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Page added on September 12, 2015
Oil and circuses: Our frivolous approach to the planet
The two top news stories in recent days have been the Kentucky county clerk’s refusal to issue marriage licenses and the migrant refugees arriving in Europe. The former is only blather designed to keep mindless conservatives and Christians tuned in. But the second is very serious in its immediacy and particularly in what it portends.
There is a rapidly growing consensus among climatologists that the proximal cause of the Syrian civil war is a three- to four-year drought, induced by climate change, that drove virtually all Syrian farmers off the land and into the cities where the Bashar Assad regime — because of stupidity, ignorance, arrogance, inability or indifference — offered no respite. Of course, the Bush-Cheney-Bremer policy of disenfranchising the entire Sunni population of Iraq is why that country is a failed state and has triggered and fomented the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. This is entirely a neocon disaster.
The main point of all this, though, if one can get past the anguish of the now, is that wars and migrations as a result of climate change are going to consume the world. Europe can’t deal with 150,000 migrants today? What will it do with 150,000,000? This is our future, and it’s not conjecture. We can recycle, compost, become vegan and use public transit until we’re blue in the face, and it will change nothing. The solution lies with our governments and with reorganizing our economic systems, and those systems today are controlled by those who benefit from destruction and depletion.
Oil is the most fabulous substance known. It has enabled us to emerge from the dank and dark coal and iron-ore mines when everything was made of steel or wood. Following is a sample of the more than 6,000 products we use daily made from petroleum. Imagine your life without this stuff:
Solvents; diesel; motor oil; bearing grease; ink; floor wax; ballpoint pens; football cleats; upholstery; sweaters; boats; insecticides; bicycle tires; sports-car bodies; nail polish; fishing rods and lures; dresses; tires; golf bags and balls; perfumes; cassettes and CDs; dishwashers; toolboxes; shoe polish; motorcycle and football helmets; footballs and basketballs; caulking; petroleum jelly; transparent tape; faucet washers; antiseptics; clotheslines; curtains; food preservatives; soap; vitamin capsules; antihistamines; purses; shoes; dashboards; cortisone; deodorant; putty; pantyhose; refrigerant; percolators; life jackets; rubbing alcohol; linings; skis; TV cabinets; shag rugs; electrician’s tape; tool racks; car battery cases; epoxy; mops; slacks; insect repellent; oil filters; umbrellas; yarn; fertilizers; hair coloring; roofing; toilet seats; lipstick; denture adhesive; linoleum; ice cube trays; synthetic rubber; speakers; electric blankets; glycerin; tennis rackets; rubber cement; dice; nylon rope; candles; trash bags; house paint, brushes and rollers; water pipes; hand lotion; roller skates; surfboards; shampoo; wheels; shower curtains; guitar strings; luggage; aspirin; safety glasses; antifreeze; awnings; eyeglasses; ice chests; detergents; vaporizers; balloons; sunglasses; tents; heart valves; crayons; parachutes; telephones; enamel; pillows; dishes; cameras; anesthetics; artificial turf; artificial limbs; bandages; model cars; folding doors; hair curlers; cold cream; movie film; soft contact lenses; drinking cups; fan belts; shaving cream; gasoline; ink; sound insulation; pantyhose; disposable diapers; pajamas, salad bowls; garden hose; credit cards.
So we have this most fabulous material on Earth, a miracle material, one over which we wage endless wars, and what do we do? We burn it up as fast as we can. Doesn’t that strike you as stupid? There is only a certain amount on the planet, and only a fraction of that is and ever will be available to us. Destruction and depletion. That’s how we live, and that’s how we’ll perish. This is all about us. The planet doesn’t care. We’re just one of millions of species who lived and died — who will live and die. You know how we think, or at least should think, of the Kentucky clerk story as mindless blather? That’s how the planet thinks of us.
Ron Paul is worried about another economic downturn. Ted Cruz is worried about the Iran deal. Donald Trump is worried his gardener will become a citizen. Jeb Bush wants to lower tax rates, because it worked so well when his brother did it. Mike Huckabee waits for the rapture. Hillary Clinton is worried someone might discover she’s actually a woman. And Bernie Sanders is just plain worried. None of them is talking about climate change and the catastrophe that is coming. That’s because they all think we’re stupid and that we don’t know anything the media doesn’t tell us.
Our only hope, our civilization’s only hope, is that they’re wrong. The next, and arguably last, international climate summit is in Paris in November. I suggest we all go and let the oligarchs of destruction and depletion know they’re out — one way or another. It’s time to put it on the line.
21 Comments on "Oil and circuses: Our frivolous approach to the planet"
eugene on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 9:05 am
The reality is most of us are stupid just as I think blaming others for our dilemma is stupid. We all loved the new products, the glitter, the big cars, fancy houses, the artificial wealth and the “I’m better than you” feeling. Our asses are toast. Get used to it.
ghung on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 9:21 am
“The next, and arguably last, international climate summit is in Paris in November. I suggest we all go and let the oligarchs of destruction and depletion know they’re out — one way or another.”
