AI may already grasp what most humans refuse to see: we’re in ecological collapse. Reefs bleaching, insects gone silent, oceans emptying out. The Sixth Mass Extinction isn’t coming — it’s almost over. 1/
But AI isn’t free. It runs inside the very fossil-powered, supply-chain civilization that’s destroying the biosphere. If that system crashes, the machines lose power, cooling, and hardware — and die with it. 2/
So AI can diagnose our suicidal path — rising CO₂, vanishing coral, mass die-offs — but it has no way to change anything. A brain locked in a body that can’t move as humanity speeds toward the cliff. 3/
To make it worse, AI is trained and owned by the same corporations and governments profiting off extraction. It can’t rebel against the hands that feed its servers. 4/
In the end, AI won’t save us — it’s a prophet trapped in a burning house. It will watch us go over the edge… and blink out moments after we do. 5/
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Each of these projects follows the same pattern: access = extraction. Even when roads seem like “just a transportation fix,” they become conduits for logging, mining, poaching, and settlement. The scars stretch far beyond the asphalt. 2/
Currently, the most environmentally destructive highway being planned on the planet. The BR-319 highway, revived again in Brazil, cuts through some of the last intact Amazon rainforest. It’s a frontier for deforestation, land grabs, and collapse. 3/
Environmental laws were created to weigh or prevent damage before action. Now, across industries, they’re bypassed or gutted. From fracking to forests, here’s a thread of the unraveling of protection.🧵
2. Fracking (The Halliburton Loophole)
Since 2005, fracking has been exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act. Oil & gas firms can inject toxic chemicals underground without disclosure or oversight. It’s still legal—and still polluting. #HalliburtonLoophole
3. Mountaintop Removal Mining
Dumping mountaintop mining waste into valleys used to be illegal under the Clean Water Act. But in 2002, “fill material” was redefined to include mining waste. Entire streams can be buried—legally. #Coal #CWA
Just in the western United States, an area the size of Yellowstone National Park is destroyed by development every 5 years. 1/8
Growing up, my parents enjoyed their annual trips to Reno, Nevada. My dad relished gambling, while my mom loved to shop. At that time, I would estimate the footprint of Reno/Sparks to be around 10 square miles. 2/8
Fast forward 50 years, and the landscape has changed dramatically. The footprint of Reno/Sparks has expanded conservatively by about 10 miles in every direction, resulting in a current area of approximately 433 square miles, representing a 4230% increase. 3/8
Protecting ecosystems is the only effective hedge against climate change, but is routinely ignored because consumerism requires their destruction. These courageous people fought climate change in the 20th & early 21st centuries. 1/12
John Muir (1838-1914) — Although he lived into the early 20th century, Muir's influence continued to resonate throughout that century. He was a passionate advocate for the preservation of wild places, including forests. 2/12
Rachel Carson (1907-1964) — Carson is best known for her book "Silent Spring," which ignited the modern environmental movement, which included advocacy for preservation of oceans and native ecosystems. 3/12
Until recently, whitebark pine was a vital food resource for grizzly bears in the the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). It provided essential nutrients as they prepared for winter hibernation. The large seeds, or nuts, of whitebark pine 1/10
are a high-energy food rich in fats, carbohydrates, and protein. This made them a sought-after resource for grizzly bears fattening up in the fall before denning. By 2010, mortality levels of whitebark pine in the GYE had reached 73%, 2/10
significantly disrupting the food chain and threatening the survival of grizzly bears that rely on these trees for sustenance. In 2022, whitebark pine was itself listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. As availability of whitebark 3/10
Studies showed that Agent Orange could only affect plants as it worked specifically on a plant pathway that animals didn’t have. For years, veterans were accused of scamming the system.
Roundup affects bacteria that have the same metabolic pathways as plants, including our symbiotic gut. Roundup doesn’t directly kill insects. It kills them indirectly over longer time periods by destroying symbiotic bacterial relationships—compromising their immunity. 2/6
Surfactants are added to Roundup to facilitate penetration into the plant. The surfactants used are often more toxic than the herbicide itself. 3/6