1/25
The world went from horses to cars in - well, you can pick different lines, but in the ten years from 1910 to 1920 would be a pretty good one, I think.
Ten years.
We have to park all the cars, park all the airplanes, park all the combustion powered ships, all the tanks, all the jet fighters. 10.
Ten years.
We have to park all the cars, park all the airplanes, park all the combustion powered ships, all the tanks, all the jet fighters. 10.
08:14 PM - Jun 20, 2023
2/25
Turning off the fire motors won't be enough by itself, but it is an absolute precondition to the primary task, which is to regenerate a global ecosystem which will feed itself and us, find within that gainful and satisfying lives for the people.
08:17 PM - Jun 20, 2023
3/25
For instance, I need to work. I need to physically use my body to attain objectives. I think this is a common need among humans.
Recent research at two big universities (can't remember, sorry) strongly indicates that exposure to, and particularly working with, nature, improves mental health.
Recent research at two big universities (can't remember, sorry) strongly indicates that exposure to, and particularly working with, nature, improves mental health.
08:21 PM - Jun 20, 2023
4/25
So, instead of putting all the big hicks to work driving bulldozers, put them to work driving a team, cleaning up, planting, tending, some actual land.
Everybody wants to talk about all we'll lose.
We're the first sickly frightened big strong healthy tribe in human history. We won't lose anything.
Everybody wants to talk about all we'll lose.
We're the first sickly frightened big strong healthy tribe in human history. We won't lose anything.
08:23 PM - Jun 20, 2023
5/25
We won't lose anything worth having.
Road rage never existed in all of world history until the combination of fast automobiles and urban freeways was invented, now we shoot each other over it, and cling to it like it was our mother's breast.
(If we ever clung to one of those.)
Road rage never existed in all of world history until the combination of fast automobiles and urban freeways was invented, now we shoot each other over it, and cling to it like it was our mother's breast.
(If we ever clung to one of those.)
08:25 PM - Jun 20, 2023
6/25
I bought this book about #degrowth and - it's just like all the others.
Here's the situation: Earth is dying.
We're part of her.
When she goes we go.
This is not a drill.
We are rapidly creating a global ecosystem drastically unlike the one we evolved in. This can't work for us.
Build a system.
Here's the situation: Earth is dying.
We're part of her.
When she goes we go.
This is not a drill.
We are rapidly creating a global ecosystem drastically unlike the one we evolved in. This can't work for us.
Build a system.
08:27 PM - Jun 20, 2023
7/25
08:30 PM - Jun 20, 2023
8/25
What we have to measure, the only thing we have to measure, is total energy and material throughput. There will never come a day when any system we design and build will be completed, complete enough to make energy use go down, except the system of immediately using less energy.
Of any kind.
Of any kind.
08:32 PM - Jun 20, 2023
9/25
Total energy throughput, and total material throughput, are directly related. It takes energy to move and process material, from mining it all the way to the bulldozer burying our progress in the landfill. The more material, the more motion, the more energy. Expressed as speed.
08:34 PM - Jun 20, 2023
10/25
Energy is everything, but it only presents itself to us in a few ways. Energy is speed, matter in motion, more matter in motion, farther, faster, it's all energy.
If we slow the motion, material throughput goes down.
We move less materials less kilometers per day. Therefore, materials cannot travel
If we slow the motion, material throughput goes down.
We move less materials less kilometers per day. Therefore, materials cannot travel
08:36 PM - Jun 20, 2023
11/25
From the mine to the dump via the smelter, refinery, factory, retailer, wholesaler, transporter, retailer, sucker, landfill - if we slow speeds, that has to slow. It's physics. It's not even complicated.
That's why they're building new highways, new seaports, airports - so more people and stuff
That's why they're building new highways, new seaports, airports - so more people and stuff
08:38 PM - Jun 20, 2023
12/25
can travel more miles per day, largely to climate conferences.
It's a joke.
Nothing matters but the energy and the ecosystem. Only by the grace of the ecosystem does our species exist, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Energy, and the ecosystem.
It's a joke.
Nothing matters but the energy and the ecosystem. Only by the grace of the ecosystem does our species exist, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Energy, and the ecosystem.
08:40 PM - Jun 20, 2023
14/25
I thought I was done.
Over in birdland I've got a pinned that tells physically how to attain this.
Right now, if you don't have a car, you can't access the minimum requirements of life. You can't get money, groceries, clothes, or your kids from school.
This is a problem.