You’re invited:
http://350.org/power-through-paris/?akid=7478.990219.l0sITz&rd=1&t=2&utm_medium=email
apneaman on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 11:28 am
The Secret History of Oil and Money – Introduction
http://hipcrime.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-secret-history-of-oil-and-money_12.html
The Secret History of Oil and Money – Part 1
http://hipcrime.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-secret-history-of-oil-and-money.html
GregT on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 2:00 pm
From your link above Apnea;
“It turns out, OPEC was the brainchild of a Venezuelan lawyer.”
How about a quote from that same lawyer?
“Ten years from now, twenty years from now, you will see: oil will bring us ruin… Oil is the Devil’s excrement.”
Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo, a prominent Venezuelan diplomat, politician and lawyer primarily responsible for the inception and creation of OPEC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Pablo_Pérez_Alfonso
Boat on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 2:39 pm
GregT,
Countries/ groups of people since the beginning use what ever power they have at their disposal to effect their agendas and their enemies. The winners get to write history.
Boat on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 3:02 pm
So we have this most fabulous material on Earth, a miracle material, one over which we wage endless wars, and what do we do? We burn it up as fast as we can. Doesn’t that strike you as stupid?
We could burn oil much faster if the world made that the #1 goal. The billions that use very little could use much more
When I plant a garden I am not burning as much oil. When I shop for local produce I burn less of the worlds oil. When i traded my car and picked up one that got 38mph, I now use less oil. When I recycle I save oil because it requires less oil to make new products. The writer is wrong. Millions of consumers make better decisions as compared to just a few decades ago. In fact Most developed countries have many less children than before. 1.7 here in the US and a sustainable population requires 2.2. To bad so many people don’t know what is going on.
apneaman on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 3:57 pm
Ya boat then people take their savings from efficiency and drive to the Dollar store or Ikea or Best Buy and get a bunch of other shit and all the while more people are doing it and the population goes up. As per usual you ignore the “externalities”. Where you live, Huston, will be largely abandoned due to sea level rise by mid century at the latest, but probably earlier due to mega drought and and floods. But at least you get 38 mpg and that’s all that matters. Seriously, enjoy the goodies boat they will not be around too much longer.
Jevons Paradox
In economics, the Jevons paradox (/ˈdʒɛvənz/; sometimes Jevons effect) occurs when technological progress increases the efficiency with which a resource is used (reducing the amount necessary for any one use), but the rate of consumption of that resource rises because of increasing demand.[1] The Jevons paradox is perhaps the most widely known paradox in ecological economics.[2] However, governments and environmentalists generally assume that efficiency gains will lower resource consumption and are an effective policy for sustainability, ignoring the possibility of the paradox arising.[3]
In 1865, the English economist William Stanley Jevons observed that technological improvements that increased the efficiency of coal-use led to the increased consumption of coal in a wide range of industries. He argued that, contrary to common intuition, technological progress could not be relied upon to reduce fuel consumption.[4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox
apneaman on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 4:09 pm
I hope you own a boat, Boat. No one is looking out for you.
Special Report: Why metro Houston fears the next big storm Special Report: Why metro Houston fears the next big storm
“Ike hammered Galveston and its 57,000 inhabitants, funneling a surge of water around an existing seawall and into the bay. Eighty percent of Galveston’s homes were damaged or destroyed, including Merrell’s apartment building. The hurricane killed 112 people in the U.S., including 36 in the Houston-Galveston area alone, and caused nearly $30 billion in damage.
The toll left little doubt that something was needed to defend residents and the U.S. economy against the next big storm. “It’s a national security issue,” said Bob Mitchell, president of the nonprofit Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.
Six years on, Galveston and Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city, are as vulnerable as when Ike hit. No major projects are under way to fend off surging seas.”
“At least $1.4 trillion worth of property – homes and businesses – sits within about one-eighth of a mile of the U.S. coastline. That number comes from a Reuters analysis of data provided by RealtyTrac. Incomplete data for some areas means the actual total is probably much higher.”
“Most of the post-Ike disaster relief FEMA gave Texas has been spent to rebuild in the same places, as required by federal law. The agency is also offering subsidized flood insurance, another incentive to rebuild in harm’s way. Last year, Houston and Galveston officials and homeowners joined a nationwide rally to prod Congress to maintain below-market rates on flood insurance.
Galveston, like many cities along the nation’s imperiled shores, continues to encourage development. Over the past two years, the Galveston planning commission approved 81 of 85 applications to build even closer to the beach than normally permitted by state law, records show. New development is rising along the disappearing shore. Many of the expensive homes are perched on stilts.”
the rest…..
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/24/us-sealevel-fixes-galveston-specialrepor-idUSKCN0J81IM20141124
Boat on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 4:33 pm
apeman,
Jevons Paradox
More useless crap and waste of words to explain nothing.
People are in charge of themselves. People establish the priorities. When people want a policy change they can effect change if they vote in enough people with the same agenda. Your Galveston example of spending money on a bad place to build I agree is dumb. That is there problem. Along with any other low lying areas. All these people have the same access to information like you and I have. When the storm comes, their dumbness will be apparent. And I agree government giving people cut rate insurance is dumb.
