Radical Noesis - Thinking outside the box

Certainly, there is the possibility that our future could be very bleak indeed. And while we need to be aware of the more dire options, it does us no good to throw up our hands and say that we are doomed. Such a fatalistic reaction would turn these dire predictions into self-fulfilling prophecies. The path of survival lies in action. We must resolve the problems before us without giving up hope.

And there is reason for hope.

The collapse of the current system does not necessarily mean that we will have to fight with our neighbors for every crust of bread. The examples from Argentina contained in these pages prove that people in an atomized and competitive society can come together when that society is in crisis. And here in the United States, there are many people and organizations already at work on building a brighter alternative. We will try to shed a little light on these efforts in future issues of this publication.

The first step is to realize that it is time to begin letting go of the present system. We must stop hoping for technofixes and leaving it to the authority figures to solve these problems for us—that path will lead to a very bleak future. The age of the automobile is over, the age of consumerism and the market-based economy is at an end, and good riddance.

The second step is to get involved. Join a CSA or some organization promoting sustainability, or start one if you cannot find any. Study permaculture, passive solar heating or home biodiesel brewing. Begin a campaign to revitalize public transport and the railway system. Begin talking with your neighbors, gently informing them of the problems we face and the need for us to redesign the society in which we live. It is only in this way that we will avoid a future full of misery and regrets.

Hopefully, this periodical will prove to be a valuable asset in working toward a truly sustainable and equitable society. That is our goal.

Contents of Volume 1, No 1

Among the contents of the first issue of the Mountain Sentinel, you will find
• The complete energy update mentioned below
• An analysis of Bush's statements about energy in his State of the Union Address
• An overview of how Argentines have survived their economic collapse
• The Collapse of Complex Systems
• The first chapter of a serialized novel titled, Of Our Own Design
• An examination of the coal industry and the recent tragedies in West Virginia
• An overview of the important statements issued by the world's scientific community over the past 15 years.
And much more.

This issue is 39 pages long, and is packed full of informative articles. It can be purchased as a pdf download for $2.50, or in a printed version for $7.81 plus shipping. The periodical can be purchased through this website. In time, the individual articles will be made available for download purchase.

Energy Update

The US energy profile continues to be very rosy for the time being. The mild winter so far has led to above average stocks of heating oil and natural gas for this time of year. As measured by heating degree days published by the National Weather Service, temperatures for the country as a whole were almost 32 percent warmer than normal and about 33 percent warmer than last year for the week.

Continued in The Mountain Sentinel, Volume 1, No. 1.