[Ibon]

Since I have recently been labeled more optimistic regarding the future when humans will suffer the consequences of having become a rogue global parasite I thought I would accept that role of optimist and start a thread on some of the silver linings coming our way later this century.

I am approaching 60 years old and I remember in my early childhood that only once a year the movie Wizard of Oz would be shown on network television. For those youngins reading this there wasn't even Betamax back then and that was your one shot every year of seeing this movie and my siblings and I along with our parents looked forward to this lovely family event. In the same way back then no fruits from the southern hemisphere arrived in grocery stores in January or February and as late spring turned into the first hot days of summer we would feel the presence of the holy spirit as we bit into that first ripe peach of the season. Perfectly ripe peaches were around for maybe 20 days at most and then you waited a whole year again for that pleasure to return. Why is there such joy at peering out the window on an early winter morning seeing the first fresh snow transform the landscape? Why does this scene almost invoke a sense of the magical?

In these couple of examples finding great joy in an event or eating a fruit is directly related to the fact that it’s availability was constrained to a date or season. Let’s hang on to this thought a minute. That well being and happiness is related to something having limited availability. This is exactly the opposite message that advertisements, consumerism and modern cultural values promote. That you can have what you want when you want it. That you are empowered to satiate your desires and that your happiness is directly related to the abundance of choice and control. The internet takes this concept of self-empowerment through instant gratification to narcissistic heights of self entitlement as hundreds of millions of individuals spend solitary hours every day wanking into their little screens. Contrast a moment that wholesome family image in my youth watching The Wizard of Oz as a family compared to today’s average household where every adult and child are glued to their individual digital devices.

So, one of those silver linings with the upcoming cyclical correction of human overshoot is that we are going to re-introduce ourselves with the pleasures of savoring limited availability.

This thread is about good things that are coming our way later this century as the consequences of human overshoot start reintroducing us to limits. Only silver linings and positive comments about what we can look forward to are permitted on this thread. Any comments about human suffering will be deleted or moved to an appropriate thread.

They say good news doesn't sell. If that is true I guess there will be very few posts on this thread since its so much more interesting to dwell on the gory details of 6 billion humans dying later this century.

I look forward to reading your positive contributions.

[Ibon]

Did they rejoice in peaches

Enjoying a sweet peach ripe off the tree transcends race, religion and ethnicity and socio-economics. In fact if you were from the southern latitudes, black or white, rich or poor, good chance you or your neighbor had a peach tree. Peak Sweet Peach happened actually sometime back in the 70's before distribution of fruit went national and fruit started getting picked green. Back then a peach was harvested sweet and delivered to the store from regional growers. How many folks today even know what a tree ripened peach tastes like which is the closest thing temperate latitudes get to a mango. And if you were anticipating them through winter and early spring goodness gracious were they a bite of sunshine come July.
Pstarr, I know this is hard. This thread is not about the good old days, but what the silver linings will be moving forward. It really takes a mental effort to look into the face of decline and not just see loss. But there are silver linings exactly because many of the things we will lose haven’t been good neither for the planet nor for us. Here I will help with another example.

We covered the silver lining of limited availability.

Now let’s address Less Guarantees. Or we could call this Less Mediocrity.

This will take a little more explaining. The American Dream has been you work hard and you are guaranteed a good job, college education, affordable health care, house and car. For more and more young people we see the beginnings of the collapse of these assumptions or guarantees. Under employment, huge college debts, etc. Let’s just go back 10 years and look at the typical high school graduate who would go to a liberal arts university, often a glorified summer camp, graduate and move into the work place, find a job, etc. The whole system supported mediocrity. In fact, what the American Dream really guaranteed was mediocrity. Mediocrity in life’s goals, mediocrity in cultural values, a kind of bland middle class outlook. Basically this has bred mediocrity in one taking care of oneself; obesity, depression, addiction to consumerism, isolationism, are all the results. We have exported this mediocrity to the rest of the world. In any age or time, a society produces geniuses, entrepreneurs, artists, engineers, athletes, folks who are creative or have a drive. Capitalism and America did succeed in unleashing the creative talents of many individuals which would seem to refute my claim of mediocrity. But what has happened in these times of abundance during the past 100 years is that our culture rewarded not only those who were driven to succeed but also those who weren’t. A culture were everyone was deserving.

