We are caught in a monkey trap and there is no way out. All the rest is spin. Brace for impact. A really thought provoking article from our friends in the Deep Green Resistance world. Starts as follows:
“Don’t talk to me about sustainability. You want to question my lifestyle, my impact, my ecological footprint? There is a monster standing over us, with a footprint so large it can trample a whole planet underfoot, without noticing or caring. This monster is Industrial Civilization. I refuse to sustain the monster. If the Earth is to live, the monster must die. This is a declaration of war.”
“What is it we are trying to sustain? A living planet, or industrial civilization? Because we can’t have both.”
“Somewhere along the way the environmental movement – based on a desire to protect the Earth, was largely eaten by the sustainability movement – based on a desire to maintain our comfortable lifestyles. When did this happen, and why? And how is it possible that no-one noticed? This is a fundamental shift in values, to go from compassion for all living beings and the land, to a selfish wish to feel good about our inherently destructive way of life.”
“The sustainability movement says that our capacity to endure is the responsibility of individuals, who must make lifestyle choices within the existing structures of civilization. To achieve a truly sustainable culture by this means is impossible. Industrial infrastructure is incompatible with a living planet. If life on Earth is to survive, the global political and economic structures need to be dismantled.”
Article continues here: Sustainability is destroying the Earth.
Professor Tim Garrett’s work on “Industrial Civilisation is a Heat Machine” is a must read, check out his website above.
I'm an anti-imperialist, environmental activist and blue ocean sailor, who is passionate about the earth and all it's inhabitants without favour. Brace for imminent impact as we bare witness to the non-linear unraveling of the biosphere and habitability disappearing for most if not all complex life on the only habitable planet we know of. To quote President Niinistö in North Russia: ‘If We Lose the Arctic, We Lose the World’. Folks we have lost the Arctic.
Kevin Hester 
Fantastic discussion between Derrick Jensen and Cory Morningstar from Wrong Kind of Green addressing these issues.
http://prn.fm/resistance-radio-cory-morningstar-04-03-16/
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Believing that any form of living with the trappings of industrial civilisation is sustainable is delusional.
http://theconversation.com/if-everyone-lived-in-an-ecovillage-the-earth-would-still-be-in-trouble-43905
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I used to really respect Robertscribbler enormously but as our climate change disaster spirals out of control he is now grasping at straws like a drowning man.
http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.nz/2016/06/on-myth-of-transition-to-renewable.html
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[…] false promise of renewable energy was covered before on this blog Sustainability Excellent pod-cast below about the un-sustainability of industrial civilisation and our imminent […]
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Burn methane to fill the gaps?
We are so stuck in a monkey trap.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/08/11/turns-out-wind-and-solar-have-a-secret-friend-natural-gas/?tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.9e47cc55a523
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“Conventional wisdom among American liberals assures us that we would be well on our way to a clean, green, low-carbon, renewable energy future were it not for the lobbying efforts of big oil companies and their Republican allies. The truth is far more inconvenient than this: it will be all but impossible for our current level of consumption to be powered by anything but fossil fuels.
http://transitionmilwaukee.org/profiles/blogs/six-myths-about-climate-change-that-liberals-rarely-question
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Deep Green Resistance post on this subject;
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https://eubioenergy.com/2016/09/13/photoblog/
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“We in Deep Green Resistance know that even in the most optimistic and reasonable assessment, a “global paradigm shift” would be decades too late—and that so-called “Green Industry” and “Sustainable Fossil-Fuel Derivatives” Big Eco by Big Oil and some well-meaning entrepreneurs is a scam called Greenwashing, intended to keep the industrial death machine’s infrastructure and grid in place. While industrially accelerated global warming and geopolitical militarism over water rights and oil lands marches on, a large number of would-be deep green activists are caught up in bright green hopes & dreams.
Many of us in DGR have been there. We’ve dreamed for a humanitarian bright green world—and come to the painful realization that there is no such thing beyond small intentional community ecotopias of the privileged miniscule amount of landowners who’ve prepped for collapse—and who themselves will run out of batteries, and need to guard their personal empires from the have-nots who will find them.
So-called green energy as sold on a consumer and industrial level relies on mining, slavery, highly toxic industrial production, and the continuation of the geopolitical death machine that preserves the rights of a few over the rights of the many—perpetuating ecocide and misogyny as its creed. There is a difference between green tech and no-tech—a huge difference, especially for the biosphere.
