On the urgent and important issues we're facing and the need of tools,
like Leo, to overcome part of it I strongly recommend this:
https://via.hypothes.is/http://worrydream.com/ClimateChange/
(commented version with hypothesis)
I think we need to do stuff that makes sense in that scenario, not
because we're going to save the world for sure, but because the world
deserves, that effort from us, at least, as a existential way of giving
ourselves sense to it in the middle of chaos.
In this commented version I share my thought on what I can do with my
Leo inspired tool, Grafoscopio, interactive visualization and
storytelling and data activism from my particular context in our local
hackerspace. Hopefully this could bridge in some way with the concerns
and efforts of others.
Cheers,
Offray
On 13/09/16 18:14, Edward K. Ream wrote:
Rebecca and I had a great three-week vacation. We spent many hours
chatting in the car, and several times I talked at length about what
where I think the world is heading. It isn't pretty.
When I arrived back home, my thoughts jelled after reading this
article
<https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2016-08-03/ending-endless-war>
by Andrew Bracevich in Foreign Affairs. Highly recommended.
Bracevich is a well-respected commentator, and I agree with what he
says. Alas, he is talking to the wind. There is no real constituency
for what he is saying in the military-industrial-congressional
complex. His reasonable ideas will almost certainly be ignored.
Instead, we will have the usual absurd discussion about how much of
GDP to spend on "Defense", as if that could replace discussions about
what a military is for. It's an frustrating situation. I feel like
screaming.
It gets worse. I expect CO2 emissions to continue their straight-line
upward course, despite new clean technologies and heaps of
international agreements. Yes, increasing amounts of clean (or
cleaner) energy will be generated, but that does not mean that CO2
emissions will decline. Think about that for a moment.
The results are likely to end civilization as we know it within a few
decades. Global warming will destroy agricultural capacity. There
will be no getting it back. The consequence will be unbearable
pressure on our societies. The number of failed states is
increasing. I expect to see more and more. Our political system is
already on the brink of failure.
And it gets even worse. I expect the ongoing sixth mass extinction to
continue, possibly even at a greater pace, given our increasing
population. At some uncertain point, this will destroy our ability to
live on this planet. That is, the human race will go extinct. We are
truly living on the brink.
The world is full of people who understand the danger, but offer
preposterously inadequate remedies. Instead, I prefer Elizabeth
Kolbert's <http://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert>
approach: refrain from comforting nonsense of the "10 things you can
do to save the world" variety. There appears to be no way to alter how
billions of people are organized. As a result, millions of people may
see the ongoing and oncoming disaster, but we are all helpless.
This is the world that I see. I would love to be wrong, but I see
little contrary evidence. And I see no way to make any real
difference about either global warming or mass extinction. Me talking
to the wind has no chance.
As a result, in spite of my feelings that Leo is an utterly
insignificant piece of the big picture, working on Leo seems like the
best that I can do in the circumstances. I'll be focusing on new
directions for Leo in the coming months. These will be projects that
can be done in a year or less. Most will involve closer cooperation
between Leo and other tools.
Your comments, please, Amigos.
Edward
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