Who will drink the last glass of water in Cape Town?
The current water shortage in Cape Town suggests that the effects of climate change can and will continue to surprise us with their suddenness and severity.
Kurt Cobb
The energy of Bitcoin, the information economy and the (possible) decentralization of the world
[Despite reservations], I find one aspect of the blockchain technology behind the explosion in digital currencies to be promising. This technology offers a possible path for decentralizing banking and finance and myriad other Internet-related services we’ve come to rely on from big corporations.
The Catalan Integral Cooperative –Â The Simpler Way Revolution is Well Underway!
This is a remarkable and inspiring movement in Spain, now involving hundreds of people in what I regard as an example of The Simpler Way transition strategy … which is primarily about going underneath the conventional economy to build our own new collective economy to meet community needs, turning our backs on and deliberately undermining and eventually replacing both the capitalist system and control by the state.
Protagoras and the Anthropocene: Can man still be the measure of all things
It is not surprising that humans look to themselves as arbiters of what’s important in the life and processes of the biosphere. Humans, like every other species, seek their own survival and well-being first. But our overreliance on humans as the measure of all things is the very posture which has put us on the road to potentially catastrophic changes in climate and other planetary systems, changes that threaten our very survival.
Hawaii’s existential choice: Tourism, food and survival
Global trade has brought about unparalleled specialization. As a result many countries and jurisdictions are currently unable to grow the food they need to feed their populations. While some like Hawaii still prosper, others face growing food insecurity. By gradually abandoning agriculture, have Hawaiians entered into a Faustian bargain that they will come to regret?
Is Washington tacitly operating under a new monetary theory?
The recently passed federal tax cut seems perilous for the United States government and economy. But even as some financial commentators have for years predicted chaos in the U.S. financial system resulting from soaring federal deficits, the government and the economy move forward with little disturbance. Washington, it appears, has adopted a new set of financial assumptions and they seem to be working.
Do we have the wrong model of human nature?
Are we wrong to believe that competitiveness must and always will be the central animating principle of human action? Media studies scholar Michael Karlberg thinks so. In fact, he believes that another animating principle, mutualism, is both central to human interaction and necessary to aid human society in meeting the myriad challenges it faces regarding climate change, inequality, governance, education and many other issues.
Human well-being, economic growth and so-called decoupling
Some people claim that humans—called breatharians—can live on air alone. Others claim we can have economic growth without increasing our resource use, so-called decoupling. Neither claim withstands scrutiny though here I am only going to deal with the second one.
Be kind, it’s all connected
I’ve tried to imagine what the shape of an ecologically sound religion/worldview might be. My friend wisely offered the following humble beginning: “Be kind. It’s all connected.”
Agriculture and climate change: Is farming really a moveable feast?
There is a notion afoot that our agricultural production can simply migrate toward the poles in the face of climate change as areas in lower latitudes overheat and dry up. Few people contemplate what such a move would entail and whether it would actually be feasible.
Local currencies: The wasted opportunities
Within alternative movements there is much interest in introducing local currencies and they have been central elements in many Transition Towns and other initiatives. Unfortunately I think most of these have been quite misguided, failing to grasp the power a local currency can have, and not likely to make a significant contribution to goals such as town sustainability and resilience.
Look at the big picture, avoid groupthink, remember history
Our political, economic, and social culture encourages people to avoid the big picture, succumb to groupthink, and ignore history. It’s much easier to maintain our peace of mind if we simply conform our opinions with those around us and avoid a tedious examination of the facts. However, the price we potentially pay is that we will get blindsided by what in retrospect seems an obvious problem. That’s when most people finally adjust their worldview to new realities. But by then, any damage is generally already done.