We need to learn all we can, and make an informed choice to fight for the living world beyond maintaining the lifestyle of people who live in civilization. There are indigenous peoples, and thousands of non-human species that live happily outside of civilization. Deep Green Resistance is about fighting on behalf of the forests, the grasslands, and the oceans which comprise the biosphere of the living earth.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6uVnyjTb58&feature=youtu.be
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Slowly it begins to sink in;
http://www.localfutures.org/clean-energy-wont-save-us-new-economic-system-can/
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Stuart Thrupp “Love this man thinking out side the square is hard to do? ” https://youtu.be/zZheOMvPWGc
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Was your battery made with child labour??
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/09/electric-cars-running-on-child-labour/
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CO2.earth
“Our new study takes a fresh look at this question. We examined crop data to evaluate whether enough CO2 was absorbed on farmland to balance out the CO2 emitted when biofuels are burned. It turns out that once all the emissions associated with growing feedstock crops and manufacturing biofuel are factored in, biofuels actually increase CO2 emissions rather than reducing them.”
— Dr. John DeCicco, Research Professor, University of Michigan Energy Institute
https://theconversation.com/biofuels-turn-out-to-be-a-climate-mistake-heres-why-64463
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Via;Cory Morningstar·
“The climate movement made an enormous mistake. We focused all our attention on fossil fuels, when we should have been pointing to something much deeper: the basic logic of our economic operating system. After all, we’re only using fossil fuels in the first place to fuel the broader imperative of GDP growth.
The root problem is the fact that our economic system demands ever-increasing levels of extraction, production and consumption. Our politicians tell us that we need to keep the global economy growing at more than 3% each year – the minimum necessary for large firms to make aggregate profits. That means every 20 years we need to double the size of the global economy – double the cars, double the fishing, double the mining, double the McFlurries and double the iPads. And then double them again over the next 20 years from their already doubled state.”
http://www.lse.ac.uk/researchAndExper…/Experts/profile.aspx… [Author Jason Hickel]
http://www.localfutures.org/clean-energy-wont-save-us-new…/…
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It is comforting to prefer the noise of delusional magical thinking and pretending that the system of perpetual growth can work forever; that some variant of business as usual can persist. There is just too much tied up with it and any unraveling would be far too chaotic and unpredictable. Wrapping our heads around the eventualities of global warming; of overshoot; of the desecration of world wildlife; of the acidification of the oceans; of the poisoning of pollinators stymies.
A world no longer powered by fossil fuels, no matter what incarnation, is almost inconceivable and for many terrifying. . It is indeed traumatic for what it might (probably) means not just for us but for our love ones, children, grandchildren. Our hearts break. We want to fix it. So we do more technology and more ultimate harm.
We are slowly technogizing ourselves into extinction. Technology is seductive. Is it the power? Is it the comfort? Or is it some internal particularly human attribute that drives it? Technology surrounds us and becomes part of our story and myths. Technology tantalizes the human mind to make, combine, invent. There are always unintended consequences with technology. It effects how we experience the world in time and space. It affects how we feel the world. If all the externalities were included in the prices and cost to nature, we would be very, very wary of technology.
I think we have moved from technology in the service of religion (pyramids and gothic cathedrals) to religion and culture in the service of technology. It isn’t a deity that will save humanity but in the eyes of many – it will be technology.
We will do more of the same, business as usual until there are no more holes in the ground to dig, no more water above and below to contaminate, no humans to wage slave, no other lifeforms to eliminate. Yes, we are building Trojan horses in our hearts, minds and spirits. It will be elitist and entitlement and hubris – it will end with both a bang and a whimper.
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Another significant article reiterating my position on ‘renewables’.
http://sunweber.blogspot.co.nz/2015/04/solar-devices-industrial-infrastructure.html?m=1
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Fuki Cafe
5 hrs
Activist to Lobbyists. This about says it all.
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Great dose of reality, moments before we hit the wall.
https://storiesofcreativeecology.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/whats-wrong-with-renewable-energy/
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https://qz.com/920561/conscious-consumerism-is-a-lie-heres-a-better-way-to-help-save-the-world/?utm_source=atlfb
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The latest from Max Gilbert and the team at DGR on this subject.
