Consciousness, Climate and Change

Life in the Balance:  Powering the Future

February 5, 2010Will Brownsberger

Consciousness: Stages of ChangeDenial Denial Pre-

contemplation

Anger Blaming the System

Contemplation/

ambivalence

Bargaining Let me see the papers

Preparation/

Action

Acceptance Guilty plea Maintenance/

Relapse

No real GHG decline in EuropeGHG Emissions -- US vs. Europe (Tg CO2 Eq.)

0

1000

2000

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8000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Energy Consumption 1990 vs. 2007

-5

0

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% Change TotalBTU

% Change PerCapita BTU

EuropeUS

. . . a searching moral inventory . . . Some improvements in efficiency and behavior Bigger homes More appliances More driving . . . sprawl More air travel Livestock and dairy cultivation Non-local food Shifting jobs to Asia

Household Energy Use and Income

0

20000

40000

60000

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100000

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140000

<$10K $15-20K

$30-40K

$50-75K

kBTU's

. . . [h]aving had a spiritual awakening as the result . . .

Emphasis on action Empathy with other priorities Engagement – staying on the grid

. . . we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. Less travel – the internet, local business Slow travel – healthy human power Technology enabled sharing – less need for travel and

manufactured goods Green jobs – low tech and high tech Build the coals higher – land preservation and urban

density International collaboration to harvest infinite resources,

rather than international conflict over finite resources . . .

AA’s 12 Steps to Recovery: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—

that our lives had become unmanageable . . . . . . made a searching and fearless moral

inventory of ourselves [evaluate your carbon footprint by the numbers] . . .

. . . [h]aving had a spiritual awakening as the result . . . , we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Thank you!