Anyone feel things are about to come to a head? Global food crisis, global warming etc etc..

[Locut0s]

First I'd like to distance myself from those that like the talk of Armageddon and cries of "the sky is falling". I distincly dislike the extremist frindge you hear talking about the end of the world comming, global warming is going to cause 200 foot sea rises, we will soon be thown back into the dark ages etc etc... Aside from being misinformed and usually completely uninterested in the actual facts their constant cries of wolf lull the rest of us into a false sense of security sometimes and blind us to the real wolves that are out there.

Global warming, the end of oil, population increase and pollution really are going to cause nightmarish problems down the road, if not the dystopian world many are crying about. Satellites aren't going to fall out of the sky and the global communications network isn't going to implode, we aren't going back to the horse and buggy. But that doesn't mean that hundreds of millions aren't at the risk of dyeing in the near future.

I see some very dangerous signs on the horizon that the press seems to be largely ignoring. The near 30 year high in global food prices, souring oil prices and growing hunger in the undeveloped world are a perfect storm in the making. Perhaps I wouldn't feel as jittery if there was more press coverage but all you hear from most of the major news outlets, US, Canadian and world wide are short 2 minute spinets on oil prices and the like while the vast majority of coverage remains local and global politics. For one thing there should at least be a very loud global consensus screaming at the US to stop its subsidized bio ethanol practice that has been a major source of the current global food crises to begin with and only serves to further exacerbate it. Unless something is done soon I fear the news of the deaths of tens of millions from starvation.

 

[sandorski]

There are a number of major issues all converging. If we're up to the task, we'll be better off in the longrun. If not, hopefully the next Civilization learns from our mistakes.

 

[Moonbeam]

And today we will launch one of our greatest Presidents on his way.

 

[Zebo]

Ive definitely thought about it and have tried to stay in shape and make preparations in case SHTF so we could hopefully survive it. e.g. live on 5 acres, understand gardening, have three months food on hand, sleeping bags, candles etc. I don't really fear it and sorta look at it as an adventure meanwhile running every morning makes me feel better currently. The other problems you mention would take care of themselves as oil runs out as they are a direct function of cheap abundant oil.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: Zebo
Ive definitely thought about it and have tried to stay in shape and make preparations in case SHTF so we could hopefully survive it. e.g. live on 5 acres, understand gardening, have three months food on hand, sleeping bags, candles etc. I don't really fear it and sorta look at it as an adventure meanwhile running every morning makes me feel better currently. The other problems you mention would take care of themselves as oil runs out as they are a direct function of cheap abundant oil.

I think the "learn survival skills just in case you need to live off the land" scenario falls under the fearmongering section I wanted to discredit at the beginning at least for those of us living in the 1st world and for the foreseeable future. I suppose it could come to that but I'm just cynical enough to think that the 1st world isn't going to let go of it's current lifestyle without a huge fight and by that I mean it will drag the 3rd world down into the depths of hell and lower before we ever end up having to live off the land here. Which is exactly what I am afraid will start to happen if sensible actions aren't enacted soon.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: Zebo
Ive definitely thought about it and have tried to stay in shape and make preparations in case SHTF so we could hopefully survive it. e.g. live on 5 acres, understand gardening, have three months food on hand, sleeping bags, candles etc. I don't really fear it and sorta look at it as an adventure meanwhile running every morning makes me feel better currently. The other problems you mention would take care of themselves as oil runs out as they are a direct function of cheap abundant oil.

I think the "learn survival skills just in case you need to live off the land" scenario falls under the fearmongering section I wanted to discredit at the beginning at least for those of us living in the 1st world and for the foreseeable future. I suppose it could come to that but I'm just cynical enough to think that the 1st world isn't going to let go of it's current lifestyle without a huge fight and by that I mean it will drag the 3rd world down into the depths of hell and lower before we ever end up having to live off the land here. Which is exactly what I am afraid will start to happen if sensible actions aren't enacted soon.

No choice in the matter. We cant maintain this lifestyle without go juice and its running out. The so-called alternatives cant make up for the loss of fossils even 10%.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: Zebo

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: Zebo
Ive definitely thought about it and have tried to stay in shape and make preparations in case SHTF so we could hopefully survive it. e.g. live on 5 acres, understand gardening, have three months food on hand, sleeping bags, candles etc. I don't really fear it and sorta look at it as an adventure meanwhile running every morning makes me feel better currently. The other problems you mention would take care of themselves as oil runs out as they are a direct function of cheap abundant oil.

