Death by a Thousand Cuts ..... (2 Viewers)

Sometimes I really get concerned that we are doing nothing of any "real effect" in this country and the world to turn this sinking ship around .....

Even Threatened Species, and Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Acts don't seem to be able to stem the tide in the face of the wave of humanity, draining, aquifer and watertable destruction through mining, and increasing urbanism of this country /planet.

Stuff 'global warming' .... lack of soil carbon, and in fact soil loss outright, loss of the soil sponge, and associated wetlands, riparian and flood out zone areas and health, and associated woodlands is the real problem.

Sedimentation (and excess nutrients from agricultural run off) loads is a major impact on the Great Barrier Reef - and yet this seems to carry no weight in decision making ....

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th...australias-land-clearing-crisis?source=images

Recently, the North of this country had a year's worth of rainfall in a week or so due to slow moving cyclone systems. Massive flooding over 1000's of sqkm, 100's of 1000's of cattle lost, and who knows what nett erosion and sediment loads swept away ....



Chosun :gh:

Industrial agriculture destroys the soils Web of Life in a vicious downward spiral
http://www.soilsforlife.org.au/vide...F6lx6eeXvBRouMiGuQ1JgYHYyZB1gRuqmDU5DJA33DK-E

Soil that was built in the first place by woodlands and wetlands over 100's, 1000's, 10's of 1000's, 100's of 1000's, and millions and millions of years ....




Chosun :gh:

Chosun Juan said:

Sometimes I really get concerned that we are doing nothing of any "real effect" in this country and the world to turn this sinking ship around .....

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To be blunt...we aren't.

I'm not sure what kind of epiphany is required, what event(s) it would require to change our mindset, but...yeah everything you said plus the latest anti-environment spew from the US government and...I really don't have alot of hope left.

For those of us even slightly, partially aware of the problem(s) it can be disheartening. Even I am personally lost as to what I can personally do yet still have a job, eat, a roof over my head, and the usual day-to-day "existing in society" problems. The list gets smaller along with my budget; I used to do more, a decade or more ago.

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought it was going to be about the EMR thread...............

Suspected terrorists should be made to read it, would be much more effective than water boarding, they'd spill the beans after a couple of pages rather than be made to read anymore I reckon.

CalvinFold said:

To be blunt...we aren't.

I'm not sure what kind of epiphany is required, what event(s) it would require to change our mindset, but...yeah everything you said plus the latest anti-environment spew from the US government and...I really don't have alot of hope left.

For those of us even slightly, partially aware of the problem(s) it can be disheartening. Even I am personally lost as to what I can personally do yet still have a job, eat, a roof over my head, and the usual day-to-day "existing in society" problems. The list gets smaller along with my budget; I used to do more, a decade or more ago.

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It seems that nothing short of the zombie apocalypse will gain more than a brief moment of attention, and by then of course it will all be too late ...... :-C

As far as American politics go - I'd suggest playing the ball and not the man is the way to go, the mainstream press needs to pull back on the spurious fake news and clickbait, whilst holding steadfast to the facts and an objective scrutiny of the truth. It's the details and the proof that will count - along with reforming the high moral ground without the political class entitlement and hubris. I like that Nancy Pelosi - she's a good start - I hope she lives a long life !

Beyond that a leadership plan is needed (politics and seat warming is not enough - we are going to need to shoot for the moon) - fiscally responsible and strategically targeted - as well as all inclusive - it's no good leaving vast swathes of the great unwashed and the superceded out in the rain, lest you know --- zombies .....

Dismantling the global tax haven joke for multinationals and the 1% will be key.

If I look at the whole thing, there's been lots of people doing lots of great things for decades and decades and decades. We've made huge advances in renewable energy, building efficiency, and organic food production and renewable agriculture, yet overall it's merely taking the edge off a pervasive decline. We seem no closer to a turn around than before. Soylent Green is the problem - it's people.

If I put my best change management hat on, we need a paradigm shift from the way we've been approaching the problem. Telling people of the looming catastrophe (whether it's deforestation, food collapse, bee and other species loss, global warming, or just more stuck in traffic, etc) is not good enough - giving people an overwhelming problem just paralyses - we need carrots !

I'd suggest not mentioning carbon, or saving Bambi or whatever. Instead I'd frame it as an economic opportunity. An opportunity to free ourselves of foreign oil (and the associated funding of fundamentalists, 'terrorists' and despots), become energy independent and have that generate wealth for each and every person. We know we can harness the building envelope to produce more energy than it consumes - therefore we can shrink the footprint even with increasing populations. That's two things the masses should like - wealth generated just by them living, and a mass market of new jobs which will need to be filled continuously.

We need to go into serious environment repair mode. Nothing less than recreated, reconnected wetlands, river systems and woodlands /forests will do.

On the left over bits we use - regenerative agriculture will be key. The game is lost if we can't build soil.

As far as what the slightly aware and concerned individuals can do - get together with like minded people. If you have a suburban block - grow your own veggies and fruit. Install native shrubs over the entire block (who enjoys mowing lawns anyway) - add in hollows /houses /critter hotels /ponds.

The simplest thing for your building is cover the roof completely in solar panels - have hot water and battery storage - power your electric car/phev if you can. Insulate your dwelling, ground couple the HVAC. Utilize natural convection and have a complete green wall on the side opposite the mid winter sun.

Only by demonstrating the economic benefits of the solution will we ever gain any traction.

Beyond that our spending power can have great influence - energy, food, investment funds, conservation trusts, etc.

I'm feeling more optimistic already ! :cat:




Chosun :gh:

Chosun Juan said:

I'm feeling more optimistic already !

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Interesting. After reading what you wrote, I don't feel reassured at all.

Not in the "well why try at all" sort of way (which an an alarming number of people retort) but in a "most of those suggestions are beyond my control." They come down to time, land, money, and public will (all lacking in my neck of the woods).

At the same time, I am oddly comforted that I am not the only one looking at the broader context in a rather blunt way and beyond the pie-in-the-sky promises.

Shame Australia Shame. ...... Australia's Passenger Pigeon ?

https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/prog...THRPdoMdw14VSpnjPKRaltrKcwHvi-hpbTQzOcUL8Af3Q




Chosun :gh:

Extinction Nation

On in 5 minutes !
Australian ABC TV show - Four Corners
https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/extinction-nation/11228758






Chosun :gh:

1,330% increase in land clearing under NSW Liberal–National leadership

https://www.echo.net.au/2020/04/133...wckdanAlnS3zHRxR9he7sLg#.Xoahjb_IuKY.facebook






Chosun :gh: