Author: dlcox

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Global Warming, Spaceships, and the Troglodyte Imperative

 Well folks, the verdict is in: A few decades from now, the Innuits will be getting food stamps and the Polar Bears will be hip deep in mud. Global climate change, whether human-caused, or part of a natural cycle, will result in flooding of coastal zones worldwide, and cause a number of Pacific island nations to be submerged in rising seas. In the Atlantic, the Gulf Stream that warms Europe and the higher latitudes of North America, will slow, and perhaps stop, resulting in a new regional climate that may be colder for a while. 

Because mankind, from time immemorial, has lived on the margins of the sea (even today, more than 80% of us do so), vast displacements of humanity will occur as the coastlines flood, and countries such as Bangladesh may disappear entirely. The suffering will be immense, and internecine warfare between the migrants and established inlanders will hamper any organized effort for relocation of those so displaced. People not killed in riots or disorganized warfare will likely starve to death. The end of ‘The Age of Oil’ will only exacerbate the situation, and governments will be helpless to deal with the situation in a rational manner. Conflicts such as Militant Islam vs. the Christians will be quaint and miniscule compared to the social disorder that will set in when the glaciers melt. 

What can be done to deal with the horrors of this scenario? Well, a great deal, actually. But first, we must get the Politicos to abandon such ‘important’ issues as Abortion, Intelligent Design, and the reorganization of the U.N. The world’s governments must focus on this impending disaster immediately, and arrive at a consensus for a course of action. 

In the meantime, I have a few ideas. 

Assuming the forecasted two or three degree rise in global temperatures does not trigger a massive release of Methane Hydrates from the planet’s oceans (this apparently happened about 500 million years ago, resulting in the extinction of 90% of the world’s species), We should consider relocating the displaced populations underground. Before you bust a gut laughing, think about this: 

  1. Most of human history was spent underground in caves, and even today, our surface dwellings emulate our caveman habitat.

  2. The bulk of arable land has been paved over or is already subject to intensive industrial agriculture.

  3. The people of most developed countries mourn the loss of natural wonders and wilderness areas that used to exist prior to the proliferation of the ‘concrete jungles’ we call cities.

  4. The technologies exist to make such massive underground dwellings visually appealing, clean, and hospitable. 

    How is this possible? 

    Imagine an elevator that could whisk you to the surface anytime you wanted to enjoy nature and wildlife, farm for food in cooperatives, or simply bask in sunshine. 

    Imagine lighting in these underground structures that provides a sun-like spectral output, and huge LCD screens everywhere, that piped in images from the world above. 

    Imagine a rational layout of dwellings, shops, hospitals and industrial sites such that would allow easy access without the use of motor vehicles, and underground parks that had trees and streams fed by pure water. 

    All of the above are achievable using existing technology. Power would be available from tapping the geothermal heat of mother earth, or from reactors located a safe distance away, again, underground. 

    Because 98% of the world’s wealth is concentrated in the hands of two percent of the population, the rich must belly up to the bar, and forego their yachts and homes in the country for the benefit of all. Only they can actually change things quickly enough; waiting on a popular consensus to evolve and conducting a vote will lead to disaster. And what is the payback for them? Well, I’m not suggesting some sort of sinister ‘Illuminati’.   

    Consider: 

  1. Self-contained habitats such as described above are directly translatable to habitats on the Moon, Mars, the asteroid belt, or orbital space ‘cities’ that might roam the Solar system.

  2. By putting the world’s unemployed to work constructing underground cities, the civil wars that destroy wealth would be avoided. The capital would flow back to them. It always does. Industrial expansion into outer space would be tested on earth, problems identified and solved, and economic models developed. The vast resources of the Solar system would be exploitable FOR A PROFIT. 

    It can be done, and if we act quickly to promote a unified will to do so, the earth can largely be restored to its pre-industrial state, habitats for endangered species reestablished, and best of all, vast expanses of wilderness developed that will nurture the human spirit, and reinvigorate our sense of adventure. In addition, we will have refuge from the storm, should conditions on the surface continue to deteriorate. 

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Death and destruction as a policy

In the ‘Politics’ section of Fox News today was the grim headline, “Feds accused of leaving trail of wreckage after Nevada ranch standoff.”

