A quick note of thanks to everyone who has chipped in on the fundraiser. You are absolute stars, and we are already around 3/4 of the way to our total.
“One more month of NASA CERES data and this line keeps going through the f*cking roof! As Dr James E Hansen said, this is a Big F*cking Deal (BFD)!
“Don’t let anyone downplay its importance. I talked about this in detail with Nate Hagens here:”
Link for that conversation is at the base of my thread.
https://twitter.com/LeonSimons8/status/1748102127656841664
“November data was just released by CERES yesterday, with albedo setting yet another record low at 28.6%. That is, less incoming solar is being reflected back out. More is being absorbed.
“Why? Less sea ice, darker snow (ash/algae), fewer aerosols, land-use changes and more.”
https://twitter.com/EliotJacobson/status/1748346370417901993
“The oceans are talking to us, and it’s not a pleasant conversation…
“”There are marine heat waves in basins all over: in the Atlantic, both north and south; [the] Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean,” said Josh Willis, a climate scientist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “There are these surface temperature areas that are just unusually warm. And some of that has also added to [last] year’s record.””
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/ocean-warming-signals-1.7086410
“The 1.5-degree climate goal may be ‘deader than a doornail,’ and scientists are bitterly divided over it…
““I’ve got three degrees in physics, and I can tell you that Jim Hansen is wrong,” said Michael Mann, a leading climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, referring to Hansen. The problem isn’t physics, it’s politics, he told CNN. “And political obstacles can be overcome.””
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/18/climate/paris-climate-goal-threatened-intl/index.html
“The 1.5-degree climate goal is out of reach. Here’s what to do now. [Washington Post editorial]…
“The data underscores just how wishful the thinking was back in 2015, when countries gathered at the U.N. climate summit in Paris agreed that preventing severe droughts, downpours, heat waves and other climate impacts required them to try to keep warming to the 1.5-degree target. It should also serve as an omen…”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/01/18/climate-change-target-missing-global-action/
“Global food production at risk as rising temperatures threaten farmers’ physical ability to work, new study finds…
“”Assessments consistently conclude that climate change will reduce crop yields… “But it’s not only crops and livestock that are affected. The agricultural workers who plant, till, and harvest much of the food we need will also suffer due to heat exposure, reducing their ability to undertake work in the field.””
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-global-food-production-temperatures-threaten.html
“A curious thing is happening underneath the Antarctic oceans: the food chain is changing…
“McMurdo Sound is just a tiny portion of the Antarctic coastline, but Stuart’s eDNA samples aren’t the only evidence suggesting something funny is happening under the water. Phytoplankton blooms are starting earlier and lasting longer in areas where sea ice is taking longer to grow…”
https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/the-mysterious-life-of-antarctic-phytoplankton/
“3 Antarctic glaciers show rapidly accelerated ice loss from ocean warming.
“Several Antarctic glaciers are undergoing dramatic acceleration and ice loss. Hektoria Glacier, the worst affected, has quadrupled its sliding speed and lost 25 kilometers of ice off its front in just 16 months, scientists say. The rapid retreat “is really unheard of,” says Mathieu Morlighem, a glaciologist…”
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/3-antarctic-glaciers-rapid-loss-climate-change
“As Nunapitchuk’s tundra gives way to mud and grass, outdoor life isn’t what it used to be [Alaska]…
“Locals describe the ground in Nunapitchuk these days as wet, spongy, squishy, and mushy. “Mud, soft mud all around,” resident Morris Alexie said. He’s lived in Nunapitchuk all his life, and now he’s trying to build a case to relocate the village. He says that it isn’t safe to stay on anymore.”
“Nearly 50 Killed In Winter Storms This Week [US].
“Nearly 50 people were killed in a series of winter storms and cold snaps this week, as cities across the East Coast grapple with heavy snowfall and freezing weather extends into the South and Midwest, setting cold temperature records and causing sweeping travel disruptions.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2024/01/19/nearly-50-killed-in-winter-storms-this-week/
“EV drivers wrestle with cold weather sapping their battery range.
“Fully electric vehicles, which run exclusively on battery packs, typically lose an average of 41% of their range when outdoor temperatures drop to 20 degrees Fahrenheit and the heat’s cranked on, AAA researchers have found.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/ev-battery-range-cold-weather-charging-rcna134355
“‘Frost quakes’ were felt around Chicago this week. Here’s what scientists do and don’t know about the seismic phenomenon…
““It sort of sounds like somebody is either snapping a very large branch off a tree or maybe popping very large bubble wrap. It’s not quite gunfire, but it’s sort of like that, and it can be that loud,” Ford said.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/19/world/frost-quakes-cold-weather-seismic-phenomenon-scn/index.html
“Drought Forces More Reduction in Panama Canal Traffic, Disrupting Global Trade.
