[-empyre-] Wired sustainability and Ambient Media

[John Hopkins]

Hallo John

>On the other hand, another way of looking at it would be that only 
>the Internet and the broad-based social connections it engenders can 
>possibly raise consciousness widely and quickly enough to bring 
>about significant change in a meaningful time frame.

using available tools of course makes sense, but it may also mean 
that eventually those tools must be relinquished because of their 
energy cost -- the greater the level of complexity in those systems, 
the greater the length of the 'delivery' pathways (from extractive 
industries to your desk), the greater the energy wastage (forget the 
"economies of scale" 'cause we aren't talking abstracted economy, I'm 
talking energy usage).  More complex systems need more energy to 
maintain their structure.  SImple thermodynamics...  This is how and 
why it is that the developed world consumes more energy.

>Frankly I think this is our only hope for survival in the 
>medium-term. Certainly if we look back through human history there 
>is little indication that earlier societies were remarkably 
>unsuccessful at finding

stripping the double negative (there is indication that earlier 
societies were remarkably successful) -- is that what you meant?

>solutions to sustainability emergencies such as the one we now face, 
>only an advance to a higher level of connectivity and 'societal 
>consciousness' can help us now in my opinion.

why is there an automatic connection between levels of societal 
consciousness and levels of technological development?  I don't think 
this has been proven?

>We need to make use of the technologies we have to build a better future.
>
>What would you propose as an alternative?
>
>Planet Earth has already far exceeded its natural carrying capacity 
>were it not for our high usage of fossil fuels and other 
>non-renewable energy sources for transportation, agriculture, 
>fertilizer, industry, etc.

Fractions of the species are simply taking advantage of localized 
concentrations of energy -- this is completely 'natural.'  How will 
technology allow us to go against that natural system?

>I completely agree that continuation of the status quo will lead to 
>disaster, however going back to

the status quo is defined by the level of technologically sustained 
over-consumption of energy by a few in the stead of the many. 
changing technological platforms will not change this condition. 
Using less energy will have a greater affect than any (by nature 
localized) technological 'solution.'

>earlier technologies or ways of doing things is not an answer, that 
>can only lead to starvation on a mass scale (although that may be 
>inevitable in any case).

With a background in the extractive energy sector (both hydrocarbon 
and 'renewables') I do not believe in (a) technological 'silver 
bullet(s)' which will gloriously solve our problems of not having 
enough energy (read: over-consumption).

Pragmatically, on macro scales, it could well be that the cycle we 
are moving through on the planet is something that it is beyond our 
apparent (not theoretical) control -- like war -- and that it will 
simply have to play itself out despite or in spite of vain (social) 
human attempts to 'control' that characteristic of nature.

On a personal and psycho-spiritual level, I approach the issue in a 
number of ways. (this I will answer later, I have to get back to my 
own writing ;-))  A quick answer: use less energy, it's a sliding 
scale, use less energy...

(although I have some misgivings, I include the following link to a 
longish speculative essay in final DRAFT stage which goes into some 
detail about the problem of the techno-social system, it is one 
chapter in a book that I am presently working on.  This chapter, "The 
Regime of Amplification: A Primer" is a bit dark, but other chapters 
will deal with the proactive and positive response in great detail. 
I put it out there for your consideration (please, not for 
circulation or quotation): 
http://www.tech-no-mad.net/energy_of_being/8-regime_of_amplification.html 
)

Cheers,
JOhn