Peak Oil to date has been a concept and something very hard to pin down due to the possibility of new resources being discovered. 

No longer. 

According to Chelsea Green and The Oil Drum, concept is now a reality, and now is the time to start living in the real world. 

‘This energy transition can happen gracefully with fore-thought and planning, or, if we continue to consume energy at our current rate, the transition will be brought about faster and meaner than home redecoration by Blackwater.’ 

Of course every ‘environmentalist’ will jump on this immediately as proof that the transition is now an immediate concern and every ‘global warming denier’ (dont you just love these tags) will pull up a million other facts to try and counter the argument as though they were all defending their own children. 

Every sane person should already know that our over reliance on oil is the cause of too many of the real problems we face as a global community and that the transition should already be in full swing even if we had enough of the black stuff to keep a nation of humvees traversing the globe for a thousand generations. 

You can check out the full article here.

Alive – but busy on other projects.

I have a body of work to get out there via this site that scares even me but all in good time. I dont believe things happen when they are supposed to. Not having the time or state of mind to get it done is just painfully annoying but rest assured its in the post.

For now, a thought.

Scale Back. Preserve. And Prosper.

No seriously. Its a pretty valid question.

What if every assistant to every respected climatologist in the world just happened to spill coffee on the bosses computer and mess up the raw data coming out of the atmosphere?

Or what if we are all miscalculating the facts in front of us and projecting Armageddon too early?

What if the ‘global warming swindle’ is just a ploy by the left to further its own end?

What if Jimmy Lovelock has been dabbling in LCD ever since the 1960’s?

What if we are all just being dramatic?

Let’s just imagine for a second that the deniers are 100% right, that global warming will not affect us much as we move into a new millennium, and total earth system collapse is not around the corner.

That still doesn’t make our polluting, destructive, regressive and disrespectful way of life right! For that is what we have.

Just because we are not facing some kind of apocalypse does not mean that we can continue to pollute the atmosphere, destroy eco-systems, dump our rubbish where ever we please and continue to develop a way of life that is harming not only individual species and eco-systems, but the earth system entire.

That’s what annoys me about the contemporary debate. Its come down to whether or not you ‘believe in global warming’ like it is some kind of ideology. The whole thing is getting caught up in colloquial debates between contemporary interest groups. How has it become a Left / Right, Christian / Atheist talking point? How small minded can people really get.

Its like watching passengers on the Titanic fighting over who gets to keep the piano, or who caused the problem, or whether or not she is really going to sink when clearly the boat is filling with salt water from the cold Atlantic, its beginning to tip somewhat, there are clearly not enough life boats to go around, the poor are locked in steerage and Leonardo and Kate have already run to the back of the boat and are hanging on for dear life.

ALARM BELLS ARE RINGING PEOPLE!!

It will be interesting to see how high and moral all of these deniers are when they have to start fighting over life boats.

Just because you are not doing enough damage to kill a person does not mean you can continue to beat the crap out of him.

It really is that simple.

Our actions, our way of life, is wrong! It is disrespectful and it seeks to destroy the reality of how our world actually works.

Our job is to build a way of life that does recognise and respect the earth system.

We all (left /right, black/white/asian, men/women, muslim/christian/atheist/miscellaneous) gain from this process. We all fade away without it.

Look to it!

Check out Climate Challenge, Greenpeace’s newest inter school fundraising / campaigning project.

Arnie puts his muscle behind eco-driving USA.

Eco-geeks guide to personalised wind turbines – one gets to save money, reduce ones carbon footprint and ask oneself ‘what kind of wind turbine defines me as a person?’.

Also on EcoGeek, how to identify corporate greenwashing with a new start up called the Good Guide.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature is looking to broaden our understanding of conservation by asking “How do we devise strategies for society that will allow a peaceful, equitable, fulfilled human future: a humane future for a diverse earth?”

The Club of Pioneers have a great interview with ‘Earth’ (the feature from the makers of ‘Planet Earth’) producer Sophokles Tasioulis.

Bloomberg looks to drastically alter New York’s skyline (in a good way) with the introduction of wind turbines ‘on the city’s bridges and skyscrapers and in its waters as part of a wide-ranging push to develop renewable energy’.