But anything that lacks sustainability in anything, housing built in the wrong place/population overshoot etc will get weeded out.
apneaman on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 5:11 pm
“More useless crap and waste of words to explain nothing.”
That’s how you say you don’t like something but can’t really explain why. The reason Jevons paradox exists is BECAUSE people are in charge of themselves in a world of near unlimited abundance. Apes have inherent novelty seeking and status seeking built in, so there is no upper limit on wanting new goodies. The only way they will ever stop is if they are forced by an authority or circumstance. Throw in ridiculous levels of easy credit and here we are.
It’s not just Galveston either it’s every port city in the world. Imagine what that is going to do to global trade?
apneaman on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 5:25 pm
Boat you missed something in that article on Huston. Not only is the unsustainable housing and business built on the floodplain not getting “weeded out”, but they are building more of it than ever. Can’t put it up fast enough. Same thing in Miami where SLR is already causing trouble on a near daily basis. You seem to have a disconnect with the way things should be and the way they are.
It’s ape psychology, boat. Once you understand that we are what we are and we are not really in control, then you too will be on the path to Doomer enlightenment. Big picture – we are an evolutionary dead end like many other species that have come and gone. No ones fault, just too clever for our own good.
Boat on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 5:27 pm
apeman,
You get caught up what some other think but not all of us. I care not to build status. That is a ridicules notion. I have an air conditioner so I live in comfort. I don’t think most people in the world care if I live or die. What does that have to do with status. I drive a truck because I have to have one for work. Not a thing to do with status. Where do you come up with this crazy shyt. I don’t think you care what your neighbors think. I don’t think your neighbors care what you think unless you bother them with your crazy murder schemes.
Boat on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 5:33 pm
apeman,
Once again you are wrong. I read, I understand, I know the dangers. I just do what I can as an individual and leave it at that. I am not going to worry about it or live in fear. Or rush to the country and start a farm.
apneaman on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 5:58 pm
Boat when I make a general reference to something such as status seeking you should not always apply it to yourself and then think that if you personally don’t do something or view something that way then no one else does. Status seeking is real and a great deal of the shit we buy is because of it – that’s why “name brands” are so popular. It’s not necessarily because they are of a higher quality it’s because of what it says about you to others. Where do you think the expression “keeping up with the Jones’s” come from? Apes are social and most social creatures seek some status. It is inherent and not always harmful even many benign things like bumper stickers and volunteer work are part of it. As I said, the problem with it is there is no upper limit and in this commercialized commodified corporate world it is helping lead to our doom and much misery for many people who feel less than because of the great expectations.
Boat on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 7:39 pm
apeman,
If a person needs status and are miserable without it, they are pretty shallow.The difference of our life experiences and how we think is quite apparent. I have a tv to watch it, not to talk about how many inches it has. lol
Apneaman on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 8:02 pm
You think that makes them shallow boat? Where did they ever get the idea that life was all about consuming and collecting unnecessary stuff? Take a look at the numbers of westerners that need medication just to make it through the day in a job they hate to make more money than they actually need to buy stuff to impress people who don’t give a shit about them. That’s why TV was invented – to send that message to the masses. Don’t you know that TV ruined your life? Don’t say it didn’t it did.
How TV Ruined Your Life – Episode 1 of 6 – Fear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqeBcvHhA9M
Apneaman on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 8:36 pm
Cultivation theory
Cultivation theory is a social theory which examines the long-term effects of television. “The primary proposition of cultivation theory states that the more time people spend ‘living’ in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television.”[1] Cultivation leaves people with a misperception of what is true in our world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultivation_theory
GregT on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 10:13 pm
I have a 60 inch TV Boat, that I don’t watch. My wife does. TV is a waste of time, no matter how big it is.
ohanian on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 10:24 pm
I never understood this stupid Kentucky marriage licence issuing business. There are TWO TYPES of marriages. There is the civil marriage and the religious marriage.
The government can only issue civil marriage licence and the government has nothing to do with religious marriage. Whether a marriage is recognised as legitimate in the eyes of God or in the eyes of religion is a matter of religious marriage.
Since the government only deal with civil marriage, what right does a country clerk has to deny the issuing of a civil marriage licence?
apneaman on Sat, 12th Sep 2015 10:28 pm
Greg, I think decades of TV cultivation have lead to a massive increase in this effect.
Dunning–Kruger effect
The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias wherein relatively unskilled individuals suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly assessing their ability to be much higher than is accurate. The bias was first experimentally observed by David Dunning and Justin Kruger of Cornell University in 1999. Dunning and Kruger attributed the bias to the metacognitive inability of the unskilled to evaluate their own ability level accurately. Their research also suggests that conversely, highly skilled individuals may underestimate their relative competence, erroneously assuming that tasks that are easy for them also are easy for others.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Makati1 on Sun, 13th Sep 2015 5:59 am
TV, the most perfect method of brain washing and propaganda ever made. 24/7/365 of continuous propaganda brought to you in a form you become addicted to. They didn’t even have to hide it. “Now back to your regularly scheduled program”.
Program: noun
1. a plan of action to accomplish a specified end:
2.
a plan or schedule of activities, procedures, etc., to be followed.
3.
a radio or television performance or production.