Saturday, April 23, 2011

programs

I found out about peak oil (the theory that global oil production, like what happens with individual oil wells, has a bell-shaped curve) back in 2007. That led me indirectly and many years later to the Ishmael books, but there's a more direct connection I want to talk about today.

Reading the discussions about what should be done about the situation (yes, situation, as peak oil production happened sometime either in 2005 or 2008, depending on what statistics you use) sometimes is interesting, sometimes boring, but this last time it made me laugh. Not because that article is particularly funny, but because its basic premise is so flawed.

If you want, you can go read the article, but the underlying assumed premise is that living in a civilization is a given, and if we do various things then we can continue to do so pretty much the way as we do now, just maybe "conserving" or something.

It's the first time an article of this nature has hit me as so laughable. It brought to mind B's saying: the world won't be changed by programs, but by changed minds without programs.

Until people get sick of the madness, all the programs and "intervention" in the world won't do a damn thing.

And it's making me think that maybe I've changed more than I thought I had.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

The unforeseen cost of civilization

I watched this video today, and I think you'll find it interesting.