Drop in the Ocean

[H2O Man]

“Oral cultures are steeped in mythological consciousness. Script cultures give rise to theological consciousness. Print cultures are accompanied by ideological consciousness. First-generation centralized electronic cultures give rise to a full-blown psychological consciousness.”
--Jeremy Rifkin; The Empathic Civilization; 2009; page 182.

The connection between communication and energy is often overlooked and under-appreciated. The telegraph and telephone played significant roles in the industrial revolution's various phases. Yet, the energy required to fuel that level of communication – as well as the need to heat metal -- was tied to the wide-spread use of coal.

Our lifestyles today demand a significant amount of energy to be used. That causes serious damage to the environment, and we are at a point where our culture is reaching a tipping point. Anyone who denies this is either out-of-touch with reality, or an out-and-out liar. (Perhaps both.)

In order to change directions, we need to create a shift in consciousness on a wide-spread basis. That change must be accomplished on an individual level, and on each of those levels described in the quote above: the community, tribe/community, nation-state, and global.

What steps are you taking to achieve this goal? Please consider your daily life, your community involvement, and even the level of communication that you participate in on this forum.

Thank you.

H2O Man

[NYC_SKP]

1. Highly Recommended.

:thumbsup:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. My first step is recognizing that Jeremy Rifkin's an pseudointellectual woo woo nut.

Of the Creationist variety.

See Stephen Jay Gould for a thorough deconstruction.

[H2O Man]

5. This OP

has nothing to do with anyone's ideas per creation.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. Right, it's about "spreading consciousness."

Except Jeremy Rifkin hasn't got the kind of "consciousness" that I'd like to spread around.

[H2O Man]

9. That's curious.

Where does the quote in your heading come from?

Watching the news reports about the flooding in Tennessee reminds me of the flood in our region in the summer of 2006. My family participated in the crisis/relief/recovery efforts. We weren't interested in if those assisting in the effort shared our individual belief systems, political views, or social positions. We were simply human beings, assisting other human beings. Looking back, I can say that I would have welcomed the help of both people who believe in Santa, and those who are intolerant of those who believe in Santa. For not only was it a time of crises for many people, but it was also a time when there was the potential for humans to experience growth. Even intolerant people, who are convinced they have reached their highest potential. (In fact, especially intolerant people.)

The book that the OP quote comes from is based on the evoltion of human consciousness. It's not about "religion." The author takes the same basic positions that Erich Fromm took in his classic "The Sane Society," and that Gary Snyder took in his 1969 "Earth House Hold." One of the general themes that each of these three authors takes is that there is the potential for benefit in talking with others, including those with different opinions than one's self. That's a concept that mant people resist, because our culture is saturated in fear, greed, hatred, intolerance, and anxiety. These are the things that Fromm etc identify with "insane society."

[randr]

3. KICK

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Buckminster Fuller

[Nederland]

4. Communications consume little energy

About 3%-5% of the total electricity produced in the US, and electricity itself is only a portion of total energy.

When you consider that modern communications reduce the need for physical travel (of paper and people), it might actually be a net energy saver.

[spanone]

7. k&r....

[femmedem]

8. I do well on some fronts but badly on others.

My husband and I don't drive much: between the two of us, we use about $10/gas per week. We walk for short errands unless the weather's awful. We do most of our shopping at our local food co-op, which is walking distance from our house. And our house is smallish, about 1100 square feet and pretty well insulated. Although we have a tiny yard, we are able to grow some of our food in our community garden plot.

But running my own business has left me with few hours to devote to political activism. I do a little bit to promote our co-op and local farmers markets, but I haven't been very active, for example, in our city's push for increased commuter rail.

And we have two pet bunnies who live upstairs in our bedroom. They're vulnerable to heat stroke over 85 degrees, so we air condition that room on hot days. I felt guilty about it last summer, and I know I will again this summer. But I'll do it.

