review: Christian Schwägerl.? human time make or destroy crucial era of our planet . 320 S., Riemann 2010th € 19.95
by Reinhold Leinfelder
high time that a book has been written about the era of man? Or sacrifice but time to waste, with the reading part of his personal time people? The ecological zeitgeist meets the book "people time" by Christian Schwägerl at least not as it is a waste of time than for those who have already formed an opinion completely seated ideas about how we can continue in the future of our planet.
The direction, it seems, are Schwägerl same with the sub-steps: make
destroying it? This is of course the one rhetorical, for of course runs like a thread through the book that we just can not destroy without sawing off the branch on which we sit. But make as an alternative? That sounds like the often demonized "adaptation", ie the adaptation to the always unstoppable destruction of the environment by technical means. Gooders love instead the "mitigation" or avoidance of environmental risks. Schwägerl wrote a primer for technophile megalomania, for those who think the earth is sufficiently understood, so that they can now completely control engineering terms? Agro-genetic engineering, geo-engineering and optimization of molecular biology people are saving the world yet?
only cursory leafing through the book Who could possibly win this impression. The very first chapter is called "artificial earth." In genetic engineering Schwägerl actually see a significant opportunity to feed 9 billion people in the future. Even "smart gas" in the pumping atmosphere, can in principle imagine Schwägerl and yes, he even thinks that it would become the standard to shut down genes in human, or to throw. And in the end he even sketched a new man, who, whenever, follow the Homo sapiens could.
If you want to put the whole book in a science-fiction-corner, has studied the art is not detailed enough. There will in fact a drawing by the French artist Jean de Gourmot from 1575 in which the ruler of the world is portrayed as a fool man. And indeed, the book is also full of the need to avoid strategies, moving away from fossil fuels, increased efficiency and life style changes. Above all, away from the meat. Meat consumption as an exception, as hard, maybe even with secular rituals: I probably lived ceremonies before slaughtering and eating animals, who knew the consumer personally.
Schwägerl connects and interweaves the opposite poles of restraint and faith in technology not to a uniform gray, but a multicolored patchwork, which is fascinating in its diversity and language. The book notes to what the author means when he says that man as such does not exist, but that soon billions seven individuals of this species with their brains, a variety of thoughts, dreams, knowledge and generate ideas that can take it with the diversity of the rainforest means. And here we are at the basic tenor of the book. It is, despite relentless stock of the destructive power of man through and through optimistic book. The author sees science as the essential culture of the people, he finds them back in the beginnings of human culture. Even the aborigines, who selected the best seeds for trial and error, was an experimenting scientist. Today, it is Craig Venter, which he expects much, but he also indirectly criticized because it can be sponsored by the petroleum industry.
science to save the world, but it is reflected involved, the day's events, participatory and differentiated into all possible areas. Schwägerl is steeped in Humboldt's idea of unity of science and culture, body and spirit. The diversity of life he sees important for the perception, satisfaction and creativity of the people. Humboldt put it this way: "The insight into the world body produces mental pleasure and inner freedom." Remarkable how Schwägerl therefore the duality of churches, whether the nature and personal hostility castigates, but also in the materialistic monism finds no favor.
No, Schwägerl is holistic, he sees an obstacle to a knowing understanding of the opposites of body and soul, on both beyond, nature and culture, or creator and creation, and argues for their content. He is far from being able to do away with religions. He holds religions actually ideal for short-term thinking to, because they stabilize life goals and values for decades even centuries. But material, molecular and animal evaluated as morally wrong to see the world only as a vestibule, delusion or distraction, does not contribute to assume responsibility for the "world body". Religions could contribute even more to the prayer but was passed in needs, the financial system a modern indulgences and apocalyptic Ideas as well as Calvinist short life as counterproductive. He wants a green pope, who prefer not popemobile across the country, the best moves around the world and with people talking about it, what does it mean that we have now made the earth subservient .
But despite all Wissenschaftspositivismus' aims Schwägerl with his criticism of modern science. A breakdown in natural and social sciences is too convenient. And even to pretend to understand the nature of science can only help, not even: nature is not a machine, the neurobiology today is too materialistic Here was a blending appropriate.. Just also holistic. And a holistic approach might even "Neurobiology of closeness to nature" will be generated - the human being as part of nature, yes, but also gardeners of nature, but just Humboldtian are sustainable prosperity is mainly from the Into Thinking in nature, taking out alone can not work.
