Planet Of The Humans: a review

Monday I watched Planet Of The Humans, and today, Tuesday, the three principle drivers of the documentary were interviewed on Rising by one of my favorite personalities, Krystal Ball. The executive producer is Michael Moore and the director/creator is Jeff Gibbs. The two had been working on the film for fifteen years. It’s about the dire position we humans have put ourselves in regarding our existence on planet earth.

It’s controversial because it goes counter to the current liberal, progressive zeitgeist of the “Green New Deal”. It takes the position that all of the ideas, programs, policies, and technologies of the environmental movement, have actually had a negative impact on the planet. In fact, solar, wind, wood, and battery powered energy, paradoxically, has speeded up destruction of earth’s biosphere. From Gibbs:

“Environmental groups have been collaborating on the lie of growth by helping us pretend that there will be ‘green growth.’ As if you can have wealth or stuff that doesn’t destroy the planet. News flash: that’s an impossibility of physics and biology,” the director tells me. “There is nothing you will ever have in your life that’s not an extraction from the planet earth. And so we’ve all lost touch with that.”

I Agree

with Gibbs’ diagnosis. On Rising this morning he said, “infinite growth is suicide.” And also, that the environmentalists are “delusional”. However, I disagree as to the why.

Moore and Gibbs blame capitalism and greed. Essentially, they argue, it is greed and profit at the root of the philosophy (system) of infinite growth. Therefore we must restrain and constrain the idea, and function, of growth. Which is counter to all drivers of the biosphere, or evolution (the system) and its main tool – growth via natural selection.

The Problem,

we both agree, is one of over population and consumerism. Which leads to “too much depletion and destruction of the natural world” [see Election 2016: The Great Divide, The Great Debate (page 13)].

I argue

in the book that we have been misinformed and “ill-educated”. That which the creators of the film , I think, agree. But, I see the philosophy of “infinite growth” as part of the natural cycle of life; versus their opinion of a human character flaw, i.e. greed.

All life is greedy. Life is driven by the “desire” to replicate itself. Most important to understand is that nature, or Mother Earth, imposes the ultimate constraints and restraints. And “mother earth” doesn’t care about winners and losers. When a species becomes too successful, or over-populates, or goes beyond the carrying capacity of its territory – it begins to die off.

This can be a function of war (competition), wherein there will be survivors, or complete destruction of resources necessary for survival. That then leads to extinction.

Extinction

can happen via war, or a change in the environment. We (humans) have changed the environment.

The Question is

can we adapt to the environment we have created, or will we unintentionally “suicide” out?

I also argue in the book that “Anger and the Road to Hell” (pages 132-5) is paved with good intentions. [The above link will take you to a discussion, on YouTube, that I engaged in regarding that chapter two years ago .]

Five Stars

is how I rate this documentary. It’s well done and will challenge you. Make you think outside of your comfort zone.

Oh, and it’s free! on youtube or the creator’s website (linked above). The creators wish (desire) is for 100 of millions of viewers. Me, too! One problem is it requires high-speed internet access. Not even available everywhere in this country, much less the rest of the planet.

Damn. Who decides?