Sunday, January 24, 2021

Book 9 of 2020/Book 1 of 2021 -- Civilization Critical


This book was recommended to me by a congregant about a year ago. Trusting him, I thought I would give it a go. I am glad I did.

Quallman looks at the ways humans have changed how we interact with our world. He also looks at the ways we have changed our relationship with power (referring to energy and fuel more than political/social/economic power). He looks at how the advent of fossil fuels, beginning with coal, has allowed us to change the rhythms and cycles of out relationship with the earth. The image he uses is moving from cycle that are circular and limiting to linear paths where inputs are simply added but not turned back into the system.

Quallman persuasively makes the argument that our current use of resources, our current pouring of waste into the system is a choice that leads to collapse. Mind you it was easy to persuade me of that since I have been leaning in that direction for some time now. The path forward is not going to be in  energy efficiency, or in wind/solar/tidal energy. The path forward is in using less energy and power, in producing less "stuff". Right now anyone paying attention to political and economic policy will know that the assumption is that more growth in the economy is not only desirable but essential. But unending growth is not, in the long term (perhaps getting close to not even in the medium term), realistic. The globe is a closed system, as has been pointed out many times over the years. There are only so many resources, there is only so much space for waste.

Maybe the question is really when we will reach the limits of what the earth can maintain? Or are we already there?

I foresee some very difficult economic discussions in our future. unending growth is not realistic. There is a total lack of balance in our world. ARe we reaching a critical point where the balance will change? Can we find the courage as a culture to plan for and manage the change before massive collapse?