https://deepgreenresistance.blogspot.co.nz/2014/09/video-false-solutions-of-green-energy.html
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More on this subject from the ever reliable Deep Green Resistance;
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Brilliant article from the Guardian with Paul Kingsnorth speaking truth to power
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/12/confessions-of-a-recovering-environmentalist-by-paul-kingsnorth-review
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NF3 emissions are 17,200 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas over a 100 year time period.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2017/03/01/solar-panels-increased-emissions-of-a-gas-17200-times-more-potent-than-co2/#ixzz4ejhb526T
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Hambone Little Tail chimes in on electric vehicles;
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Another sacred cow slaughtered;
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/eco-vehicles-fill-air-with-deadly-toxins-jklbkzvwp
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The electric car fiction debunked;
https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2017/06/19/study-tesla-car-battery-production-releases-as-much-co2-as-8-years-of-driving-on-petrol/amp/
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Brilliant article from Chris Martenson on the use of concrete in the Wind Power Industry and the lack of durability of concrete structures.
https://www.peakprosperity.com/blog/99486/our-future-literally-crumbling-our-eyes
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Derick Jensen gets into the fantasy of “Sustainability”.
“Richard York is Director and Professor of Environmental Studies and Professor of Sociology at the University of Oregon. His research focuses on environmental sociology, ecological economics, animal studies, and the sociology of science. He has published three books and dozens of articles. Today we talk about his crucial article “Do Alternative Energy Sources Displace Fossil Fuels”
http://prn.fm/resistance-radio-guest-richard-york-07-09-17/
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Expecting the false dawn of of sustainability to save us is the new form of denial.
Check out wrongkindofgreen.org for more on this truth.
https://dgrnewsservice.org/civilization/alienation/optimism-and-the-apocalypse/
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It’s a long read but well worth the exploration.
We have no desire to be right about this news but we won’t hide from it either.
Paul Kingsnorth from the Dark Mountain Project
http://www.hcn.org/issues/49.12/confronting-despair-in-the-age-of-ecocide
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4 Corners busts the recycling myth.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2017/08/03/4711891.htm
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“Human rights charity Amnesty International also investigated cobalt mining in the DRC and says that none of the 16 electric vehicle manufacturers they identified have conducted due diligence to the standard defined by the Responsible Cobalt Initiative.”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4764208/Child-miners-aged-four-living-hell-Earth.html#ixzz4pEOE0wpB
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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“According to data recently released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, carbon dioxide makes up 82 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. The gas nitrogen trifluoride, or NF3, accounts for only a small margin, but is on the rise. ”
“Overall emissions fell by 2.2 percent, and CO2 has risen only 5.6 percent from 1990 to 2015. Levels of NF3, however, have seen a 1,057 percent increase over those same 25 years. ”
There is no free ride;
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/news/articles/solar-panels-linked-to-rise-in-potent-new-greenhouse-gas/83751/
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“Many say we can have 100% renewable energy by 2050. This is factually incorrect.”
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Flokisrevengeblog.wordpress.com%2F2016%2F01%2F24%2Fno-soil-water-before-100-renwable-energy%2F&h=ATNvHR46Z39BU-hZD1X1i5p0raZEEmPc9mXOSluHyZkghPNGGrhJG_RGvRaJzZfbOD967kak0KeSKQOcK-oE71pAdGVjay4JIOnfym7TSiB4KbENtxTgMms3YEskQrOKS8kYYACnQZEWcvd3_ETaRpv9zh-MNNon4kPIWFTC7sykQpAXqKNK1g3VtTZ92ZhJrTC24etb0phCvGRBcuRoGq7k8nkLxJ-b0o3eRwJ9xO5NokeFZTMPRErBNpstUjG96SxPx39LNnqXbgydKibVH-pisRqM0lPgxCg
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“I’ve communicated with a number of professors, and the impression I get is that most pursue a “don’t scare the students” approach. If we tell them the truth, they will be overwhelmed with despair, and give up (as if they are currently trying). Most people don’t smoke because we’ve taught them the truth about smoking and cancer — fear inspires intelligent life decisions. Why wouldn’t teaching the truth about the Earth Crisis have similar benefits? Unfortunately, the global economy and perpetual economic growth are more important than a living planet, or the generations that come after us. So, the truth would be inconvenient, therefore we sweep it under the bed. Let’s go shopping!”
Excellent, realistic analysis of the predicament.
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwildancestors.blogspot.com%2F2017%2F08%2Fsustainability-primer.html%3Fspref%3Dfb&h=ATOeVsWFYoOOelJBD75jZjY51JhqOmrbCdcv239IZN2PcVQUnfSmfOQoDgwMMbnt7MVa4D-DbFHN6dssVN-rRfR2PTcohDsm6gpzYw3c4IrRuQc8E5xfIdjxQ-auDkReVJBrOZVtryLpIlsdRM2jCVZLKyVbZR28-vJFShh5odFzUG0O7x3rJH0mcSsCM4sZww5djZ_Gqz3-WJTg1Oz3Fm4S48qdl1U5UG_Es7rcdBeSwZ6S6HE3DfadvXbkwsg4GmlzSutIzMeoAKAGEpEP4W3hh5r7Tbzo-g
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Huesemann’s Law of Techno-Optimism states, “Optimism is inversely proportional to knowledge.”
