Problems, Predicaments, and Technology

  Playhouse (for the landowners' grandchildren) in Jonesboro, Illinois Four of my articles over the past couple of years are part of a four-part series titled, " So, What Should We Do? " The first three articles were written, one after the other, back in 2021 after I discovered our lack of free will which condemns us to make choices based upon our biological (see the Maximum Power Principle ) and cultural conditioning (see this article ). This led me to realize that we truly lack agency to be able to control hyperobjects such as nature, climate change, ecological overshoot , the biosphere, etc. Not only is the predicament of overshoot too difficult for most people to grasp, many people unfortunately place it in the category of problems (with answers or solutions) rather than predicaments (with outcomes). Attempting to reduce issues seen as problems tends to turn those issues into bigger problems and/or predicaments. Often this is due to those working on these issues

  Artwork from Ken Avidor

  Artwork by Ken Avidor

  Pictures from Seneca State Forest, West Virginia

  Douthat State Park Beach, Virginia

  Eagle Rock Train Station, Eagle Rock, Virginia

  Recently, I saw a comment from John Robin Strohl that really struck home, quote: " We are here for conversation, not conversion. " I see it the same way; that most everyone wants change, but nobody wants TO change. People are consistently looking for external change but don't seem to realize that external change can only come about from internal change. Another set of facts about change is equally important: Here's the thing...changing behavior isn't really as difficult as it may seem, but it does require a desire to change and the commitment to follow through. Most people really just don't want to convert (change), thinking that, "Why should I do it if I don't have to?" Most of my regular readers will understand that in reality, it isn't optional. If society doesn't change our collective behavior, then nature will force behavior change upon us and those who don't comply will perish. Of course, people are going to perish regardle

  Falling Spring Falls, Falling Spring, Virginia

  Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

  Fairy Stone State Park, Stuart, Virginia

  Philpott Lake, Virginia, as seen from the Visitor Center of Philpott Dam

Flag Rock Recreation Area, Norton, Virginia

  Coxhall Gardens, Carmel, Indiana

  Today, rather than just an article I wrote, I have an entire collection to share! For anyone who is interested in ecological overshoot, this has just been released: IT BEARS REPEATING: BEST OF…VOLUME 1 With a Foreword and Afterword by Michael Dowd, authors include: Max Wilbert; Tim Watkins; Mike Stasse; Dr. Bill Rees; Dr. Tim Morgan; Rob Mielcarski; Dr. Simon Michaux; Erik Michaels; Just Collapse’s Tristan Sykes & Dr. Kate Booth; Kevin Hester; Alice Friedemann; David Casey; and, Steve Bull. Follow the link in the title above to access the downloadable PDF. Enjoy!

Some selected images from Pike Lake State Park

On the  Big Four Bridge  in Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky skyline as seen from the Big Four Bridge at Waterfront Park

  Two pictures from Cairo, Illinois

  Viking Mountain Overlook, Tennessee

Mountains as seen from Tennessee Welcome Center