Our Way of Life Is Coming To An End
Beacon Heights Overlook, North Carolina
The original purpose of this blog was to define and highlight problems and predicaments and point out how they differ from one another and how our behavior of technology use intersects with both to produce the predicament of ecological overshoot and what the outcomes for that are.
I continue to maintain writing articles for the blog at this point in time within that framework, but can foresee several different possibilities which may prevent me from writing in the near future. I have hinted at this previously, but haven't yet come right out and said it. As are many other people my age, I am experiencing medical issues. These might be a precursor to conditions which might lead to further issues.
The ongoing situation in the Middle East is evolving into a very serious scenario which might have extreme consequences. While I cannot predict the future any better than anyone else can, there remain certain outcomes which would preclude the continuation of this blog.
Anyone living today now realizes (or hopefully soon will) that he or she is at risk of harm by extreme weather events such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, derechos, wildfires; or by the implications and knock-on effects of extreme weather events such as flooding, landslides, mudslides, rockslides, fires, pollution loading, accidents and other disasters, and on and on.
New conditions are constantly emerging and because of the potential for a nuclear exchange, economic collapse, political collapse, etc., there is no accurate way to predict how the future may turn out and what kinds of outcomes might come my way. While there has always been the possibility of an early and unexpected demise (and this applies to all living humans), the possibility has never been higher than it is right now.
Most modern humans often presume that there will always "be a tomorrow"; it is an unspoken assumption that most people (except for the elderly) make. I'm no longer in my 20s and 30s, and so I don't assume that there will always be a tomorrow for me. When I travel in the mountains, doing so comes with some risks (listed above) that most people don't often consider. Some areas I frequent are remote and/or isolated which prevent me from having cellphone or internet access, making it possible that I might not be alerted to some sort of disaster as well. Over the last several years on two separate occasions, tornado warnings were issued while we were at campgrounds. While we were fine, I can see a scenario where that isn't the case.
One additional issue that doesn't involve me being incapacitated is the possibility that I might voluntarily decide to suspend writing here. There are now many other collapse writers who do an excellent job of writing about many of the same topics that I do. I have highlighted a few of them and some of them I actually routinely post about here and include their articles. There have been many times recently I have felt that my writing is no longer necessary.
One commenter has mentioned several different things s/he would like to see. While I appreciate the feedback, this blog also has served as a way for me to share what I feel is important. This will continue to be the case; for those who want particular topics featured, please feel free to write your own material and then share it. I routinely still share many different scientific studies here, but if I thought that people wanted a repository of studies, then the files that I originally published would have sufficed and there would be no need for me to write any of my own thoughts attached to them.
Another person shared their thoughts that I am very arrogant. Thank you for your perspective. If you don't care for my writing, then why do you read it? I assure you that while you may not like my style, many others actually do like it. Similarly, I include my humility in many of my articles, including above, where I demonstrate an articulate awareness of my own limitations.
Now, it appears pretty obvious by now that the war situation in the Middle East is probably going to expand into a larger war. I could easily provide countless articles describing analysis in great detail about what has already happened and the lag effect currently causing many people to think that no pain will be felt as a result. But simpler videos describing what is happening can suffice here. Pain is definitely in the works, it will just take a bit more time to arrive. Many people have mistakenly bought into the various narratives being spun about the war, but make no mistake - it is about the petrodollar and the hegemony of US finance.
There are countless articles describing how the lack of helium will suspend operations in Taiwan at microchip fabricating facilities, how the lack of helium will cause major troubles for MRI machines, and how the lack of helium might even scrap liquid fuel rocket launches. Countless articles also exist regarding naptha, natural gas, diesel, sulfur, phosphate, and plastics shortages which will render everything downstream which incorporate all of these subject to shortages and/or entirely unavailable. I have a friend who has said that he cannot order his prescription medicine (this is a major concern of mine moving forward) because the Amazon Pharmacy is out of stock. The reality is going to hit very hard. See selected articles here and here and here and here.
I have purposely left this article without many links; life is short - Live Now! If you enjoy my pictures, please feel free to check out the last two weeks at Port Kent and Raymond B. Winter State Park!
Thank you for all of your contributions to this community, Erik (if I may assume a first name basis).
ReplyDeleteI too am in my later years and reading your works has given me a lot to think about. You shared so many articles and studies that it once felt like I would never finish it all. And yet, I am most of the way through your blog.
Please heed the advice of your body and mind. If you feel like the infinitely valuable time you have left is better spent with things other than writing, pursue those activities over this.
The flag you and a handful of other raised will be carried on, and the truth of your works will be put to the test of time, just in case people continue to object them.
