Here’s a link to a review of this show that I wrote for the July 2 issue of prairie dog.
I was out to the Dunlop’s Sherwood Village Gallery (6121 Rochdale Blvd.) twice to see it, and both times there was a steady stream of adults and children into the gallery, and most seemed to genuinely enjoy exploring the five dwellings on display.
It’s not that Ziemann is predicting that this fate awaits us if we don’t start to live more sustainably. But many times throughout human history, advanced civilizations have arisen, eventually outstripped the capacity of the environment to support them, then subsequently crashed. So there’s no guarantee that our current standard of living is immune from severe reversal.
Yes, our technology is more advanced than any of these prior civilizations. And maybe it will help us weather the storm. But it is not a panacea that can solve all our problems. To combat climate change, for instance, some groups are touting geo-engineering as a solution. Instead of getting a handle on our fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions, it’s been proposed that we erect a giant screen in space to shield Earth from the heat of the Sun’s rays.
I suppose that might work. But the cost would be horrendous. Wouldn’t it make better sense to invest in alternative energy and energy conservation initiatives rather than just keep charging ahead with our dependency on oil and other carbon fuel sources?
Possible Worlds runs at the Sherwood Village Gallery until July 17.
