tag > Gaia
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"In my world, Nature is with me and she is listening" - Davi Yanomami
A shaman of the Yanomami indigenous people of Brazil
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Jack Clark Tweets: If AI is a new industrial revolution shouldn't we be... incredibly concerned? The industrial revolution was a time of great chaos and misery for millions of people, and it occurred during a period with less extreme weather and a less connected world.
My reply: Isn't the "AI is a new Industrial revolution" metaphor extremely backwards in times of climate change and mass species extinction? .I invite you to join the turnkey debate of our day: A mature, honest and intellectually cunning discussion of the planetary politics of Gaia.
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When I say "In the next 20y we will witness a global transformation from geo-politics to eco-politics, from consumerism to well-being, from meat to vegan, from growth economics to sustainable eco-nomics" - people laugh. They laughed about the internet & mobile 20y ago as well.
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Reflections on Plastic and the news that the "EU Commission plans ban on plastic waste":
http://www.dw.com/en/eu-commission-plans-ban-on-plastic-waste/a-43949554
"If we continue as we are now, by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. Already now we are fishing more plastic waste than fish. There is really an urgent need for profound change" - Frans @TimmermansEU - Vice-President of the EU Commission
Today, the EU has officially acknowledged that plastic waste is a global environmental catastrophe of epic proportions. Why? To grasp the full extent of the plastic problem is hard, but here some facts: "More than 8m tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year"
Beyond any singular facts on why plastic is bad, this perhaps is the most shocking: "The Great Pacific garbage patch" is a massive island of plastic, floating between California & Hawai. It is now 3 times the size of France and growing rapidly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_garbage_patch
The EU Commission proposed new EU-wide rules this Monday, aimed at reducing plastic pollution in cities & oceans by banning several plastic products. They are the first major economic zone to signal a move towards "innovative alternatives" which "could create new jobs". Sane!
While the EU plastic regulations are ambitious in the global context - critics rightfully are saying much strong action is required to prevent a *total collapse* of global marine life & connect food chains. A scenario scientists see as increasingly likely:
https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2017/02/ocean-fish-stocks-on-verge-collapse-irin-report/
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"Xi Jinping calls for China to become world leader in science, technology": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unqPqFJyb2o "Do not let scientists be bound by red tape": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i61bCm-Em2c
#Prediction: China will replace its drive for technocratic leadership, with eco-leadership in the next 10y.
The second largest economy in the world calling for total deregulation of science & technology in times of climate change. What could possibly go wrong?
@vakibs asks: Are you really that hopeful? They are cutting edge in how to abuse face recognition. A part of me hopes for China to realize its Daoist heritage. But I am really not convinced by the current leadership. It will most likely push for mass surveillance and not ecological health.
My answer: I am very much this hopeful, for hope is powerful https://samim.io/p/2018-02-27-excerpts-from-the-revolution-of-ho/ I do not say such things out of blind/dumb idealism or self-deception - but realistically see our path going from geo-politics to eco-politics, as a matter of naked survival. It won't be utopia, more Gaia. While I don't fully agree with the visions & conclusions of thinkers like Latour or Rifkin, they are at least soberly and cunningly discussing the coming politics of Gaia. The notion is right and we ought to do the same: https://samim.io/p/2018-05-21-on-not-joining-the-dots-excellent-talk-by-bruno-lat/
@prepaid_africa responds: Plus, ironically, comparative and competitive advantage. I once wrote a whole article tracing how the EU regs were forcing sustainable & eco friendly changes in industry sectors
My answer: exactly, a "competitive advantage" - a notion which itself is being eclipsed by more complex and dynamic model (see Actor–network theory etc). Plus it is time to say this clearly: The fairies, ents and river spirits are waking up & demanding from us to dance to a different beat.
