On Earth’s Course Towards Disaster

Despite the many decades during which activists have attempted to shed light on the detrimental impacts of commerce on the environment, planet earth is still on the verge of succumbing to catastrophic, potentially irreversible damage. One book from author David Orr entitled Down To The Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse, delves into some of the more recent and damaging industrial endeavors that have contributed to the demise of the planet. He also touches on some of the political and commercial dynamics that have contributed to this downfall. While some argue that the earth is a self-sufficient entity that can take care of itself regardless of the behaviors of its inhabitants, Orr relates the importance of having certain economic and governmental environmental policies in place that protect not only the well-being of planet earth but which can ensure an inhabitable planet for future generations. Ultimately, through an in-depth examination of some of the world’s energy extraction policies, an elaboration on how such activities can actually negate the innate safety systems of planet earth, and some of the steps that must be taken in order to prolong the planet as a viable place for human beings to inhabit, Orr delivers an exemplary exposé on the world’s path towards oblivion and how we can avert disaster.

Overall, Orr explains that planet earth has essentially arrived at a point in time where irreversible damage, the result of carbon emissions and other various industrial processes, must be addressed via policy and leadership on behalf of those in commerce and politics. Orr comments on “The Bottleneck”, a concept introduced by biologist E. O. Wilson that is basically a situation in which the number of inhabitants on planet earth is far in excess of the resources available to accommodate them (Wilson, p. 87, 2002), stating that drastic changes are in order if there is any hope of reversing the harmful effects of industrialization. Moreover, Orr asserts that the only method via which to address the “Long Emergency”, a term coined by author James Howard Kunstler which encompasses the coincidence of peak oil production and environmental catastrophe, is in a collaborative effort amongst the world’s powers and peoples. While few can contend with the detrimental effects of overwhelming levels of carbon emissions and the heavy carbon footprint, some of the author’s more elaborate claims, though perhaps difficult for the average laymen to comprehend, are actually accompanied by quite detailed explanations. For example, the effects of mountaintop removals are clearly extrapolated concerning their connections to detrimental environmental consequences. Furthermore, the explication of carbon emissions regarding their relatedness to increases in the severity of storms is well laid out. As such, Down To The Wire effectively illustrates that the overall temperature of the planet has increased, while it’s overall condition has decreased and will likely continue to decrease, however unfortunate for earth’s inhabitants, for many years into the future.

Orr primarily attests the downward trajectory of planet earth to various manmade endeavors. While likely unbeknownst to most Americans, many energy conglomerates have, for years, been eradicating the Appalachian mountain ranges. The peaks of mountains often contain seams of coal ripe for extraction, but extracting resources in this manner can take its toll on the surrounding environment. Not only are such methods degrading to the natural topography of thousands of years of tectonic activity, but once the coal is extracted the process of cleaning it often results in billions of gallons of contaminated water being introduced into the ecosystem. Over the years, the saturation of various flocculants and other toxins into the soil can severely affect the stability of the region. Additionally, contamination of water bodies is not the only marine concern.

One of the major grievances in the book is the decades-long mismanagement of the lower Mississippi River running through Louisiana. The author contends that the sinking Louisiana delta came about as a result of the misallocation of sedimentary runoff. Because of this misappropriation of fertile sediments, starving wetlands once teeming with fecundity has been slowly eroding and sinking below the water. While this might seem an innocuous consequence, this sinking delta represents the loss of a “buffer zone” previously capable of absorbing nearly a foot of a hurricane’s storm surge (Orr, p. 112, 2009). Furthermore, while Hurricanes like Katrina can decimate the coastlines of the states where they make landfall, it should be noted that the absence of such buffer zones will only exacerbate the effects of future storms, of which it is predicted will be many. Many scientists assert that, because carbon dioxide levels are higher than they have ever been in some 650,000 years, the incremental accumulation of the chemical has brought planet earth to the precipice of irreversible alterations in climate (Orr, p. 112, 2009). More tragic than even the contamination of the few remaining wildernesses, however, is the realization that such damages may exist in a state that is beyond remedy.

