Tag Archive | "greenhouse effect"
What works, maybe: individual options
Like global climate change, peak oil represents a predicament, not a problem. There is no politically viable solution to either of these great challenges. Political solutions require economic growth, forever, and therefore no significant sacrifice on the behalf of the electorate. Further, the industrial economy is underlain by the assumption of growth: The industrial economy [...]
Continue reading...Surveying the field and charting a course
Friday, April 16, 2010
It’s all the rage to talk about a double-dip in the industrial economy. That would be an economic trend in the shape of a W. I think an M is far more likely. The assumption of never-ending growth underlies all neoclassical economic assessments, but I think that assumption is about to break up on the [...]
Continue reading...Leadership in the post-carbon era
Friday, January 1, 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...Terminating the industrial economy: a ten-step plan
Friday, December 25, 2009
Will the ongoing economic collapse reach completion in time to save the living planet, and our species, in the absence of action on our part? Perhaps. Does that give us the right to ignore the moral imperative, hoping — or rather, wishing — peak oil causes the system to collapse under its own weight in [...]
Continue reading...The morality of imperialism, continued
Sunday, December 20, 2009
My latest post stirred considerable interest, as indicated by my email in-box as well as several thoughtful comments online. Although I tried to be clear about my position, questions continue to flow in, suggesting my no-holds-barred approach lacked clarity. I’ll try again in this post, recognizing that my position is so nuanced it is likely [...]
Continue reading...Saving the world: a transcript for your review
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Civilization represents a grave threat to the existence of myriad cultures and species, including our own species. And we can do better.
Continue reading...Christmas, Christianity, and the fall of empire: A year-end reflection
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Reason is the basis for understanding the material world. Mysticism has proven an insufficient foundation for dealing with peak oil and runaway greenhouse. As such, I suspect it will prove inadequate for saving humanity. Whether or not we're worth saving is a separate issue.
Continue reading...Three documentaries describe the fall of empire
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Yep, there are two sides to the peak-oil story. The side we go up (which ended a couple years ago), and the side we go down. We're on the downhill side of world oil supply, and the slope's about to get a helluva lot more slippery.
Continue reading...Oil, the American Goddess
Sunday, November 4, 2007
The good news: We've passed the world oil peak, and the U.S. economy will implode within a decade, probably less. This will give myriad cultures and species a fighting chance to survive a few more years. It might even allow a few individuals of our own species to squeeze through the bottleneck of runaway greenhouse, and therefore prevent the extinction of humanity. The bad news: I don't think so. I suspect we've passed the global-change tipping point, and we'll be extinct at our own hand by the end of this century.
Continue reading...Hard times, good stories, and rich lives
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
There's damn little high fructose corn syrup in your future, and quite a few hard times.
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Monday, April 26, 2010
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