Ecologist William E. Rees on: overshoot, carbon dioxide, cities, and human thinking

 In this short clip, Prof. Rees is interviewed by another comprehensive thinker, Prof. Nate Hagens (The Great Simplification, also on YouTube).  This is an excerpt from a longer talk.  If you wish to increase your ecological knowledge, don't miss this---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1vX03h7w9c&list=WL&index=67

It seems to me that too many of our public & private Powers-That-Be are stuck in reductionist (as opposed to holistic) thinking.  As a result, as a species we're not yet approaching the mitigation of the Eco-Crisis in any comprehensive manner.  Here are a few specifics---

1.  Why is there no U.S. Dept. of Sustainability, or same in any other country?

2.  Which of the Powers-That-Be is addressing the soil crisis, or the acidification of the ocean, or the massive pollution of the ecosphere by micro-plastics, or pollution by endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or biodiversity loss (there is a bit of progress with this one), or how all these and more are linked?

3.  Which of the Powers truly understands the need for economic  development which is sustainable, as opposed to mindless economic growth which perpetually produces more mountains of rubbish (thus overwhelming Earth's waste-neutralizing capacity)?

4.  How many of the Powers really grasp this concept:  if we don't address the human overpopulation problem, Nature will - via massive starvation, famine, disease, and untimely death?

5.  How many of the Powers understand that technological advances are one of the main reasons we are now in a socio-eco-econ-ethical Crisis of the Ages?  Why?  Because those Tech advances were almost blindly implemented, with little thought to possible unintended consequences, and even less thought to monitoring & regulating their implementation.  A prime example is the petrochemical industry.  It has brought us great convenience, and monumental damage to health and ecosystems.  It's folly to believe that Technology alone now will save us.

Holism v. Reductionism---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_kbt7h1YRw&list=WL&index=63

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

HOPE, from one of the greatest...

 conservationists on the planet---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH3VzkG8u2o&list=PLpCH1XIO3lYtRELTupGHOfrbylNlPhPKR&index=3

Here's an important snippet from this less-than-6-minutes talk:

"...the absurd idea that we can have infinite economic growth on a planet with finite resources."  Amen.

Unfortunately, probably 90% of our politicians believe in that "absurd idea".  We can change that, IF we have the desire & will to do so.

A few cardinal rules re our current Eco-Crisis:

1.  Ecological overshoot will not be mitigated enough by advances in Technology if we continue to pursue infinite economic growth.

2.  Earth's waste assimilating/neutralizing capability is being overwhelmed by our pursuit of perpetual growth.

3.  Healthy, natural ecosystems are crucial to our thriving on this planet.

4.  Economic development does NOT require constant economic growth.

5.  Yes, Earth does have a carrying capacity, and that applies regardless of technological advances.  While those advances can somewhat increase said capacity, such is true only up to a point.  Beyond that point, Nature tells us to back off, slow down, and cultivate some ecological sense.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

So-called "A.I." ALREADY is replacing humans in the workplace

Best guess:  the situation only will get worse. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9reoRGBydrU

The title of this piece reads "So-called..." because the original definition of Artificial Intelligence was:  a machine which recognizes itself as a separate being.  To my knowledge, we're not yet anywhere near that scenario.

Nevertheless, what we have now can be a bane to society, and potentially dangerous beyond the pale.  Politicians worldwide need to get a handle on the use of A.I.  What are they waiting for - the first disaster?  Even the creators of A.I. already are warning us.  Who would know of the dangers better than them?  Nobody.

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Not only my opinion.  Take Care

"12 Myths About Taxing the Rich"

 At the link below, Prof. Reich blows away the misleading statements and outright propaganda coming from the Rich and the Media pundits who favor them.  The short clip is four years old, but about 99.9% of it still applies today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnoLAMHwf2I&list=WL&index=68&t=5s

While a few of those myths most likely are known as such by Main Street, I'm guessing the majority of them are not.  Every voter (in particular) will be better informed after watching this piece.  The arguments used by the Rich against a "wealth tax" simply don't hold up under scrutiny.  Have a look, and see if you agree.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

"Oh-oh...who knew (???) besides UPS workers..."

