The Illusion of Debate

 

Hanging Rock, Madison, Indiana

I want to disclose a couple of facts regarding the constant focus in many people's minds of what is considered healthy debate about "renewable," "clean," "green," and "sustainable" energy, electricity, technology, and/or products and services. Those labels are marketing terms, not reality. In other words, they encourage people to buy into these products and services thinking that they are being mindful when in reality they are only continuing the same system that brought the destruction they are trying to prevent in the first place. Buying solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric dams, EVs, and other so-called "clean" devices only continues the system of industrial civilization that is causing the destruction of life on this planet. These devices do not reduce carbon emissions but actually INCREASE them through Jevons Paradox. Reducing emissions REQUIRES reducing ecological overshoot, which requires reducing technology use, period.

Human aversion to loss prevents society from gaining grand scale cooperation to reduce technology use. Those with money and power will always work to undermine taking the correct measures to reduce ecological overshoot, and if one looks at social media platforms, this is painfully obvious as inconvenient truths and messages are pushed to the bottom of algorithms or outright censored. I have had Facebook limit my posting and commenting abilities as a result of posts I made, some of which were years ago. Despite my contesting these decisions, they had no effect on the outcome whatsoever other than a few of my posts were reinstated when they discovered that they made a mistake. 

To help one comprehend these so-called "debates," I have included the following quote:

"In general, the mainstream media all make certain basic assumptions, like the necessity of maintaining a welfare state for the rich. Within that framework, there's some room for differences of opinion, and it's entirely possible that the major media are toward the liberal end of that range. In fact, in a well-designed propaganda system, that's exactly where they should be. The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum—even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there's free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate." ~Noam Chomsky

In other words, in reality, there is no debate. The debate is a fraud because the premise of the debate is based upon an illusion (marketing terms), not reality. For those who just joined my blog and this is your first article, I have some bad news for you. Please visit these three articles here and here and here for more info. Those articles will help you get up to speed on the situation and this one is the real kicker that will help you see the reality of where all this is headed.

Instead of promoting fraudulent ideas that are destined to become obsolete, I would rather promote ideas to improve life on this planet, not just for humans, but for ALL organisms. Perhaps you have heard of degrowth. Degrowth is an idea that critiques the global capitalist system which pursues growth at all costs, causing human exploitation and environmental destruction. The degrowth movement of activists and researchers advocates for societies that prioritize social and ecological well-being instead of corporate profits, over-production and excess consumption. This requires radical redistribution, reduction in the material size of the global economy, and a shift in common values towards care, solidarity and autonomy. Degrowth means transforming societies to ensure environmental justice and a good life for all within planetary boundaries.

If we want to spend our time debating, why not do it on ideas that are actually worth debating? There is a page on Facebook (Just Collapse) that has a collection of thought-provoking posts where REAL debates can take place.

Speaking of debates, here is the reality regarding rapid decarbonization. Sadly, it is pure fantasy. I wrote about fantasies, myths, and fairy tales in three different installments here:

Fantasies Myths, and Fairy Tales

Fantasies, Myths, and Fairy Tales, Part Two

More Fairy Tales

Unfortunately, in today's world, a very large part of everyday discussion revolves around marketing propaganda, fantasies, and pure nonsense. Robert Jensen and Wes Jackson bring about a much more realistic sense of where we're headed in a book titled, An Inconvenient Apocalypse. Here, nonsense and downright stupidity is abandoned for the true scenario, and while it may not bring about a dreamlike state within the reader, at least they aren't promising the moon and stars to us like so many within the "solution industries" (sarcasm). Way too many people still don't comprehend that predicaments don't have solutions, they have outcomes. 

I know, I know; you've heard that one a million times from me. Trust me, it doesn't get any easier on my end of things when folks STILL talk about these predicaments as if they are problems instead. 

Perhaps more people just need to see the actual current science? (Hahaha, yeah, right!) Clive Hamilton is a name many will be familiar with from his book, Requiem for a Species. He speaks candidly about the situation and provides evidence of how society (and other climate scientists) has met his prognostications with a "wall of silence" - sound familiar? Luke Kemp and Timothy Lenton are the authors of the study provided, edited by Kerry Emanuel, all familiar names within the climate community. Some may find the information divulged shocking although I suspect most people reading this won't be the least bit surprised.

Two more recent articles that complete this article are from Tom Murphy, who has come out with some excellent material over the past year or so (every bit as good as when his website was first rolled out). One is titled, Death by Hockey Sticks and has to do with "The Great Acceleration" and mirrors much of what I've said here in the past several articles I've written. The last four paragraphs provide some comic relief (at least they did for me). Tom's other article I'm highlighting here brings about the same type of serious reality I continue advocating for - for folks to come to the realization that civilization is unsustainable and is collapsing now. There is no way to continue this experiment and the biospheric systems which support our very existence are collapsing as well. The Cult of Civilization represents some of Tom's finest writing, especially his candidness. I really respect the truthfulness that comes out of his articles without the hype and garbage I see in so many other articles today about our predicaments - with the obligatory hopium at the end of each article. 

Until next time, don't forget to... 

Live Now!