The End of Quiet Time

Tue Mar 7 16:16:54 PST 2006

An engineer friend pointed me to these articles:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1311007.stm

http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMILF638FE_planet_0.html

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question473.htm

I can't sort out the science.

Diane

On Mar 7, 2006, at 6:24 PM, Michael Herman wrote:

> Same here, all practical.  Since I don't know any architects and don't
> know how to begin to chase such folks in a big city like Chicago, I
> merely broadened the scope of my search.  I figure if it's not this
> water rising, it'll be something else, and no matter what it is, a lot
> of people are going to have to be ready to move like I think they
> don't yet remember.  I'm looking out for these architects and anybody
> else who can help us *move* to Higher Ground.
>
> Michael
>
>
>
>
> On 3/7/06, Chris Corrigan <chris at chriscorrigan.com> wrote:
>> Yup...extrememly practical.  I'm saying the same thing.
>>
>> It's an on the ground response to what is going on in a big way, 
>> nothing
>> more grounded or practical than opening space when shit happens.
>>
>> Chris
>>
>>
>> On 3/7/06, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
>>>
>>  I guess my thought was a bit more practical. These architects and
>> government
>> folks (and others) could use a lot of help doing what they say they 
>> want to
>> do. Who knows if it will do any good, but it seemed that the least we 
>> might
>> do is give them a hand. I confess that when I first heard the 
>> presentation
>> mentioned, I along with everybody else in the room sat in stunned 
>> silence.
>> Definitely an "Oh Shit" moment. Truthfully, the information provided 
>> was not
>> essentially new to me -- albeit the immediacy was. As I recovered a 
>> bit, it
>> occurred to me that there was an enormous opportunity here as well as
>> extreme danger. The scenario is so much bigger than any of us or our
>> "little" issues (peace, war, famine, plague -- to say nothing of the
>> "economy") that it might just serve to put all the rest in some sort 
>> of
>> useful context. And, who knows it might just get some useful 
>> conversations
>> started.
>>
>> Harrison
>>
>> Harrison Owen
>> 7808 River Falls Drive
>> Potomac, Maryland 20854
>> Phone 301-365-2093
>> Skype hhowen
>> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
>> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
>> Personal website www.ho-image.com
>> OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the
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>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: OSLIST [mailto: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of 
>> Michael
>> Herman
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 1:35 PM
>> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>> Subject: Re: The End of Quiet Time
>>
>> Here's another thought, not to oversimplify or otherwise diminish the
>> consequences of what is coming, but to offer a slightly different
>> view.
>>
>> What if these changes made in the environment were already too big to
>> stop?  What makes us think that we could coordinate control of
>> planetary weather in the first place?  What if rather than stopping
>> the changes, we learned to *move* better?  What if the buildings we
>> needed were not "green", but mobile, for instance?  And work, what if
>> it was more mobile?  But, of course, work already is getting more
>> mobile!
>>
>> Chris suggests 'NOT being part of the problem.'  This in itself is a
>> huge piece of work, possibly impossible.  The systems we have are the
>> problem and we're inescapable part of most of those.  Why not just
>> write off the losses of this real estate and move on?  Because we all
>> hold currencies and other assets, and buy food and insurance and heat,
>>  in markets that would go nuts if we did this all at once.  The good
>> news, if there is such a thing, is that we don't have to do it all at
>> once.  I would say that I'm looking for ways to be part of new ways of
>> living, and that new life seems to be all kinds of 'movement'.
>>
>> The story Chris quotes in my weblog is amazing to me.  It shows me
>> that Life can go on.  Life keeps moving.  This is what I try to
>> practice... movement.  Flexible, lively, smart but porous, loosely
>> formed and constantly informed boundaries and bodies and plans.  And I
>> try to do this as visibly as I can, as invitation, teaching, and
>> contribution.  I think most of us are doing this on some level, and
>> this is what I think we might look for all kinds of large and small
>> ways to do more of.  Make more moves, tell more stories, invite more
>> friends, support more connections.
>>
>> Every movement, from deepest inner to broadest social, is practice
>> that matters, or so it seems to me just now.
>>
>> Michael
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/7/06, Chris Corrigan < chris at chriscorrigan.com> wrote:
>>> Harrison:
>>>
>>> Even in the vast Open Spaces within which we work, there is really a 
>>> tiny
>>> closed space upon which we work.  The earth is a closed system, for 
>>> the
>> most
>>> part, and no amount of useful material or help from outside is 
>>> forthcoming
>>> to save us from ourselves.
>>>
>>> And so, the answers as always, are to open more space within, because
>> unless
>>> we seek some radical transformation in our ways of doing things, 
>>> scenarios
>>> like this may well come to pass.  And if they do...
>>>
>>> Some of us, including some of us here on the list like Ralph 
>>> Copleman,
>> Peggy
>>> Holman and John Engle, have been talking about seeing Open Space and 
>>> other
>>> dialogue and deliberation processes as essential tools for dealing 
>>> with
>>> massive crises brought about by climate change or catastrophes.  I 
>>> have
>>> personally spoken with David Korten, the author of a several pieces 
>>> on "
>> The
>>> Perfect Economic Storm" (collapse of the US$, climate change and 
>>> peak oil
>>> happening at the same time) and he's a big supporter of much much 
>>> deeper
>>> engagement of people in local communities in first preventing these 
>>> kinds
>> of
>>> scenarios, and later on, dealing with them well.  I've written more 
>>> about
>>> this at my weblog.
>>>
>>> I think, as Katrina and the Asian tsunami has taught us, dealing with
>> large
>>> scale and sudden change demands wise action.  In Sri Lanka, a group 
>>> called
>>> Sarvodaya, who make community empowerment their spiritual practice, 
>>> were
>>> first on the ground with support and logistics after the tsunami 
>>> because
>>> they make a practice of doing this kind of work.  Michael Herman's 
>>> recent
>>> posting on his weblog points to a group of Nepalese leaders who are 
>>> doing
>>> the same in the face of a civil war.
>>>
>>> The world has much need of those who make engagement, collaboration,
>>> empowerment and facilitation a regular practice.  When the skills are
>> really
>>> needed, there will be no time to learn them.
>>>
>>> We could certainly raise the alarm, but my inclination is to work in 
>>> two
>>> areas on activity: try my best NOT to be a part of the problem, and 
>>> keep
>>> myself prepared for the problems that may find us nonetheless.
>>>
>>> Chris
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> CHRIS CORRIGAN
>>> Consultation - Facilitation
>>> Open Space Technology
>>>
>>> Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
>>> Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com * *
>>>
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>>
>>  --
>>
>> Michael Herman
>> Michael Herman Associates
>> 300 West North Ave #1105
>> Chicago IL 60610 USA
>> Phone: 312-280-7838
>> michael at michaelherman.com
>>
>> skype: globalchicago
>>
>> http://www.michaelherman.com
>> http://www.openspaceworld.org
>>
>> Executive Facilitation ...getting
>> the most important things done in
>> the easiest possible ways.
>>
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>> --
>>
>>
>> CHRIS CORRIGAN
>> Consultation - Facilitation
>> Open Space Technology
>>
>> Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
>> Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com * *
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>
>
> --
>
> Michael Herman
> Michael Herman Associates
> 300 West North Ave #1105
> Chicago IL 60610 USA
> Phone: 312-280-7838
> michael at michaelherman.com
>
> skype: globalchicago
>
> http://www.michaelherman.com
> http://www.openspaceworld.org
>
> Executive Facilitation ...getting
> the most important things done in
> the easiest possible ways.
>
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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