“The new cuts announced Wednesday by authorities in Panama are set to deal an even greater economic blow than previously expected… On Wednesday, Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vasquez said they would cut daily ship crossings to 24…”
“Scorching heat in Central America & the Caribbean with up to 40C [104F] in Mexico, 38C Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, 37C Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, 34C…
“35.5C today in the NICARAGUAN capital Managua; its hottest January day on record. That’s the cool season…”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1748201115496452370
“Hottest January night on record for BRAZIL.
“MIN. temp. didn’t drop below 29.6C [85.3F] at the Jacarepagua Airport, west of Rio de Janeiro. Brazil had already broken the records of highest Tmin in every single month of the 2nd half of 2023, including the highest for any month.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1748061444061458944
“The Met Office has issued a fresh amber weather warning as Storm Isha’s powerful 80mph gales are set to batter the country this weekend.
“A large amber severe weather warning covers Northern Ireland, central and southern Scotland, Wales, much of northern England as well as southwestern parts of England.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/weather/storm-isha-met-office-uk-weather-wind-warnings-b2481940.html
“UK Banks decline mortgage applications in ‘climate change credit crunch’…
“Borrowers are increasingly being denied mortgages because of climate change concerns, brokers have warned. Climate change has been linked to severe storms and flooding, damaging homes and businesses every year…”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/net-zero/banks-decline-mortgages-climate-change-credit-crunch/
“Dutch farmers struggle through extreme weather…
“”The wet spring last year delayed the planting of potato and sugarbeet crops, and when the time came to harvest, the soil was, once again, drenched,” says Wijnand Sukkel, a researcher of sustainable agriculture.”
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-dutch-farmers-struggle-extreme-weather.html
“Alpine glaciers are set to lose at least a third of their volume by 2050, regardless of any immediate halt in global warming, according to scientists from the University of Lausanne and international collaborators.
“This startling projection about the future of Alpine glaciers is the result of advanced computer modeling and artificial intelligence.”
https://www.earth.com/news/alpine-glaciers-could-lose-half-of-their-volume-by-mid-century/
“Emergency Response Triggered as Storm ‘Juan’ Floods Extremadura, Spain…
“Storm ‘Juan’ has unleashed its fury on the Spanish region of Extremadura, triggering the activation of the emergency phase of its Special Flood Risk Civil Protection Plan (Inuncaex). The relentless downpour has led to rivers breaching their banks, forcing road closures across the region and causing widespread disruption…”
“Drought puts an end to boat trips in Costa del Sol park as lake is emptied to water gardens.
“The rowing boats in Parque de La Batería in Torremolinos are out of action again, just a few months after the boating lake was reopened in October last year. First is was the pandemic that put an end to the boat trips in 2020 and now it is the drought crisis…”
“Over 50 monthly records broken in SPAIN, but as forecast last week, highest Tmins records prevailed, while Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla smashed both maxes and mins.
“Hottest January night on record also in the Balkans between Croatia and Bosnia with Tmins as high as 18C.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1748027608359416256
“European berry consumers feel the heat from Morocco.
“Unprecedented summer heat in Morocco delayed plantings of raspberries and strawberries last year, contributing to shortages and price rises on the European market this season. Extreme weather in Morocco has not only impacted the vegetable sector, as Fruitnet reported this month, but also the berry segment…”
“EXTRAORDINARY warmth in the Mediterranean: Hundreds of records both highest Tmins and Highest Tmaxes are falling from Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania etc.
“The most extreme January warm spell on record for the Mediterranean. Updates later…”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1748003474221011111
“JUST IN: RECORD! 26C [78.8F] in MALTA (at Msida). Hottest January day ever recorded in the tiny island, for the second time in 2 years Malta beat the January record.
“Dozens if not hundreds of records are falling throughout the Mediterranean.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1747969554880614884
“Liberian Farmers, Battered by Climate Change, Face a New Threat.
“Between 20 to 40 percent of global crop production is now lost to pests such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, insects, and worms according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Liberia’s farmers are on the frontline.”
“UN Says Floods in Republic of Congo Leave 350,000 in Need.
