James Lovelock
In summarizing Lovelock's view I don't think we can improve on this entry from Wikipedia:
Lovelock believes that it is too late to avoid significant global heating and significant climate change which will make large parts of the Earth's surface much less hospitable for humans. As a result, there will be an inevitable, major decline in the human population over the next hundred years. Lovelock's answer is that nuclear power is the only short-term solution for the preservation of civilization as it stands now. The dangers that many environmentalists see from nuclear power are quite minor with respect to most of Earth's ecologies. Lovelock sees benign alternate energy sources as inadequate and irrelevant at best.
Lovelock draws a distinction between his original Gaia hypothesis of the 1970s and current Gaia theory. He believes that the time will come when the United States government takes global heating seriously and that they will respond with immense planet-scale engineering fixes, perhaps space based. While he indicates these may succeed, he is left despondent by the prospect that humans will have to deal with the extra costs of maintaining a habitable surface climate, a task formerly done for the human race by Gaia.
Lovelock thinks the time is past for sustainable development, and that we have come to a time when development is no longer sustainable. He proposes that we need sustainable retreat from an impending Climate Storm; that we must retreat in an orderly fashion from the coming threats to our global habitat, to mitigate adverse impacts on human health and happiness.
According to Lovelock, by 2040, the world population of more than six billion will have been culled by floods, drought and famine. The people of Southern Europe, as well as South-East Asia, will be fighting their way into countries such as Canada, Australia and Britain. He says that "By 2040, parts of the Sahara desert will have moved into middle Europe. We are talking about Paris - as far north as Berlin. In Britain we will escape because of our oceanic position." Lovelock believes it is too late to repair the damage. "If you take the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predictions, then by 2040 every summer in Europe will be as hot as it was in 2003 - between 43C and 49C (120F). It is not the death of people that is the main problem, it is the fact that the plants can't grow - there will be almost no food grown in Europe. We are about to take an evolutionary step and my hope is that the species will emerge stronger. It would be hubris to think humans as they now are God's chosen race."
I read The Revenge of Gaia when it was first published in 2006 and was convinced Lovelock was right. The thesis of this book was a large part of why I wanted to create 1159. To my mind, above all else, this view of Lovelock's is what is needed to JOLT us into awakening. So while I am 100% certain that conscious evolution is the underlying solution to the Emergency, what we need now, first, is a way to motivate people to choose, consciously, to evolve. They have to believe there is in fact an Emergency, and I don't believe they currently do, far too few of us do.
So to me this is precisely what 1159 must change if we are to be successful. First the jolt of awakening as individual after individual realizes that EXTINCTION, or at the very least the END OF CIVILIZATION is what we are actually facing, that it will very likely mean the death of everyone in their family, their entire family line, within one or two generations. THAT will wake up the great mass of humanity, when first hundreds, then thousands, and finally millions of intelligent credible people start acknowledging this truth.
What do you think?
Lovelock believes that it is too late to avoid significant global heating and significant climate change which will make large parts of the Earth's surface much less hospitable for humans. As a result, there will be an inevitable, major decline in the human population over the next hundred years. Lovelock's answer is that nuclear power is the only short-term solution for the preservation of civilization as it stands now. The dangers that many environmentalists see from nuclear power are quite minor with respect to most of Earth's ecologies. Lovelock sees benign alternate energy sources as inadequate and irrelevant at best.
Lovelock draws a distinction between his original Gaia hypothesis of the 1970s and current Gaia theory. He believes that the time will come when the United States government takes global heating seriously and that they will respond with immense planet-scale engineering fixes, perhaps space based. While he indicates these may succeed, he is left despondent by the prospect that humans will have to deal with the extra costs of maintaining a habitable surface climate, a task formerly done for the human race by Gaia.
Lovelock thinks the time is past for sustainable development, and that we have come to a time when development is no longer sustainable. He proposes that we need sustainable retreat from an impending Climate Storm; that we must retreat in an orderly fashion from the coming threats to our global habitat, to mitigate adverse impacts on human health and happiness.
