[Dialogue] [Oe List ...] WHAT IS THE RIGHT QUESTION THESE DAYS?

[George Holcombe]

Hey Epps, when I used that illustration about the guy in the well,  it was a honeycomb with a crocodile at the bottom. LOL

Anyway, I like Wiegel's quote: "One cannot live in the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning; for what was great in the morning will be of little importance in the evening, and what in the morning was true will at evening have become a lie."  Also Parker's reminder of our reliance on Fossil Fuel and Karen's illustration of what's getting done in Chicago as well as everyone else's contribution to this conversation.  I think it's on target.

I keep intending to respond, but things keep happening.  Austin is getting ready to drill down to salt water beneath the area and install desalination plants to supply water to the city because our lakes and other supplies are at about 47% and the city is growing by leaps and bounds.  The city voted back several years ago not to add any more Fossil Fuel generation plants for electricity.  The plan to install solar on roofs has stalled because of finances.  All these costs to consumers are going to jump.  What we used to call "Truck Farms" and Farmer's markets are flourishing, you see a lot grassless landscapes in homes.

ABC TV Evening news yesterday put up an item on Global Warming caused by Fossil Fuel.  A First, as far as I know, for the major media.  Diane handed it off to the morning weatherman to do the piece. 

The Question may be - How do people learn to live in and off of a planet that has gone hot, which implies both the practics of health, sociality, economics and political life.  James Hansen, the climatologist testified in 2008 to the congress that the tipping point was at hand, and other climatologist seem to believe that point is passed.  The extreme weather of the past two years and the recent weather seem to suggest that.  Other experts are wondering how we'll feed a growing population off of less fertile land with more insecticide resistant insects, etc., especially with the growing suspicion that modified seeds and other "scientific" agricultural methods are not panning out all that well.  Now that the corn crop, and I suspect the soy crop in the U.S. has failed and the projection for big increases in the costs of manufactured foods are before us, this may make for more difficulties in the food supply than we've ever known before.  This is going to be especially devastating to the poor and "food insecure" who have depended on cheap food that rely on corn products.  In Austin nearly 50% of our children are considered "Food Insecure." Organics cost will probably jump too because of the demand.  The U.S.'s dependence on fresh fruits and vegetables from other countries may also be experiencing some difficulties as they suffer from climate change.  I say all this to add to our consideration that the situation is not the problem.  I think that's true as long as we know the situation.  My experience tells me that in general we are in denial and are becoming less and less prepared for the future.  The climatologist that I've read, Herman Greene would probably be better to comment here, suggest that the changes will be sudden and dramatic, without much chance to repair or correct.  So when we facilitate, how do we enable a genuine outcome?  How do we prepare to live in such a world?  What would that look like?

I also believe Early's correct about Blessed Unrest, etc.  When we first went to the 3rd World in the 60's there were few if any groups in the villages, when we moved back to the U.S. in 2000 we couldn't find one that didn't have a number of NGO's sometimes competing against each other.  The Corporations and the political structures connected to them maintain their power as well as our dependence upon this system.  If Climate Change damages this as it is projected to do, how does that impact our facilitation?  How do we prepare for that?

George Holcombe
14900 Yellowleaf Tr.
Austin, TX 78728
Mobile 512/252-2756
geowanda at earthlink.net

Hope appeareth, but it is not your Hope—you do not have anything to do with it. It just appeareth. It comes as a stranger, as an alien—it just appeareth! You do not even know why you hope. How in the world could you hope when there is absolutely nothing to justify any hope?    ~Joseph W. Mathews




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