Indeed they did. Not only did they shoot two of the rancher’s prize bulls that they had confiscated (they were dangerous, according to the Feds), but they crushed some burrows of the desert tortoise population that they claim to be protecting. This really pisses me off; the reason being that my grandfather built most of the Trout fish hatcheries in the region and my father was a State of Utah Game Warden, and later was a federal game agent, busting the bad guys in Texas, while protecting the local population of wildlife. My family has a long history of protecting the wilderness and the species that reside there. He also built most of the hiking trails in the Teton wilderness of Wyoming. Earlier, my grandfather managed the Elk ranch in Jackson, Wyoming, and built the famous herd of Elk that reside there.

As a child, I helped my father plant food trees and shrubs in the wilderness for Mule deer to feed on, and banded ducks and geese on the Salt Lake flyway in Utah, a major migration route for all water birds that shuttle back and forth between Mexico and Canada. My younger brother started the Seacology Foundation years ago that is now world famous for saving thousands of acres of tropical rain forests and hundreds of miles of oceanic reefs around the world.

 

So, from this, you might imagine that I would be a strong supporter of the Federal Government’s Bureau of Land Management. Well, for the most part, I am. However, in the case of the Nevada rancher I wrote about in the last blog post, I believe that the Earth and its helpless non-human species can only be protected by action on the local level (ie, the rancher and his family). But, this was not to be in the old, no longer wild West. Nope, we now have a bunch of college-educated, but ignorant bureaucrats collecting fees for land that they seized in the 1800s to punish the Mormon and other settlers of the region that were not under their control. And, they are now trying to exert their authority on land that was managed by the rancher’s forbearers since 1847.

 

No one is a better steward of the ecosystem than the folks who live there. If they don’t take care of the land and potable waters that are there, they die. Or, starve to death. No bureaucrat alive, in his/her fancy government office, has even a trace of the wisdom and experience of the people that live there. I believe this is true wherever you go around the world. I have seen it with my own eyes in some of the most primitive places on Earth; the rainforest jungles of Central and South America, the cannibal islands of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, the Andes, the Amazon River Basin, and farther north in Alaska.

 

Instead of bullying these people, the BLM and similar agencies around the world need to give them free rein to live as their ancestors lived and help them when necessary with advice and money to maintain homeostasis with respect to the wild population of animals, birds, insects, and so forth. Instead of bully-boy tactics, they can  use logic, reasoning, and science to convince and motivate these folks to emulate the native Indians they replaced, who knew these lessons I speak of for thousands of years before the Europeans and Latinos killed them off, or sold them into slavery. These people are the ones that will save the world from the dire impacts of climate change and industrial pollution.

 

In my humble opinion…….

 

This post, by the way, is in memory (or support of) Erwin, the “Birder” from Opera fame, who was apparently shot in some unidentified country while protecting some bird habitat that he loved. If you are still alive, and reading this, Erwin, many, many, people are interested in helping and supporting you in this trying time in your life. If you are able, please check-in and let us know what is happening with you.

 

A furry fishing buddy

 


  

 

 

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Home on the range

 According to a news story today, a Nevada rancher who has been fighting the U.S. government Bureau of Land Management over grazing rights on “Government Lands” may have won the battle without the impending gunfight that appeared to be on the horizon. His family had been raising cattle on the land before 1870; before the West became a part of the USA, and during the Mexican/American war of 1847. It was a smart move by the government. You do not want to mess with the cowboys of the ‘Wild West’, especially when it has to do with their herds of cattle.

Now, granted that the rancher had outside support from all over the region, including Montana and the Dakotas, still it was a close thing; the F-16s and main battle tanks vs. cowboys with six-shooters and carbine rifles.This is not the first time that the western region of the country had trouble with the government. Right after the start of the settling of that part of North America by migrating American  farmers to Oregon and California, the founder and prophet of the LDS church decided to run for President of the USA. This was a very poor decision and alarmed the government in Washington D.C. to the point that a few years later, after the Mormons were driven out of Missouri and settled in the Salt Lake Valley, the government sent an army to invade Utah (mainly to keep an eye them). This resulted in a stalemate after the Mormon brethren attacked the army, burned their wagons, and generally pillaged their supply lines. But, when the dust settled, an even bigger detachment of the Army was allowed to enter Utah and set up an outpost near Salt Lake City.

