> From: Dan Mitchell <danmitchell@xxxxxxxx>
>
> Jan Steinman wrote:
>> Have you read "Guns, Germs, and Steel," by Jared Diamond? Or seen the
>> three-part PBS series of the same name?
>
> There's a TV show? I should go hunt that down...
Well worth it. It was well produced. You can probably order it from PBS.
> GGS was great, and
> Collapse is another good read, if you haven't read that one yet.
Yes, but I was disappointed by Collapse. (I have a signed copy.) He
seems to be treading lightly on modern civilization. Montana as
modern example of a "failed civilization?" Gimme a break! How about
the whole western civilization, coming crashing down as fossil energy
inevitably declines? And Bush wants us to fill up our SUVs with food
instead, causing tortillas to double in price in Mexico, causing
riots. This at a time when grain production and reserves have been
declining for six years!
I confronted Diamond when he gave a talk in Portland. When the
question period came up, I asked him that, whereas for roughly
1,999,900 years, humans had at their disposal about 40 watts of
energy average, and we peaked in the 80's at over 8 kilowatts, and
have been declining since, how could he be "cautiously optimistic"
about the future?
He mumbled something about hybrid cars and hydrogen and quickly asked
for the next question. He doesn't seem to have a clue about fossil
fuel depletion.
:::: Human vs Yeast: which one has evolved enough to avoid consuming
all their resources and dying in their own excrement? ::::
:::: Jan Steinman http://www.EcoReality.org ::::
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