With all due respect, because I like your writing and we all need to read it: a candidate who won't intervene to stop a genocide, and that applies to both corporate candidates, is not going to bother enforcing any other laws, either, and will certainly not be divesting from fossil fuels, war, or big ag, especially after they manufactured your consent. The United States is pumping out way more oil and oil-adjacent products than anyone needs or wants, and it won't stop until we cut way back on our consumption. Those corporate party maniacs will kill us all by storm, disease, or famine. We need to look after each other and stop wasting our attention on national elections. Get a solar generator before Biden's import tariffs kick in, and before they become scarce. Store some drinking water, just in case. And please keep writing.
The Gaza genocide is sickening. I went off my main topic a couple of times to call it out, and it's truly an example of the limit of our freedom when protestors are being persecuted over a blatant atrocity. When Biden paused LNG exports some months ago, I doubted that would last. Let's hope it does because the potential GHGs would dwarf the GHGs of the Willow project in Alaska. And yes, I recognize the irresponsibility of the Covid situation, non-response to H5N1, and now Mpox is a concern.
I intend to keep writing until there is no hope, then I'll see if I have more to say. I'm 62 and have a few health issues. If the system goes down and a couple of medications I need, I'll likely go down, too, so my fight is now, not when the power goes out the last time. That probably won't happen for a few decades, though, IMO. I appreciate your concern and am glad my writing reaches you in some way. Thank you.
So, so true. I'd add that we not only need to take steps to get climate choas under control (a future endevour) but a plan to survive the curve we've already set in motion (our present). Preferably a plan that is owned and implemented from the ground up, not monetised by business and forced from the top down.
Hi Margi! So far, what we're getting here is completely corporate and monetized. The push for so-called green energy, renewables, involves huge corporations and vast mining. You know, for batteries to smooth renewables. There are a variety of battery technologies. I wrote about the best known one, lithium, a while back. All kinds of problems, not the least of which is the need of 500,000 gallons of water for every ton of lithium processed to battery grade quality.
A statistically significant portion of that almost $13 billion, second homes by people who are comfortable, replacement subsidized by by the taxpayer. Just like federal crop insurance. I don’t know about you people, my back is sore from carrying those who can easily walk.
Good article on the changing nature of storms in a "charged up" Climate System. I liked your commentary as well. It reminded me of this piece by Erik Assadourian from October 2021.
"I find it difficult to imagine, and feel nothing but sadness for those who are already living through collapse (whether political, economic, or ecological in nature). But I have to admit I find myself imagining living through collapse quite often anyway. What would Middletown look like, what would my life be like, in a state of collapse? It’s kind of like imagining being forced to participate in the documentary No Impact Man, but without any ability to say, “Ok, that’s enough.”¹
Then he looks at living with in COLLAPSE vs life as "No Impact Man".
His point is that "materially" they aren't that far apart.
"Funnily, the differences in lifestyles between living in collapse and intentionally preventing collapse aren’t all that great — in both cases, gone are the cars, the larger homes, the rich diet, the extreme levels of comfort."
"But there is one key difference that is deeply undervalued: security and a feeling of control."
"In the No Impact scenario, there are no gangs roaming, no threat to life and limb (other than climate disasters, which we can only make less probable in the No Impact scenario but cannot stop them in either case). No shortages of basic foodstuffs, though electricity and heat, being so expensive (or even rationed), may be in short supply, forcing people to get used to colder homes in the winter and hotter ones in the summer."
"But there’d be a positive side too, public transportation might grow in scope so being car-free wouldn’t mean you’d be trapped in your neighborhood. Public services — from water and sewage treatment to libraries and the humble street light (often taken for granted but even that does not work in Beirut) — would still be available. Medicines would be accessible as would bread and at least seasonal produce."
"Obviously, I prefer the second scenario, but in reality, like everyone else, I prefer neither. It’s nice to have a bit more room, a warm home, and a car, and to not spend my days hunting for necessities. But there’s the rub: by not choosing the latter, we all but guarantee the former.⁹"
"Security and a feeling of control." is how we "sell" degrowth.
Thanks for pasting some of the article, as I’m not subscribed to Medium. Just watched the trailer for No Impact Man, looks like an interesting study. To a great degree, I'm living that life voluntarily, both consciously in reaction to our plight of overshoot and because I started recognizing consumption as a kind of enslavement decades ago.
I would love to be car free at this point and bicycle everywhere, but unfortunately live in an unfriendly environment for that.
