The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement

The title says it all.  One of my professors brought this to my attention in class today.  The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement is a peaceful movement based on the idea that the Earth would be a better place without people. For the full info, visit their website.

It is definitely a fact that the human race is growing, and it’s a fact that resources are finite.  Logically, it is only a matter of time before we burn ourselves out.  Government control over reproduction isn’t a good thing, and neither is genocide, and VHEMT wants to solve the problem peacefully and morally.  It seems as if not having children is in fact the right thing to do.

It should also be noted that we don’t have to go as far as a human extinction.  We could slow down reproduction until we have a much smaller population.  With a smaller population, problems like energy, pollution, and food shortages would become things of the past. With the “green” movement in full swing, people should realize that the “greenest” thing you could ever do is to cut down on children.  Of course, this is a huge sacrifice, which is why it must be presented as a choice.  The only way the human race ever truly changes is when it is done willingly.

Ambiguity?

Ambiguity can be a very scary word.  We as humans like to have the world organized, we like to know black from white, good from bad, and kind from cruel.  We often need to know this so badly that we over simplify things.  It’s simply easier to ignore this and run off gut feelings than it is to face the truth- that we are uncertain.

I just got back from watching The Dark Knight again, and beyond the phenomenal acting, action sequences, and directing (yes, I really did like it that much!) there are some more subtle things that attracted me to it.

Though the Joker is the villain, I find myself strangely drawn to him.  In many ways, he is completely insane.  In many others, he is the most sane character in the film.  He acknowledges a lot of the human faults we tend to ignore. Namely, that fear of ambiguity.  He points out that humans only panic when they really think control is lost, which seems very true.  He also understands the psychology of everyone he meets to an amazing extent.  This is in addition to the fact that:

1. He holds values, thought, and ideals above that of material things.

2. He is willing to fight towards those ends no matter what the cost.

3. He’s literally a genius. (those plans wou;dn’t be so perfect otherwise)

Those are all very admiral qualities in my books.  But he is undoubtably an evil character.  This brings me back to my point (which also happens to be The Joker’s point: Analyze things.  Very few things are black and white issues. And most of all, learn to be happy with some uncertainty.

Questions?

Comments?

China stepping up to the Ecological plate?

I’ve heard a lot of people speak out against that above comment, and even though I don’t have ALL the information to make an assessment, things point that way day after day.  It should be noted that we STILL have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol (an agreement signed by countries in the United Nations to cut down on Greenhouse gases and other air pollution) and have no intention of doing so.  It should also be noted that 179 countries have signed AND ratified the protocol, meaning they have signed it, acknowledged it, and have begun to act accordingly.

I’m not sure why the US signed the protocol with no intention of actually doing anything about it, but in my book, that puts us in the same place as the 15 countries who aren’t signed- though, admittedly, some of them weren’t asked.  Even though this is the case, doesn’t America consider itself a great world leader? How can we be if these are the kinds of examples we’re giving? It looks like even China is stepping up to the plate in a few ways.

The Australian company Solar Sailor recently signed an agreement with COSCO, China’s largest shipping line, to outfit all their ships with solar powered sails. A picture speaks a thousand words-

No matter what country is participating, this is an inspiring vision of the future.  These sails harness wind energy, just like our buddy Columbus did, but also draw in solar electricity to power parts of the ship.  Supposedly, this will cut fuel consumption by 20%-30%.  Maybe COSCO will pave the way for massive corporations and give alternative energy and new technologies a chance.

via www.ecogeek.org

The Election

So Obama has pretty much won the election. It hasn’t Been decided, but I’m personally glad.

The one thing that irks me is that there are so many people claiming that this means the end of America.  Now, if McCain had won, I wouldn’t be happy, but America would still be America. I would like to see a nice, logical, thought out response to what makes Obama so terrible.  Different opinions are fine- they’re the foundation of the democratic process, I’m just trying to understand this.

That’s all for this post.  I didn’t necessarily want to get into the election on this blog, but with this grand finale it only seems appropriate.  Looking forward to your responses!

It’s Official!

I’ve decided to start a blog.  It may take the form of anything from a database of random, interesting information, to a miniature public forum.   In any case, it’s here to make people think.

The name of the blog “When the Levee Broke” comes from a song by Led Zeppelin (When the Levee Breaks).  It’s a great listen to anyone who hasn’t heard it.  The name has a bit of a post-apocalyptic ring to it, which is a subject in art and film that’s always intrigued me.  People tend to keep their lives going as if things won’t change, but we as a human race are definitely NOT permanent.  Of course, that’s no reason to be negative!

Anyway, it seems like Vincent Callebaut from Belgium has the right idea.  He’s designed theoretical “lily pad” cities that can carry huge numbers of people and even produce their own energy-

Credit to MailOnline for that one.

It’s good to know that when the levee breaks, at least some of us will be ready.