AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GRID NET BLOG.
THE 'GRID NET SURVIVAL STRATEGY'
FOR THE HUMAN SPECIES.
THE MIND
The mind is an intricate maze of rooms
with interconnecting doors
doors on all the walls and ceiling
doors on all the floors.
Each door leads to a new dimension
in which we store our thoughts
and the more we search the more we discover
remembering the things we are taught.
In the house of the human mind not all of the rooms are lit
the area known as subconscious is a dark foreboding pit.
Only the brave explore this world
prepared that they might fall
they're groping through the darkness
for the switch upon the wall.
for the switch upon the wall.
Only a handful find that switch
and when the light is turned on
they see in the middle of their new awareness
old misconceptions are gone.
old misconceptions are gone.
It's here they look themselves in the eye
to find out if they are friends
in the rooms of the mind we live alone
and those mirrors they never end.
There's an exit sign above the door
but that exit won't set you free
beyond that door there's another door
in the maze of infinity.
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JUST LIKE 'PHILIPPE PETIT' THE HIGH WIRE ARTIST WHO WALKED ON A TIGHT ROPE BETWEEN THE TWIN TOWERS IN NEW YORK CITY, HUMAN BEINGS ARE TINKERING PRECARIOUSLY BETWEEN SURVIVAL AND EXTINCTION WITHOUT ANY KIND OF SAFETY NET.
FOR SUCH A security mechanism TO EXIST IT WOULD TAKE A PERSONAL COMMITMENT BY EVERY consenting MEMBER OF THE HUMAN SPECIES TO SET A GOAL FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND TO WORK TOWARDS ACHIEVING IT in a single generation WITH A REDUCTION IN HUMAN IMPACTs ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AS THE COMMON OBJECTIVE.
where human activity has been reduced due to the current pandemic natural environments have already begun to rehabilitate with things like reductions in air and water pollution becoming common place. regular international shutdowns would further add to the repair of the earth and with each national hibernation exercise our consumer driven societies might eventually be weaned off of the insatiable appetite we have for what we see in the shop windows to a more simplified existence based on equality driven community needs and ecological sustainability.
2025
A TRIBUTE TO ZAGER AND EVANS
AND STEPHEN HAWKING.
IN THE YEAR TWENTY TWENTY FIVE, IF MAN IS STILL ALIVE
IF WOMAN CAN SURVIVE, THEY MAY FIND ….
IN THE YEAR TWENTY TWENTY FIVE,
THERE WILL BE EIGHT BILLION PEOPLE ALIVE
IT’S A GOOD TIME TO START PLANNING NOW
GO OUT IN THE GARDEN AND SHARPEN YOUR PLOW
IN THE YEAR TWENTY TWENTY FIVE,
WE WILL HAVE TO RE-THINK THE WAY WE SURVIVE
THE THINGS WE CONSUME WILL BE MORE SAFE AND SOUND
WE’LL CLEAN UP THE GARBAGE DUMP UNDER THE GROUND
IN THE YEAR TWENTY TWENTY FIVE,
YOU WILL BE HAPPY WITH THE CAR THAT YOU DRIVE
IT WILL BE FUELED BY THE POWER OF THE SUN
AND THE AIR WILL BE CLEANER FOR EVERYONE
IN THE YEAR TWENTY TWENTY FIVE,
I’M KIND OF WONDERING IF MAN IS GOING TO BE ALIVE
HE’S TAKEN EVERYTHING THIS OLD EARTH CAN GIVE
AND HE AIN’T PUT BACK NOTHIN
NOW IT’S BEEN TEN THOUSAND YEARS,
MAN HAS CRIED A BILLION TEARS
FOR WHAT HE NEVER KNEW, NOW MANS REIN IS THROUGH
BUT THROUGH ETERNAL NIGHT
THE TWINKLING OF STARLIGHT
SO VERY FAR AWAY
MABEY IT’S ONLY YESTERDAY.
IN THE YEAR TWENTY TWENTY FIVE,
IF MAN IS STILL ALIVE
IF WOMAN CAN SURVIVE, THEY MAY FIND ….
