I once submitted several questions to the online discussion platform for social and environmental change www.droppingknowledge.org (a platform which I helped build). One of these questions raised the issue of whether it makes sense to spend so much money on space exploration when so much needs to be done on earth. I asked the question because this theme is of interest to me, although I have never believed that reducing our investment in space programs would directly and positively affect problems such as poverty or pollution. It is not more money that we need to overcome these problems. It is commitment and sacrifices of another type. Nonetheless, I have encountered many social thinkers and environmentalists who see no purpose in space exploration and regard it as a waste of resources and while I can see their point to a certain extent, I remain fully convinced in the beauty and mystery of space exploration. I also believe that man’s destiny lies in the stars and that it will not be long before some of us begin to leave the blue planet behind.In the Shadow of the Moon is a outstanding documentary film on the Apollo Space Program (the Mercury Program is briefly mentioned, referencing The Right Stuff, the book by Tom Wolf, which was turned into an excellent film by Philip Kaufman in 1983), narrated by the small group of men who had the privilege, and courage, to be the first humans to step on an alien world. The film is remarkably well put together and adroitly combines the fascinating tales and emotional insights of the astronauts with some amazing footage from NASA. It all feels so real that one immediately forgets that the film is an assemblage of original footage taken 35 years ago by cameras in cockpits or attached to spacecrafts and lunar modules. This footage is so skilfully intertwined with the narrative that one could be forgiven for thinking that the film crew shot additional footage to serve the storyline. What can not be forgiven however, after watching this brilliant and intensely touching film, is to continue thinking that the moon landings were a creation of the US government and that they in fact never took place. I believe there is plenty of proof in In the Shadow of the Moon to dispel any such absurd notions.

But what stands out the most for me after watching this film is the spirituality that these men developed after experiencing not only the beauty of the cosmos but also the serenity and fragility of our planet as seen from space. Some of the shots of Earth taken by the astronauts during the various Apollo flights have become omnipresent in our media over the past 30 years and, more importantly, have become synonymous in certain circles with a visualization of our planet as the self-regulating homeostatic organism named Gaia. First proposed by Dr. James Lovelock (who incidentally started developing his theory while working for NASA) in the early 70s, but already hinted at by Vladimir Vernadsky in the 20s in his seminal book The Biosphere, the Gaia theory has been embraced by most people who feel empathy towards our planet and who regard it as a connected and living organism that deserves our respect and attention. And while Gaianism has been around for a while, and has even regained some of its momentum in the past few years in connection with the increased number of environmental issues facing our planet, a new belief has emerged, one that merges a deep respect for the Earth and all of its living creatures with a conviction in the powers of technology to help us overcome these issues and to, in the process, achieve a deeper spirituality and a global consciousness. Drawing, among others, on the work of the French monk Teilhard de Chardin who believed that technology would help us reach The Omega Point which is a higher state of global consciousness, these believers, and i am one of them, in TechnoGaianism tend to also be transhumanists with a social agenda and a democratic slant (James Hughes’ Citizen Cyborg is a particularly good reference on this latter subject).

Perhaps we do need Space and to get closer to the stars to remind us not to forget our duties towards Earth. Where some people might detect an irony or even an incompatibility between space exploration and the preservation and love of our planet, I see an interconnectedness following its logical progress and taking the human race to its next step in evolution, clearly driven for the first time in history by Man itself and in agreement with a desire to see all living and non living creatures existing in perfect harmony with this or any other planet and thus, with the cosmos as a whole.

Watching a film by Werner Herzog is never an easy task. It is the antithesis of the traditional Hollywood entertainment-driven movie. Herzog’s films make you work and think, they force you to participate by investing your strength, your intelligence and your entire emotional being into the experience. Through his subject matters, his startling use of imagery and his haunting scores, Herzog demands constant involvement from his audience. An unfortunately too-rare form of cinema, his films continue to raise pertinent questions about some of the most interesting issues today.

Lessons of Darkness captures the devastation of Kuwait in the aftermath of the first Gulf War. More specifically, it is a portray of a wounded earth that is left shedding tears of fire due to the greed and savagery of Man. Not content to decimate and to ruin, Man also turns his bestiality towards other men and engages in horrible crimes which for any reasonably sane person are impossible to comprehend.

