Thanks, Max, no Muskrat Testicle for me. I just returned from my 1 mi. (some 15% grade) walk down to the Muskingum River and back, now that the snow is melting. Being a LONG COVID and Prostate Cancer survivor, going on 80yo, I'm not as spry as I once was. On the entire trip, I saw one other walker, but a half dozen being pulled along by their slave dogs, scooping up feces as they went. I own a used Dodge Caravan, but only drive it to the distant stores, bank, and PO once a week, so 1,200 mi/yr and fill my 20 gal tank every other month, if that. Maybe all the folks driving by just might notice and I've planted a seed. Maybe not. I do what I can, as do you, and thanks for that! Gregg
You're welcome, Erica! It's been a slow month of writing because I'm moving after ten years in the same little cabin in the woods, and there's been a LOT to do. So I'm glad to be back on it! I love to write and share it with you all.
Without cars how will a settler colonial society extract wealth from stollen land? You’d end up with the 15 minute cities being turned to rubble in Fallujah, Aleppo, Mosul, Gaza, Jabalia, etc. for the Kochnation.
That's been going on for thousands of years since the dawn of civilization -- that's the real problem here, but it's another issue (sort of) -- and cars are not at all necessary for it.
Thanks very much, Katie! I really appreciate all your writing, too. Thank you for covering the Moss Landing fire. If others haven't seen Katie's Substack, I recommend it.
Another tesla, fact they don't do well in salt water, in fact they blow up and if they're in your garage, that's infiltrated by saltwater from a hurricane, they blow up the garage in the house. In Florida, during the last hurricane, part of the police alerts were to tell people that if you own a tesla, do not park it in your garage. During the hurricane park it outside away from all structures. It was a police alert across Florida. Because it will blow up your house.
Definitely. Fossil fuel cars present their own explosive issues, of course (I used to live in Bellingham, where a pipeline explosion in 1999 killed three people). There's a powerful metaphor in there somewhere - exchanging one explosive technology for another as the world burns...
The detail is terrific (in its modern sense of 'excellent' as well as its old sense of 'terrifying')...
The big point is clear and spans much more that automobiles: "The war depicted in Guernica Pass is industrial civilization’s war against the natural world...."
Thanks, Jeff. Yesterday, I asked myself if some dental and health care is within my/our ecological and financial means. I've wondered if having a car, Internet access, electricity, coconut milk and other now-common goods and services are within my/our ecological and financial means. Honestly, they're not. Without negating my existence, I wonder what steps I/we might take toward living within our ecological and financial means.
Thanks, Max. Here's another piece about EVs: In my January 8, 2024 substack, "How/can we protect the Earth when we need a car?" I reported that charging an EV uses enormous energy and overheats nearby transformers. Charging an EV shortens the nearby transformer’s lifespan (typically 30-40 years) to three years--and they’re not cheap.
The real issue is that we don't NEED cars or anything else from industrial society. We've CHOSEN to live like this, ignoring all the great harm, destruction, and killing we do (not talking about harms to humans). It's very hard to fight one's natural instincts to make life easier and more convenient, but fight them we must.
It was clearly a bad idea to evolve a species that must rely on its intellect in order to survive without linking that oversized intellect to expanded wisdom and empathy (for the Earth and all life here, not just humans).
Thanks for the article, Max. A separate but related topic about fossil fuels i don't hear much of anything if at all about is about the too-often news of an oil spill in a body of water. Do you know if there is anything being done to, i don't know, improve 'driving conditions'? Stricter rules or anything to avoid such so-called accidents? Seems like all i ever hear about is reducing or stop using fossil fuels as related to climate/air/CO2, which is obviously one big discussion, yet i mention this other b/c seems most enviro awareness and efforts are about climate/air, and overlook, in this context, the waters.
There are oil spills every day, and there have been for a long time. Most are relatively small ones -- though one drop is too much since oil should never have been taken out of the ground in the first place -- and of course the media never mentions them, because it's in the pockets of the oil, automotive, and tire industries. They want everyone driving, more money for them.
As to driving conditions, I say make them as bad as possible. The harder and more expensive it is to drive, the fewer people will do so. Driving conditions should be the least of our concerns here.
