In our human existence, we advocate for enchanting dolphins while recklessly casting our plastic bags into the vast oceans, where these creatures find themselves trapped and suffocated. Yellow bins were introduced as heralds of recycling, yet the realm of recyclable items remains limited. We even export our waste, bundled within containers, to our less fortunate neighbouring nations. Our obligation to preserve the Earth’s finite resources urges us to consider population reduction. Still, the question lingers: How shall we advocate refraining from reproduction to conserve these precious reserves? Meanwhile, we ascribe the label of a potential solution to Electric Vehicles (EVs) for reducing carbon emissions, conveniently ignoring the origins of their energy source. As makers, we avoid embracing the identity of destroyers, preferring to seek comfort and wrap ourselves in the belief that someone else bears responsibility for our destructive actions.
Now, we march towards the epoch of the Anthropocene, a testament to our civilization's profound impact on Earth. Let us humbly set aside our pride as humans and acknowledge our fears and doubts within the realm of the Anthropocene, recognizing that intelligence and wisdom grace other species that share our planet. Some respond with tenacity, seeking solutions that may defy logical conventions. While others are comfortably paying 10 cents for a plastic bag from PAK’nSAVE. How wicked is our 21st century? Astonishingly, we persist in discarding rubbish from our car windows along the revered John Wilson Ocean Drive.
Dear human, I possess no answers to offer, yet I urge you to make a resolute choice — a choice that will define your existence within the vast expanse of the Anthropocene. Embrace this choice devoid of fear and doubt, for united, and we hold the potential to discern a path forward. Unfortunately, our future holds no promises.
This, dear human, is our Anthropocene — a chronicle of our shared human experience.
Group exhibition at Dunedin School of Art, 2019
