Hey there Nice to see more thoughts.
On 23/01/2015 9:45 PM, Frank O'Connor wrote: > At some stage we may push the environment into a new climate equilibrium ... > which would be bad, and which at the moment we have very few means of > reversing ... which probably won't kill all of us, but it will > environmentally stress us out I'm thinking (especially re Guy McPherson) that if we don't have any food <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y209xSRSLjE>(see the talk for why) that will do more than stress us out. The talk also looks at how rapid unpredictable and nonlinear responses have already been triggered to create a new climate "equilibrium." The positive feedback loops have massive implications which we're already living through On 23/01/2015 9:45 PM, Frank O'Connor wrote: > In many ways we are more vulnerable now, because of the complexity of our > society, its technology and its resource interactions and economy than they > ever were in any of those 'ancient' civilisations ... it would not take a lot > to tip the balance today. Indeed. And it's "our society, its technology and its resource interactions and economy" that is the source of this issue. On 23/01/2015 9:45 PM, Frank O'Connor wrote: > ... But I can't agree that we should give up, and make our priority > 'down-sizing' - because a hell of a lot of the 6 billion bodies on this > planet would die without the science, engineering and technology that makes > their lives possible today. And I'm not willing to sanction the deaths of > billions of people on the altar of 'sustainability' Our hands are already blood red. This culture is killing the planet. 250 species went extinct today because of this culture. That's billions of deaths every day. But even if we're not thinking about this through a lens of human supremacism, this culture is already responsible for plenty of human deaths. Um, Africa anyone? So, again, what's the right thing to do? Do you help stop this culture---and soften the bloodshed for everyone---or not? --- PostScript: Some other things come to mind for this discussion, for those who prefer to venture into film: * http://thoughtmaybe.com/can-this-current-way-of-life-continue/ Charts the Permian period mentioned, through to today and asks the questions we're asking here. A focus on how renewable energy cannot save this lifestyle is interesting, critique of nuclear power/technological deus ex machina, etc. Other solutions. * http://thoughtmaybe.com/derrick-jensen-endgame/ A wide ranging talk about civilisations and the inherent unsustainability, etc. Tagline is: "What if you live in the most destructive culture ever to exist? What if that culture refuses to change? What do you do about it? Derrick Jensen, the author of ‘Endgame’ responds to these imperative questions and details a forecast of how industrial civilisation and the persistent and widespread violence it requires, is ultimately unsustainable — and what to do about it. Jensen weaves together history, philosophy, environmentalism, economics, literature and psychology to produce a powerful argument that demands attention…" * http://thoughtmaybe.com/the-superior-human/ A basic introduction for our human supremacist listeners. Tagline: "The myth that humans are superior to all other life forms is a fundamental and unquestioned premise of dominant culture. It is an old historical idea, rooted in colonialism, and is deeply embedded in religion and science. It is one of the root causes for the destruction of the natural world, animal cruelty, war, the extinction of species and other immense problems. The Superior Human? challenges this arrogant and self-destructive ideology; unwinds the myths, using examples and common sense." * http://thoughtmaybe.com/surviving-progress/ Tagline: "The dominant culture measures itself by the speed of “progress”. But what if this so-called progress is actually driving us full force towards collapse? Surviving Progress shows how past civilisations were destroyed by “progress traps” — alluring technologies and belief systems that serve immediate needs, but ransom the future. As pressure on the environment accelerates and financial elites bankrupt nations, can our globally-entwined civilisation escape a final, catastrophic progress trap?" * http://thoughtmaybe.com/earth-at-risk/ Tagline: "Earth at Risk documents the first conference of the same name convened in 2011 by featured thinkers and activists who are willing to ask the hardest questions about the seriousness of the situation facing life on the planet today. Each speaker presents an impassioned critique of the dominant culture, together building an unassailable case that we need to deprive the rich of their ability to steal from the poor, and the powerful of their ability to destroy the planet. Each offers their ideas on what can be done to build a real resistance movement—one that can actually match the scale of the problem. To fight back and win. Literally, the whole world is at stake." Thanks, Jore. _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
