Tag: choices

Today’s Taboo = Tomorrow’s Troubles

On By StevoIn anthropology, climate change, conspiracy, COVID-19, critical thinking, earth, electric vehicles, elon musk, energy, Environment, EV, NASA, nature, nature vs. nurture, religion, renewable energy, Science, space, Uncategorized, wildlife conservationLeave a comment

I was told as a kid – at home and in class – that there are some things we just do not talk about with others. I believed my learned elders and did just that…and you know what…that just made things worse.

Almost every time I tried to start a genuine conversation about these taboo topics – and I always used peer-reviewed evidence, facts (or the huge lack of any evidence), and real world examples to make my point – I would often get rapidly and aggressively shot down with heated emotions, wild eyes, and hateful words and phrases.

These responses totally threw me off and made me wonder WTF was going on in the other person’s mind that, rather than have a rational conversation about a difficult topic, they would choose to be so easily triggered and resort to attacking my questions and commentary with so much venom and vitriol.

Some personal examples;
(Note: the below examples are followed by a small sampling of the bizarre and often hateful comments I have received from easily triggered reactionary individuals.)

Evolution by natural selection –
I don’t believe in evolution! My preacher and my family said I can not hear this blasphemy!! It is not real. I did not come from no fish or monkey!!

Anthropogenic climate change –
No!! It is not happening, its cold outside so it is not real…and its a manufactured problem invinted by the chinese working with the WOKE leftist greenies to take our jobs and force us to drive electric cars!

The definition of theory –
There’s no real evidence to support any WOKE theories.

Renewable energy –
Not viable, does not work, takes American jobs, kills billions of birds, causes cancer, solar panels steal energy from the sun making the world colder, wind turbines stop the wind making it hotter…yada yada yada woke woke WOKE!

Fossil fuel subsidies –
More lies made up by the evil WOKE leftist greenies.

Fossil fuels –
They were put here by our god for us to use. If we don’t use them, we are going against God’s plan. The stuff that comes out of my car’s tailpipe is clear so it can’t be harmful. Coal rolling dosent hurt anyone and this is a free country so I can do what I like!! Drill baby drill!!

Pollution –
There is no air/water pollution because the air/water is clear !! That smell in the air is the smell of money!!

Electric vehicles –
They will never work, they are a passing fad, they are WOKE democrat cars, their batteries are tossed into landfills, they catch on fire all the time, they generate a dangerous EM field that makes you sterile, they are stealing our jobs!!!

Space exploration –
What a waste of money, space stuff does nothing for us here on earth…and youtube told me that space is not real and the earth is flat.

The age of the earth –
You are wrong!! My god said it is 6000 years old, so it is!!

Science –
I dont believe in science. Its part of the WOKE leftist liberal aganda!!

Religion –
My religion is the only one and my god is the one true god and you will burn in hell for eternity if you dont convert to my religion!!!

Human rights –
My people are the chosen ones!! My rights are more important!! Its my birthright and my way is the right way, the only way, and no outsider or immigrant will step on my rights and my god given freedoms!!!

LGBTQ+
They are all wrong, dangerous, and WOKE!! Their pronouns and choices do not matter, my sacred book and my favorite politician says they are all sinners and they will all go to hell!

Gender –
You are wrong – There are only 2.

The holocaust –
It did not happen.

COVID pandemic –
It was manufactured in a lab to reduce the population, it was a plandemic. Wearing a mask does nothing, it only shows that you are weak. Masks reduce your oxygen. Masks are WOKE!!! I don’t see any particles/droplets in the air so I do not believe they exist and my god will protect me – those who get sick and die – they were living wrong.

Vaccination –
Vaccines are full of toxins and will damage your brains!! Bill Gates is putting microscopic tracking devices inside the vaccines to track our movements!!
Vaccines are evil!! Vaccines will shorten your life!!!

Wildlife conservation –
WOKE!!! Wildlife are dumb animals. They were put here by our god for us to have dominion over and use as we please.

Nature conservation –
WOKE!! Nature was put here by our god for us to have dominion over and use as we please.

Air/water conservation –
WOKE!! There is so much air and water, we don’t need to worry about it. It was put here by our god for us to have dominion over and use as we please.

Snake conservation –
Snakes are evil, it says so in my holy book! Kill all serpents!

Guns –
!!!2nd amendment!!! Dead school kids are unfortunate, but you will not take my guns!!!
Thoughts and prayers.

The Government –
Before trump: the gubment is keeping us down, down with the gubment!!
During trump: praise our savior trump – or die! Do as I say or die! Look like me, act like me, think like me, vote and pray like me – or die.

Recycling –
Recycling is stupid, it is so WOKE!!!
Recycling takes people’s jobs.

Star Trek –
WOKE!!!

Taking care of the planet –
WOKE!!! No need to take care of the earth, it is imperfect. It was put here for us to use, so we can use it up, it does not matter. Heaven is perfect.

Homeless people –
Just get a fukin job already you lazy bum!!!

_______________

These are just a small sampling of the oddly disturbing, highly emotional, comments I have encountered over the years, from both students and adults, concerning these topics. Topics we should all have been taught to have calm, respectful, evidence-supported conversations about.

Sadly, it seems that many humans today cannot have a respectful conversations about anything real, without going off like a hair trigger gun. Why do they choose to act like this? Who or what has implanted itself into their minds to cause them to react with such malice, instead of calmly using their rational brain to actually think? It seems obvious that many humans today simply cannot think for themselves, they need others – father/authority figures real or imaginary – to make their decisions for them.

Could it be that they have been poisoned by their fairy tales?

Fairy tails about imaginary gods, promised lands, freedoms, money, politics and picket fences, etc. Bizarrely, many of these individuals know inside that their old fairy tails are wrong, yet they continue to self-medicate themselves and their offspring with all these highly addictive ancient religiopolitical toxins (as well as all the legal and illegal varieties of OTC and Rx medications, herbs, and potions) – because it is the easy way out.

In taking the easy way out, they are choosing to not use their amazing evolution-derived meat computer mega-brain to critically analyze all the avaliable peer-reviewed evidence and make up their own minds…yet they will loudly cry and pray to their gods and policy makers why their personal life, society, and the world, are having so many problems.

When no answers come (or inconvenienant answers they choose not to accept due to their lifetime of cultural conditioning (aka “indoctrination” in some circles) into their family’s religiopolitical cult of choice), they often choose to refuse/refute facts, evidence, and knowledge in favor of pointing blaming fingers at the “other” – when their own personal choices are the root of all their problems.

