When People Have Raincoats They Are Not Afraid of the Rain

When people hear:
        "peak oil," it means
               they expect to pay $5 more to fill the tank.
        "climate change," it means
                a few extra hot days in the summer, and
                       $25 more on the electric bill.
        "Increasing inequity," it means
                the company president gets a country club membership and
                        I get a bigger copay at the doctor.
        "Destruction of the environment," it means
              the place where I shot ducks is now a subdivision.
       "social conflict," it means
                helping change governments in Libya.

The discomfort from these problems is like getting wet in the rain and needing to wear a raincoat.

When people think about their kids' experience of these problems, it is as if they too will get wet and have to wear raincoats. Parents believe this because they did not hear us say, "this rain is in the form of a tsunami. It drowns everything in its path."

They did not hear us say, "During our kids' lifetime:
        "resource exhaustion" means
                billions, who now live at the edge of survival, will starve to death.

        "Climate change" means
                billions will die, because changing weather patterns will cause crop failure,
                        flooding. super storms, and ocean acidification.

        "Inequity" means
                billions die, because increases scarcity, causes social conflict
                        which causes civilization collapse,
                                which reduces productivity ... delivery of food and services.

        "Environmental destruction" means
                billions die because we break the underpinnings of the chain of life."

What we thought we told them was, "A tsunami is coming and it will break everything." And what they heard was "It's going to rain on our kids. They will get wet and have to wear raincoats."

Maybe the broadcast mode of communication; the sounds we make in our books and talks and editorials and even in our classrooms, does not sound like the words "A tsunami is coming. It will break everything." Our broadcast, mixed with all the other broadcasts, sounds like "it going to rain. Get your raincoat."

If we want them to hear
        "A tsunami-like change is coming;
        You have never experienced such a change;        
        You don't want to experience this change;
        It's like being tossed into a meat grinder;
        Your kids will come out sausages;"
you might have to say it to them not in a broadcast.

Maybe their best trusted friend will have to whisper it in their ear over an over until they see ...
        a giant meat grinder, driven by these problems, turning their kids into sausages.

Then, they might take the behavior they have already rejected -- rapid population decline, -- and "Change the Course."

Jack Alpert
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