#AuthorInterview with Brian D. McLean
Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Ephantus Muriuki is talking with Brian D. McLean, author of Our Global Crisis.
FQ: What inspired you to write a book so detailed, that begs for change in our society and in the very nature of who we are?
MCLEAN: The inspiration for Our Global Crisis did not occur through a single event or thought. In fact, it evolved slowly over the course of the last decade of the 20th century. Throughout my life I have had the good fortune of being able to take a step back from objects and processes in motion and observe “the big picture.” In most cases, I can usually ascertain fairly readily where problems may occur, and if they are already present, what is causing them. Towards the end of the 20th century, I began to take an interest in our planet’s future as I could see that our global society was increasingly becoming a threat to its own long-term survival, and that our then current approach to remediate the situation was going to be insufficient to change the outcome. At that point, I decided to observe humanity and the workings of our socioeconomic society to see if I could make any meaningful contribution to saving our society and the planet. It was those observations that led to this book.
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| Author Brian D. McLean |
FQ: You chose Rapa Nui's instance out of all the well-known worldwide case studies on sustainability. Why so?
MCLEAN: When I began looking at the various collapsed societies, I found several candidates that would have been suitable for drawing comparisons between past failed societies and our own perilous existence, especially with respect to the relationship between sustainability and continued societal stability. Rapa Nui’s historical record, however, is somewhat unique, in that there is no definitive explanation as to what happened to their society.
Many have purported that it was a breakdown in the interconnected relationship between the Indigenous people, their society, and the local island environment, that brought about their collapse. Others have put forth strong arguments that European diseases, civil wars, or Peruvian slave raiders toppled the Indigenous people’s society. While I supported the former theory in Our Global Crisis, these other theories may have also contributed or been primarily responsible for the collapse of Rapa Nui. In fact, all of these theories may have been responsible to a certain degree.
So why would I choose a collapsed society with such an indeterminate historical record? In truth, it is simply because I do not believe it matters what caused their collapse. What I believe is important, and I assert in my book, is that “Survival has never been a given.” I think Rapa Nui society reflects that perfectly. When the Indigenous people first arrived, the island would have appeared to be a paradise. Bountiful in resources and possessing a favorable climate, it should have been an ideal location to build a sustainable community. Yet within a few hundred years, for whatever reason, their society was no more.
We must all do what we can to support this planet and the unique biosphere it possesses, but we must also keep in mind they we are only part of the equation, and the ultimate fate of our planet and its species may be out of our hands. While the reality of existence may be hard to accept, we should not despair, for as we continue to look farther and farther into the depths of the universe, to find beings such as ourselves, we are gaining a deeper understanding of how truly rare and precious this planet is. Our survival may not be a given, but we must strive to give the entity of Life a fighting chance.
FQ: You have stated that your vision of a stable, sustainable world encompasses many things, and like most dreams, is beyond our grasp. Could you possibly elaborate on that further?
MCLEAN: There is a level of complexity to this statement which I felt was unnecessary to delve into for the sake of maintaining clarity around my book’s central theme. My thoughts on this question are similar to the next question, that is, while my vision of a sustainable world is achievable, based on the current state of human evolution, and various cultural and societal beliefs, such a vision is nearly impossible to achieve.
Throughout Our Global Crisis I look extensively at the effect human evolution has had on human behavior and have determined that humanity seldom looks far enough into the future when making decisions, seldom beyond the extent of our children’s children. This short-sightedness, together with our penchant to resist change, makes it difficult for us to implement any significant alterations to our society unless an event or situation forces us to do so. Furthermore, the expenditure of capital, energy, and resources required to make lasting and beneficial changes to our global society, will be exorbitant, and may be beyond our ability to provide, thus limiting the extent of our visionary goals.
Lastly, and one of the topics I chose to overlook for clarity, is the problem of sustainability. A sustainable environment, regardless of what it is, can only be measured relative to its surroundings, and at best is a temporary situation. This is the way of the universe. Change on Earth is constant, and even our most sustainable solutions cannot continue forever. Thus, even my most cherished dreams for our future can never last indefinitely. But we should not loose hope, or give up trying, for this world and all living things upon it, are all that we will ever have.
FQ: What makes you feel that it is unlikely that the world will accept your ideas?
MCLEAN: While I have not given up hope for our species, far from it, to be truthful, I am not optimistic at this stage in our evolution that we have the ability to appreciate and accept our place as part of the entity of Life. Although there are those among us who appreciate this, as a species we still seem to lack the ability to see beyond our own personal needs, for the betterment of our global socioeconomic society, the earth, and all the species that dwell upon it. We have made significant strides, but one only needs to skim through the news headlines to see that we are not at peace in the world. That we still place cultural and national self-interests before the needs of the planet.
Unfortunately, our fears and distrust of those who do not share our beliefs overshadows any level of care or compassion we harbor for the world around us. Until this entrenched behavior is overcome it is unlikely that we will be able to enlist the commitment and finances necessary to change the course of our future, and the fate of the planet.
FQ: Regarding the brief reference to "The Internet of Things," which you claim will lead to a society reliant on the internet and technological devices, and whose widespread failure will seriously threaten the stability of our global society, what do you feel can be the alternative(s)?
