1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,079 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. Hello, welcome back to the show. 5 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: My name is Matt, my name is no, they call 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: me Ben. We're joined as always with our super producer 7 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: Paul Mission controled decades. Most importantly, you are you, You 8 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,480 Speaker 1: are here, and that makes this stuff they don't want 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: you to know. We've got a real uh, a real 10 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: optimistic one today, my friends. We're talking about the hazard 11 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:53,639 Speaker 1: of natural disaster. And this was inspired in part by 12 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: some earlier conversations we had on an off air, but 13 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: most recently, it was inspired by a moment in our 14 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 1: episode on the Bronze Age collapse where we found that 15 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: several different scientists propose a volcanic eruption in Iceland, of 16 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: all places, may have played a direct role in that, uh, 17 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:22,119 Speaker 1: that collapse that went across multiple large civilizations. And one 18 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: of the questions we asked is, how could this have 19 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: such a tremendous impact on these civilizations? Yeah, it's a 20 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: real Who done it? Uh? It turns out it was people? Yeah, Well, well, 21 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: people were the ones in the end who you know 22 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: well to who would hold a weapon and attack right someone. 23 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: But where we're looking at the root causes of what 24 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: what made those people decide that it was the correct 25 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: time to attack? And I it has you know, it 26 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: kind of harkens back to a couple other episodes been 27 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: that we in the past specifically thinking about the solar 28 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: activity and mass excitability and humans how we react to 29 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: solar changes, as well as the episode can Whether make 30 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: You Crazy? Where we we looked at how whether itself 31 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: can affect our minds and our moods and our decision making. Um, 32 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: it's a lot of interesting stuff going on here, and 33 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: that's one of that's still one of my favorite titles 34 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: of a show we've done. I think it was we 35 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: called the Solar Excitability one Slaves to the Sun, which 36 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: sounds like a nineteen seventies band or maybe like a 37 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: oh what's what's that all? Australian group? Uh, Auntie Donna, Yeah, 38 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: no Silverhair, Empire of the Sun. Yes, their album would 39 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: be Slaves to the Sun. Uh. But you guys are 40 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: right and there are other examples of this. Uh. But 41 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: first we need to examine what we mean when we 42 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: say natural disaster. So here are the facts really quickly, 43 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: just as a caveat. This isn't a leaf blower today, folks. 44 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: But there is a small screaming child in my house. 45 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: So if you hear that, uh, just no, no, one, 46 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: It's okay, everything's fine. My daughter is babysitting for her 47 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: little sister in the other room, and I don't have 48 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: the heart to go down there and tell them to 49 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: keep it to pipe down. I'm gonna text them shush, 50 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: see what happens. But I just wanted to put that 51 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: out there. Speaking of natural disasters, I'm just kidding. Your 52 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: child is she is? She has an unnatural abomination. Okay, 53 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: So back to natural disasters. We all use this phrase 54 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: all the time, and we have a pretty good sense 55 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: of what it means. It's a catastrophic event that comes 56 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: from the natural processes of planet Earth. Earth was doing 57 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: this stuff all the time. We only call it a 58 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: disaster because it's bad for humanity. It's still, you know, 59 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: we're very small ease of this. This includes all this 60 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: stuff you've heard before, all the biblical fire and brimstone things, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, 61 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and so on. Yeah, even wildfires can 62 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: be put in there, especially if they are caused by lightning, 63 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 1: uh and drought conditions. And in previous episodes we've explored 64 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: humanities ongoing conflict with these things that we consider natural disasters, 65 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: including the question of whether or not in the past, 66 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: at some point we have found a way to harness 67 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: these things, to send them out against a country with 68 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: which we are having conflict, right, or whether or not 69 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: we can harness the weather in some other way for 70 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: a good purpose. Um, And you know you you may 71 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: remember cloud seating is something we explored, even how something 72 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: that doesn't seem connected to this topic, like fracking can 73 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: actually cause things like earthquakes, and you know that's some 74 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: creepy stuff. Well, and I was being a smart alec 75 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: at the top of the show and I said, it's 76 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: a who'd done it? Turns out it was people. I 77 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: was just you know, winking and nodding at climate change. 