While hard news to read, you capture the state of the world we painful clarity. I am unsure if it's because I am now tuned to only reading climate collapse aware writers, or if the world has genuinely accepted climate chaos is happening, even though it hasn't embraced doing anything about that reality, but at least while reading I don't feel so alone.
While I was writing FIRE, I felt like these messages were being spoken into the wind. Everyone was still generalising climate breakdown into the future, while I was feeling it in the present. Not any more. We are standing on the cliff edge, hearts racing and about to fall.
I have been looking at the world with a hard eye since my mid-teens. I can't write with less than the truth. Enough people understanding the reality of our situation and taking action at the grassroots is essential, because as we can see, our leadership doesn't get it, doesn't care, or thinks the most expedient solution is to let billions of people die. It's an ugly take, but those are the only three explanations I see. Watching the slow motion prosecution of Trump, a traitor and insurrectionist, the crime being committed in Gaza and the lack of any kind of significant news here about the plight of the global south reinforces my dim view, as does walking among people in my local community who don't have a clue. Keep me posted on events in Australia. I hope you are well.
Geoffrey- Thanks for sharing this. I haven't revisited the topic of stratospheric aerosol in some time. So your writing is a great reminder. Hope you're well this week. Cheers, -Thalia
You're welcome. SAI is a worrisome strategy, more of a desperation move in my mind, but may be inevitable since there seems to be a complete inability to stop burning carbon. I have another article to share with you that goes into the questions it raises. Thank you for the comment.
Thank you for the article. For those of us who read these posts and are not experts, the systemic understanding is overwhelming. I take away "awareness" and opt to make individual changes in lifestyle and look at ways to fight the climate challenge of global warming. Unfortunately, when I hear the conflict of experts on threads and discing of people over age 70, I become concerned that we lose collectively.
Thank you for carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, Kathleen! I can see my work here is done! Here is a link to the cheeky Ms. McCroskey's article:
And a link to one I wrote last September on the theory and dangers of stratospheric aerosol injection. To be clear, I am in no way happy about the prospect of SAI, but I can see it coming as we fail to take the correct steps to reverse rising global temperatures.
Geo-engineering fraught with risk and like CCS & DAC, also dangles the tantalising opportunity for fossil fuel companies to keep producing and burning oil, gas,coal under pretext of capturing CO2. Geo-engineering adds an even greater uncertainty by rolling the dice on 1% getting it right and 99% getting it wrong. Of course we know all of this but still the oil/gas/coal companies march onwards towards a very certain and terrible climatic end game.
Thank you Geoffrey! Sorry to be a pest, but I need to play wack-a-mole anytime geoengineering BS pops its ugly head up. Technology got us into this mess, it can't be the solution.
I'm building a prototype carbon dioxide capture machine with duct tape, box fans, furnace filters, and a Glad bag storage system. It will be the world's first personal CO2 capture system. Looking for investment capital. Want in?
Far simpler with zero energy input, let your lawn (if you have one) grow 1/2" higher. As well, that also captures the oxygen instead of wasting it in CO2 sequestration schemes. The miracle of photosynthesis plus the Krebs cycle converts the CO2 into sugars which store in the roots increasing soil carbon content. Natural systems are always better than even the most interesting technologies.
I agree. Specifically to lawns, I have considered writing about that, but it's far too small a subject in the context of the times. Clearly, technology can't replace the slow, naturally balanced workings of the Earth. Those claiming it can pull us back from the precipice are fools or charlatans. Unfortunately, even intelligent people are buying into the myth "green" technology will allow us to continue life as usual. They don't want to see the truth and aren't given it in the larger for-profit culture. This is a failure on multiple levels — base animal behavior, the degradation of education, and cynical manipulation of people for power. My writing I believe always comes back to the behavioral component. That's why we're going to fail.
One reader commented, but we always overcome our problems. True until now (if you overlook the victims of our "solutions"). The new problem can't be solved by our approach to date, ever greater expansion. It needs to be solved by reduction, an anathema to human history and animal nature. Successful species come to dominate their environment to the point of crash, making room for others to come forward. That's how it works.
Sadly, in theory, we should be able to do better with our brains that feature abstract reasoning. Clearly, that is not the case. Opposable thumbs and tool making are going to kill us.
