Just listened to the Sheldon Solomon clip on death anxiety. Ernest Becker did manage to become a professor of some sort at U.C. Berkeley, where I took a lecture class from him in
I think 1964. He hadn't yet written Denial of Death but the thinking was already there. It made complete sense to me then and still does. He died of colon cancer at 49, a few months before the book was published in 1974.
Hi Andy, I really enjoy your blog and have no suggestions at the moment other than keep up the great work.
I especially love your comment about the song you are working on, Life is a Band. Wonderful concept. And it reminds me of why I have always despised the Frank Sinatra song My Way, which expresses the exact opposite philosophy, bragging about never having cooperated or collaborated with anyone, never having learned anything from anyone, never acknowledging having had a helping hand of any kind. Your song sounds like a perfect counterbalance to that egotism, and more in line with Johnny Cash‘s lovely line, “the life I love is making music with my friends.” I look forward to hearing the song!
I can't remember when I first "friended" you on Facebook but I was intrigued by your DotEarth and "The Burning Season" AND your musical and neighborly connection with Pete Seeger. What Pete Seeger means to me is someone who was wholly involved in the world, especially as a peace AND a climate activist. I remain curious if any of his "wholiness" is a part of you. I consider myself a peace and climate activist and feel it is really important for people like you to talk about how non-peaceful and violent behaviors on a global level, like wars and cartels, do so much damage to both the planet and the people. Cognitive dissonance seems to be a growing concern for humanity. I would like to see some brave discussion about that. Greta Thunberg seems to understand the connection and speaks out about it. She turns 22 on January 3rd. Perhaps you can get her on Sustain What to start the new year. Meanwhile keep those nibbling ducks in a row. Your friend here in Redwood Country (Humboldt County, California) will keep tuning in. Peace AND that miracle of love and unselfishness Walter Munk suggested.
Good ideas. And I've greatly appreciatd how YOU have meshed peace and environmental sustainability in your community work out west. I like your idea about Thunberg and can explore if she'd come on the show. Another related theme is the work of Peter Coleman on what factors sustain peace (as distinct from thinking about peace simply as the absence of war: https://revkin.substack.com/p/a-thanksgiving-pitch-for-coexistence For those who might not understand the Nibbling Ducks reference, here's my new song: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-DbEftKOcuQ
When I first started reading you around 2007-2008, I really glommed onto the fact that you were reporting about “slow drip problems.”
Do you have any thoughts on the “slow drip solutions”? Composting, transportation mode shift? Obviously, these things by themselves aren’t as impactful as, say, building a wind farm off the coast of New York City, but if enough folks start doing them, is the collective action worth registering on the richer scale of progress?
I'd also like to see more attention to such realities as this: that it would cost less than half a billion to buy, at retail prices, a solar light and charger for all those families without access to electricity (70% of those in the world in that situation). See http://solarray.blogspot.com/2024/11/basic-electricity-for-bottom-billon.html for more
We are surrounded by insurmountable opportunities at the same time we tell ourselves we're in a hopeless situation and, in truth, time is running out.
It would also be good to explore why the example of Ray Anderson and Interface Carpets, their multi-decade program to eliminate environmental harm from their products and production processes, is such an anomaly and has inspired so few other companies to go and do likewise.
Just listened to the Sheldon Solomon clip on death anxiety. Ernest Becker did manage to become a professor of some sort at U.C. Berkeley, where I took a lecture class from him in
I think 1964. He hadn't yet published Denial of Death but the thinking was already there. It made complete sense to me then and still does. He died young, at 50. I always wondered if he had a bodily premonition about that. Thanks for posting it.
Just listened to the Sheldon Solomon clip on death anxiety. Ernest Becker did manage to become a professor of some sort at U.C. Berkeley, where I took a lecture class from him in
I think 1964. He hadn't yet written Denial of Death but the thinking was already there. It made complete sense to me then and still does. He died of colon cancer at 49, a few months before the book was published in 1974.
Hi Andy, I really enjoy your blog and have no suggestions at the moment other than keep up the great work.
