1. Putting Philosophy to Work In a Post-Carbon Future Bill Vitek Center for Humans and Nature Scholar June 7, 2007

2. It’s Time To Change Our Minds Vital Signs: Up a Carbon Creek With a Paddle Vital Signs: Up a Carbon Creek With a Paddle End of the World as We Know It End of the World as We Know It Must Stand Down From Our Insatiable Assault on Limits Must Stand Down From Our Insatiable Assault on Limits Must Accept Limits and Their Place in Our Lives Must Accept Limits and Their Place in Our Lives A Necessary Revolution A Necessary Revolution A Long Shot A Long Shot

3. What’s a Philosopher To Do? Provide Perspective Provide Perspective Ask Unpleasant Questions Ask Unpleasant Questions Expand/Contract Boundaries Expand/Contract Boundaries Encourage Awareness of the Larger Goals of all of our Good Work: Encourage Awareness of the Larger Goals of all of our Good Work: A Viable Economy and Social Justice A Viable Economy and Social Justice Healthy and Productive Ecosystems Healthy and Productive Ecosystems Civic Engagement Civic Engagement Post-Carbon Energy Supplies Post-Carbon Energy Supplies

4. Ours is an Enthusiasm Fueled by Failure A Failed Mental Model Applied Correctly A Failed Mental Model Applied Correctly Nature as Boundless Source and Sink Nature as Boundless Source and Sink Human Mind/Knowledge as Sufficient Human Mind/Knowledge as Sufficient Human Concerns First and Foremost Human Concerns First and Foremost Transgression of Limits: Transgression of Limits: Science Science Agriculture Agriculture Economics Economics

5. Beyond the Rock is a Hard Place We are nearly at the end of a line of thinking that is no longer supportable by the material and energy conditions upon which it rests We are nearly at the end of a line of thinking that is no longer supportable by the material and energy conditions upon which it rests Western Liberalism/Liberty depends on Geological Inheritance Western Liberalism/Liberty depends on Geological Inheritance It is now the Western world’s largest export It is now the Western world’s largest export We’ve burned through our inheritance in record time We’ve burned through our inheritance in record time

6. Changing Our Minds-et New Conceptual Models New Conceptual Models New/Old Standards New/Old Standards Renewed Respect for Boundaries Renewed Respect for Boundaries Do More With Less Do More With Less Create Models that deal with the problems we have now Create Models that deal with the problems we have now

7. Vital Signs  Doomsday clock two minutes closer to midnight, “reflecting global failures to solve the problems posed by nuclear weapons and the climate crisis.”  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that “there is a 90% chance humans are responsible for climate change."

8. Vital Signs Peak Oil: first trillion barrels consumed in last 100 years; last trillion barrels in next 30 years. (20 year old today has lived through a time in which 540 billion barrels of oil has been consumed.) Peak Oil: first trillion barrels consumed in last 100 years; last trillion barrels in next 30 years. (20 year old today has lived through a time in which 540 billion barrels of oil has been consumed.) The current rate of species loss is being compared to the five known mass extinction waves. This “sixth wave” is anthrogenic. The current rate of species loss is being compared to the five known mass extinction waves. This “sixth wave” is anthrogenic. One billion people lack access to fresh water. One billion people lack access to fresh water.

9. Vital Signs Two of the most populous nations are becoming two of the largest economies. Two of the most populous nations are becoming two of the largest economies. Human population growth continues to follow an exponential curve. Human population growth continues to follow an exponential curve. There are currently 27 million slaves in the world, more than at any other time in human history. There are currently 27 million slaves in the world, more than at any other time in human history. Eight nations possess nuclear weapons, and two are working to acquire them. Eight nations possess nuclear weapons, and two are working to acquire them.

10. The Problems are Right in Front of Us  Interconnected  Technology often makes matters worse  Early daylight savings increased energy use  The recipe for success is broken  Unleash human ingenuity  Harness and commodify nature’s immense and complex forces (90 million acres of US corn in ’07)  Enjoy the new and improved world that results  Repeat.

11. http://wolf.readinglitho.co.uk/mainpages/consumption.html

12. http://www.oilcrisis.com/midpoint.htm

13. http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/info/warming/

14. http://www.susps.org/overview/numbers.html

15. http://www.whole-systems.org/extinctions.html

17. It’s a Great Time to be a Philosopher! New social and political systems will soon be required to provide liberty, education, political stability, economic mechanisms, and a social net in a post-carbon world without cheap, plentiful oil, natural gas, and coal. New social and political systems will soon be required to provide liberty, education, political stability, economic mechanisms, and a social net in a post-carbon world without cheap, plentiful oil, natural gas, and coal.

18. It’s a Great Time to be a Philosopher! Philosophy’s wide-angle perspective helps us understand what is going on in the transition from one worldview to another Philosophy’s wide-angle perspective helps us understand what is going on in the transition from one worldview to another It addresses a fundamental question facing human beings of every time and place: What is a good and just way to live? It addresses a fundamental question facing human beings of every time and place: What is a good and just way to live? In its most practical forms philosophy can help us live our day-to-day lives with awareness, thoughtfulness, and conviction. In its most practical forms philosophy can help us live our day-to-day lives with awareness, thoughtfulness, and conviction.

19. My Work as a CHN Scholar Toss the Paddle: A Philosopher’s Guide Toss the Paddle: A Philosopher’s Guide Out of Carbon Creek Book of Essays for the General Reader Book of Essays for the General Reader Critique Critique Analysis Analysis Alternatives Alternatives

20. Manifesto Propositions Provide a foundation for a new and improved way of looking at the world. Provide a foundation for a new and improved way of looking at the world. Rely on a base of knowledge that describes the state of the world as we best understand it now. Rely on a base of knowledge that describes the state of the world as we best understand it now. Suggest a range of choices and actions consistent with this understanding. Suggest a range of choices and actions consistent with this understanding. Contribute to the process of curtailing the many ailments of our global home and its myriad inhabitants. Contribute to the process of curtailing the many ailments of our global home and its myriad inhabitants.