As i watched Herzog turning ugliness into beauty with his camera, music and editing, i could not help but weep at a world gone terribly wrong. 10 years before Edward Burtynsky made his Manufactured Landscapes (2006), Herzog used stunning visualization to show only one of the myriad of ways in which Man is impacting this Earth and is redefining the landscape and the entire ecosystem to his liking. Unfortunately for all of us, this redesigning comes without a plan and is driven by selfish motives rather than by a desire to develop a system where Man’s constant desire for progress can co-exist harmoniously with Nature.

While a Technogaianist myself, and thus a believer in technology as a means to achieve this harmony, Lessons of Darkness made me long at times for some of the scenarios that Alan Weisman so eloquently depicted in his seminal book The World Without Us (2007). It is comforting to know that Nature would eventually reclaim what is rightfully hers. But wishing it all away won’t make it go away and we must move forward and attempt to reconcile our innate propensity for greed and egoism with the need for ecological health and stability.

This article was originally published for www.droppingknowledge.org

A 12 hours bus ride north-east of La Paz, Bolivia, on the banks of the Espíritu Santo River, where the Amazonian rainforest begins, lies Inti Wara Yasi, Bolivia’s largest animal sanctuary. Inti Wara Yasi, which means Sun, Star, Moon in Quechua, Aymara, and Guarani, the three indigenous Bolivian languages, was founded in 1992 by Juan Carlos Antezana, and was originally a place where poor and orphaned children from the city would come learn skills that allow them to earn a little money and eventually escape the slums. But more importantly, Juan Carlos provided his ‘children’ with a home, with a sense of belonging, and with hope.

Over the years, as nature started to play a stronger role in his youth program, Juan Carlos began to see the wonderful possibilities in bringing troubled kids and animals together. In 1996, Inti Wara Yasi became a sanctuary for injured, abandoned or abused animals – and a place where children play important roles in the rehabilitation and return of these animals into the wild. During these rehabilitations, strong relationships often develop between the kids and the animals based on trust, respect and empathy.

Alarmed by the increasing illegal trade of animals in Bolivia and by what he sees as the inability of his government to stop deforestation, slash-and-burn agriculture and loss of habitat for various animal species, Juan Carlos has turned Inti Wara Yasi into a leading youth organization that promotes environmental and animal awareness across Bolivia. Today, the sanctuary holds more than 1000 animals, ranging from Capuchin Monkeys and Parrots to Pumas and Ocelots.

Named one of Jane Goodall’s heroes (http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/janegoodall/heroes/heroes.html) and an Ashoka Fellow (www.ashoka.org), Juan Carlos and his team now regularly visit the slums and markets of La Paz and of other cities across Bolivia, hoping to lure youngsters away from a life of poverty and drugs, and rescuing animals that are abandoned and illegally sold. His environmental ‘brigades’ of Bolivian youths and volunteers from all over the globe, frequently organize marches and demonstrations across Bolivia and in neighboring countries. Juan Carlos hopes that one day he will be able to reach out to 70% of Bolivian youth, and that through their efforts, cruelty towards animals and the environment in Bolivia will stop.

www.intiwarayassi.org

Some Stats:

The Bolivian Amazon Rainforest is known for its vast biodiversity with over 2000 species of plants, more than 80 species of mammals and around 650 types of birds.
In Bolivia, 140,000 hectares of forest are destroyed each year by timber companies and by slash-and-burn agriculture
The global wildlife market is worth over $20 billion annually.
Baby capuchin monkeys—crying and weak– tied to logs waiting to be transported out of northern Bolivia. In Bolivia, Baby capuchin monkeys sell for about $3.50 each. In the United States, they are sold as pets for $3,000.
Around 70% of Bolivian children live in poverty.
About 2,000 fifteen-to twenty-year-olds from five of Bolivia’s nine regions have joined the Juan Carlos’ movement.

Sources: Ashoka, No Compromise, Inti Wara Yasi, Quest Overseas, Havoscope, UNICEF, Animal Planet

What kind of invention is the newspaper today? I suppose that looking back, there was a time when newspapers made complete sense. Speaking of making sense actually probably even misses the point. Newspapers had a revolutionary impact on society the way the Internet does today. Before the invention of print technology, news only travelled by word of mouth or via letters. For centuries, the newspaper served its purpose and spread information and increased knowledge throughout society, in an exponential manner linked to levels of consumerism and capitalism in various countries. But today? Does it continue to make as much sense as it did in the 17th century or even 20 years ago? Our thirst for knowledge and information continues to increase, but so does our ability to receive and read news in alternate formats. Consider what I see as the shortcomings of newspapers.
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