I frequently criticize Chris Martenson for ignoring and/or denying climate change and over population but I have to say his voice on world affairs is becoming wiser and stronger by the day.
This piece on the truth and consequences of our meddling in the Middle East is very good.
Varki’s theory says that if a species evolves a brain powerful enough to understand that it will die then it must simultaneously evolve the ability to deny reality or else the genes for the more powerful brain will not fix in the gene pool due to reduced reproductive fitness caused by depression.
Varki also explains why the brain’s denial mechanism is general rather than specific. This means it tends to deny all unpleasant things, not just mortality.
How else can we explain that James Hansen, the finest climate scientist in the world, understands that we must reduce CO2 emissions to avoid human extinction, yet also believes we can do so without reducing our standard of living or population?
Another bright light shone on the darkness of our denial by Gail Zawacki, this time focused on celebrities.
Over dinner with friends I was complaining about the lack of understanding by our leaders about anything that matters.
They countered with optimism based on recent statements by the premier of Alberta about her commitment to do something about climate change. I said I was not aware of her statements but I was willing to bet a significant sum that her policies would have no meaningful impact on CO2 emissions.
Tonight I looked up her policy. It’s a carbon tax that will be reinvested in “green initiatives”. This will at best have no effect on CO2 emissions and at worst will increase emissions. If she really wanted to reduce emissions she would bury the tax receipts so they could not be spent. We can’t spend our way out of this problem. We have to spend less.
She’s also planning a cap on oil sands emissions. This policy may appear to work but not because of the policy. Oil sands operations are in long term decline because civilization can no longer afford its high cost of production.
What’s the objective? To feel good or to do something that will actually help?
I’m sure Alberta has good intentions, and I’m sure some Albertans will feel good about these initiatives, but they won’t work.
If we want to do something that will help we have to shrink the economy and reduce the population.
The economy is going to collapse with or without a push from us due to peak debt and peak oil, but if we accelerate the decline then we might out-run the self-reinforcing feedback loops that threaten to overtake human CO2 emissions, and we might also maintain more civil order with a planned contraction rather than an uncontrolled crash.
Here is the agenda for the COP21 Sustainable Innovation Forum in France next month.
There is not one session on population reduction or shrinking the world’s economy.
Idiots.
Jack Alpert released a new video. He’s one of the few not in denial.
The word “sustainable” is overused and misused. This video provides some insight into what true sustainability means.
A sustainable world is a much different world than we live in, and much less abundant than most people imagine.
Notice the low YouTube view count. It seems reality is not popular.
Many people I know are happy about the election of Justin Trudeau and how he has already reversed many of the anti-science anti-environment policies of the previous government.
I on the other hand think that the only thing that really matters is how his policies affect our footprint and CO2 emissions. By increasing government spending he has already increased CO2 emissions from Canada.
What’s the objective? To feel good about ourselves? Or to actually do something to reduce the suffering of our grandchildren? If the latter we have to reduce our standard of living and birthrate.
Thousands of people are flying from all over the world to France to discuss climate change. The reality is that if they had stayed home they would have accomplished more.
And I see that Canada is committed to doing it’s “fair share”.
Which of course means we will do nothing.
I see lots of denial and zero reality.
“Anyone knows that if you get into any type of downward spiral, you have to break the cycle. You have to reverse whatever habit or behaviour is causing the problem. That realization comes with maturity and a sense of personal responsibility. We know what happens if we don’t break the cycle – we end up in a cardboard box under a bridge.
Unfortunately, this society exhibits none of that maturity. It’s an ever-more asinine and denialistic Idiocracy making up its own reality and becoming less responsible with every passing moment. Nowhere is this more on exhibit than in the area of Ponzi finance wherein every gimmick conceivable – and a few never before even considered – is used to monetize the future for consumption today.
Today’s “best and brightest” aka. the dumb and dumbest, are merely a free lunch society constantly looking for the secret to effortless wealth – “The new Eldorado”. Like a 50 year old man thinking he’s Peter Pan, while becoming more grotesque and bloated with each passing day. A fucking glazed doughnut pretending to be invincible.
Denialism is abdication of responsibility, and this society is in denial about everything. All predicated upon a hubristic sense of confidence from selling off the accomplishments of prior generations while pretending to be wealthy.
Sad and disgusting on every level.”
http://ponziworld.blogspot.ca/2015/11/peter-pan-society-bad-choices-lead-to.html
A nice article by Dahr Jamail…
“Renowned climate scientist James Hansen and multiple other scientists have already shown that a planetary temperature increase of 1 degree Celsius above preindustrial baseline temperatures is enough to cause runaway climate feedback loops, extreme weather events and a disastrous sea level rise.
Furthermore, the UK meteorological office has shown that this year’s global temperature average has already surpassed that 1 degree Celsius level.
Well in advance of the Paris talks, the UN announced that the amount of carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere has locked in another 2.7 degrees Celsius warming at a minimum, even if countries move forward with the pledges they make to cut emissions. Hence, even the 2 degree Celsius goal is already unattainable. However, similar to the way in which national elections in the United States continue to maintain the illusion that this country is a democracy, and “We the People” truly have legitimate representation in Washington, DC, illusions must be maintained at the COP21.
Thus, the faux goal of 2 degrees Celsius continues to be discussed. Meanwhile, the planet burns.
Japan’s meteorological office announced that this past September was, by far, the warmest September on record, and records now show that October has also become the hottest recorded October. As a whole, 2015 remains easily on course to become the hottest year ever recorded.
As if to place an exclamation point on all of this information, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels hit a new milestone in excess of 400 parts per million in early 2015 – a 45 percent increase over preindustrial levels.”
un-Denial 