This week, upon reflection...

One of my new subjects requires us to submit a reflective piece at the end of semester, a vignette reflections for each week of the course put into perspective at the end. Being the studious swot that I am, I have followed the lecturer's advice and each week I have taken a little time to document my reflections. However, if this week's anything to go by, it may be the thoughts which are left out which may be more telling.

Today someone actually articulated that as coal was a gift from God (not sure which one or who's claiming responsibility), it could not be evil. Actually I was under the perhaps false impression that evil and inanimate objects tend to be mutually exclusive. Coal is lots of things but I'm pretty sure it's not too harsh to say it's soul-less, just the way I like my inanimate objects (blessed or not). That observation didn't make the reflective cut..

We danced around the edges of neo-liberalism and it seemed to be the pin-up for all that is wrong environmentally, socially and economically, yet we also seemed to struggle with the recognition that for many, the neo-liberal and liberal view best fits what we have known even if we recognize that its extremes will not serve our vision of the future.


However it was the probing question "Is Sustainable Development an oxymoron?" which appeared to leave the debate in tatters. Defining oxymoron was a highlight - picks of the examples were "giant shrimp" and "smart government". The discussion was informed by the tutorial reading - a synopsis on a book written giving the 30 year update on "The Limits to Growth" and really, the conclusions appeared to waiver from "barbed wire firmly puncturing the buttocks" to "it's probably too late".


So I ask myself, if we genuinely believe it is too late then what is the point of sustainability? Are we merely learning the dark arts of environmental and social pallative care disguised as solutions so as the world dies slowly, at least some of us will be comfortable....


So on that note, armed with the knowledge that population is the elephant in the room, I went off to visit one of the earth's newest citizens just up the road where both he and his mum are recovering from the trauma that is child birth. He was small, sleepy, content and totally convinced that he was in safe hands. Only time will tell...