Even more disturbing is that the functioning systems and infrastructure that make our society and lives even possible – science, engineering, technology, trade, energy, farming, etc. – have been politicized to the point where they have become tools used by greedy charlatans, bent snake oil salesmen, and twisted pedophilic dictators and malignant freaks seeking religiopolitical power, control, and riches while their talking head minions distract over who is right or left, winning and losing, wrong or right…not what is real, factual, and supported by actual physical evidence…such as their fellow human beings being deleted with extreme prejudice – live on several cameras.

Critical thinking in a dieing virtue.

Growing numbers of the population have lost the ability to have respectful, knowledgeable, peaceful conversations about almost everything that really matters and instead resort to meaningless small talk, or no talk at all.

I am at fault as well. Over the last few years I have distanced myself from these important conversations because I have encountered so much angst, attacks, and hate from so many people over my last 5+ decades of life on this wet space rock. I know this hermitlike tactic is not productive in any way, but there comes a time when one must protect ones sanity over the alternative. This is why I write. It helps me winnow the wheat from the chaff. It helps me share my thoughts in a peaceful, thoughtful, respectful way. I know that some who read my words will disagree with me, but that is OK. We are all adults here. If you are angered by my thoughts and words, maybe you need to ask yourself why? Why are you angry? I had to have this conversation with myself long ago and the answer I found was this: their anger is not my problem, it is theirs. It comes from their mind, not mine. I have my evidence-supported facts in order.

Yet, for whatever the reason and despite the peer-reviewed facts and evidence on whatever the topic may be, the anger remains and this creates division.

Sadly, division among people often leads to misunderstandings, anxiety, fear, and sometimes even hate of the “other.” For some people this seperatist mindset can lead to “lunatic fringe” dwelling factions of misguided people that see anyone and anything outside of their chosen way of life – their tribe – as a threat to their existence. Example: ICE and the radical facist leaning mal-administration currently in power in the USA as well as the far left lunatics that would use harmful tactics to get their points across. Let us not forget the evangelical christo-facist types – they are a special kind of crazy, a crazy that is boardering on insanity. If christ were alive today they would call him an imposter and crucify him because of his empathy, love, and generosity toward the sick, weak, and infirm.

Some deep thinkers are calling this a “post-truth” world, and with the rise of AI and deep fakes, I predict that things will only get worse before they ever start to get better. However, concerning AI – it is we humans that invented this technology using science and engineering, and it is we humans who are choosing to use these things for hateful, nefarious, greed, and control focused reasons…instead of actually using them to solve the big problems we all collectively face.

Post-truth, obviously and as far as I am concerned, we are living in a post-humanity world where many fearfull people have lost their common sense, empathy, compassion, kindness, peace and love for their fellow human beings.

Common sense has been deleted.

Knowledge is being deleted.

Critical thinking is being deleted.

Art is being deleted.

Kindness is being deleted.

Empathy is being deleted.

We have become our own most limiting factor.

IMHO The only way we will ever hope to survive as a species is if we can find a way to kindly and respectfully communicate with each other about these topics again and maybe then will we re-awaken our lost humanity, and our lost hearts.

Or we will continue down this easy but dark path and extinct ourselves while blaming everyone but ourselves..

They walk among us.

On By StevoIn COVID-19, electric vehicles, elon musk, energy, Environment, EV, NASA, nature, nature vs. nurture, parasites, religion, renewable energy, Science, space, Uncategorized, wildlife conservationLeave a comment

Yes, they walk among us. EDIT 1.12.26 – and now they are running our government…

I met one once, he was wearing a tinfoil hat and totally convinced the gubment was following him – so he lived in a motor home, always on the move – a nomad terrified of reality.

He and others like him see conspiracy and deceit everywhere. From governments following their every move using bird-shaped drones to, flat planets, hollow planets, chemtrails, faked moon landings, planned pandemics, vaccine tracking devices, secret control groups – and today’s not at all secret death squads aka ICE, reptilians and/or all-powerful vengeful but entirely invisible god-beings and devils pulling strings from behind a curtain of clouds or magma and yada yada yada.

It is all really bizarre. And really scary.

Some of them seem to be attention seekers, some are profit seeking charlatans such as DJT and all the Alex Jones types, but sadly, others are truly missing something and I’m just not sure what it is and what will help them or if they even want help. It is a really very sad and growing mental health issue that needs to be addressed.

IMHO science, good critical thinking skills, and a bit of good ole common sense all work together to help us filter out the hate, fear, and all the crazy, and learn and understand how reality works.

In nature, most of the time life is really quite slow, methodical, and downright boring (have you ever watched grass grow) but absolutely necessary and remarkably beautiful for those who can see it – with an occasional natural disaster and pandemic tossed in to spice things up a bit – but this is our reality and yes, birds are real, (I ate a chicken leg for lunch and it was not a robot chicken (LOL).

Just to set things straight: we landed on the moon – 6 times – the earth is round, the government is staffed by real humans and recent events suggest that none of them have a clue how to govern…anything…and they are only in it to make bank.

Chemtrails are water vapor, sasquatch, nessie, santa, and god do not exist until evidence supports their existence. Evolution by natural selection is real and so is anthropogenic climate change. The power of peace, positive change, love, and compassion comes from the people. Seatbelts, masks, and vaccines work, and science is the best thing we have ever come up with to help us understand the reality in which we exist and then engineer ways to adapt and evolve to make it through whatever challenge nature randomly throws at us.

Knowledge conquers fear.

Do only good things.

Be Peace.

More on the Birds aren’t real project: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_Aren%27t_Real

WTF has the USA become?!?!

On By StevoIn anthropology, conspiracy, critical thinking, earth, electric vehicles, elon musk, energy, Environment, EV, NASA, nature, nature vs. nurture, parasites, religion, renewable energy, Science, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Something I wrote a little over 5 years ago…and it is even more relevant today.

I have not had this deep of a feeling of dread since 911 when radicalized religious terrorists killed thousands of innocents with hijacked airplanes.

Sadly today, it seems it is us – US. WTF!
The threat is not from outside, it is from inside.

Again – WTAF!

These are radicalized Americans. WTAF!!

I cannot understand how some of our own have developed such a twisted, misguided, wrongful, idea of freedom.

Mr. trump sir, as prime instigator, racist-terrorist-in-chief, bully-incubating, tantrum-tweeting, conspiracy-dreaming, deranged puppet master, – you have yet again crossed the line. You now have the freshly flowing blood of innocents and the warm blood of the heart of our once great democracy soaking your already deeply blood and viral stained tiny hands. You sir, are a moron and a complete and total disgrace to what it means to be an American.