At that time the Utah Territory was larger than the State of Texas or Alaska. But, the government continued its paranoia by chipping away at the boundaries of the territory until it reached its present size. In the meantime, statehood was granted to the bits & pieces; new states such as California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada were created. In the process, the Feds seized title to 70% of the unsettled countryside. Much later, after giving up the cherished idea of plural marriage, the Mormon founders in a greatly reduced Utah were granted statehood in 1896. But the battle between settlers and the government continued sub-rosa until the start of World War 1. 

In my view, this region of the country is the last refuge of the ‘rugged individualist’; the kind of person that started the USA to begin with. I’m glad the rancher stood up for the rights of his family and their way of life for over a hundred years. 

 Oil on Canvas by Charles M. Russell

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Words of Wisdom from Theodore Roosevelt

 At my age, it is a natural thing for me to look back on the past; not so much to review my own life, but to see how I lived in the context of those who preceded me.  This led me to a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910. Here is an excerpt that I think the current generation of leadership in our country needs to revisit and internalize. It seems to me we are losing the insights that made us a free country and a world power in the first place: 

“The people of the United States suffer from periodical financial panics to a degree substantially unknown among the other nations which approach us in financial strength. There is no reason why we should suffer what they escape. It is of profound importance that our financial system should be promptly investigated, and so thoroughly and effectively revised as to make it certain that hereafter our currency will no longer fail at critical times to meet our needs. 

It is hardly necessary for me to repeat that I believe in an efficient army and a navy large enough to secure for us abroad that respect which is the surest guarantee of peace. A word of special warning to my fellow citizens who are as progressive as I hope I am. I want them to keep up their interest in our internal affairs; and I want them also continually to remember Uncle Sam’s interests abroad. Justice and fair dealing among nations rest upon principles identical with those which control justice and fair dealing among the individuals of which nations are composed, with the vital exception that each nation must do its own part in international police work. If you get into trouble here, you can call for the police; but if Uncle Sam gets into trouble, he has got to be his own policeman, and I want to see him strong enough to encourage the peaceful aspirations of other peoples in connection with us. I believe in national friendships and heartiest good will to all nations; but national friendships, like those between men, must be founded on respect as well as on liking, on forbearance as well as upon trust. I should be heartily ashamed of any American who did not try to make the American government act as justly toward the other nations in international relations as he himself would act toward any individual in private relations. I should be heartily ashamed to see us wrong a weaker power, and I should hang my head forever if we tamely suffered wrong from a stronger power.” 

I especially want the Administration to consider the negative aspects of what they are doing to our military via the witch hunts that are going on among our senior officers and also, the level of care they are providing to our veterans. A great General Officer may not be a great human being, but then, that isn’t in his/her job description. In addition, waiting decades to award such things as the Medal of Honor is a national disgrace. And, I’m tired of seeing the Veterans Administration perpetually struggling for funds. This is an even bigger disgrace. It does not become a country of our stature and historical underpinning.

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Hard Choices

I can’t believe the incredibly stupid and counterproductive political and religious bickering going on around the world right now while the planet is in the midst of an epic environmental crisis. Hard choices must be made now by all of us, and not just the politicians in the USA, Russia, China, India, and elsewhere. The U.N. seems to be worthless in promoting a sense of urgency about the real issues facing the human race: 

Who gets the water? 

Who gets the food? 

Who gets to live? 

Who gets to die? 

Who gets to reproduce? 

Who gets to work for money? 

Who gets to be state-supported menial laborers? 

Who gets an advanced education? 

Who gets to be artists, musicians, poets and writers? 

Who must teach? 

Who can be a student? 

Who can live without contributing anything to society & why? 

How and where can humans live as an organized society? 

How much of the planet must we set aside for other species? 

How do we maintain conditions for life on the surface of the Earth? 

How do we adapt civilization to maintain the thermal balance of the planet? 

Where do we go from here in advancing human culture and society? 

What practices in human history should we continue or abandon? 

These are just some of the questions we have to develop answers and solutions for within the next ten to fifteen years. One thing is for sure: We can no longer afford the luxury of warfare to settle disputes. Soon, our dwindling resources and waste products will make this impossible. And, the added pollution/disruption of the environment from the willy-nilly application of technology to solving immediate crisis must come to a screeching halt. 

