Jared Diamond A Great Mind

Jared Diamond.

I will start with a slight criticism. As a speaker he isn't the most charismatic man I have ever listened to, however, he doesn't need to be.

I often think charisma is for those who don't have intelligent or interesting things to say, or for those who are speaking to an audience who lack concentration and mental ability.

When a person is as well educated, as open-minded as Mr Diamond, as well travelled and with an ability to explain complex concepts then charisma is simply unnecessary trimmings. There are few women or men you could apply that statement to.

I said to my partner that one of the most stimulating characteristics in a person is an interest in the world coupled with having an open mind. These characteristics generally become more prevalent the more educated one is, however, I have seen some lower ability people who have them and lacking in people of very high IQ or EQ. When you combine these characteristics with a mind filled with the potential and ability of Mr Diamond's the result is truly compelling.

He is truly one of the greats of our time.

One of his books should be read by anybody who claims to be educated or openminded and as a very minimum listen to his lecture here:

http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?tip=1&id=3583

POPULATION, CONSUMPTION, POPULATION, CONSUMPTION and global warming.

I was listening to radio four, for anyone that is not a robot trawling the web and actually shock horror a human reading these few thoughts, the best thing about the BBC is the radio. Radio 4 is a bastion of quality, intellectual, free thinking discussion and was the home of Alistair Cook, perhaps the greatest radio correspondent of all time. If you are not British and passing through Heathrow, and not going nuts over the new security procedures then pick up one of the books from his radio show. The wisdom, turn of phrase will enchant you and bring a smile to your travel weary face.

On radio four they were discussing the coming year. One issue seemed to crop up frequently and that was global warming. They felt that finally the USA would get it, Arnie our hummer driving but with gas, bottom pinching robot beating hero and the plight of the polar bears would finally drive it, or should I say slap it or pinch it home to middle America…. Somehow having spent time in middle America I do wonder whether they will get it… but perhaps they will……

My anger as anyone that has read more than a few of these thoughts is the intelligentsia don’t really get it do they………. At the start of Planet Earth the wonderful BBC program about our planet, again something to pick up at heathrow, they say one hundred years ago the population was 1.5 billion it is now around 6……..

The problem if I can’t say it any more clearly is….

AVAILABLE LAND+AVAILABLE RESOURCES
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POPULATION * (CONSUMPTION*ENERGY USED TO PRODUCE)


This all delivers global warming which reduces land available to produce and consumption which reduces available resources. By concentrating on one part of this equation we neglect the vital factor which is population…. Come on guys how can we begin to control population with a loose touch before something really starts going wrong… how can we move to a system where democracy isn’t based on always delivering more, where people don’t always want more, where we become more thoughtful consumers……… my aging mother nearly broke my heart this Christmas by saying sometimes the consumption at Christmas is obscene the waste in food, in packaging, the waste in products… she is right but how are we going to change this…???

Which part of the equation is going to be the biggest problem? Global warming is only part of the issue and it might not even be the most important….. the whole is the problem not one part…… it poses a challenge to the democratic liberal economic system that I love so….