I see a packed parking lot full of powerful cars and nicely dressed and coifed consumers going in and out of corporate retail outlets. I conclude that most people value looking cute and owning cars more than they wish to survive a crisis of extinction.

The crisis of climate distortion and doubt over our future for growing food, for example seems to be a non issue. But getting that frosted streak effect in the hairdo is critical and all-important. After all, one has to attract a mate -- the evolutionary imperative is to reproduce. Even though there are too many people already.

In just the last five years, thinking by those closely tracking climate change and the challenge posed by peak oil has gone from "We'll have a hell of a crisis to get through, with die-off possible or likely" to "The picture looks more and more bleak for the continuation of the human species before the end of the century."

I usually put down lyrics for my songs according to a post-apocalyptic love-song genre I favor, but lately it's more of a pre-extinction bittersweet goodbye theme. An example of the first category:

And for the second category:

Ladybug Visit Saturday

Until you're done life is great for you
Under the sun it's all cool
Look you've got arms and your legs to use
Find in your mind a true way

Once in the darkness of youth you knew
Lonely days devoid of dreams
Where did the protesters go at schools
Changing the world became foolish

[chord progression solo]

Those were the days of our innocence
Thinking our ship could not sink
Flying around the world just for fun
I did in Seventy-Nine - I'm sorry

One can start feeling more fine

[strum solo]

If you have lips to say I Love You
It's left unsaid when you're dead
Times when you might want to suicide
Are a chance for being kind

I demand my freedom. My spirit rebels when the artificial world carries on to my detriment and to the complete detriment of the web of life. I will not let a system, dominant or not, run my life.

Greenhouse Gas Levels Grave http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/101007ED.shtml The Associated Press reports: "Strong worldwide economic growth has accelerated the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere to a dangerous threshold scientists had not expected for another decade, according to a leading Australian climate change expert." "I hope that the recession now being forecast by some economists materialises." - George Monbiot The same sentiment, based on an analysis of ecological need and the hopeless eventualities of the growth economy, has been voiced by Culture Change (and its predecessor Auto-Free Times) for several years. A mere recession, will not do the job to protect the climate and bring about a more just economic system. Petrocollapse and a total depression are just what the doctor has ordered. Perhaps Mr. Monbiot is listening; he has received the Culture Change Letter weekly since at least 2003. (Hi George. We like your columns too.)

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