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  Oil on Canvas by Thomas Cole 1848 –One artist’s vision of an earthly paradise

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Russia is not the Soviet Union

I had to laugh at the recent comments by U.S. Senator John McCain, who observed that “Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country”. Well, this comment is true to a degree; the economy of Russia is nearly totally dependent on oil and gas exports. And now, Vladimir Putin is in the process of bankrupting the country. His recent sneaky annexation of the Crimea region of the Ukraine and the occupation of a portion of the country of Georgia reveals his personal geopolitical ambitions, but his big problem is that he is a lousy poker player. The USA holds the stronger hand in the game he is playing, and has in fact, stacked the deck. 

Russia cannot fight and win a conventional war with us. The country lacks the infrastructure it enjoyed in the Stalinist era as provided by the Soviet satellite countries; has little experience with the battlefield technologies of modern warfare,  and has repeatedly demonstrated ‘Me Too’ weapons systems developments going back to the end of World War II. It is wishful thinking for Putin to consider America as weakened by a decade of warfare; on the contrary, we are a sharpened sword, honed in bloody battle, and have little patience for dictators, terrorists, and puppet masters.

 

The great danger to the USA is that Russia would burn through its resources feeding the battlefield logistics pipeline in a hurry, and believe it must use nuclear weapons—the weapon that is not a weapon at all but a suicide pill. I am hopeful that cooler heads will prevail in Russia. The citizens there have had a taste of democracy and the free enterprise system, and regardless of how corrupt they are in application at present, they would be sorely missed. While a minority of the population pines for the old days of Joseph Stalin, what they really long for is the stability and predictability of the old government and its system of handouts.

 

Hopefully, the newly created class of wealthy business owners in Russia will take charge of the government rather than vice-versa. They had better do it soon. Maybe seeing 50 billion dollars of good will created by the Sochi Olympics vaporizing before their eyes will propel them into action. They should also consider that Putin got his political education during his time with the KGB in East Germany.

 

I also think the European Union shares some blame here; both Georgia and the Ukraine lobbied to join the E.U. repeatedly and were snubbed, for whatever reason. This created the opportunities that Putin has exploited in hopes of restoring some sort of Slavic union of countries to counter the West and its growing integration of commerce and political systems.

 

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Spring has sprung in Salt Lake City

My main objective with this post is to see if the functionality of my blog here on Vivaldi.net is working “as advertised”. With that said, my home is a few thousand feet below a wilderness area that overlooks the Salt Lake Valley. At this time of year, many people gather at the mouth of the canyon to look through binoculars and spotting  telescopes at the herd of Mountain Goats that live year-round among the high peaks of the Wasatch Mountains. This is what they see:

 

What is not seen are the Mountain Lions (Cougar) that feed on them when they are not eating the neighborhood dogs and cats. In a few weeks, the rattlesnakes will be coming out of their winter hidey-holes, along with the Voles, Raccoons, a pack of Coyotes that serenade us sometimes in the evening (especially when the Moon is full), and  a  small herd of Mule Deer than come down out of the White Pine forests to eat the neighbor’s shrubs.

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Getting prepared for a crisis

 Many of the dire scenarios that I have discussed in blog posts going back to 2006 (on Opera) seem to be coalescing right on schedule, and some have substantially compressed the timeframes that I had forecast.

The next three-five years may be as difficult as any since the Great Depression, and many people are in denial about its potential for major long-term disruptions in our lives. You still have time to erect some barricades against the storm, when gasoline is as expensive in the USA as it is in Great Britain (currently about $10 USD per gallon), and food prices rise to the point that massive social disorder occurs.

Assuming that you have a secure home or apartment that is affordable on your present income, you should consider fattening your larder for these troubled times. This includes not only food items, but potable water & water purification products, medicines, First Aid items, hygiene products such as soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, and common disposables such as disinfectant (bleach, Hydrogen Peroxide), paper towels (or a huge rag bag), linens, and so forth.

 The goal here is to provide these necessities for your family for a two-year period without resorting to retail outlets or shops. Do not fall for the myth that the government can take care of you in the form of handouts or breadlines. Do not expect to stand safely in line at the grocery store while you compete for scarce items on the shelf. Instead, think of the TV images of Mogadishu (throwing out bags of food from a speeding Jeep, while ducking gunfire), or perhaps Darfur, where you don’t dare to venture outside at all. 

In this scenario, your home will literally be your castle and fortress, so think through what you will need to support your continued existence in one place (hopefully, you won’t have to join the migrants that are dumpster-diving, or one of the gangs of ruffians that will roam the streets). 

