Chapter Ten
This chapter will explain where I think we are headed if we stay on the course politicians and corporations have plotted. I predict DOOM! Kind of kidding but that pretty much sums it up. Let’s look at how this impending doom might unfold.
There is still a slim chance that everything will work out fine as we enjoy decades of peace and prosperity without doing anything different. That optimistic scenario seems to have about a 1% chance with 99 ways things could go horribly wrong. The worst-case scenario brought about by us is probably nuclear war killing millions instantly with a long fallout winter and radiation poisoning slowly killing millions more. Survivors will not fare much better without any of the modern conveniences we have become accustomed to having. Food and clean water will be fought over as supplies quickly dwindle. Chaos and suffering will be the norm. On the bright side, our petty differences of today will no longer be an issue.
The best-case scenario for doom might look like this. We will all be dependent on corporations or politicians for income. A powerful few will control almost every aspect of our lives. We will sell our time and pay endless taxes or obey the welfare masters. We will spend most of the income we are allowed to keep on food, power, and shelter provided by the same politicians and corporations we depend on for paychecks. We will be trapped in a comfortable servitude where we can continue enjoying basic comforts if we just obey our overlords.
Cyber-attacks on our power supply could instantly send us back to the dark ages. The lack of reliable power would be devastating for food production and distribution. Drinking water and sewer treatment will also be affected. Politicians would probably declare Martial Law as anarchy spreads like wildfire when the lights don’t come on. Then there is the matter of what demands those behind the attacks would make to restore power. What if their demands could or should not be met? How long would civilization last without enough food, water, or power? Think of how hard it would be to powerlessly watch your loved ones suffer this fate. Wouldn’t it be wise to have backup plans in place to secure the most basic things we need to survive and avoid predictable doom?
What if we do irreparable damage to our environment that disrupts the intricate balance of nature? Could we alter ocean currents and global jet streams to cause a training effect with one storm after another in some areas and prolonged droughts in other places? Could drastic changes like these disrupt food production or cause oxygen levels to plummet? Would politicians use this crisis to seize more power by limiting our freedom? We have already touched on some of the terrible ideas climate control experts are pushing. We can find solutions that are good for everyone and the environment if we think beyond what those with money and power to gain suggest. Hydrogen is one of those clean energy solutions that deserves much more attention than it gets. Why do you think experts often ignore hydrogen? Maybe because we could locally make our own clean energy and reap the financial rewards?
Climate change is something that stirs emotion one way or another in many of us. Some swear it is the greatest threat to life on Earth while others think it is a scam to make money and scare people into giving up freedoms. Most of us can agree the climate is changing. I am glad we are on the warming side of a little ice age that occurred several centuries ago. Has pollution and deforestation accelerated global warming? They have certainly changed the environment in other ways. Shouldn’t we be wise stewards of our environment and natural resources regardless of the reason? I believe we should preserve the last wild places left even as we responsibly harvest some of their resources, including fuel. We should not abandon traditional fuels before clean, affordable alternatives are readily available.
The idea that politicians and corporations would use climate fears to seize power and make money has considerable merit. We heard about global cooling and warming for decades until it was rebranded as climate change to cover whatever happens next. Nature seems to be doing a good job of changing the climate to maintain a balance that allows life to continue. We should not let fear force us to rush into doing things that could do far more damage in the long run than doing nothing. We need to think about how we can help nature be the best it can be without surrendering our natural freedom in the process. We should be skeptical of anything politicians and corporations claim is necessary to avoid disaster. Don’t forget to ask why and follow the money when things don’t make sense. Always remember that power production can enrich and empower us or those who convince enough of us to let them control things.
We live with the constant threat of a mass extinction event caused by an asteroid or super volcano eruption. Either one could darken skies around the world long enough to decimate crops and livestock along with forests and wildlife. Settling ash and dust would choke rivers and streams draining into oceans that will suffer a similar fate as life on land. There are some efforts to figure out how we can shift the trajectory of earthbound comets and asteroids. This would quickly become a priority if one was spotted coming for us, but it might be too little too late by then. We should also consider options for using the power of volcanos like the one under Yellowstone. Geothermal power production could create almost unlimited electricity while reducing the pressure that could cause a catastrophic eruption we would regret not trying to prevent.
Artificial Intelligence could cause doom in many ways. Let your imagination run with that idea for a minute. Could AI take over almost any online operations we depend on to keep civilization going? Could it interfere with elections, manufacture propaganda, or even launch nukes? How long before androids with superhuman strength and intelligence walk among us? What if they decide to turn on us or are directed to do so?