Your robotic, hate, fear, and doubt spouting, gun, flag and bible waving, goose-stepping, bully-perpetrators are the lowest of the lowest form of humanity. They are disgusting, domestic terrorists who cannot accept reality/facts/science/math and who, at your direction, are attacking, defacing, and disrespecting law and order, harming and murdering innocent people in cold blood, and damaging/destroying public/government property. They, and you, should all be swiftly thrown under the jail and left there to rot for a very long time.

End of rant.

I do not care who any of you support or vote for, but if you in any way support any of this madness, any of these un-american, bullying, violent, twisted, fearful, hateful, racist, tantrum tossing, domestic terrorists – you are a traitor.

Today, I am not proud to be an American.

I am embarrassed and I am heartbroken.

VOTE…while you still can.

On By StevoIn anthropology, conspiracy, critical thinking, Environment, nature, nature vs. nurture, religion, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Please get your butt out there and VOTE.

Pray to whatever god(s) you believe in – or lack thereof.

Think good thoughts.

But let us remember that these religiopolitical/societal experiments in governing ourselves are just that – experiments.

Over the last ten thousand or so years of human civilization, there have been many societies that have risen and fallen, and just as many experiments in governing the populace. So many political organizations, religions, kings, queens, gods and goddesses have been invented, worked for a time, and faded away or fell flat on their faces only to disappear into the pages of dusty unopened books, the sands of time and/or the rock strata, and some, like ours – are novel and are still in the testing phase.

Just because this experiment is the one we are testing and living through today – does not mean it is the only way or the best way to govern a society and its people – in fact, recent evidence suggest that this experiment may be failing on many fronts.

If this grand experiment does in fact prove to be a total failure, it will need to be ended and relegated to the history books as yet another example of what not to do.

Therefore, it is not productive or helpful to believe this ongoing experiment is the end all be all best way to govern a large population of people, and therefore, as it is only an experiment in governing – it is not at all helpful to yourself or others to get all bent out of shape when someone you know or love chooses to support another “team” and/or if your chosen “team” loses its seat at the table.

Nor is it at all helpful to harm others or their property with your actions or words because, in all probability – in a century none of this will matter and the world will have moved on in its never-ending orbit around the sun and the thinking members of its population will have adapted to meet the challenge…or not.

There are only two choices in the game of life: adapt or die.

Improvise, adapt, overcome, evolve, survive, and thrive.

Make good choices.

Do only good things.

One Love.

Unless.

Peace.

Part 2.
If your “team” (political, religious, or sport) doesn’t win the game and in response, you are choosing or planning violence, hatred, intimidation, spreading evidence-lacking FUD, and/or harm/damage/vandalism to citizens and/or their property, and/or wildlife or nature – then the simple fact is this: you are not a patriot of whatever country or religion you choose to reside within.

If you support or promote past or future violence, hatred, intimidation, spreading evidence-lacking FUD, and/or harm/damage/vandalism to citizens and/or their property, wildlife and/or nature – then you are not a patriot.

What you are is a bully and a terrorist and a danger to society and to everything your religio-political affiliation stands for.

Don’t be bully.
Don’t be a terrorist.
Don’t let the fairy tales you have chosen to believe in, poison your mind and make your decisions for you.

Wake up.
Think for yourself.
Grow up.
Get help.
Be a good human.
Make good choices.
Do only good things.

If you know someone who is exhibiting these troubling symptoms – please report them to the authorities ASAP – it just may save a life or lives.

Fossil Fuel Fools – revisited.

On By StevoIn climate change, conspiracy, critical thinking, earth, electric vehicles, elon musk, energy, Environment, EV, nature, renewable energy, Science, Uncategorized, wildlife conservationLeave a comment

In logical response to all the recent, and increasing negatively pitched “reports” and mud and FUD slinging being manufactured (by organizations funded by big oil) and spread all over the mainstream and social media about electric vehicles…and the ensuing wave of negative/emotional/thoughtless comments from oponents and haters in regards to the technology…I offer just the facts on EV’s from the point of view of an EV owner and educator of over a decade.

FACT: In 2013 I purchased a one year old 2012 Nissan Leaf (100% electric car) with 1,200 miles on the odometer. I drove the Leaf for over 6 years and 75,000 gas-free miles.

In 2019, I traded up to a new 2019 Chevy Bolt EV which i have driven over 80,000 miles and i am still driving today.

In 2025 I moved up yet again into a new, 2026 Chevy Silverado EV (CSEV) pickup that currently has clocked over 7000 miles on it odometer.

I drove all of these vehicles as daily drivers commuting to work daily and back in all weather, on paved and gravel roads, and up and down the mountains we call home. I drive an average of 40-45 miles/day and more on weekends. Due to the wonderful and growing EV charging network that continues to expand and open the roads to EV drivers – I can go almost anywhere with no problems. I have driven across NC, SC, TN, and several times to North central Florida without issue.

Here are a few of the most repeated myths followed by the peer-reviewed facts about EVs.

MYTH: It is very expensive to charge an EV.

FACT: Just the opposite. It costs me an average of 0 – .02 cents per mile to drive electric. I drive ~200 miles/week so for my use case I pay zero to $4/week for automotive fuel depending on where I charge my EV.
It is zero cost for fuel when I charge on solar-produced electricity (over 75% of the time). The remaining 25% of the charging is at home and rarely at community EV charging stations (level 2 and 3) where I usually pay around $2 – $12 to fully charge my EV and many of these stations are in fact – free. Many of these stations are also solar, hydroelectric, nuclear powered – so a good portion of that electric free-range fuel is renewably driven by locally produced energy sourced in the US (not half a world away in the mid east etc) and therefore, zero emissions and energy secure(no oil wars and dirty politics needed)!

FACT: Even when I account for the cost of all the electricity I have used to fuel both my EVs over the last decade – I have still saved many thousands of $$$$$ that I would have spent on single-use gas and oil had I continued to drive a toxic old fossil burner.

MYTH: EV’s have very short range, will run out of “juice” and leave you stranded.

FACT: While my LEAF did have very limited range at ~75 miles – the Bolt will travel up to 250 miles on a single charge and my CSEV will take me upwards of 475 miles on a single charge!! Like most newer Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powered vehicles they all have alert systems to let you know when your charge level is getting low. They also have sophisticated GPS navigation systems that allow you to plan your trip ahead of time taking into account stops at charging stations along the way.

While it is understandable that this lifestyle is not for everyone, advances are being made in the EV, battery, and charging infrastructure that, within a few years time, will put 500+ mile range capable EV’s on the roads from most of the world’s major auto makers.

FACT: No matter if you run out of a charge or you run out of gas – it is your fault for not planning ahead.

