I’ve been thinking recently why so many otherwise sharp-eyed commentators deny so vehemently (almost with a religious fervor) that there might be limits to the human endeavor, and that the climate is changing.
Thank you for the enlightening essay. We humans fervently desire to steer our destiny through polity and knowledge; but in reality, we don't hold the levers of life that nature has. She turns the ruling wheel. And she will shape the intricacies of biodiversity to her own sense of time and cosmic place. Humans are just here for the ride. If we crash the bus we are in, nature will manufacture a new vehicle to carry life forward.
Our problems cannot be solved at the level of thinking at which they were created - Einstein?
I would add that thought by its very nature is divisive and that wisdom is not a function of thought. One must go beyond. That is where humans can have an actual relationship with one another (not one based on images)
I have recently discovered how to rest at the root of the mind (so to speak). The breathing becomes so fine almost imperceptible and thought ceases naturally. The body and mind unwind as the conditioning is scrubbed without any volition. Just a completely lucid passive awareness. Simply glorious.
Thanks B: One very important step in the process of engaging our real problems is addressing them as they are, rather than addressing the lies of the control-narratives, which are meant to sort of get us "there", but are ineffectual, because they are demonstrably not-true.
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth would unify society to action, and disempower the "owners" and their elite functionaries, who place themselves between human society and the actual problems society faces, and collect a parasitic "skim".
That is a "luxury" for the parasites, which life on earth can not afford going forward.
I became disillusioned with the environmental movement, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, etc long ago when they refused to speak out about overpopulation. They simply said, not my problem and focused on other things. Now not talking about something doesn’t make it go away right? But now all the talk is about falling population growth all over the world but especially in the western nations. As if this were a terrible thing, no less. I think it would be the least horrible solution, if you truly want to help the Earth and its other inhabitants. Let births fall naturally. A whole lot better than what the 4 horsemen have prepared for us.
"But now all the talk is about falling population growth all over the world but especially in the western nations. As if this were a terrible thing, no less."
The problem is that the entire system is predicated on growth. It simply does not know how to react to de-growth.
Consider pensions. If the number of workers is declining, who is going to pay for pensions?
I'm all for de-growth. I even intend to make myself useful for as long as possible. But a whole lot of people have accepted as a given that, past a certain age, they would be taken care of.
Edo Japan was a ~200-year period when the long-established boom-bust famine cycles of the past were quelled. Abortion was a routine means of birth control. Old people were sent up into the mountains in the winter to fend for themselves. But as Azby Brown describes in "Just Enough" (free read at: https://archive.org/details/justenoughlesson0000brow) there were no famines and the population was stable.
That's what might be possible. But 95% of the population was growing food then.
I've long felt that, although real, "climate change" was an ideal red-herring for those in power.
It is a "problem" to be "solved" — by the application of industrial technology, which is going to be very profitable to someone, somewhere.
Somehow, those someones don't think the Second Law of Thermodynamics applies to them. Or perhaps they think they can grab enough resource so they and their family can continue in some heavily-guarded fortress somewhere. The best any of the proletariat could hope for would be to join them in their compound as servants.
If being in the ruling class doesn't seem likely, and you don't fancy being a servant, the best any of us can do is to learn to grow food, and work toward a simple, self-sufficient life-style, hopefully, with others of like mind. At least that's my plan.
This is so true! Throwing the baby out with the intellectual bath water. A funny example recently with the aurora from the solar storm. Somehow the fact that the sun can cause effects here on earth proves climate change can't be caused by carbon emissions. Um...
Here is an example of such thinking, "but wait I thought that the SUN wasn't powerful enough to affect our climate? Maybe all those "academic articles" that attribute the changes in our climate to human sources because the sun is a "non-factor" need to rethink their assessment?"
Thank you B🙏
Thank you for the enlightening essay. We humans fervently desire to steer our destiny through polity and knowledge; but in reality, we don't hold the levers of life that nature has. She turns the ruling wheel. And she will shape the intricacies of biodiversity to her own sense of time and cosmic place. Humans are just here for the ride. If we crash the bus we are in, nature will manufacture a new vehicle to carry life forward.
Our problems cannot be solved at the level of thinking at which they were created - Einstein?
I would add that thought by its very nature is divisive and that wisdom is not a function of thought. One must go beyond. That is where humans can have an actual relationship with one another (not one based on images)
I have recently discovered how to rest at the root of the mind (so to speak). The breathing becomes so fine almost imperceptible and thought ceases naturally. The body and mind unwind as the conditioning is scrubbed without any volition. Just a completely lucid passive awareness. Simply glorious.
Proper sorcery 😉
Thanks B: One very important step in the process of engaging our real problems is addressing them as they are, rather than addressing the lies of the control-narratives, which are meant to sort of get us "there", but are ineffectual, because they are demonstrably not-true.
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth would unify society to action, and disempower the "owners" and their elite functionaries, who place themselves between human society and the actual problems society faces, and collect a parasitic "skim".
That is a "luxury" for the parasites, which life on earth can not afford going forward.
Now What?
:-o
Every species that comes to dominate its environment eventually outstrips it. Humanity is blind to this fundamental fact.
Brilliant! Thank You.
I became disillusioned with the environmental movement, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, etc long ago when they refused to speak out about overpopulation. They simply said, not my problem and focused on other things. Now not talking about something doesn’t make it go away right? But now all the talk is about falling population growth all over the world but especially in the western nations. As if this were a terrible thing, no less. I think it would be the least horrible solution, if you truly want to help the Earth and its other inhabitants. Let births fall naturally. A whole lot better than what the 4 horsemen have prepared for us.
"But now all the talk is about falling population growth all over the world but especially in the western nations. As if this were a terrible thing, no less."
The problem is that the entire system is predicated on growth. It simply does not know how to react to de-growth.
Consider pensions. If the number of workers is declining, who is going to pay for pensions?
I'm all for de-growth. I even intend to make myself useful for as long as possible. But a whole lot of people have accepted as a given that, past a certain age, they would be taken care of.
Edo Japan was a ~200-year period when the long-established boom-bust famine cycles of the past were quelled. Abortion was a routine means of birth control. Old people were sent up into the mountains in the winter to fend for themselves. But as Azby Brown describes in "Just Enough" (free read at: https://archive.org/details/justenoughlesson0000brow) there were no famines and the population was stable.
That's what might be possible. But 95% of the population was growing food then.
I've long felt that, although real, "climate change" was an ideal red-herring for those in power.
It is a "problem" to be "solved" — by the application of industrial technology, which is going to be very profitable to someone, somewhere.
Somehow, those someones don't think the Second Law of Thermodynamics applies to them. Or perhaps they think they can grab enough resource so they and their family can continue in some heavily-guarded fortress somewhere. The best any of the proletariat could hope for would be to join them in their compound as servants.
If being in the ruling class doesn't seem likely, and you don't fancy being a servant, the best any of us can do is to learn to grow food, and work toward a simple, self-sufficient life-style, hopefully, with others of like mind. At least that's my plan.
As the old joke goes, these Climate Change Elites buy an awful lot of beachfront property.
Ah, but they know what's going to happen. So they can cash out before the water REALLY rises!
This is so true! Throwing the baby out with the intellectual bath water. A funny example recently with the aurora from the solar storm. Somehow the fact that the sun can cause effects here on earth proves climate change can't be caused by carbon emissions. Um...
Here is an example of such thinking, "but wait I thought that the SUN wasn't powerful enough to affect our climate? Maybe all those "academic articles" that attribute the changes in our climate to human sources because the sun is a "non-factor" need to rethink their assessment?"