But -
Over in birdland I've got a pinned that tells physically how to attain this.
Right now, if you don't have a car, you can't access the minimum requirements of life. You can't get money, groceries, clothes, or your kids from school.
This is a problem.
But -
08:46 PM - Jun 20, 2023
15/25
if you don't have a car, but you live within the neighborhood of one of a few Christian sects, you can pretty much get everything you need by horse and buggy. Groceries and hardware and harness parts, tools - because access to resources is a design issue. We designed for fast. For cars.
08:47 PM - Jun 20, 2023
16/25
The solution for that is not to find another way to access resources within a high speed large scale design - mass transit is a popular one. The solution is to design for low speeds and short ranges.
So, how do you do that?
Ten year plan.
You decide to take ecosystem catastrophe seriously. Step 1.
So, how do you do that?
Ten year plan.
You decide to take ecosystem catastrophe seriously. Step 1.
08:50 PM - Jun 20, 2023
17/25
Trying to get from where we are, to where we need to be, overnight, would be like slowing from 70 mph to 0 by hitting a bridge.
You'd get slowed. But you'd be dead.
People slow down from 70 all the time. You use the brakes. It's easy.
You'd get slowed. But you'd be dead.
People slow down from 70 all the time. You use the brakes. It's easy.
08:51 PM - Jun 20, 2023
18/25
Announced in advance: 5 mph reduction per year until nothing goes faster than a trotting horse.
Year 1, set the speed limit to 60, nationwide. Enforce it with cell phones. If your cell phone goes over 60 you get a ticket. We don't care who's driving.
Be cheaper to provide free cell phones than cops
Year 1, set the speed limit to 60, nationwide. Enforce it with cell phones. If your cell phone goes over 60 you get a ticket. We don't care who's driving.
Be cheaper to provide free cell phones than cops
08:54 PM - Jun 20, 2023
19/25
with radar guns
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
Ten years.
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
Ten years.
08:55 PM - Jun 20, 2023
20/25
Speed is a lynch pin, a choke point. If we want to degrow, reduce speed. It we want to localize, reduce speed.
Accept the costs as well as the benefits. No ambulances going 70 mph, no Life Flight helicopters
Save 35,000 to 40,000 a year directly killed by cars, 100,000 to 300,000 permanent disabled
Accept the costs as well as the benefits. No ambulances going 70 mph, no Life Flight helicopters
Save 35,000 to 40,000 a year directly killed by cars, 100,000 to 300,000 permanent disabled
08:57 PM - Jun 20, 2023
21/25
No choice is free.
The choice we are making now is costing us the global ecosystem, air land and sea.
We can't afford it.
The choice we are making now is costing us the global ecosystem, air land and sea.
We can't afford it.
08:58 PM - Jun 20, 2023
22/25
Over the course of ten years, society would have to construct small scale local stores and factories. The ability to ship millions of pounds of steel things from China would go away with the ships that carry it.
People would locally prioritize without policies and laws and bureaus.
They'd have to,
People would locally prioritize without policies and laws and bureaus.
They'd have to,
09:01 PM - Jun 20, 2023
23/25
And they'd have time.
Ten years.
On day one, the very first day, emissions would go down.
Not a lot, but down.
Which would be a first, except when Covid landed. And we fixed that good. Ignore it.
Every time the speed limit went down, emissions would too.
It's more than miles per hour.
Ten years.
On day one, the very first day, emissions would go down.
Not a lot, but down.
Which would be a first, except when Covid landed. And we fixed that good. Ignore it.
Every time the speed limit went down, emissions would too.
It's more than miles per hour.
09:03 PM - Jun 20, 2023
24/25
It's ton-miles per day.
And if 80,000 pounds slows down by 10 mph, those 80,000 pounds do not go as far in 8 hours.
Speed and distance are made of energy. Less = less.
The less matter that moves, and the less it moves,
And if 80,000 pounds slows down by 10 mph, those 80,000 pounds do not go as far in 8 hours.
Speed and distance are made of energy. Less = less.
The less matter that moves, and the less it moves,
09:05 PM - Jun 20, 2023
25/25
The less total material can be put through The Economy in a year.
#degrowth in real life.
Or, we can go on building highways and renoobles and lie about it.
Which is what I expect.
But it's not working. Look at the numbers. It's not working.
-fin
#degrowth in real life.
Or, we can go on building highways and renoobles and lie about it.
Which is what I expect.
But it's not working. Look at the numbers. It's not working.
-fin
09:07 PM - Jun 20, 2023
