Great article, Jessica. I had heard rumblings but was unaware of the severity of this crisis.

Sometimes I feel people (given the extent of the population and conditioning) cannot always be relied upon to "do the right thing". This presents a moral quandary of sorts. Is it better to be ruled by a benevolent dictator (like, for example a quasi-Aurelius) rather than a rapacious corporatocracy masquerading as democracy? If humanity is to survive, do not global restrictions/rationing need to be implemented?

Can billions of ego-driven, capricious, pleasure seeking, confused, mentally ill people exercise heroic self-discipline? Isn't that's what's necessary within the capitalist paradigm?

Can a glaringly unsustainable consumer-economy be replaced? What will the shareholders do? The CEOs?

Are these beyond the realms of any realistic hope for the future?

Ultimately, as long as division exists there can be no true cooperation, and without cooperation humanity is not long for this world.

Our true mission is internal.

We can only be responsible for our own actions, and how we interact with others (even those we perceive to be enemies) can ultimately change the world. It all begins with loving awareness.