Cutting the Gordian Knot
A Gordian knot is a mythical, impossible to untie dilemma - solved by a swift destructive slash.
The decades of denial and delay have eliminated the options for gradual change and now present only limited, radical choices for long-term, multigenerational survival. We overlooked, squandered or were persuaded to miss the opportunities to address the problem with more moderate sacrifice. Now the enormity and complexity of the problem is so great that only a Gordian Knot solution will work
The very first decision: Do we want to Live or Die ?
If die then keep up business-as-usual (BAU)
(if the choice is postponed or delayed then the answer biases toward more certain death)
Next decision: If yes to live, then how long? Just this
generation? or how many generations? All humans? or how selected?
Then decide how much adaptation and mitigation we must apply in order to meet those goals.
Truncating to just near-term survival requires very little co-operation. Any mitigating actions will extend the decline.
The greater the survival scheme the more aggressive the response required.
If the decision is for multgenerational life, then this must be decided by consensus. Anything other than consensus is tantamount to acquiescence.
Truncating to just near-term survival requires very little co-operation. Any mitigating actions will extend the decline.
The greater the survival scheme the more aggressive the response required.
If the decision is for multgenerational life, then this must be decided by consensus. Anything other than consensus is tantamount to acquiescence.
With the global
agreement to transgenerational survival, then comes the committment to
ruthless enforcement of atmospheric care.
Any delay in implementation means greater challenges
(Sub
decision by any civilization: decide how many of the existing human
population will be saved - i.e. 10 million displaced and starving -
will they be ignored? Since this is a discussion of civilization - and
certainly allowing large populations to die is not civilized - hence
such an uncivilized act would be better characterized as
anarchist/neo-con. Not to excuse the act, merely to say that it is not
the mark of a civil government)
So we need a civil society with strong governments, sufficient to protect its populous and bring about a radical restructure of industry, commerce, agriculture and transportation.
Failure to change, means demise is delayed, not belayed.
Which is why I think we are doomed.
The only hope - see: http://www.credoandscreed.com/2008/09/why-we-are-doomed-pt-2---the-only-hope-is.html