tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61584374347450412412011-05-14T11:40:35.372-04:00Lately, I’ve been wondering about (inevitable) changes that might occur within the next ten years (five?). And wondering what action, if any, the folks I know might consider taking - regarding what could be seen as 4 approaching storms (maybe 5. Or 6 if you include the seas dying, or 7 if you include...).Alan Pakalnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08822733620435089845noreply@blogger.comBlogger41100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158437434745041241.post-18357525769288706082008-04-18T22:51:00.019-04:002008-12-09T18:51:18.296-05:00<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190785133715366786" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/SAlfk8B7o4I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/2Tgg0kqbtZ8/s200/the-end.jpg" border="0" /><br />Some of us are just born pessimists: "The end is near." And then, another day passes just like the last one. Or...the sky IS falling, and I don't want to think about it! Who might be the "Cronkite reality check" of today?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6158437434745041241-1835752576928870608?l=2008-2018-forward.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Alan Pakalnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08822733620435089845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158437434745041241.post-65237462410128306402008-04-14T12:10:00.004-04:002008-12-09T18:51:18.525-05:00Increased cost of petroleum based fertilizers, shifting patterns of drought, agribusiness moving to corn based fuels - what will world production of food in relation to population look like in the coming years?<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/SAOEG8B7o3I/AAAAAAAAAFI/MIBlzCQGLzo/s1600-h/peakfood.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189136450389255026" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/SAOEG8B7o3I/AAAAAAAAAFI/MIBlzCQGLzo/s320/peakfood.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6158437434745041241-6523746241012830640?l=2008-2018-forward.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Alan Pakalnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08822733620435089845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158437434745041241.post-57614348277748659402008-03-13T12:32:00.022-04:002008-12-09T18:51:19.583-05:00<div>It's hard to know how immediate and personal a threat is when we are presented with large scale abstractions - like, "global warming will cause the seas to rise." Yet, the price of oil appears to be going up, and the U.S. dollar appears to be going down. How concerned about change are you? Whether social, economic, climate, honey bees, antibiotic resistant bugs, or the dying rising seas?<br /><br />Hopeful, or hopeless - how might your relationship with your environment change in the next ten years, including the people in your life (neighbors, family, friends)?<br /><br /><strong>Rising petroleum prices (peak oil).</strong><br /><a href="http://www.writingshop.ws/assets/images/JS-Peak-Oil.gif"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_Urhw6MpzI/AAAAAAAAAEA/BPuxeFAlO2w/s1600-h/peak2.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185098405051672370" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_Urhw6MpzI/AAAAAAAAAEA/BPuxeFAlO2w/s320/peak2.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_UstQ6Mp1I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/ibcBn15GSko/s1600-h/peak.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185099702131795794" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_UstQ6Mp1I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/ibcBn15GSko/s320/peak.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Climate changes (carbon footprint).</strong><br /><a href="http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/sustainabledevelopment/climatechange/images/atmosphericcarbondioxide_tcm4-436219.jpg"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_UtDw6Mp2I/AAAAAAAAAEY/JRMIIMclflw/s1600-h/climate.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185100088678852450" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_UtDw6Mp2I/AAAAAAAAAEY/JRMIIMclflw/s320/climate.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>National debt (est. 9 trillion).</strong><br /><a href="http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/history.gif"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_UtUQ6Mp3I/AAAAAAAAAEg/RiQV63qrdaY/s1600-h/debt.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185100372146694002" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_UtUQ6Mp3I/AAAAAAAAAEg/RiQV63qrdaY/s320/debt.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Baby boomers coming of age (equities, services, "brain drain").</strong><br /><a href="http://www.celent.com/PressReleases/20031204/BabyBoomers.gif"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_0iZ5uMInI/AAAAAAAAAFA/gt3lII2sU0Q/s1600-h/BabyBoomers.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187340174187307634" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_0iZ5uMInI/AAAAAAAAAFA/gt3lII2sU0Q/s320/BabyBoomers.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Increasing world population.</strong><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_0iK5uMImI/AAAAAAAAAE4/em8LwOhdOd0/s1600-h/worldpop.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187339916489269858" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_0iK5uMImI/AAAAAAAAAE4/em8LwOhdOd0/s320/worldpop.gif" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/img/worldpop.gif"></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6158437434745041241-5761434827774865940?l=2008-2018-forward.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Alan Pakalnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08822733620435089845noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158437434745041241.post-70135813753019209912008-03-12T13:42:00.014-04:002008-12-09T18:51:19.724-05:00<div>What action, if any, do you propose taking?<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_0huJuMIlI/AAAAAAAAAEw/ukbPe0860M8/s1600-h/taking_a_break_building_a_dome.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187339422568030802" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EaVD1eHNQSc/R_0huJuMIlI/AAAAAAAAAEw/ukbPe0860M8/s320/taking_a_break_building_a_dome.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/creativeEcology/ga/ga_jan_2006/taking_a_break_building_a_dome.jpg"></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6158437434745041241-7013581375301920991?l=2008-2018-forward.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Alan Pakalnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08822733620435089845noreply@blogger.com1