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwildancestors.blogspot.co.nz%2F2014%2F02%2Ftechno-fix.html&h=ATOANXMATkQjodj18gnQgduwPSx94PqQtD1OrmV0NEwdFw5HSqoj2fGtijTwyccWtgB2V06EsG6OD5gd3e-HK_HHAWxJtOJhimjCBf1vPvOFgWzwzvbR8qUbCuYgBsetoglvNGKP_47ES1Lz7TZf9sU5pL3ghCW-_0GimnEkerrF3qTbNVq-3kKh1zvN_QXd-LC-p9n0YHRmh_YLu3xjtrPuAXX8Di1EO9NQoWZ_UTO8KiwEAYt7kULCBF7tlWBy
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“The 100-percent dream has become dogma among liberals and mainstream climate activists. Serious energy scholars who publish analyses that expose the idea’s serious weaknesses risk being condemned as stooges of the petroleum industry or even as climate deniers. Jacobson has even suggested that he might take legal action against NOAA scientist Christopher Clack and twenty coauthors whose critical evaluation of his work was published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in June.”
Great article. Take the time to read it;
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fclimateandcapitalism.com%2F2017%2F09%2F15%2Fthe-green-energy-cornucopia-is-100-percent-wishful-thinking%2F&h=ATMdhM98PiH8KD7H5rXrmnGEwLguDZ2xvCMHvvQyzhw6fs-H6ZRLCxt177ANbGUOZeMz9kyGqqae7hIHL8nRC4OC-ZNYZtS63CwA3S8I1j1625dd2ncDfLFyt0HdIile9imNMiSkdApl16IRz51leYmtgfL57UKGlF_yqlPYd8ctoXtJfqFlUt6F3Xn7TgjJMPgfQrzJg-nmkTptzql2BCV4Cu6Hu3OgTchf8AP4ZWfgyj3XxxGP6biG5xCYCH7LWJRDJpa5AUEv9M6eqnkCruODEw4
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There is no magic bullet for a predicament;
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2017/09/20/analysis/fossil-fuel-expansion-crushes-renewables
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“The humble Mitsubishi Mirage has none of the hallmarks of a futuristic, environmentally friendly car. It is fuelled by petrol, runs on an internal combustion engine and spews exhaust emissions through a tailpipe.”
“But when the Mirage is assessed for carbon emissions throughout its entire lifecycle — from procuring the components and fuel, to recycling its parts — it can actually be a greener car than a model by Tesla, the US electric vehicle pioneer, in regions with particularly high carbon emissions from electricity.”
“According to data from the Trancik Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Tesla Model S P100D saloon driven in the US midwest produces 226 grammes of carbon dioxide (or equivalent) per kilometre over its lifecycle — a significant reduction to the 385g for a luxury 7-series BMW. But the Mirage emits even less, at just 192g.”
https://www.ft.com/content/a22ff86e-ba37-11e7-9bfb-4a9c83ffa852
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Gail Tverberg: Why There’s No Economically Sustainable Price For Oil Anymore.
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“Without a hint of irony, China Daily explained that the ship will mainly haul “coal for the generation of electric power.”
“About 75 per cent of China’s electricity comes from the burning of coal, meaning that electric vehicles are in fact running on coal.”
https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2017/12/08/Illusion-Of-Progress-Chinas-Electric-Cargo-Ship-To-Carry-Coal/
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Just another false dawn on the road to armageddon.
https://www.ft.com/content/a22ff86e-ba37-11e7-9bfb-4a9c83ffa852
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“Earlier this year, Ellen Williams, the director of ARPA-E, the U.S. Department of Energy’s advanced research program for alternative energy, made headlines when she told the Guardian newspaper that “We have reached some holy grails in batteries.”
“Despite very promising results from the 75-odd energy-storage research projects that ARPA-E funds, however, the grail of compact, low-cost energy storage remains elusive.”
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602245/why-we-still-dont-have-better-batteries/
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“Hype Meets Reality as Electric Car Dreams Run Into Metal Crunch”
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-cobalt-batteries/
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