Category: Video

Religion Evolves (Baba Brinkman): We Need a New One

Religion is one of the most powerful forces that has shaped human history.

A new religion based on reverence for the diversity and complexity of life on earth, and on the rare privilege of having an evolved brain powerful enough to understand our place in the universe, and on how we are harming our precious home might help our predicament.

The logistics seem feasible. Christianity took over the Roman empire in a very short period of time.

The big question is, is it possible to have a popular religion that conflicts with what our genes want to do, namely maximize resource capture and reproduction, which of course is what is causing us to kill the planet.

I’m guessing not, but it’s worth a try.

Here’s an excellent new rap from Baba Brinkman titled Religion Evolves.

By Baba Brinkman: Make It Hot (rap on climate change)

I’ve been a fan of Baba Brinkman for years and have purchased all of his albums. His specialty is rapping on science topics.

I criticized Baba for not understanding the problem when he produced his first rap on climate change a few years ago.

This recent effort is much better. Here’s hoping that for his next effort he learns the relationship between wealth and energy.

By Jack Alpert: Sustainable Civilization Analysis

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.

Good Guys in Denial: It’s Everywhere and Deep: On Kevin Anderson

The layers and layers of denial, even among the good guys, is amazing!

Take Kevin Anderson for example. He’s one of the good guys. Kevin is a world leading climate scientist that has been persistent and aggressive at calling out the hypocrisy, dishonesty, and denial among his colleagues for pretending that 2 degrees is still an achievable target, for focusing on optimist and ignoring realistic emission scenarios, for not walking the talk, for telling politicians what they want to hear, etc., etc. Good on him!

On the other hand, Kevin Anderson is in denial on the implications of reducing CO2 emissions. He understands that we need to contract the economy but thinks we can do so without crashing it. He knows we need to reduce our consumption in the short term but thinks we can resume the good life after we build out renewable energy. Neither of course is possible.

Denial is everywhere, and deep.

Here is a talk by Kevin Anderson titled “Delivering on 2°C: Evolution or Revolution”.

Yuval Harari’s Sapiens

I thought I found some support for Varki’s denial theory in a new book by Yuval Harari titled Sapiens.

Harari makes the case that humans dominate the planet because we cooperate and we cooperate because we are uniquely able to construct and believe fictional stories.

This is no doubt part of the story but misses the bigger picture and lacks a satisfying explanation for why.

We dominate for many reasons. Cooperation yes, but also sophisticated symbolic language, ability to manage many relationships, forward planning, analytic skills, long term memory, learning ability, etc. All of these things fall under the umbrella of CPU power.

The important question to be answered is, why did only one small group of one species in Africa evolve this higher CPU power, despite many similar species being exposed to the same selection pressures?

Varki provides a plausible answer. Harari does not.

And of course, why with this exceptional CPU power do we believe in wacky economic theories and even wackier religions but not climate change or peak oil or almost anything that matters?

Again, Varki provides an answer. Harari does not.

Here is an EconTalk interview with Harari:

Yuval Harari on Sapiens

Here is Harari’s TED talk titled Bananas in Heaven.

By Nicole Foss: The Boundaries and Future of Solution Space (plus interview)

Nicole Foss has one of the best minds on the planet.

Find yourself a quiet couple hours and then read this article by Nicole Foss to get the clearest description available anywhere of what we can expect to experience in the not too distant future.

For many this may feel like a cold shower, but I think having realistic expectations is one of the better means of maximizing future happiness, and for appreciating what we have today.

The Boundaries and Future of Solution Space

And for those that prefer video, here is an in-depth interview with Nicole Foss.

By Gail Zawacki: Perspective and Inspiration by Albert Camus

A video on the philosopher Albert Camus found and introduced by Gail Zawacki that provides some excellent perspective and inspiration.

“I find solace in learning more about Camus because for me his ideas ring true not only to what is known in the sciences – from evolution to geology and climate – but his conjectures also fit perfectly with all I have personally learned in my sixty years revolving around the sun.

His observations – such that humans are “irredeemably corrupt and violent” – still leave room for great joy and love, even within the spectre of inevitable death, and the meaningless indifference of the universe to our demise.  His work firmly places puny human concerns into context of the fanatic demands of organized religions (both ancient and modern), and even, more recently, desperate woowoo dogma, with the same craven desires for spirit, divinity, soul and consciousness.  As the narrater in the video says, “Once you properly realize that life is absurd you’re on the verge of despair perhaps…but also compelled to live life more intensely”.”

http://witsendnj.blogspot.ca/2015/05/he-refuses-to-lie.html

By Gail Zawacki: The Silent War on Trees

Here is an excellent musical meditation on the impact of ozone on trees by Gail Zawacki.

“Ozone is invisible but highly toxic air pollution. As the background level increases, trees that absorb it are poisoned and become more susceptible to insects, disease and fungus. Epidemic attacks are causing forests to decline around the world. More info at WarOnTrees.blogspot.com”

“I am old enough to remember learning about plate tectonics in college, when students were still cautioned that it was a controversial proposition.  I was incredulous that something so brilliantly, obviously true could still be considered unproven.  However, there have been many theories that were treated as heretical when first unveiled – gravity, evolution, the origin of ulcers, and the dangers of tobacco smoking all come to mind.  It is my hope that someday soon, the notion – that spewing poisons known to be toxic to vegetation into the atmosphere at ever increasing rates must and has achieved a threshold that is intolerable to trees – will become crystal clear as well.  It is in that spirit that I made the film.  Please follow the links, and leave any questions in the comments, or email me at witsendnj@yahoo.com.”

By Steve Keen: Production, Entropy and Monetary Macroeconomics (economy and thermodynamics)

Here is Steve Keen, the world’s best economist, linking the economy with thermodynamics.

98% of the economists in the world are too stupid to understand this stuff.

As a consequence all of the economic models that our world leaders use to make decisions ignore the most important variables: energy, waste, and debt.

And we blindly race towards the cliff…

By Dana Meadows: On Sustainable Systems

I recently re-watched this old lecture by Donella (Dana) Meadows. It is really good.

The date of the lecture is uncertain but I suspect about 2000 since she passed away in 2001.

We need more system thinkers like Dana Meadows.

Part 1 of 4

Part 2 of 4

Part 3 of 4

Part 4 of 4