Escape Velocity

I have chosen to take some time off to travel and to research and discuss potential solutions for what we are facing. Within a decade we are entering a global crisis, which if not immediately addressed will lead to a situation that humanity is unlikely to recover from. Unpredictable weather patterns and weather fluctuations will affect even major modern cities, which have no technology in place to deal with climate change.

Lack of transportation, unhygienic conditions and resulting illness will make all of us suffer. Even the very wealthy will not be immune to pandemics; viruses and bacteria do not discriminate. In fact, if mankind turns itself into a self-created endangered species, the very poor are the most likely to survive. While this may sound harsh, their immune systems are better equipped to deal with a potential post-civilized world and are already used to using grocery carts as an environmentally friendly mode of transporting their belongings.

Scientists are desperate to talk to each other, come up with new ideas and research for science and humanity´s sake, but are prevented from doing so by international patent and non-disclosure agreements. The primary and immediate solution is to start funding research into new technology without an immediate financial benefit. Like bankers and investors, scientists themselves need to create networks to freely exchange thoughts and ideas across geographic and disciplinary boundaries.

If there was any colonized or terraformed planet available I would move, but I am stuck on this beloved pale blue dot and cannot climb into a comfy spaceship to reach the escape velocity required to overcome the gravitational pull of mankind´s irresponsibility and self-destruction.

We are facing a sisyphean struggle, but at least I hope to count myself among those who tried to make this world a more livable place.

Science: 400 ppm And I Blame Star Trek

By Justin Bilicki

"Could you kindly rephrase that in equivocal, inaccurate, vague, self-serving and roundabout terms that we can all understand?"

Certainly.

Science, Technology, Creation and Innovation are our future. I learned that watching Star Trek. Science will let us live longer and eventually better. Science will help us cope with inevitable climate chaos ("change" is for wimps).

If those in power and of influence fund it. Power. I have spent too much time with those that suffer from the illusion of power. I knew that when I joined a global cause a few years ago that we were fighting a losing battle. Groups of us have formed across fields and continents, desperate to share our knowledge with each other.

Fellow geeks who share with child-like abandon. Look what I found! Cool, it's a rock. I found a tadpole. Hey, look at this everyone, the sun is doing something neat right now. Whooooaaa.

Oligopolies do not share with the other children.

We presented. Talked. TED talked. Presentations. Travel. Meetings. Talking. With people who do not understand a single concept and believe that accelerating graphs of over 300 ppm mean that the economy is doing well. During one particularly bored meeting and chronic interruptions by mobile technology, I walked out in the middle of my own presentation. Futile.

I went on hikes, cleared my head and decided that this was not worth my time. It felt right. There was no point explaining to anyone that the earth will be fine, new species will replace us. Nature reclaims.

I watched movies with HQ and the kittehs. Tried to read or paint. Tuned out the floods and the suffering that will follow. Tried to play video games. Thought about video games.

Then 400 ppm came. Still there. Faster than anyone calculated.

Thought about Homo Sapiens and Star Trek and Inception.

We have been treading water, time to learn how to swim again.
 

 

In Case Of Emergency: Find Your Blanket

An unexpected gift arrived. Someone out there had sent me a random act of kindness. I looked at the unassuming cardboard box, but did not recognize the sender. A company that was likely used to package and ship exotic chocolates, coffee or biscuits. Perhaps a technological gadget?

With childlike abandon and exuberance, I unboxed the contents. I dug through environmentally (un)friendly Styrofoam peanuts to discover....

A BLANKET! A blanket?!!?

Not just any blanket. A gender-neutral plaid fleece blanket, rolled up in its very own space-saving bag. Who would send me such a thoughtful gift of warmth?

There was a generic card extending its gratitude for my patronage sent by my insurance company, The Profiteers.

The subliminal message was clear:

Dear customer,
in appreciation for your loyalty please accept our gift made out of plastic, a byproduct of the oil industry. Speaking of the oil industry, while we no longer cover any acts of Man, we are pleased to inform you that in the event of flooding, loss of electricity or flying debris, you are fully covered. With a blanket.

This multipurpose blanket, when spread out, will likely attract your loved ones and your pets. In case of emergency, simply roll up your cats and sprint for your nearest door or window.

Always thinking of you and your loved ones during these climate challenged times. Please remember that as long as you have your blanket, you are not on your own.

