What Are Superbugs and How Are They Related to Ecological Overshoot?
I'm going to try something new. Let's start this out with some music and a video to get us in the mood for this article. When I was young, The Who was an iconic rock group, and this song points out the illusion of power and/or fame and the facade that people tend to hide behind - as Pete Townshend sings, "It's a put-on." Civilization supported by technology use also has this same facade.
How much thought have you given to disease? Is disease something you tend to associate with climate change or overshoot? How often do you see a "cure for cancer" or a new drug advertisement?
Disease is another symptom predicament of ecological overshoot. Disease has always been with us and will always be with us. It is one of the negative feedbacks that used to keep our numbers in balance with the rest of nature, and one that technology use has mostly rendered ineffective. This is traditionally seen as something positive, and part of the overall "human progress" which in reality is a myth. The trouble with this outlook is that it ignores the negative qualities all of this technology has had in creating the overshoot condition we now find ourselves embroiled within. One of those negative qualities also has to do with how pollution loading, another symptom predicament of overshoot helps create additional stressors for disease.
Everyone frequently hears about cancer and lots of hoopla and hype about cures, drugs, and treatments. Many people think of technology as something good, but technology use increases overshoot, and overshoot also produces pollution loading, the very basis of cancer. More pollutants equal more cancer, plain and simple. So the very idea of reducing cancer or "finding a cure" for it while ecological overshoot is still increasing is utter fantasy. Trying to point out these symptom predicaments of overshoot and then pointing to the root issue responsible for creating those predicaments, and indeed, overshoot itself, has been an experience in humility.
I have been labeled "Malthusian" and accused of wanting to "live like Adam and Eve" or like that of a "caveman" or I've been accused of "giving up" or any of another list of denigrations and verbal assaults. I must choose to laugh them all off, as this represents more about the person making these comments than any of them do about me. Attacking the messenger is pretty common whenever someone doesn't like the message they hear. It's quite ironic that I don't like the message any better than they do, I just don't deny it like they do. Their hope is obviously to discredit me in some way, but their comments don't actually change any of the facts I disclose; so this is an entirely unproductive and maladaptive waste of time on their part.
Now, cancer is only one disease out of many. So, it only represents one slice of a huge pie. Some diseases have been temporarily removed as a concern to society through the global use of vaccines and antibiotics. Others have been with us and will continue to be with us until our existence is extirpated. Some, like cancer, are increasing in frequency, severity, or both; while others have not yet become the huge concern that diseases such as COVID-19 has become. In any case, because of a multitude of factors such as land use changes, climate change, and energy and resource decline, disease is set to ramp up exponentially no differently than all the other predicaments (and that link only highlights the most noticeable ones) now beginning to receive notice from society.
The overwhelming issues with disease partially has to do with building resistance to the existing technology such as antivirals, antibiotics, antifungals, and many of the medicines we typically use to treat these diseases with. As population numbers continue to climb, this allows for more of a reservoir for disease vectors; and as our numbers increase, wild species numbers plummet, allowing for less biodiversity and increasing the likelihood of disease ramping up quicker in the reservoirs that remain. Antimicrobial resistance is no joke, unfortunately, making treating these diseases more and more difficult. This poses a major threat to human health and demonstrates that as we continue emitting more and more aerosols and creating more dust through our behaviors (industrial activities), we make it easier for pathogens to attack us. This FRONTLINE video brings a few devastating stories to life and shows how this unfolding disaster can suddenly become tragic.
But this isn't just limited to bacteria, often referred to as "superbugs" - there is the rising trouble caused by the fungus amongst us as well. TV drama aside, the show demonstrates that there are far more predicaments than ones in plain sight that will be affecting us as time moves forward.
Moving on to viruses, the COVID-19 pandemic that is still with us showed us that something we can't even see can cause a major meltdown of society in ways we hadn't previously considered. What many people assumed was caused by the pandemic (supply chain issues) was actually rooted long before the pandemic even began, caused BOTH by the pandemic but more importantly from a lack of surplus energy as demonstrated in this article I wrote in January of 2021. These issues are still ongoing and their effects can be seen daily in grocery stores and other big box stores. These issues will continue to worsen due to the decline of energy reserves globally leading to and exacerbating mineral and metal shortages which start the domino-tumbling in grand style. Due to the natural gas shortage caused by the Ukraine war, many different manufacturing plants and fertilizer factories shut down in Europe. This will cause price hikes and possibly even a complete absence of some crops this year in the market. Many different crops are being affected by flooding, drought, extreme weather events, and supply chain woes, which will cause even more grocery shelves to be empty later this year.