THE 'GRID NET' CONCEPT.
when i was a much younger man, in my teens and free of the nest for the first time i ventured out to explore the world into which i was born, hoping to make some sense of the endless stream of madness that was unfolding around me. the Vietnam war was at it's peak and the place i got my first real clues about what makes this world tick was in the company of people a few years older than myself, who were part of the hippie culture that was gathering momentum across the land. i was a serious science fiction buff at the time and all the best novels of the day were lent to me or recommended by those good folk. through them also i was to learn the cold,hard facts that were emerging from the blossoming ecology movement and the more i absorbed the more i was hounded by a profound sense of embarrassment at my own 'humanness'. i had welcomed the popular sci-fi predictions of the time that advanced, extra terrestrial travelers might choose to stop over and make contact with human kind should they be passing through
our corner of the cosmos.
like any ardent sci-fi freak i imagined myself spotting an approaching space craft in the evening sky and being the first human with whom they made contact. then it occurred to me. how could i possibly explain or justify to the space brothers the manner in which have treated our planetary home and killed each other through the ages in mostly pointless wars . as the years progressed that original sense of embarrassment turned into a deeply ingrained sense of shame, the wars continued across the globe and the wanton plunder of our natural environment steadily went from bad to worse. no space travelers dropped in on us as far as we know and if they did there's a good chance they kept right on going lest they should come under attack or fall to some kind of toxic contamination. these days the predominant feeling that pervades my being is one of plain old fashioned fear, when i contemplate the accepted norms under which we humans choose to operate.
our corner of the cosmos.
like any ardent sci-fi freak i imagined myself spotting an approaching space craft in the evening sky and being the first human with whom they made contact. then it occurred to me. how could i possibly explain or justify to the space brothers the manner in which have treated our planetary home and killed each other through the ages in mostly pointless wars . as the years progressed that original sense of embarrassment turned into a deeply ingrained sense of shame, the wars continued across the globe and the wanton plunder of our natural environment steadily went from bad to worse. no space travelers dropped in on us as far as we know and if they did there's a good chance they kept right on going lest they should come under attack or fall to some kind of toxic contamination. these days the predominant feeling that pervades my being is one of plain old fashioned fear, when i contemplate the accepted norms under which we humans choose to operate.
FOR MANY THE MODERN WORLD PROVIDES AN EASY LIVING LIFESTYLE WITH ALL THE MOD CONS AND CREATURE COMFORTS THAT MONEY CAN POSSIBLY BUY. WHILE OTHERS LESS FORTUNATE LOOK ON WITH DISAPPOINTMENT IN THEIR EYES AND LONGING FOR A BETTER LIFE IN THEIR HEARTS. WOULD IT EVER BE POSSIBLE TO BALANCE THE RICHES OF THE EARTH SO THAT EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD COULD ENJOY A LEVEL OF ABUNDANCE EQUAL TO THE NEXT PERSON? THIS IS ONE OF THE KEY QUESTIONS I WILL EXPLORE IN THIS ESSAY AND ALL GOING TO PLAN MY ‘SOCIAL MEDIA JUNGLE DRUM’ MIGHT BE HEARD BY OTHER LIKE MINDED SOULS. SHOULD WE SUCCEED IN OPENING UP THE CONVERSATION TO AN ON LINE COMMUNITY OF ‘ASPIRING PLANET SAVERS’ IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO FORMALIZE ANY HEARTFELT CONSENSUS THAT MIGHT ARISE CONCERNING THE BURNING SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME. A LEGALLY BINDING VOTING SYSTEM BASED ON 'PEOPLE POWER PETITIONS'
COULD CERTAINLY CHALLENGE THE EXISTING ORDER OF THINGS
SHOULD THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING PARTIES BE
'TOO GREAT FOR GOVERNMENTS TO IGNORE'.
COULD CERTAINLY CHALLENGE THE EXISTING ORDER OF THINGS
SHOULD THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING PARTIES BE
'TOO GREAT FOR GOVERNMENTS TO IGNORE'.
I DELIGHT IN THE SPOILS OF THE MODERN WORLD AS MUCH AS ANYONE BUT WHEN I SEE MORE AND MORE OF THE SAME OLD RESOURCE DEPLETING STUFF BEING FLOGGED OFF ON THE TELEVISION I WONDER ‘AREN’T WE SUPPOSED TO BE SEEING ADS FOR THE LATEST MODEL OF SUN POWERED ELECTRIC CAR AND OTHER SUSTAIN-ABLY PRODUCED PRODUCTS THAT WILL HELP TO REDUCE OUR COLLECTIVE IMPRINT ON THE EARTH’.
It would seem that the critical mass of humanity has fallen into a state of denial that there is any problem, as it continues to plunder OUR global life support system and pretend that the crunch will never come.
It would seem that the critical mass of humanity has fallen into a state of denial that there is any problem, as it continues to plunder OUR global life support system and pretend that the crunch will never come.
