Referendum: ‘Yes’ or ‘No’? From The Pacific there is ‘No debate’!!!!
One Point Zero
Howard Fairbank
Mon 29 Aug 2016 23:30
ANL Bindaree's position today: 30:31.00N 118:55.30W
Leaving Long Beach. A tight spot, misaligned for the channel!! We made it!
'From the Bridge'
We left Long Beach dead on 18h00 schedule, next stop Auckland, just fourteen days away. Incredible when you think about it, almost halfway around the planet earth, and all one big open ocean. I have always felt that surface travel really gives one a feel for the size of our home, and to me it’s quite a small place, really! A magical creature of such diversity, wonder and surprisingly precise one-ness!
Passing by the Majestic Queen Mary long time 'useless' and retired. Last few minutes of the American Flag, as we head out.
Now some 180 miles south west of Long Beach, we are on a slightly more southern course that the direct one to Auckland, this to stay clear of Hurricane Lester ‘backwash’..! (See yesterday’s blog about Hurricane Lester).
First Sunset again at Sea. Passing a Five Point Zero, Cruise ship with all its high footprint lights ablaze!
If you haven’t read the amusing blog from a Cruise Ship passenger in Tahiti, you can read it here
Yesterday was a far from quiet Sunday, as the ship was essentially unloaded and reloaded, so we now have a whole new freight on board: 1200 containers, and one brand new helicopter!
Apparently it’s destined for Sydney and is a state of the art fire fighting helicopter that comes at a cost of US$24 million. Those ones that can carry huge water tanks that can be opened from the air to try and douse bush fires! Apparently another 6 or 8 more are being shipped across in the next months. Maybe they know the world has given up on One Point Zero and global warming will continue unabated, increasing bush fire risk??? Haha, but I never want to be pushing One Point Zero for either Global Warming threats or fear reasons… Global warming is just a symptom of a serious spiritual issue, and our anthropocentric egoism! One Point Zero is about us Humans belonging where our souls fit with Nature and as part of its Planet’s team. Which side of The Chasm are you on??
It’s a bit cloudy out here today, wind is around 20 knots SW, and this was first day at sea sunrise this morning.
I’m slowly befriending the crew, mainly the officers, as I see them on the bridge when I go up for my ‘entertainment’. The galley is a lot more formal than Cap Capricorn, and overall the ship feels ‘less sociable’ at the moment. It could be me, missing a passenger ‘crowd’ I had before. Crowds and belonging hey, I’ll explore more as I settle down.
The Swiss One Point Zero Referendum: ‘Yes’ or ‘No’??
Yesterday I shared the exciting news that on 25 September 2016, Switzerland will vote on a Referendum to decide whether they want to move onto a new 2050 ‘One Point Zero vision’ or not? You can read the Government info here
This is a world first, and yes it is facilitated by the Swiss democratic system, and its Referendum process which enables radical proposals to be put to the public vote. While the news is truly ground breaking, at this point the only celebration is that a One Point Zero Switzerland is now a public debate issue! I sense it will be a hugely valuable ‘joint learning’ opportunity for us to go through the hypothetical thinking process, on how ‘we’ as hypothetical citizens would get to a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ vote? Say this was your country’s Referendum??
For Switzerland and its each and every citizen, this is a very big decision: Today from Global Footprint Network data, they have an Ecological Footprint of 5.8 global hectares per person and taking the whole of Switzerland, with all its wonderful Alps, mountain wilderness, farmlands etc, only has 1.3 global hectares per person capacity to deal with that huge human footprint! (A shortfall of 4.5 GHa/ person) This means that there will need to be a more than 75% reduction in the average individual footprint…!
I’d imagine that the first thing one would want to know is what does this mean for me, my future, and the future of Switzerland? I’ll try and cover some of that in the next blog.
For now, I found the “Key Issues in Brief” below ‘interesting’:
“Natural resources such as water, air, soil or raw materials are essential for our well-being. Nowadays people consume too many natural resources. As economies and populations grow, the pressure on the environment increases. If we are to continue to have economic prosperity while enjoying the same standard of living, we must use natural resources more efficiently.”
They want the ‘same economic prosperity’ and the ‘same standard of living’…. Hmmm.... this is where, maybe in my authentic dealing with ‘The Truths’ find a huge ‘insoluble’ problem. Consumption is the problem, and consumption is what gives people their ‘standard of living’ in the western societies and in wealthy Switzerland very certainly. I’m sure there are many mindful Swiss who do live a One Point Zero life today, but then have the Government / Canton Footprint loaded on top of theirs and then are compromised. For these people a relatively small reduction in the overhead infrastructure will probably be welcomed and make them pure One Point Zero-ers.
