Quote of the Day

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[image: photos taken by one of the Mars rovers]

I recently finished reading Red Mars, the first in a series of novels by Kim Stanley Robinson on the human colonization of Mars. Subsequently, I read an interview with Robinson over at BLDGBLOG – where, in true BLDGBLOG fashion, they discuss comparative planetology. This excerpt, in particular, stood out to me:

But if you think of yourself as terraforming Earth, and if you think about sustainability, then you can start thinking about permaculture and what permaculture really means. Its not just sustainable agriculture, but a name for a certain type of history. Because the word sustainability is now code for: lets make capitalism work over the long haul, without ever getting rid of the hierarchy between rich and poor and without establishing social justice.

Sustainable development, as well: thats a term thats been contaminated. It doesnt even mean sustainable anymore. It means: let us continue to do what were doing, but somehow get away with it. By some magic waving of the hands, or some techno silver bullet, suddenly we can make it all right to continue in all our current habits. And yet its not just that our habits are destructive, theyre not even satisfying to the people who get to play in them. So theres a stupidity involved, at the cultural level.

~ Kim Stanley Robinson

.:Read the full interview -> via BLDGBLOG

Posted: August 10th, 2009
at 12:47pm by orangemenace


Categories: books,interview,quote of the day

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