I think the "learn survival skills just in case you need to live off the land" scenario falls under the fearmongering section I wanted to discredit at the beginning at least for those of us living in the 1st world and for the foreseeable future. I suppose it could come to that but I'm just cynical enough to think that the 1st world isn't going to let go of it's current lifestyle without a huge fight and by that I mean it will drag the 3rd world down into the depths of hell and lower before we ever end up having to live off the land here. Which is exactly what I am afraid will start to happen if sensible actions aren't enacted soon.

No choice in the matter. We cant maintain this lifestyle without go juice and its running out. The so-called alternatives cant make up for the loss of fossils even 10%.

Sure they can it's only a matter of how quickly we are willing to change and how much money we will need to invest. Technology wise there is no reason why a mix of alternatives can't make up for the loss of fossil fuels. There is enough coal alone to power our society for generations to come, so long as it's burned using some for of carbon sequestration and or storage. I'm talking about REAL clean coal not the ad campaign the current coal industry is running. Add other alternative sources to the mix and it's definitely doable. All cars can be converted to plugin hybrids and electrics. Again all of this is possible it's just a matter of how much money it's going to cost and if we are willing to foot such a bill. Eventually something like this has to happen anyway.

 

[MadRat]

We can all make it through the pain and suffering if we just learn to get along. Unfortunately the U.S. is the world's dart board. Everyone blames the lone superpower for every problem that ever existed. Funny thing is the U.S. is hardly a speck of dust relative to the rest of civilizations that preceded it. The problems that the world faces today are millennium old ignorances. You just cannot pass off problems one generation to the next and promise some Messiah is going to fix everything in the end, which is how over half the world seems to think.

 

[Kappo]

Originally posted by: Zebo

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: Zebo
Ive definitely thought about it and have tried to stay in shape and make preparations in case SHTF so we could hopefully survive it. e.g. live on 5 acres, understand gardening, have three months food on hand, sleeping bags, candles etc. I don't really fear it and sorta look at it as an adventure meanwhile running every morning makes me feel better currently. The other problems you mention would take care of themselves as oil runs out as they are a direct function of cheap abundant oil.

I think the "learn survival skills just in case you need to live off the land" scenario falls under the fearmongering section I wanted to discredit at the beginning at least for those of us living in the 1st world and for the foreseeable future. I suppose it could come to that but I'm just cynical enough to think that the 1st world isn't going to let go of it's current lifestyle without a huge fight and by that I mean it will drag the 3rd world down into the depths of hell and lower before we ever end up having to live off the land here. Which is exactly what I am afraid will start to happen if sensible actions aren't enacted soon.

No choice in the matter. We cant maintain this lifestyle without go juice and its running out. The so-called alternatives cant make up for the loss of fossils even 10%.

Think of how fast we went from windows3.1 to Iphones, quad core processors, and just technology in general. It's possible, just need the right motivation

 

[Corbett]

Originally posted by: Zebo
Ive definitely thought about it and have tried to stay in shape and make preparations in case SHTF so we could hopefully survive it. e.g. live on 5 acres, understand gardening, have three months food on hand, sleeping bags, candles etc. I don't really fear it and sorta look at it as an adventure meanwhile running every morning makes me feel better currently. The other problems you mention would take care of themselves as oil runs out as they are a direct function of cheap abundant oil.

LOL!

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
And today we will launch one of our greatest Presidents on his way.

Let's wait and see how he does before we add his face to Mt. Rushmore. From what I can tell he has no intention of addressing the world's population explosion-driven Malthusian crisis and no intention of ending mass immigration into the United States (both legal and illegal).

I'm sure that Obama has the intelligence to understand these problems but will he be able to shrug off his blue sky, benevolent universe premise of the world in order to see the harsh reality?

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: Zebo

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: Zebo
Ive definitely thought about it and have tried to stay in shape and make preparations in case SHTF so we could hopefully survive it. e.g. live on 5 acres, understand gardening, have three months food on hand, sleeping bags, candles etc. I don't really fear it and sorta look at it as an adventure meanwhile running every morning makes me feel better currently. The other problems you mention would take care of themselves as oil runs out as they are a direct function of cheap abundant oil.