MCLEAN: The Internet of Things (IoT) is a marvelous concept and for a multitude of reasons has the potential to greatly benefit our global society. Having the ability to automate and optimize processes, as well as monitor devices and various environments, will greatly improve efficiencies and by extension, reduce waste and costs. As we strive to move our global socioeconomic society towards a sustainable future, the IoT must come to pass. I do not foresee a viable alternative to its implementation. My only concern, as I alluded to in Our Global Crisis, is with the occurrence of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), or perhaps a major cyberattack. If we become so enamored with what the IoT has to offer, that we “hand over” the operation of mission critical IoT enabled devices to AI systems, then we are putting our collective future at risk. As it is currently not possible to prevent cyberattacks or shield our planet from the effects of a CME, then the occurrence of a major event, such as we experienced during the Carrington Event of 1859, could result in unforeseen, and potentially, catastrophic failures within our technologically dependent society.
So, while I do not see an alternative to advancing the IoT within our global society, I also caution against adopting such technology wholeheartedly, without also implementing adequate safety measures to ensure either its continued integrity or provide a means to override its functionality.
FQ: You add that each of us must make sacrifices if we want to ensure the survival of Earth and life, as our desired lifestyles are no longer feasible. Perhaps potential readers would like to know some of the adjustments you have highlighted in your book. Could you perhaps mention a few?
MCLEAN: If our planet is to survive the worst scenarios that may be in store for us in the future, there are many changes we, as a species, can make. For most people, adopting measures to decrease global greenhouse gas emissions are the first that come to mind. While this is an admirable cause, two other changes figure more prominently in our quest for a sustainable future, and if adopted, would also lead to a reduction in the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted annually.
While painful to adopt, decreasing our global ecological footprint through reductions in the global population, is one measure that would have a significant impact on our planet over the long-term. This option has been quietly proposed within the international community, but as this is a sensitive issue in many cultures, no serious efforts have been initiated.
That said, the current global economic environment is already having an impact on population growth. Most notably, a cost-of-living crisis is pressuring young couples in many countries to postpone parenthood in order manage expenses. This reduction in the fertility rate is having a noticeable impact on population growth, and if the situation continues or worsens, will hasten our global population’s decline. While this may be helpful, reducing our global population by “forcing” young couples to defer parenthood due to a lack of funds is far from ideal. Better education and family planning, combined with gradual changes in cultural values might provide a better solution over the long-term.
While only some of us may be able to contribute towards lessening our ecological footprint through population reduction, I believe, most within our wealthiest societies can do so by lowering the level of affluence they enjoy. Doing so would produce the greatest benefits to our planet, and in many ways, is one of the easiest strategies to initiate. Ironically, it is probably also the hardest one to achieve.
For years, the simple little phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, has been tossed about. Yet, to be perfectly honest, I have witnessed very few people who have taken it to heart. True, some people make a good effort, but many others simply do not seem to care at all. Such waste management practices, however, have made a difference, yet worldwide growth in affluence continues to create harmful emissions, and our consumption levels have increased far more rapidly than our efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
To bring about substantial improvements to the long-term health of the planet, all of us will have to make sacrifices and suppress our desire to consume. We need to stop upgrading or upscaling our stuff and renovating our homes, especially when its not absolutely necessary. Fix things when they break; donate rather than discard; buy fewer clothes, boats and ATVs, furniture, even lawn furniture, for that matter. We also need to do more with less. Rather than owning a car, ride transit or an e-bike, or walk, where possible. Buy a single television per home, rather than one per room. The list goes on and on, but in essence, we need to do more with less and share what we have. To begin with though, we must stop buying stuff we don’t need.
Some say we do that now, but do we? Most wish they could declutter their homes, citing the accumulation of too much stuff. So how well have we done? Granted, the problem is far more complex than this, and such sacrifices are nearly impossible to do, for we live in a society driven by consumption. We are inundated with ads on social media, or enticed by brands and celebrities to “improve” who we are. Even our dreams are built upon our desire for fame and wealth. The most prosperous societies have succeeded using an economic model based on production and consumption.
This must change, and soon. For the resources of our world, and those that orbit near us, are finite. And once they are depleted, our sacrifices will no longer be voluntary.
FQ: Should we anticipate more thought-provoking works like this one, or would you want to venture into a different genre in the future?
MCLEAN: That is a good question. I have been pondering it for some time now, but have not yet really decided, one way or the other, what path my life will follow. A great deal of the original research never found its way into my book, and there is more that could be said, especially with respect to our insatiable appetite for energy. Yet lately I have been spending more and more of my time outdoors, taking a more “hands-on" approach to helping the planet. So, for the immediate future, at least, another work seems unlikely.
FQ: How would you sum up the reasons why everyone should assess their lives to prevent future crises?
MCLEAN: Watching the day-to-day affairs of our global society unfold as they do, including our treatment of Earth and its resources, I am reminded of patrons at an “all you can eat buffet.” While they may leave happy and content, having satisfied their appetites with a bountiful assortment of food items, are they aware of the waste, the spoilage, or how little remains in the kitchen by day’s end?
I can never quite get that picture out of my head. I look at what we are doing to the planet, our global buffet, and realize that should our behavior go unchanged, then the outcome is inevitable. Our planet is finite, our resources will run out. If we do not want this to be the outcome for our species then we all need to change, not tomorrow, but today.
At the very least, I would like readers to come away with the understanding that everyone is both part of the problem and part of the solution, for the many issues in the world today. Ideally, I hope that those who read Our Global Crisis will be moved enough to make changes in their lives and behaviors, and in the lives of those around them; changes that cumulatively benefit the health of our global society, this planet, and Life itself.
For as I have stated in my book, “Survival has never been a given.”
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