I've met some preppers online and in real life, and I certainly wish them the best of luck. If it comes down to that, depressingly, they will have to be prepared to kill. If they've created a viable collapse community, there will be many who haven't and are desperate. At 62, I'm not going to be part of that. I feel for my daughter, who will be just 22 in the spring and deal with far more than I.
Gaining a feeling of security and a feeling of control to promote degrowth is a good thought. I also think living in a degrowth model would be much healthier physically and spiritually. However, living in a consumption society that's pushed 24/7, is an incredibly challenging proposition.
I'm not sure about the idea that water and sewage treatment, libraries, streetlights and medicines will be readily available. Seasonal produce dependent on the growing weather extremes is questionable — farming is a difficult even in more predictable conditions. Like climate modeling, there are myriad scenarios possible, each one local and regional, nearly infinite scenarios. One thing for certain, I've been advising people to relocate as soon as possible to areas that are spared the most direct and immediate effects of climate change. At what point does it become impossible to sell your home in the hottest or most flood prone areas? That's probably already happening.
We just need to educate enough people, not everyone. With the optimistic hope, Harris/Walz wins, we have to put pressure on them to make sure they understand certain critical tipping points are at hand. We're out of time for half measures. Changes need to be made at the societal and economic level. So-called renewables are a short bridge at best, and a destructive one at best. Unfortunately, even many of the greens don't understand this.
Good article! I'm afraid that one natural disaster after another has become the norm.
A word about the election... There is no perfect candidate, but realistically, we have a choice between two administrations in November. One is dramatically better that the other! The Democratic Convention is this week, and I will be watching to see what they have to say.
Thanks! I don't want to throw cold water on the good feelings, but when one party is hell-bent on fascism, it's easy for the other party to be dramatically better. The Democrats have been complicit in our problems, too. We need Harris-Walz to understand the severity of the climate crisis, the 6th extinction, and rising problem of new and evolving viruses. Life as we have known it is not going to continue one way or another. We need leadership that speaks the truth, a vision of profound change, and please new administration, stop selling weapons to Netanyahu.
BTW, what will Trump's zombies do on the assumption they lose? I'm looking for Musk to stoke them. January 6 is not over. November will be interesting, to say the least.
With all due respect, because I like your writing and we all need to read it: a candidate who won't intervene to stop a genocide, and that applies to both corporate candidates, is not going to bother enforcing any other laws, either, and will certainly not be divesting from fossil fuels, war, or big ag, especially after they manufactured your consent. The United States is pumping out way more oil and oil-adjacent products than anyone needs or wants, and it won't stop until we cut way back on our consumption. Those corporate party maniacs will kill us all by storm, disease, or famine. We need to look after each other and stop wasting our attention on national elections. Get a solar generator before Biden's import tariffs kick in, and before they become scarce. Store some drinking water, just in case. And please keep writing.
The Gaza genocide is sickening. I went off my main topic a couple of times to call it out, and it's truly an example of the limit of our freedom when protestors are being persecuted over a blatant atrocity. When Biden paused LNG exports some months ago, I doubted that would last. Let's hope it does because the potential GHGs would dwarf the GHGs of the Willow project in Alaska. And yes, I recognize the irresponsibility of the Covid situation, non-response to H5N1, and now Mpox is a concern.
I intend to keep writing until there is no hope, then I'll see if I have more to say. I'm 62 and have a few health issues. If the system goes down and a couple of medications I need, I'll likely go down, too, so my fight is now, not when the power goes out the last time. That probably won't happen for a few decades, though, IMO. I appreciate your concern and am glad my writing reaches you in some way. Thank you.
So, so true. I'd add that we not only need to take steps to get climate choas under control (a future endevour) but a plan to survive the curve we've already set in motion (our present). Preferably a plan that is owned and implemented from the ground up, not monetised by business and forced from the top down.
Hi Margi! So far, what we're getting here is completely corporate and monetized. The push for so-called green energy, renewables, involves huge corporations and vast mining. You know, for batteries to smooth renewables. There are a variety of battery technologies. I wrote about the best known one, lithium, a while back. All kinds of problems, not the least of which is the need of 500,000 gallons of water for every ton of lithium processed to battery grade quality.
https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/showdown-at-thacker-pass
A statistically significant portion of that almost $13 billion, second homes by people who are comfortable, replacement subsidized by by the taxpayer. Just like federal crop insurance. I don’t know about you people, my back is sore from carrying those who can easily walk.
Good article on the changing nature of storms in a "charged up" Climate System. I liked your commentary as well. It reminded me of this piece by Erik Assadourian from October 2021.