Yes, we “overcome our problems,” usually by our ongoing war with Nature. And regarding “growth,” “we” have always had a “new frontier” to expand in to, whether that was the agriculture of slash, burn, plant, harvest, deplete then move to tear down the next forest (that work has now moved into Brazil and Africa), we now have the Moon within reach of exploitation and ruin. Seeing a “successful species” is but a moment in time in a system of perpetual chaos; the only constant is change. Although we can accomplish a form of abstract thinking, we cannot describe it as logical reasoning because we do not question the underlying framing and cannot escape the emotional rollercoaster. Let us begin by separating wants from needs, finding ways to use less energy slaves and tread lightly on this fragile spaceship.
The decision makers are all over 70 and feel they are entitled to whatever they desire at the expense of others. They have no concept of reality other than their own which they will maintain at any cost. Complete and total lack of empathy. Sociopathic behavior which results in "They don't care."
They don't care.
That age group realizes that they will all be dead by the time the major impacts of climate change occur so it doesn't matter to them.
Let billions die.
Probably the best solution available at this point in time. The billionaires can retire to their bunkers and wait out the chaos above. There will probably be enough arable land left to feed half a billion people or so. They don't care a whit.
The ugly truth is that at this point in climate change little to nothing can be done to stop it without major impacts on society. What would the reaction be of the population to just closing down McDonald's, KFC and the rest of fast food establishments? Outrage. Riots. "They took away my super size triple quarter pounder with cheese!!!!." Sacrifice? NEVER! IT'S THE AMERICAN WAY! LET OTHERS SACRIFICE!
One of the most ridiculous books I've ever read was "Fixing Climate" by Broker and Kunzig who proposed giant fans to suck the planets atmosphere through device that would remove the CO2. Billy Boy Gates has apparently built one for hisself which gives him permission to continue his piggish lifestyle. Aerosol injection has been proposed by Harvard recently. Probably what chemtrails are all about if they are actually occuring. Nothing is too crazy at this point.
They get it. They don't care. Let billions die.
Is their solution.
Have you met anyone who you have convinced to make a sacrifice in their lifestyle? I haven't other than myself.
Toma, what I have observed is a complete lack of awareness of what is going on, or a complete refusal to deal with it. A few years ago I lived near rural areas where I bicycled. Trump signs proliferated, and even confederate flags flew occasionally. In addition to the indifference or even likely deliberateness of the disaster confronting us is the ignorance of much of the populace.
When I moved to Buffalo a while back, initially I lived in the heart of the city. The community was diverse. There were young, elderly, families, retired, blacks, browns, Asians, Pakistanis, etc. One man I met had no clue about the climate crisis. He was too busy trying to simply survive, and if he was aware of any news at all, it was from our corrupt mainstream media that will not tell the truth, or report in such a way as to hide it. In addition to the power brokers more than comfortable to screw us, we have a populace either ignorant or actively supporting their own demise. There is also a comfortable group who deny or can't see there's a problem who have no reason or interest in changing their lifestyle.
I feel your frustration, I feel it, too. What parades so obviously to me and you, hides in plain sight of others.
It fits nicely with your comment on MSM and climate change. It's hard to believe garbage like this can be published. It sounds like if the Gulf stream gets wierd it'll be a good thing since Europe will get colder. See, no problem!
Nate Hegyi: Right. Global weirding.
Taylor Quimby: "Global weirding." I like that.
Nate Hegyi: I think that’s an accurate term for what’s happening.
Is this the weirding way of the Bene Gesserit in Dune?
I was hoping to hear that you had gotten thru to some people and that Hawaii was just an anomaly. The Maui wildfires I don't attribute to global warming, it was complete incompetence on the part of the government. Regardless, it could have been and the government has accomplished basically nothing in 6 months or more. People are still unhoused. The homeless population doesn't qualify for any assistance. And that was relatively minor compared to what is in store.
In Florida the people who got wiped out from tidal surge from the hurricane are rebuilding in the same location. Complaining about insurance cost or availability. We're dealing with people who have the IQ of an ice cube.
