Of the 8 million species on Earth, modern humans are the only ones who take without giving back—leaving behind nothing but a growing mountain of toxic waste.
Massive decrease in infant mortality a huge factor in overpopulation that often gets overlooked. I suppose it can be filed under medical, but I feel it deserves it own mention.
.
*Mortality in the past: every second child died*
.
'The chances that a newborn survives childhood have increased from 50% to 96% globally. How do we know about the mortality of children in the past? And what can we learn from it for our future?'
French sociologist Emmanuel Todd predicted the fall of the USSR and said their high infant mortality rate was one of the big factors. He's recently published a new book where he predicts the fall of the US empire and the west. I do not know if he names infant mortality as a major factor. It has increased in the US, but only a little. American collapse won't save the humans, but it's great fun to watch the mighty killer empire fall.
*Emmanuel Todd: “We are witnessing the final fall of the West”*
"In his latest book, the historian and anthropologist diagnoses The Defeat of the West. In The Final Fall, published in 1976, the author correctly predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union. We have to hope that this time “prophet” Todd is wrong."
"How do we know about the mortality of children in the past?"
I've been doing family genealogy. Working backwards, most families had two children, or perhaps four or five in some cases. All of them lived.
But some hundred years ago, that all changed. Families had eight to twelve or more children, with two or three or more of them dying before the age of five.
Brilliant summation. Frikken hard to read - but thank you for being so unflinching! 🙏
Thanks, too, for that concise list of actions we can all take. I love it!
With respect, I’d add one thing to the list: get involved in local government! Hound your city until they set up cooling centers, community vegetable gardens, dedicated hotlines for vulnerable folks to call if they need help, and the like. Get yourself on the board or the committee or whatever it is that can halt construction of new homes in flood plains, and that can require that mobile homes swept away by high winds must be replaced by more resilient construction.
There is so much more - because there is so much we can do on the local level to help spare at least some of us from the worst effects of this multi-crisis… at least in the near term.
- Native American Proverb (Cree, if I recall correctly)
The loss of respect men, and especially the White Man, has, for the world he lives in for a limited time only - a guest on this most beautiful of planets that we know of - with its unsatiable hunger (greed) is disgusting!
Even the lion sleeps for 24 hours after having feasted on his kill.
But there is hope: for the planet!
As Einstein, incorectly, has been quoted to say:
"If the bee disappeared from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years left to live".
We are working in it!
And last, but not least:
One comes to think that the human race can clearly not be the crown of creation - and that "he" simply cannot have been made in God's image - simply not!
You cite these things that can be done by individuals:
" Reduce consumption by a lot (plastics, electronics, clothing, paper)
Eat local and seasonal, and reduce food waste
Consume less meat, especially beef
Reduce travel
If you have a yard or lawn, rewild it
Educate other people – this is key"
What should be at the top of this list is "take control of your food supply", also known as "food sovereignty".
This can be growing a lot of your own food; it can be volunteering at a local farm in exchange for food; it can simply be (as noted above) buying from local farms… as long as your income holds out.
Hunger will begin rearing its ugly head in the next 5-10 years, possibly 3-4. Don't wait to develop food production skills until then!
"Then came agriculture and we unknowingly set a trap for ourselves by basing our existence on unsustainable practices of deforestation and agriculture."
I want to add that *grain* agriculture is responsible for capitalism. Social stratification, hoarding, and withholding of food are all the result of a food source that lasts much longer than a single turn of the seasons. Granary receipts were arguably the first form of money. This happened nearly simultaneously in several unconnected regions about the same time, some 7,000 years ago. Prior to that time, there were no grand hierarchies, no unemployment, no starvation coincident with largess.
Sewing up this theory is that northern British Columbian natives developed a civilization based on hazelnuts, some 7,000 years ago. (https://thetyee.ca/News/2024/12/04/Hazelnuts-Reveal-Secrets-Ancient-BC-City/) But without refrigeration, they turned rancid in under a year, and so capitalism culture never took hold here.
"[Ishmael] There's only one way you can force people to accept an intolerable lifestyle. [Julie] Yea. You have to lock up the food." — Daniel Quinn, The Teachings That Came Before & After Ishmael p181, excerpted from My Ishmael, A Sequel, date: 1997-01-01, link: https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781502356154/page/181
Excellent essay. It reminds me of Arthur Koestler's 1967 book 'The Ghost in the Machine,' particularly the final chapter on 'The Age of Climax.' We have long been warned for what we see happening now. Yet, even today there are still those who prefer to look the other way while the world is burning. As the Earth has cared for us for so long, can we finally return the favor and start caring for the Earth?
I believe the words advancing civilization and cohabitation are integral opposites in human progression . To say the writing is on the wall is to say we are illiterate
Hard reading. But thanks for the brutal honesty.
That a hell of a lot of work and nicely done.
