A few weeks ago a picture of a boy was all over the place:
At first I was thinking #mediapropaganda and #newscorporations playing on my emotions. I directed my first attempts towards obtaining reliable source of information. Computer phrase - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_in,_garbage_out - computers operate by logical processes, will unquestioningly process unintended, even nonsensical, input data ("garbage in") and produce undesired, often nonsensical, output ("garbage out")
Human brain is the most powerful computer that we know and I personally adhere to these values - https://genesis.re/wiki#Core_Values - Love, Peace and Respect are on top of the list - I treat them more important than respecting the law (that in some instances is obsolete, while Love, Peace and Respect are above all)
So I was presented with an unprecedented problem. Bombarded by Syria information and having no way of verifying it. And even if I receive a verified information - how do I ensure it presents the larger picture? (not just a view of a wealthy technologist who can afford satellite internet to transmit data)
So here is the root cause
GLOBAL FU**ING WARMING
5 minute comic strip: http://www.upworthy.com/trying-to-follow-what-is-going-on-in-syria-and-why-this-comic-will-get-you-there-in-5-minutes
Lengthy in-depth article: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/12/understanding-syria-from-pre-civil-war-to-post-assad/281989/
If we don't stop it - read more on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_migrant - figure by 2050 might be as high as 250 million
Some of my views are controversial but the way how I see it - if we don't restore balance it will get even worse - it will affect future of planet and it may happen that we reach point of no going back... Where positive feedback loops will kick in:
* white ice cover (that reflects Sun) will melt and transform into ocean (that absorbs heat)
* Siberia will melt and release gases
* speaking of gases - just find some data how much water is required to produce meat - http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/10/how-much-water-food-production-waste - and how much 'gases' are produced in the process
Topic of veganism is completely different story. In fact my moral compass allows me accept responsible use of animal products (don't dwell too much on that). I actually did some research - http://health.stackexchange.com/questions/3660/is-it-healthy-to-eat-meat-of-an-animal-that-died-of-an-old-age - if an animal dies of an old age it might be better for environment to eat it, rather than allow to rot and provide environment for germs. But the animal exploitation on an industrial scale? Not cool. Just to name a few movies exposing the thing:
I highly encourage you to get familiar with work of Daniel Pinchbeck: http://www.pinchbeck.io
I had a privilege of meeting with him on various occasions (in person and online) and I highly appreciate his gift of telling stories.
Breaking Convention: http://www.pinchbeck.io/blog/2015/7/29/psychedelic-initiation-and-the-ecological-mega-crisis-qa-with-russell-brand
Daniel Pinchbeck - Psychedelic Initiation and the Ecological Mega-Crisis from Breaking Convention on Vimeo.
Daniel also announced on his Facebook than a new book is coming: "How Soon Is Now?"
Ecological mega-crisis is an initiation for humanity - much like a shamanic initiation - that will force us, as a species, to reach another level of consciousness, and embody that consciousness in a new social system, as well as a new technical infrastructure.
We must shift our industrial and commercial system away from "planned obsolescence" toward the production of durable and repairable goods. Doing this requires a change in the underlying "game rules" of our financial system.
If we want our civilization to survive - if we want to survive as a species - we will need to reduce meat eating, or eliminate it entirely, and curtail excess travel as well as production of unnecessary goods, reducing our burden on the Earth's natural systems. This is only conceivable through a broad-based, global movement of civil society.
A new social system, a new technical infrastructure
May the the Force be with you.genesis.re - I don't engage in current affairs, matters, politics, economy - starting from the beginning - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_on_the_shoulders_of_giants - connecting experiences, connecting the dots...
It is not cool to mess with the climate
https://www.climategames.net
A polite message to world leaders in #COP21: EXPECT US! #ClimateGames #RedLines #D12 https://t.co/oHgVNM3Cf2
— Climate Games (@Climate_Games) November 13, 2015
(watch the video from the tweet above)