Got it. Those hideous monstrosities shouldn't even exist. When I sailed in San Francisco Bay, I wondered if the large ships could even see us.
BTW, to my knowledge Exxon has still not paid anything in punitive damages for the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. Do you know if this was ever resolved? Our fascist Supreme Court disallowed the $5 billion jury award, saying that punitive damages must be limited (couldn't disagree more).
Absolutely, and that plays into the Onion headline I shared. When I was growing up, oil spills were the major issue. Now they're mostly ignored. There have been several massive spills over the past few years and they get almost completely ignored in the media. And of course, non-point source pollution from cars and other sources is a major spill problem as well.
Thx, Max. Also, lack of restrictions or guidelines with regard to oil tankers i loosely categorize along with gun control issues, a lot of talk yet nothing much seems to happen. Oh yeah, that Onion bit is classic satire.
I've been saying for decades that industrial society is war against the Earth. Plain as day to me, nothing to argue about. But I almost always got denials for responses, even from supposed environmentalists.
I gave up my car in 1999 and haven't looked back. I get around by walking, biking, and public transit, with very occasional rides from friends at gatherings. Even this is industrial living (except the walking of course), but it's moving in the right direction of eliminating industrial living altogether.
I have to also say this: Organize your life so that you don't have to drive regularly, then give up your car. If you fail to do that, then you just make excuses for driving. Modern humans need to confine themselves to urban areas and should not be living in rural ones, because they do great harm just by living there with their cars, roads, and electricity use. If you want to live in the country, do so without a car and without electricity. Otherwise, stay in the city where you belong.
Thanks, Max, no Muskrat Testicle for me. I just returned from my 1 mi. (some 15% grade) walk down to the Muskingum River and back, now that the snow is melting. Being a LONG COVID and Prostate Cancer survivor, going on 80yo, I'm not as spry as I once was. On the entire trip, I saw one other walker, but a half dozen being pulled along by their slave dogs, scooping up feces as they went. I own a used Dodge Caravan, but only drive it to the distant stores, bank, and PO once a week, so 1,200 mi/yr and fill my 20 gal tank every other month, if that. Maybe all the folks driving by just might notice and I've planted a seed. Maybe not. I do what I can, as do you, and thanks for that! Gregg
Walking is truly one of life's great blessings for our health and joy, and in some ways it's been nearly stolen from us by car culture.
Thank you for this great piece, yet again!
You're welcome, Erica! It's been a slow month of writing because I'm moving after ten years in the same little cabin in the woods, and there's been a LOT to do. So I'm glad to be back on it! I love to write and share it with you all.
Without cars how will a settler colonial society extract wealth from stollen land? You’d end up with the 15 minute cities being turned to rubble in Fallujah, Aleppo, Mosul, Gaza, Jabalia, etc. for the Kochnation.
Cars and empire go hand in hand in the modern era, that's for sure.
That's been going on for thousands of years since the dawn of civilization -- that's the real problem here, but it's another issue (sort of) -- and cars are not at all necessary for it.
Bravo, Max--and thank you!
Thanks very much, Katie! I really appreciate all your writing, too. Thank you for covering the Moss Landing fire. If others haven't seen Katie's Substack, I recommend it.
Another tesla, fact they don't do well in salt water, in fact they blow up and if they're in your garage, that's infiltrated by saltwater from a hurricane, they blow up the garage in the house. In Florida, during the last hurricane, part of the police alerts were to tell people that if you own a tesla, do not park it in your garage. During the hurricane park it outside away from all structures. It was a police alert across Florida. Because it will blow up your house.
Definitely. Fossil fuel cars present their own explosive issues, of course (I used to live in Bellingham, where a pipeline explosion in 1999 killed three people). There's a powerful metaphor in there somewhere - exchanging one explosive technology for another as the world burns...
Finally, a good use for electric cars! :)
Good article to get my blood pumping with morning coffee.
Like the Hedges tie-in
The detail is terrific (in its modern sense of 'excellent' as well as its old sense of 'terrifying')...
The big point is clear and spans much more that automobiles: "The war depicted in Guernica Pass is industrial civilization’s war against the natural world...."