Global Warming and Global War – The Link Between Security, the Economy and the Environment

Something Americans dont seem to be concentrating on enough coming up to the election, $100bn could yield 2 million new jobs.

Something for the USI to take on board? UK students to be tested on their eco-friendliness.

“What’s Your Crazy Green Idea?”

Superstar: A Mobile China Town is so crazy it could actually work. Check out the video below for more.

Believing in the earth is not about assigning yourself to a particular set of cultural rules or historical rituals. It is not about ‘growing into’ or taking on board an existing communal belief system.

It is about whether or not you decide to take on board some basic realities and find fulfilment in the fact that you belong to them and are an important part of them. As with your friends or your family, you then try to celebrate that relationship and live your life in respect of it.

The crucial point about this is that it is far more real to us and to our nature than any belief system we may evolve culturally. It comes from what I will refer to as our ‘natural purpose’.

All living beings have a natural purpose. We all have an inbuilt drive in us. We all have natural tasks we feel we need to complete and roles we feel we need to play. Nature builds these instincts into our collective conscious. We are rewarded with a sense of fulfilment, of physical or mental contentment.

Why does nature do this? For the survival and growth of life itself. For that is what we are – vessels for the continuation of Life itself, evolved over time into our current form through circumstance and the processes of trial and error.

The most basic forms of Life on earth have always have always been driven by this. Likewise with every plant, every fish, every reptile, every bird, every animal and every human. How that affects and drives the ‘vessel’ becomes more and more recognisable to us as we move up the contemporary food chain.

Daffodils open up to the suns energy. Sharks live for the kill. Iguanas bask happily in the morning sun. The Albatross loves to fly. Caribou live for the herd. Humans are consumed by sex. All of these are necessary for the survival and growth of each species, and of Life itself.

Obviously this has a huge impact on evolved human consciousness and culture. We are territorial and communal. We are, by our nature, omnivores. We invest in our offspring. We are affectionate. We are inquisitive and experimental. We have hierarchies, leaders and followers, male and female ‘roles’. All human cultures are built on these natural traits.

And so, when the wildebeest sits content with its herd on the opens plains of the African Savannah, its belly full from grazing, its eyes watching out for its young as they play, we can see how in fulfilling its natural purpose, it has found a sense of peace and purpose. Its brain or its body does not need any more to feel satisfied.

Not so with the human. We are unique (rather than ‘advanced’ or ‘progressive’) as our specific intelligence and abilities add an extra dimension to these evolved traits. We have a need to know; a need to explain; a need to understand. It is a natural trait that aids all living beings in the game of survival, but our intelligence and our abilities allow us to explore and express these in uniquely human ways.

Whether this is a blessing or a curse is open to debate. These are not absolutely necessary for our survival or indeed (when you consider the wildebeest) our personal contentment. Our natural purpose is such that we can find contentment as part of a community, raising our young, living in peace where possible. But our ability to ponder and our need to understand drive us to other things.

Where did we come from? What is our purpose? What created us? How did it all begin? These questions naturally have formed the basis of all belief systems dotted throughout the Human Experience.

You can almost imagine our earliest ancestors pondering such things and attempting to explain them with reference to the world around them as they knew it. Epic tales were weaved. Rituals were performed. Wise people emerged. Institutions were formed. Monuments were erected.

This cultures that it creates is something quite brilliant. Just as with the evolution of the first animals or the first birds, it adds another layer to the grand systems of life.

But our culture and our generation must decide how we will answer these burning questions with reference to the world as we know it. We do not need origin tales to explain the world. Our wise men can answer more clearly the questions of where, what and why. We now know the beautiful reality of our natural purpose, and we can feel content in fulfilling it.

But we will always have that burning need to believe in the idea that we are part of something greater than ourselves; something that we belong to; something that we are an important part of. Something that was here long before us that we lived among and contributed to, and that will live on long after we have returned to the earth.

This could be a football team, a family, a city or a nation. All can and do suffice.