With utmost indifference,
The Profiteers

Cognitive Dissonance And Then I Lost The Plot

By Dan Golden

Confusion has set in. Belief systems are being tested. Paradigm shifts are in progress. The chronic pull of internet distraction (the new drug of complacency), has replaced the increasingly insubstantial television programs (the old drug of complacency).

Like a prospector at the height of the gold rush, too much time is spent sifting through the dirt searching for precious metals.  Too much time has been spent arguing, discussing and explaining the most basic principles of science to the ignorant; without action. Futility is the new exercise program.

Then came a storm, which took too many by surprise. "T'was foretold". There is nothing like being faced with the most elemental of forces to trigger primal responses. The strange exhilaration of experiencing a real threat that requires immediate action. Then comes the satisfaction of knowing that one is as prepared as one can be, and that there are alternatives. Alternatives that are not necessarily comfortable, efficient or convenient, but nonetheless available.

*Hugs can opener*

Some need a reminder of how precarious life is. Others express gratitude for what they realize they actually have. A few pretend it never happened.

The story writes itself. Much is irrelevant, but everything is subject to change.

December 21, 2012. The day before December 22, 2012.

Ladies and Gentlemen. Start your hoarding and don't forget to use your extreme coupons. Less than 3 months left before absolutely nothing happens.

In recent news, it was discovered that the Mayans did not run out of rock, but continued their astronomical calculations on a different piece of rock. Note: They never predicted the end of the world.

 I am not certain whether the cultural significance

of sticking out your tongue has changed

over the last 5000 years.

Some debunking is in order:

The Planet
The "planet" that defies all laws of physics and is heading our way with its magical thruster system has yet to appear. It should be visible by now. Even amateur astronomers should be able to pick this one up. If it actually existed.

During my own procrastinating investigation of this "planet" on the interwebs, I found many images of stars. Stars are stationary. Relatively speaking. I am being imprecise, but if stars start moving out of their solar systems to go on a little galactic trip, the galaxy is falling apart and then we have bigger problems than stockpiling. If something planet-sized were to collide with our planet, I do not think learning how to survive underground would be very useful or productive. Earth gone. Good luck in space. With your camping gear.

The Alien Invasion
Call me a geek, but I think this one could be really exciting. They would unite us as a species, because the human race would now have a common enemy to hate. I smell global cooperation.

Supernovas
Supernovas? Nothing close enough to go supernova and affect us. If there was, think "Big Bang". Moot point.

Rather than blaming the universe for our sins, maybe we could focus our energy and resources right here on our pale blue dot and do something about climate change, renewable and sustainable energy, overpopulation, mass extinction, pollution, famine, poverty...

In the meantime watch for the unused camping gear sales in January 2013.

Climate Change: When Scientists Rap And Swear In Public.

This video has been up for exactly one year. It did not go viral. Comments were disabled due to considerable (ignorant) backlash.

The climate has changed. It is too late to reverse the effects, but there are solutions.

This is the extended NSFW version. There is a clean one. Share. Pass it on. 





Our Planet. Our Future.

CLIMATE CHANGED: A Brief Introduction

The Ironworks at Coalbrookdale

This is the first in a series of posts that I have been avoiding. It was thought about, discussed in RL for a long time, yet I held on to the irrational belief that somehow, miraculously, scientists of various scientific fields would turn out to be wrong.

I have hinted at it in past posts, my readers already know, but until it began happening in people's own backyard the facts were dismissed or denied. Across the interwebs, I still come across comments such as "What is going on?" in response to certain natural disasters, such as unusual storms and floods, which made me wonder if some people simply prefer to live in denial. This post is not about fearmongering or even directed at my "fellowers", but a reaction to the ignorification of the public by the media and other mostly self-interested sources.

A fellow blogger and friend Sprite, who has been through the January floods in Australia, encouraged me to write about it.

Disclaimer: The following "news" may cause some readers to assume the fetal position.

Contrary to the Apocalyptics, the end is not near, but the climate has changed. Past tense. Irreversible for now, we might be able to slow down the rate of change, but at present time we do not have the technology or even the intent to stop it.

On a global scale, we still do not know or understand how our climate and weather patterns are "created" or all of the variables that affect our climate. The computing power to do that on a global scale, i.e. the ability to take all the factors into consideration, does not exist yet.  This makes accurate weather prediction nearly impossible. It is possible that the last couple of years were indeed a more extreme display, brought on by an active El Nino/La Nina cycle, of what is yet to come.