Another research virus could escape with a much higher mortality rate than the last one. We have seen pandemic fears used to divide us and restrict our freedom. Think about how much worse things would be with a deadlier virus killing half the people exposed. Billions of people could die as civilization collapses. Maybe we should stop making those kinds of viruses?
Hate is a powerful emotion that can bring about doom in many ways. Our own personal doom is the most likely result of hate as it robs us of joy and fills us with anger. Hate has a way of festering and growing until it infects almost every interaction we have with others, including friends and family. Hatred by the masses is like an insatiable fire that will eventually consume everything if left unchecked. Fear and ignorance are the most common catalysts for hate. Love and understanding are the best antidotes. We are born to love and taught to hate. We can avoid personal and collective doom by choosing love.
The most likely cause of our collective doom would come from a variety of sources culminating in a societal decline and downfall of America as we know it. Political divisions could keep getting worse to the point that weak-minded partisan extremists resort to violence. Our ballooning national debt, out-of-control deficit spending, and unrestrained money printing along with high energy prices could keep causing inflation until modern life’s necessities become unaffordable for most people. Misguided regulations on food production could result in shortages that cause hungry people to act out of desperation. Elected and unelected officials could keep cracking down on our freedom until it is illegal to even ask why. Terrorists could cross our open borders in droves and launch a series of vicious attacks across America. These are just a few ways things could get much worse if we keep ignoring clear and present dangers. Reason rather than fear should guide us as we thoughtfully prepare for the worst while searching diligently for practical solutions that can keep doom at bay.
This chapter of doom would not be complete without saying that we will eventually be doomed if the rest of our government is run as poorly as fishery management. The sad truth is that it is probably worse in most cases. The good news is that most individuals working in government want to do a good job for us. We just need to find a way of guiding them in a better direction while gradually reducing the overall size of government through attrition so it has less power that can be abused. Political power should be decentralized and delegated to the most local and individual levels possible.
We need to start thinking about how we can make the best of our situation. A little critical thinking along with good communication and coordination can spell success instead of doom. It is not too late to turn things around if enough of us are willing to try. We can all do our part by being respectful. The Butterfly Effect theory suggests one random act of kindness can ripple across a sea of humanity to spread love around the world. Being nice could be all that is necessary to avoid doom.
There is still a slim chance that everything will work out fine as we enjoy decades of peace and prosperity without doing anything different. That optimistic scenario seems to have about a 1% chance with 99 ways things could go horribly wrong. The worst-case scenario brought about by us is probably nuclear war killing millions instantly with a long fallout winter and radiation poisoning slowly killing millions more. Survivors will not fare much better without any of the modern conveniences we have become accustomed to having. Food and clean water will be fought over as supplies quickly dwindle. Chaos and suffering will be the norm. On the bright side, our petty differences of today will no longer be an issue.
The best-case scenario for doom might look like this. We will all be dependent on corporations or politicians for income. A powerful few will control almost every aspect of our lives. We will sell our time and pay endless taxes or obey the welfare masters. We will spend most of the income we are allowed to keep on food, power, and shelter provided by the same politicians and corporations we depend on for paychecks. We will be trapped in a comfortable servitude where we can continue enjoying basic comforts if we just obey our overlords.
Cyber-attacks on our power supply could instantly send us back to the dark ages. The lack of reliable power would be devastating for food production and distribution. Drinking water and sewer treatment will also be affected. Politicians would probably declare Martial Law as anarchy spreads like wildfire when the lights don’t come on. Then there is the matter of what demands those behind the attacks would make to restore power. What if their demands could or should not be met? How long would civilization last without enough food, water, or power? Think of how hard it would be to powerlessly watch your loved ones suffer this fate. Wouldn’t it be wise to have backup plans in place to secure the most basic things we need to survive and avoid predictable doom?
What if we do irreparable damage to our environment that disrupts the intricate balance of nature? Could we alter ocean currents and global jet streams to cause a training effect with one storm after another in some areas and prolonged droughts in other places? Could drastic changes like these disrupt food production or cause oxygen levels to plummet? Would politicians use this crisis to seize more power by limiting our freedom? We have already touched on some of the terrible ideas climate control experts are pushing. We can find solutions that are good for everyone and the environment if we think beyond what those with money and power to gain suggest. Hydrogen is one of those clean energy solutions that deserves much more attention than it gets. Why do you think experts often ignore hydrogen? Maybe because we could locally make our own clean energy and reap the financial rewards?