In terms of survival and advancement The human story is one of awe inspiring progress from our earliest beginnings to the present day.
we have reached ever higher pinnacles of perfection in agriculture, technology and medicine just to name a few but deep in my inner being, perhaps in the dwindling remnants of my reptilian brain a nagging instinct for survival carves these grim words into my thoughts.
we have reached ever higher pinnacles of perfection in agriculture, technology and medicine just to name a few but deep in my inner being, perhaps in the dwindling remnants of my reptilian brain a nagging instinct for survival carves these grim words into my thoughts.
the crunch!
AS YOU MAY HAVE DETECTED FROM THE LYRICS IN MY SONGS AND OTHER WRITINGS I AM FOR THE MOST PART AN OPTIMIST WHO ASPIRES TO A BRIGHT AND ABUNDANT FUTURE FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS. IN SPITE OF THIS I AM ALSO A GAMBLING MAN AND MORE THAN ONCE I HAVE REAPED THE REWARDS OF HEDGING A BET, SO FOR MY MONEY A POSSIBLE 'END OF DAYS' SCENARIO AND THE DREAM OF 'HEAVEN MADE REAL ON EARTH' GET EQUAL BILLING, BASED ON WHAT I KNOW OF THE CONTENDERS.
AS I SHARE POSITIVE, LIFE ENHANCING INFORMATION AND PROMOTE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS I WILL ALSO 'DARE TO IMAGINE THE UNTHINKABLE' AS IT RELATES TO POSSIBLE threats THAT may confront us all in days to come.
it's common knowledge that this blue planet we occupy only supports the existence of life because of it's particular orbital proximity to the sun and in the greater scheme of things it's a chance event that may well be unique in the cosmos. this suggests to me that the great infinite expanse of space is governed by a system of unlimited variables like some kind of naturally occurring mathematics. this infinite range of possibilities intrigues me because it's those 'un-forseen variables' that have landed me in trouble my whole life through. if we as a conscious, intelligent species could accurately pre-imagine the most likely list of variables that may threaten us or indeed our whole planet, we might be able to avoid the cataclysm by choosing to go in the opposite direction to where the threat was coming from.
the renowned futurist stan deyo was host to some lectures i attended back in the day and i was captivated by a theory he shared about the biblical account of the great flood. according to official, but little known geographic and tectonic analysis there is enough ground water beneath our feet to flood the entire planet so that mount Everest would become an isolated island. the means by which the ground water escapes to the surface in these natural events is through deep sea travertines or 'black smokers' as they are commonly known. with this information under my cap and a deep concern for my future safety i set about embarking on a new type of lifestyle which involved spending my days as close to the water as i could be. for almost thirty years a motorized dinghy served as my main form of transport, other than a pushbike i left chained up to a post beside the boat ramp, in whatever town i was camping near.
i guess we would all like to believe that science will discover a twin planet to ours in the infinite vastness of space and in the years that follow WE will work out how TO traverse the billions of light years it would take to get there. PERHAPS BENEVOLENT ALIENS OR RELATIVES OF A SUPREME CREATOR WILL VISIT THE EARTH AND MAGICALLY PRESERVE US FROM HARM WITH THE SNAP OF A FINGER. in my view wishful thinking like this is best suited to the realms of FANTASY AND science fiction and we would all be better served dealing with the current, earthbound realities at hand.
one might ACCURATELY DEDUCT that HUMAN KIND is living in A 'fools paradise' WHICH IS built on unsustainable practices and IT IS doomed to a catastrophic end in the not too distant future. THE INCURABLE OPTIMIST MIGHT SAY ...
'YES!, BUT EVERYTHING CAN BE TURNED AROUND TO A POSITIVE END THROUGH UNITY AND CO-OPERATION, BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE AND COMMON SENSE'
THAT'S ALL VERY WELL FOR SOME, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ...
'WHAT IS THE USE BY DATE FOR PLANET EARTH' ...???
weather we will see the crunch in our lifetimes is very much on the table for debate, but I can best imagine that our next wave of newborns will see the tipping point go in favor of species extinction and they will have to adapt to the challenges of 'environmental overload' to survive or be the last of our kind to walk upon the earth.
Should the point of irreversible overload come in our TIME THEN recognizing the first signs of imminent danger would have to be a key factor in surviving the oncoming ordeals and being prepared in advance could mean the absolute difference between life or death. the first step would have to be for the individual or group to accept the fact there is a crisis and commit to a survival strategy that offers the most sustainable options available. in our daily lives we are seeing real and tangible evidence of climate change, man made or otherwise and who knows which way the current trends will go. humanity is perched between the climactic extremes of global drought and an advancing ice age so shouldn't we be making preparations now for what tomorrow may bring? other than dramatically increased heat or cold, economic and social collapse WOULD more than likely be the first real indicators that the crunch has ARRIVED and those who respond decisively will be the front runners in the race to secure a future.
