After Ernest Callenbach passed away, a final legacy statement was found on his computer. What this personal epistle reflects is a man who was frustrated, even pessimistic about humanity's ability to rein in its hubris and take the necessary steps to avert the looming ecological meltdown.
He also highlighted the personal characteristics that he believed are critical to moving in a sustaiinable, environmentally sensitive direction for the future. Callenbach focused on Hope, Mutual Support, Practical Skills, Organizing, and Learning to Live with the Inevitable Contradictions that will come with a future likely punctuated by less than perfect solutions.
The final words in Callenbach's final statement were,
"There is beauty in weathered and unpainted wood, in orchards overgrown, even in abandoned cars being incorporated into the earth. Let us learn, like the Forest Service sometimes does, to put unwise or unneeded roads “to bed,” help a little in the healing of the natural contours, the re-vegetation by native plants. Let us embrace decay, for it is the source of all new life and growth."
Below is a link to Ernest Callebach's last gift of wisdom to the world...
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