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Designing Collective Security | Olivia Lazard
Designing Collective Security | Olivia Lazard Navigating existential crisis in a time of political and social upheaval We’re breaking all kinds of records at the moment: cities are boiling at 62C, ocean temperatures are literally off the charts, and governments have increased the global defence budget to an alarming $2440 billion. War costs life, and not just human […]
Accepting Our Lack of Agency
Accepting Our Lack of Agency An early morning picture at Black Rock Mountain State Park in Georgia The last month has been focused on acceptance, and has been building up to the inexorable, immutable, and irrevocable truth that besets us within the confines of the set of predicaments we face. The one thing I constantly see and […]
Everything You Need to Know About EMPs from a NASA Expert
Everything You Need to Know About EMPs from a NASA Expert EMPs (Electromagnetic Pulse) are a trope that is often used in prepper fiction. We often think of an EMP attack as the worst-case, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scenario that is just around the corner. There’s little doubt that it would change everything, but what’s the truth? Here’s […]
Pandemics in Roman Empire correlate with sudden climate changes
Pandemics in Roman Empire correlate with sudden climate changes A new temperature and precipitation proxy record shows that periods of rapid cooling align with the civilization’s three worst disease outbreaks. Physics Today 77 (4), 17–18 (2024); Plankton living in the Mediterranean Sea some 2000 years ago have helped researchers to uncover a correlation between climate change […]
Humans may have nearly gone extinct.
Humans may have nearly gone extinct. When we think of endangered animals, we generally think about elephants, tigers, and whales — but certainly not humans. Yet between 800,000 and 900,000 years ago, ancestors of Homo sapiens lost 98.7% of their population, according to a 2023 study published in the journal Science. Before the population crash, as many as 135,000 early […]
I Saw the Future of Europe… In India
I Saw the Future of Europe… In India Photo by Mitchell Ng Liang an on Unsplash This is definitely not going to be an article what the title may suggest. At least not for those who still believe in the mainstream paradigm, according to which “everything can only get better with time”. This is also not going to […]
Don’t Talk To Me About Solutions
Don’t Talk To Me About Solutions The System Itself is the Problem It’s 2024 and I’m suspicious of “solutions”. Solutions to what, exactly? The excess greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that have already seen us breach the 1.5 degree limit set by the Paris Agreement? The ocean acidification that’s bleaching corals en masse? The rampant […]
Among the ancestors
Among the ancestors Note to Substack readers. I replicate the essays that I publish on my chrissmaje.com site here on Substack. I’ve switched comments off here because I don’t want to juggle two parallel conversation threads, but if you’d like to discuss my essays feel free to join the conversation over on my website. Currently, all my […]
Is Hunting and Gathering Really Better Than Agriculture?
Is Hunting and Gathering Really Better Than Agriculture? Popcorn Overlook, Lake Burton, Georgia Answering the question of the title of this entry, an article first published 37 years ago written by Jared Diamond says, “YES!” Comprehending precisely why civilization is unsustainable requires a rather extensive knowledge of the technology of agriculture. But it isn’t enough to simply understand agriculture in […]
EROEI and Civilization’s Forced Decline
EROEI and Civilization’s Forced Decline EROEI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) is possibly the most important ratio to human existence. This measure is foundational to our civilization, yet understood by few. Photo by NASA / Unsplash EROEI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) is possibly the most important ratio to human existence. This measure is foundational […]
Is There a Road Map for What’s Ahead?
Is There a Road Map for What’s Ahead? One of our primary survival traits is the ability to anticipate the future to avoid threats and reap higher yields. We seek a vantage point to view the road ahead, or even better a road map to what’s ahead. Is there a road map to what’s ahead? An enormous […]
Scientists finally solved chilling mystery of why the Mayans vanished after thousands of years
Scientists finally solved chilling mystery of why the Mayans vanished after thousands of years Self-made environmental issues took a turn for the worse. Mayans have always been a topic of interest renowned for their hieroglyphic writing, agricultural achievements, as well as their ancient calendar that famously predicted an apocalypse back in 2012. Around A.D. 250, […]
Homesteading: A Journey of Self-Sufficiency
Homesteading: A Journey of Self-Sufficiency It doesn’t take 40 acres, mule and a plow to start Apple Trees on our farm, April 2024 Homesteading (or “Farmsteading”) is a journey of self-sufficiency, and a path that may or may not lead to a life off-the-grid. It’s about building or rebuilding a home and/or farm, and learning […]
Draining the World of Fresh Water
Draining the World of Fresh Water Two recent studies show human activity is drying up the planet’s lakes, rivers and aquifers. Efficient irrigation systems have not conserved water but encouraged the expansion of irrigated land, resulting in more havoc with the global water system. Image via Shutterstock. “When you drink the water, remember the spring.” — […]
The distinct danger of being naive
The distinct danger of being naive Don’t assume it’ll all be OK or that you alone will be able to evade the consequences of collapse. The writer and commentator Charles Hugh Smith is known for his discussions on global economic trends, the decline of the middle class, and the future of economies around the world. In a post […]
