Free Book Download and Podcasts from the book A Matter Of Scale http://www.amatterofscale.com/download.htm http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100 KF http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/images/cover_tag.jpg http://www.amatterofscale.com/download.htm A Matter Of Scale 144 156 Published under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License survival,civilization,humanity,earth,environment,climate,change,global,warming,industrial,humans,ecology,planet,book,download,solution,future,scale,connection,disconnection,anarchy,sabotage,reduce Environment and Society en-us Published under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License Keith Farnish nonadult A Survival Guide For Humanity keith@theearthblog.org Keith Farnish Keith Farnish no survival,civilization,humanity,earth,environment,climate,change,global,warming,industrial,humans,ecology A Survival Guide For Humanity A Matter Of Scale is a free downloadable book written to give humanity the means to survive the future. It is not comfortable reading, but the crisis that is unfolding threatens to remove civilized humanity altogether - comfort is not a priority, survival is. I don’t know about you, but I have a problem with death. It's there, at the end of the journey, waiting to take us all, and there is nothing you can do about it except hope that the act of submission is as painless as possible... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter10_introduction.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter10_introduction.mp3 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 Chapter 10 - Introduction Keith Farnish survival,civilization,humanity,earth,environment,climate,change,global,warming,industrial,humans,sabotage no I want to simplify the three Selfviews, so that they can be evaluated more easily. The Selfviews are, in the order previously written: Humans Are Vital; Humans Are Relevant; Humans Are Irrelevant... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter10_thethreetests1.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter10_thethreetests1.mp3 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 10 - The Three Tests Part 1 Keith Farnish How would you feel if you were dead? If ever there was a "non question" then this is surely it. But, it’s still worth asking – critical to ask, in fact, because unless we know how we feel about our death then we cannot possibly know the answer to the next question: Does it matter to us if we are not here? http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter10_thethreetests2.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter10_thethreetests2.mp3 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 10 - The Three Tests Part 2 Keith Farnish In January 2008, the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere touched 385 parts per million. That same month, Dr James Hansen of the Goddard Space Institute in New York gave a short presentation to the Royal College of Physicians in London: in it he stated that, based on historical data comparing atmospheric carbon to global temperatures, the maximum safe level for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 350 parts per million... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter11_intro.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter11_intro.mp3 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 Chapter 11 - Introduction Keith Farnish survival,civilization,humanity,earth,environment,climate,change,global,warming,industrial,humans,sabotage no Do you have a spare shoe you can look at? Any shoe, it doesn’t really matter as long as it fastens using laces. If you are wearing one then that will be fine. If you need to fetch the shoe then please get it now, I won’t go anywhere... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter11_theconnection.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter11_theconnection.mp3 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 11 - The Connection Keith Farnish The effect of being exposed to the world after a period of enforced sensory deprivation is intense; vivid colours, sharp, deep odours, rich sound textures – like being reborn, or taking your first gasps of air having been underwater for far too long. For a while you can enjoy being connected with the world...until you are forcibly held down and the mask of deprivation is slipped on you again... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_introduction.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_introduction.mp3 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 13 - Introduction Keith Farnish The rewards of life are manifold: love, a feeling of belonging, happiness and pleasure, a sense of wellbeing having done good things – all of these are rewards in themselves and, ultimately, as I showed in Part Two, such rewards are the reason we do things, for better or worse... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_disconnection1.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_disconnection1.mp3 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 13 - The Tools Of Disconnection Part 1 Keith Farnish When you accept the label of "consumer", you accept that you have become a financial object, willing to be manipulated by whatever marketing tricks abound. Consumer choice would be far better entitled "Conchoice", a term describing the true level of choice that individuals are provided with, should they find themselves within the consumer culture... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_disconnection2.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_disconnection2.mp3 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 13 - The Tools Of Disconnection Part 2 Keith Farnish If I were to tell you to hit someone, just because I wanted them hurt, you would almost certainly refuse, and probably report me to the authorities for suggesting such a thing – and quite right, too... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_disconnection3.