Here the author is the one, he calls Biofuturismus. It begins with a look into the past. The author raises new issues in the discussion of ecological footprints to a sense of community, justice, which are unexpected. Baron d'Holbach said already in 1770, that the rights of man over his fellow creatures only to the can create happiness, which he granted the case itself. From this deeply anti-materialistic attitude Schwägerl still leads from a free market economy. Nothing is further from him than any sort of "eco-dictatorship." Free market economy, yes, but only if all the causes and costs are fed there. The point is to live and to price products so that man not only leaves no traces of destruction, but rather that the money is used to technology to grow with the ecosystems of nature instead of against them. Of course, this must values continue to change. Freedom can be understood only by positive waiver, a new Individualism Schwägerl trust too much here.
would perhaps be able to stop the book here. But Schwägerl is now completely, and very positively to the Futurists. It outlines a new science building on Art Nouveau. He raves about waste-free, meet as needed new composable organic products, sustainability of a new technology, new art from a sense in which science and culture. Science has to use the technology and the world supply data, but in the worst case, the emergency supply. That is why he is in favor of geoengineering also, in particular the blowing dirt particles in the atmosphere to the temperature reduction should be explored. For all the money it needs. For the first time in such a future book I read this, new about the old man. Science has discovered that the brain can remain into old age plastic and dynamic. Society needs this age of wisdom, but no Altersegoisten, resting on its prosperity.
Who, if not the old, so he believes could, for taking responsibility for the young generation to give back some of the material wealth that also through, though often unconscious, exploitation of nature has been reached.
What could make a society that is trained on the long term and its resources in the service of a careful use of the earth Notes Schwägerl describes in images that seem strange today: China is forcing Europe with sharp limits specified in a competition on environmental technologies, greening cities produce their own food and generate high biodiversity. The Islamic world has on its scientific prowess back calmly and design a "bionic caliphate." Clothing consists of liquefiable biotechnical materials, as a further evolution of special economic areas are areas identified. Genes in databases are publicly available, the use shall be governed by democratic decision-making. iBusse and iTrain, green True Counter Markets, reconstruction markets, where real prices paid will flourish. Cars and major appliances will only be hired if required, the circular economy is a big hit. Instead of Red Lists of threatened species, there are lists of the green return, aquaculture float with wind power across the seas, the green helmets of the United Nations regulate any emergencies, the global population is on a path of decline. Employment, offices and honorary positions are mixed for a lifetime, the golden age of science began. Of course Schwägerl also knows that he here with visions, maybe even dreaming is reached, according to he described one of the subchapter as a flower dreams.
If that's all too much but now was, it might give up the last chapter. Here is the visionary and Biofuturist is now but a little to the utopians. He outlined, could live as appropriate, a new human species after the last individual of Homo sapiens and act. These are of course speculation, but at issue is not really Schwägerl. It will only sketch that the end must be no apocalypse - was too much so far prevented the summoning of apocalypses. He calls the final section accordingly not "world" but "world-emergence." Whether everyone likes to follow him here, if we, after reading the book really is our long-term thinking have practiced for so that we can imagine a person 2.0 times with a different demographic from every reader must find out for yourself.
put In conclusion, I realize that the book is a sensation. Scientifically researched and meticulously equipped with appropriate literature citations, the book is a positive, differentiated work, which not many other laments and calls only. It can, I think, but make you feel like one of us, all designed to transform the future, on a human time in which the principle was admitted responsibility for the future of the constitution and is universally accepted as self-evident. Be emphasized in particular the Schwägerl'sche Wholeness, not only in scientific approach, in contrast to similar future books, not just the climate issue, but also biodiversity, agriculture is increasing with their sights, but just wants to merge natural and cultural sciences to effective transformational science. Perhaps the reader will not follow in all areas or can, but the book is a treasure trove for new ideas and approaches in terms of transformation to a sustainable society. It is also stylistically excellent written and prepares full reading experience. Above all, it is a subtle, reflective Mutmacherbuch, and can now truly urgent social and political For use.
And finally a personal vision: Should you not have the time new people better illustrated than is possible in a book? How about a museum saved cross-science based, and perhaps even participatory indoor and outdoor exhibition, perhaps under the slogan: " The Anthropocene - culture, art and nature for the new people time" on here could, perhaps? the former airport Tempelhof and the involvement and appropriate design of an international building exhibition and an international garden and agriculture exhibition visions of the future for new, sustainable and resource-efficient lifestyles and culture techniques are shown to be both visionary and Berlin discussed as a potential engine and a potential example of an appropriate development
Prof. Dr. Reinhold Leinfelder is Director General of the Museum of Natural History and member of the Scientific Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)
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more information about the book and the human time :
- compilation of various reviews on the Diversity blog the Leibniz Association
- idea of the book in the Berlin Museum of Natural History with Achim Steiner, make UNEP
- blog of an author on the human time
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