[backstop]

Ibon -

thanks for your response.

Something I would emphasize is that IMHO what we're working towards is essentially an ideological shift,
for all it has many drivers including PO, GW, soil depletion, etc.

It is not simply the idea of the geological & ecological limits, which demand the contraction and restructuring of our energy usage;
it is also the idea of sharing available resources to achieve mutual sufficiency - an openness to the needs of others in a convergence towards per capita rights of sufficiency.

The latter may from conventional C20 perspectives appear pretty far fetched, but in reality it is an issue of sheer practicality, besides common humanity.

Using the Singapore power-pricing example, in that plutocratic and highly capitalist island society,
the planners foresaw that a "free" [unregulated] power market would lead to the wealthy outbidding the rest for the available power supplies,
leading to privation, disruption of production, rioting in the streets and, predictably, molotov cocktails coming through the boardrrom window.

Organizing a reasonably equitable pricing structure, whereby the wealthy paid highly for the additional supply capacity they desired,
was plainly both the fairer and the far more productive option.

Thus I'd suggest that to have any serious prospect of "PowerDown" we cannot ignore the need also to establish "EquityUp" -

No doubt better titles can be found somewhere along the way . . . .

regards,

Backstop

[annie]

Imminent Peril, Part 2
Dale Allen Pfeiffer in Dale Allen Pfeiffer's Blog
Sunday 29 of January, 2006

Note: The Washington Post and The New York Times have both published stories asserting that Global Climate Change is now accepted by the majority of the world's scientists, and that global warming is proceeding at a greater rate than anyone had anticipated. The question now is: will global warming reach a tipping point where positive feedback mechanisms will take over, resulting in irreversible and catastrophic climate change? And how long do we have to reverse the trend before the process passes the point of no return. Of course, the Bush Administration does not want to US public to know about this.

You can read about the articles on my blog. And you can read my series on Global Climate Change on my blog.

Introduction

In the first half of this article, we reviewed the unprecedented warnings issued during the past decade by the world scientific community. And we summarized the results of the first global assessment studies, which were issued in just the last couple years. We learned that virtually all of the planet’s major ecosystems have been stressed to the brink of collapse. And we were warned that we have only one generation, or at most two, in which to deal with these impending crises..............
http://www.lulu.com/allenadale

[Gary]

Thanks for the heads up!

The second installment of this article was very fine.

I've not read such an accurate summary of our situation anywhere else.

So few people understand our relationship to our planet, and just as few understand our current economic arrangement.

I'd be curious to have a discussion about both.

Are we really in danger of climate and energy catastrophe?

Are we in danger of an economic collapse, and would that render most of us debt-slaves?

And if so, what steps are most helpful?

[Jake_old]

Its nice to see the relevant issues being contemplated

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')Whether this media bias is deliberate or systemic,

[erl]

Good article.

But, I don't think the description of Christian Zionists was accurate. The article may reflect the general perception of them, but it is way off the mark regarding their beliefs and/or attitudes.

Also, I don't believe GWB can be accurately described as a Christian Zionist.

[gg3]

Bottom line, we're screwed. The political and economic inertia is too large to turn around in the time we have left.

So, we are well and truly screwed.

[RacerJace]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '.').If the US continues to pursue its current strategy, then this country will become a police state in every sense of the word. The privileged classes will complete their flight to guarded and gated communities, while the rest of the population will be left to contend with a collapsed economy, energy impoverishment and starvation. Civil liberties will be dismissed and the constitution retired. Anger and dissent will be met with overwhelming repression. A massive military organization will take command of the world’s resources while forcing the world population to accept a harsh military justice.

[ashurbanipal]

I don't know whether he describes Christian Zionists correctly or not, but he accurately sums up the attitudes and beliefs of most Christians in the area of the world I currently inhabit.

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('erl', 'A')lso, I don't believe GWB can be accurately described as a Christian Zionist.

[Geko45]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TommyJefferson', 'H')e is a premillennial dispensationalist. Every year he gives billions of our tax dollars to Israel. He supports Israel unilaterally.

[thor]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Geko45', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TommyJefferson', 'H')e is a premillennial dispensationalist. Every year he gives billions of our tax dollars to Israel. He supports Israel unilaterally.

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Geko45', 'H')e has openly advocated a two-state solution to the Israeli/Palestinian issue