Curtis Travis and Sheri Hester are both researchers at the Department Of Energy (DOE) nuclear facility Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) who published a paper in May 1991 . Their thesis claimed “what many people already knew. “The entire planet is already contaminated.” Their research can be found in ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY. Vol. 25, May 1991. Pages 814-819).
Who is speaking in defense of a contaminated planet? Those who believe Earth is a living organism have opinions about Earth “fighting back.”
James Lovelock was born on July 26, 1919. Lovelock at his advanced age still advocates the Gaia hypothesis that Earth is a living organism which will defend itself at critical points in the planet’s multi-billion year history.
Lovelock I have never met. Thomas Berry the ecotheologian and Sister Rosalie Bertell, an epidemiologist were both personal friends who considered Earth as a living being capable of self-governing, and harsh self-defense.
While in the company of Sister Rosalie Bertell at the Nevada nuclear weapons test site in the 1980’s I asked for her opinion on climate change and “eruptions” of nature.
Without hesitation she responded – “Earth is fighting back!” As a nuclear weapon abolitionist she knew clearly the weapons we were protesting have the capacity to kill millions and ruin our future on Earth. President Kennedy called the third use of atomic weapons “OUR FINAL FAILURE.”
Thomas Berry is considered by GRIST magazine to be the “foremost Eco theologian” of our era. Berry considers Earth to be self-governing and our foremost teacher throughout history.
When invited to speak at SMU in the 1980’s Berry told hundreds in the auditorium: “We are terminating the Cenozoic (Greek for “most recent.”) going back over seventy million years. Not one student or teacher responded to Berry’s warning.
Are we “narcotized” in the presence of planetary devastation?
The scientific conclusion of global contamination by two ORNL researchers, the belief of Thomas Berry and Rosalie Bertell all indicate thinking beings are not responding to the Gaia hypothesis which James Lovelock at 100 years of age still advocates.
Corona Virus maybe a 2020 harsh teacher reminding seven billion people in 195 nations that the chemical and nuclear threats are simply not acceptable. Earth is our teacher. Are we listening?