> > The reason is that a core problem of our civilization, because it drives many > other > problems, is its high energy use, no matter what kind. Our planet is in the midst of the 6th global extinction event, known as the Holocene extinction event:
http://www.encyclopedian.com/ho/Holocene-extinction-event.html The cause of this event is our species - homo sapiens. Our instincts, our tool use, our energy use, are all factors in this mass extinction we've caused. However, the *big* reason our planet's biological, oceanic and atmospheric systems have ended up where they are today is our population. Human population renders all the other factors almost meaningless. We could all drive whatever we wanted, fly anywhere we wanted, have 1000s of solar panels on our expansive homes, eat the best meals from the ends of the earth each day - and not cause long term damage to the biosphere - if there were, say, 10,000 humans on the entire planet. (That might even be too large a number). ((And excludes the use of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, of course)). > I am persuaded that all attempts to maintain even half of current energy > production/consumption, whether via renewables or non-renewables (like > coal) will only make things worse, if not for us, for our children, who > will already suffer dreadfully from our extravagance. Yes! And in fact, I am persuaded that all attempts at sustainability *period* - everything from hyper cars to green building to eating local to recycling - will only makes things worse in the long run. (Mainly because it allows the human carrying capacity of the planet to go up). It is going to be a *really* hard sell to talk a lot of folks into giving up TVs, SUVs, bananas in winter, Big Macs, etc, to live the "slow life". And even if one could somehow convince everyone on the planet to go along, is the "slow life" sustainable? With 6.5 billion people? Uh, no. Nothing is. That's my point. All we can do is the best that each of us individually - and working as groups - can, by reducing our footprint. Basically because it "feels right" to do so, and allows us to live with ourselves and the fact that there are generations following after ours that will inherit this mess we've created (that, and it makes some of us feel less guilty about the mass extinction). But not because there is any way to "fix" the big things that are wrong. Perhaps, if we get really lucky and behave in ways we have never before behaved as a species, we might fix *something* - but not everything. And even if all human beings vanished tomorrow, it wouldn't prevent the current extinction event from proceeding, or prevent global warming. These things we have set in motion, and we cannot stop them. (Global warming would have happened eventually with or without us, anyway; and extinction events are - at least in geological time - a recurring theme). Fortunately, our planet is accustomed to this sort of thing. There will be lots of wonderful life here in the future, and also fortunately, we can't change that. Whether or not there are humans in the future remains to be seen. My bet is that our species may just make it - we are frighteningly adaptable (probably the largest mammal by far that will - but in dramatically reduced numbers). I just hope that any future human residents of this world are a lot wiser with their inheritance than we have been. - Mike [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > This optimism rests on a number of dubious assumptions: > > 1) That the US empire that historically ensured control over oil supplies > will continue as before. In fact the empire is in decline; control is > being lost as I write and competitors for the remaining oil are ever > stronger, including some of the suppliers themselves. US citizens > generally are unaware because we live in a disinformation bubble of > frightening proportions, and because elites are increasingly consuming > natural, financial, social and political capital to prop up the system a > little longer. The empire is like a melon I sometimes find in my garden - > perfectly ripe and ready for breakfast in outward appearance, but when I > turn it over, a little mouse hole, the inside gutted and most of the good > stuff gone. > > 2) That our financial elites, which historically have chosen short term > private profit over long term public interest, will suddenly change their > ways. > > 3) That the alternative energy thus produced will not continue to be used > in ways that continue to destroy the planet. > > I am persuaded that all attempts to maintain even half of current energy > production/consumption, whether via renewables or non-renewables (like > coal) will only make things worse, if not for us, for our children, who > will already suffer dreadfully from our extravagance. The reason is that > a core problem of our civilization, because it drives many other > problems, is its high energy use, no matter what kind. Global warming, > albeit a serious result, is only one of many problems whose ultimate > cause is reckless energy consumption. The rapid depletion of many finite > resources and many others not technically finite like rain forest and > fisheries and soil and water, the distance economy with its global spread > of disease and invasives, the massive species extinction due to our > endless invasion of other species niches, the loss of community and real > (vs commercial) culture and concomitant happiness, the explosion of > hatred that is the cumulative result of centuries of imperial expansion, > and many other ills all stem from high energy use and would be impossible > without it. > > If you run your car engine too long at high RPM, it wears out. The same > with the biosphere. > > >From my viewpoint, instead of doom and gloom, the low energy civilization > that, barring technological miracles, lies ahead should be described, not > in terms of sacrifice, but as a welcome solution to many of the problems > people recognize are caused by the way we live now: pollution and other > ecological damage, resource depletion, synthetic environments, unsafe > food, the economic insecurity of the distance economy, and general > unhappiness that consumerism does not cure. > > Karl North > Northland Sheep Dairy, Freetown, New York USA > www.geocities.com/northsheep/ > "Mother Nature never farms without animals" - Albert Howard > "Pueblo que canta no morira" - Cuban saying > _______________________________________________ > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org > _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