21. Manifesto Creed “I accept The Limits Manifesto Propositions regarding moral behavior, the pursuit of knowledge, and the use of the earth’s material and energy productivity, and I hereby pledge no harm, no hubris, and no hurry in my daily thoughts and actions.”

22. Proposition One: No Harm  Except for planet Earth, life seems pretty rare in the universe. Thoughtlessly and willingly destroying it or limiting the diversity and co- evolution of life, especially at the level of species, is a moral wrong among self-conscious creatures who surely know better by now.

23. Proposition Two: No Hubris  Human beings are the unintended offspring of evolutionary biology, and as such lack any special or pre-ordained tools for divining the world’s inner workings.  Closer to our cousin apes than gods in all things—and genetically 99.5 percent Neanderthal—we should refuse to think otherwise.  We should behave as if our ignorance will always exceed our knowledge. It will.

24. Proposition Three: No Hurry All life depends on sunlight and the complex and integrated chemical and thermodynamic processes it powers. All life depends on sunlight and the complex and integrated chemical and thermodynamic processes it powers. Net Primary Production (NPP) is the term that describes the energic and organic material production of these ecosystem processes. Net Primary Production (NPP) is the term that describes the energic and organic material production of these ecosystem processes. NPP is constrained by many factors and cannot be substantially improved, increased or sped up over time without the addition of inputs from outside the system. NPP is constrained by many factors and cannot be substantially improved, increased or sped up over time without the addition of inputs from outside the system.

25. Proposition Three: No Hurry Our high life of consumption is brought to us by contemporary NPP and the rapid drawdown of an eon or more worth of accumulated fresh water and highly energy-dense materials (stored Natural Capital). Our high life of consumption is brought to us by contemporary NPP and the rapid drawdown of an eon or more worth of accumulated fresh water and highly energy-dense materials (stored Natural Capital). Across the board this drawdown is increasingly noticeable in the exploitation of soils, aquifers, oil and natural gas. Across the board this drawdown is increasingly noticeable in the exploitation of soils, aquifers, oil and natural gas. In the grand sweep of human history and culture, these are one-time draw downs. In the grand sweep of human history and culture, these are one-time draw downs.

26. Proposition Three: No Hurry  We can’t speed up natural processes.  Our only option is to slow ourselves down.

27. No Harm, No Hubris, No Hurry Each is a limit on human behavior. Each is a limit on human behavior. Each requires us to think of ourselves and the world in which we live in radically and deeply different ways. Each requires us to think of ourselves and the world in which we live in radically and deeply different ways. Each will sound and feel foreign to us. Each will sound and feel foreign to us. All are necessary for the transition that is coming. All are necessary for the transition that is coming.

28. Action Items Become an Ambassador of Limits. Become an Ambassador of Limits. Block the “No-Limits” dogma peddled by technological optimists and economic theorists. Block the “No-Limits” dogma peddled by technological optimists and economic theorists. Acknowledge Net Primary Production as the only long-term feedstock for sustaining life. Acknowledge Net Primary Production as the only long-term feedstock for sustaining life. Slow down. And when going fast admit your role in the run on the bank. Slow down. And when going fast admit your role in the run on the bank. Welcome limits as one of the initial and permanent operating conditions for any system with life in it. Welcome limits as one of the initial and permanent operating conditions for any system with life in it.

29. Action Items Resist solutions that ignore human population. Resist solutions that ignore human population. Resist solutions that create extinctions. Resist solutions that create extinctions. Count calories, including those embodied in our everyday products. Count calories, including those embodied in our everyday products. Understand and appreciate the role that nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, and magnesium—play in your life. Understand and appreciate the role that nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, and magnesium—play in your life. Demand a public and accurate accounting of our Net Primary Production feed stocks and capital stocks. Demand a public and accurate accounting of our Net Primary Production feed stocks and capital stocks.

30. Action Items Demand that losses of natural capital be accounted for in any calculation of costs and benefits. Demand that losses of natural capital be accounted for in any calculation of costs and benefits. Discount efficiency as nothing more than a clever way to increase consumption (Jevons Paradox). Discount efficiency as nothing more than a clever way to increase consumption (Jevons Paradox). Accept blame yourself. Accept blame yourself. Honor your debt to the universe by drinking a toast to its—and your—continued existence. Honor your debt to the universe by drinking a toast to its—and your—continued existence. You can do this every day. You can do this every day.

31. Why This is So Difficult Flashy Brains Flashy Brains Genesis Genesis Prometheus Prometheus The Enlightenment The Enlightenment Manifest Destiny Manifest Destiny Geological Inheritance Geological Inheritance Crediting the Brains (the pumps) rather than the Inheritance (the well) Crediting the Brains (the pumps) rather than the Inheritance (the well) Bacteria in a Petri Dish and the Evolutionary Disposition to Live to Excess Bacteria in a Petri Dish and the Evolutionary Disposition to Live to Excess http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/u/up_the_creek_without_a_paddle.asp

32. Why This Is So Necessary Using the Tree of Knowledge to Protect the Tree of Life Using the Tree of Knowledge to Protect the Tree of Life A True Test and Testament of a Well-Developed Neo-Cortex A True Test and Testament of a Well-Developed Neo-Cortex There’s Still Time There’s Still Time The Scope of the Problem is Global The Scope of the Problem is Global Limits are the Key to Creativity Limits are the Key to Creativity

33. Spread The Pledge! No Harm No Hubris No Hurry