An Exchange With a Friend…

From:       wor@slac.stanford.edu
Subject:     Re: Interesting Reading
Date:     December 4, 2007 7:30:37 PM EST
To:       chris@smallisbeautiful.org

Hey Chris,

Feel free to post it on your blog.

Give an extreme lack of data regarding the future, I totally agree with your synopsis.

I think it’s safe to say – We’re pretty sure we’re going to see some significant changes – in the coming decade, but not too sure how bad its going to be.
I can supply some current references.

I believe that given an infinite amount of time, education and the creation of incentive systems, would be enough to change our culture into a more equal and just one.

“Why settle for anything less?”
So essentially its a risk analysis problem – that is really hard to asses.
Firstly – If we actually saw a tornado coming at us it may not be a good time to be working on family dynamics. Not enough data?
Secondly what other options do we personally have? I assume the rich elite have their vast think-tanks with smart people thinking of all these scenarios. . . . data?

I don’t actually think we’re dealing with a black and white Mt. Doom situation here – i.e. As far as our goal is seeing the evolution of diverse, complex, abundant, collectively intelligent life. I don’t actually think the world’s elite want to see any species wiped off the planet. . . ?
I see Humanity as immature and the elite that would and do take advantage of the poor as an emergent phenomena. But a world run by those people still has the possibility of learning, changing, and promoting complex diverse life.

Are we willing to change strategies based on new information?
Lets say we have a decade before economic collapse and massive crop failure. Lets say Lovelock is right and 6 billion will die.
Or what if it will be very gradual … 100 years before seeing change ….etc.

I totally believe in educational and economic solutions toward the world problems – but the doomsday scenario throws a monkey wrench in things. But in the end I personally don’t have another choice right now – other than to put one foot in front of the other and deal with the information I have and look for more.

Best,

-Will

Chris Lindstrom wrote:
Hey Will,

My answer is that there really is no definitive answer out there.  We have to choose which one we are going to fight for.  We may be wrong but thats better than settling on the doomsday scenario, supporting the benevolent elite, and then finding that the doomsday scenario was not as bad as we thought it would be but in the process the benevolent elite morphed into the malevolent elite who have decided to recreate the system (just like frodo’s hesitation to destroy the ring at mt. doom).  I think that in reality, we must fight for the possibility of a ’synergic,’ as Bucky would call it, future.  That’s the win win future.  I think that when and if human beings realize collective, synergetic consciousness, we will be able feed 6 billion people, create a more egalitarian society, and help heal the environment at the same time.  Why settle for anything less?  An elite society that survives the apocalypse at the expense of the poor and the disenfranchised does not deserve to inherit the earth.  That’s my view.
-Chris

On Dec 4, 2007, at 4:07 PM, Will Ruddick wrote:

Hey Chris,

I’ve got no factual information on this – but it was an interesting read.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7529 <http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7529>

I can imagine many many scenarios where a seed vault would be a great idea … I hadn’t thought about what it might mean for corporations trying to profit off GMO foods.

The elitist argument for the future might go something like this – Listening to scientists at NCAR and NOAA in Boulder, we are extremely likely to see massive worldwide drought in  the next eight years. From the economic perspective – this would be also be coupled with failing markets. Perhaps Lovelock is right and we will see 6 billion dead in the next century….. … So those with the most resources should be planning for that future. In the face of impending disaster – redistributing wealth accrossed the billions of people on the planet right now would actually reduce our long term survivability.

I know someone doing a ton of work on making efficient solar greenhouses (hi is trying to build a giant one in downtown in Chicago) I see this along with GMO foods as the technostate solution (small high technology bubbles were Human’s can still live in large groups).

Lets say the 8 year time line is true….
Where does this place the alternative currency movement? At worst it could preemptively take away money from the benevolent elite that are attempting massive conservation efforts.
….. At best it takes money away from the control of the malevolent elite that are focused only on short term profits, ‘creates massive synergy and collective intelligence’, eases the transition.

As usual I don’t have enough information to make a logical decision. . and hence just have to just pick the best direction I can. It’s obvious our debt based currency system is un-sustainable … but it is the relevant lever, given some amount of urgency?

