[LINK] Surviving Climate Change

[jore]

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?

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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.