Best wishes to you and your loved ones,
-Robert
Thank you for all your writing efforts. I selfishly hope you continue, because I enjoy reading and appreciate your perspective, but I also agree that time is short and you should follow your own advice and Live Now, whatever form that takes for you. Good luck to everyone.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to let you know how much I have appreciated your articles. I read yours along with those from phd scientist types, and I find your insights and conclusions very inline with the science. I have appreciated your thoughts because there is no one I can talk to about the reality of what is going on, and people I know tend to have what I call a Pollyanish view of the future. Rainbows and flowers and drive electric cars and all will be well. I prefer reality, even though it may be dark, but each day is a gift, and I enjoy the wild rabbits in my yard that eat my flowers, and the cute but annoying squirrels that dig up my veggie garden. Life is what it is, and since receiving my new heart valve I have even more appriciation for each day that I get. Do what makes you most happy, I say.
ReplyDeleteErik, I don't think you need to hear this, but I want to tell you anyways. Your blog is the first I check of the dozens of websites I check regularly. Every article you write seems to stay on point and support the main theme. Even though there are a lot of writers similar to you, none say exactly what you say. The way you've driven home predicament vs problem is unique to your blog, as far as I am aware. You've really taught me to look at solutions from a wider lens, in a way the thousands of other articles I've read have failed to do quite as well. And I LOVE the way you try to keep your articles short, but with lots of links to great sources. Many times I'll open your blog in the morning, and spend all day (off and on) reading all the great articles you linked.
ReplyDeleteI know one day you'll stop publishing, and although I'll be sad, I will be thankful for everything you've done. Take Care and I hope you get your medications sorted out. And keep up the great work for as long as you want to!
The only issue that brothers me about your articles is where you say humans have no agency. If I came home one night to see my house on fire and had three children inside, I believe I would do whatever I could to get them out, agency or not. But I do enjoy your essays and so keep them coming.
ReplyDeleteI think by 'having no agency' Erik means you (and me) have no way of stopping the mass fossil fuel burning that led to the warming that led to the wildfire that burned your house down; or no agency over the pernicious persistent interdict of capitalist advertising that persuaded your family to buy too many electric gadgets that overloaded the house fuses and burned your house down; or no agency over the Israeli/American cruise missile that blew your house up because you happened to be the wrong skin colour or religious persuasion. Yes, you have agency to rescue your children from the house fire, but that is reaction, not pre-emptive agency.
DeleteAgency would be you've already taught the children, and made them practice, fire evacuation drills, with suitably accessible ladders/ropes/fire exits so that they can escape whilst you are not there.
But then what? Where you live depends on factors very much outside your control - eg a functioning insurance industry that actually pays out for rebuilding and the hotel bills whilst you wait; or if the local council has emergency shelter available; or if you have sufficiently generous friends and/or family that will take you in. And so on.
Thankfully the chance of your house randomly catching fire is very tiny, else we wouldn't be living in houses.
We certainly live in interesting times. Scary, but interesting.
ReplyDeleteI also write to a blog, https://mikerobertsblog.wordpress.com/ , that concentrates on what I think of as basic reality, not analysis of human behaviours in a modern society. It sometimes seems like there isn't any more to say about basic reality - humans are a species, there is no free will, everything is just interactions of matter and energy - and I often seem to come to a halt but some story or blog post frequently prompts some commentary as it ignores basic reality in some way.
However, I can certainly understand what might be thought of as burn out, especially when it seems to make no difference. People just don't want to understand reality.
Thanks for your writing, Erik. I'll keep my eyes open for more of it.
I'll read your blog as long as you keep writing it! I love how you read so widely & share with us (with links); I love how you keep coming back to the fact that we humans are in a predicament that - despite our love of problem-solving - has no solution. Hopefully this cyber connection will hang in there for a while longer.
ReplyDeleteHello Erik. Thank you so much for your work. I do not come here often enough and now I am regretting that. I have shared your blog, a few times on Facebook, however, hoping others will learn and understand.
ReplyDeleteI have more recently, felt pretty overwhelmed with everything that is going on. For years, I was learning. Then, another few years, coming to terms with what I learned, but, it was mostly in an academic way, with some emotions attached. However, now, collapse is in our face. We can see it, feel it and if we listen we can hear it. So, I have become scattered, not able to settle on to any one thing for too long. That was becoming increasingly obvious but now, wow!! I do seem to get a decent amount done around my house. My home care job ended about three weeks ago, now, so, I feel FREE!. ... but a bit poor...
Over the past few months, I even began painting, ha!.. Nothing earth shattering, it is my first attempt. I have a bunch of Pennsylvania Blue stone slate, around the house, ( a quarry foreman gave it to me years ago, when I was a job coach.)....
I started some of the gardening prep, I have my baby plants, my brother rototilled, etc. But the way I take in information, has changed. I am here, there and everywhere. But just knowing you put out such important work, has been a nice foundation, to go to sometimes. Thanks. If ... you decide to end this blog, well, I "feel" what you are saying, that others are now, pretty well, educated on this AND, seem to grasp it, or on their way. I do hope that you can manage what ever health concerns you are having. I also hope, you can enjoy to the fullest, whatever time, we all have left.