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<p>Maybe stoicism is another form of facing reality in which we stop
pretending all is well and going to get better some day. I have
been following many scientists and philosophers as they try to
account for global warming, massive pollution of our precious
water and degradation of our living space and the pending energy
crisis. Some think we are only in a natural cycle of Earth's
processes, Some think we still have time to pull ourselves out the
situation if we only rely on the human way of solving such
situations especially through innovation and our desire to
succeed, and some see an end to everything that our species will
be. <br>
</p>
<p>From my own perspective that has been instructed by a very
special person, William Catton, who authored the book <u>Overshoot</u>,
I understand that humans have been able to create living space
that has far exceeded the Earth's carrying capacity. Fossil fuels
have allowed us to over populate the Earth by at least 5 billion
more beings than can be sustained in the future. Fossil fuels
have also allowed us to use up most of its resources including
arable land and potable water. As a species, we use an estimated
10 planets the size of Earth which is totally unsustainable. Many
scientists believe we have gone beyond several tipping points
especially concerning climate. The atmosphere is gaining massive
gigatons of carbon dioxide and many other green house gasses each
year and that what we have put up there will last for several
centuries. The future temperature will definitely exceed CoP-26
projected 1.5 degrees C and by the end of this century may be 3 or
more degrees higher.<br>
</p>
<p>As we deplete our enormous energy supply that has made our
current life of comfort and free time possible, life will become
very difficult and unpleasant for those of us who are accustomed
to the great American Dream. Our children and grandchildren will
certainly experience life's resources comparable to what was only
available hundreds of years ago and a climate of droughts and
floods and unbelievable strong weather patterns.</p>
<p>Here is where I probably show my stoicism. I have a thought that
has allowed me to say yes to what is occurring. I believe that
one role sentient beings have in this world is to replenish our
biosphere with millennia of lost carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide
which was plentiful millions of years ago and allowed great life
forms to populate this planet. Humans may go extinct but life
will still flourish in our wake. Thus, we give back to our planet
that, which if lost completely, would cause all life to perish on
a frozen world<br>
</p>
<p>Didn't we also have a saying: "Always going through it, never
going under"</p>
<p>Jim Baumbach<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 1/20/2022 6:27 PM, Dharmalingam
Vinasithamby via Dialogue wrote:<br>
</div>
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<div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Dear colleagues,<br>
<br>
<div>
<div>I need help with an idea I’m trying to sort out. If you
have the time and inclination, I would love to hear from
you on the following: <br>
<br>
</div>
<div>Saying Yes to life and Stoicism. Stoicism seems to be
understood as a relationship to life where you keep going
on despite the odds. There is also an inuendo that this
may not be humanly possible and that internal pressures
will eventually cause the person to crash. What I want to
know is, was that the Stoicism that Zeno founded or merely
a degraded understanding? Why did we as an Order cast it
in a negative light? What was our beef with it? Was it a
reaction to the degraded form or were we looking at it in
its original sense?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
regards</div>
<div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Dharma</div>
</div>
<br>
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