“Jens Laerke said the floods have left communities without shelter or access to primary health services. “Villages, schools and health facilities have been flooded and many water points and sanitation facilities are no longer functional,” he said.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/un-says-floods-in-republic-of-congo-leave-350-000-in-need/7447183.html
“Extreme heat wave in coastal/islands of East Africa due to a strong maritime heatwave (IOD+).
“SEYCHELLES: Tmin 28.2C [82.8F] Highest Jan Tmin on record; January heat records: TANZANIA: 35.8C Dar es Salaam; KENYA: 36.0C Mombasa.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1748520633644789946
“Water Is the New Oil in the Gulf.
“In the arid desert landscapes of the Gulf, where oil has long been the region’s economic bedrock, a new narrative is unfolding—one where water’s increasing recognition as a critical and finite resource demands a reckoning.”
https://time.com/6556469/water-new-oil-arabian-gulf/
“Islamabad’s Water Scarcity: A Growing Challenge Amid Rising Population.
“In a city where the population has swelled beyond two million, the strain on natural resources is palpable… Contaminated water has caused widespread health issues in Islamabad, with diseases like Hepatitis and Diarrhea becoming all too common.”
“Drought-affected Kabul residents queuing for hours to fetch water.
“War-torn Afghanistan has been suffering from years of drought. Kabul, according to Afghans, also faces serious drought in the ongoing harsh winter, with rare rain or snowfall. The water supply networks including the state-run one, according to Kabul residents, have failed to supply water to the houses of the residents regularly.”
https://english.news.cn/20240119/5296408852674b7aa1f4c0c49ed539cf/c.html
“Driest January since [record-keeping began in] 1901 triggers water scarcity fears in Himachal Pradesh…
“The unusually long dry spell through December 2023 and January this year has caused concern among growers over the adverse impact on fruits, especially apple and other crops. The near absence of snow and negligible rains could lead to acute water shortage during the summer months.”
“India’s Kashmir Ski Industry Melts As Temperatures Rise…
“”The current dry spell is an extreme weather event — which are predicted to become more intense and frequent in the future,” said climate scientist Shakil Romshoo, from Kashmir’s Islamic University of Science and Technology.”
https://www.barrons.com/news/india-s-kashmir-ski-industry-melts-as-temperatures-rise-b2d1c950
“Gujarat is grappling with the stark realities of climate change. The state has experienced severe heatwaves, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 50C [122F].
“The ‘State-Level Climate Change Trends in India’ report by the India Meteorological Department highlights a worrying trend: Both the annual minimum and maximum temperatures in Gujarat are increasing by 0.02 degrees Celsius annually.”
https://indiawest.com/gujarats-climate-crisis-alarming-heat-waves-extreme-weather/
“SE Asia Heat Wave. RECORD IN HONG KONG: 30.4C [86.7F] Wetland Park on 15th Highest January temperature ever recorded in HONG KONG.
“Today very hot also in TAIWAN with 32.2C and in JAPAN with monthly record broken at Isen with 24.6C.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1748299921021903317
“SE Asia Heat wave – part 2. Extreme heat in THAILAND where in the past 8 months record heat has been constant and relentless.
“Today 37.2C [99F] at Chanthaburi and 36.1C at Bang Na broke their January records of high temperatures and it will get worse. January Asian heat record is at stake.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1748325280211693785
“Indonesia is clearing vast peatlands to grow food. Climate costs are dire.
“…releasing massive amounts of carbon that had been sequestered below for centuries and destroying one of the Earth’s most effective means of storing greenhouse gases. The country is home to as much as half of the planet’s tropical peatland…”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/19/indonesia-peatlands-climate-change-warming/
“Coral bleaching, erosion and mass fish deaths in Far North Queensland after Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
“In December, the slow-moving cyclone dumped enough rain for some parts of Far North Queensland to record their worst floods in more than 110 years… Scientist and conservationist Nigel Brothers has been calculating the environmental damage…”
“Flood warnings prompt evacuations in NT as Queensland braces for incoming cyclone…
“Far north Queensland is bracing for a second natural disaster in about a month while flooding has forced people to flee their homes in the Northern Territory. Meanwhile, a swathe of Western Australia is enduring temperatures approaching 50C.”