I think the "learn survival skills just in case you need to live off the land" scenario falls under the fearmongering section I wanted to discredit at the beginning at least for those of us living in the 1st world and for the foreseeable future. I suppose it could come to that but I'm just cynical enough to think that the 1st world isn't going to let go of it's current lifestyle without a huge fight and by that I mean it will drag the 3rd world down into the depths of hell and lower before we ever end up having to live off the land here. Which is exactly what I am afraid will start to happen if sensible actions aren't enacted soon.

No choice in the matter. We cant maintain this lifestyle without go juice and its running out. The so-called alternatives cant make up for the loss of fossils even 10%.

Sure they can it's only a matter of how quickly we are willing to change and how much money we will need to invest. Technology wise there is no reason why a mix of alternatives can't make up for the loss of fossil fuels. There is enough coal alone to power our society for generations to come, so long as it's burned using some for of carbon sequestration and or storage. I'm talking about REAL clean coal not the ad campaign the current coal industry is running. Add other alternative sources to the mix and it's definitely doable. All cars can be converted to plugin hybrids and electrics. Again all of this is possible it's just a matter of how much money it's going to cost and if we are willing to foot such a bill. Eventually something like this has to happen anyway.

All these platitudes are scientifically/economically addressed here
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/SecondPage.html

Coal - a fossil fuel which is disappearing in 200 years (peak coal) which will diminish geometrically as we replace oil with it.

Alternatives are and will continue to be infinitesimal.

Cars being electric or hybrid doesnt solve the fuel problem at all. It's just a different means of transporting and using fuel.

I hope these experts are wrong but I don't see how they can be without some miracle energy machine.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
And today we will launch one of our greatest Presidents on his way.

Let's wait and see how he does before we add his face to Mt. Rushmore. From what I can tell he has no intention of addressing the world's population explosion-driven Malthusian crisis and no intention of ending mass immigration into the United States (both legal and illegal).

I'm sure that Obama has the intelligence to understand these problems but will he be able to shrug off his blue sky, benevolent universe premise of the world in order to see the harsh reality?

Whoever wins, if you want to call it winning, will go down as worst in history. There are no solutions (at least quick ones) to the economic storm coming brought about by 30 years of irresponsibility. From debt to energy policy to dumbing down of our nation we are fucked.

Energy crisis
The price of nearly everything will be going up
http://www.chron.com/disp/stor...editorial/5812972.html

Keep in mind governments, local, state, ad federal will have to raise taxes to supply same basic serives. Raise taxes on a population who's already seeing all their other costs going though the roof due to the same problem, oil. It's like a snowball into poverty many formerly middle class Americans will not take kindly to.

 

[brencat]

It's amazing how much stress there is among so many of you about things you have no control over. Perhaps when you get older and cynical like me, you'll realize the truth of the lyrics to "Angry Young Man" by Billy Joel:

I believe Ive passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage
I found that just surviving was a noble fight.
I once believed in causes too,
I had my pointless point of view,
And life went on no matter who was wrong or right.

Here's an idea...work hard in school, get a good job, make as much effing money as possible, raise a family, take care of your own, and MYOFB! If we all did those basic things well, collectively as a society we would be unstoppable.

 

[jonks]

Go listen to We Didn't Start the Fire one more time and then tell me that things are more extreme now than they've ever been. There's always some reason to expect the end of the world, it just somehow keeps not happening.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: Zebo

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
And today we will launch one of our greatest Presidents on his way.

Let's wait and see how he does before we add his face to Mt. Rushmore. From what I can tell he has no intention of addressing the world's population explosion-driven Malthusian crisis and no intention of ending mass immigration into the United States (both legal and illegal).

I'm sure that Obama has the intelligence to understand these problems but will he be able to shrug off his blue sky, benevolent universe premise of the world in order to see the harsh reality?

Whoever wins, if you want to call it winning, will go down as worst in history. There are no solutions (at least quick ones) to the economic storm coming brought about by 30 years of irresponsibility. From debt to energy policy to dumbing down of our nation we are fucked.

Energy crisis
The price of nearly everything will be going up
http://www.chron.com/disp/stor...editorial/5812972.html

Keep in mind governments, local, state, ad federal will have to raise taxes to supply same basic serives. Raise taxes on a population who's already seeing all their other costs going though the roof due to the same problem, oil. It's like a snowball into poverty many formerly middle class Americans will not take kindly to.

Think of a rocket ship. In the beginning there's a lot of noise. Later you're pinned in your seat. Change is coming geometrically.

