Flaccid. That's the word most often used to describe the debate between George Monbiot and Dougald Hine of The Dark Mountain Project at the inaugural Uncivilisation festival.
GeoMon admitted that "There is a crisis in the environment movement". He admitted that there is no one environmental movement but many movements working to similar aims. He also argued that not only are non-renewable resources going to last for longer than we think (tar sands and coal seam gas), but that the machinery of Industrial Capitalism is highly resilient and able to adapt to ensure it's survival. GeoMon argued that Industrial Capitalism has been drawing the lions share of great minds to itself for so long that it cannot help but have the advantage over all others when it comes to protecting its position.
Dougald Hine articulated the elements of the Dark Mountain manifesto but was out-gunned by GeoMon's depth of knowledge (he did most of the talking).
What came through strongly in the discussion was that the Dark Mountain Project is an environmental movement of sorts looking to push a different angle.
Despite GeoMon's erudite ways I still see the power of The Dark Mountain Project manifesto though I believe that they need to model the collapses in creative and well informed ways.
Audio recording of the discussion between Dougald Hine and George Monbiot.
Vigorous/Vitriolic debate in the blogoshere.
The inventor of the Hexayurt Vinay Gupta. Good discussion around GeoMon.
