Toward a global community solution

Ludi · Last edited by Ludi on Mon Sep 05, 2005 7:03 am; edited 3 times in total

This thread is for discussion of how we will begin to work toward a global community solution to the problems of peak oil.

Edited to add- What can we do now to encourage governments to begin to implement some plan for accomodating a diminishing supply of oil and rising prices?

I'm not interested in what we "want to see" or "hope to see" I'm interested in how we can encourage our respective governments or other international agencies to begin to work toward a solution to living with these realities.
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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy

MD

We build global community solutions by starting at the bottom with small community solutions.
The current global systems are slowly proving unsustainable. Given a global decline, at any rae fast or slow, new systems will have to start from the bottom as we lack the will or the leadership to make the necessary changes voluntarily from the top.
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"Don't ever become a pessimist... a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun, and neither can stop the march of events."
Robert A. Heinlein

md@peakoil.com

Ludi

backstop

Ludi -

I'd differ with the premis of either/or T down or B up.

For a start it misses the potential of 'Middle out.'

Also, for people of good will to withdraw active support from global organization and co-operation is to leave the field wide open to banditry.

I don't say bandity doesn't have huge profile at present (e.g. John Bolton for a start) but to hope that major powers will collapse around us leaving new green shoots pushing through the ruins looks to me wildly optimistic.

Historically, a common aftermath of the chaotic collapse of heavily-armed empire (as opposed to a Gorbachev approach) is a prolongued period of petty warlordism. I guess we may agree that we just don't have the margin for the cultural and ecological destruction that such a collapse and aftermath would entail.

Given this planet's gravity, maybe walking away from its problems at the global scale is an illusion ?

If nation states are seen as juggernaut-busses trundling round a race-track of economic growth, competing aggressively for road-space and sequence, with us the people stuck inside of each vehicle, then present climate, water, soil and energy disruption would parallel rising problems in vital systems such as steering, braking and keeping speed up.

To sit in the back and hope for the best seems to me fatalistic, and an abdication of the duty to gain control of the risks of collision (intentional & accidental) and of sheer exhaustion of resources. Lack of confidence of success is no exemption from that duty. Indeed, discouraging dissenters from raising their game is clearly a prime goal of the status quo..

Given the four horses of global destabilization of: - the soil, [earth] - climate [air] - oil [fire] - and water [water], (not to mention the chicken [flu]) if we fail to recover and greatly raise global co-operation after Bush's demise, then the prospects for all of us, as peaceable rural dwellers globally, look to me very bleak.

Thus I'd warmly recommend a look at www.gci,org.uk and also a google for United Nations Association.

Please don't take the above (which is as near a rant as I care to get) as belittling the crucial roles of bottom up community development. Anything but !

regards,

Backstop

Ludi

Ok, I'm not really understanding your post here, backstop. This thread is about global community solutions. Please post what you see as being ways to encourage or implement such solutions.
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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy

backstop

Ludi -

I took global community to mean organized global relations with a permanent secretariat facilitating negotiations over the sustainable usage of global resources, inter-national conduct and the minimum norms of intra-national conduct, etc., as well as facilitating the broadcasting of information & expertize on a wide range of issues, from vacination to labour standards to education.

All of these services are highly valued around the world, perhaps apart from the well-propagandised US, whose citizens are none the less dependent on them both on holiday abroad and at home.

That's what I take global community to mean.

Did you mean something else, and if so, I wonder what ?

regards,

Backstop

EnergySpin · Fission Joined: Jun 25, 2005 Posts: 2381

Ludi

deconstructionist

global community solution-- work locally (i wish i could find a job in my hometown other than waitstaff), buy locally, support local agriculture. walk more. bike more. drive less. turn down the heat in the winter, use less A/C in the summer, get to know your neighborhood and the people in it. get involved in local politics. start building grassroots democracy from the ground up. take the power back.
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UNLESS

Ludi

Ghog

1) I like the work close to home part. Since we don't actually make much in the US anymore, how hard could it be to have 1/4 of the population work from home? Elsewhere enforce carpooling/mass transit.

2) No more new building. Keep construction workers going by updating older home to make them more efficient. Tax incentives for families to live together? Level old homes and take back the land. Work on training/educating these communities in gardening, energy and water conservation, alt energy techniques.

backstop

Ludu -

With regard to global organization, I think the aspects both you and Energy Spin put forward are entirely valid. Many of them, such as WHO, IEA, etc are of course extant parts of the UN.

This is not to suggest either that all is right with the UN, or that I've ever seen a remotely credible plan for its replacement.

It was and largely is the product of its architects and their employers - and the architects plainly lacked any comprehension of systems-dynamic and particularly of lateral information flow, while their employers (US, USSR, UK, F) put Waldheim, a former nazi officer, to be General Secretary for 2 terms. (Later claimed they didn't know).

None of which detracts from the need for a stable global forum. The question for me is how to achieve the raising of its capacities, rather than their further gutting, a la John Bolton. And. in particular, "A Treaty of the Atmospheric Commons."

regards,

backstop

Laurasia · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jul 10, 2004 Posts: 533

I, too, would like to see more people working from home, with access to training in the traditional arts and crafts which will be making a big come-back (I hope). These home-based workers could produce the textiles, the paper, the inks, the soaps etc, and of course, the organic food, that would be traded within the locality. Zoning laws should be relaxed so that small businesses could be located within neighbourhoods (Obviously this would be within reason - I would NOT like to live next door to local explosives-maker!). I think that with this community approach we would find people who were actually HAPPY in their jobs, which would make them healthier. Another point is that with jobs that were more low-tech PLUS the fact that organic farming is more labour-intensive, there would be work for more people. There might be a knock-on effect of a decrease in crime.

Just my tuppence...

L.

cube · Fusion Joined: Mar 12, 2005 Posts: 3319

Macsporan

Now this is more like it, but it's difficult to know where to start. What follows is an outline only.

An International PO movement begins furious agitation all over the world putting their message before the public so forcefully that even the most oafish, stay-at-home consumeroid is aware of the predicament of mankind. This message is carefully crafted: part Doomer to scare the masses into action, part solutions-oriented to maintain morale, give hope, prevent panic and foolish acts.

The US pays its dues and encourages all nations to reaffirm its commitment to the values of the UN.

The UN in special session announces to the world the imminence of PO and a plan to deal with it.

A series of powerdown agreements between nations are negotiated and put into practice, with most of the money coming from reductions in military spending. A huge global research effort into renewable energy is undertaken.

World industry is retooled to mass-produce solar, wind, tidal and nuclear energy fixtures on an enormous scale. Limited amounts of bio-fuel are produced to meet rock-bottom demands of a small fleet of propellor- driven commercial and military aircraft and emergency vehicles.

The world's road networks are replaced by electrified rail. Sailing ships return to the sea, more graceful and beautiful than ever.

The deserts bloom with solar cells. Wind generators adorn the hills.

Living standards in the First World gradually come down, but a comprehensive social-welfare and rationing system ease the pain.

Living standards in the 3rd World gradually improve underwritten by the same process.

The UN adopts "The Montequest Protocol" for population reduction and global populations start to decline smoothly. Global warming reverses.

Within a century world population is down to four billion and a abundant, non-polluting energy is available all over the world.

The Stars Beckon. Very Happy

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Son of the Enlightenment