These crises of energy, climate and our political economy are caused by one thing:  our civilization’s implicit belief that the world around us is subordinate to us, that we are in control of nature, and that nature’s messages to us can be disregarded.  

So long as this realm of natural reality—the world, nature, hydrocarbon energy resources, is viewed as being something external and subordinate to us humans—there is no realistic possibility that we can surmount our challenges.  The reason for this is that our erroneous beliefs will lead us to false conclusions about what must be done to address the very clear problems and concrete limitations that we now face as a civilization.  The survival of our civilization, and most probably our own physical survival, is not likely under these conditions.  This is true for as long as we deny the clear and compelling warnings of the world around us.  

Most people, though they may dimly sense that something is amiss, are content to be reassured by our political and economic rulers that all is well; or if there are indeed problems, that those who presently wield power will resolve them for us.  This choice for willful ignorance is a conscious choice for self-deception.

Among those who are aware that we are facing fundamental existential crises, people fall into two camps.  I call these two broad groups Realists and Deceptivists.

Realists have one common attribute: whatever their personal beliefs, they are able to set these aside so as to deal with the contingencies imposed upon humanity by concrete reality.  Realists accept, however reluctantly, that the natural world around us does not necessarily behave as we might wish it to do.   They accept that we must act and organize ourselves in a manner which is compatible with natural reality in order to build and maintain a sustainable civilization.

Whether Realists are self-identified as conservatives, liberals, radicals, or politically indifferent, whether they are religious, agnostic, or atheist, they share this common trait.  Michael Ruppert, Matthew Simmons, Roscoe Barnett, and Richard Heinberg, for example, all possess this intellectual trait although they may disagree totally over politics, religion, or economic philosophy. 

Deceptivists are similarly diverse:  right, left, socialist, libertarian, neo-con, agnostic or believer, and so on.  What unites them all is a common belief that their strongly held views ARE reality itself.  This belief is invulnerable to being influenced by the intrusions of mere natural reality.

Deceptivism comes in many flavors.  The three largest groups are:

1) “Rapture cultists.”  This very large and politically influential group is impervious to reality because they KNOW that accelerating ecological devastation, famine, pestilence, war, energy crises and so on are simply indicators that Christ is about to return.  Anyway, they KNOW that they will be “raptured” away and will not have to face any personal discomfort as a result of all of these catastrophes.

2) “Market worshippers.”  This too represents a very large and influential grouping.  These true believers KNOW beyond any possibility of doubt that the market will identify and correct any and all problems—and do so profitably, to boot.  Intervention by that instrument of the people, government, is KNOWN to be counterproductive.  So for this sect, it’s “don’t worry, be happy—and make a pile of money.”

3) “Cornucopians.”  For this group, whether or not the market delivers the goods unassisted, the power of the human intellect is always able to solve all problems.  This cult KNOWS that climate changes, energy depletion, political and economic failures, are simply intellectual challenges, easily solvable and without incurring civilizational upheaval, once we put our best minds to the task.  Science and technology to the rescue, with a happy ending assured.

The great masses of the people mostly either choose to remain in a state of willful ignorance, as I’ve noted above, or actually participate to varying degrees in one or more of the deceptivist cults I’ve described above.  It is interesting to note that when it comes to confronting the crisis of survival we now face, all of these factions are equally members of the same meta-cult of the Deceptivists:   the zealously religious Rapture cultists, and the religiously agnostic, as well as the zealously atheistic or mildly religious market worshippers and cornucopians.

Our task as Realists is to work together coherently for our commonly understood goal of survival, and beyond that, for the renewal of civilization itself.  While we may disagree as to what the characteristics of that transformed and renewed civilization may be, we all agree that reality itself imposes three unbreakable limits on future civilization:

1) We must exist sustainably within our planet’s biosphere. 

2) Our civilizational energy base must be both renewable and compatible with existing sustainably within our biosphere.

3) The transformed civilization must be fundamentally humane and just.   Political and economic oppression of the many by the few always threaten to render civilization unable to meet these first two conditions due to revolt, war, terrorism and so on.  While this condition is difficult to quantify, we intuitively know humane and just conditions when we see them. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is its maxim.

The organizational form that is required to accomplish these goals is that of a broad-based movement.  It was such transcendent movements which at various times throughout history and in many lands, have hastened the end of slavery; brought about broad-based civil, political, and economic rights; and catalyzed the process of change from an idea in the minds of a relative few, to a cause fought for by the many, and finally, to an accomplished reality.

While this Realist movement must ceaselessly seek to influence all political parties and all economic and religious philosophies, it must not be beholden to any of them.  While this movement must be diverse enough to accommodate all the views of sincere Realists, it must be united in advancing the above conditions 1 - 3.

If we do this, we can even now at this late time ensure the creation of a transformed, sustainable, and humane human civilization that can endure for ages to come.