Tag Archive | "runaway greenhouse"
Going back to the land in the Age of Entitlement
This essay is rife with the type of self-indulgence I try to avoid, often unsuccessfully. It’s a summary of my life’s story. It begins by insulting the readers, before the end of this first paragraph, and it ends with an unavoidably maundering, self-absorbed synopsis of recent, personal events. I doubt it’s worth your time to [...]
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...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...Fear and loathing in the blogosphere: doom, gloom, and controlling the message
Saturday, December 12, 2009
I spend quite a bit of time reading the work of other bloggers. Believe it or not, I’ve read a few books, too. This post follows my usual approach of being an equal opportunity offender as I comment on the philosophy of James Howard Kunstler, Dmitry Orlov, and John Michael Greer, along with a few [...]
Continue reading...Linking the past with the present: resources, land use, and the collapse of civilizations
Monday, October 5, 2009
We have ripped minerals from the Earth, often bringing down mountains in the process; we have harvested nearly all the old-growth timber on the continent, replacing thousand-year-old trees with neatly ordered plantations of small trees; we have hunted species to the point of extinction; we have driven livestock across every almost acre of the continent, baring hillsides and facilitating massive erosion; we have plowed large landscapes, transforming fertile soil into sterile, lifeless dirt; we have burned ecosystems and, perhaps more importantly, we have extinguished naturally occurring fires; we have paved thousands of acres to facilitate our movement and, in the process, have disrupted the movements of thousands of species; we have spewed pollution and dumped garbage, thereby dirtying our air, fouling our water, and contributing greatly to the warming of the planet. We have, to the maximum possible extent allowed by our intellect and never-ending desire, consumed the planet.
Continue reading...Time for a revolution
Thursday, May 28, 2009
If you think the economy is more important than the environment, try holding your breath while counting your money.
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...Earth: The Sequel
Saturday, April 19, 2008
I'm an optimist, but I try to infuse my thoughts with the occasional dose of reality. It's Endgame for the Empire. And that's a very good thing.
Continue reading...Boomers’ last chance?
Sunday, January 13, 2008
The only people in attendance unwilling to discuss the most important events in human history were the siblings and spouses of my wife. Ah, the irony: these Baby Boomers are the biggest contributors to the twin crises we face.
Continue reading...If you want to know what came before infinity, then you don’t understand infinity
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Religious believers like to believe we’re special, that Somebody is watching over us. And they use the most stunning logic to explain the notion of Somebody: Science only explains our universe back to the Big Bang. What about before then? And what caused the Bang, and all the matter associated with it? It must have come from something. By which they mean Somebody.
Continue reading...
Monday, March 8, 2010
126 Comments