New Zealand Celsias

I think we are living in a time of enormous change and it's fascinating. The internet I think is progress in a world-changing, culture-shifting, revolutionary way. It is showing a few billion of us how interconnected we are, and spreading knowledge like never before, but we forget that it's really incredibly new technology (at least in its current people-friendly form).

Because so many of us have only been thinking about these tough questions for a few years, we overlook how quickly culture changes, probably because we've never had cause to think about it before. Looking back on the past gives me hope for the future. So, in terms of climate change, if we look at 2050 (41 years from now) as the 'end zone' where emissions have to be down 80-90%, I find it reassuring to look back at where the world was 41 years ago -- to get a sense of how much things could potentially change by 2050. I did some research on this last year, when it was 42 years (see Lindis, 42 IS the answer! Or at least, it was last year). Will post it in a separate blog entry as it's quite long.

As for America's Next Top Model, man, I NEED that sort of thing. if I only thought about heavy, hard issues all the time and didn't tune out for a couple hours a day, I'd end up seriously freakin' depressed and be no use to anyone. It's like medicine to me! But I guess that just proves the point that TV really is the opiate of the masses.

Written in September 2009

When I listen to music I think 'human kind' might be 'here for a reason' but then I look at all the disgusting things we can get up to, from mass murder to child molestation, and the mega cruelty to animals 'we' perform by the second.
We act no differently than cockroaches. But even if we were all Buddhist monks the very simple maths of 6.8 billion people fitting on this finite planet, without fossil fuels, and not damage the environment so badly that 'we' can not survive, is imposable. Just the simple act of feeding us all is now more than the current environment can naturally produce
Humans manufacture 2 times more nitrogen than Nature and that goes into food production and comes from natural gas. Clearly things can not go on, not using plastic bags isn't going to help;) a bit like taking a cup of water to the Victorian bush fires. Investing in Kiwi Saver will not help ether, but the green party seem to think so.
This one hour experiment is in it's 59th minute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fPcgW6zPzg
As for the internet, I predict it will die soon enough, as it is very very dependent on oil, and a functioning economy, no jobs, no money, no internet, and no oil, no coal, no electricity, no internet.
The more I know about humans the more I love my dog.

Written in September 2009

Thanks for all your replies... it's been most interesting journey through the comments... good to know that people out there can see both sides of the coin. I guess I resonate with you Annabel about the TV (or other) escapism for people working in this area so we do not get utterly depressed... but as you noted, it is so easy for that to become utterly the ONLY thing people focus on.

I guess here is another thing philosophically that I'm grappling with: what is the balance between doing good out there in the world and still trying to get something for yourself at the end of the day? How much warrants a noble personal sacrifice, and how much is being a needless martyr? As for my case, I've resolved to likely not have kids, not interested in pets, gave up the car, minimise consumption, reuse materials, eat organic... but travel (and from NZ -- planes) is definitely my Achilles heel. Where do you draw that line in life of experiences you are willing to give up, vs. what you view as necessity? How do you make that call?

Written in September 2009