[Nicholai]

I hope things will hold out in time for me to finish my Earth Shelter.
Whenever I get depressed, I find this video makes everything better.

Please leave your maturity at the door.
Pure Joy

[dohboi]

WARNING--If you can only read hopeful messages to stay sane, do not read further.

As montequest has pointed out, the latest stats on global climate trends and polar ice melt suggest strongly that things are unraveling much, much faster than even the worst of worst case scenarios had predicted. As far as I can tell we are already well into an aboslute catastrophe, not just of the recent, unfortunate development known as civilization, or of that cataclismic failure of a species, homo "sapiens."

No. We are facing the posibility, I would say probability of the total collapse of complex life forms, perhaps outstripping even the "Great Dying" of the Permian-Triassic extinction. With the near total colapse of the polar icecap this summer we are witness to the beginning of a runaway chain of global warming feed backs that seem very likely to drive the planet to near Venus-like conditions.

And every day each one of us takes on further responsibility for this absolute catastrophe by engaging in activities that require the burning of fossil fuels.

Where does that leave hope? More and more I see hope as a stupid, useless and indulgent emotion. We need to stop childishly yearning for some reason for "hope." Yearning for "hope" while neglecting to minimize your contribution to the problem is, frankly, disgusting. It is like punching a dying child in the face while expressing the hope that she will survive.

If one has some absolute need for something they call "hope" to make it through the day, to work toward reducing their negative impact, and to work toward a less abusive culture, who am I to take it away from you. But I can no longer see any rational basis for hope. We are in a post hope (post peak hope?) world. If realization of this fact prompts mass suicides, well, that's one way to get down the other side of the overshoot slope. I do fear that such a die off would leave only the I-don't-give-a-damn's who are the least worthy of life.

Sorry about the long rant.

Cheers,

Doh! boy

"There is hope, but not for us." Franz Kafka (the hopeless optimist)

[Lighthouse]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Kristen', 'L')et's face it, we live in an era of futureless times.

[Lighthouse]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('franky', 'D')oes anyone out there realise how much Population growth contributes to all the troubles occuring? Or am I the only one realising it?

[Pops]

Lots of good opinions!

I guess I am a little grasshopper and a little ant, I smell the roses while planting a tree.

Remember what a certain lady said:

Just goes to show ya; it’s always something.


In the end all that really matters is how you are remembered.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'L')ots of good opinions!

I guess I am a little grasshopper and a little ant, I smell the roses while planting a tree.

Remember what a certain lady said:

Just goes to show ya; it’s always something.


In the end all that really matters is how you are remembered.

[Pops]

Now, now.

I don’t feel this subject trivial in the least and completely on point.

Futureless Times seems to be a valid reaction to some (or most) of the stuff posted hereabouts and certainly germane to the point of oil depletion wreaking havoc on the lifestyle to which we have become accustomed.

My quote was simply to illustrate we have faced adversity (the Something) before (the Always) and are still here.

We can talk via PM if you like.

[CarlinsDarlin]

Rosanna Rosannadanna

[bodigami]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('CarlinsDarlin', '[')s]Rosanna Rosannadanna[/s] bumping the thread for the newbies

[allenwrench]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Kristen', 'L')et's face it, we live in an era of futureless times. Everyday there is a new report that gets released saying how screwed we are. They all sing about the oceans being toxic in a hundred years, terrorism, famine, massive death, chemical wastelands.. etc, etc ETC!!! It's negative news overkill! It's also very demotivating. What's the point in trying and getting ahead if your destination is going to be extinct in ten years? My mother and I have discussed this sort of rationale and she said "Kristen, you have to live as if everything is going to fine. You can't control what's going on in the world, so focus on yourself and don't worry about the big things." The big things make the big differences in life! I also told her luck favors the prepared mind, and she rolled her eyes. Do you think I'm being to pessimistic?

[Hermes]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Kristen', 'D')o you think I'm being to pessimistic?

[HellKaiserRyo]

I wonder if some people will plan to commit suicide instead of becoming survivalists during post peak.

[skeptik]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')s there any reason to hope in these futureless times...

[Hermes]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('HellKaiserRyo', 'I') wonder if some people will plan to commit suicide instead of becoming survivalists during post peak.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', '
')Self-sufficiency is the key to survival.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'P')otassium, and most of it comes from Morocco. We're screwed, all of us.

[blukatzen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Boris555', 'I')s there any reason to hope?

What kind of question is that? The future will always be there and it will always be different. And it will be fine.
Looking back, it seems we lived in a horrible, unsafe, lawless, boring place. But hell, we had a great time. Just as much fun as we do now.
So yeah, there's a future. It will be just as fun as now, and just as fun as 20 years ago...or 40 years ago. It will just be different.

[darwinsdog]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', '
')Self-sufficiency is the key to survival.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', '
')Potassium, and most of it comes from Morocco. We're screwed, all of us.

[Kristen]

Yeah, I can see all the points you guys have made. The problem with the future is it is a blank space waiting to be filled up. There's always some uncertainty involved and that tends to make me and others feel insecure about it, Its like your driving on a highway towards dark and threatening towers of clouds even though the sun is still pleasantly smiling through your windshield. Once you pass through the storm and look behind it in the rear view mirror it seems less timid. I can only hope for the best and that maybe one day I can look behind at these times with less anxiety