The flaw in both arguments is that you can’t get away from genocide, even by default, as policy. The social state has created sink society in large parts of Europe (although New Labour is having a very good go at reversing the trend in UK). The US has gone for trailer trash repositories and federal prisons for three strikers. Russia’s gulag and general winter are still in place, although Mao’s genocides have dropped from 70 million to a mere 10 or so since he died.
Lovelock again, ever rational, was asked what to do about population control: no need, he said straight out, Gaia will do it. Post Tsunami and Katrina, that makes sense. Local disasters like storms before 9 extra metres of sea water height will see off our coastal cities. And there are enough nutters in any society to want to bomb any polders we may put up.
Until we sort the rigors of the bottom line market test for global capitalism, we are not likely to reform it. That is unlikely, the beast draws its power from the comforts of being rich. And its enemies from the discomforts of slaveries past and present and perceived, with the cohort of less favoured sons.
Lovelock’s big conundrum is will civilisation survive? The species needs only a few breeding pairs, and we are tough enough for that. But the loss if civilisation would be to revert to government by warlord.
Perhaps the sooner we find fixes for pollution – which includes too much of us - and warming, the more likely we are to keep the guiding star alive.
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