"We differ from past societies in some respects that put us at lower risk than them; some of those respects mentioned often include our powerful technology, globalization, modern medicine, and greater knowledge of past societies and of distant modern societies. We also differ from past societies in some respects that put us at greater risk than them: mentioned in that connection are, again, our potent technology, globalization, the dependence of millions of us on modern medicine for our survival, and our much larger human population. Perhaps we can still learn from the past, but only if we think carefully about its lessons."
I like how Diamond lists our advantages and then bashes them and lists them as disadvantages. I've always wondered how we got to this point. It seems like our "potent technology" has spiraled out of control. I understand that our economy relies on globalization, but I don't see globalization as an advantage. We are killing the earth and shipping what it provides around in oil burning machines. I really believe people should rely on local resources to support their civilization. Modern medicine is an industry. Modern medicine could be an advantage. It definitely leads to a lower death rate. A lower death rate means an increasing population. So do the goods outweigh the bad? A global population of about 7 billion people. It sounds harsh, but maybe more people should be dying of natural causes. I'm very skeptical about modern medicine because I think it is poison. Humans are animals and we came into existence before modern medicine. We should only take things into our bodies that can be found naturally in other biological systems. The earth used to provide us with more than we could ever need. The answers are obvious but I don't think the average modern cares anymore. Perhaps they care, but there's no way to revert back to the local communities because technology has taken over. We are caught up in our day to day lives trying to fend for ourselves and make a living. There's too much competition and not enough collaboration. I certainly care and would love to live like the MacIvey's. I know there are plenty of others who feel the same way. There's no God's Earth left. Its all owned up and being managed poorly by big business and wealthy land owners. Sometimes I wonder if the only way to fix things is a collapse of modern society. It's a scary thing, but its something we must discuss as a global species.
Also, I saw this in the mail this week. More development
Page 34 of colloquium reader
"My view is that, if environmentalists aren't willing to engage with big business, which are among the most powerful forces in the modern world, it won't be possible to solve the world's environmental problems."
This is sad and only partially true. It's up to the environmentalists. Its up to the big business owners and everyone else as well. Yes, environmentalists should voice their opinions but that doesn't mean things will change. Big money always wins the battle. We can't continue with our "business as usual" lifestyle. I might sound a little crazy to a lot of people when I say I believe in a revolution, but I don't care. The system we rely upon is clearly not working. The political process is broken in my opinion. People can become politically involved, but to be heard you've got to have capital. My view is that, there is no room to argue about our environment. There's no room to engage with big business. Big business and large corporations are responsible for much of the land abuse. Nature is in a panic and I feel it as well. I can see it and I can sense it. So environmentalists must speak out, but the world has got to listen and come together instead of seeking personal benefits.
Page 22-23 of colloquium reader
"When we deplete one resource (wood, oil, or ocean fish), can we count on being able to substitute some new resource (plastics, wind and solar energy, or farmed fish)?"
The answer is no. Ocean fish rely on wild food sources. Farmed fish rely upon what humans feed them. Why are we killing our wild earth and domesticating tiny subsets? Plastics are stacking up in landfills. Miles of plastics are creating floating islands in our oceans. Polychlorinated Biphenyls are accumulating in biological systems of fish and other sea life. Then they are passed down the food chain to us. PCB's are building up in us. We drink our water from plastic bottles! Solar energy is not nearly as efficient as burning fossil fuels. If we could power cars on sunlight alone then we'd be doing it. The top of a typical car has about 5 square meters of available surface area. If this entire surface is covered with 12% efficient solar panels (a typical efficiency for a silicon solar cell), and the sun strikes the panels with an intensity of 1200 watts/square meter (typical intensity of sunlight on Earth's surface) the solar panel can generate 720 watts of power. 720 watts converts to 0.97 horsepower, not nearly enough to power a car. I do like the idea of green energy. We should convert to strictly green energy. But how many of us are giving up our cars?
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