During The Big Squeeze coming up mediocrity will not be rewarded. Self-reliance will. This might sound like I am spouting some Ayn Rand libertarian prose right now but I am coming more from an ecological point of view. Did we ever evolve during our history as a species where our environment expected so little from us in order to survive? We are breeding a global citizenry who have been trained in mediocrity. They are the perfect parasites. I am speaking of the vast masses. It is true that in all ages most folks went with the flow, were like the derogatory term “sheeple”. But in the past these masses did not own cars and elaborate houses, did not have access to resources to satiate their voracious appetites.

So Less Guarantees, this silver lining, will reduce mediocrity and increase self-reliance. If you are self-reliant you will be rewarded. Mediocrity will still exist of course, but you won’t get a house and car.
Self-reliance will be the new status symbol in the age of consequences. This is a wonderful silver lining.

For those of you reading this perhaps the question arises about oneself, do I fall into the category of self-reliant or mediocre?

A great question to ask actually.

[dinopello]

I had four strawberries this morning from my garden. They were delicious. Now I'm on the Internet while flying at 30000 ft . I appreciate the strawberries more, but this is still pretty cool.

[onlooker]

I would like to digress to another facet of this Great Transition. From what Ibon is saying about silver linings, I feel that a silver lining is to have an objective and goal which is more noble and lofty then any most have today. Part of this mundane world we have created is this dwelling on petty egoistic pleasures and material gratifications. In fact, are we not at our happiest and most satisfied when we are engaged in activities that truly have meaning and worth to us. Instead what we have today is mindless work ,mindless TV watching and mindless commuting with little true satisfaction. So my silver lining is about humans finally having some common purpose and meaning. The purpose being part of creating a better world going forward. At some point we can transcend ourselves and our needs/wants and see something more important and being part of that more important pursuit. In doing so we can also discover within ourselves self esteem or self worth.

[Ibon]

At some point we can transcend ourselves and our needs/wants and see something more important and being part of that more important pursuit. In doing so we can also discover within ourselves self esteem or self worth.

Thanks for that Onlooker. Some folks on this site might start raising their skeptic eyebrows over your comments but indeed, the act of service to others is one of those sources of true contentment. When we start valuing service over materialism we are tapping into the wellspring of joy. That service extends from ones fellow man to a society at large in caring for the biosphere, being an agent of healing rather than parasitic.

Stewardship and self regulation for the health of the biosphere is an ideal. I am of the most humble opinion that we will indeed see splinter groups of humans following what very well might be a new theology along these lines.

That is one church I would join.

[onlooker]

Amen to that Ibon.

[Ibon]

They say good news doesn't sell. If that is true I guess there will be very few posts on this thread since its so much more interesting to dwell on the gory details of 6 billion humans dying later this century.

Only 6 responses and half were mine. That is what I kind of expected.

OK, it's time for The Overshoot Predator to make another appearance on this site with some graphic and gory details in how he will tease his Kudzu Ape prey the way a cat does a mouse.

[SeaGypsy]

In my first few months living in the Philippines I had a flood of business ideas. One now feeds my children's widowed grandmother & her sister, profiting about $100 a week to the family. I started this business for $1800 nearly 3 years ago, (lollies & lingerie) Another concept I let go to a local Barangay Captain, who has done very well with (photographic t shirt printing) a business he started on less than a grand. I learned about how the rules support local micro business & how very cheaply a business can get started.

Of all the things I have done to make a living, the most satisfying were these which I made nothing out of, merely manifesting a drive & inspiration at the local level in a community where a $5kpa income is very significant & handing them on.

I know Ibon has been involved in numerous business initiatives in the developing world & I believe has the same buzz from seeing people do well from his inspiration.

