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Existentialist Collapse Chatter

Explore the rise of the collapse meme in environmental circles and its implications for our future security and basic needs.

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I've become increasingly fascinated with the "collapse" meme in environmental and energy circles. It's really become the secular equivalent of End-Times. I don't say that to denigrate the peak oil crowd or climate change advocates, because I happen to think the energy/climate intersection is quite serious and may well lead to widespread socio-political turmoil. Still, I can't help but be amused by how the debate sometimes plays out on intellectual and pop culture levels. For example, here's a recent post over at the Oil drum, in which the writer shares a common refrain of her friends, who work in environmental NGO's:

In brief, many now admit openly that human overshoot has gone way too far and that the programs they run are like band aids when the wound calls for a tourniquet. They lament the rise of expectations for a narrowly defined version of progress that will only deepen our ...

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