Very well-put. Also, it continually amazes me how people can watch They Live and not connect the dots! Watching the capitalism machine go in overdrive this holiday season is so utterly depressing.
Like you, Alan, I write about climate change. I don't believe I've used the word "collapse" yet in a bit over two years of articles, but anyone paying attention is getting the idea. If people don't throw themselves into the gears of the machine NOW, it's game over. And of course, the penalties for speaking out and protesting are getting harsher all over the world as I write. I agree with you both on the reasons people are looking away and the need to be kind towards them. It sums up everyone I know in my personal life. It's only in communities like this that I find others who know and are willing to recognize the situation. Writing about it, at least for the time being, keeps me sane.
Thanks Alan. I’d love to have counter arguments to your points but don’t, yet but I’m digging deeper into arts and cultural work on collapse and am finding powerful stories that help understand how we have survived in the past and how we learn from our mistakes. Is it too late? Depends on your point of view, including fiction that is sometimes truer than life. Keep up the great work. It helps me calm down.
I started to become collapse-aware about two decades ago. At first, it was just climate change and other environmental damage that worried me. Now, I think it is actually the end of affordable oil that will bring the global civilization down. And there's very little to fall back on as we have destroyed the natural carrying capacity of the Earth.
I used to think that there'd only be a couple billion people left by the end of the century, but lately I'm starting to think we'll be extinct by then. Things have gotten so bad, it's unfathomable. It already looks like this is going to be the worst mass extinction event in Earth's history, leaving most of the planet uninhabitable. And even in areas where humans might survive (places closer to the poles), how will they grow food when most insects are gone and soil is barren? How will they hunt when most of the animals are gone, too? Like you said, we've destroyed the natural carrying capacity of the Earth.
I agree H. sapiens could very well go extinct in a relatively near future but I don't think it will happen before 2100. Even beyond that a small number of people could survive somewhere for a long time as gatherers (I doubt there would be much to hunt) and subsistence farmers (even if it would be difficult).
Eventually, the possible collapse of nearly all ecosystems could wipe us out but I'm an optimist! Haha.
I became convinced of collapse when I heard Guy McPherson speak in my hometown...about 15 years ago. Slowly more and more people are coming to accept and discuss the end. However, “hope” is still the prevailing response.
Very well-put. Also, it continually amazes me how people can watch They Live and not connect the dots! Watching the capitalism machine go in overdrive this holiday season is so utterly depressing.
Like you, Alan, I write about climate change. I don't believe I've used the word "collapse" yet in a bit over two years of articles, but anyone paying attention is getting the idea. If people don't throw themselves into the gears of the machine NOW, it's game over. And of course, the penalties for speaking out and protesting are getting harsher all over the world as I write. I agree with you both on the reasons people are looking away and the need to be kind towards them. It sums up everyone I know in my personal life. It's only in communities like this that I find others who know and are willing to recognize the situation. Writing about it, at least for the time being, keeps me sane.
Thanks for writing this Alan.
Thanks Alan. I’d love to have counter arguments to your points but don’t, yet but I’m digging deeper into arts and cultural work on collapse and am finding powerful stories that help understand how we have survived in the past and how we learn from our mistakes. Is it too late? Depends on your point of view, including fiction that is sometimes truer than life. Keep up the great work. It helps me calm down.
I started to become collapse-aware about two decades ago. At first, it was just climate change and other environmental damage that worried me. Now, I think it is actually the end of affordable oil that will bring the global civilization down. And there's very little to fall back on as we have destroyed the natural carrying capacity of the Earth.
Two billion humans by 2100. Or less.
I used to think that there'd only be a couple billion people left by the end of the century, but lately I'm starting to think we'll be extinct by then. Things have gotten so bad, it's unfathomable. It already looks like this is going to be the worst mass extinction event in Earth's history, leaving most of the planet uninhabitable. And even in areas where humans might survive (places closer to the poles), how will they grow food when most insects are gone and soil is barren? How will they hunt when most of the animals are gone, too? Like you said, we've destroyed the natural carrying capacity of the Earth.
I agree H. sapiens could very well go extinct in a relatively near future but I don't think it will happen before 2100. Even beyond that a small number of people could survive somewhere for a long time as gatherers (I doubt there would be much to hunt) and subsistence farmers (even if it would be difficult).
Eventually, the possible collapse of nearly all ecosystems could wipe us out but I'm an optimist! Haha.
Haha, it's crazy that at this point, the most optimistic scenario for humans is barely avoiding extinction.
Great Article, thank you. Clearly puts down a lot that I empathise strongly with. Will check out your other articles!
Thank you!
I became convinced of collapse when I heard Guy McPherson speak in my hometown...about 15 years ago. Slowly more and more people are coming to accept and discuss the end. However, “hope” is still the prevailing response.
Excellent piece; thank you.