Honestly I feel sorry for people scared to travel outside the confines of their familiar environment. When you break through that & get out there & immerse yourself somewhere that is a big deal, it's life changing for you & everyone around you.

[onlooker]

this is in keeping Sea with what we talked about in reference to doing something that you have a passion for. My girlfriend is from Phil and she makes me understand a little of what life is like there. Perhaps someday soon I can travel to her country of birth. Yes any activity which interests a person can be fulfilling. Maybe it is helping others maybe not, but still it is better then being some programmed consuming zombie and thinking that is the path to happiness.

[SeaGypsy]

I'm split with my PI wife, much to do with money management issues between us I won't go into detail on, but I have my kids every weekend & we are setting up a family trust which will allow me to do business there for benefit of our children. We married in the Philippines & I'm not sure her live in boyfriend here realizes there is no divorce in the Philippines except for Catholics & Muslims lol.

[SeaGypsy]

Directly what I'm getting at is the thing I'm most upbeat about is the simple equation that my income as an ordinary worker is enough to either tourist or develop business in countries adjacent to mine.

From experience, doing projects in these environments is a lot more engaging & fun than sipping pinacoladas by a pool. They also ingrain you into the community in a way tourism never does.

[Ibon]

Stewardship and self regulation for the health of the biosphere is an ideal. I am of the most humble opinion that we will indeed see splinter groups of humans following what very well might be a new theology along these lines.

That is one church I would join.

Amen to that Ibon.

Thought I would explore this a little deeper and see if this potential silver lining could take off.

Many religions and spiritual movements were founded in moments of societal upheaval, dysfunction or repression. Think of Jesus throwing out the money changers and his message of turning the other cheek. Or Ghandi's message of non violence in the face of colonial repression. Think of the non violent resistance movements regarding the environment starting from the writings of Henry David Thoreau questioning the dominant consumption paradigm already germinating during his days. Let's consider that many religions or ethical movements are founded as a counter point to dominant external social imbalances in what is considered morally or ethically just. Like day defines night some of the best religious sentiments were born as counter points. The Buddhist story of Siddhartha in renouncing worldliness and possessions for a deeper spiritual journey into the transient and impermanent nature of being.

We have generations now emerging who are inheriting a wounded planet, who are recognizing human culpability and the human suffering and disenfranchisement that this is causing. The harm to ecosystems, the extermination of species. At what point can this cause a deep spiritual wound in the collective consciousness. When young people are going to reject the dominant paradigm which has resulted in humans as global rogue parasites on the planet. We aren’t there yet. How brutal the consequences have to be to mobilize a movement? We could have the perfect scenario actually for the founding of an earth based religious movement based on service and stewardship. The day that defines and contrasts night. The potential of a charismatic movement that can draw from those who will increasingly be rejecting the status quo. Now we throw in those who have become disenfranchised and no longer able to have dignified lives due to the increasingly destabilizing consequences of human overshoot and this creates a perfect basis for a movement whose tenants and commandments are based on service and healing both humans displaced from overshoot and healing the biosphere.

To see how a splinter group could start such a religious movement we refer to one of Richard Heinberg's comments on how the strength of a revolution can be defined to what degree the physical infrastructure of a culture is undermined. In other words, the more severe the cyclical correction, the more profound the revolution including the ability to give rise to a new theological orientation toward our mother earth. This is not hard to imagine when we consider that the dominant status quo is going to attempt heroic efforts at keeping business as usual going taking us further into consequences. This is the perfect scenario for a new religious movement to start. Think of our current parasitic status quo as a sunken ship. And the earth based theology that can emerge as the live corals and sponges that use the sunken ship as an anchor to start a new cultural ecosystem.