“Western Australia in ‘extreme’ heat wave, raising bush fire risk…
“Australia’s highest temperature on record of 50.7 C (123.2 F) was logged at the Pilbara’s Onslow Airport on Jan. 13, 2022. Saturday’s hot weather lifts the risk of bush fires in an already high-risk fire season amid an El Nino weather pattern…”
https://news.yahoo.com/western-australia-extreme-heatwave-alert-005705579.html
“Firefighters Used to Bet on Wildfires Easing at Night. Not Anymore…
“SYDNEY—Firefighters have often planned around cooler and more humid conditions at night to help them contain out-of-control wildfires. But authorities battling a large blaze in an Australian forest last month were caught off guard when it created a firestorm around 11:30 p.m.”
https://www.wsj.com/world/firefightersused-to-bet-on-wildfires-easing-at-night-not-anymore-7f7d6204
“Swimmers told to avoid several popular Sydney beaches due to stormwater pollution…
“Flowing drains, open lagoons, odours, litter and debris are all signs of stormwater pollution swept into beaches or bays. The alert comes after days of mugginess, with Sydney experiencing its highest dew point on record last Thursday, as well as days of heavy rain.”
“Seabed trawling found to be a major source of global CO2 emissions…
“Bottom trawling releases around 340 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, according to the first study to estimate these emissions. That is nearly 1 per cent of all global CO2 emissions, a major contribution that has been overlooked until now.”
“The world’s cities are not ready for climate change…
“The human and economic costs could be enormous. In young and fast-growing African and Asian countries, urbanisation is set to continue unabated. This will put millions more impoverished city dwellers directly at risk of flooding, heat illnesses and famine.”
https://www.ft.com/content/ddcb224f-2f1e-45ad-8fac-159d9c951074
“A record 63 billion-dollar weather disasters hit Earth in 2023.
“Seven nations had their most expensive weather disaster on record, and the continent of Africa suffered two of its deadliest… he planet was besieged by a record 63 billion-dollar weather disasters in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 57 set in 2020, said insurance broker Gallagher Re in its annual report issued January 17.”
“Climate Change Could Make Diarrheal Illness More Common.
“People are more prone to coming down with a common gastrointestinal infection on hot, humid days, new research shows. The British study suggests that climate change and global warming could increase cases of diarrheal illness caused by campylobacter bacterial infections.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.
If you found value in this content, please help me continue this work by becoming a patron of my work via Patreon. And if you are already a subscriber or have donated – thank you! It is an enormous help as the cost-of-living crisis ratchets up here in the UK.
How much will RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard heat up the environment?? Will they substantially contribute to Global Average Temperatures going consistently over 2° in 2024??
Will a RFK Jr. victory in 2024 prevent a civil war in the USA which would prevent large amounts of nitrous exides from heating up the planet even faster?
Will Netflix make a documentary about the RFK Jr. Champaign?
Is RFK really just another MICC puppet conman?
If not does he with the support of Tulsi Gabbard have a chance of uprooting the continuing criminal enterprise that has infested itself in public and private institutions throughout the entire country and invested in subverting the moral fabric of the rest of the planet?
If it looks like RFK could win the election because the vote seems to get split closely in the 3 way race, or he simply wins the electoral college even though he finishes second or third, will he suffer the Kennedy Curse? If he does die before or after taking office will the people who voted for Biden and Trump both be delighted by the turn of events?
Tune in to National Private Radio for all this and more advertising Fee.
RFK certainly seems to be the only candidate that shows common sense and appears to be a decent and sane person. Does this disqualify him from being popular among the US electorate? Or is it real that there seems to be a sort of invisible hand insisting we don’t look behind the curtain and remain focused on the clowns?
Hello Justin,
I don’t often comment, but I read these updates almost every day and they are one of my major sources of news in general.
I just want to express gratitude to you for all your unwavering work. Unfortunately as a jobless millenial from non-western Europe, as you can imagine, I am currently not in a position to be able to afford to donate, but I figured the least I can do is let you know I appreciate your effort and it is not in vain.
I wish you the best, you deserve so much more than to just hit $900 and have your expenses paid, I hope you exceed that goal to compensate for all the time and energy you put into these invaluable posts.
Keep up the good work, I hope you’re able to continue in the future… as long as we have any, lol.
Blessings,
Matej
Matej, and bless you for those very kind words. ❤
Your contribution is huge to the awakening of general public, if only the millsions would read your summaries!!
Of course I’ll up my contribution monthly.
best regards
Ian
ps there needs to be a sister sister or series that does this for agriculture/forestry/mining.
Ian, thank you!