But nothing is more pure, more epic, more relevant or more real than the earth itself. Know that you are a part of the earth. That’s its elements and its systems flow in your veins. That you have a natural purpose, however that may inform your inner self or your daily life. That you belong. That you can be inspired by the earth, its physical landscapes and its living systems.

We can feel everything the wildebeest does; that contentment; that sense of purpose performed – and we can satisfy our need to know without inventing stories – it is real.

Believing in the earth is knowing that we understand and accept the reality of what we are and what we belong to, celebrating it, respecting it, safe in the knowledge that when we die, our bodies will remain as an important part of its grand systems.

This belief system does not necessarily require rituals, institutions, wise men or even a standard mythology. It is both individual and communal all at once. As I said in response to a previous post, ‘Imagine instead what it feels like to sit with a group of friends on the edge of the Grand Canyon at sunset, admiring the greatness in front of you and feeling like you belong. That’s the kind of belief system I am aiming at here.’

What this offers the individual, the human community and human culture I will deal with in the next post on this thread.

Ive always had a desire to make a series of nature programmes. I imagined myself camping out in a little tent in the wilds, reading my latest novel, cameras waiting patiently for a natural scene to play itself out.

The BBC have pretty much cornered the market, but there was always one possible narrative that they never really used. In all nature programmes, humanity is either not present, or is seen as a hindrance to the natural world.

It makes sense of course. But it feeds into this idea that we are by our nature a virus on the planet and separate from the earths systems. The reality is that it is our very nature that makes us an element on this planet like any other. We have the goods to be a hugley positive element, offering unique gifts and talents. The fact that we are currently a hugely negative element on the earth is circumstantial – it is not our basic reality.

What it also does is conditions people into thinking that we are bad. They loose site of what we could be and therefore dont attempt to walk the path that might take them there. They do what humans normally do when faced with unfathomable ideas that they have seemingly no control over – they ignore them and get on with their lives, or they laugh them off.

What this narrative does is create the idea that everything we do is a scar on the natural beauty that we are ‘replacing’. But the simple fact is that every element affects its environment. ‘A butterfly can flap its wings in Peking and in Central Park you get rain instead of sunshine’. Without this fact there would be no earth systems to begin with.

Life requires certain elements for it to evolve and thrive. Our earth, obviously, provides those elements. Over the last 4.5 billion years, life has evolved into and shaped countless landscapes, some more fertile than others. Where the elements are spot on, you get rainforests and coral reefs.

Yet life has shown itself capable of propsering in the most unlikely landscapes imaginable. Places where the elements necessary for life are very scarce indeed. The tundras, the deserts and the oceans deep. These are harsh natural landscapes, where the struggle for survival forces living beings to evolve very unique practices and ways of life. Despite the seemingly barren envrionments, animals and plants still find inspirational ways to survive and more often than not they thrive in their own way.

So the underlying theme this series asks is ‘what landscapes has the human element evolved and what eco systems have evolved into these landscapes?’ What species are thriving because of the unique opportunities provided by these landscapes? What unique practices and ways of life exist.

The narrative simply follows the characters. It never goes of into a tangent about moral issues relating to pollution or natural destruction. And where these issues are addressed, it is in the same way that any nature programme deals with naturally destructive phenomenon such as tornados, landslides or droughts. They merely provide a platform to showcase the everyday struggles in the trials of life. This series is not designed to tell people about the Human Element and its affect on natural systems, but to show them.

This is not a preachy series. People need to work this stuff out for themselves. Hopefully they will begin to see the Human Element as both viable and natural. The natural world will continue to evolve around us and with us. The earths systems are immediate and important to us practically and morally. We value them. We become part of the tale. We loose our State of Separation.

Once we as a people and a race begin to see ourselves as part of the earth, both physically and philosophically, then we can be confident in the involvement of all of us in making the Human Element a positive and unique part of earths grand systems.

Full synopsis here.

THE FINAL ONE PAGER

Logline

Follow our intrepid reporter as he struggles to ‘go green’ while he investigates the contemporary physical and philosophical relationship between Irish people and the earth and attempts to understand how that relationship has evolved over time.