But do we really need this to be a theology? Onlooker mentioned in one of his posts that we should have had a realistic and logical perspective toward our biosphere like Mr. Spock of star trek fame. Some of us 40 years ago were advocating this. But we failed because of many reasons, one of the main one being that we found it morally repugnant to apply restrictions on the freedom to breed and consume. This was exasperated by collective guilt when western cultural movements like Nazism and slavery and colonialism resulted in ethnic cleansing, often perpetuated by Caucasians to people of color. How could the same western culture that produced in the early 20th century false doctrines like Social Darwinism that claimed some races superior to others be trusted with adequate compassionate social engineering to implement any kinds of restrictions of limits on other cultures regarding breeding and consumption.

So ecologists back then who were rejecting liberal progressive "feed the world" arguments in favor of letting bio regions support themselves or die-off where not able to overcome with rational arguments the collective guilt of that time. We still see the manifestation of this sentiment in KJ's comments regarding liberal environmentalists that want to kill off the humans. Sadly, our culture did not have enough of Mr. Spock’s cold logic to embrace Bartlett’s exponential lesson applied to human population or Catton’s Limits to Growth or The Club of Rome, etc. etc. In conclusion, we failed to have a rational policy on limiting growth.

And since Logic and rationality failed we move ever closer to game changing consequences. Ones that will reach existential proportions opening the door to the possible birth of a theological renaissance in our relationship to our mother earth.

The ultimate silver lining of troubled times ahead.

[onlooker]

Tremendous post Ibon. Mankind has so strayed from the path of sustainability and also from the path of being a just and equitable race that this purging that will come with the era of breakdown is welcomed by some, me included. To frame this momentous transition into the context of values and ethics which is what theology is at it's root is precisely what is needed. I have referred in some posts to confronting the absurdity of our culture and appealed to simple reasoning and logic. Yet what is coming will be a purging that will leave us utterly adrift as a species. We can no longer via intellectual persuasion think we can change hearts and minds. The change must be within the essence of what we consider ourselves to be and wish to be. So the period of breakdown will sorely test all persons. In the midst of tribulations we can unite in the aspiration of attempting to go forward with values that encompass a respect for all life, a love for existence and harmony and peace. We will understand how precious life and the Earth are if we truly appreciate and revere all this. Only by a profound desire to be as you said Ibon good stewards to our Mother Earth and being good humans to each other can we begin to reformulate communities that are worthy of surviving the coming maelstrom. This passion may be termed a theology in the sense that we be fervent in this desire.

[Ibon]

Another silver lining can be added: A nature based religion worshiping our mother earth will rise from the rubble.

[SeaGypsy]

DMT has become much more widely experienced & as Terrence McKenna said, this substance should be central exhibit to the temple of proof of the 'other' to the human world. Ayhuasca, it's sister source plants around the world, knowledge of a reality so sublime & overwhelmingly defeating of the ordinary states of mind, control of the ordinary shrinking in significance to ridiculous. The revolution has begun, just not where most people are looking.

[Ibon]

DMT has become much more widely experienced & as Terrence McKenna said, this substance should be central exhibit to the temple of proof of the 'other' to the human world. Ayhuasca, it's sister source plants around the world, knowledge of a reality so sublime & overwhelmingly defeating of the ordinary states of mind, control of the ordinary shrinking in significance to ridiculous. The revolution has begun, just not where most people are looking.

A nature based religious movement would certainly include the shamanistic rituals using botanicals to guide young men and women into their path to adulthood. These botanicals take the Initiate directly to the source of mother nature as godhead. Knowing viscerally that truth as a step in maturity can then form the basis of taboos and guiding principals that would embed self regulation into a culture through worshiping mother earth and all its creatures.

This sounds so far fetched in today's world, but as you say this kind of revolution can emerge where most people aren't looking. Spiritual revolutions of this sort never can really form from within a dysfunctional culture but rather as the counter point. It is the day that defines the night. Actually, what anchors such a religious renaissance in place is the living proof of all the consequences of living in disregard of mother nature as we see manifesting today. It takes the heaven and hell theme of traditional religions and grounds this in an ecological context. Hell becomes the disconnect from your relationship with mother earth with the hubris to abuse her and grace and harmony (heaven) lies in the humility of serving mother earth.

