Racing toward climate disaster like a scene from 'Speed'

C

apitalism is incompatible with a safe climate.

Our current economic system depends on capital's continuous and exponential expansion - without it there is no profit. And as capital grows so must we give up more of ourselves and our planet to serve this insatiable system.

Every year we are called to work longer, harder and for less. Every year we are called to let these demands eat up more of our services and take over more of our community spaces.

Read Godfrey Moase’s story in New Matilda - “Our Race Towards Climate Disaster Is Like A Scene From The Movie Speed”.

The 'Most Important' video you will ever see

This month’s discussion Beneath the Wisteria focusses on energy and thanks to a Tatura friend, Alfred Heuperman, we learn about this YouTube clip that discusses energy, population and exponential growth in “The Most IMPORTANT Video You'll Ever See”.

Prof Albert A. Bartlett

Thanks Alfred, the message is important, but those who need to see it are not watching or if they are, they are not listening.

Featured in the clip is the Professor Emeritus in Nuclear Physics at University of Colorado at Boulder, Prof Albert A. Bartlett.

He has been a member of the faculty of the University of Colorado since 1950. He was President of the American Association of Physics Teachers in 1978 and in 1981 he received their Robert A. Millikan Award for his outstanding scholarly contributions to physics education.

In discussing exponential growth, Prof Bartlett said: "The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function."