Synopsis

We find ourselves on the eve of a potentially new and exciting industrial revolution. It is a revolution that will require the involvement of every man woman and child on this great living rock of ours for it to become a reality. Without it, we face an unfortunate and unpredictable future. With it, the human race could take its greatest step forward since it walked across the plains of Africa and out into the world all those years ago.

But what are the Irish people doing about it? How much damage has been done? What is the reality of the problem facing us? How did we get to this point? What barriers are standing in the way of us achieving the ideal? In short, how separated are we from the reality around us?

In answering these questions, our reporter intends to show how hard it is for the average person living in contemporary Western society to live in respect of the earth. He will meet those on the front line of this fight to rid the country (and the world) of economic addictions that are by their nature designed to exploit and pollute the earth.

He meets and follows individuals from different backgrounds and ideals whose lives are affected by, and are affecting, the problems we all now face. He hangs out with the old gardeners and the young shoppers, the yummy mummy’s and the down and outs, the champagne environmentalists and the average Joe’s who don’t have the time or the money to give a damn. He lets their voices reveal the heart (and the harsh realities) of the issue.

He sees all the warning signs and the attempts to provide both quick fixes and long term solutions. He accepts how ‘in vogue’ green issues have become among certain sections of our global community. But he questions how much the ordinary people on the street understand the real issues and the problems we face. He searches (in vain?) for a people who have the time or the inclination to do something about them.

He ponders the elements needed to allow for this new industrial revolution, and wonders whether any of them are indeed in place. He asks, ‘what does it mean to live in respect of the earth?’ He worries about how the issue is being used to fuel existing prejudices and power struggles. He tries to understand the views of the new ‘holocaust deniers’. He regrets that our ‘Celtic Tiger’ may not have prepared us enough for the inevitable.

Do we value the earth in any philosophical way? What has led us to this point? How separated are we in Ireland from the earth? And taking into account the global moral and environmental challenges that faces us, are we doing enough to kill our economic addictions.

Do we have what it takes?

Slight change of tac here but its all good.

This project started as a way for me to go out with my camera independently and record the reality of our current relationship with the earth and to ask ‘how did we get here?’ and ‘how do we get out of here?’

I called this little project ‘State of Separation OR Why our generation will never get to show any real respect for the earth’.  But then I thought – how cool would it be to follow somebody (a couple) as they investigated this world and explore completely different ways of thinking and living. I called it Building Babylon after another not dissimilar TV series I pitched a few years back. I’ve been playing with this for a while but its just a monster for me now logistically.

So now its back to the original but I am bringing alot of the elements developed for Building Babylon – we’ll call it ‘State of Separation 2.0′. Here’s the logline:

Follow our intrepid reporter as he struggles to ‘go green’ while investigating the contemporary physical and philosophical relationship between Irish people and the earth, and attempts to understand how that relationship has evolved over time.

Its a structure into which I can pile every arguement I have ever had about humanity and the earth.

ALOT more to follow.

I like this one because it shows how you can structure an interesting idea in such a way that it fits into many different formats. The shows are really intended to be a call to action, so the Theme Night I wanted to act as a sort of ‘People in Need’ or ‘Comic Relief’ event.

Theme Night:

A studio based themed night of interviews and features designed to create debate and inform the public on the future of energy policy in Ireland, and the world. Read On.

TV Series:

A presenter led documentary series on the history and future of one of the most pressing issues facing Ireland and the world – energy policy. Read On.

Synopsis

Follow our pioneering couple as they attempt to build a unique urban way of life for themselves, one that shows respect for the earth and humanity, both physically and philosophically, all from their small flat in Dublin City.

Breakdown

- 12 Episodes of 10 minutes each

- Main Goals

= to chart the difficulties of living sustain ably in contemporary Irish urban (and suburban) society.

= to show how separated we are in our daily lives from the earth.

= to ‘road test’ alternative ways of life that explore more of humanity’s (and the individual’s) potential.

= to chart the evolution of our current relationship with the earth in contemporary society.

= to investigate the ‘green scene’ in Ireland today.

- The Narrative

= Following our heroes on a day by day basis as they set out a programme to green their lifestyles, network online and update their blog, visit other green living people around the country, interview and take advice from the pioneers of the green scene.

