During its 2 year run, Renaissance SRQ offered discussions on how to achieve a greater sense of Sustainability, Resilience, and Quality of Life. The final show included a challenge by revisiting some guests from a previous episode. Now that futurist David Houle and planetary ethicist Tim Rumage have released their book This Spaceship Earth, we offer a call to action for all people to become crew members rather than passengers.
The book begins by explaining the difference between passengers and crew as people traveling from one place to another and not working, and those who operate the vessel. As human civilization has changed the face of the planet over the course of the last 10,000 years, we worked our way through the Agricultural Age with the use of tools, the Industrial Age with machines, the Information Age with technology, we have not so much been operating the vessel as manipulating it, along with humankind in the process. Now that we have reached this quite necessary Shift Age, it will be defined largely by the use of our consciousness and how we decide to respond to the lives we’ve been given. This Spaceship Earth then offers a Quartermaster’s Report as a primer on the effects of climate change and the status of our Life Support System, calling readers to consciously participate in our relationship to the planet.
Indeed, ever since humans started drawing imaginary lines in the ground and calling it “property,” a grand portion of human activity has been elicited through intimidation, fear, and persuasion. Because those intimidating, frightening, and persuading, were largely basing their intention on selfish pursuit and greed, our existence here has gotten a bit out of whack. Yet with the democratization of information, we are at a stage where we can pursue actions based on knowledge, enacting wisdom instead of threat.
Given the power we have to more greatly participate in a global conversation and save our planet from the wobbling towers of finance, government, and religion, will you answer the call to be a crew member aboard This Spaceship Earth?
Listen to Steve McAllister talk with futurist David Houle, and to Steve and Gonzo follow up with planetary ethicist Tim Rumage.
You can also hear our talk with David Houle and Tim Rumage as they were working on the book and what their hopes were for it.