One of the more shocking claims in this book is that much of the damage from greenhouse gas emissions are only now beginning to materialize. In fact, Orr explains that there is a 30-year gap in between the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and the consequences that ensue as a result of such emissions (Orr, p. 3, 2009). While this should by no means deter the efforts of those who wish to preserve the integrity of the environment, it does present certain problems in devising a solution. One of the nuances that are going to confront those who desire change on a global scale is the apparent lack of results of various implementations. Since many believe that adverse effects of carbon dioxide emissions will pervade the globe for the next thirty years, even the immediate worldwide adherence to zero-tolerance emissions policies could be met with less than ideal results of such strategies. Granted, while the absence of such emissions would likely mitigate the future effects waiting in store for planet earth, it is difficult to predict whether or not, and to what extent, past emissions hold future ramifications.

While Orr concedes that orchestrating plans to combat the effects of CO2 emissions will not involve solutions that are meaningful on a scale of time for people alive today, he reiterates the importance of doing so all the same. The author contends that even despite our lack of control over the proximate two or three decades, it is still possible to implement changes that could positively affect the stability of the earth farther into the future for distant generations. For success, though, Orr relates that environmental policy must come to the forefront of nearly every other social issue, be it economic in nature or in regards to matters of national security (Orr, p. 206, 2009). Specifically, the book describes the necessity for a radical overhaul of the nation’s governing, political and legal processes such that similar catastrophic scenarios can never again arise as the result of human error. One of the more radical proposals from Orr is his notion to amend the Constitution. While countries like Ecuador have already introduced such amendments that recognize the rights of “nature”, Orr argues that the U.S. should follow suit and amend the Constitution such that wildernesses, lakes, and streams receive equal protection under the law (Orr, p. 208, 2009). Furthermore, Orr relates how certain changes must also be enacted at the presidential level.

According to Orr, The President of The United States should not only serve as Commander in Chief but also what the author has termed the “Educator in Chief”. Essentially, the author claims that it is the overwhelming lack of education concerning the detrimental effects of emissions on the environment that results in the majority of individuals remaining largely apathetic to the cause. However, since the President should also serve as an Educator to his people, Orr argues that the federal government should use its resources to orchestrate the mass communication of this issue to the public. Additionally, Orr argues for the desubsidization of fossil fuels to more directly constrict future emissions. While such changes may not represent the most feasible solution to combating global warming, there is no arguing that such enactments would benefit the stability of planet earth as it relates to carbon dioxide emissions.

On the whole, Down to the Wire is an in-depth examination of some of the major contributors to the worldwide increase in CO2 emissions and some solutions for combating the future destabilization of earth’s ecosystems. There is no longer any debate as to whether or not the widespread adoption of enterprise has contributed to the decline instabilities of environments all over the world. There are trickle-down effects from extracting fossil-fuel forms of energy. Lack of understanding of the vitality of ecosystems can exacerbate the consequences of natural disasters. And despite such information, it appears that little is being done to counteract the ramifications that for the next few decades are likely waiting in store for future generations. Whether coalitions can be reached between pioneers of commerce and government officials, or whether a complete legislative overhaul, Constitutional amendments to boot, is necessary to remedy the damages done is yet to be determined. Realistically, though, it seems that education of the masses holds the key in not only alerting the public to the dangers of the unchecked commercialization of nature but also in affecting the necessary change to preserve the world’s structural integrity. People simply do not care about issues to which they are not privy, and despite the widespread efforts of environmental activists to shed light on the negative effects of industrialization, many find it difficult to make such connections. As such, much in line with what Orr recommends, it seems that education is the key to preserving what little of the environment is left.

References

Orr, D. (2009). Down to the wire. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wilson, E. (2002). The future of life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.