There are numerous causes, but no immediate solutions. Yet. Even if we were to stop all CO2 emissions at this moment, we do not have the technology to capture or remove the CO2 that we have been emitting into our atmosphere for at least 150 years or possibly since the Industrial Revolution began. CO2, which is not only a greenhouse gas, but acidifying our oceans.

However, if our focus were to shift there are possibilities. If we and by we I mean our entire human species re-prioritized what is important we could at least begin to ameliorate the problem.

Hang on to your roofs, basements, ice cubes and umbrellas, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

To be continued...

The Ironworks at Coalbrookdale 1801
By Philip de Loutherbourg (1740-1812)
Collection Science Museum, London

The Zombiepocalypse And Natural Disasters Are Here. Be Prepared!

It has been impossible not to notice the recent onslaught of "zombies" in popular culture. A previously subversive underground and at best B movie character, zombies have gone mainstream. An ominous sign of our times.  The ultimate vehicle for the "scary" monster, zombies represent some of our most primal fears.

Hollywood responds to what people want to see and watching slow moving, man-made cannibals is a mechanism to deal with something that appears to be more horrific than a global recession, catching an untreatable superbug or dealing with the thought that the natural disasters we have recently experienced are the result of climate change.  The Horror genre exaggerates the post-apocalyptic world of global warming, serving as a social commentary on living in denial, like the walking undead, pretending that everything is fine when it is not.

The CDC posted one of the best PSAs I have ever seen. They used humor to successfully inform the public to be prepared in the event of any emergency, which temporarily prevents access to modern technology. (The site had so many hits it crashed within a few days). You can view the article here:  CDC Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse. Everyone should have an Emergency Kit, Go Bag or Zombiepocalypse box, just in case we are on our own for a few days.

Not to worry though, after the Zombiepocalypse come the superheroes to save us all from ourselves.  Approximately 40 superhero movies are scheduled for release over the next couple of years.  Things are looking up.

Came across this:

You looked, didn't you? So, what is your "Weapon of Choice"? I will put my answer below.

Talking About February in April And Solar Cycles In 2011

As some of you may have noticed, there was a time "meme" going around back in February. As always, I look for the reason behind a pattern.  For those of us who experience the four seasons and particularly winter, February is often a time of contemplation and pondering. Unsurprisingly, I noticed it in posts and blogs.

There may be a simple explanation, an instinctual genetic memory that this is a time of hibernation, when the elements are not conducive to spending too much time in the great outdoors, when natural sunlight is less available and the Vitamin D it produces is reduced.  Less natural energy, more time indoors.

Unlike our ancestors, modern civilization expects us to ignore Father Winter, does not allow us to naturally slow down a little, take the time to allow ourselves to engage in creative projects indoors. Use up the stores we have created in the fall. Instead we are asked to continue "hunting and gathering", force our natural rhythms into hyperdrive.

So far 2011 has brought more natural disasters, tragedy and significant world changing events. As a blogging community we responded with pensiveness and humor that has not come out of hibernation yet.

Is Space Weather to blame?

For the last few years the weather has been "unusually active", from floods to tornadoes to snow in regions where it is not normally experienced. In some parts of the northern hemisphere, spring has forgotten to make an appearance this year. Climatologists claim it was the worst spring in 50 years. An active solar cycle, El Nino/La Nina, climate change, oceanic currents are all contributing factors to the recent "unusual" weather patterns witnessed or experienced around the globe. Globally, we have seen an "unusually" active cold and flu season.

The effects of living on a spinning planet hurtling through space held on its yearly course solely by the gravitational pull of our sun have been felt. Ever-changing, a chaotic dynamic equilibrium in a constant state of flux and change. Nature's way, from shifting tectonic plates to space weather.

More contemplation than theory, I wonder how celestial events influence human behavior. There are species and ecosystems on this planet whose rise and fall in population correlate with the 11 year sunspot cycle. Sol is in a very active phase at the moment.  Is there any correlation between that and the recent revolutions we have witnessed in some parts of the world?  Is Sol's activity the causative factor for some of the recent natural disasters? How is everything interconnected?

I'm "unusually" contemplative for the month of April.

Gaia's Revenge?

The media calls it the worst storm of the "Century".

Which makes me wonder: How would they know?

As the world is being pounded by our atmosphere's greatest hits, (coming soon to a geographic location near you), one is reassured by the confidence of our meteorologists' predictions.

Taking all variables into consideration, weather psychics forecasters have recently announced that the climate over the next 89 years will be better than "worst".

Now. If only those pesky butterflies could stop flapping their wings.