Reply #52: Actually, that's not a bad model [View All]

We might consider that when an unsustainable portion of a diverse society collapses, that a "sub-society" has collapsed.

GliderGuider (if I may be so bold) also believes that it's possible for a large portion of our diverse society to collapse, while a portion of it remains intact.


I hope that that's true. There are certain things I see as givens:

• "If something cannot go on forever, it will stop." — http://www.slate.com/id/2561/">Herbert Stein
• Our "Industrial Society," is currently based on consuming fossil fuels at an increasing rate, even though they are in finite supply. (This cannot go on forever.)
• The human population has increased exponentially, and is still increasing, even though the Earth is finite in size. (This too cannot go on forever.)

Clearly, some fundamental features of our society will need to change. If a culture changes fundamentally, does it still exist?


However, what disturbs me more is the possibility (even if you feel it is unlikely) that we may succeed in making our home uninhabitable by us.

I am confident that life will go on, I'm just coming to question whether we will be a part of it.