Gaza shows us what is in store for us all. It's also showing us that the US Constitution no longer applies to the public. Police, politicians and national guard are all sworn to uphold and protect the constitution and are held blameless for arresting people who are protesting genocide and slaughter. If cattle were caged like the inhabitants of Gaza and slaughtered in the same manner it would be deemed cruelty to animals and the offenders prosecuted. Yet our government from president on down support it. Trump will be no better or worse than Biden. Neither is in control. Biden is no longer mentally competent for office. Not that he ever was. Neither party is calling for his removal. Why?
If Kathleen was serious in her comment she being way over the top. Maybe it was a joke.
Keep at it. I knew nothing about the other famines going on. Google keeps feeding me Taylor Swift as newsworthy. And beaver stories. Not sure if the two are connected.
NPR is apparently losing listener ship, which I think is a bad thing, but it isn't what it used to be, just like the BBC or NY Times. I rarely listen to NPR anymore, and yeah, that piece you linked to is a good example of why, lol.
I agree that the police and the national guard could become problematic, with the course we're on. I wrote an article on Cop City in Atlanta some time ago for that reason, and of course we're seeing students arrested for protesting Gaza, and climate activists in Europe serve time for stopping traffic. That our choices for president are Biden and Trump demonstrate just how grotesquely broken everything is, and entertainment is America's opiate of the masses. It's all quite absurd.
Pretty sure Kathleen was just having fun with me, although I did have to read it twice!
Thank you for this Geoffrey. This is very thorough and informative. I will share and encourage others to do the same.
I appreciate that, Matt. I'm trying hard to make the science of our situation accessible.
While hard news to read, you capture the state of the world we painful clarity. I am unsure if it's because I am now tuned to only reading climate collapse aware writers, or if the world has genuinely accepted climate chaos is happening, even though it hasn't embraced doing anything about that reality, but at least while reading I don't feel so alone.
While I was writing FIRE, I felt like these messages were being spoken into the wind. Everyone was still generalising climate breakdown into the future, while I was feeling it in the present. Not any more. We are standing on the cliff edge, hearts racing and about to fall.
I have been looking at the world with a hard eye since my mid-teens. I can't write with less than the truth. Enough people understanding the reality of our situation and taking action at the grassroots is essential, because as we can see, our leadership doesn't get it, doesn't care, or thinks the most expedient solution is to let billions of people die. It's an ugly take, but those are the only three explanations I see. Watching the slow motion prosecution of Trump, a traitor and insurrectionist, the crime being committed in Gaza and the lack of any kind of significant news here about the plight of the global south reinforces my dim view, as does walking among people in my local community who don't have a clue. Keep me posted on events in Australia. I hope you are well.
Geoffrey- Thanks for sharing this. I haven't revisited the topic of stratospheric aerosol in some time. So your writing is a great reminder. Hope you're well this week. Cheers, -Thalia
You're welcome. SAI is a worrisome strategy, more of a desperation move in my mind, but may be inevitable since there seems to be a complete inability to stop burning carbon. I have another article to share with you that goes into the questions it raises. Thank you for the comment.
https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/stratospheric-aerosol-injection-earths
Thank you for the article. For those of us who read these posts and are not experts, the systemic understanding is overwhelming. I take away "awareness" and opt to make individual changes in lifestyle and look at ways to fight the climate challenge of global warming. Unfortunately, when I hear the conflict of experts on threads and discing of people over age 70, I become concerned that we lose collectively.
Geoffrey, my dear,
Geoengineering is MY writing turf: No trespassing!
The environment of this planet is MY responsibility, I have delegated none of that to you or anyone else.
However long your research takes is irrelevant if the results are bogus.
If you had actually done research and/or read my latest post: https://kathleenmccroskey.substack.com/p/happy-81st-prof-gwynne-dyer
you would see that all “we” have to do is reinstate the 3.5% sulfur content in marine fuels and poof - your mysterious temperature anomaly is gone.
And, a recent study shows a previously unnoticed property of water that makes all “we” have known about water and cloud dynamics obsolete:
https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2320844121
Guangxin Lv et al, Photomolecular effect: Visible light interaction with air–water interface, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024).
I would recommend deleting your post and replacing with a link to mine.