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: Zebo

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: Zebo
Ive definitely thought about it and have tried to stay in shape and make preparations in case SHTF so we could hopefully survive it. e.g. live on 5 acres, understand gardening, have three months food on hand, sleeping bags, candles etc. I don't really fear it and sorta look at it as an adventure meanwhile running every morning makes me feel better currently. The other problems you mention would take care of themselves as oil runs out as they are a direct function of cheap abundant oil.

I think the "learn survival skills just in case you need to live off the land" scenario falls under the fearmongering section I wanted to discredit at the beginning at least for those of us living in the 1st world and for the foreseeable future. I suppose it could come to that but I'm just cynical enough to think that the 1st world isn't going to let go of it's current lifestyle without a huge fight and by that I mean it will drag the 3rd world down into the depths of hell and lower before we ever end up having to live off the land here. Which is exactly what I am afraid will start to happen if sensible actions aren't enacted soon.

No choice in the matter. We cant maintain this lifestyle without go juice and its running out. The so-called alternatives cant make up for the loss of fossils even 10%.

Sure they can it's only a matter of how quickly we are willing to change and how much money we will need to invest. Technology wise there is no reason why a mix of alternatives can't make up for the loss of fossil fuels. There is enough coal alone to power our society for generations to come, so long as it's burned using some for of carbon sequestration and or storage. I'm talking about REAL clean coal not the ad campaign the current coal industry is running. Add other alternative sources to the mix and it's definitely doable. All cars can be converted to plugin hybrids and electrics. Again all of this is possible it's just a matter of how much money it's going to cost and if we are willing to foot such a bill. Eventually something like this has to happen anyway.

The great human fault is thinking that we can fix/overcome whatever issue we come across.

 

[Jaskalas]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
And today we will launch one of our greatest Presidents on his way.

Obama is the greatest seven months before inauguration? Just imagine what he can do once elected!

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally posted by: brencat
Here's an idea...work hard in school, get a good job, make as much effing money as possible, raise a family, take care of your own, and MYOFB! If we all did those basic things well, collectively as a society we would be unstoppable.

Obviously you have no grasp of the nature nor the magnitude of this issue. Your post implying that work ethic will allow a person to magically transcend the problem might well qualify for the moronic post of the week award. (Heck--working hard, proving yourself, and having or obtaining higher education isn't even a guarantee that a person can do well in a poor or even average job market where stories about hard working educated people who cannot find decent employment abound.)

 

[sportage]

I've had the same eerie feeling as the OP.
Regardless of presidents and leaders, bad times are a comin...

Today, our goals are lower gas prices, food prices, higher wages, more and
better jobs, and then there is healthcare we can count on.

I tend to believe 6 years from now, we will have forgotten those goals
and our new goal will be to make it from one sunup to the next.

9/11 will seem like a picnic, compared to.

Maybe I shouldn?t post this...

 

[StageLeft]

Media is not a fair reprsentation of reality unless it's taken in context. We see the availability heuristic. It is why people think, for example, they're less safe than they were 40 years ago but in reality are safer. In the grand scheme, we're doing pretty damn well. People with poor and pessimistic attitudes will focus on the negatives to their fault.

Not to say it's all rosy and there are some real problems, as there always are. I don't see things "coming to a head" yet. Maybe that is in part because I refuse to live long term negatively. It's just not a good way to live

 

[yllus]

It's not that things today are that bad, it's that things for the last decade and a half were unnaturally good.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: RichardE
The great human fault is thinking that we can fix/overcome whatever issue we come across.

How is that a fault? If at least some of us didn't think that, wouldn't we all still be eating berries and trying to bash a bison skull in with a rock? I'll acknowledge it can be a failing, but I'd say its also our greatest strength. No one ever accomplished anything by sitting around saying it can't be done. No one ever died or lost their family fortune either, but they certainly never accomplished anything!

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: yllus
It's not that things today are that bad, it's that things for the last decade and a half were unnaturally good.

Yep. It hasn't been perfect by any means, but we've had quite a little golden age since the end of the Cold War. Much of the world has seen unprecedented prosperity and/or development. Now we have to figure out how to sustain it, which will require technological advancement and some radical changes.

 

[Zedtom]

The prosperity that first world countries have been enjoying is counterbalanced by tremendous poverty and starvation in third world countries. Those people are under the thumb of powerful groups that could care less about our problems.