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Here is the full comment from Huw (sent to us on 19 September 2007):
The content of the film is a satisfactory synthesis of the problems caused by humans, but it fails to go the next step. No solutions are proposed, nothing concrete put forward. It seems to be the rage now to bemoan the state of affairs and the govt.'s unwillingness/inability to do anything, while maintaining like a mantra "we must do something before it is too late" - I see this formula repeated in most discussions on the current state of things. However, I shouldn't be so critical of people who think they are trying - there are no solutions that are acceptable to most "civilised" people; the govt isn't going to change anything that alters current power structures and balances, and the insidious virus of hope that "people will do the right thing when they know" and "we can all do it if we do it together", is almost universally widespread, and prevents more radical, but effective actions.
Another gripe would be that some of the speakers (Manning, Jensen etc) say good stuff, but it is not followed to its logical conclusion - that civilisation is fundamentally unsustainable and therefore is doomed, along with nearly 6 billion of us suckers thankyou very much. The film wastes these authors, whose books (e.g. Jensen's Endgame) are far superior in their depth, scope and proposed solutions.
The narrator's voice is annoying.
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Last updated 19 September 2007. For more information about the Nature and Society Forum, e-mail our office