Doom And Dispair

[lolex]

"If a path to the better there be, it begins with a full look at the worst."

-- Thomas Hardy

Petroleum geologists have known for 50 years that global oil production would "peak" and begin its inevitable decline within a decade of the year 2000. Moreover, no renewable energy systems have the potential to generate more than a fraction of the power now being generated by fossil fuels.

In short, the transition to declining energy availability signals a transition in civilization as we know it.

To put this in context, you must remember that estimates of the long-term carrying capacity of Earth with relatively optimistic assumptions about consumption, technologies, and equity (A x T), are in the vicinity of two billion people. Today's population cannot be sustained on the 'interest' generated by natural ecosystems, but is consuming its vast supply of natural capital -- especially deep, rich agricultural soils, 'fossil' groundwater, and biodiversity -- accumulated over centuries to eons. In some places soils, which are generated on a time scale of centimeters per century are disappearing at rates of centimeters per year. Some aquifers are being depleted at dozens of times their recharge rates, and we have embarked on the greatest extinction episode in 65 million years. -- Paul Ehrlich (Sept. 25, 1998)

2/3rds of the current world poulation will disappear over the next 50 years or so... started already. This is science not a belief... read the facts - here - http://dieoff.org/

[Shotime]

correction . . .for the benefit of whatsoever

I never knew Thaivisa harboured so many (humourless) nutters

Stalin was actually a stand-up comedian. Very funny man. One punch line was "one death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic." It would have them rolling in the aisles.

I meant to say ..., before he became a mass murderer. I never use this word correctly, but I'll try. Isn't it a little ironic to find a picture (moving yet), of one of the most reviled mass murderers of my age, anyway, on a gloom and despair thread. Are there any rules concerning the use of mass murderers, serial killers, porn stars, etc., on TV? That picture is starting to annoy me. I, honestly, fail to see the humor in it. And that isn't something I often do.

I just looked it up. Ironic isn't the right word. He's not smart enough to mean the picture as being ironic.

Edited June 28, 2008 by Shotime

[awakened]

2/3rds of the current world poulation will disappear over the next 50 years or so... started already. This is science not a belief... read the facts - here - http://dieoff.org/

Whenever I do a search, be it for 'global warming' or 'Bird Flu' or '9-11' or 'Hole in the Ozone layer' or whatever fear-mongering is driving the herd this week, I find it illuminating to add 'scam', 'fraud' or 'hoax' to the search string.

Try it with 'peak oil.'

Amazing what 'facts' come up.

[eefoo]

Quote - "or whatever fear-mongering is driving the herd this week"

Beautiful! Succinct and to the point. Made me smile, thanks.

[bonobo]

Let's turn this around.

.

Those including your goodself who have reaped the benifits of this wonderfull time could soon be carrying your money in a sack to buy a sack of rice! 10.1 millionaires counts for shit. 95% og the chinese e.g. live on less than $200 per month - and things aint cheap (thats over 1000 million)..

Actually, the average salary in China was $2025 per year in 2006 (http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/C...:318950,00.html)

In the ensuing 2 years, the average salaray is probably at your $200 per month, but that is a far cry from 95% of the population being at that level. And the vast majority of the lower income level earners are in the country where the cost of living is in fact much less.

[disgruntled]

People won't change their spending and luxury habits. The shopping malls are full here in LOS and other places. I expect there to be a sudden halt of spending when job losses go up and the money just isn't there to go out and eat and drive everywhere. Habits are hard to change and so many of our bad habits are conencted to spending. There is going to be a lot of pain at one point, even right here in LOS.

With the mentality that a lot of people have nowadays in this world of easy money, I bet many will just run up their credit cards and go bankrupt letting the system/government deal with it. They know they are going under so they'll say screw it and try to get as much as they can before they do. Homeowners will fight longer to keep what they have but those with nothing to loose have nothing to loose.

[whatsoever]

I stopped watching television about 7 years ago and it was amazing how much better the world became.

Highly reccommended! I have given up gradually over the past few years and i never even consider it now. I may watch the occasional DVD (once a week at most). It seems amaizing to see how TV dominates peoples leisure time - especially in the West. It is he perfect brainwashing tool - most peoples view of events are expressed in sound bites from TV programming - PROGRAMMING. It must be true if its on the TV!!

[Jimjim]

Certainly a lot of doom and gloom in the U.S. these days.

[siamamerican]

People won't change their spending and luxury habits. The shopping malls are full here in LOS and other places. I expect there to be a sudden halt of spending when job losses go up and the money just isn't there to go out and eat and drive everywhere. Habits are hard to change and so many of our bad habits are conencted to spending. There is going to be a lot of pain at one point, even right here in LOS.

With the mentality that a lot of people have nowadays in this world of easy money, I bet many will just run up their credit cards and go bankrupt letting the system/government deal with it. They know they are going under so they'll say screw it and try to get as much as they can before they do. Homeowners will fight longer to keep what they have but those with nothing to loose have nothing to loose.

Why wouldn't the malls be full. Maybe I've missed the news that we are in world wide recession. We, in the US, are in a recession that so far hasn't been that painful. It might get much worse, but there doesn't seem to be a consensus that it will. I'm in cash and waiting for sign to get back into stocks.

I agree, credit card debt has gotten out of hand and some are going to charge themselves into BK. Many of the US companies that offer credit cards have started reducing max limits, which tells me they think the future might be a little harry.

[Ulysses G.]

I stopped watching television about 7 years ago and it was amazing how much better the world became.

Highly reccommended! I have given up gradually over the past few years and i never even consider it now. I may watch the occasional DVD (once a week at most). It seems amaizing to see how TV dominates peoples leisure time - especially in the West. It is he perfect brainwashing tool - most peoples view of events are expressed in sound bites from TV programming - PROGRAMMING. It must be true if its on the TV!!

I've read a few books a week for all of my life and I watch TV whenever I feel like it. Doesn't do me a but of harm.

[whatsoever]

I stopped watching television about 7 years ago and it was amazing how much better the world became.

Highly reccommended! I have given up gradually over the past few years and i never even consider it now. I may watch the occasional DVD (once a week at most). It seems amaizing to see how TV dominates peoples leisure time - especially in the West. It is he perfect brainwashing tool - most peoples view of events are expressed in sound bites from TV programming - PROGRAMMING. It must be true if its on the TV!!

I've read a few books a week for all of my life and I watch TV whenever I feel like it. Doesn't do me a but of harm.

By your grammar i would guess cartoon books! An objective observer may determine the harm done!!

[Ulysses G.]

I stopped watching television about 7 years ago and it was amazing how much better the world became.

Highly reccommended! I have given up gradually over the past few years and i never even consider it now. I may watch the occasional DVD (once a week at most). It seems amaizing to see how TV dominates peoples leisure time - especially in the West. It is he perfect brainwashing tool - most peoples view of events are expressed in sound bites from TV programming - PROGRAMMING. It must be true if its on the TV!!

I've read a few books a week for all of my life and I watch TV whenever I feel like it. Doesn't do me a but of harm.

By your grammar i would guess cartoon books! An objective observer may determine the harm done!!

That is rich coming from someone who does not know how to use capital letters or correct punctuation. Mentally challenged, but still calling the kettle black.

Edited June 30, 2008 by Ulysses G.