Climate change is something that stirs emotion one way or another in many of us. Some swear it is the greatest threat to life on Earth while others think it is a scam to make money and scare people into giving up freedoms. Most of us can agree the climate is changing. I am glad we are on the warming side of a little ice age that occurred several centuries ago. Has pollution and deforestation accelerated global warming? They have certainly changed the environment in other ways. Shouldn’t we be wise stewards of our environment and natural resources regardless of the reason? I believe we should preserve the last wild places left even as we responsibly harvest some of their resources, including fuel. We should not abandon traditional fuels before clean, affordable alternatives are readily available.
The idea that politicians and corporations would use climate fears to seize power and make money has considerable merit. We heard about global cooling and warming for decades until it was rebranded as climate change to cover whatever happens next. Nature seems to be doing a good job of changing the climate to maintain a balance that allows life to continue. We should not let fear force us to rush into doing things that could do far more damage in the long run than doing nothing. We need to think about how we can help nature be the best it can be without surrendering our natural freedom in the process. We should be skeptical of anything politicians and corporations claim is necessary to avoid disaster. Don’t forget to ask why and follow the money when things don’t make sense. Always remember that power production can enrich and empower us or those who convince enough of us to let them control things.
We live with the constant threat of a mass extinction event caused by an asteroid or super volcano eruption. Either one could darken skies around the world long enough to decimate crops and livestock along with forests and wildlife. Settling ash and dust would choke rivers and streams draining into oceans that will suffer a similar fate as life on land. There are some efforts to figure out how we can shift the trajectory of earthbound comets and asteroids. This would quickly become a priority if one was spotted coming for us, but it might be too little too late by then. We should also consider options for using the power of volcanos like the one under Yellowstone. Geothermal power production could create almost unlimited electricity while reducing the pressure that could cause a catastrophic eruption we would regret not trying to prevent.
Artificial Intelligence could cause doom in many ways. Let your imagination run with that idea for a minute. Could AI take over almost any online operations we depend on to keep civilization going? Could it interfere with elections, manufacture propaganda, or even launch nukes? How long before androids with superhuman strength and intelligence walk among us? What if they decide to turn on us or are directed to do so?
Another research virus could escape with a much higher mortality rate than the last one. We have seen pandemic fears used to divide us and restrict our freedom. Think about how much worse things would be with a deadlier virus killing half the people exposed. Billions of people could die as civilization collapses. Maybe we should stop making those kinds of viruses?
Hate is a powerful emotion that can bring about doom in many ways. Our own personal doom is the most likely result of hate as it robs us of joy and fills us with anger. Hate has a way of festering and growing until it infects almost every interaction we have with others, including friends and family. Hatred by the masses is like an insatiable fire that will eventually consume everything if left unchecked. Fear and ignorance are the most common catalysts for hate. Love and understanding are the best antidotes. We are born to love and taught to hate. We can avoid personal and collective doom by choosing love.
The most likely cause of our collective doom would come from a variety of sources culminating in a societal decline and downfall of America as we know it. Political divisions could keep getting worse to the point that weak-minded partisan extremists resort to violence. Our ballooning national debt, out-of-control deficit spending, and unrestrained money printing along with high energy prices could keep causing inflation until modern life’s necessities become unaffordable for most people. Misguided regulations on food production could result in shortages that cause hungry people to act out of desperation. Elected and unelected officials could keep cracking down on our freedom until it is illegal to even ask why. Terrorists could cross our open borders in droves and launch a series of vicious attacks across America. These are just a few ways things could get much worse if we keep ignoring clear and present dangers. Reason rather than fear should guide us as we thoughtfully prepare for the worst while searching diligently for practical solutions that can keep doom at bay.
This chapter of doom would not be complete without saying that we will eventually be doomed if the rest of our government is run as poorly as fishery management. The sad truth is that it is probably worse in most cases. The good news is that most individuals working in government want to do a good job for us. We just need to find a way of guiding them in a better direction while gradually reducing the overall size of government through attrition so it has less power that can be abused. Political power should be decentralized and delegated to the most local and individual levels possible.
We need to start thinking about how we can make the best of our situation. A little critical thinking along with good communication and coordination can spell success instead of doom. It is not too late to turn things around if enough of us are willing to try. We can all do our part by being respectful. The Butterfly Effect theory suggests one random act of kindness can ripple across a sea of humanity to spread love around the world. Being nice could be all that is necessary to avoid doom.