David was recently interviewed by Patrick from Artist as Family. As they write on their blog:
“Our conversation ranged from the personal to the geopolitical, dark green ecology to bright green billionaires, pandemic constriction to war construction, the role of energy in shaping culture to the gaming of the progressive liberal media.”
You can watch the recording of their enlightening conversation here:
References:
Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren
Future Scenarios by David Holmgren
Crash on Demand: welcome to the Brown Tech Future by David Holmgren
History from the future: a prosperous way down by David Holmgren
RetroSuburbia: the downshifter’s guide to a resilient future by David Holmgren
Pandemic Brooding: Brown Tech in New Clothing by David Holmgren
Shades of Green (Lifestyle) Awards Reflection
Robert Newman’s History of Oil
3 thoughts on “From pandemic to war through a geo-ecological lens”
I’m only halfway through the interview but it’s interesting that they talk about themselves as the victims of Corona conspiracy but don’t actually touch on the people that died the people that are dying the people that will die and the people are suffering from long-term Coverd there just doesn’t seem to be any mention or empathy which is kind of sad I truthfully believe the nurses and other health professionals that predicted the current crisis that they are suffering trying to treat people dying with and from Coverd and the apparent psychological distancing that Dave appears to be exhibiting here That said I respect anyone’s decision in respect to either accepting or denying treatment including vaccination
G’day David and Patrick,
I got so much from this interview. Thank you. We need more thoughtful and insightful opinion like this, from the edges.
What are your thoughts on US shale oil as a part of this current energy story? The stuff I’ve read suggests that this source has peaked, except perhaps for the Permian Basin in Texas which is close to peak. Investors have wised up, after 15 years of being conned, and won’t pump any more dosh into it.
Which is bad news for Biden. US petrol prices were starting to accelerate before the Ukraine conflict. So Biden needs a scapegoat – Putin!
And I noticed petrol prices in Oz up around $2 before the Conflict as well. So Morrison needs a scapegoat too!
As stressful as it is for so many it is illuminating to observe how the flood/petrol and food price/shop shortage crisis is playing out here in inner city Brisbane. New high rise residential towers built on the flood plain without functioning lifts (as the motors are located in the lift well) and no power with elderly people living 10 or more floors up. So, now volunteers are taking the stairs to provide food and battery charging. Little kids going to the theatre with mum, both breathing in the dust generated as passing cars drive over the dried mud-shit-contaminant sludge from the flood. Bicycle sales going through the roof.
Thanks for your comment Gavin and you observations from inner city Brisbane. I have stopped tracking the details of the shale boom/bust story over the last two years but knew from past research that the decline post peak would be very sharp due to both geologic and logistic factors. Some researchers more than a decade ago estimated that, without oil over $80/barrel, the shale oil industry as a whole would never pay off its debts and that at some point investors would get cold feet with the potential to kill the industry faster than the rapid depletion pattern post peak of shale wells and (collectively) fields. Although prices are now encouraging I imagine that the cost of inputs inflation for the shale industry will be similar to what is happening with agriculture where high returns are being eaten up by input cost ( The energy dragon eating its own tail) Of course Covid, whether by design or accident, temporarily crashed demand at the same time, global oil supply was waning. With trillions of dollars of Covid stimulation, demand was picking up, supply chain bottlenecks and inflation finally unleashed, it certainly needed some explanation. Putin has been shaping up for nearly twenty years as the cause of bad things (in the western world collective mind at least). After the peak of conventional oil production around the time of the GFC I came to the conclusion that the public in general and even the intelligensia would be unlikely to ever understand the ecological and energetic forces behind the unfolding crises. Instead ideological conflict and stories of good and bad actors would be to the fore with a wide range of explanations at the fringe all with part of a complex puzzle. The more I delve into the details, whether of climate science, peak oil, global financial debt, Covid, Ukraine or any other issue, the more interesting is the complexity. However this only reinforces for me the greater value in the contrary act of zooming out to the big picture “Limits to Growth” analysis. This perspecitive helps move beyond the angst in the proximate to the realisation that all humanity does still operates within rules and feedback loops set by Mother Nature. When we “Observe and Interact” on the ground as humble participants in the grand drama reshaping human destiny for millennia to come, “Designing from Patterns to Details” can be difficult. However if our understanding that informs those designs also works from reliable picture patterns, we have a better chance of making sense of the confusing details and are less susceptible to being gamed into acting against the interests of self, kin, community and nature.
Go well Gavin helping others in their journey towards enlightened self interest.