Best,

-Will

Amma Reaches out to Farmers Killed by Debt

Project for Ending Farmer Suicide
Quoted from Amma’s website: www.amma.org

“Tens of thousands of beneficiaries have been recently added. Please read on for more details.

Due to economic pressures leading to irresolvable debt associated with continually failing crops, many farmers have been committing suicide by drinking the very pesticides that no longer work on their crops. Especially in South India, with the growing rise of climate changes and other factors, crop failure has become more and more common causing suicide to spread like an epidemic amongst the suffering farmers. For example, in 2006 in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra alone, there were 1,044 reported suicides – one every eight hours.

In the spring of this year, after discussions on the issue with Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Amma found herself pledging 43 million dollars to address this problem. She admitted later the large dollar amount she had pledged surprised her but in the moment she had felt drawn to offering at least that much to help the situation. As part of the pledge, Amma offered that the MA Math would launch a massive project to provide aid and hope for the future for these struggling farmers.

“The problem cannot be solved through economic packages alone,” Amma told the Maharashtra CM. “What is needed is social and spiritual interventions so that the farmers realize that suicide is not the way out. In fact, it only further aggravates the problem for the families. Feeling immense compassion for their suffering due to their unfortunate circumstances, Amma felt counseling and education could really help them get through to the other side. .Yet another generation should not become slaves of emotional weakness like suicide,” Amma said. “Rather than that, they should understand that they need to develop self confidence. The future generation should have the mental strength to face life’s challenges.”

On 27 September 2007, the Ashram inaugurated two programs responding to this dire situation: Vidyamritam and Amrita SREE. These projects focus aid on the places with highest farmer-suicide rates – Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. These two initial relief projects are aimed at lessening the financial strain placed upon such agricultural families.

Vidyamritam – Educational Scholarships

Through Vidyamritam, the Ashram is providing full scholarships for free education to 100,000 children (ages 10 to 15) of farmers living below the poverty line. Many of the beneficiaries are in fact children who have lost one or both parents to suicide. The children receive a monthly stipend until they finish their education, subject to their performance in their studies.

Since the announcement of the project, thousands of applications have been received and they continue to pour in daily. Because of the huge response, the number of beneficiaries continues to grow.

As an extension of this project, the MA Math is conducting awareness programs to inculcate life skills for personality development.

A newsletter containing articles, stories and discussion forums to further facilitate the intellectual and mental growth is also being received by all the children. Furthermore, special advanced-education camps and symposiums on environmental preservation are being conducted.

Amrita SREE (Self-Reliance Education & Employment)

Through Amrita SREE, the Ashram is providing free vocational training to 5,000 different groups of women from impoverished agricultural families. Though many of these women have now incurred their husband’s debt due to suicide, the MA math has been supporting them in building their own businesses through vocational training in various fields, including tailoring, making snacks for small-scale industries, electrical repair, and making paper products. After completion of their training, the women are given the necessary start-up capital to begin small, home-based businesses.

The use of pesticides and its effect on the life of farmers:

Currently many non-organic, commercial foods are genetically modified. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) present a profound danger to humans as well as the ecosystem. Many species of animals, such as the monarch butterflies are becoming extinct due to the GMOs. For vegetarians, GMOs pose another problem, as they are frequently spliced from animal DNA. It is hypothesized by many experts that the GMO food will eventually even alter human DNA. As GMOs are a recent creation their long term effects are unknown.

In India and other developing nations, western based GMO / pesticide companies are aggressively promoting extremely heavy use of chemicals for farming. This is leading to serious depletion of soil and contamination of the water. Many insects are developing stronger resistance to pesticides and sometimes even huge amounts of chemical are ineffective. For this reason many farmers have little or no yield, year after year. Having gone deeply in debt to these chemical companies, the farmers begin to feel hopeless. Unfortunately, large numbers of Indian farmers are committing suicide by drinking their pesticides. Amma has expressed concern about this issue, and is working to help the farmers and their families. When we choose organic, non-GMO foods, we can also do our part to end this tragic situation.”