Nasa-funded study: industrial civilisation headed for 'irreversible collapse'?

[knocker]

Natural and social scientists develop new model of how 'perfect storm' of crises could unravel global system

 

 

A new study sponsored by Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center has highlighted the prospect that global industrial civilisation could collapse in coming decades due to unsustainable resource exploitation and increasingly unequal wealth distribution.

 

Noting that warnings of 'collapse' are often seen to be fringe or controversial, the study attempts to make sense of compelling historical data showing that "the process of rise-and-collapse is actually a recurrent cycle found throughout history." Cases of severe civilisational disruption due to "precipitous collapse - often lasting centuries - have been quite common."

 

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/mar/14/nasa-civilisation-irreversible-collapse-study-scientists

[Gray-Wolf]

So only global Socialism will save us?

[Pennine Ten Foot Drifts]

The only thing that could 'save' mankind is if mankind stopped being driven by rapacious greed, acquisitive self interest and murderous competitiveness. I don't think it needs a special report by NASA for anyone with any amount of intelligence to work out that perpetual growth is obviously an impossibility, and yet that is the mantra that is unquestionably and slavishly followed. And since the entire capitalist/industrial revolution of the last 150 years is based on exploiting finite (and thus far incredibly cheap to exploit) natural resources, unless a drastic fundamental change to this dogma is adopted then there can be only one outcome. And unfortunately the reason this 'system' has been so successful is that it taps directly into most of the dominant human traits, so unless humanity somehow manages a collective shift in basic instincts, the train will just keep on hurtling towards the buffers, with no will to engage the brakes

[Jax]

Private Frazer was right!

[laserguy]

Good - I've had enough of everyone bleating.

[Pennine Ten Foot Drifts]

Aye, but even that is perhaps better than fiddling a la Nero ???

[Gray-Wolf]

Has LG been Nero'ing himself?

 

As for everyone wanting a bigger piece of the Cherry? The biggest part of that cherry is in the hands of a few percent of the population. Surely folk motivated by wealth only need be richer than the rest and not near everything?

[laserguy]

Has LG been Nero'ing himself?

 

 

Dunno what you mean. So long as there's a roof over my head and I can feed and clothe the family, I'm at ease with the world. What do you all suggest that we do to avert this coming catastrophe - and one which has,as already pointed out, happened numerous times before and will again? It's the way of the world.

[Pennine Ten Foot Drifts]

I guess it depends on your own personal preference, and I guess that's what makes us human LG 

 

For me I have a (some would say misguided and/or pointless) view that perhaps the human race can this time change, can this time avoid going over the cliff. Admittedly historic precedents aren't very encouraging, but surely the evolution of the human race has reached a point now where we can stop 'marching forward conquering all obstacles in our path', and instead stand back a bit, survey where we have got to, and for those of us at the top of the current 'progress pile', maybe it's time to say, 'we have enough, we need to think about living comfortably with what we have now, we don't need any more'

[laserguy]

.... we can stop 'marching forward conquering all obstacles in our path'

 

That's a bit rich considering that the study came from NASA of all people, and telling us at great expense something that is blindingly obvious anyway! But I do actually agree with the sentiments expressed here. Trouble is, they apply to only the tiniest proportion of the population of the world who got to be where they are now by disregarding boundaries etc and thinking of their own gain at any cost; the rest of us (inc.me) are having a tough enough job of it just getting from one day to the next.

[cheeky_monkey]

Natural and social scientists develop new model of how 'perfect storm' of crises could unravel global system

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/mar/14/nasa-civilisation-irreversible-collapse-study-scientists

Surely that is only true for individual civilisations...has there ever been a total global collapse of all civilisation?..in the past Empires have risen and fallen to the extent there are many in existence at one time..whilst one would fall another would rise..but never have they all fallen at the same time

[laserguy]

Surely that is only true for individual civilisations...has there ever been a total global collapse of all civilisation?..in the past Empires have risen and fallen to the extent there are many in existence at one time..whilst one would fall another would rise..but never have they all fallen at the same time

 

But nowadays they're all in each other's back pockets anyway - if one goes down the rest follow. Probably...

[knocker]

Surely that is only true for individual civilisations...has there ever been a total global collapse of all civilisation?..in the past Empires have risen and fallen to the extent there are many in existence at one time..whilst one would fall another would rise..but never have they all fallen at the same time

 

Well the 17th century probably did. About one third of the world population died. The devastation was global.

[Bobby]

What goes up must come down. Unless we find a new planet to move the world's population to then our civilisation will collapse, it's a physical certainty. Endlessly increasing, unsustainable use of finite resources - how could it be otherwise? Like bacteria in a petri dish, once the food is consumed it's game over. About 90% of energy used by humanity is non-renewable, mostly fossil fuels. The rest is indirectly linked to fossil fuels to an extent as well.

 

Windmills and solar panels won't save us when the oil and co runs out, which will be long before we ever transfer the world's population to another planet. We are adaptable but not to the extent we can adapt our way out of the laws of physics.

[cheeky_monkey]

Well the 17th century probably did. About one third of the world population died. The devastation was global.

which coincided with the rise of European empires..as the eastern Empires like the Chinese and Ottoman went into decline so saw the rise of the Western Empires of Spain, France and Britain

Edited March 17, 2014 by cheeky_monkey

[knocker]

which coincided with the rise of European empires..as the eastern Empires like the Chinese and Ottoman went into decline so saw the rise of the Western Empires of Spain, France and Britain

 

Not true there were wars all over Europe including the Civil War in Britain, accompanied by famines, floods, etc. As I said before the devastation was global.

Edited March 17, 2014 by knocker