78 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: I mean, you can call it a natural disaster all 79 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 1: day long, but the activities of humans, to a varying 80 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: degree depending on which scientists you ask, probably has something 81 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: to do with the frequency of these natural disasters. That's 82 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: that's that's all frequency and severity, right, Yes, so it goes. 83 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,359 Speaker 1: I would be careful with the word harness, however, because 84 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: harness could mean a couple of things. It could mean 85 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: opportunism after a disaster strikes, and it could mean to 86 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: the extreme degree, which I think we've proven fairly conclusively, 87 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: manufacturing of disaster. I would point to cloud seeding operations 88 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: on the U. S side in the Vietnam War as 89 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: a weaponized weather. That's an example of creating natural disasters 90 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: in that case, specifically flooding. And to the point about 91 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 1: fracking that you make mat which I greatly appreciate. Uh, 92 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: don't have evidence that someone purposely created earthquakes with fracking, 93 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: but we do have evidence that fracking has an unforeseen 94 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: side effect, which is increasing the likelihood of earthquakes by 95 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: a measurable amount. Yeah. I think. I think by using harness, 96 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: I was going back to some of the allegations about 97 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: Tesla and building a machine that could actually create an earthquake, uh, 98 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 1: that we looked at a long time ago. Yeah, word 99 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: cliff Tower is related to that, I believe, And um, 100 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: you know the thing about Tesla that still bugs me 101 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: is what happened to his notes after after he passed away. 102 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: You know that that's the big, big piece of that conspiracy. 103 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: So here's something that a lot of people throughout history 104 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: have had a big problem with in the world of 105 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: natural disasters. It's this, natural disasters are non discriminatory. A 106 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: hurricane doesn't just hit the poor zip codes, you know 107 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: what I mean. An earthquake does it not shake a 108 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: church or a mansion. It shakes everything that it hits. 109 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: So we as humans just simply try to survive when 110 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: these things strike, get ourselves back together and sol drawn. 111 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: It reminds me of something. I can't remember which show 112 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: I've talked about this on or whether it was just 113 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: us hanging out off air, but it reminds me of 114 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: how humbling birds are for humanity. Think about it. We 115 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: have so much technology. We can take people to the 116 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: moon for Pete's sake. We are gonning too as a species, 117 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: accomplish our first round trip to an asteroid, which started 118 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: in just landed took a sample of an asteroid. It 119 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: will be back in But there's one thing we can't do. 120 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: We can't stop birds from crapping on things. We haven't 121 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: figured it out the closest technology we have for that 122 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: is either eradicating birds, which I know you're on board 123 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: with NOL, or building roofs. So then umbrellas you know, 124 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: the umbrella is a is a second, A strong second. 125 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: I feel like umbrella is a portable roof. Do you 126 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: know when you put it like that, you got me well? 127 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: And there are there are specific things you can put 128 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: on let's say, railings in other places that will prevent 129 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: birds from landing there, or will discourage birds from landing 130 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: in certain areas. Yeah, you see them in like subway 131 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: stations or signage for storefronts and strip malls and things 132 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: like that. They're like little spikes, but that can't stop 133 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: from the poop from coming up the street. Then our 134 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:41,079 Speaker 1: example too, because when we think about that building those 135 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:46,679 Speaker 1: deterrents on benches or statues, or the eaves of roofs 136 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: and buildings, it's it's a lot like the way we 137 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 1: would try to build levees. Right, we'll try to shore 138 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: up a coastline. We can't stop a hurricane anymore than 139 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: we can stop birds from pooping every where. We can 140 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 1: only try to mitigate the disaster and the potential aftermath. 