I wish I had the time to branch out into a sister series. I do touch on those issues tangentially, with climate change’s impacts on agriculture ramping up, for example. And mining will, I’m sure, be cropping up more and more with the push to electrify economic activity.
Unfortunately for Rfk jr on his platform he promotes alot of go green ideas like regenerative farming which on its face is laughable and like those who believe by removing the dams which is good but it will not magically bring the salmon back again. Yes he looks at big tech, big ag and more but he is still part of elite class.
https://www.politico.eu/article/keir-starmer-labour-work-uk-crumbling-houses-parliament-commons-lords/
A collapsing eu and building is kinda ironic to the current political and economic situation.
Heather, it is. Another gloomy, and rather embarrassing, portent for the poor, old UK:
“An investigation is under way after two UK warships collided at a port in Bahrain, the Royal Navy says. Video widely shared on social media appeared to show HMS Chiddingfold reverse into HMS Bangor off the coast in the Middle Eastern port.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68040614
A terrifying compendium, but not a surprising one. Take care of yourself. It has to be extraordinarily difficult to compile these news briefs as we hurtle towards disaster. Every post is appreciated.
Thank you, Margaret.
I tend to be so busy engaging with the information intellectually that it doesn’t sink in emotionally. Sometimes I’ll re-read a thread later in the day and think, “Bloody hell…”
And of course the odd article hits home at the time of posting, temporarily awakening that awful sense of unfolding tragedy. I still prefer to look than look away though.
“I’ve got three degrees in physics, and I can tell you that Jim Hansen is wrong,”
OMG I wonder if Mann realizes how stupid & desperate he sounds? So desperate that he needs to stoop to a elementary school level argument from authority.
*** I’ve got three degrees in physics*** Wow, Mann has 2 more ‘degrees’ than Hansen so that means he is always correct – forget about the evidence – 3 degrees trumps all other scientists & any & all evidence too.
Hansen was the head honcho of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies for 32 years – a position careerist & government ‘yes mann’, Mike Mann has long coveted. The guy who took over from Hansen, Gavin Schmidt, is also a careerist & first class asshole. Hansen is not the first senior scientist Mann & that US gov crew has publicly insulted. They act like typical US empire upper management – pushing people around who do not hold the party line. Mann, Schmidt and a few others insulted senior scientists Peter Wadhams right while he was in the middle of giving a lecture – they were belittling the guy with insulting tweets. Mann thinks he knows more about the Arctic than Wadhams who studied it for 40 years with much of that time spent in the Arctic while Mike Mann lives in a computer lab building useless climate models.
I shared a link the other day and within the article the author demonstrated how official US climate estimates are lower than any others and asked why is that? Is the rest of the world wrong?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“There is something REALLY IMPORTANT here that you NEED to NOTICE.
Did you notice the BIG difference between the “American” data and, basically, the rest of the WORLD
The DIFFERENCE between these two numbers is SIGNIFICANT. The AMERICAN “estimate” is about -35% LOWER than everyone else.
WHY?
In this article it’s clear that they are trying to “paper over” the difference in these two positions.
The American/s are basically saying.
“We ALL agree the Oceans are RAPIDLY WARMING. That’s the MOST important thing. We just think that the ‘Chinese Science’ has ‘quality-control’ issues and is overstating the severity of the problem.”
Minimizers — NASA/GISS, NOAA, and Michael Mann.
Moderates — Berkeley Earth.
Alarmists — Hansen.
In the next few papers I will outline what I think is happening and how BAD the next years are going to be. Keep in mind, I think it’s WORSE than any of these guys.’
https://richardcrim.substack.com/p/the-crisis-report-60
~~~~~
IMO, that crew at NASA & Mike Mann are under pressure to not Alarm the masses, the world, with the truth for the simple reason that the truth will lead to an alarmed populous which would be very bad for BAU.
The elites are trash, but they are not that smart. They are smart enough to know that significant change would be a threat to their wealth & power. There’s no grand conspiracy – they don’t want society to change because they have succeeded and become wealthy and powerful under a certain set of living arrangements and rules within society, so change is the last thing they want and if and when it comes to a point where they cannot stop change, they will want to control and manage it if possible. They will not stop trying to be on top no matter what. There is only one thing to stop them, but there’s nothing to stop what is already baked in, which is more than enough to destroy civilization and the majority of humans.
Thanks, Scanlon. I appreciate you posting this commentary on Mann’s idiotic comments. I agree with your analysis. Sigh. Not easy being witnesses, but here we are. And I am glad for the (virtual) company.
