I've mentioned this in another thread, but I think it warrants a discussion in its own right. Something I was asked some time ago, and the realisation dawned on me today.
My vested interest is that we live in an electric civilisation, and I want to continue living in (some sort of) an electric civilisation.
What's your vested interest?
What's your vested interest?
Moderator: Peak Moderation
What's your vested interest?
Olduvai Theory (Updated) (Reviewed)
Easter Island - a warning from history : http://dieoff.org/page145.htm
Easter Island - a warning from history : http://dieoff.org/page145.htm
It think I have a number . I want to live in a technology society. One that is in balance with nature. One that is positive and encourages people to reach their full potential. One that treats each person as having equal value and gives everyone equal access to the resources of this world.
I have spent many years thinking about the kind of society I would like to live in and that?s part of why I spend a lot of time trying to build a better world.
I have spent many years thinking about the kind of society I would like to live in and that?s part of why I spend a lot of time trying to build a better world.
The only future we have is the one we make!
Technocracy:
http://en.technocracynet.eu
http://www.lulu.com/technocracy
http://www.technocracy.tk/
Technocracy:
http://en.technocracynet.eu
http://www.lulu.com/technocracy
http://www.technocracy.tk/
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SILVERHARP2
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I think you can do more than just hope. Things don?t just change; they change because someone or a group of someones made them change.ianryder wrote:Ditto all the above.
I'd also add that I see so much wrong with the current way of the world, I hope if there are changes something better will come out the back of it. I recognise I may well be in cloud cuckoo land but you can only hope
The only future we have is the one we make!
Technocracy:
http://en.technocracynet.eu
http://www.lulu.com/technocracy
http://www.technocracy.tk/
Technocracy:
http://en.technocracynet.eu
http://www.lulu.com/technocracy
http://www.technocracy.tk/
I've already posted some of this on the FW/wind turbines thread...
I agree that our 'vested interest' is in avoiding the BAU-for-as-long-as-possible-followed-by-an-uncontrolled-collapse scenario. I find it hard to stop people putting me into an eco-warrior box and labelling my PO interest as a 'save-the-planet' concern, rather than a more broad-based 'save-complex-society' concern.
Implicit in the question is whether we are motivated by altruistic or selfish motives. For me I have a vested interest in both protecting myself and my loved ones and a wider interest in preserving as much as possible of what us humans have achieved. It would be tragic if, in the course of a collapse, so many of the social and technical advances we'd made were lost or set back.
In short, I'd say we all have a vested interest in living and life.
I agree that our 'vested interest' is in avoiding the BAU-for-as-long-as-possible-followed-by-an-uncontrolled-collapse scenario. I find it hard to stop people putting me into an eco-warrior box and labelling my PO interest as a 'save-the-planet' concern, rather than a more broad-based 'save-complex-society' concern.
Implicit in the question is whether we are motivated by altruistic or selfish motives. For me I have a vested interest in both protecting myself and my loved ones and a wider interest in preserving as much as possible of what us humans have achieved. It would be tragic if, in the course of a collapse, so many of the social and technical advances we'd made were lost or set back.
In short, I'd say we all have a vested interest in living and life.
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Aurora
My thoughts exactly. Unfortunately most of us are engaged in the humdrum, day-to-day activities that prevent us from seeing the bigger picture.isenhand wrote:It think I have a number . I want to live in a technology society. One that is in balance with nature. One that is positive and encourages people to reach their full potential. One that treats each person as having equal value and gives everyone equal access to the resources of this world.
I have spent many years thinking about the kind of society I would like to live in and that?s part of why I spend a lot of time trying to build a better world.
My vested interests, I guess they would include becoming a less selfish and trashy society (BB and celeb worship spring to mind). I think that we should get back closer to nature whilst still retaining the better aspects of today's tech-driven society.
Above all, though, while I do see many bad people out there, I also see many good people whom I would hate to see anything bad happen to. So I'd like civilisation to tick over nicely, if possible. So we all have a future.
Above all, though, while I do see many bad people out there, I also see many good people whom I would hate to see anything bad happen to. So I'd like civilisation to tick over nicely, if possible. So we all have a future.