Thank you for carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, Kathleen! I can see my work here is done! Here is a link to the cheeky Ms. McCroskey's article:
https://kathleenmccroskey.substack.com/p/happy-81st-prof-gwynne-dyer
And a link to one I wrote last September on the theory and dangers of stratospheric aerosol injection. To be clear, I am in no way happy about the prospect of SAI, but I can see it coming as we fail to take the correct steps to reverse rising global temperatures.
https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/stratospheric-aerosol-injection-earths
Ha ha.
Geo-engineering fraught with risk and like CCS & DAC, also dangles the tantalising opportunity for fossil fuel companies to keep producing and burning oil, gas,coal under pretext of capturing CO2. Geo-engineering adds an even greater uncertainty by rolling the dice on 1% getting it right and 99% getting it wrong. Of course we know all of this but still the oil/gas/coal companies march onwards towards a very certain and terrible climatic end game.
Thank you Geoffrey! Sorry to be a pest, but I need to play wack-a-mole anytime geoengineering BS pops its ugly head up. Technology got us into this mess, it can't be the solution.
I'm building a prototype carbon dioxide capture machine with duct tape, box fans, furnace filters, and a Glad bag storage system. It will be the world's first personal CO2 capture system. Looking for investment capital. Want in?
Far simpler with zero energy input, let your lawn (if you have one) grow 1/2" higher. As well, that also captures the oxygen instead of wasting it in CO2 sequestration schemes. The miracle of photosynthesis plus the Krebs cycle converts the CO2 into sugars which store in the roots increasing soil carbon content. Natural systems are always better than even the most interesting technologies.
I agree. Specifically to lawns, I have considered writing about that, but it's far too small a subject in the context of the times. Clearly, technology can't replace the slow, naturally balanced workings of the Earth. Those claiming it can pull us back from the precipice are fools or charlatans. Unfortunately, even intelligent people are buying into the myth "green" technology will allow us to continue life as usual. They don't want to see the truth and aren't given it in the larger for-profit culture. This is a failure on multiple levels — base animal behavior, the degradation of education, and cynical manipulation of people for power. My writing I believe always comes back to the behavioral component. That's why we're going to fail.
One reader commented, but we always overcome our problems. True until now (if you overlook the victims of our "solutions"). The new problem can't be solved by our approach to date, ever greater expansion. It needs to be solved by reduction, an anathema to human history and animal nature. Successful species come to dominate their environment to the point of crash, making room for others to come forward. That's how it works.
Sadly, in theory, we should be able to do better with our brains that feature abstract reasoning. Clearly, that is not the case. Opposable thumbs and tool making are going to kill us.
Yes, we “overcome our problems,” usually by our ongoing war with Nature. And regarding “growth,” “we” have always had a “new frontier” to expand in to, whether that was the agriculture of slash, burn, plant, harvest, deplete then move to tear down the next forest (that work has now moved into Brazil and Africa), we now have the Moon within reach of exploitation and ruin. Seeing a “successful species” is but a moment in time in a system of perpetual chaos; the only constant is change. Although we can accomplish a form of abstract thinking, we cannot describe it as logical reasoning because we do not question the underlying framing and cannot escape the emotional rollercoaster. Let us begin by separating wants from needs, finding ways to use less energy slaves and tread lightly on this fragile spaceship.
They get it. They don't care. Let billions die.
They get it.
The decision makers are all over 70 and feel they are entitled to whatever they desire at the expense of others. They have no concept of reality other than their own which they will maintain at any cost. Complete and total lack of empathy. Sociopathic behavior which results in "They don't care."
They don't care.
That age group realizes that they will all be dead by the time the major impacts of climate change occur so it doesn't matter to them.
Let billions die.
Probably the best solution available at this point in time. The billionaires can retire to their bunkers and wait out the chaos above. There will probably be enough arable land left to feed half a billion people or so. They don't care a whit.
The ugly truth is that at this point in climate change little to nothing can be done to stop it without major impacts on society. What would the reaction be of the population to just closing down McDonald's, KFC and the rest of fast food establishments? Outrage. Riots. "They took away my super size triple quarter pounder with cheese!!!!." Sacrifice? NEVER! IT'S THE AMERICAN WAY! LET OTHERS SACRIFICE!
