 1 percenters, the real activists of our time, will take take action, and the 20 percenters will at least support them, even if it's just to vote or writing a check. I have no ill will toward the 80 percent of the population who doesn't care and will do nothing. I'm quite sure humanity has always been this way and I accept that. So, go to your church, go to the mall, go to your NASCAR race, and indulge yourself in comforts created by oil. Live your fantasy life! Watch your reruns of the Batchelor on TV, smoke your weed, pop your antidepressants, shoot your gun at militia rallies, buy your MAGA hats, do whatever you want. Those individuals who are driven to make a positive change will carry on, in spite of you.

Summary

One of my epiphanies lately is that the people who are seen as the greatest Christians are simply passionate humanitarians. These individuals would be helping their fellow humans whether a "Christian" label is slapped on them or not. It's built into them. And most of who we are is already determined by a very young age. As I spend time with my granddaughter and see her outgoing personality I can assure you that she will be an extrovert throughout her life.

So, maybe the secret to saving humanity is to, well, I don't know. I don't know how much of our personality is influenced by early childhood or what is simply built into us. But if there's a way to influence children to be more environmentally conscious then that might be the key to saving our planet. One thing I do know and that is bombarding them with religious ideology is NOT the answer.


Photo: Hal Gatewood