Peter Turchin and Friends

[K-Dog]

 I enjoyed listening to this.  When the conversation turned to the game of musical chairs and 'elites' I was hooked. 

* This thread is named Peter Turchin and Friends because Peter will be sharing this thread with Nate Hagens and others.

The problem I have with study of collapse as an academic science is that the study depends on a steady supply of oil.

When I first encountered Peter  History as Science Empires rise and fall, populations and economies boom and bust, world religions spread or wither...  (see the website) I was turned off.

I imagined Peter was a snoot with a broomstick up his ass.  I confess I was wrong.

Peter is a good guy.

[K-Dog]

 
Nate Hagens, recorded April 14th, released today.  A deep dive into climate models.  RCP models explained. 

The guest poses as a reasonable person but he appears to me to be a prophet of the dark side.    My issue is that at the end of the day Roger Pielke is a cornicopian.  The world runs out of stuff, but an expert politial scientist seems not to notice.

Dude, Norway goes green because they EXPORT gas and oil.  Norway is at the top of the Rentier Global economy. 

I don't expect Norwegians to agree. 

But this article published a year ago.  Norway 2021 Exports Hit Record With 77% Jump, Led by Gas and Oil.  I read it so you don't have to.

* Nate is going to catch shit for this interview.  Recorded in April, no doubt Nate waited until now to publish it for that reason.

[K-Dog]

Nate Hagen's superorganism message and more.  Physics, sociology, psychology and a lot of face time from some people who have the good fortune to have a lot of time to think in our society.  They got together to put out a relevant and important message.  The people in the video think pretty hard, and some get up early in the morning to do it.

My criticism is not of them, but a significantly larger pile of money than average for a doom documentary got behind this doomflick.  The talking heads are accomplished.  All make more than minimum wage.  As a result of the money, the video is quality infotainment intended for the curious.  It is not revolutionary, the talking heads are affluent.  They sit in the catbird seat.  At 1:05:57 Nate, I  have to say it this way, takes a public dump.  I can forgive him.  Money is a powerful drug.

An affluent lightweight doomer message is often 'change the way we do things, but do not change what we do'.  That is not good enough for me.  Only a fundamental change in living arrangements will get humanity through the depletion crisis.  Re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic won't do it for me.  Climate change is only part of a larger story of depletion.  The depletion of the environment.

Halfway in we get into Peak Oil 101 starting with what energy is.  Twenty minutes in UGO first appears.  Later UGO explains what energy returned on energy invested is.  Several people appear who Diners are familiar with.  It is a good video, but since I want radical change I have a hard time 'relearning' this material without advocating for something be done.  I am not content to just watch the show.

Carbon Fee and Dividend should be adopted immediately.  I want to get paid for not driving.  Don't you?

* I wrote all this while I watched the video.  I stop write, look things up and revise.  I was just about to google the director at the end.  Susan Kucera, then name of the producer came up and the mystery of the money behind this video's thoughtful but somewhat tame message was solved.

Watch the video to find out who.  Here is a hint.

I'll let this short clip sum up my review.