MYTH: “Electric Vehicles are not zero emissions, they run on coal, and are dirtier and more polluting than internal combustion engine (ICE) powered vehicles that run on gas/diesel fuel.”

Let’s break it down.

FACT: Battery Electric Vehicles BEV’s (the focus of this report) do not run on anything but electricity and are themselves – truly and fully zero emission. That being said, depending on how that electricity is generated– the place it gets its electricity to charge its traction battery–could be “dirty” (coal) or “clean” (renewable energy) but in most places it is a combination of both so let’s dig deeper.

FACT: A small ICE car emits ~390 grams of Carbon Dioxide CO2/mile.

FACT: The average power consumed by a small EV is ~.25 KWh/mile.

FACT: ~907 grams of CO2/KWh is emitted from coal fired power plants in the dirtiest 100% coal-based electricity generation areas.

FACT: 907 (g) x .25 (KWh) = 226 grams/mile in dirtiest 100% coal-based electricity generation areas, which remains lower than the 390 grams from the small ICE car so in reality, even if your EV is charged in an area that gets all of its electricity from coal, EV’s are still cleaner than a comparable ICE powered vehicle… and FAR cleaner than these children.

MYTH: Building more EV’s will require us to build many more power plants to provide all the electricity to operate all of them.

FACT: EV’s are charged from the same utility grid that your mobile devices use. Like your devices, EV’s come with their own charging cable that plugs into a standard 120v outlet*. Like your mobile electronic devices they are most often charged at night, while you are sleeping, and when electricity generated from emissions-free wind (and no, wind turbines do not kill all the birds, feral cats, windows, pesticides and fossil fuels do), hydro, nuke power is in low demand, lower in cost, and goes mostly unused – so there is ample supply to power your EV. *In development now are inductive charging highway lanes that, when you need a charge, you will just simply drive in the lane and your car will charge while moving at speed! There are now available inductive charging pads (just like you can buy for mobile devices) but made for EV’s. This will eliminate the need to plug in your EV and one day you will be able to just park in an EV charging parking space or in your garage and your car will automatically start charging.

FACT: The US power grid is getting cleaner every day as more fossil fuel fired power plants are retired and more renewable energy power systems go online – so in these areas especially, EV’s are much cleaner.

FACT: Due to the fuel mix of the grid getting cleaner, EV’s get cleaner as they age. This is never a fact with ICE cars that constantly loose efficiency as they age due to wear and tear of all their moving parts.

Learn more here:
greencarreports.com/news/1086927_coal-makes-electric-cars-bad-no-plug-ins-show-coal-as-worse

and

ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/documents/clean_vehicles/electric-car-global-warming-emissions-report.pdf

FACT: One parking space covered with a canopy of photovoltaic solar panels (2.5KW) in the southeast would produce around 3,292 KWh/year. This will operate an EV for around 13-16K miles of 100% emissions free driving on clean, sunshine generated electricity!

FACT: EV’s produce a portion of their own fuel via the process known as regenerative breaking – try to find an ICE powered vehicle that does that!

FACT: The average EV travels an average of 4 miles/Kilowatt hour (KWh) of electricity.

FACT: It takes 6 KWh of electricity to refine one gallon of gasoline (source US DOE).

FACT: The average EV can travel 24 miles on the power that it takes to refine just one gallon of gasoline!

FACT: It takes ~9 KWh of energy to extract and transport the crude oil that will be refined into that gasoline.

FACT: An EV could travel an additional 36 miles on this energy.

So, no new power plants are needed, especially if we do not produce the gallon of gas. So…get an EV, and drive 60 all-electric miles on the same amount of energy we are generating today to refine all that dirty gasoline…and fight all those wars to keep it flowing.

And…

Save the 44 gallons of water that it takes to refine that one gallon of gasoline! It is a no-brainer.

MYTH: It is very expensive to power an EV.

FACT: The average cost of electricity in the US is 12 cents/kWh. Therefore the average person driving an average EV 15,000 miles per year will pay about $540.00 per year to charge it. How much did you pay for gasoline/diesel last year? I bet it was much more than $540. Think about what could you have done with all that extra money you spent on gas and oil? Just think about it…or feel free to remain in denial of the facts. It is your choice, not mine – I made my choice decades ago.

FACT: Believe it or not – five 100 watt light bulbs left on continuously for a year use nearly the same amount of energy as it takes to power an electric car 15,000 miles! Here’s how: Five 100 watt light bulbs use 500 watts. In 24 hours they use 12,000 watt-hours or 12kWh. In 365 days they use 4,380kWh. A typical EV that uses 30 kWh for every 100 miles will use 4,500 kWh to drive 15,000 miles! Simply by turning unnecessary lighting off at your home, you can drastically reduce or completely eliminate your annual transportation fuel cost. Try doing that with an ICE powered vehicle! (The cost of LED lighting products has dropped recently so we have replaced almost all of our light bulbs in our house with LED’s. This has not only saved us money but we have also totally offset the cost of driving our EV just by upgrading our lights to LED!)

Learn more here: pluginamerica.org/drivers-seat/how-much-does-it-cost-charge-electric-car

Cars are not the only way you can reduce emissions by switching to EV’s

FACT: One piece of gas burning lawn equipment such as a lawn mower emits more hydrocarbon pollution into our shared atmosphere than a gasoline-guzzling crew-cab pickup truck! You would have to drive a 6.2L V8 truck almost 4000 miles to equal the emissions produced in 30 minuets of use by a gas powered 2-cycle engine such as a string trimmer (weed-eater). Why not use an all electric string trimmer or lawn mower—there are many available now and they all can even be fueled with renewable energy you can generate at home! I made the switch to all-electric lawn equipment over a decade ago and it just works. Even my two chain saws are all-electric.

MYTH: EV’s, solar, and wind power are not American because they do not create jobs or use the oil/gas that we fight deadly wars to acquire.

FACT: The Nissan Leaf is made in Smyrna Tennessee and provides good jobs to thousands of American and Tesla provides over 120,000 jobs!!

Today there are more Americans employed in solar construction/maintenance jobs than there are coal miners mining coal. The wind energy industry provides great jobs to over 50,000 Americans. And that’s just for starters…

FACT: Sourcing our energy domestically (be it solar, wind, hydro, coal—whatever the source) provides many good jobs to Americans and is much more efficient and much safer than traveling thousands of miles, dealing with governments—that are often hostile and feed money to terrorism groups—extracting it, then finally bringing it back to be refined and used only once- thats right, fossil fuels are single use and that single use comes at great cost and loss of life due to the needless wars that often must be fought to keep it flowing.

