The artificial environment hasn't yet been questioned by environmentalists. They accept it pretty much as is -- they and it are wedded to the notions of progress, science, and "Better living through chemistry" (Dupont's old slogan appropriated by acid-head hippies). When a grassroots wing of the environmental movement went after road building and pavement (tarmac) two decades ago, it was quite fringy for mainstream enviros. Then when we went after plastics a decade ago, this too was considered "out there," and kept low on the list of concerns for the average campaigner.

Mission and philosophy of Ice Defenders: "Anything goes in defense of Arctic ice"

The consensus on current information for understanding the Arctic's climate role, from top scientists speaking plainly: Arctic Methane: Why The Sea Ice Matters (video)

Consider this: each day the population of humans on the planet expands by more than 200,000. That is one good-sized city, complete with water, food, energy, transportation, communication and sanitation infrastructure. To feed that city may require, if storage and process losses are kept to a minimum, 1 million kilocalories every day - something like a 20-acre stockyard of cattle, a Tyson's poultry farm the size of a superdome, and a large fleet of Japanese fishing vessels seine-netting dolphins as they scour the dwindling ocean stores for tuna.

You are not alone in wondering when the obvious is going to be openly recognized:

When will the affordability of providing for basic human needs be widely compared with the towering waste of militarism and aggression, in the U.S. and beyond? When will caring for our planetary home, which only makes entire sense, be Job Number One? How many more Sandys and Fukishimas are necessary before the screaming global alarm is really heard?

The onslaught from industrialized, militarized society, where the vast majority is in some kind of "free slavery," is even worse than Sharif Abdullah identifies in his latest Currents and Futures column which follows. But he's right on target, pardon the expression.
As for me,

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  When one looks at a blueish star twinkling beyond some silhouetted living leaves in the sky, the beauty and wonder of the natural world speaks to us: this existence we witness as conscious beings is an amazing accomplishment of life on this lucky outpost of the Universe.

Editor's note: Marilyn Hempel's approach to equating happiness with low population size without out-of-control growth, plus equitable income levels, is simple and convincing. Some parts of the puzzle, such as stronger sense of community and safety in public without heavy policing, become more clear, as positive influences can be seen feeding upon each other. Following Ms. Hempel's article is a complementary report by Jan Lundberg (a Danish and Swedish name).

Two major aspects of our lives are habitually kept separated, to our detriment and confusion. First, let's agree we are often socially concerned, sensitively aware and observant beings, but coping with ubiquitous, mechanized, artificial environments driven by "the market."

Sailing wine Holland-Denmark

You recall how we saved healthy land with our campaign for a road building moratorium for over a decade, and educated the public. In the past few years you've noticed our growing emphasis on sail transport.