So, it's the 23rd of the month, payday is the 30th, and I am out of cash. That's overshoot on a personal basis. I use my credit card to make it through, thus stealing cash from next month, and hope to tighten up next month and have money left by the 30th, maybe enough to pay back the credit card. Or maybe I just spread that borrowing over time, and let my kids pay it all back when I am dead.
Scale that up, and thats how we live now on a macro level.
The Limits to Growth, recently recognized by Japan (finally...see previous post) lays out this scenario, several of them, and demonstrate the effects of Overshoot. In most cases, the effect is Collapse.
Dana Visalli has provided a wonderful essay on this. (thank you Dana!!):
The most salient line to me is what she writes here:
In the end mind-based belief structures overwhelmed ecological reality, and the culture collapsed.
But wait!!! WE are different, right? WE have technology!! WE are much more sophisticated than these silly Easter Islanders, or the Mayans, or the Anassi...or yeast. All cultures that overconsumed beyond their carrying capacity pursuing mind based belief systems (except the yeast)... and...uh...collapsed.
It can't happen here, right?
Earth Overshoot Day 2008
One useful definition of insanity is persisting in the same behaviors and expecting different results.
Time to start moving our "mind-based belief structures" back to an accord with ecological reality. Feed your mind.
And with that, it's time for me to turn my compost.
No comments:
Post a Comment