FACT: It is far more American to be self sufficient and produce your own energy at home, than it is to rely on an outside source to provide you with that energy.

FACT: You can power your home and your EV with off-the-shelf renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, etc ) that you make at home…and even make a profit from the excess!

Maintenance

MYTH: EV’s are expensive to work on.

FACT: EV’s rarely need major servicing because they have fewer moving parts than ICE vehicles. EV’s have only a handful of moving parts in their power plant whereas the average ICE engine has thousands! Therefore, EV’s require far less maintenance to keep them “healthy” and are therefore they are much more economical to drive.

I have been driving electric for over a decade and over 160,000 miles, and my EVs have required no specialized routine maintenance by me other than the occasional washing and vacuuming, a set of new windshield wiper blades, adding a little air to the tires, and the occasional topping off of the washer fluid, changing the cabin air filters, and one set of brake pads on the LEAF – you know, the things you would need to do to any type of vehicular construct no matter its fuel source.

Had I been driving a legacy vehicle I would have had to spend far more time and money over the same time-frame. For example, to keep my 2013 Honda Pilot 4×4, (the last ICE vehicle that I owned) running in an efficient as possible manner (for a machine with so many miles – 120+k – and so many moving parts that can and will wear out due to constant use thereby lowering the fuel economy of the vehicle and lowering the amount of money in my bank account) I used a bio-based fully synthetic American made motor oil, and I change the oil filter when I change the oil. Just the oil/filter change and new spark plugs for the Honda cost us ~ $230** over its last 30k miles! Operational costs for user replaceable parts and non warranty covered parts for the Bolt EV during this same period of time = $55 (wiper blades and cabin air filter)!

The simple fact that EV’s do not have as many moving parts as petroleum powered vehicles makes them much more reliable and cost effective to operate than their fossil fuel powered counterparts. The do not have or need any of the parts that commonly wear out in gas/diesel vehicles such as: belts, chains, hoses, air/fuel filters, water pump, spark plugs, glow plugs, oil, filter, clutch, transmission, muffler, catalytic converter, exhaust pipe…they do not even have an engine.

MYTH: EV’s are new…scary…future technology.

FACT: Electric vehicles are anything but scary and nothing new. The electric motor that moves them has only a few long lived moving parts and is a proven technology that has been used to make our lives easier since the mid-late 19 century.
They pre-date ICE powered vehicles and were hitting the roads of the world in the late 1800’s – see the timeline here: energy.gov/articles/history-electric-car!

FACT: Most of our houses/businesses are totally electric. Washer, dryer, refrigerator, heating and cooling, lighting, entertainment systems, power tools…all electric…with many electric motors and systems that quietly work in the background keeping our lives comfortable. Why is it then that we continue to use outdated petroleum powered transportation systems to get around?

MYTH: “EV’s are slow, like golf carts, dangerous, and I heard that they catch on fire and burn to the ground all the time.”

FACT: EV’s are anything but slow. The little Nissan Leaf EV will go 0-60 in around 10 seconds. The Bolt EV 0-60 in 6ish, and the CSEV – 5 seconds. The Tesla Model S Plaid 100% electric car has the world record for the fastest accelerating production four-door car ever! It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in a brain melting 1.8 seconds!

Dangerous, totally the opposite – the Tesla Model S was rated by the NHTSA as the safest car ever tested…in history! And each new Tesla product is safer than the last.

Fires, there have been around 287,000 vehicle fires per year since 2003…less than a dozen of those involved electric cars…ALL of the others were ICE powered vehicles.

News agencies just love to manufacture drama and the fact that gas powered cars burn all the time is not anything new, its not dramatic anymore…but let an EV catch fire and it is all over the headlines because sensationalist drama centered around anything new feeds the weak minded. (Note: I am not saying anyone reading this is weak minded because if you have read this far you obviously are interested in the facts and not the manufactured drama :-))

Think of it like this: if everyone had been driving clean, fast, safe, low maintenance electric vehicles for the last century, and someone tried to get you to drive or even ride in a vehicle powered by an incredibly toxic, flammable, explosive liquid fuel—what would you do? Personally, I would R.U.N.N.O.F.T!

MYTH: Electric vehicles are expensive.

FACT: While it is true that a new top of the crop EV will set you back over 100K, you can get a new EV such as a Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt for less than $40k and a used one for much less. You must also remember to factor in that you will NEVER pay for gas and oil again and that in itself adds up to thousands of dollars/year…even when you account for the cost of the electricity used to fuel your EV! Then, when then you factor in all the money spent on tune-ups and engine/transmission/exhaust system repairs for most ICE powered vehicles – all the savings add up to reveal that most EV’s are much more economical to own and drive than your average ICE powered vehicle. Oh and since EVs don’t have catalytic converters to steal, you won’t have to worry about that issue…ever.

MYTH: When the battery wears out a new battery will cost more than the car is worth.

FACT: When an EV’s battery degrades to the point where it is no longer able to store enough energy to propel you in your daily commute, the battery can be easily replaced with a new one-it is as plug and play as the one in your mobile device…only larger. After the battery is replaced you essentially have a new car. Note: all EV manufactures have excellent battery warranties/leasing options that serve to help new EV drivers “ease into” a better way to drive and are great incentives for adopting a this technology.

MYTH: A used EV battery cannot be used for anything and is toxic waste and must be tossed in the landfill.

FACT: Used batteries can be recycled just like any battery but before that time comes they can be used in stationary power storage facilities, as back up generators connected to homes and businesses and off-grid power stations especially when connected to renewable energy power systems. Learn more here: nytimes.com/2015/06/17/business/gm-and-nissan-reusing-old-electric-car-batteries.html?_r=0

and here

greencarreports.com/news/1093810_electric-car-batteries-what-happens-to-them-after-coming-out-of-the-car

It is illegal in most places to toss out a 12volt car battery and it is the same with a used EV traction battery – and since they are fully recyclable, they can be remanufactured into new EV batteries over and over without needing to continually mine the earth for raw materials.
Check out https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/

MYTH: There is nowhere to charge an EV?

FACT: Most EV drivers charge their cars at home but when out on the road there are thousands of EV charging stations (EVSE) in the USA alone and the number is growing every day. To find out how many are near you just take a look at Plugshare.com.

FACT: Most EV owners love their cars so much that they have become “crusaders” of the technology and promote them every chance they get because they know from experience that that they are a much better way to drive.

MYTH: “EVs are “woke” democrat cars.” Yes, I have heard that bizarre comment from some people. Really, you are going there…why, and what productive purpose does it serve?

