Home economics, sustainability and the “mommy wars”
We have created not only physical dependencies on cheap energy, but psychological ones, so that no matter how much harm our dependencies do, we now fear to live any other way.
Culture & Behavior
Limits to Growth co-author says collapse due to climate possible
It is unlikely that oil scarcity will prove capable of triggering a global collapse, according to Norwegian scholar Jorgen Randers, co-author of the prophetic 1972 book The Limits to Growth. “The period of high oil prices will give strong stimulus for increased energy efficiency,” he said. However, the rapid increase in emissions of climate gases does have the potential to cause a collapse.
(Article and podcast)
Water crisis? We’re giving the stuff away
VAST quantities of the state’s most precious resource — pure drinking water — will be siphoned off by a bottled water manufacturer with links to soft drink giant Coca-Cola Amatil, which will pay a paltry $2.40 per million litres for the privilege.
Young professionals and peak oil
Young Professionals are vulnerable to the shocks that Peak Oil will bring to our society, but we are also well equipped to tackle energy descent, perhaps more realistically than others who simplistically advocate alternative fuels and vague technological fixes.
The greatest challenge
For decades, many prophets’ words have been lost in the winds of exuberant growth of human presence in this biosphere. But now, the reality of the finite energy and material resources may finally be creeping into the public consciousness. (Sermon)
Unlearning helplessness
Helplessness:
“the exaggerated feeling of lack of control, of enormous danger, of inability to respond to danger, that comes from repeated exposure to actual or apparent threats.”
Rx:
1) get our facts straight.
2) become less helpless
3) learn how the world really works
The crunchy mystique
There are many points of convergence between this newly identified brand of crunchy (slang for counter-cultural) conservative creature and the eco-hippie crunchy liberal. (Book review)
Dysfunction – Jan 25
Technological revolution is 100 years dead
Infected by affluenza (and mental illness)
Wealth top priority for today’s youth
Saving the planet: empty gestures
The Hesperotechnic Phase
Lewis Mumford proposed back in 1934 that the history of modern technology could be divided into three phases — eotechnic, paleotechnic, and neotechnic. It’s worth revisiting his ideas in an effort to scope out the phase that follows the approaching end of the neotechnic era.
Solutions & sustainability – Jan 23
Astyk: Living off the waste of industrial society
Hopkins: Honour the elders
Orlov: The despotism of the image
The straight line is the road to hell
Programs let homes produce green power
The unknown unknowns
With each doubling of knowledge, we get a doubling of ignorance.
Dysfunction – Jan 20
Traffic disaster towers over L.A.
Texas view on environment is 18 lanes wide
Burtynsky photos on consumerist capitalism
The end of the world as they know it