One of the most ridiculous books I've ever read was "Fixing Climate" by Broker and Kunzig who proposed giant fans to suck the planets atmosphere through device that would remove the CO2. Billy Boy Gates has apparently built one for hisself which gives him permission to continue his piggish lifestyle. Aerosol injection has been proposed by Harvard recently. Probably what chemtrails are all about if they are actually occuring. Nothing is too crazy at this point.
They get it. They don't care. Let billions die.
Is their solution.
Have you met anyone who you have convinced to make a sacrifice in their lifestyle? I haven't other than myself.
Toma, what I have observed is a complete lack of awareness of what is going on, or a complete refusal to deal with it. A few years ago I lived near rural areas where I bicycled. Trump signs proliferated, and even confederate flags flew occasionally. In addition to the indifference or even likely deliberateness of the disaster confronting us is the ignorance of much of the populace.
When I moved to Buffalo a while back, initially I lived in the heart of the city. The community was diverse. There were young, elderly, families, retired, blacks, browns, Asians, Pakistanis, etc. One man I met had no clue about the climate crisis. He was too busy trying to simply survive, and if he was aware of any news at all, it was from our corrupt mainstream media that will not tell the truth, or report in such a way as to hide it. In addition to the power brokers more than comfortable to screw us, we have a populace either ignorant or actively supporting their own demise. There is also a comfortable group who deny or can't see there's a problem who have no reason or interest in changing their lifestyle.
I feel your frustration, I feel it, too. What parades so obviously to me and you, hides in plain sight of others.
Thanks Geoffrey.
I forgot to include this in my other comment.
https://www.nhpr.org/environment/2024-04-26/outside-inbox-no-the-gulf-stream-isnt-shutting-down
It fits nicely with your comment on MSM and climate change. It's hard to believe garbage like this can be published. It sounds like if the Gulf stream gets wierd it'll be a good thing since Europe will get colder. See, no problem!
Nate Hegyi: Right. Global weirding.
Taylor Quimby: "Global weirding." I like that.
Nate Hegyi: I think that’s an accurate term for what’s happening.
Is this the weirding way of the Bene Gesserit in Dune?
I was hoping to hear that you had gotten thru to some people and that Hawaii was just an anomaly. The Maui wildfires I don't attribute to global warming, it was complete incompetence on the part of the government. Regardless, it could have been and the government has accomplished basically nothing in 6 months or more. People are still unhoused. The homeless population doesn't qualify for any assistance. And that was relatively minor compared to what is in store.
In Florida the people who got wiped out from tidal surge from the hurricane are rebuilding in the same location. Complaining about insurance cost or availability. We're dealing with people who have the IQ of an ice cube.
Gaza shows us what is in store for us all. It's also showing us that the US Constitution no longer applies to the public. Police, politicians and national guard are all sworn to uphold and protect the constitution and are held blameless for arresting people who are protesting genocide and slaughter. If cattle were caged like the inhabitants of Gaza and slaughtered in the same manner it would be deemed cruelty to animals and the offenders prosecuted. Yet our government from president on down support it. Trump will be no better or worse than Biden. Neither is in control. Biden is no longer mentally competent for office. Not that he ever was. Neither party is calling for his removal. Why?
If Kathleen was serious in her comment she being way over the top. Maybe it was a joke.
Keep at it. I knew nothing about the other famines going on. Google keeps feeding me Taylor Swift as newsworthy. And beaver stories. Not sure if the two are connected.
NPR is apparently losing listener ship, which I think is a bad thing, but it isn't what it used to be, just like the BBC or NY Times. I rarely listen to NPR anymore, and yeah, that piece you linked to is a good example of why, lol.
I agree that the police and the national guard could become problematic, with the course we're on. I wrote an article on Cop City in Atlanta some time ago for that reason, and of course we're seeing students arrested for protesting Gaza, and climate activists in Europe serve time for stopping traffic. That our choices for president are Biden and Trump demonstrate just how grotesquely broken everything is, and entertainment is America's opiate of the masses. It's all quite absurd.
Pretty sure Kathleen was just having fun with me, although I did have to read it twice!