FASTER THAN EXPECTED
…why most climate scientists can’t tell the truth (in public)
One of the clichés of climate change reporting is climate scientists claiming to be ‘surprised’, ‘shocked’ or ‘baffled’ by extreme events happening so much faster than predicted by their models and research studies.
https://medium.com/@JacksonDamian/faster-than-expected-9675203cf8ac
At this point, I think a lot more people are aware of how bad things are than this writer suggests, but in his defense this article will be 1 year old in two days and a shit ton of climate reality has befallen the humans during the last 363 days.
Too much to read,again. I’ll get there but more pictures would an improvement. 😉
I left college after 1 1/2 years in 1969 because I realized that all anyone learned were detail in their specialty & seemed to remain ignorant of the big picture. In a TV program in 1964 about population I had realized more than any of the great learning institutions could ever teach me. Reason & critical thinking doesn’t need a framed paper hanging on the wall.
All the brilliant minds,at least in their minds, will never say what really matters. Apparently a paper degree trumps the ability to state basic facts.
We are a biological entity,primate mammal, who thinks that it is immune to the same laws that apply to all other living creatures. Over 200 species a day are going extinct? Not to worry, all the Clever Apes are 10 feet tall & bullet proof. Not one will say how we got here,the O-word.
Go ahead & fuck yourselves to extinction.
We don’t need no steenkin’ livable habitat. My anger at this species won’t stop one from watching the slow deaths of their loved ones & friends for lack of food, water, clean air,livable temps.
Speaking of preppers, is the global population ready for helter skelter? Some are already experiencing it.
This primate scum made some bad choices & they continue.
It’s been my experience that angry bitter doomers have not fully let go of the great expectations this BS society pumps in our head starting from a very early age.
Boomers had the most expectations and some are still waiting for their flying cars and free nuclear generated electricity.
Yes they lied and lied and still do. I might be angry myself if I thought humans had freewill and everyone was the master of their behavior, but I don’t. I see the humans as tragic and terrified. I’ve found Ernest Becker’s work and thesis in ‘The Denial of Death to have great explanatory power – most human action is taken to ignore or avoid the inevitability of death. Sheldon Solomon and others took Becker’s work to the next level with ‘Terror Management Theory’.
Solomon is always worth the price of admission.
Sheldon Solomon: Terror Management Theory and the Denial of Death
“Oct 25, 2023
Sheldon Solomon is Professor of Psychology at Skidmore College. He is best known for developing terror management theory with Tom Pyszczynski and Jeff Greenberg, which explores human psychology and mortality. In this episode, Robinson and Sheldon discuss Ernest Becker’s groundbreaking book The Denial of Death, how it influenced him and his collaborators, and how they have studied—with the tools of contemporary social psychology—how humans are affected by their sense of mortality.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yriUCT3GuCU
I’m a life long atheist, but I have studied Christianity and the other fables and I’ve found some useful wisdom there. Sometimes when I think of the train wreck that is the Human species, I’ll think of Luke…..”Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Scanlon – I think you could be right about angry, bitter doomers like TR. Although in his case he can’t seem to get over the fact that humans collectively are not that bright and are in fact collectively destroying this beautiful planet, ourselves included. Humans collectively live for short-term survival, and when that’s covered, for pleasure. So, as Kunstler once wrote about all our technological advances, “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” There really is no one to blame, not the saints or the psychopaths.
Sometimes I certainly dip into that mindset that TR continually posts from, however, I have gotten pretty good at stepping back and taking a cosmic view of our situation and from that viewpoint from the stars, what we are doing on this planet seems less personal. I wish everyone peace of mind as we slide down the slippery slope.
TR,
I posted this link especially for you. I do not expect that it contains any information that you were not already aware of. Though you may have forgot a bit of it in the mean time. I for exapmple like to say that I have forgotten more about macroeconomics than most Phd economists ever knew in the first place. The important thing about this link is that it has lots of nice pictures in it.
That reminds me. I have stopped putting comments on CollapseofIndustrialCivilization because it keeps telling me that I have to sign in to WordPress.com to be able to place a comment and I refuse to sign in to WordPress.com to be able to place a comment. This is something that just start happening around two weeks ago.
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/other/the-doomsday-glacier-is-melting-and-we-could-all-be-in-trouble/ss-AA19EQUM?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=b01ba7ec78c946a396df6736643f0d2c&ei=13#image=14