FACT: EVs are a transportation technology. Thay are the next most logical step in the story of transportation. Get over your attempt to politicize…everything. If you want to live in the past, go ahead. The only direction any of us can move in life is forward.

FACT based OPINION: Driving ICE powered vehicles is like purchasing a subscription to dependency on a highly toxic, highly addictive drug that shortens your life while constantly draining your bank account and damaging everything it comes in contact with.

OPINION supported by SCIENCE, RESEARCH, and EXPERIENCE: All of these reasons and more are why EV’s are superior to everything else on the road and one day in the near future gas/diesel will go the way of the dinosaurs.

Be the change you wish to see in the world and the world will change.

Special Thanks to Bob Harris of Black Bear Solar Institute for compiling some of the facts in this document! Learn more at: blackbearsolarinstitute.org

Special Thanks to the members of the Blue Ridge Electric Vehicle Club for supporting the future of transportation and renewable energy technologies.

I will never go back to gas.

All that being said, here is another take on this subject from the land down under:

“Alright, strap in because the dummies need infinite education.

Every time you clowns think you’ve kicked a goal with the “ahhh but wind turbines need oil, batteries need mining, steel needs coking coal” routine, I can practically hear the last two brain cells high-fiving. No shit, Sherlock. Nobody is disputing oil is useful. Oil is insanely useful. That is exactly the fucking point.

Oil takes millions of years to form. Millions. You don’t just whip that up in a factory between smoko and lunch. It is essential for medicine, agriculture, plastics, lubricants, fertilisers, cosmetics, clothing, electronics, about 98% of modern life. Nobody serious is saying “no oil ever”. What we are saying is maybe, just maybe, lighting the stuff on fire and huffing the fumes inside your air sacks like idiots isn’t the smartest use of it.

We should be stockpiling oil for this generation and future generations, not pissing it away by turning it into exhaust fumes so Dave can rev his Hilux at the lights. You want to know how dumb that is? Go stick your face behind a tailpipe and inhale for a few minutes. Let me know how that goes for your lungs, champ. That shit is carcinogenic. It is literally poison. That is why asthma rates are up, lung disease is up, and lung cancer is up. Burning petrochemicals and breathing them in turns cities into rolling chemistry experiments.

And don’t give me the “but we’ve always done it” crap. We also used to shit in holes and die of infected paper cuts. Progress happened.

Using oil without burning it, in products that last decades, medicines that save lives, fertilisers that grow food, plastics that actually make modern healthcare possible, that is smart. Wasting it by setting it on fire for transport when we have cheaper, cleaner alternatives is fucking moronic.

Electric transport and renewables are not about pretending oil doesn’t exist. They are about not being dumb enough to burn a finite, irreplaceable resource into the atmosphere like cavemen discovering fire for the first time. We don’t want to drag the planet back to the Carboniferous era where it was basically a Turkish sauna with ferns the size of buildings.

And here is the real punchline. While you’re pounding your chest defending fossil fuels, you’re donating your money straight to petrochemical giants and oil states. Congratulations. You are sending your hard-earned cash overseas so Saudi princes can buy another gold-plated toilet while you scream about freedom.

You don’t need to be Albert fucking Einstein to see this. Oil is too valuable to burn. Clean air is better than poison. And if you’re still clinging to this nonsense, it’s probably because you’re emotionally attached to the idea of setting ancient dinosaur juice on fire and calling it masculinity.

Do us all a favour. Stop confusing “oil is useful” with “burn everything forever”. One is intelligent. The other is fucking stupid.”
Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Dj38Q2y4D/

An Observational Rant

On By StevoIn anthropology, critical thinking, nature vs. nurture, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I honestly don’t think some humans care at all how others view them when they are in public…and maybe they do not even realize they are in public.

What follows is some of my over half a century of observational evidence of this bizarre and problematic phenomenon:

“Adults” who are loud talkers insulting/bullying/demeaning the person(s) they are with in some bizarre attempt to draw attention to their target(s) with the goal to make some lame point or expose/humiliate, when in reality they are making themself look supremely infantile. Here’s an idea: grow the frak up you 12 year old little brat!

People talking loudly into their mobile communication device as if increasing the volume of their voice will make the person on the other end of the “line” hear them/understand them better.
Here’s an idea – noone anywhere wants to hear your incoherent, chimplike hooting, no matter how important you believe you are…and your device has a super sensitive microphone that can detect a whisper, AND the ape on the other end has a volume control and will turn you down when you get annoying. Be respectful you filthy, matted, hairball.

People watching videos/things on their mobile devices at max volume (or any audible volume) in a resturant, waiting room, bus, train, plane, ship, etc…this is happening 20′ from me as i type these words.
Here’s an idea – be respectful of others and get some earphones/buds you obnoxious drooling troglodyte!

Parents/people loudly yelling hate/ obscenities/absurdities at their unfortunate offspring.
Here’s an idea – don’t have offspring if you cant control yourself and treat them with the respect they deserve. Are you purposefully trying to lead by your awfully hateful example and make them a carbon copy of your disgusting hateful self?! 

People talking loudly at each other across a span of space occupied by other humans (ex. train, plane, bus, waiting room, resturant etc.). Here’s an idea: walk closer to each other and converse at a reasonable voice being respective of the others in the room. Whatever it is, it is not all about you, you miserable stinking troll.

People who crowd up to the elevator door as if upon arrival it will be magically empty and is there only for them. Here’s an idea: push the call button and stand back you impatient wank walker.

People who blow their nose in a crowded public place such as a resturant – even with a napkin or handkerchief, this is just disgusting and nasty.
Here’s an idea – have some respect for others around you, step into the bathroom or outside and blow your festering air hole all you like you putrid steaming snotnozzle.

Impatient bully types who just have to be first in every line, que, or intersection.
Here’s an idea you greedy tantrum tossing tool – have some respect for others and wait your damn turn.

People who disrespect our only planet by littering, defacing nature with graffiti, poachers, and those who exploit nature for personal gain without any consideration for future generations…

…and so many more. If you have encountered similar lack of respect from the seething masses of humanity then feel free to add your own examples in the comments.

Heavy Thought Time

On By StevoIn anthropology, critical thinking, earth, Environment, nature, nature vs. nurture, religion, Science, space, UncategorizedLeave a comment

To create a life is rather easy, people do it all the time.

To create good people, that is possibly the most difficult thing we will ever do.

We have all heard about the nature vs nurture debate, and from where I stand as an observer of nature, I see many deep connections between all living things everywhere I look – connections that run like fungal mycelium throughout the deep-time tapestry of life.

