In
the roughly six months since I completed the last major phase of my
research into population and consumption, and its implications
for the future, I have been focused on two things: surviving, and
writing books that will hopefully be ready for the Christmas buying
season. This has resulted in a drop in blog posts and other writing,
though I have occasionally released new music.
I
recently reviewed blog posts from 2011, around the time I completed
the previous phase of research, and found that many of the issues
that concerned me then are still in play. Of course, now there is
more evidence that the world is undergoing a human-caused mass
extinction event; and that catastrophic methane release from
permafrost is imminent, if not already in progress, which could push
global temperatures above habitability in the not-too-distant future.
The causes of the existential threats that I explored then remain
extremely relevant now, such as the global domination imperative
built into our culture and our economics. My current projects deal
with much of that, using new material and old material, in both
non-fiction and fiction.
A
non-fiction book, to be titled "Confessions of a Reluctant
Planet-killer," is entirely new and autobiographical. It begins
with how my views have evolved, from exaltation of unchecked growth
and open-ended innovation with an outward focus; through discovery
(in my own unique way) of fundamental relationships between
population, consumption, and happiness; to an awareness of the need
for what I call "global responsibility" to offset the
negative consequences of "personal responsibility." A
pivotal part of the book, reflected in its title and many of my
earlier blog posts, deals with how I've failed (and continue to fail)
in exercising global responsibility to the extent needed by all of us
if humanity is to have any future worth living in, thus contributing
to the horrible alternative. This effort is meant as a "coming
out" about something few people would even consider bad, an
example that hopefully others may be inspired to follow, and together
try to remedy.
Another
book, tentatively titled "Creations of a Reluctant
Planet-killer" is a mix of old and new creative writing,
including short stories, poetry, and essays. While much of this work
involves themes familiar to readers of my novel and blog posts
(including some of those posts), it has a mix of entries that have a
broader appeal. I continue to work on "Visitors," the
sequel to my novel "Lights
Out," which, like its predecessor, is an outgrowth of my
research, and has gone through several major revisions as my research
has evolved.
With
a lot of discipline and some luck, I expect to roll out these books,
and perhaps some related music, over the coming months. In the
meantime, I will try to be more diligent in writing for my various
blogs and Web sites, and perhaps add a few more "Universe
X" posts along the way.
