Monday's WSJ front page: New Limits to Growth Revive Malthusian Fears

[bananas]

The article is currently free for non-subscribers.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120613138379155707.html

PAGE ONE

New Limits to Growth Revive Malthusian Fears

Spread of Prosperity Brings Supply Woes; Slaking China's Thirst

By JUSTIN LAHART, PATRICK BARTA and ANDREW BATSON
March 24, 2008; Page A1

(See Corrections & Amplifications item below.)

Now and then across the centuries, powerful voices have warned that human activity would overwhelm the earth's resources. The Cassandras always proved wrong. Each time, there were new resources to discover, new technologies to propel growth.

Today the old fears are back.

Although a Malthusian catastrophe is not at hand, the resource constraints foreseen by the Club of Rome are more evident today than at any time since the 1972 publication of the think tank's famous book, "The Limits of Growth." Steady increases in the prices for oil, wheat, copper and other commodities -- some of which have set record highs this month -- are signs of a lasting shift in demand as yet unmatched by rising supply.

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[Double T]

1. Let's NOT forget the insatiable GREED of the wall street speculators.............

that continually manipulate the price of commodities to maintain their wealth at our expense. Our planet's overpopulation is reaching the breaking point; currently MORE THAN 3 times and soon to be MORE THAN 4 times the planet's carrying capacity; THIS will ultimately lead to our mass extinction.

[JohnyCanuck]

2. Watch Albert Bartlett explaining exponential growth

Anyone who hasn't seen it yet should watch retired University of Colorado physics professor Albert Bartlett's presentation explaining exponential growth. Bartlett shows how even apparently very small amounts of constant exponential growth in consumption of a resource will lead to some very large increases in consumption of that resource in much shorter time frames than most people would intuitively think likely or possible. The math required to figure it out is very simple. It doesn't take an Einstein type brianiac to comprehend, but, as Bartlett shows, most politicians and the public at large still don't get it.


The video presentation is available in Real Player format here:
http://globalpublicmedia.com/dr_albert_bartlett_arithmetic_population_and_energy

(Transcripts and audio MP3s also avaialable at the above link)

[GliderGuider]

3. The consciousness of change seeps gradually out into the world

While the drumbeat of extinctions will quicken for other species, there will be no extinction of humans. Instead, we should expect an accelerating round of crises -- each one different, each one rooted in local causes, with the level of severity trending steadily upward. We will solve some and adapt to others by changing our behaviour or moving to more favourable locations if we can. Some of the crises will be severe enough to cause local collapses of one sort or another.

As the number of major crises increases, we will see a gradual fragmentation of the structures that maintain our civilization in its current monolithic form. As those systems lose their integrity, there will be a shift to smaller political, economic and social structures across the face of the planet and through the whole scope of human activity. This relocalization will take millions of different forms depending on local conditions and needs.

Much of the change will be organic, but some of it will be violent. Much of it will involve hardship (as major change always does) but the changes will will also entrain remarkable new challenges, opportunities and freedoms. For the first time in hundreds of years, the pendulum will swing back in a human (and humane) direction.

"You have been telling people it is the Eleventh Hour.
Now you must go back and tell the people this is THE HOUR.

There are many things to consider:
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.

It is time to speak your truth.
Create your community. Be good to each other.
And do not look outside of yourself for a leader.

This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its own destination.
The Elders say:
We must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river,
keep our hearts open and our heads above water.
See who is in there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves.
For the moment we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves.
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

For WE are the ONES we've been waiting for."

The Elders, Oraibi, Arizona Hopi Nation

[The2ndWheel]

4. "The Cassandras always proved wrong."

"Each time, there were new resources to discover, new technologies to propel growth."

That doesn't mean that we didn't "overwhelm the earth's resources". I have no doubt that we can find another way to propel growth even further. The question is should we. Every time we discover a new resource, or invent a new technology, we increase the scale of our impact. If that wasn't the case, 2008 would be a much different year(not to mention the concept of 2008, at least on a global level, probably wouldn't exist).

So it seems that our species is basically the corporation to the planet's government. Just as we have multiple corporations all doing business within the confines of a single government, it's really the same as with life on the planet. We are Exxon. We are Wal-Mart. The same way actual people have less and less say in how rapacious a corporation can be, the rest of life has no actual voting power over our actions. The rest of life is nothing but a resource to the human corporation. That corporation wants to own the the government, the same way Monsanto wants to own the DNA of plants. So just remember next time Monsanto is in the news about whatever crazy ass shit it is that they're doing, that Monsanto(etc, etc) is us.

[GliderGuider]

5. "Monsanto is us"

Truer words were never spoken.

Our institutions -- corporations, governments, economic systems, educational systems and all the rest -- can only ever be reflections of aspects of our collective human nature. When you look at the kinds of institutions we have created for ourselves the implications are profoundly disturbing.

The eternal phrase "What we should do is ..." assumes a somewhat forlorn and hopeless air when it refers to the voluntary deconstruction of these entrenched modalities that are expressions of the less attractive (not to mention utterly destructive) aspects of our nature. In this situation, the only effective anodyne is to reapply that phrase to the construction of alternative modalities that express the positive aspects of our nature -- the altruism, the nurturing, the cooperation, the respect for each other and all life. If we can do enough of that in the time before the dissolution becomes too advanced we may be able to make a difference. We will need a lot of support to descend gradually from the mass insanity that has gripped our species back down to the point when we can re-enter the community of life on this amazing planet.