A weblog with random thoughts and reflections on society and ecology.
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Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Rants
Here is the discontinued Rants section, expressing some of the frustrations that can come up from living in the US. It is all relatively one-sided. I (mostly) discontinued it for many reasons...
It is vital to have some sense of what is going on. But focusing on the problems rather than the solutions is more likely to continue the same patterns than initiate something more constructive. The most life-affirming approach may be to address the serious issues while focusing on constructive and real-life solutions.
22:18
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Thursday, April 14, 2005
News & Orientation
This is something I have been curious about for a long time.
Trivial and Problem Oriented News
In the news - and this seems universally true these days - there is typically a focus on a limited categories of stories. (a) Pure entertainment. (b) Single instances of tragedies. (c) Serius issues where the main focus is on what does not work. And/or (d) trivial "good news" focusing on "feel-good" stories of small scope and little importance.
The first one may - in the best cases - tell us something about the universal human situation through a story about a celebrity or someone else. The second may have little but shock and entertainment value, beyond helping us getting in touch with the universal aspect of tragedy in human life in general and ours in particular (one aspect of human life). For the third category, there is a good reason why we are attracted to serious issues - we need to know about what threatens our well being and/or life. But there does not seem to be a good reason to focus mostly on what does not work, beyond strengthening a tendency for judgement, blame, etc (an us-them view). And the feel-good stories are added to sweeten the mix, but they typically do not have much substance.
Solution Oriented News
What is left out is the type of stories I find most interesting and valuable. Stories of substance that focus on real-life, constructive, life-supporting solutions to serious issues. Just about the only publication I know that consistently does this, is Yes! magazine - although they are only a quarterly publications. There seems to be a large unfilled marked here. I cannot be the only person dissatisfied with the problem-oriented angle mainstream news typically takes, and the empty stories that goes for "good news".
Today, maybe more than ever, we need stories that are (a) substancial, focusing on (b) solutions (c) that are proven to work (d) concerning the serious issues that face us.
20:21
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Saturday, March 12, 2005
Big Here & Long Now
Our generation is one where we have the opportunity to develope a more integral and larger perspective view, along with a situation where this is required for our survival.
We need a Big Here & Long Now perspective, to borrow a phrase from Brian Eno.
Here are a few examples...
The Integral Institute
Working on developing an AQAL (all quadrants, all lines) map, exploring how specific approaches fit into the overall picture, and ways to apply the framework and specific approaches in a more effective way - in all aspects of human life.
The Great Story
The story of the universe - as developed through science - as the greater context for our own lives - and as a source of awe, mystery, meaning and sense of belonging.
The Long Now
A project to help us view ourselves within a longer timescale.
Pattern Map
An example of a big here/long now view informing our view of ourselves, applied to our relationships with social and ecological systems.
21:45
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Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Human Mind
Peak Oil is one of those areas where some of the peculiarities of the human mind is revealed.
Oblivious
Most people are oblivious to the issues around peak oil, although it is something that is likely to significantly impact their lives. Either they have not heard or thought about it, or they know about it but (a) think it will not affect them or (b) that someone else will take care of it.
Blind Attachments
And some are strongly committed to either the worst or the best case scenario. They tend to be not willing to sincerely consider other views or data that does not fit into their preferred scenario. In Eugene, many have a strong commitment to the worst case scenario and filter any information through this perspective.
Going out in this extreme may be triggered by seeing the obliviousness of the majority of the population, the active denial of another segment, the real challenges in the situation, and - in some cases - a habitual tendency to go into an adversarial and victim mode around these types of issues.
Rational
A more rational approach is to accept that it is a significant issue that will impact most of us in our lifetime. We need to take it seriously and make the changes necessary so the transition will go as painlessly as possible (although it will certainly involve various types of discomfort).
This approach also takes into account the enormous adaptivity of life in general and - in this case - humans in particular. The history of Earth and humans certainly does not lack significant crisis situations that life found a way to adapt to, and in many cases turn to its benefit.
History also tells us that what really occurred in most cases were not as bad as the worst case scenario, and not as good as the best case scenario...
In terms of peak oil, we do have the behavioral and technological solutions necessary to make a transition away from oil dependency. We also have an international economy that will pour its resources into these technologies whenever they obviously are more profitable than oil technology (and this transition will occur gradually along with the increases in cost of oil, although it will also occur relatively rapidly). And behavioral change tend to occur when people are forced to, again most likely through steadily increasing oil prices.
There will be a crisis of sorts, but most likely not as catastrophic as the worst case scenarios, and - for that matter - as smooth as the best case scenarios.
01:08
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Sunday, January 23, 2005
Ecology & Mind
When we look at human history across cultures, it almost seems human nature to damage the ecosystems we live in.
Practically all human cultures have done so, mostly because they could. It was not a serious problem. A small population and simple technology allowed the ecosystems to regenerate. And if it didn't, they could move to a different area. In some cases, they could not move and there was a significant loss of population and culture.
Today, we are in a new situation. Our global population and our technologies have reached very high levels, we consume more resources than global ecosystems can regenerate, and we have nowhere else to go.
Our only solution seems to be a deep culture change - a change in technology, behavior and worldview.
We have solutions in all these areas. It is up to us to decide how smooth the transition will be.
23:58
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