141 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: So That's why the bulk of scientific research into natural 142 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 1: disaster it doesn't really it doesn't really hinge on how 143 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: we can stop these historically, it hinges on how we 144 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: can predict when these unavoidable events will occur, you know 145 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: what I mean? Yeah, absolutely, yeah. There's there's no way 146 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: to stop that volcano from erupting currently, unless you know, 147 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 1: you toss a nuke down there and just glassify the 148 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: whole situation, which you know, there's an option, I guess 149 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,839 Speaker 1: at some point. And and every time it happens, we're 150 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: seeing it, especially this year, my goodness, we are seeing 151 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: it in the United States happen time and time again. 152 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,959 Speaker 1: A terrible natural disaster occurs, we have somewhat of an 153 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 1: outlook on it. We know it's coming for at least 154 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: a week, a few days maybe, especially with the hurricanes 155 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:03,479 Speaker 1: that have been just pummeling the Gulf Coast in other areas, 156 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: and it rolls through, power goes out for a lot 157 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: of people, people lose their homes too, terrible tragedies on 158 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: a personal human level. And then as a whole, society 159 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 1: picks itself up as much as it can, allocates disaster 160 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: funds as much as it can and as much as 161 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: the governments of various states and other places localities will allow. 162 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: And then we just keep going until another one hits. 163 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: And uh, we hope that we can use our previous 164 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: experience to better handle these once again unavoidable catastrophes. It's 165 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: it sounds pretty fatalistic, right, It's an existential crisis of 166 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: some sort. We're always as humans dealing with natural disaster. 167 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: We have a lot in common with the story of Sisyphus. 168 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:59,319 Speaker 1: We just keep rolling that great stone we call civilization 169 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: to the top of the hill to watch it fall 170 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: back down again and start from square one, pick ourselves up, 171 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: stumble along, and we still, you know, try to build 172 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: things that will last. There's something beautiful about that when 173 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: we consider that all of civilization is a lot more 174 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: like one of those meditative Buddhist sand paintings than we 175 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: would like to suppose. It gets wiped away so easily, 176 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: you know. I recently rewatched the anime film Akira, which 177 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 1: is all about destruction of Tokyo and rebuilding of neo Tokyo, 178 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 1: and it's really fascinating cause I watched a mini documentary 179 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: about how Japanese culture and their attitude toward technology and 180 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: their pop culture and an anime and the their film 181 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: world is very much driven by the fact that they 182 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: were in large places blown up, you know, by the 183 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 1: United States with with the bombing of of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. 184 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: And what an interesting cultural benchmark to affect the way 185 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: you think about technology, especially having to completely kind of 186 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: rebuild society and rely very heavily on technology but also 187 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: kind of fear it in a weird way. I thought 188 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,959 Speaker 1: that was a really interesting point in the documentary. Yeah, 189 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: I've heard that, I've heard that line of reasoning before. 190 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 1: I think it's I think it's a really compelling theory 191 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:29,679 Speaker 1: that has a lot of sand to it. Um. We 192 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: we see in there a microcosm of a larger historical trend, 193 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: you know, and it's one that continues today. It's one 194 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 1: that is not going to stop. Every single year, natural 195 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: disasters break billions upon billions of dollars worth of damage 196 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: across this planet. The wealthy, the poor alike, any religion, 197 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: any any set of values, doesn't matter when the hurricane 198 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: or the tsunami comes calling. In fact, they have wrought 199 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 1: so much damage that it's difficult to estimate the exact cost. 200 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:10,199 Speaker 1: There's one stat that's interesting, um and still just a ballpark. 201 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: From nineteen eighty five to nine four studies show that 202 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: natural disasters cost about thirty six billion dollars a year. Now, 203 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: from two thousand five to two thousand fourteen, the damage 204 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: inflicted is around a hundred and forty two billion dollars. 205 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 1: So that means a couple of things if we want 206 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: to unpack it. First, it means that, uh, we have 207 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: more stuff to wreck, right. We also have more inflation 208 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: in general, that's a trend, so we we just have 209 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: more potential or more I guess liability or risk people 210 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 1: might call it. But secondly, it means that things are increasing. 