These ancient genetic connections are incredibly apparent to me because I see them in myself. I was adopted as a newborn and spent the next several decades with wonderful, loving parents who nurtured and cared for me, giving me a comfortable home, an education, and most of all, the ability to think for myself. They let me choose my own path – they did not force on me any specific religion, politics, or any other worldviews – they let me choose for myself who I was to become. They were the nurture side of the coin that I received in this coin toss called life.

On the nature side of the coin: From a very young age, my curiosity about the natural world around me was incredibly strong. I have always had a deep empathetic nature and a deep connection to animals, nature, wildlife, and the silent teachers that exists in the forest, an endlessly flowing river, the rolling ocean waves, and the deeptime knowledge that exists in every rock, tree, mountain, water drop, and in our own DNA – these are teachers that only some of us can hear.  Due to these deep connections to the natural world I always wondered if I had inherited this intense love and focus on nature from my biological family.

Then, in 2018, I used the tools of science to find my genetic family and my suspicions were confirmed – my love of nature was indeed genetic – my father and all my family members were great lovers of nature and all things wild and wonderful. My father and I shared so many things in common – even down to things like favorite foods, TV shows, music, vehicles, wildlife, it is really astounding how many deep connections we share.

So for me specifically, the nature vs nurture argument is no longer a debate – i am a product of both of these things.

From my point of view, and from my lived experience – I believe that at birth we carry within our genetic code, a singular sequence specifically written by the experiences of our parents, grandparents, great grandparents and far far back into deeptime, to a time before we gave ourselves names, before we harnessed fire, before we were even human. This ancient code sequence is the nature side of the coin. It is a hard written instinct stamped into our DNA by the experiences of all our ancestors. This ancient code is expressed,  like it or not, by our consciousness.  But what the heck is consciousness anyway?

In an attempt to answer this age old question we need to flip the coin back over to the nurture side again and ask – what about our consciousness?  Where does it come from?  What is it that allows us to look in the mirror and say “Hello me, i recognize that i exist…i think therefore i am.” 

Where does the consciousness  originate?  Some say it is all in the mind…and maybe this is so.  However, I sometimes wonder if it comes from outside the body…another realm of existence that we have yet to identify.  Maybe we and all life on earth are part of this unique and massive energy field…this Singularity…and we are greatly limiting ourselves when we think that we are separate, apart, alone individuals.  But in reality…a reality we have not discovered yet because we are not yet ready, not evolved enough to experience that reality and understand it…maybe we are all connected deeper than we could ever imagine.  Maybe when our body exhausts itself and ceases to exist, maybe our unique consciousness – our soul – retreats back into this unknown realm, this undiscovered country, to rejoin with the rest of the whole where it then shares its lifetime of experiences with its “peers” afterwhich it is reset, and then born again as another lifeform on earth…or another planet in the vast cosmos – and the cycle continues.

I do not believe in omnipotent beings – a god or gods – and therefore i do not believe a devine creator being gives us each a unique consciousness – at soul – at birth.  I have this hypothesis that at birth, our consciousness is a blank clean slate…like a new computer waiting to have is blank but eager to learn storage drives filled up with all our unique photos, music, stories, history – the unique things we save close to our hearts and minds – the things that make us, us.

Maybe we are all born with this same basic, “blank slate” consciousness.  Maybe this blank slate consciousness is exactly the same for everyone – it is a carbon copy of whatever the first one was, whatever the first human being was.  Then, as we live and grow and are exposed to our family, friends, society, the media, religion, politics, science, culture, war, love, hate, bullies, hippies, laughter, passion, sickness, trauma, etc – maybe it is only after this exposure to all these unique outside experiences and influences, coupled with the genetic expression of our instinctual nature knowledge passed down from our unique evolutionary lineages, does our unique consciousness truly becomes ours, and only ours.  It becomes unique to each human due to the unique experiences each of us has experienced as well as the deep genetic connections we brought forward in time from our unique ancestrial DNA.

Maybe the “me” and “you” parts of our thinking brains are exactly the same until they experience life, the universe, and everything around us during our first few years of life – and then we become the unique individuals that we are – we become the you and the me that we see in the mirror.

If all this is so, then to guide an innocent young human into adulthood as a parent, teacher, or mentor, is possibly the greatest responsibility one could ever hold.

Choose wisely.

Think before you speak.

Be a good human.

Do good things.

Another Thought Experiment

On By StevoIn anthropology, climate change, critical thinking, earth, Environment, nature, religion, Science, space, UncategorizedLeave a comment

If a highly advanced, long-lived, extraterrestrial species from another galaxy landed on Earth today and told us we were all part of a long-term planetary biology/evolution “lab” experiment designed and implemented several million years ago in the attempt to discern the direction biological evolution would take under the unique environmental conditions offered by this planet and its star…

…and/or…

If Jesus (or any other religious prophet) returned and/or appeared – and he was a dark skinned, barefoot, long haired, “herb” smoking, robe wearing, bisexual, “hippie” “dude” whose pronown was “whatever man” and he was asking all of us to destroy our walls, weapons, governments, religions, superficial labels and divisions, and all coexist and live in harmony…

Recent events suggest that many people who call themselves religious would probably deny the flesh and blood evidence standing in front of them, and cry “demon,” “witch,” ” infidel,” “imposter,” – and then try to crucify and/or dissect them.


Sadly, the fearful, preconceived notions of what many believe their god and/or extraterrestrial visitors should be are far too limiting and microscopically small, to allow them to see the grandeur of the cosmos as it actually exists, and all the amazing possibilities it may hold.

We are our own most limiting factor.

Something from my brain.

On By StevoIn anthropology, climate change, conspiracy, COVID-19, critical thinking, earth, Environment, nature, religion, Science, space, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The star we call Sol sent out its energy across the deep void of space…the oceans and land warmed…waters evaporated…clouds grew tall and mighty…wind blew, rains fell, and fell, and rivers jumped out of their banks…their mindless liquid fury eating up the ephemeral landscape while ending all the innocents in its path…the humans cried out – “Why?!?”

The heat and humidity continue to build and build…and the exhaustion and heat stroke drop more and more of us…the sick, the old, and the weak…the humans cried out – “Why?!?”

The land drys out, clouds move over, and, like socks on carpet in winter – friction charges them up like big fluffy sky capacitors and their charge is soon released in great jagged bolts of superheated plasma – igniting the dry lands below…

…and monsterous unstoppable wildfires race across the landscape indescrimanantly devouring everything and everyone in their path…while simultaneously sending choking toxic smoke far and wide beyond their perimeter…the humans cried out – “Why?!?”