COVID-19 was for all practical purposes a good test run for the next viral pandemic, and bird flu is probably one of the main contenders. H5N1 bird flu, also known as avian flu, currently isn't a major threat - yet. But the disease is concerning as it is beginning to spread to mammals and the main worry here is that mutations could allow the virus to more easily spread between humans. Despite not being easily transmissible between humans at this time, the disease is taking its toll around the world in other animals. So many articles have just recently popped up despite the fact that bird flu has been around relatively heavily for the last year and a half or two, including this one about the Toronto Zoo. Three brand new articles about disease are here and here and here.
In another twist of just how pervasive disease and superbugs can be nowadays, a new study shows that our pets are passing antibiotic-resistant bacteria amongst themselves and us.
Now, for something entirely different. Shifting the mood slightly, here is another video from another group, also iconic in the 1980s. While disease is going to be on the increase, there are so many other things to also consider. One thing in particular that has been on my mind recently - denial of reality. Most of my readers will comprehend this next piece fairly well I bet. It was written by Robert Dupuis, and highlights our hubris and misunderstandings about the world around us that often only experience teaches one, quote:
"When One Understands: (Knowledge is nothing when you don’t understand it.)The philosophies of human thinking.
The psychology of human behavior.
The sociology of human activities.
Theology and human beliefs.
The history of humanity.
The greed that controls the world.
How capitalism is a human made monster.
How faith has slowed human evolution.
That politics is negotiation of bullshit.
That politics is about power, not people.
That human flaws and imperfections are not sins.
That what we are taught comes from decades of brainwashing the generations before ours.
That we are still slaves (with a salary).
That the police and military are there to protect and help the rich control the masses.
That chemicals in the air, water, and food have been affecting our brains all our lives.
That violence brings on more violence… and the world has never been so violent.
That the violence on TV and movies is making us insensitive.
That we are not living our lives but playing a role in a rotten system.
That technology is completely taking away our humanity.
That outer space exploration is akin to running away from our inner self.
That men and women are equal no matter what religion or patriarchy says.
That we’ve been brainwashed in thinking technology is something good. It’s not. It’s destroying us.
That most of humanity is still primitive and being controlled by a few.
That most of humanity is still being led by animal instincts.
That TV, movies, sports, fashion, and ………. are brainwashing tools.
That all the money invested in space could have saved the earth.
That living longer isn’t living better when it kills our humanity.
That war is a business first and foremost.
The dumbing of kids by Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok and more.
That the media is part of the system.
That most news is of no importance compared to what’s happening.
That freedom in this system is an illusion.
That technology has taken away youth from the kids.
The difference between fact and opinion.
The lies, the hypocrisy, the deceit, the abuse.
The ignorance, the naiveté, the lack of education.
The need for and the abuse of leadership.
That everything is interconnected.
That humans are a flawed species and a danger to the planet.
That humanity is too stupid to learn from past mistakes.
That the exploitation of earth’s resources (oil, gas) is mass suicide.
That climate change destroys crops and will cause a lack of food.
That stupid greedy leaders don’t lead the way.
That stupid religious leaders don’t lead the way.
That the ice melting and the planet warming is going exponential.
That the system is unsustainable and is about to collapse.
That knowledge is a two-sided sword.
The contradictions in people’s words and actions.
That government is a game of power, not a service to the people.
That the system is an inhumane self-serving atrocity.
That with sea ice gone global warming will be out of control.
That global warming is now in exponential mode.
That the melting glaciers will soon inundate the world.
That the system will never teach you how to defeat the system.
That showbiz, pro sports, and fashion are control tools of the system.
That human ingenuity is mostly justified stupidity.
That I could go on and on.
That there is no other conclusion than we are f*cked as a species and we have f*cked the world."
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