I CAN WELL IMAGINE THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN HIGHLY AFFLUENT SITUATIONS AROUND THE WORLD WOULD SUBSCRIBE TO THE POPULAR SAYING ...
'THOSE WHO DIE WITH THE MOST TOYS WIN'
IT MIGHT INDEED BE THE CASE THAT THose OF THIS PERSUASION WOULD FIND IT VERY HARD TO LIVE WITHOUT THE SPOILS OF MODERN LIFE THAT WE CURRENTLY TAKE FOR GRANTED AND THEY WOULD RESPOND TO THE FIRST SIGNS OF 'THE CRUNCH' BY INVESTING THEIR ACCUMULATED WEALTH INTO PRIVATE SURVIVAL BUNKERS, HEAVILY ARMED WITH THE LATEST ANTI- PERSONAL ARMORY. THIS TYPE OF STRATEGY IS not SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG TERM BECAUSE SHOULD SUPERMARKET SHELVES BE LEFT EMPTY AND ABANDONED A PRIVATE ACCUMULATION OF FOOD AND FRESH WATER WOULD ONLY LAST FOR A LIMITED TIME BEFORE IT HAD TO BE REPLENISHED. PRIVATE FOOD AND WATER STORES WILL BE A HIGH PRIZE FOR DESPERATE AND HUNGRY HUMAN PREDATORS AND PERSONALLY I WOULD PREFER TO TAKE MY CHANCES AGAINST PIRATES ON THE HIGH SEAS IN THE RELATIVE SAFETY OF AN IMPENETRABLE DOME PLATFORM.
Assuming the prevailing threat was something less catastrophic than a global, THERMO-nuclear holocaust or a game ending meteor strike then the first constructive response would be to get as far away from the perceived threat as possible. the oceans for me are the first logical choice as they are the most habitable of our last, untamed frontiers, BESIDES WHAT REMAINS OF THE worlds PRISTINE FORESTS. the great VISIONARY Buckminster Fuller designed AND CONSTRUCTED self sustaining, domed habitats and sea platforms, which IN TIME MAY PROVIDE US WITH the best protection from external threats like massive, unrelenting storms, lethal levels of air pollution or airborne viruses.
domed OVER, LAND BASED SETTLEMENTS AND sea platforms would be the perfect place to apply renewable energy innovations such as wind and solar generators and the SEA PLATFORMS would have large, HYDROLIC arms tO harness the energy of the waves. each platform would be like the powered locomotive on a train and it would tow behind it domed carriages in which food could be grown hydroponically and sea water desalinated. NOT WITHSTANDING A MASSIVE, TECHNOLOGY DISABLING SOLAR FLARE THE dome SETTLEMENTS WOULD BE FITTED WITH LOW TECH COMMUNICATIONS AND PROCESSING SYSTEMS AS A BACKUP TO THE LATEST HI TECH INNOVATIONS.
BY ADHERING TO A STANDARD, MODULAR DESIGN FOR THE DOMES BOTH ON LAND AND AT SEA THEY WOULD BE JOINED TOGETHER BY CONNECTING, SEMI CIRCULAR TUNNELS WHICH WOULD attach with large, rustproof plastic BOLTs AT THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT OF EACH DOME.
many sea platform settlements would serve as the operational hubs for vast networks of breeding pens and other fish farming enclosures. edible crops like kelp and seaweed would also be farmed on a grand scale to ensure a reliable food supply should global drought cause land based crops to fail. TRANSPORT BETWEEN THE FARMS WOULD BE PROVIDED BY ELECTRIC POWERED, SEA GOING VESSELS AS WELL AS TRADITIONAL SAILING BOATS.
'stop the world! I WANT TO GET ON'
A UNIVERSAL and formalized ACCEPTANCE OF THE FACT THAT HUMANITY IS fast APPROACHING THE TIPPING POINT TOWARDS 'ENVIRONMENTAL OVERLOAD' IS THE MOST SANE and worthwhile CONSENSUS THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY EXPECT TO ACHIEVE AT THIS TIME. A WORLDWIDE COMMITMENT TO SCALING DOWN OUR IMPACT ON THE PLANET WOULD NEED TO BE MATCHED WITH ACTUAL GESTURES OF CONCERN BY EVERYONE if we are to have any chance of survival.
IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT IF YOU WILL THAT THE MORE SUSTAINABLE FORMS OF TRANSPORT LIKE ELECTRIC CARS AND PUSHBIKES ADVANCED TO BECOME SO ECONOMICAL AND POPULAR THAT THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE SANK INTO OBSOLETION. there ARE SEMI-TRAILERS CURRENTLY ON SALE TO THE PUBLIC THAT CAN TRAVEL FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES ON A SINGLE CHARGE OF Their LITHIUM BATTERIES, SO WHY ON EARTH DON'T WE HALT THE PRODUCTION OF ALL THE GAS GUZZLING MONSTERS we currently live with AND
GET SERIOUS ABOUT FIXING UP THE WORLD .
IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT IF YOU WILL THAT THE MORE SUSTAINABLE FORMS OF TRANSPORT LIKE ELECTRIC CARS AND PUSHBIKES ADVANCED TO BECOME SO ECONOMICAL AND POPULAR THAT THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE SANK INTO OBSOLETION. there ARE SEMI-TRAILERS CURRENTLY ON SALE TO THE PUBLIC THAT CAN TRAVEL FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES ON A SINGLE CHARGE OF Their LITHIUM BATTERIES, SO WHY ON EARTH DON'T WE HALT THE PRODUCTION OF ALL THE GAS GUZZLING MONSTERS we currently live with AND
GET SERIOUS ABOUT FIXING UP THE WORLD .
THE WIND AND SOLAR FARMS WE ARE DEVELOPING ARE GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH AS THEY CAPTURE AND STORE THE POWER OF THE ELEMENTS. THESE INSTALLATIONS MIGHT NOT BE PRODUCING ENOUGH ENERGY TO REPLACE COAL BURNING OR NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS JUST YET, BUT THEY COULD CERTAINLY HELP TO MAKE ELECTRIC VEHICLES MORE COMMON PLACE ACROSS THE GLOBE.
Let the sun shine in.
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'WHAT'S THE COST?'
it will quite literally cost us the earth as a reliable and ongoing life support system if we do not acknowledge that our natural resources are finite and the limit of what we can extract from the planet has been reached. we must start mobilizing towards a 'plan b backup strategy' or a 'safety net' if you like, so our children and theirs will have a fighting chance IN THE HAZARD FILLED WORLD OF TOMORROW.
JOIN ME AS I IMAGINE A SITUATION WHERE A GLOBAL CONSENSUS OF GOVERNMENTS AGREEs ON A PLAN TO FUND AND DEVELOP 'SOCIAL INSURANCE' PROJECTS IN EACH OF THEIR COUNTRIES THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE BASIC SURVIVAL REQUIREMENTS TO THE Populous SHOULD EXTREME HARD TIMES BEFALL THEIR LAND.
AS A WORKING TITLE WE'LL CALL IT 'THE GRID NET' AND IF I WERE THE MINISTER FOR PLANNING IN SUCH AN UNDERTAKING THE VERY FIRST AVAILABLE FUNDING WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE CREATION OF COMMUNITY FOOD GARDENS IN EVERY SQUARE INCH OF LAND THAT IS NOT BEING USED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE OR OCCUPIED IN SOME OTHER WAY. lAND THAT IS OWNED BY GOVERNMENTS AND DISTRICT COUNCILS WHICH JUST SITS THERE UNUSED AND GATHERING VALUE IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO START BUILDING AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE CONSUMER DRIVEN TREADMILL THAT RULES OUR LIVES AND COULD FAIL FROM A POWER OUTAGE AT ANY TIME.
government subsidized, low cost, DOMES would be erected among the food producing areas in varying sizes according to the needs of the occupants. as well as renewable energy fixtures the settlements would feature state of the art sewage treatment and garbage recycling facilities. schools, medical centers and other community services would be established where possible with bio fueled fire trucks and ambulances on standby
around the solar powered clock.
'thank you for your time'
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SOME HELPFUL LINKS
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THE EARTH REPAIR FOUNDATION
http://www.earthrepair.net/
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THE EARTH REPAIR FOUNDATION
http://www.earthrepair.net/
THE RAINBOW POWER COMPANY
http://www.rpc.com.au/
SUSTAINABLE DOMES AUSTRALIA
http://www.sustainabledomes.com.au/
BENNY ZABEL
http://www.nimbinaustralia.com/bennyzable/benny-zable-story.html