211 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: Inflation alone cannot explain this loss, and studies indicate the 212 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: damage wrought by natural disasters may go much much further 213 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: than a financial bottom line. But what if revolutions are 214 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: caused not just by human factors, but somehow guided by 215 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: the planet itself. Well we're going to talk about that 216 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: very thing after a quick word from our sponsor. Here's 217 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 1: where it gets crazy. So are we accusing Earth itself 218 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: of conspiring to foment revolution? That sounds I mean, yeah, 219 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: we are. It might sound preposterous. But the scary thing 220 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: is this does seem to be the case. Uh, there's 221 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: a there's a fascinating paper about this very thing. It's 222 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: called Natural Disasters and the Risk a Violent Civil Conflict 223 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 1: by researchers Philip Nell and Marginalie rig Hearts. Yes, And 224 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: in this study they argue that the occurrences of natural 225 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 1: disasters such as an earthquake maybe, or a volcanic eruption, 226 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: maybe a flood, let's say, a hurricane, anything really anything 227 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: at all, a heat wave, an epidemic, massive forest fires, 228 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: a plague, all of this stuff, whenever there's something like 229 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 1: that occurring, it is going to increase the the possibility 230 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 1: of some kind of violent conflict within society, or at 231 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 1: least the the risk of something like that occurring. And 232 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: at first you think, no, there's no way those things 233 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: could be connected. But then you start going down just go, 234 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: just go down the pathways of your mind a little 235 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 1: bit and imagine how much tension something like that causes 236 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: within a society and everything from any kind of government, religious, whatever, 237 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: whatever the controlling powers are, and the people as well 238 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: as the people with each other, the the interconflicts. It's 239 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: it makes so much sense when you if you allow 240 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: yourself to really to think about it. I don't know 241 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, but wait, but wait, guys, aren't we 242 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: in the middle of a disaster? And fine, everything's fine, 243 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: everything fine. It feels like you just describe what's going 244 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: on in our world literally right now, I'm just okay, 245 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: all right, I'm an a let. Arguably humans are the disaster. 246 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: Uh if you look at the planet overall, which I 247 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: know sounds sanctimonious. Uh, So let's let's say the disasters 248 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 1: that are humans. I like where you're going though, Matt, 249 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: could um you trace this out? Because are you saying 250 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: there's some sort of pattern? Perhaps I'm saying there's definitely 251 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 1: a pattern. You guys. Uh, if you take a look 252 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: at the study, or at least what they did for 253 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: this study, they took data from a hundred and eighty 254 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:05,680 Speaker 1: seven political units from the year nineteen fifty to two thousand, 255 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:10,199 Speaker 1: and they were just going through and systematically exploring the 256 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:14,919 Speaker 1: relationship between natural disasters, occurrences of any natural disaster, and 257 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: violent uprisings or um civil civil conflict within a society. Right, 258 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: so how do these things work together? And they found 259 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: something pretty terrifying. We've actually got a quote from it 260 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 1: right here. Yes, it says natural disasters significantly increase the 261 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: risk of violent civil conflict, both in the short and 262 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:40,679 Speaker 1: medium term, specifically in low and middle income countries that 263 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: have intermediate to high levels of inequality. Jee okay, mixed 264 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: political regimes, jays and sluggish economic growth. Rapid onset disasters 265 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: related to geology and climate seem to pose the highest 266 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: overall risk. But different dynamics apply to what they call 267 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: all minor and major conflicts. So let me let me 268 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: walk us back here for a second. Uh, there's some 269 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 1: important things political units. That's a an umbrella term, or 270 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,119 Speaker 1: I guess for this show, it's a portable roof term. 271 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: It describes everything from a local tribe or a community 272 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 1: to something like the British Empire, you know what I mean. 273 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 1: And that is where we see the different dynamics they're 274 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 1: sketching out to what they would call minor and major conflicts, 275 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 1: so like a a regional, short lived conflict between two tribes, 276 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: or a major multi party conflict like World War two 277 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: or something. And of course, yes, uh, their study only 278 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 1: goes back to nine fift so this is post World 279 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:57,440 Speaker 1: War two. But we know from previous episodes and from 280 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: a wealth of other research that this is at best 281 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:08,479 Speaker 1: a cover version