[northernlights]

10. some tips to cool the bunnies w/out a/c

I had a bunny that lived under my kitchen table for 10 years or so, till I moved to my little farm. To keep her cool in the summer, I kept a half gallon plastic jug of water in the freezer over night, and put it in her cage in the morning before I left for work. She would lean up against it to cool down.

Instead of keeping the bunnies upstairs in the summer, do you have a cooler, downstairs spot? Heat rises, anywhere on the 1st floor out of the sun is likely to be several degrees cooler than upstairs.

[femmedem]

14. Thanks for the reply.

The water jug is a good idea. Unfortunately our downstairs is all open floor plan, whereas upstairs we can close the door and protect the buns against the cat when we're not there to supervise. One of our rabbits is a guinea pig-sized survivor of head tilt, still quite tilted and somewhat disabled: easy pickins for a rambunctious young cat.

It sounds like you gave your bunny a wonderful life.

[conscious evolution]

11. What i do

I am heavily involved in groups and places like these that are dedicated to creating change and/or community.
http://lcclt.org/
http://mvillegarden.wordpress.com/posts/
http://www.georgiapermaculture.com/
http://www.evolver.net/
I also give support to a lot of other groups who are following similar paths.

Someone once said 'Be the change you want to see.'
That is exactly what me and many,many other people are doing.
In the deep south,no less.The best part-Many people no longer look at us as if we were aliens from another planet.One by one we are waking people up.

My career path is also based on bringing about change.I am an independant electrical contractor.A couple of things I have accomplished is getting some of the contractors I work with to start using more energy effecient appliances and systems.
I am also trying to get started in the renewable energy systems market.Unfortunately,I am not having a lot of success due to the economic situtation.Many people want renewable systems but just do not have the money to acquire such systems.Hopefully,that will change in the near future.

As for my time spent here on DU-Mainly it is about keeping my finger on the pulse of what is happening around the country and world.As a source of info this palce has been invaluable.I also like to point out bs,gatekeepers/trolls and mis/dis information.

AmI doing enough?Frankly,no.But every little bit helps.

[Beringia]

12. I am not sure what point exactly you are making

But to add general thought. I look forward to needed changes to a Green society, which is inevitable when we run out of oil. Even Jane Goodall is talking about how our lifestyles in the United States can not be sustained. That it would take several hundred earths to support our lavish life styles, or the American Dream. Too bad she is talking about this in her last years on the earth. She has seen the species decimation up close.

2ndly, I read a book by the Native American, who became a Mayan too, Martin Prechtel. He said that all energy must be repaid. That our technologies that create ease, actually have to be repaid in some way, even with death as the payment via wars.

[Patsy Stone]

13. No, thank you.

Happy Friday, H2O Man! :hi:

[G_j]

15. The US military is the biggest purchaser of oil in the world

let us not forget,

http://www.energybulletin.net/node/13199


The US military oil consumption
by Sohbet Karbuz

The US Department of Defense (DoD) is the largest oil consuming government body in the US and in the world

“Military fuel consumption makes the Department of Defense the single largest consumer of petroleum in the U.S” <1>

“Military fuel consumption for aircraft, ships, ground vehicles and facilities makes the DoD the single largest consumer of petroleum in the U.S” <2>

According to the US Defense Energy Support Center Fact Book 2004, in Fiscal Year 2004, the US military fuel consumption increased to 144 million barrels. This is about 40 million barrels more than the average peacetime military usage.

By the way, 144 million barrels makes 395 000 barrels per day, almost as much as daily energy consumption of Greece.

The US military is the biggest purchaser of oil in the world.

In 1999 Almanac edition of the Defense Logistic Agency’s news magazine Dimensions it was stated that the DESC “purchases more light refined petroleum product than any other single organization or country in the world. With a $3.5 billion annual budget, DESC procures nearly 100 million barrels of petroleum products each year. That's enough fuel for 1,000 cars to drive around the world 4,620 times.”

..more..