Massive decrease in infant mortality a huge factor in overpopulation that often gets overlooked. I suppose it can be filed under medical, but I feel it deserves it own mention.
.
*Mortality in the past: every second child died*
.
'The chances that a newborn survives childhood have increased from 50% to 96% globally. How do we know about the mortality of children in the past? And what can we learn from it for our future?'
https://ourworldindata.org/child-mortality-in-the-past
.
French sociologist Emmanuel Todd predicted the fall of the USSR and said their high infant mortality rate was one of the big factors. He's recently published a new book where he predicts the fall of the US empire and the west. I do not know if he names infant mortality as a major factor. It has increased in the US, but only a little. American collapse won't save the humans, but it's great fun to watch the mighty killer empire fall.
*Emmanuel Todd: “We are witnessing the final fall of the West”*
"In his latest book, the historian and anthropologist diagnoses The Defeat of the West. In The Final Fall, published in 1976, the author correctly predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union. We have to hope that this time “prophet” Todd is wrong."
https://ednews.net/en/news/world/641606-emmanuel-todd-are-witnessing-the
"How do we know about the mortality of children in the past?"
I've been doing family genealogy. Working backwards, most families had two children, or perhaps four or five in some cases. All of them lived.
But some hundred years ago, that all changed. Families had eight to twelve or more children, with two or three or more of them dying before the age of five.
Brilliant summation. Frikken hard to read - but thank you for being so unflinching! 🙏
Thanks, too, for that concise list of actions we can all take. I love it!
With respect, I’d add one thing to the list: get involved in local government! Hound your city until they set up cooling centers, community vegetable gardens, dedicated hotlines for vulnerable folks to call if they need help, and the like. Get yourself on the board or the committee or whatever it is that can halt construction of new homes in flood plains, and that can require that mobile homes swept away by high winds must be replaced by more resilient construction.
There is so much more - because there is so much we can do on the local level to help spare at least some of us from the worst effects of this multi-crisis… at least in the near term.
"Only when the last tree has been cut down,
the last fish been caught,
and the last stream poisoned,
will we realize we cannot eat money."
- Native American Proverb (Cree, if I recall correctly)
The loss of respect men, and especially the White Man, has, for the world he lives in for a limited time only - a guest on this most beautiful of planets that we know of - with its unsatiable hunger (greed) is disgusting!
Even the lion sleeps for 24 hours after having feasted on his kill.
But there is hope: for the planet!
As Einstein, incorectly, has been quoted to say:
"If the bee disappeared from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years left to live".
We are working in it!
And last, but not least:
One comes to think that the human race can clearly not be the crown of creation - and that "he" simply cannot have been made in God's image - simply not!
Very good summary! Thank you.
You cite these things that can be done by individuals:
" Reduce consumption by a lot (plastics, electronics, clothing, paper)
Eat local and seasonal, and reduce food waste
Consume less meat, especially beef
Reduce travel
If you have a yard or lawn, rewild it
Educate other people – this is key"
What should be at the top of this list is "take control of your food supply", also known as "food sovereignty".
This can be growing a lot of your own food; it can be volunteering at a local farm in exchange for food; it can simply be (as noted above) buying from local farms… as long as your income holds out.
Hunger will begin rearing its ugly head in the next 5-10 years, possibly 3-4. Don't wait to develop food production skills until then!
"Then came agriculture and we unknowingly set a trap for ourselves by basing our existence on unsustainable practices of deforestation and agriculture."
I want to add that *grain* agriculture is responsible for capitalism. Social stratification, hoarding, and withholding of food are all the result of a food source that lasts much longer than a single turn of the seasons. Granary receipts were arguably the first form of money. This happened nearly simultaneously in several unconnected regions about the same time, some 7,000 years ago. Prior to that time, there were no grand hierarchies, no unemployment, no starvation coincident with largess.
Sewing up this theory is that northern British Columbian natives developed a civilization based on hazelnuts, some 7,000 years ago. (https://thetyee.ca/News/2024/12/04/Hazelnuts-Reveal-Secrets-Ancient-BC-City/) But without refrigeration, they turned rancid in under a year, and so capitalism culture never took hold here.
"[Ishmael] There's only one way you can force people to accept an intolerable lifestyle. [Julie] Yea. You have to lock up the food." — Daniel Quinn, The Teachings That Came Before & After Ishmael p181, excerpted from My Ishmael, A Sequel, date: 1997-01-01, link: https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781502356154/page/181
Excellent essay. It reminds me of Arthur Koestler's 1967 book 'The Ghost in the Machine,' particularly the final chapter on 'The Age of Climax.' We have long been warned for what we see happening now. Yet, even today there are still those who prefer to look the other way while the world is burning. As the Earth has cared for us for so long, can we finally return the favor and start caring for the Earth?
Maybe billionaires can fix it?
I believe the words advancing civilization and cohabitation are integral opposites in human progression . To say the writing is on the wall is to say we are illiterate