The snows, glaciers, sea ice, permafrost, and ice caps melt, while those bedded and beached upon the shore watch as the waters rise, and rise, and rise some more – they build their stuff – buildings, roads, bridges, and walls – higher while they watch in disbelief as their homes are taken back by the mighty and timeless great blue ocean…the humans cried out – “Why?!?”

…and yet, the complacent, self absorbed, multi-colored, mostly hairless, big brained, bipedal apes that call themselves the humans continue to ignore…the reality.

Still they burn…like an addict sucking down cancer sticks as fast as possible while their lungs rot out of their chest…faster they drill baby drill and burn baby burn, more and more oil…more and more coal…more and more gas…more and more and more of this ancient, trapped sunlight and carbon-rich energy…these fossil fuels: the true and tested evidence-supported peer-reviewed root cause of all the “natural” disasters we are all now facing.

And yet, as they watch the sky and pray and cry for the lost – still they choose to blame and deny. And the humans cried out – “Why?!?”

Do they deny because an imaginary sky god or grinning political figurehead made its way into their brain and told them piles of lies about how things work?

I do not know, but I have a suspicion.

But my question remains…why?

Why can’t they think for themselves?

Why do they need a leader, a father figure, a tribe, a chief to tell them his why?

Why can’t they understand and support what their own eyes see?

Why do they continue to deny the facts and findings, the science, the reality?

They laugh and scoff and call it a hoax as they blame the rich, the scientist, the empathetic, the poor, the immigrant, the elderly, those who live differently than they do, and they always loudly blame the “other” – it is obvious to me that they must not care at all about their Mother…or father…or children…or all the “others” on “their” side…and the “other” side of all the imaginary lines they have drawn on pages, in the sands, and in their heads…lines that were intentionally designed to seperate and to create the fear and hate that feeds their bloody war machines and bloated bank accounts…that all are automated by and in support of all the ancient fossil fueled lies.

They often wrongly say the “other” “tribes,” the leftists, the hippies, the pot smokers, the mexicans, the women, the gays, yhe lesbians, and the science types made all these things happen with bribes, tricks, and planes, schools, books, and sprays, and “seeds,” and loads and loads of lies…all to build support to fund their own needs.

This is not reality.

The reality is this: the liers and deniers are in fact on both “sides.”

We are all to blame for our own demise.

They often pray and say their god(s) will keep them safe from the storms, the heat, the sickness and pain…and that it is also their gods who are punishing those who have died for some terrible “sin”…what a childish and heartless reply designed by some nasty old guys with dollar signs in their greedy uncrying black eyes.

Bad sports they are in this game of games while they point crooked fingers and yell hateful names…at all the “others” but never, in the mirror, never ever admitting they were wrong in the game, but always claiming they were wronged by the game…and yet, somehow, they are unable to own up to their own errors in judgement, unable to give aid to those who were maimed.

So many wonderful and beautiful people have tragically died, their lives, homes, and towns washed away, burned, bombed, blown down,

…yet still those that remain, still they choose to deny.

Why?!?!?

Still they cheat, swindle, disrespect, and lie through their perfect little grinning blood dripping teeth, while they get fatter and fatter like bloated parasites sucking the life out of you and me with their toxicly malignant pride.

Those that choose to rebel, to disagree and fight back…they are soon dissappeared. Murdered in cold blood by heartless, soulless, uncaring, brainless, tiny boned, shrunken, little old white men (descended from immigrants), and their throngs of ultra dangerous ultra proud boylike yes men and women – the ultimate toady brown nosers and arse kissers, in suits and masks, hoods, and pointy hats, who will lie rapid fire to your face while shiny gold crosses hang around their necks – nothing at all matters to them except to feel powerful and to win, win, win.

Yes, that is it I believe, they must win. If they lose out in their lust for “greatness” and power, they actually believe – in their tiny, dessicated, shrunken husk of a mind – that they have failed. So, no matter the cost to themselves, their family, city, country, environment, or the entire earth – no matter the cost to our species, they must win. They are the ultimate sore losers, the ultimate bitter, hateful, venomous, malignant, bullies.

When will they ever take responsibility?

What will it take?

Or are they so full of ego, greed, hubris, fear, meanness and hate that they will choose to go down with their ship while pointing their finger at those they have labeled as the enemy…when the real enemy is inside.

Ancient Clues

On By StevoIn anthropology, critical thinking, Environment, nature, religion, ScienceLeave a comment

The more I learn about archeology and anthropology, the more I discover that primates and violence seem to go hand in hand.

Sadly, this fact, encoded in our DNA, and in the DNA of every human walking the earth today going all the way back to our humble beginnings on the African savanna – is a deepset part our our own evolutionary history.


It may be that our unique primate opposable thumb+big “thinking” brain combination – while an incredible engineering and survival tool kit – has a great and fatal flaw.
That great flaw often leads us to believe things and then do things, not because they are true and supported by evidence, but because we want them to be true, we need them to be true, possibly to satisfy some ancient need, or qwell a fear that exists only in the past. Sadly, it seems that for many Modern humans, believing something is true is easier than working to find out if it really is true.

This great and fatal flaw may in fact be the undoing of our species, leaving us as just another fossilized animal deposit in the rock strata of deep time.

Honestly, I hope I am wrong on this, but the evidence from the last few hundred decades suggests otherwise.
Looking at the fossil record of our family tree we see that every single one, every one – every early human save for us, only exists, no longer in the flesh, but as ancient fossil remains recorded in the rocks. May it be that these ancestors of ours are extinct by their own hand?
Maybe the fatal flaw was their downfall?
Maybe the fatal flaw will render us extinct as it may have done for them? I hope not. We have so much potential.

Or maybe it was their strong, evolutionary survival instinct that lead to a hyper-selfish focus on surviving which, over time, selected for early humans with a lack of empathy – with only a drive and focus to acquire that which it needed to survive while pushing its own kind out of the way. Millions of years ago it was competition for food and brute strength that kept the bullies alive.

Today, it’s not food, it’s money and power thry need. The vestigial fatal flaw is directing the uncaring bullies to compete.  In their minds, they are still fighting to survive – it is all their DNA will allow them to do. Instead of adapting to adopt an empathetic sharing nature that would benefit all members of their family, and species – they chose self over society.

Empathy, is one of the most important aspects of what it means to be human. Without empathy for others of your kind, you are just another smart, strong, competitive predator. Maybe it is empathy that is the answer, maybe it is the genetic key that unlocks the next level in our own evolution.

Will we level up…or will we damn dirty apes choose to fearfully continue to bar our teeth and bash  each other’s skulls in just as so many countless human primates stretching back millions of years into the past have done before?

Only time and the rocks will tell.