Below is my latest email (greatly edited/expanded) sent to family and friends.

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4e8jI_qzro

I hope they get a good contract without a strike.  99.9% of the multiple, multiple packages I get from Amazon per month are delivered by UPS.

This scenario is a good example of how Big Biz sometimes screws its employees in order to shift wealth to the Upper Crust.  Kudos to Main St. workers for fighting back.

Yes, companies should make a profit, no question about that; but making obscene profits harms society in the long run.  How/why?  Because such profits usually are the result of not treating workers fairly, cutting corners re safety (think Deepwater Horizon in 2010, among many other examples), damaging or destroying natural ecosystems (thus harming what sustains us), causing workers incredible stress re job security and a substandard living, and more.

All the above is one more reason why the USA is circling the drain in the sink of "glory days", and one more result of the Oligarchy getting more and more desperate as the so-called "American Empire" declines.  One possible solution to this particular scenario is to begin a long conversion of our economy to worker co-ops.  There's no good reason for workers not being the owners of a company.  A few such companies already exist here, and are doing well.  Some examples:  

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/insights/051316/6-successful-companies-are-employeeowned.asp#:~:text=The%20largest%20employee%2Downed%20company,WinCo%20Foods%2C%20and%20Brookshire%20Brothers

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Corporatocracy doesn't want you to know this about economics & the economy

In general, the Powers-That-Be (both public & private) almost constantly mislead us regarding whether or not the economy is doing well.  That's because they measure such all wrong.

Robert Reich tells it like it is---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFjoDq0HfFw&list=WL&index=71

To have an economics as if all people and the entire ecosphere matter, we must adhere to the parameters described/endorsed by Prof. Reich in the short clip above.  Anything else is mostly propaganda.

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Not only my opinion.  Take Care

Why is the Class War Accelerating in the USA and Elsewhere?

 Here's a large part of the answer---(the clip is only 6.5 minutes long)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJz3gPJ46kc&list=WL&index=71&t=23s

For over forty years, the Establishment has been favoring the upper 10% of income earners with tax cuts, tax loopholes which go unplugged, subsidies for big corporations, government contracts, lack of prosecution for wrongdoing, and more.  For the last few-to-several years, Main Street has become more & more aware of all that, and is finally pushing back with demonstrations, strikes, boycotts, and the like.  They have done so despite the fact that the Establishment often criminalizes those who peacefully object to being ripped off or exploited.  On top of all that...

The Super-Rich CEOs and corporations have realized what's happening to the American Empire - it's crumbling.  As a result of their realization, they now are making extra efforts to garner more wealth in order to further secure their future in the Post-American-Era.  Those extra efforts include increasing profits even more at the expense of workers, buying influence with politicians more than usual (they spent one billion dollars on the last mid-term elections), treating customers much like livestock (denying claims re faulty goods or services, ignoring safety concerns, etc.), buying back their own stock so shareholders get that money instead of workers, and in general, cutting corners to the max at the expense of Main St.

In addition, we have this...

https://www.democracynow.org/2023/5/24/jeffrey_sachs_defense_spending_us_debt

In the current "Debt Ceiling" talks, neither Biden nor McCarthy is mentioning or considering cuts to Defense spending.  The USA's spending on defense-related items constitutes 40% of the entire world's spending on such items.  Our Defense budget is larger than that of the next ten nations combined.  Most politicians in both major Parties support the concept of perpetual war.  So, the Defense budget is sacrosanct.  Plus, increasing taxes on the super-wealthy is not on the table.

Instead, the Repubs want to cut spending on items which benefit the poorest Americans.  Is that because they believe the Poor are undeserving of help?  If not that, what is it?  It can't be concern over fraud in some welfare instances.  Why?  Because they don't seem concerned at all about rampant mega corporation fraud.

All of the above has accelerated the ongoing Class War.  The bought-off politicians on both sides of the aisle largely are to blame.  So are many/most of the mega corporations and their Super-Rich CEOs.  If you agree, think hard before casting your vote in the next national election, and before buying another piece of manufactured rubbish made in China.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well