As I write, copies of the recently released Murray Darling Basin Authority’s Report are being burnt in the streets of Deniliquin by local farmers and residents expressing their anger at the proposed cuts in the allocation of irrigation water from the river system. At the same time key personnel around the world are preparing for a meeting under the banner of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan to address the appalling loss of species that Earth is currently experiencing and to re-invigorate commitment to the Convention particularly in the light of accelerating Climate Change. Australia has one of the richest and most unique range of species, but, in this sixth major extinction phase on the planet, we also have one of the highest extinction rates.
The mantra of the people of Deniliquin and other regional centres is that “Wildlife and rivers are taking precedence over people and jobs”. The perception of the UN Convention is that human life is only sustained, along with all other life, by the healthy functioning of the ecosystems that create the conditions essential to that life. We have seriously lost our way if we are unable to grasp that the so called ‘economy’ of markets exists in some ethereal realm of everlasting growth on a finite planet that is fast losing her capacity for generativity.
EarthSong draws on ‘ancient wisdom for new times’ and this wisdom is accessed by a deep attentiveness to and imitation of the ways of Earth. Healthy ecosystems and bioregions are the primary economy and from them humans must draw their modelling for production and lifestyle. In the face of devastation such as the Murray Darling system at present, it evident that we cannot sustain broad acre monoculture and its associated agricultural practices. Farmers today have inherited practices that were highly unsuited to this land and many are now innovative and adaptive as the land has given more acute signs of its distress but the end point is the truth that without healthy ecosystems there will be no large scale agriculture or food production in the future .
The death of a river system is the death of the land’s soul – its ability to generate life. Water is a commons and all beings have a right to life giving water and water itself has the right to journey through the various phases of its own life cycle coming to fruition in the great diversity of colour, shape, size, taste and texture that is our nourishment.
The concept of biodiversity is at the heart of community and in the various genres of biology the smaller you are the more numerous you tend to be ( see p14). The ingenuity of technology has enabled humans in our land to break this natural law and to exert an influence far beyond the energies of our physical capacity.
No matter what the cost to humans in the short term we cannot proceed upon a path that could lead to zoos and museums becoming the only repositories of remnants and images of the fungi and ferns that adorn our cover, or of the western barred bandicoot or yellow spotted bell frog that have so recently re-introduced themselves to us (see pp. 15, 36).
Karen Alexander in her feature article in this edition models for us a journey into ancient wisdom for new times. Sitting with the women of Mapuru in Arnhem Land she finds insight into the purpose of her own activism and search for place. Caroline Smith articulates the imperative of leading children into joyfilled wonder and awe in the presence of beauty and biodiversity. Jill Redwood exemplifies a purposeful pursuit of identity with, and the preservation of, centres of ancient life and vitality in the forests of East Gippsland.
A more recent eucalypt forest, a chance meeting with Southern Right whales, participation in organic gardening are each catalysts for other contributors, whilst David Holmgren addresses the conundrum of weeds or wild nature. Each article, poem and image offers a way into presence and a challenge to contemplation in our own place and to each author and artist we are grateful.
Finally, to those who have in many ways communicated your appreciation of the journal with usually only one regret – the black and white images of places of profound beauty, I have good news. As of Autumn 2011 EarthSong will be in full colour. The format will be different in some way but perhaps the words might become secondary to the other than human voices as they delight us in their beauty and at times tragedy. We look forward to your response!
Anne Boyd