They would no doubt vote ‘Yes’, but I wonder how the wealthy hope to keep their ‘Standard of Living’ with this vision in mind.
Over the years as I have got deeper into this One Point Zero stuff, it seems that everyone is hanging their hats of either Governments switching from Fossil fuels to renewables, some magical technologies ‘being adopted’ or a combination of both. The picture given out is that everyone should carry on as usual and the One Point Six and ever increasing problem will be solved in the background. This is done on purpose to avoid fear, or impact on national / individual ‘economic prosperity’ as the Swiss governments summary implies.
Never is there any mention of a need to move off The Good Life, and find a better Standard of Living - one that aligns with Nature’s natural restraints? I feel that the ‘turning a blind eye to the truths’ debate time is getting close now. I sense that this Swiss Referendum will bring more spotlight onto the realities and what One Point Zero really means for all of us… ?
I sense the big issue, and for me the only issue in deciding on a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ is what is the morally and ethically right vote? In that context I fail to see how there is any way a ‘No’ vote can be justified? And for those who do vote ‘No’ one can only question their motives or maybe their lack of courage and fear of the unknown. An unknown to me that is surely the most soul aligned unknown one can seek! And in that sense it is no unknown at all but rather a better quality of life, and life affirming commitment to rectify one of the most serious humanitarian crimes in human history: Rape and pillage of the planet's bio-capacity that destroys future generation's prospects of a ‘quality life’!
‘The how?’ a One Point Zero Switzerland it is to be achieved should become ‘merely’ an adventure and challenge that ‘we’ have to do, and with it we will find huge personal growth and spiritual reward we didn’t know existed!! Human innovation, excellence and all humans pulling together for a team human objective, rather than an elite, or small crowd objective will deliver the amazing results and a one-ness, nobody thought possible.
I’m a human, and I have ‘felt’ many other humans in times of huge change and upheaval, and every single time I am always amazed how us humans are resilient, resourceful, can work together towards a seemingly impossible objective. Once we lock onto a new success, it’s amazing how easily we throw away the old, and make the new our own. Those that struggle are those who don’t seek change, or who are too slow is seeing that things ‘have to change’….They end up resisting change. In One Point Zero there is a huge, and to me, non-negotiable moral and ethical ‘prize’ for those that seek understanding and embrace change and ride the ‘cusp of the wave’!.
I have no doubt that if we want something of serious moral / ethical value we humans will find out how to make it work for us no matter what ‘has to be done’… It’s now about exploring ourselves to find the moral / ethical threads and how they fit with our own souls and balancing priorities…
This Ship voyage is exactly that: I was dealt with a few serious ‘Inconvenient Truths’ just a few days back (see the blog) , and here I am in bliss with a new context of success. I often think most readers think that I am having a fun holiday across the Pacific, and forget that this is a moral and ethical venture?? This long trip could actually be seen as a huge struggle, but because I set out to ‘Not Fly’, and try and meet my One Point Zero objectives, I have made ‘the struggle’ into a fun adventure. I know many people are wondering why the hell I’m not taking the easy route? I can tell you right now, I have quite a few times thought about how easy it would have been to fly, but you know what, neither you nor I want to hear me whining, whingeing, etc, I have turned this into a new success, and one that feels really good with my soul. I’m in huge change myself, finding out what a One Point Zero travel life would entail, and how slowing down, and just being is more of what One Point Zero lifestyle needs. Not busy doing stuff all the time, rushing from one engagement to the next, all the stimulation for TV, movies, ‘over socializing’, parties, diners, lunches, etc…. This is embracing restraint time for me, and is challenging sometimes, but I know it’s the right type of learning…
Adventure taught me that so many times, and over the years, resilience is something I have become to really value. When there is moral justice at stake, I know everything becomes possible and the struggle is in hindsight nothing, but the source of serious long term inner height and harmony!
Gee, I’m ‘envious’ of the Swiss, man! Envious firstly, that one of ‘my countries of possible residency’ isn’t so advanced and has missed this leadership position! A country thinking and deciding on whether it will take on a crossing of The Chasm, and as a nation, as one ‘expedition’ group! Secondly, I’m envious because I’d love to be citizen in a country where many are aware of the ‘One Point Zero’ concept, and want it because it’s morally right. Being part of a positive movement for a Better Life for all is hard to find these days!
Next blog I’ll go a bit into what I think One Point Zero for ‘a Switzerland type’ country implies.
All this hopefully helping you think through where you are personally with One Point Zero.
Best