My vested interest is that I think many people will be happier in a post PO paradigm, including myself. Constantly striving to mindlessly consume whilst ignoring the important things in life like family, creativity, and connection to the natural world is making the world an unhappy place.
Of course I reognise that much of the world may experience problems including starvation and conflict, but this is unavoidable with 7bn people clamouring for resource.
Of course I reognise that much of the world may experience problems including starvation and conflict, but this is unavoidable with 7bn people clamouring for resource.
Re: What's your vested interest?
But only just under a fifth of the UK's final energy consumption is electricity -- four-fifths is motive power (movement) and heat. Likewise the average house uses just less than one fifth of its consumption as electricity.Bandidoz wrote:My vested interest is that we live in an electric civilisation, and I want to continue living in (some sort of) an electric civilisation.
W're actually still living in the steam age -- all that electricity is made in steam turbines which, with the exception of a few ceramic compounds, are pretty similar to Parsons original steam turbine that was developed right at the end of the 19th Century.
I would say that the greatest problem with electricity in general is that it supports the most crap parts of modern culture, from naff cloned pop music to the street lights that blot out the stars. I think that you've at least made the most important step... you've realised that you don't want to be part of it!! As the old black power saying goes, "where you mind leads your arse will follow".
My vested interest is the Gulf Stream, since I have invested in a very lovely farm in Wales at 850 to 1980 ft above sea-level.
Without the warmth of the Gulf Stream, being on a latitude with S Alaska, the farm would not be viable, and probably would not even be habitable.
I've done this in full knowledge of the threat - that we may lose the current due to GW,
and that GW may not offset the loss for generations, if at all.
The fact is that this is where I'll make a stand with those who see the need, and see if we can conserve a little of the unique culture of Britain through the coming changes.
Regards,
Bill
Without the warmth of the Gulf Stream, being on a latitude with S Alaska, the farm would not be viable, and probably would not even be habitable.
I've done this in full knowledge of the threat - that we may lose the current due to GW,
and that GW may not offset the loss for generations, if at all.
The fact is that this is where I'll make a stand with those who see the need, and see if we can conserve a little of the unique culture of Britain through the coming changes.
Regards,
Bill
Re: What's your vested interest?
Not wanting to tempt fate, but next time you're in hospital, please let me know and I'll send a get-well-soon card with that nuggest of wisdommobbsey wrote:the greatest problem with electricity in general is that it supports the most crap parts of modern culture
Olduvai Theory (Updated) (Reviewed)
Easter Island - a warning from history : http://dieoff.org/page145.htm
Easter Island - a warning from history : http://dieoff.org/page145.htm
I'm with Bandidoz on this one, on 3 levels. Firstly, I'm a self confessed gadget/ technology freak, I love it, much as I know it's consumerism and materialism, I love it.
Secondly, though this also ties in with the first issue, I work in sound and lighting in the entertainment industry, which is clearly going to suffer very early on in proceedings. However I am lucky in that while I specialise in sound and lighting, my theatre training did involve carpentry lessons, and a lot of organisation/ people skills training, so hopefully i could be useful in a post peak society.
3rdly, and most importantly really, electricity serves as a massive force for good in the sense that it runs essential medical equipment, enables the emergency services to operate efficiently, and performs an almost unending list of essential functions in society. Without it we are going to be very lost, at least for a while.
So the conclusion to that waffle is that my 'vested interest' is fairly firmly in the electrical society.
Secondly, though this also ties in with the first issue, I work in sound and lighting in the entertainment industry, which is clearly going to suffer very early on in proceedings. However I am lucky in that while I specialise in sound and lighting, my theatre training did involve carpentry lessons, and a lot of organisation/ people skills training, so hopefully i could be useful in a post peak society.
3rdly, and most importantly really, electricity serves as a massive force for good in the sense that it runs essential medical equipment, enables the emergency services to operate efficiently, and performs an almost unending list of essential functions in society. Without it we are going to be very lost, at least for a while.
So the conclusion to that waffle is that my 'vested interest' is fairly firmly in the electrical society.
Why do I do what I do when I know what I know?!