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January 01, 2008
Of doomers and bottle fillers
In Sao Paulo before Christmas someone referred to me as a "doomer." I had not heard the word before, but was told that it describes sad, train-spotter-like people who can't stop talking about peak oil, climate change, the instability of financial markets, the impending food crisis, and what John Michael Greer calls the "catabolic collapse" of industrial civilisation. Now it's true that plenty of people out there are unhealthily thrilled by the prospect of apocalypse. Their number includes, or so we are told, George W Bush. But you don't have to be an End-Days nut to conclude that we are headed for what one might call, to put it mildly, a discontinuity. If you look under the hood, the life-support systems of industrial civilisation are coughing and spluttering alarmingly. Even mainstream politicians, who hate being associated with bad news, are promising rough times ahead. But I reject the label "doomer". The word implies that, faced with these scary prospects, we have to choose either to join a cult, or head for the hills with a truckload of guns and baked beans. As a bottle-half-full kind of guy, I'm headed for a third space - between despair and flight - where a lot of creative and collaborative work needs to be done, much of it involving design. This newsletter - and Doors of Perception projects - will focus on those kind of activities during 2008.
Posted by John Thackara at January 1, 2008 06:32 AM
Comments
Dear fellow, why do you reject the word cult? You have seen that we are indeed DOOMED.
Posted by: eric swan at October 17, 2008 03:29 AM
cma.energy to matt
show details 10:11 PM (0 minutes ago) Reply
Hello
Think we were impressed with a doc, with peter Mac Va. ( sorry not sure of his spelling)
This is my first time being made aware of these people called doomers.
Apparently you all believe there will be an oil crash and much problems.
Well this is possibly very true to some degree. But it would be nice if these parasites who take advantage fell off their high perch.
Anyhow may we make you aware of my website and the research we are doing and being the only person leading in this profound energy field?
Not sure if you would be willing to pass this information on to people who have this concern. As we are very much aware of this problem coming, but we are trying with dedication to solve this problem, And seem to be getting a major road block every where we turn.
We may have a break threw, But need some help. That's why we have recently put up a website. Think you may find it rather different and bold. We speak our opinion which more people should do.
Anyhow here's the web site. And if you find it in your heart to pass this along and to put up a link here's a copy and paste for the term global warming;
Help stop global warming
www.ClimateChangeMagneticEnergy.com
David Chura, research investigator field of constant magnetic acceleration, CMA energy research
Posted by: global warming at April 14, 2009 04:29 AM