Show Notes
Rob, Jason, and Asher talk about joining the new Trump Administration, at least until Elon Musk eradicates it. They explore the implications of Trump 2.0 through three reality-bending lenses – shifting baselines, entropy, and the upside of down – and three ways of responding: resistance, resilience, and regeneration. They decided they couldn’t stomach a fourth R – respect.
We’ve added something new to this and future episodes: VIDEO! If you’d like to feel even more like you’re in the room with the Crazy Town gang, please check out the video and let us know what you think.
Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.
Sources/Links/Notes:
- Daniel Pauly’s 1995 article, Anecdotes and the Shifting Baseline Syndrome of Fisheries
- Randy Olson’s op-ed in the LA Times, Slow-Motion Disaster Below the Waves
- Video of Howard Dean’s speech with the infamous “Dean Scream”
- NASA’s description of the second law of thermodynamics, the entropy law (Be sure to read it before the incoming US administration repeals the laws of thermodynamics!)
Thomas Homer-Dixon’s book The Upside of Down
Comments
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I have been feeling so guilty about how I've mulled over some of Trump's distasteful policies but then thought about how it would bring on collapse sooner so maybe we wouldn't cross the remaining 3 of the 9 existential boundaries we've yet to cross ( https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adh2458 ). Which I also felt guilty about, wanting collapse. And don't dare confess to anyone but you. And slightly less guilty knowing I'm not the only one seeing how he might slow down the speed we hit the proverbial brick wall. He and the other extremists, formerly Republicans, are deep ecologists! And don't know it. They think the human juggernaut is speeding to Mars and beyond to other planets were every one of us can own as many yachts and bling as we like
The scariest part to me, Alice, is that the Trump administration will probably do a good job of dismantling global economic structures while increasing inequality AT THE SAME TIME. That combination will make for incredibly volatile social conditions. If we're lucky, over time, people will get fed up to the point where we can wrest power away from the disproportionately wealthy and enact policies for for fair distribution of wealth and income.
Rob, I'm not the only one who thinks Trump will crash and burn America: Opinion: Putin sees America hurtling to disaster, with Trump at the wheel https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2024/11/20/opinion-putin-sees-america/?fbclid=IwY2xjawHJVotleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSUfDXUAoCK-K0rTtkSLo_0AjgCFquW6NmA_2dMMFgds_iLdhG19t6YkMg_aem_rgurhXSxfeR7q2RU1zFlTQ
I so detest Trump, my booklist https://energyskeptic.com/2018/booklist-american-history-politics-corruption-and-economics-investing/ has about 8 books about Trump and dozens on right-wing politics, religious leaders, white supremacists, etc.
I have been trying to find out if there are plans to cope with peak oil, after all, the U.S. Department of energy asked Robert Hirsch to write about Peak oil (summary of his report https://energyskeptic.com/2012/summary-of-hirsch-bezdek-2005-doe-peak-oil-study/ ). Plus there were peak oil house hearings in 2008.
I have a post on everything I could find on emergency planning here and for good reasons there are no plans, can be no plans (except locally): https://energyskeptic.com/2022/is-there-a-long-emergency-plan-for-peak-oil/
Because of ecological overshoot, I don't think there is a soft landing, though I do think a Democratic president would be more likely to ration, but wouldn't be able to unless both the House and Senate were democratic as well.
Anyway, don't want to leave the impression I am pro-Trump in any way!
Yes, I've been in constant shock since that report was first published. Also the SR15. Also Anderson's assessments. 1.5C slipped away. 2C slipped away. Etc.
Also, thank you for your books. (Springer)
Hah!!