Yes, consumption is the bigger problem compared to population. Consumption has a moral component as well, since my consumption ultimately comes at someone else's expense, even if I can't easily directly see it. Population is a touchy subject, and the maximum carrying capacity of the planet is not agreed upon, but clearly the exponential explosion of people we're seeing now is not sustainable. We're approaching the top of the J curve with our current habits. Whatever that number may be can't be achieved without reduced consumption and reasonably equitable wealth distribution.
Another subject that interests me is longevity. Longer lives mean more consumption, too. Humanity needs a rational plan, and the principles of degrowth appeal to me. Unfortunately, that is not part of the conversation and a hard sell.
You're correct, of course, the one percent are out of control. Putting the brakes on preposterous wealth would also help save our teetering, ever imperfect democracy.
Geoff: Where does systems thinking fit into all of this research? If we focus on reduction with solutions that cause harm, sustainability will never be achieved. Whether it's population, consumption, capitalism, greed, hatred, racism - the patchwork quilt approach needed to solve global climate change requires systems thinking across many disciplines.
I agree, many disciplines need to work together and your list of challenges all need to be addressed. I would add political will. We have one party of climate change deniers under Trump control. I have been tough on Biden, but the Republicans and Joe Manchin enormously undermined the Green New Deal with the resulting IRA bill. However, even if all the Green New Deal ideas had been achieved, they fall short. It doesn't address consumption, or the plight of developing nations. If the global north manages to get to Net-Zero or near it, but we don't release the debt of poor nations, and continue forcing them to use of fossil fuels, we won't avoid catastrophic temperature rise. This is why I am a believer in the ideas of degrowth, which emphasizes reduced consumption, not using GDP as a measure of the economy which is entirely deceptive, and taking our foot off the neck of poor nations. Most of their debt has been manufactured through neoliberal economics, piling up their debt and using that to steal their natural resources and privatize their industries. Naomi Klein's book Shock Therapy is a real eye-opener.
Biden, like all politicians, has foxes in the hen house. At least one of his primary energy advisors has heavy ties to the fossil fuel industry, Amos Hochstein. Presidential cabinets are filled with voices like this from the financial and energy sectors. Climate scientists and environmentalists are not represented. That is a problem.
Then there are practical, real world problems. For instance, Biden put tax credits in IRA for EVs. Insufficient. The average price of a new car today is $49,000. At least half the work force can't afford them, and frankly they're not a panacea. The Thacker Pass lithium mine in NV has begun digging. This is a drought stricken region. One ton of battery grade lithium requires 500,000 gallons of water. We're talking 30 billion gallons of water a year over the life of the projected life of the mine, around 1.5 trillion gallons. How about heat pumps? Tax credits again, okay, but that doesn't motivate landlords who don't pay renter's heating bills.
IMO, Biden needed to communicate an overarching vision of where this country needs to go from day one. FDR had his fireside chats. Biden is a policy guy at best. This is a moment of gravity no less than WWII, we need that kind of inspiration, motivation and collective will. The American people need hard truths, to be called upon and active participants. We need to accept that while transitioning to an economy not based on consumption would be hard, it would yield enormous benefits and give the younger generations the possibility of a future. Instead, we are being fed the illusion life can continue the same with so-called renewables and batteries.
Some are advocating for nuclear energy expansion. I have not researched this yet, but understand the technology has advanced greatly since our scares at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. I wish to dive into this soon, but I will probably be concentrating on drought and worldwide falling groundwater levels for the next one.
The second one mentions a (supposed) quote from a letter to President Franklin Pierce, which is widely thought to be a fabrication. In it, the chief mentions the disappearance of the buffalo. But there were no buffalo where he lived. So that's kind of glaring.
Keep writing, brother. Speaking out is about all we can do.
Just FYI: While the quote that opens this essay is a sentiment that many of us share, there is no evidence that it was said by Chief Seattle or by any native American chief or other leader. It would be better to attribute it as a common or anonymous epigraph.
Yes, consumption is the bigger problem compared to population. Consumption has a moral component as well, since my consumption ultimately comes at someone else's expense, even if I can't easily directly see it. Population is a touchy subject, and the maximum carrying capacity of the planet is not agreed upon, but clearly the exponential explosion of people we're seeing now is not sustainable. We're approaching the top of the J curve with our current habits. Whatever that number may be can't be achieved without reduced consumption and reasonably equitable wealth distribution.
