Thread by @SteB777

I want to write a few threads about civilization collapse, and the danger of it, because so few to any understand it. Although it will probably be a waste of time, because I seemed to be having my threads hidden. But I just want to get it down.
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I'm not a doom-monger, saying civilization is going to happen come what may. All my commenting is to stop that happening, because it is entirely possible to avoid this, if, and only if we massively change our system, and start cooperating, and stop competing.
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It's like this, there are many patterns of life, bad habits, ignoring illness, which will lead to your death, if you carry on as you are, and ignore the consequences of this. Our societies are ignoring existential threats to our civilization, as if they don't exist.
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The climate and ecological crisis, is guaranteed to destroy our civilization, if we don't cease the actions driving it i.e. the large scale burning of fossil fuels, along with the destruction of biodiversity, and natural habitat. I've more than supported the dangers.
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You will come across many opinionated people, many in influential positions, including scientists, who will tell you, that there is no scientific study, or evidence, that climate change, is not a threat to our civilization. But what they don't tell you, is that's deceit.
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The simple reason, there is no scientific research, which suggests that climate change, is an existential threat to our civilization, is for the very simple reason there is no scientific research into this. Don't take my word for it.

6/pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…

There can't be any scientific evidence as regards the vulnerability of our civilization, to collapse, induced by the climate and ecological crisis, IF NO ONE HAS RESEARCHED IT.

That is why this dismissal of the danger, is so dishonest and deceitful.
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Firstly, we need to look at why there is a global economy, supporting a global civilization. It seems bizarre, but as far as I know, no academic, has even asked this question. They treat it, as if it were our destiny, and it just happened,
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The reason our modern civilization and global economy exists, is very simple. During and after the Industrial Revolution, very rich me, started cooperating, and engaging in a certain system of economic growth to make themselves unbelievably rich.
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If they hadn't done this, the global civilization, all the modern technology, and the modern economy, wouldn't exist. We'd still have lots of competing kingdoms, and we'd still be in the late medieval period.
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The glue that holds our modern civilization together is the pursuit of increased personal wealth, primarily by the richest people in society, but to a lesser extent, from many more people, endeavouring to get better off.
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To the proponents of capitalism, this is what makes the modern economy so important, and they have this fantasy, that this model is going to lift everyone out of poverty. This is why they argue, that environmentalists and climate activists are wrong,and dangerous.
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However, this system of economic growth, and everyone working together to maintain it, is going to be the route of our downfall. For the very simple reason that the Earth's resources are finite. That eternal growth is physically impossible, in a world of finite resources.
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This economic growth is being maintained, by systematically over-exploiting, and destroying the finite natural resources, that not only future generations, but many extant generations, need to survive.
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In very simple terms, we are reaching the Limits for Growth to be maintained. There will come a point in the near future, when the Earth's natural systems, which cease to support increasing growth, as sure as night follows day.

15/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Limit…

No one knows exactly when this will happen. However, it has been clear for the last 50 years, that we are reaching this point, as the problems of the climate and ecological crisis, gets ever clearer.
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As I've made clear, the only glue that holds this civilization together, is everyone working together, for the common goal of getting individually richer and better off. Bearing in mind, that there will come a point, when this is no longer possible.
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Once we run out of road, when this quest for increased personal wealth, becomes increasingly difficult, the system, will start falling to pieces, as it becomes clear that this goal is no longer possible.
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Remember, that the lifestyles that those in rich countries, think economic growth is for, probably compose less than 20% of the global population. I use very simple metrics to illustrate this.
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Only about 18% of the global population own a car, and about 82% of the global population, have never flown, or not for a long time. In other words, less than 20% have a lifestyle, that those in rich countries, consider normal.
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In other words, if the whole global population, was to catch up with the rich countries (without the consumption of the top 20% increasing) this would be 5 times the current level of consumption. In a system groaning from the current level of consumption.
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Self-evidently, such a thing would be impossible, and we would have destroyed the Earth's natural life support systems, way before we got to this point. Therefore, the current system is completely unsustainable, and will collapse, with business as usual BaU.
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However, as I point out, we will be in serious trouble, way before we use up all the Earth's natural resources, for the simple reason, that once economic growth becomes far more difficult, the glue that holds our system together, will have vanished.
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A global civilization has never existed before, with 8 billion people to feed. It cannot continue to exist. However, there is a way out, for survival. Instead of cooperating to get richer, we cooperate for the common good.
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If we work together for the common good, and not for individual wealth, our civilization would not collapse, because we'd be working together, to stop it collapsing, rather than ignoring and denying the inevitable.
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This is just a rough outline of the situation, in a way which should make it obvious. I have not put a lot of attention into the broad big picture, because it is so obvious, that not seeing it, takes huge denial.
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