It is not hard to understand this for those who have been initiated. For those stuck deeply in the consensus reality of BAU this sounds like sheer hocus pocus.... And yet the main mentors of youth in todays world is found in advertising and products. What is more hocus pocus then that pray tell?

Those botanical rituals are poignant right of passage experiences. They carry on afterwards into far reaching consequences on the values one chooses in ones life. As young generations emerge in the midst of consequences due to our hubris they will yearn and be spiritually hungry for a deeper truth in regards to our relationship with mother earth.

[Timo]

Honestly I feel sorry for people scared to travel outside the confines of their familiar environment. When you break through that & get out there & immerse yourself somewhere that is a big deal, it's life changing for you & everyone around you.

Spare me the pitty, SG, but i fit that description 100%. I readily admit that i lack the courage to break from the comfort of my environment to pursue my ideals, and yes, i have no shortage of dreams and aspirations. It's (too) easy to blame my parents for my upbringing (mother/politician, father/minister), but business is a gamble, and gambling earned, tangible wealth was familial heresy. As much as you feel sorry for those (like myself) who are too scared to travel outside the confines of our familiar environment, i envy those (like you) who embrace that opportunity.

That said, my comfort zone is almost entirely financial. My job is my safety net. I love to travel, and have traveled off the beaten path onto some remarkable discoveries. I relish each and every minute of those travels. But, when it comes to venturing away from my career onto a new path, i'm much more skeptical of the chances for my success. I want to work now for a comfortable retirement in just a few years. I am averse to risking decades (hopefully!) in retirement for short-term entrepreneurship. That's my loss, no matter which way you look at it.

Reading your post, i suppose it's possible you weren't targeting the same fear that i picked up on, and am responding to, but at this point, that's irrelevant. Whether intended or not, you made a point that resonated with me. Not sure what i'm going to do about it, but small steps...........

Back on topic of this thread, though, i've read references to television, and our addictions to it on a 24/7/365 lifecycle. Well, i did give that up several years ago, and i do not miss that idiot box one bit! Yes, i do spend more time here on the intertubes, but i do so to pursue those topics that i enjoy, and bring some fulfillment to my life, such as alternative Chinese treatments for hemangiosarcoma, or small start-up coffee farms in Central America. My dog was recently diagnosed with hemagiosarcoma, and it ain't pretty! But, i was able, thru the interweb, to discover a natural Chinese herb (Yunan Bayiao) that stops internal bleeding in people and animals. Two weeks on this herb, and her bleeding has, indeed, stopped! I also found I'm Yunity, which is a mushroom extract that boosts the immune system to fight off cancers and other diseases. One week on these magic shrooms, and my dog's appetite is back to near normal, her energy levels have increased, and her physical strength and endurance are miles ahead of where they were a month ago. I cherish every single minute i spend with her, even the nights i spend on the floor sleeping next to her. How long? We'll see, but this little girl is my peach, and she and i both love those herbs and shrooms that keep her going!

Oh, fwiw, her herbs and shrooms have also been clinically tested by some of the USA's top Vet Med schools, and have been found to be more effective and less than half the cost of standard chemo treatments.

[Timo]

Also, continuing with the appreciation of fresh peaches, my wife and i are set on planting a peach tree in our back yard this fall. We just harvested nearly 75 lbs of fresh cherries from our ONE cherry tree. Actually, the final harvest should be tonight. Add another 5+ lbs to the total. Not much better in the world than a fresh, homegrown cherry pie. Except maybe a homegrown peach pie.

The only downside to harvesting that many cherries is the obligatory extraction of the pits. That is the pits! I just wish there was some use for that seed, like maybe roasting it for coffee!!

That might be worth a try, actually.

[Ibon]

The only downside to harvesting that many cherries is the obligatory extraction of the pits. That is the pits! I just wish there was some use for that seed, like maybe roasting it for coffee!!

back in the olden days cherry pits were dried and stuffed into pillows. These were put on the top of wood burning stoves on cold winter nights and when nice and hot these cherry pit pillows would be brought to bed and stay warm for a long time, kind of like a hot water bottle.