tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4136626590097801169.post7255774708406973983..comments2024-01-10T11:19:56.456-08:00Comments on What Is Sustainable: Northern AntiquitiesWhat Is Sustainablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227382786082159733noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4136626590097801169.post-80862590883656118952017-12-10T14:58:53.240-08:002017-12-10T14:58:53.240-08:00Hi Anonymous. I agree that civilizations have nev...Hi Anonymous. I agree that civilizations have never been sustainable. Yes, hunting and gathering usually resulted in much lower impacts, but not always (megafauna extinctions). All I can see looking forward is turbulence and change. Mallet’s line describes the core challenge, “The weak had no right to what they could not defend.” Almost no hunter-gatherers remain today, because they were weaker than those who conquered them — and this is a consistent pattern throughout history. <br /><br />I read a bunch of lengthy reviews of the denial book. I’m not a philosopher or psychologist, and I suck at abstract thinking. I got the impression that the authors — both scientists — consider themselves to be rational, and they struggle to comprehend why humankind tends to behave in remarkably irrational ways, resulting in fabulous destruction. They conclude that “denial” is our fatal flaw. <br /><br />Humans are so intelligent that we can plan for the future! Except that the world is dying in front of our eyes because our power of foresight is so defective. The book I’m working on now looks at humans as animals. Virtually every other animal species has been on Earth for millions of years, without leaving irreparable scars. What could be more intelligent? All others continue to live as evolution prepared them to live. None screwed around with controlling fire or self-driving cars. None made chipped stone tools to use as artificial fangs and claws.<br /><br />Cultural evolution enabled powers we should never have had. It accelerated our species beyond the speed limits of our brains. We’ve created a world that is so complex that nobody really understands it. The authors call this “denial.” Maybe “overload” is more accurate. Chimps and bonobos are our closest living relatives, and they demonstrate how to live sustainably for millions of years. This notion makes modern folks scramble for their cell phones, or any other distraction. We live in interesting times!<br />What Is Sustainablehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10227382786082159733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4136626590097801169.post-67107799386860012052017-12-09T02:30:31.038-08:002017-12-09T02:30:31.038-08:00I recently stumbled across Bower and Varki's b...I recently stumbled across Bower and Varki's book and theory on denial<br /><br />https://un-denial.com/denial-2/book/<br /><br />It has completely changed the way I view human behaviour. It may be worth a review as it fits into the theme of this blog in a round about sort of way. <br /><br />I believe that ultimately the only way of life that is sustainable is hunting and gathering. There is no such thing as a sustainable civilisation and eventually at some indeterminate point in time all of humanity will once again live in the stone age. If course that its an uncomfortable truth so most will deny it to the grave.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com