Thanks, Peter. Hope you’re well.
Thanks, Jeff. Yesterday, I asked myself if some dental and health care is within my/our ecological and financial means. I've wondered if having a car, Internet access, electricity, coconut milk and other now-common goods and services are within my/our ecological and financial means. Honestly, they're not. Without negating my existence, I wonder what steps I/we might take toward living within our ecological and financial means.
This was a brilliant piece, Max. Such an effective and powerful intro and a devastating follow-through combining data, logic, and philosophy.
I'm glad you think so, Vincent! That means a lot coming from an intelligent thinker and writer like you.
Thanks, Max. Here's another piece about EVs: In my January 8, 2024 substack, "How/can we protect the Earth when we need a car?" I reported that charging an EV uses enormous energy and overheats nearby transformers. Charging an EV shortens the nearby transformer’s lifespan (typically 30-40 years) to three years--and they’re not cheap.
Definitely, Katie.
The real issue is that we don't NEED cars or anything else from industrial society. We've CHOSEN to live like this, ignoring all the great harm, destruction, and killing we do (not talking about harms to humans). It's very hard to fight one's natural instincts to make life easier and more convenient, but fight them we must.
It was clearly a bad idea to evolve a species that must rely on its intellect in order to survive without linking that oversized intellect to expanded wisdom and empathy (for the Earth and all life here, not just humans).
Thanks for the article, Max. A separate but related topic about fossil fuels i don't hear much of anything if at all about is about the too-often news of an oil spill in a body of water. Do you know if there is anything being done to, i don't know, improve 'driving conditions'? Stricter rules or anything to avoid such so-called accidents? Seems like all i ever hear about is reducing or stop using fossil fuels as related to climate/air/CO2, which is obviously one big discussion, yet i mention this other b/c seems most enviro awareness and efforts are about climate/air, and overlook, in this context, the waters.
There are oil spills every day, and there have been for a long time. Most are relatively small ones -- though one drop is too much since oil should never have been taken out of the ground in the first place -- and of course the media never mentions them, because it's in the pockets of the oil, automotive, and tire industries. They want everyone driving, more money for them.
As to driving conditions, I say make them as bad as possible. The harder and more expensive it is to drive, the fewer people will do so. Driving conditions should be the least of our concerns here.
thx for the info. i put 'driving conditions' in parentheses b/c i meant regarding oil tankers
Got it. Those hideous monstrosities shouldn't even exist. When I sailed in San Francisco Bay, I wondered if the large ships could even see us.
BTW, to my knowledge Exxon has still not paid anything in punitive damages for the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. Do you know if this was ever resolved? Our fascist Supreme Court disallowed the $5 billion jury award, saying that punitive damages must be limited (couldn't disagree more).
Vaguely recall some decision, but i don't think they were ever made to pay up, whatta scam shame.
Absolutely, and that plays into the Onion headline I shared. When I was growing up, oil spills were the major issue. Now they're mostly ignored. There have been several massive spills over the past few years and they get almost completely ignored in the media. And of course, non-point source pollution from cars and other sources is a major spill problem as well.
Thx, Max. Also, lack of restrictions or guidelines with regard to oil tankers i loosely categorize along with gun control issues, a lot of talk yet nothing much seems to happen. Oh yeah, that Onion bit is classic satire.
For those who prefer listening rather than reading, I've added a voiceover to the top of this article.
I've been saying for decades that industrial society is war against the Earth. Plain as day to me, nothing to argue about. But I almost always got denials for responses, even from supposed environmentalists.
I gave up my car in 1999 and haven't looked back. I get around by walking, biking, and public transit, with very occasional rides from friends at gatherings. Even this is industrial living (except the walking of course), but it's moving in the right direction of eliminating industrial living altogether.
I have to also say this: Organize your life so that you don't have to drive regularly, then give up your car. If you fail to do that, then you just make excuses for driving. Modern humans need to confine themselves to urban areas and should not be living in rural ones, because they do great harm just by living there with their cars, roads, and electricity use. If you want to live in the country, do so without a car and without electricity. Otherwise, stay in the city where you belong.