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_disconnection3.mp3 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 13 - The Tools Of Disconnection Part 3 Keith Farnish We live in times of fear: fear of the impact of terrorism on our ability to live in safety; fear of the results of economic collapse on our future financial security; fear of what strangers and paedophiles might do to our children. Some of us are even afraid of climate change... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_disconnection4.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_disconnection4.mp3 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 13 - The Tools Of Disconnection Part 4 Keith Farnish Not all hope is bad. There is the simple type; the benign wish or blessing, that shows you care: "I hope you have a good day", "Hope to see you again soon", "I hope you pass your exam." In isolation, and as merely a gesture, then this kind of hope can make someone feel wanted and rather special. This kind of hope is nice – it is harmless. There is a second kind of hope that is not harmless... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_disconnection5.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_disconnection5.mp3 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 13 - The Tools Of Disconnection Part 5 Keith Farnish It is far easier to blame others for something than to blame ourselves. There is something alluring in pinning the woes of our situation on forces that are "out there" – stupendous, unreachable forces that chart our every move and guide our hands to do their bidding... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_whoisresponsible.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter13_whoisresponsible.mp3 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 13 - Who Is Responsible? Keith Farnish Where do we need to end up? I suppose the best answer I can give you at this stage is, humanity in a state of connection with the world around it, living with a dramatically reduced impact such that the Earth’s natural systems can once again function normally... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_intro.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_intro.mp3 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 11:33:42 +0100 no Chapter 16 - Introduction Keith Farnish There are commonly thought to be three R’s in environmental parlance: reduce, reuse and recycle. Except, very few people in this culture bother doing the first two because we have been led to believe that doing the last one is enough - which would be funny if it weren’t so serious... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_consuming.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_consuming.mp3 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 11:33:41 +0100 no Chapter 16 - Level 1 - Consuming, Eating and Travelling Keith Farnish Everyone needs a place to call home, but not every place people call home is a place desirable to live in. Without clean water, clean air and an appropriate level of shelter and warmth, no one can reasonably be expected to live for long... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_living.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_living.mp3 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 11:33:25 +0100 no Chapter 16 - Level 1 - Living, Working and Reproducing Keith Farnish The Earth’s natural systems will, over time, do a wonderful job of restoring the planet to a stable condition - providing civilization has gone. In the presence of Industrial Civilization, these systems are struggling to overturn the changes that our culture is heaping upon the planet... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_restoring.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_restoring.mp3 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 11:33:24 +0100 no Chapter 16 - Level 1 - Restoring and Educating Keith Farnish Civilization is not going to go down without a fight, and the forces unleashed can be truly terrible if the past and current behaviour of governments, their corporate owners and their military marionettes is anything to go by... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_sabotaging.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_sabotaging.mp3 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 11:33:22 +0100 no Chapter 16 - Level 1 - Sabotaging Keith Farnish This is the point when most environmental guide books tail off into a happy conclusion, generally along the lines of, "If we all follow these suggestions, the world will be a better place". That is, of course, complete garbage. For a start, the recommendations in these guide books are generally no more radical than installing a wind turbine on your roof, or lobbying your government representative / friend of the global economy for change. .. http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_leve2part1.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_level2part1.mp3 Wed, 8 Oct 2008 11:33:22 +0100 no Chapter 16 - Level 2 - Innovators, Early Adopters and the rest Keith Farnish It wouldn’t be fair of me to take the credit for this section, but I bet when he was writing about Sesame Street and Hush Puppies, Malcolm Gladwell never thought the ideas he proposed in The Tipping Point would be used to try and bring down Industrial Civilization. If you create something compelling, effective and yet infinitely flexible, then it is bound to be used for things other than for which it was intended... http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_level2part2.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_level2part2.mp3 Wed, 8 Oct 2008 11:33:22 +0100 no Chapter 16 - Level 2 - Tipping Points and Sabotage Keith Farnish My younger daughter told me recently that if we were to show all the people driving 4x4s the last few minutes of "The Day After Tomorrow" then they would stop driving. I think this level of confidence is wonderful in a nine-year old, but I had to be honest and tell her that most people driving 4x4s weren’t ready to change. It got me thinking that there must be something that can wake at least the Early Adopters up, and smell the green grass, newly watered soil and fresh air. .. http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_level3.mp3 http://www.farnish.plus.com/amatterofscale/audio/chapter16_level3.mp3 Wed, 8 Oct 2008 11:33:22 +0100 no Chapter 16 - Level 3 - The Eco-Meme Keith Farnish