Maybe things won’t get this bad, but hey, you never can tell. Buying and having these things on hand will be a much better investment than that new hybrid car, a growing bank account, or the latest fashion fad.  With this in mind, here are some fun facts about the shelf life of these items that, while relatively inexpensive now, may become worth their weight in Gold. I am not the author of the following table. It was in my miscellaneous papers, and I can’t provide proper attribution.

 Average Shelf Life 

Below is a chart to help you determine the shelf life of food stored in air-tight containers at constant temperature of 70 degrees.  All of the following products will store proportionally longer at cooler temperatures if kept at lower storage temperatures. Shelf life of 30+ years is perfectly feasible for many products!

 

Years

 

Years

 

Years

Apples

30

 

 

 

 

Adzuki Beans

8 – 10

Gluten 

5

Powder Eggs 

15

Alfalfa Seeds

8

Granola

5

Powder Milk 

20

All Purpose Flour

15

Lima/Red Beans

15

Quinoa

8

Bakers Flour

15

Groats

8

Refried Beans 

5

Barley

10

Hard Red Wheat

25 – 30

Ribbons

8 – 15

Black Turtle Beans

15 – 20

Hard White Wheat

25 – 30

Rolled Oats

30

Blackeye Beans

15 -20

Honey, Salt and Sugar

Indefinitely

Rye

8

Broccoli

8 – 10

Hulled Oats 

30

Small Red Beans

8 – 10

Brown Rice

6

Kamut

8 – 12

Soft wheat

25

Buckwheat

15

Kidney Beans

20

Soy Beans

8 – 10

Butter/margarine Powder

15

Lentils

20

Spaghetti

15 -20

Cabbage

8 – 10

Lima Beans

20

Special bakery wheat

25

Carrots

8 – 10

Macaroni

15 – 20

Spelt 

12

Celery

8 – 10

Millet

8 – 12

Sprouting Seeds

4-5

Cheese Powder

15

Mixes 

5 – 10

Triticale

8 – 12

Cocoa Powder

15

Morning Moo 

10

TVP

15 – 20

Corn

8 – 12

Mung Beans

8 – 10

Unbleached Flour

5

Cornmeal

5

Noodles

8 – 10

Wheat flakes

15

Cracked wheat

25

Onions

8 – 12

Whey Powder 

15

Durham Wheat

8 – 12

Peanut Butter Powder

4 – 5

White Flour 

5

Flax

8 – 12

Pearled Oats

10

White Rice

8 – 10

Fruit

5

Peppers

8 – 12

Whole Wheat Flour 

5

Garbanzo Beans

15 – 20

Pink Beans

20 – 30

Yeast

2

Garden Seeds

4

Pinto Beans

20 – 30

 

 

Germade

5

Potatoes (flakes, slices, dices)

20 – 30

 

 

 

Predicting actual shelf life of dehydrated foods is not an exact science, however there have been many studies done.  In addition to the above average shelf life of food stored at a constant 70 degrees, you can dramatically increase your life expectancy by lowering the constant temperature.  It is possible to double, triple or even quadruple the shelf life by lowering the temperature proportionally. 

 A year supply of basic food storage for one person (400 lb wheat, 60 lb dry beans, 60 lb sugar, 16 lb powdered milk, 10 qt cooking oil, 8 lb salt) provides adequate calories but is lacking in calcium as well as vitamins A, C, B12, and E. Vitamins A and C can be found in canned or bottled fruits and vegetables as well as in some fruit drink mixes. Most vitamin C is destroyed during dehydration of fruits and vegetables, but some vitamin A remains. Good sources of vitamin A include canned pumpkin and dehydrated carrots. Vitamin B12 comes from animal sources and can be found in canned meats and jerky. Calcium comes mainly from dairy products such as powdered milk, hot cocoa mix, and pudding mix (containing dried milk). Vitamin E is found in fats and oils and can be found in nuts such as sunflower seeds and almonds. 

Fresh water can be stored for considerable periods (measured in years) if you add about a teaspoon of bleach to every gallon of water. Worse case, you can boil the stuff and get rid of the flat taste by pouring it from one container to another a few times after boiling. 55 gallon plastic, non-evaporative storage containers can be purchased new, for about $30 USD. You will use far more water than you imagine in the course of daily living. Plan on storing at least 200-300 gallons. 