Another subject that interests me is longevity. Longer lives mean more consumption, too. Humanity needs a rational plan, and the principles of degrowth appeal to me. Unfortunately, that is not part of the conversation and a hard sell.
You're correct, of course, the one percent are out of control. Putting the brakes on preposterous wealth would also help save our teetering, ever imperfect democracy.
You're welcome!
Whew- a lot to digest. Thank you.
I prefer Alka-Seltzer to Tums. Thank you for reading and supporting my work. These are undoubtably complex issues.
Geoff: Where does systems thinking fit into all of this research? If we focus on reduction with solutions that cause harm, sustainability will never be achieved. Whether it's population, consumption, capitalism, greed, hatred, racism - the patchwork quilt approach needed to solve global climate change requires systems thinking across many disciplines.
I agree, many disciplines need to work together and your list of challenges all need to be addressed. I would add political will. We have one party of climate change deniers under Trump control. I have been tough on Biden, but the Republicans and Joe Manchin enormously undermined the Green New Deal with the resulting IRA bill. However, even if all the Green New Deal ideas had been achieved, they fall short. It doesn't address consumption, or the plight of developing nations. If the global north manages to get to Net-Zero or near it, but we don't release the debt of poor nations, and continue forcing them to use of fossil fuels, we won't avoid catastrophic temperature rise. This is why I am a believer in the ideas of degrowth, which emphasizes reduced consumption, not using GDP as a measure of the economy which is entirely deceptive, and taking our foot off the neck of poor nations. Most of their debt has been manufactured through neoliberal economics, piling up their debt and using that to steal their natural resources and privatize their industries. Naomi Klein's book Shock Therapy is a real eye-opener.
Biden, like all politicians, has foxes in the hen house. At least one of his primary energy advisors has heavy ties to the fossil fuel industry, Amos Hochstein. Presidential cabinets are filled with voices like this from the financial and energy sectors. Climate scientists and environmentalists are not represented. That is a problem.
Then there are practical, real world problems. For instance, Biden put tax credits in IRA for EVs. Insufficient. The average price of a new car today is $49,000. At least half the work force can't afford them, and frankly they're not a panacea. The Thacker Pass lithium mine in NV has begun digging. This is a drought stricken region. One ton of battery grade lithium requires 500,000 gallons of water. We're talking 30 billion gallons of water a year over the life of the projected life of the mine, around 1.5 trillion gallons. How about heat pumps? Tax credits again, okay, but that doesn't motivate landlords who don't pay renter's heating bills.
IMO, Biden needed to communicate an overarching vision of where this country needs to go from day one. FDR had his fireside chats. Biden is a policy guy at best. This is a moment of gravity no less than WWII, we need that kind of inspiration, motivation and collective will. The American people need hard truths, to be called upon and active participants. We need to accept that while transitioning to an economy not based on consumption would be hard, it would yield enormous benefits and give the younger generations the possibility of a future. Instead, we are being fed the illusion life can continue the same with so-called renewables and batteries.
Some are advocating for nuclear energy expansion. I have not researched this yet, but understand the technology has advanced greatly since our scares at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. I wish to dive into this soon, but I will probably be concentrating on drought and worldwide falling groundwater levels for the next one.
You may have read this, but if not or for anyone else interested, degrowth boiled down to an article. https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/degrowth-the-vision-we-must-demand
Yes. I'm still over at the Big X. And doing fine. Hope you are as well.
Here's a couple of good reviews about the Chief Seattle quote/speech.
One from University of Washington
https://www.washington.edu/uwired/outreach/cspn/Website/Classroom%20Materials/Reading%20the%20Region/Texts%20by%20and%20about%20Natives/Commentary/5.html
One from the National Archives:
https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1985/spring/chief-seattle.html
The second one mentions a (supposed) quote from a letter to President Franklin Pierce, which is widely thought to be a fabrication. In it, the chief mentions the disappearance of the buffalo. But there were no buffalo where he lived. So that's kind of glaring.
Keep writing, brother. Speaking out is about all we can do.
Just FYI: While the quote that opens this essay is a sentiment that many of us share, there is no evidence that it was said by Chief Seattle or by any native American chief or other leader. It would be better to attribute it as a common or anonymous epigraph.
Thank you, Stan, I'll look into that. Are you still on Twitter? Hope you're doing well.