3paul_k

3paul_k , 1 day ago to random

Hi from Dolly this #caturday

breadandcircuses , 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

I’m back.

I actually arrived home more than 24 hours ago, but was so exhausted from traveling (and so sleep-deprived) that I wasn’t prepared to post anything yet on Mastodon. Anyway, I caught up on my rest, took care of a mountain of laundry (after wearing the same clothes multiple times on the trip), went shopping to replenish the pantry and refrigerator, and now I’m ready to say a few words…

My journey was to Mexico, specifically to Mazatlán, in order to witness the recent total solar eclipse. I’d never seen one before in my life and figured this might be my last chance. I also chose to take a train trip through Mexico’s extraordinary las Barrancas del Cobre — aka Copper Canyon — with multiple overnight stops and hikes along the way.

Although I’ll admit to feeling some guilt about commercial air travel, given the obvious conflict with my passionate stance in favor of the climate and environment, I consoled myself with the knowledge that this was only the second time in six years I have flown anywhere. And while I was in Mexico, I deliberately took buses or trains whenever possible, avoiding extra flights.

Anyway, it was a wonderful trip.

The eclipse itself was nearly indescribable, since it is like nothing evolution has prepared us to see. I mean, the experience is completely outside the range of normal human expectations. To look up at the sky in midday and see the sun obliterated, blacked out by a disc in front of it… stunning. Shocking. Breathtaking. Spectacular. Unforgettable.

And Copper Canyon is also a wonder, a marvel. Of course in good conscience I can’t recommend leisure travel, but if you ever have legitimate reasons to be in Mexico and can fit that in as a side tour, it’s absolutely worth the time and the cost.

I’ll have much more to say on my usual topics over the next few days and weeks. Still catching up on everything that’s been going on in the world after being mostly out of touch for the last little while. That was quite a refreshing change, I must say. Soon, though, it’s back to work!

lovelylovely , 2 months ago to random

Fuck Trump.

breadandcircuses , 4 months ago to random

There is no doubt — none — that we are in a planetary climate emergency.

You would never know that, however, if you watch and read and listen to the corporate media. Their only concern is to keep us entertained, keep us sedated, and keep us going to work every day.

Above all else, you see, we MUST maintain Business As Usual.

"Shock as warming accelerates, 1.5°C is breached faster than forecast"
https://johnmenadue.com/as-warming-accelerates-and-1-5c-is-breached-faster-than-forecast-australia-needs-to-re-think-climate-risks-and-policy/
(not the corporate media)

#Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency #Capitalism #BusinessAsUsual

breadandcircuses , 5 months ago to random

Okay, so we've chosen #degrowth. Now let's try to imagine what our daily lives might be like in this strange (yet somehow familiar) new world...

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This is what fancy terms like “degrowth” and “sustainable living” actually mean. They mean we consume less energy and buy less stuff. It is the world our grandmothers knew.

It means that you fix the umbrella you broke, you sew your t-shirt with a needle and a thread when it gets torn, and certainly you don’t throw it away and buy another one when it gets out of fashion. Perhaps you first wear it for going out, then you wear it at home, and lastly, you use it to dust the bookshelves.

It means you grow your own food (if you have land) and cook from scratch. You save meat for special occasions. If you buy food at a market, it doesn’t come in colorful plastic bags, but the clerk will wrap it for you into an old newspaper or something. Or she’ll ask you to bring your Tupperware and glass jars next time. And if you actually do buy something wrapped in plastic or aluminum foil, you will definitely save that for later re-use. Just like your grandma did.

You don’t travel as much, mostly you just stay home because there is lots of stuff to do (remember: gardening, sewing, and repairs). You don’t replace your phone every year, not even every two years, but you keep it as long as it works. And work it should for a long time because, again, no planned obsolescence.

It is a life of fewer changes and a much calmer pace. Less hustle, fewer toys, but more time to read books and listen to each other.

It is not such a grim lifestyle. Most people enjoyed the 1960s (or perhaps the 1970s in Europe; we were lagging behind because we had to rebuild our cities after they were bombed to the ground in WWII). It was a time that already had all the perks of modernity but none of the pathological perversions of capitalism.

People could enjoy a well-developed medical service, abundant food supply, relatively cheap travel, and lots of opportunities for self-development. Most of them were no longer forced to be farmers (by harsh conditions) but could pursue other interests if they fancied them. In a sense, it was the best of both worlds. It wasn’t a bad life at all!

FULL ARTICLE -- https://archive.is/c8z2v
ALTERNATE LINK -- https://medium.com/my-unpopular-opinion/what-we-dont-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-climate-change-df9e54af4088

#History #Economics #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis