No Longer a Day but an Age

Last year around this time I wrote a column entitled quotEarth Centuryquotamp160In it I mentioned that in the first two years of this blog in 2006 and 2007 I had focused a lot on alternative energy renewable energy and peak oil This led me to being considered a thought shaper in the energy blogosphere The result mentioned in last year39s column has been that I am obviously on the list for pitching environment projects products and initiatives So from this perspective I feel like the world is continuing to think that Earth Day is a marketing event for promotionPlease don39t get me wrong I support every single one of these efforts They are all worthy They are all moving us in the right direction The volume of these pitches increases every year which is a good directional sign I embrace the efforts and the direction That said we all have to give up this Earth Day thing It has become a day to toot one39s horn or to feel selfrighteous about spending the day planting trees or picking up litter or whatever floats your ecological boat Well I did my part I love the earth I am hip and green Okay fine no problem However it is not longer a Day in our life it is the life we have to live every dayI called this the Earth Century last year because it is this century that we turn around our rush to global environmental Armageddon or notWe have entered the Anthropocene Age The name was coined by Nobel Prize winning scientist Paul Crutzen in 2000 The simple definition is that we have entered the Age of Humanity This means that Humanity has become the single most influential force influencing Earth similar to ice being the dominant force in the Ice Age Humanity is not only the largest species on the planet in terms of our biomass we are clearly the most ecologically intrusive in our relationship with our planet7 billion of us with billions wanting a more energy intensive lifestyle is now the single greatest determining factor in the biosphere How we collectively alter the trajectory of growth into a more sustainable renewable path is a challenge and a responsibility A challenge because it entails changing many deeply entrenched legacy ways of thinking supported by the powers of status quo A responsibility because if we don39t change all the thinking behind the current trajectory in this century we will be responsible for planetary ecological disasters that will affect the planet for centuries to comeThe Shift Age is the time when we must and will shift this trajectory and the legacy thinking that powers it to a new entirely different view on growth energy and the definition of life as we know it The Shift Age is a critical time not just for humanity but therefore one for the planet as wellSo Earth Day is April 22 In the month prior to this celebration of greenness March 2012 there were 15000 local temperature records tied or broken in the US and the average temperatures were 86F or 48C above normal To use one tired clichamp233 this is the new normal We have entered the Anthropocene Age Every day must be an Earth Day Tell me not what you will announce that day Tell me what you are doing to alter our rush to biosphere catastrophe in the next few decadesThe Anthropocene Age is the time when Marshall McLuhan39s quote is truer and more profound than ever quotThere are no passengers on Spaceship Earth we are all crewquotWe are not crew for a day but for the rest of our livesDavid Houle is a futurist strategist and speaker He has always been slightly ahead of the curve Houle spent more than 20 years in media and entertainment Most recently David is a featured contributor to Oprahcom Check is out here wwwoprahcomdavidhoule David can be contacted at DavidDavidHoulecomRead all Davidamp8217s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Evolution ShiftCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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No Longer a Day but an Age

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David Houle

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