 Since the entire idea of a food storage program is that it should be available for you and yours in times of need, it is important to understand the conditions that can affect the edibles stored in your pantry.

 A storage program is only as good as the quality of the food that goes into it. It cannot get any better than what originally went in, but it can certainly get worse. In the fullness of time, all stored foods will degrade in nutrients and palatability until they reach the inevitable end where even the dog won’t eat them. It’s because of this eventuality that every article, book, and teacher concerned with putting food by gives the same advice: Date all food containers and rotate, Rotate, ROTATE.

 The first food in should be the first food out. This concept is often shortened to the acronym FIFO. This will allow you to also store the foods you like to eat (with a limited shelf-life) as well as the foods that merely keep you alive. And don’t forget the yeast and baking powder.

 Ideally, your storage location should have a humidity level of 15% or less, but unless you live in the desert it’s not likely you’ll be able to achieve this. Regardless, moisture is not good for your dry stored edibles so you want to minimize it as much as possible. This can be done by several methods. The first is to keep the area air-conditioned and/or dehumidified during the humid times of the year. The second is to use packaging impervious to moisture and then to deal with the moisture trapped inside. If you are able, there’s no reason not to use both.

All containers should be kept off the floor and out of direct contact from exterior walls to reduce the chances of condensation brought on by temperature differences between the container and the surface it’s resting against.

 So, the storage rules are:

 First In, First Out (FIFO) means rotating your storage

Cooler is better

 Drier is better

 Less oxygen exposure means more shelf life, so make sure the containers are SEALED.

 Don’t shed light on your food.

 Think of rotating your food storage as paying your food insurance premiums — slacking off on rotation cuts back on your coverage. Is your food insurance up to date?

 Are you ready for unexpected natural disasters like this?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Automated Battlefield

 Recently, I read a UPI story about a new development at the Lockheed Martin Company. Forget the flying saucers they may be building at the Skunkworks, and consider these words in the report: 

“A wireless ground sensor network by Lockheed Martin will soon possess the capability of integration with unmanned aerial vehicles, the company said Monday. 

The ground sensor system is SPAN, or Self-Powered Ad-hoc Network. It is incorporated with small devices that harvest energy from its surrounding environment, re-charges itself and only transmits when there is a sensor reading of concern.”
 Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2013/10/22/Ground-sensor-system-to-link-with-UAVs/UPI-22361382453158/#ixzz2iSrA0pME 

These palm-sized devices might use plug & play ASICs to expand functionality to include very elaborate sensors tuned to human body heat, smelling devices, vibration sensors, video cameras, CBR detectors, and so forth. In addition to “Harvesting energy from its surrounding environment”, the SPAN sensors could also include tiny fuel cells such as those manufactured by Neah Power Systems, Inc. All of the sensors then networked together could pass information-enriched messages back and forth at a high duty cycle not only to the drones flying high overhead. Imagine much higher, a solar-powered blimp drifting nearly as high as some low-orbit satellites, containing a two-man crew and a battle management supercomputer that controls and directs network activities and drone formations below the cloud layers. 

All of a sudden, we have the prospect of two human Airmen controlling a very large area on the ground, drawing on robotic firepower as needed to maintain their control. The battlefield can become mobile, if required, through the addition of a robotic logistics pipeline. 

With image processing in the flying supercomputer and raw image and other data provided from the sensors scattered below, nothing will live on the battlefield without permission from above. Worst case, with the whole business shot to hell in battle, only two human lives are lost.  Call me an old dreamer, but I like the idea a lot, because it removes more of our warriors from the conflict arena and might actually save some money in the process.

Image Courtesy of the Lockheed Martin Co.

 

 

 

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Time to take off the rose-colored glasses

The fact is, Humanity is faced with three converging existential crises: 

 A: Climate change resulting in permanent relocation of the Jet Stream to new latitudes and changes in deep-ocean convection currents as well as the release of massive amounts of Methane Hydrates in the Arctic/Siberian Tundra and the oceans around the world. The possibility is strong that thermal rebalancing around the planet will render much of it uninhabitable. 

 B: The increasing pollution of very limited potable water sources coupled with desertification of former agricultural regions as a result of global industrial civilization, and the melt-off of mountain glaciers that used to store water. 

