Archive | January, 2010
Where do we go from here?
Some doors are closed. We will no longer observe long-term growth of the industrial economy. In fact, any growth reported by the government or media is suspect at this point, and probably a result of the age-old fudging-the-numbers trick. We have entered the age of contraction. The days of access to the inexpensive fossil fuels [...]
Continue reading...Wanted: two miracles
25. January 2010
The cover of William Catton’s 1980 book, Overshoot, includes the following definitions: carrying capacity: maximum permanently supportable load. cornucopian myth: euphoric belief in limitless resources. drawdown: stealing resources from the future. cargoism: delusion that technology will always save us from overshoot: growth beyond an area’s carrying capacity, leading to crash: die-off. Most people to whom [...]
Continue reading...If it suddenly ended tomorrow, could you somehow adjust to the fall?
18. January 2010
We’ve all played the “what if” game, and specifically the one with a timeline. What if I had six months to live? Would I live differently? Would I see somebody, or some place? How would I “make my peace” with the world and those I love? Let’s kick it up a notch. It’s not one [...]
Continue reading...Rubbing our noses in it
13. January 2010
This guest post is authored by Michael Irving ____________________________ I would like to come back to our email exchanges in which I mentioned you were “rubbing our noses in it” about economic collapse, particularly with your 10-step plan. When I think about the implications of what you are saying from the perspective of the actions [...]
Continue reading...Infiltrating the mainstream media
12. January 2010
I’ll be writing for Examiner, at least on a trial basis. Although this is a mainstream outlet, there likely will be some overlap with topics on this blog. My first piece is about the Wilderness Act, and it’s here. Please check it out, and tell me what you think with an online comment. This article, [...]
Continue reading...Politically viable solutions for peak oil and global climate change
9. January 2010
As I’ve written and said many times, I see no politically viable solutions to peak oil or global climate change. There is simply no way to tell the masses the truth about economic contraction and then get re-elected. Ditto for declining accessibility to fossil fuels even as the human population continues to grow, with every [...]
Continue reading...Channeling Berra about Barack: “If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him”
6. January 2010
Lately I’ve been thinking about the relevance of Yogi Berra in the age of Obama. The all-star baseball catcher is best known as the master of the malapropism, and many quotes attributed to him seem especially timely in the age of Obama. I guess that’s one of the attributes of timeless quotes — they seem [...]
Continue reading...Leadership in the post-carbon era
1. January 2010
I’m getting cranky, judging from several comments on this blog and on Facebook (where my latest entries have been posted and then re-posted by contacts there). Not to pick nits, but I’m getting crankier. But, like all rationalizing animals, I have a good excuse. As my awareness grows, hopefully along with the awareness of other [...]
Continue reading...
28. January 2010
23 Comments