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Collapse - How societies choose to fail or succeed by Jarod Diamond - book and lecture
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4271982381147720351&q=Jared+Diam...
This book is an absolute masterpeice. Dr. Diamond's recipe for societal collapse is as follows...
1. Environmental Damage
2. Climate Change - natural and human caused
3. Hostile Neighbors
4. Decreased trade from friendly neighbors
5. A societies response to its problems
Lots of good points and examples given in this lecture. The end result is that the US (all of the modern world) is in some serious trouble. Watch this and lets discuss.
upnorthkyosa
ps - one of the more interesting points he makes regards the elite. He shows how societies, that insulate their elite from the problems they cause, are more likely to collapse. This begs the question as to just how long an "elite" class can actually exist on this planet.
...Awaken Your Spinal Fire...
Here is another, shorter
Here is another, shorter lecture, on the same topic. Very nice!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3641551737596451012&q=Jared+Diam...
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
These links have been ganked
These links have been ganked by Google
perhaps buy the dvd with your science budget and I can watch it ;)
"If Fascism ever comes to the United States it will be in the guise of Americanism"
Huey Long
Damn! Those were so good!
Damn! Those were so good! Diamond is a wonderful speaker and he really has some good points. I really appreciate his scientific approach to this problem. I like how he asks the questions, brings out the historical analogues, and draws his conclusions. Oh well. Later tonight I'll see if I can find anything to replace them with.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Weird. Here are the vids.
Weird. Here are the vids. I put them in order based on the posts above.
1. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4271982381147720351&q=Jared+Diam...
2. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3641551737596451012&q=Jared+Diam...
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Right around 40.00 min the
Right around 40.00 min the points regarding the elite and insulation are made. The whole video is excellent though. I recommend the entire thing.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Gone again No go
Gone again
No go
Collapse
I found another source and watched it. I think I may read that book as it seems as if many of the issues he raises are germane to our modern problems. I find it interesting that This Diamond is a lot like Carl Sagan in his ability to reach the common non-academic reader. What is his area of specialty? How well received is he in serious scientific circles? What is this issue with salt that he was talking about?
Jared Diamond is a
Jared Diamond is a geographic biologist who is well learned in many feilds. He has many books on a variety of subjects and I really enjoy his works. I particularly like the book he wrote about humans and sexuality. Anyway, the one thing that stands out for me is that he writes with our currect scientific framework at the forefront and he works to take the reader through a number of issues from that perspective.
I disagree that his writings are as accessible as Carl Sagan's however. Dr. Diamonds writing is more technical to a degree and he uses a more advanced vocabulary. His books are pointed at reaching a learned crowd and I think that people take him more seriously because of this. His most controversial book, so far, has been Collapse. This is because he really takes alot of institutions to task that really needed to be taken to task and his arguments are very sound.
Now, regarding salt. The way we do agriculture in this country is very damaging to soils. In the C horizon of many soils in many environments, salt builds up when water is allowed to naturally percolate. This happens because the capillary action between the sand grains provides just enough pressure due to adhesion in order to cause the salt to precipitate. If water is added to the system and allowed to evaporate quickly, as it is when crops are irrigated for industrial agriculture, then this process is reversed. This problem is exacerbated when crops are grown on farmland that is unsuitable for them. For example, corn is a very "wet" crop, so when you grow it in the desert, you really create a mess.
The bottom line is that some soils that are being farmed in areas of California, Arizona, and New Mexico are going to become completely lifeless...aka the Roman Rape of Carthage style. Soils in the midwest will experience this too, however, it will take longer, taking the form of a gradual decline in productivity.
Organic Farming anyone?
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Fertilizer
I heard or read that there was also something with a Monsanto or DOW GMO fertilizer that renders the soil useless unless you use that fertilizer. I have read that this is being given away as part of aid packages to the third world thus "addicting" them on this miracle grow fertilizer. They either get the product or they don't grow crops. Do you happen to know anything about this?
"If Fascism ever comes to the United States it will be in the guise of Americanism"
Huey Long
I'm not sure, I could look
I'm not sure, I could look into it... My guess is that the fertilizers are making marginal soils useful and that without this chemical, they return to being marginal.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."