 C: The tremendous planetary over-population of humanity and its demands for further mineral resources and economic output to support a nearly logarithmic population growth projected to peak around 2050; at which time, the odds are good for totally collapse of the global ecosystem. It has already started in the oceans; witness the death of over 70% of the reefs and estuary nurseries. It cannot be denied that life on land depends on life in the oceans.

 

 Even now, North America, Europe, and regions in Asia are seeing mass migrations of people unable to find jobs or even food to eat, and the age-old paradigm of having many children to support aged parents is now a shattered dream of the past, never to return. While it may be possible to deal with one or several of these developing disasters, we are unlikely to be able to deal with all of them without a synchronized and very dramatic effort by humanity as a whole, and a lot of luck.

 

 The foregoing implies the urgent need for a planetary government enthusiastically supported by all of humanity to coordinate repairs and responses. It is obvious that the U.N. model is insufficient to the task at hand. It used to be that the world saw the United States as the ‘Global Policeman’ and a generous benefactor through such mechanisms as the Marshall Plan, and Foreign Aid. 

In my humble opinion, this is no longer possible, and the strong country we used to have is now a mirage. Setting aside the new and austere budget of the Defense Department, here is why:

 

The so–called economic growth since the recession that started in 2008 is totally the result of government spending. In point of fact, private-sector spending is where it was almost 13 years ago, accompanied by no growth in median real income and no growth since 2000 in the actual number of jobs, even as population grew by 30 million. Therefore, because the government soon will not be allowed by our foreign creditors to continue the financial hat trick of printing more money to stimulate the economy, without private sector growth our domestic gross product (GDP) will drop accordingly.


In essence, we will be in for a very long-term recession once again. There are no magic spending cuts that the government might undertake that will cure this problem, and even tax increases that would be suicide for the politicians, won’t do the trick. They would simply bankrupt small businesses and the few folks that have been able to keep their heads above water in this economy.

 

The long and the short of it is that there are no quick fixes. Meanwhile our population keeps growing and more kids will come out of college unable to find work.

 
Five percent of the nation’s workers are not paying income, Social Security, or Medicare taxes. Many of them are on food stamps and unemployment compensation, which are driving deficits at the federal and state levels higher. At the same time commodity prices are skyrocketing, driving up food costs and drying up discretionary spending by average people. In general, there will be inflation in the things we need and deflation in the things we want (they will go unsold). So, the success of companies such as Apple with its iPod/iPad products will be short-lived.

 

 Wages and salaries are about 50% of total personal income (other sources of personal income are benefits, interest, dividends, etc.). This is the largest bucket of income that produces revenue for the government via our tax structure. As wages and salaries are currently the engine of support for the government’s social programs, these must soon collapse. They include food stamps, social security, healthcare, and so forth.

 
The impact of climate change will magnify this dilemma in ways we can’t foresee too well at present. As a further example, if the Thermohaline circulation of the world’s oceans (like the Gulf Stream) is disrupted, then most of Europe and Asia (and also the northern USA and Canada) will quickly return to ice ages; much like the Younger Dryas event at around 11,000 BP. This resulted in a mini-Ice Age that lasted about 1400 years.

 

One thing is for sure, the USA is not alone as a nation of soon-to-be paupers; the sovereign debt crises seen in the Eurozone and elsewhere are spreading to other countries as I write this. Throw in the social turmoil such as we are seeing in the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas and things are going to get pretty dire for everyone quickly.

 
While we applaud the citizens that are uprising against dictatorship in favor of new democratic governments, nothing is being said about the massive destruction to these countries’ infrastructures as we are witnessing in Libya & Syria. Even under the best of conditions, it will take years to recover (if ever). Countries such as Egypt, which depend on tourism, are going to get even more destitute and desperate.

 
I wish I could see some dynamic that would change this dismal picture, but my crystal ball is totally inadequate to the task. I’m just not smart enough. All I can suggest is that people focus on helping one another where they can, and try to anticipate the arrows of misfortune that are headed their way. This means spending wisely, and hunkering down to weather the storm. If the USA gets sucked into regional wars again, we must make the losers pay for them out of what is left of their national treasure. We can no longer afford to give countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan a free ride.

 

If we are lucky, when the storm clouds dissipate, they will reveal a world that is very different from the one we are used to, and if people have been wise in the interim, it will be configured to avoid the mistakes of the past. We have made bad choices as a country for decades, and now it seems we have to pay the price.