= Short (animated?) vignettes (less than 10 in all) dotted throughout the narrative, relevant to the journey of our couple (narrated by our heroes OR a voice of gravitas), showcasing different relationships with the earth dotted throughout the Human Experience.

= Mini historical docs (less then 5 in all), using archival images and footage, outlining the evolution of our contemporary relationship with the earth in a through line from antiquity to modern times. Again, these will be narrated by our heroes and will be relevant to their journey at that point.

- Our Heroes

We want to show how separated we are in contemporary society from the earth, both physically and philosophically.

SO

= Our heroes are not traditional environmentalists, do not ‘live green’ at the outset and are not involved in any way in the green movement.

= Preferably they live lives that conform with the norms of contemporary Dublin – she works in a bank in town, he’s a builder, they have a car and mortgage, they have their nights out in town, they delve into the cultural scene in the city, and on and on.

= We want to show that these people are living good, healthy, socially responsible lives within the political, social and economic systems around them. They aren’t hurting anyone, they live interesting lives to begin with, they are somewhat settled and content.

HOWEVER

= As these systems evolved over time in a way that is unsustainable and disrespectful to the earth, there is a cost to their way of living, regardless of the fact that they were merely borne into it and are making the most of it.

= This point is the key, as it is the motivation for our couple to affect change in their own small world and then in the world around them.

= CRUCIALLY – our heroes must believe in this and must be able to express their opinions on it, as their drive to affect change will guide the audience through the piece. They must be our conscience, motivated by their own beliefs, and desire to affect change.

= CRUCIALLY PT 2 – they are not fancy south siders with enough time and money on their hands to shop in Donnybrook Fair and pay for courses in green living in the cultivate centre. They are average Joe’s, making real sacrifices because they believe in what they are doing and want to inspire others.

- Structure

As the piece charts, for the most part real time events, an exact episode by episode breakdown at this stage will not reflect the end result. But we can lay out an overall structure with events we hope to record along the way. We can also decide on the themes of the vignettes and short docs and predict where they will pop up.

We begin obviously with a ‘Meet Our Heroes’ episode. We follow their daily life as is. We learn about what is motivating them to go on this journey. We juxtapose their normal healthy way of life with the very real damage this is doing to the earth everyday.

Thereafter, I hope the piece will be divided thematically in 2:

1 – Experimentation and Investigation

= They investigate their own footprint

- what harm are they and other doing to their immediate environment?

= They research various programmes

- online programmes

- visit Dublin based organisations for advice

- they debate with friends.

= They start a blog

- network online with other green living bloggers

- get involved with online debate over global warming / climate change

- they become acquainted with those on the front line

= They set about losing their addiction to that which harms the earth.

- Energy Use

- Water-saving

- Waste

- Transport

- Buying ethical goods and services

= They set about actually building a green way of life for themselves.

- They grow their own veggies

- They join the arts and crafts scene

- He/She presents mini ‘how to’ vignettes on green living.

= They take time out in the countryside, the coast and the parks to really gain an appreciation for the earth and their place in it.

- visiting examples sustainable living

= He/She narrates mini vignettes on various historical relationships with the earth that have existed over time – its like they are reading from a book over animated vignettes.

= They begin road testing various belief systems and alternative ways of living and thinking.

- Aromatherapy / Reflexology / Crystal Healing

- Meditation / Eastern Philosophies

2 – Coming of Age.

By now they have realised this process is not just about denial. It is about living an ideal. It is about being involved in something that you believe in. It is about building a way of life that sees humanity as a positive element on earth. It is about taking a stand in the fight to remove the guilt of years of human destruction worldwide. It is about celebrating humanity and the potential of the individual.

= They involve themselves in the contemporary fight to green the city, and campaign on the front line.

= Their vignettes become more impassioned

- They outline the evolution of our contemporary destructive relationship with the earth

- They showcase contemporary and historical atrocities.

= They wander through the great cultural under-belly of Ireland’s capital city, asking how this might evolve into something that respects and celebrates the earth.

= They look for ways to inspire others.