I especially love your comment about the song you are working on, Life is a Band. Wonderful concept. And it reminds me of why I have always despised the Frank Sinatra song My Way, which expresses the exact opposite philosophy, bragging about never having cooperated or collaborated with anyone, never having learned anything from anyone, never acknowledging having had a helping hand of any kind. Your song sounds like a perfect counterbalance to that egotism, and more in line with Johnny Cash‘s lovely line, “the life I love is making music with my friends.” I look forward to hearing the song!
A great stimulus to finish the song!
I can't remember when I first "friended" you on Facebook but I was intrigued by your DotEarth and "The Burning Season" AND your musical and neighborly connection with Pete Seeger. What Pete Seeger means to me is someone who was wholly involved in the world, especially as a peace AND a climate activist. I remain curious if any of his "wholiness" is a part of you. I consider myself a peace and climate activist and feel it is really important for people like you to talk about how non-peaceful and violent behaviors on a global level, like wars and cartels, do so much damage to both the planet and the people. Cognitive dissonance seems to be a growing concern for humanity. I would like to see some brave discussion about that. Greta Thunberg seems to understand the connection and speaks out about it. She turns 22 on January 3rd. Perhaps you can get her on Sustain What to start the new year. Meanwhile keep those nibbling ducks in a row. Your friend here in Redwood Country (Humboldt County, California) will keep tuning in. Peace AND that miracle of love and unselfishness Walter Munk suggested.
Good ideas. And I've greatly appreciatd how YOU have meshed peace and environmental sustainability in your community work out west. I like your idea about Thunberg and can explore if she'd come on the show. Another related theme is the work of Peter Coleman on what factors sustain peace (as distinct from thinking about peace simply as the absence of war: https://revkin.substack.com/p/a-thanksgiving-pitch-for-coexistence For those who might not understand the Nibbling Ducks reference, here's my new song: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-DbEftKOcuQ
When I first started reading you around 2007-2008, I really glommed onto the fact that you were reporting about “slow drip problems.”
Do you have any thoughts on the “slow drip solutions”? Composting, transportation mode shift? Obviously, these things by themselves aren’t as impactful as, say, building a wind farm off the coast of New York City, but if enough folks start doing them, is the collective action worth registering on the richer scale of progress?
I’ll reply more fully Thursday but greatly appreciate this question. I sense lots of potential in amplifying “good drips” some clues here: https://www.youtube.com/live/xJ4MTtdvI2k?si=BcFVZ0Zomd7z57L8
I want more solutions and, if possible, networking for action on those solutions.
My approach to climate change is
100% renewables ASAP
zero emissions economy ASAP
carbon drawdown ASAP
geotherapy (not geoengineering) ASAP
(links to groups working on geotherapy at http://solarray.blogspot.com/2021/04/geotherapy-not-geoengineering-please.html)
You can start with those.
I'd also like to see more attention to such realities as this: that it would cost less than half a billion to buy, at retail prices, a solar light and charger for all those families without access to electricity (70% of those in the world in that situation). See http://solarray.blogspot.com/2024/11/basic-electricity-for-bottom-billon.html for more
We are surrounded by insurmountable opportunities at the same time we tell ourselves we're in a hopeless situation and, in truth, time is running out.
It would also be good to explore why the example of Ray Anderson and Interface Carpets, their multi-decade program to eliminate environmental harm from their products and production processes, is such an anomaly and has inspired so few other companies to go and do likewise.
Just listened to the Sheldon Solomon clip on death anxiety. Ernest Becker did manage to become a professor of some sort at U.C. Berkeley, where I took a lecture class from him in
I think 1964. He hadn't yet published Denial of Death but the thinking was already there. It made complete sense to me then and still does. He died young, at 50. I always wondered if he had a bodily premonition about that. Thanks for posting it.
Fascinating and dark. I hadn't realized he died so young. Thanks for the input.
p.s. That must have been remarkable (even more so in retrospect). What was he like as a professor?