Guy McPherson is a classic example of the age old adage: One finger pointing at others (in judgement) creates three fingers pointing back – to the judge. Professor McPherson takes exception to being denigrated for the presentation of his findings on human induced climate change and rightfully so. He is attempting to bring information into the public domain regarding the Abrupt Irreversible Human Extinction event currently underway and is constantly met with abuse from deniers and detractors. The problem is that in line with the aforementioned adage – i.e. 3 fingers, he is not the least bit concerned that he adopts the exact same attitude, approach and stance. He claims his willingness to listen and include information from any/all sources but this willingness comes with the stern caveat attached: that only evidenced based input will be accepted. So he (says he) will listen attentively providing the offered information is in keeping with his own set of facts any ‘new’ information that does not comply with this set of facts – that he mistakenly calls the truth – will be met with the identical set of closed ears as those he rails against. And herein is the underlying cause for the whole calamitous situation: in order to find some remedy for the dire situation we need to be able to find a place within the self that has the ability to listen without the interference of preconceived ideas and the instant dismissing of offered information: i.e. non-judgmentally as suggested by the late Grace Lee Boggs, author, social activist, philosopher and feminist: to think more about our brains, about neuroscience—about the capacity we have to think anew. We can only do that if we understand that there’s a tendency in the structure of our brains to get fixed in old categories, to get locked into old concepts. That’s why philosophy is so important—thinking dialectically, thinking philosophically, thinking about growing our souls. If instead we all take the McPherson approach that is to only receive information from historical facts then the outcome that is being forecast by McPherson – the 6th Mass Extinction will indeed be assured.
PS I have emailed the professor with this exact same comment but was alas treated with the same disdain by McPherson that is on display from his army of detractors: i.e. the professor put my suggestion straight to the bin.
NB I am not an anti Guy lobbyist but I find it very objectionable when someone who insists they are the harbinger of truth remains closed to new ideas.