According to Lovelock, by 2040, the world population of more than six billion will have been culled by floods, drought and famine. The people of Southern Europe, as well as South-East Asia, will be fighting their way into countries such as Canada, Australia and Britain. He says that "By 2040, parts of the Sahara desert will have moved into middle Europe. We are talking about Paris - as far north as Berlin. In Britain we will escape because of our oceanic position." Lovelock believes it is too late to repair the damage. "If you take the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predictions, then by 2040 every summer in Europe will be as hot as it was in 2003 - between 43C and 49C (120F). It is not the death of people that is the main problem, it is the fact that the plants can't grow - there will be almost no food grown in Europe. We are about to take an evolutionary step and my hope is that the species will emerge stronger. It would be hubris to think humans as they now are God's chosen race."
I read The Revenge of Gaia when it was first published in 2006 and was convinced Lovelock was right. The thesis of this book was a large part of why I wanted to create 1159. To my mind, above all else, this view of Lovelock's is what is needed to JOLT us into awakening. So while I am 100% certain that conscious evolution is the underlying solution to the Emergency, what we need now, first, is a way to motivate people to choose, consciously, to evolve. They have to believe there is in fact an Emergency, and I don't believe they currently do, far too few of us do.
So to me this is precisely what 1159 must change if we are to be successful. First the jolt of awakening as individual after individual realizes that EXTINCTION, or at the very least the END OF CIVILIZATION is what we are actually facing, that it will very likely mean the death of everyone in their family, their entire family line, within one or two generations. THAT will wake up the great mass of humanity, when first hundreds, then thousands, and finally millions of intelligent credible people start acknowledging this truth.
What do you think?
Views: 154
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jed Diamond on
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I, too, believe that we are at a turning point in human history and massive change is upon us. Clearly all of us individuals will die sometime. What we want to preserve is the legacy of human beings. We want a planet that will be habitable for our children, grandchildren, and for many generations to come.
As a psychologist who specializes in working with people in crisis, I have seen the collective level of depression spreading throughout the planet. I believe the most revolutionary act we may have to engage in our lifetime, is to remain joyful in the face of massive change, including the death of millions of people and the displacement of even more.
On an individual level, I see many people who give up on life and slowly, or rapidly, engage in self-destructive behaviors. Too many people who accept the gloomy forecast of people like Lovelock, who I respect greatly, will decide we might as well accept that the end is near, have one last big binge party, and go out in a blaze of glory.
That's why I think Laszlo's work is so important. He sees things as they are, but also as they can be. He recognizes that we must change our own consciousness, our belief about our collective future, and the hope that we have for tomorrow.
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Permalink Reply by Carl Carpenter on -
Absolutely Jed, Ervin's work is essential to both awaken the public and offer them cause for hope. I believe his message may be the most important of our time.
I would love to see a blog post or article elaborating on your view of this collective depression phenomenon. I've long suspected it, and realize the enormous danger. The global self is desperate for therapy. Sounds like a best-seller Oprah would get behind.
Thanks again for your insightful comments!
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Thanks Carl. I just posted Dr. Laszlo's latest blog along with links on www.Scribd.com. If you'd like to see some of my articles on various topics: Health, depression, love, the world shift I see coming, you can read them on Scribd at: http://tinyurl.com/DrJedArticles
If there are any you'd like to post here, let me know and I'll send them to you.
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Permalink Reply by michael o'neal rawlings on -
The problem with the world finding the truth is thay will stop there day today routine business will callapse goverments will fall. The human race has dug it's self in to a hole it cant get out of IT. so all we can do is live for the moment behappy and pray and hope that there is a god to go and see after the world ends................or this could just be apart of gods plans so as all americans say in god we trust..................................................................................................
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Permalink Reply by Steven Burnand on -
Hi Carl, could Lovelock's theories have taken this into account?
This is the best video to date I have seen on chem trails and it puts forward some compelling evidence as to chem trails no longer being explained away as being com trails.
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Permalink Reply by Tyler Stowell on -
So to me this is precisely what 1159 must change if we are to be successful. First the jolt of awakening as individual after individual realizes that EXTINCTION, or at the very least the END OF CIVILIZATION is what we are actually facing, that it will very likely mean the death of everyone in their family, their entire family line, within one or two generations. THAT will wake up the great mass of humanity, when first hundreds, then thousands, and finally millions of intelligent credible people start acknowledging this truth.
I completely agree with this point, however Im am afraid that it may be too late by the time masses of people actually wake up. That is why there is even greater pressure on us to continue to work hard on our projects and get people connected.
Once again Carl, another great article! =)
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