Lessons from Lebanon, a Meditation on Collapse
https://medium.com/climate-conscious/lessons-from-lebanon-a-meditation-on-collapse-86efdecedb6e
He writes.
"I find it difficult to imagine, and feel nothing but sadness for those who are already living through collapse (whether political, economic, or ecological in nature). But I have to admit I find myself imagining living through collapse quite often anyway. What would Middletown look like, what would my life be like, in a state of collapse? It’s kind of like imagining being forced to participate in the documentary No Impact Man, but without any ability to say, “Ok, that’s enough.”¹
Then he looks at living with in COLLAPSE vs life as "No Impact Man".
His point is that "materially" they aren't that far apart.
"Funnily, the differences in lifestyles between living in collapse and intentionally preventing collapse aren’t all that great — in both cases, gone are the cars, the larger homes, the rich diet, the extreme levels of comfort."
"But there is one key difference that is deeply undervalued: security and a feeling of control."
"In the No Impact scenario, there are no gangs roaming, no threat to life and limb (other than climate disasters, which we can only make less probable in the No Impact scenario but cannot stop them in either case). No shortages of basic foodstuffs, though electricity and heat, being so expensive (or even rationed), may be in short supply, forcing people to get used to colder homes in the winter and hotter ones in the summer."
"But there’d be a positive side too, public transportation might grow in scope so being car-free wouldn’t mean you’d be trapped in your neighborhood. Public services — from water and sewage treatment to libraries and the humble street light (often taken for granted but even that does not work in Beirut) — would still be available. Medicines would be accessible as would bread and at least seasonal produce."
"Obviously, I prefer the second scenario, but in reality, like everyone else, I prefer neither. It’s nice to have a bit more room, a warm home, and a car, and to not spend my days hunting for necessities. But there’s the rub: by not choosing the latter, we all but guarantee the former.⁹"
"Security and a feeling of control." is how we "sell" degrowth.
Thanks for pasting some of the article, as I’m not subscribed to Medium. Just watched the trailer for No Impact Man, looks like an interesting study. To a great degree, I'm living that life voluntarily, both consciously in reaction to our plight of overshoot and because I started recognizing consumption as a kind of enslavement decades ago.
I would love to be car free at this point and bicycle everywhere, but unfortunately live in an unfriendly environment for that.
I've met some preppers online and in real life, and I certainly wish them the best of luck. If it comes down to that, depressingly, they will have to be prepared to kill. If they've created a viable collapse community, there will be many who haven't and are desperate. At 62, I'm not going to be part of that. I feel for my daughter, who will be just 22 in the spring and deal with far more than I.
Gaining a feeling of security and a feeling of control to promote degrowth is a good thought. I also think living in a degrowth model would be much healthier physically and spiritually. However, living in a consumption society that's pushed 24/7, is an incredibly challenging proposition.
I'm not sure about the idea that water and sewage treatment, libraries, streetlights and medicines will be readily available. Seasonal produce dependent on the growing weather extremes is questionable — farming is a difficult even in more predictable conditions. Like climate modeling, there are myriad scenarios possible, each one local and regional, nearly infinite scenarios. One thing for certain, I've been advising people to relocate as soon as possible to areas that are spared the most direct and immediate effects of climate change. At what point does it become impossible to sell your home in the hottest or most flood prone areas? That's probably already happening.
The most important topic. The fewest listeners. Impossible to understand. 😕
We just need to educate enough people, not everyone. With the optimistic hope, Harris/Walz wins, we have to put pressure on them to make sure they understand certain critical tipping points are at hand. We're out of time for half measures. Changes need to be made at the societal and economic level. So-called renewables are a short bridge at best, and a destructive one at best. Unfortunately, even many of the greens don't understand this.
Good article! I'm afraid that one natural disaster after another has become the norm.
A word about the election... There is no perfect candidate, but realistically, we have a choice between two administrations in November. One is dramatically better that the other! The Democratic Convention is this week, and I will be watching to see what they have to say.
Thanks! I don't want to throw cold water on the good feelings, but when one party is hell-bent on fascism, it's easy for the other party to be dramatically better. The Democrats have been complicit in our problems, too. We need Harris-Walz to understand the severity of the climate crisis, the 6th extinction, and rising problem of new and evolving viruses. Life as we have known it is not going to continue one way or another. We need leadership that speaks the truth, a vision of profound change, and please new administration, stop selling weapons to Netanyahu.
BTW, what will Trump's zombies do on the assumption they lose? I'm looking for Musk to stoke them. January 6 is not over. November will be interesting, to say the least.
True. It reminds me of the old curse, "May you live in interesting times". I guess we are going to find out what that really means.