of a very old original song of 282 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: terror and heartbreak. We looked at earlier civilizations, ancient civilizations 283 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 1: that mysteriously disappeared for centuries. People thought, well, maybe, uh, 284 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: this group of highly advanced people just left this metropolis 285 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:28,959 Speaker 1: they worked so hard on because they got tired of it. 286 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 1: Maybe they just said, you know what, it's it's time 287 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,440 Speaker 1: for a new chapter. But later studies have shown that 288 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: disaster plays a huge role in this. We like that. 289 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:46,120 Speaker 1: What's the example, Camor Empire in modern day Cambodia. There's 290 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: this beautiful former metropolis called Anchor Watts, which you can 291 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:57,119 Speaker 1: visit today. For a very long time, people didn't know 292 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 1: exactly why Angor Watt went to into decline, But now 293 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:07,679 Speaker 1: we're pretty sure that it collapsed due to prolonged drought. 294 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 1: The weather changed, and when the weather changed, the people 295 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:17,119 Speaker 1: had to change their routine and their lives and the 296 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 1: rules of the governing system at that time. Uh, those 297 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 1: rules no longer applied because they were not able to 298 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: address the problems people we're having, and so the empire collapsed. Yes, yeah, no, 299 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: that's that's a really great point. Well. And and you know, 300 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: we we talked about this, We keep mentioning of the 301 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: Bronze Age collapse something like that, where we we thought, 302 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 1: or the belief was that somehow this volcanic eruption way 303 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 1: over in Iceland had something to do with it. And 304 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:53,440 Speaker 1: and and as we explored it, we realized that it's 305 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: not just because of volcano exploded, Like the volcano exploding 306 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: it in itself is not what caused the revolutions and 307 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: the uprisings to occur. It was almost like dominoes were 308 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 1: set up for collapse to occur. They're all just sitting 309 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: there waiting for something to knock them all down, and 310 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 1: that volcano just went up boots. And we're gonna get 311 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 1: into more details about that here in just a moment. 312 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,679 Speaker 1: But the you know, one of the first things we 313 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:34,479 Speaker 1: need to talk about is the limited lifespan over you know, 314 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:39,920 Speaker 1: the past several millennia of a civilization, of a large civilization, 315 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: especially of an empire, something uh large and unwieldy. And 316 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:48,680 Speaker 1: we've we've seen some things in the past, we've looked 317 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 1: at it, but it's, uh, there's this tendency for empires 318 00:21:55,200 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 1: for big ones, the collapse a bit of a bit 319 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:04,120 Speaker 1: of a schedule there, bit of a cycle that happens. 320 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,880 Speaker 1: Some people would argue that's the case. Yeah, you can. 321 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:14,199 Speaker 1: You can read studies that attempt to treat empires like 322 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: natural disasters in the following ways. They assume that empires 323 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:22,200 Speaker 1: are unavoidable and that the collapse of empires is also 324 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 1: likewise unavoidable. And so if these two assumptions hold true, 325 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: then researchers find themselves attempting to do the same thing 326 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:37,440 Speaker 1: that scientists concerned with disaster do. They ask themselves, how 327 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: can we predict this? How can we model it? How 328 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 1: can we mitigate the collapse of a civilization? That's where 329 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:50,400 Speaker 1: we come into um the varying theories that civilizations may 330 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: have some sort of expiration date. You know, one of 331 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 1: the numbers that we here thrown around pretty often is 332 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 1: something like two, two, or fifty years. That should really 333 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:08,440 Speaker 1: bother every US resident in the audience today. Uh, because 334 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:13,360 Speaker 1: the US celebrated its bicentennial in nineteen seventy six. Hey, 335 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:15,760 Speaker 1: but we're not an empire, right, Well, it's not like 336 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 1: we've got troops stationed all over the planet and control 337 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 1: a bunch of other territories. Wait a second, Wait a second, 338 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: I want to really quickly what the idea of empires 339 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 1: being inevitable. Is that sort of just a product of 340 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: like human nature and and never having enough, and just 341 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: the idea that someone's eventually gonna slide into an empire 342 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,919 Speaker 1: building role just out of pure, you know, megalomania. Or 343 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,719 Speaker 1: is it a matter of like organization of society and 344 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:47,440 Speaker 1: making sure everyone has everything they need, Because I feel 345 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: like civilization and empires aren't the same thing. There have 346 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 1: been a lot of very uncivilized empires. Kidding with that one. Uh, yeah, 347 00:23:56,040 --> 00:24:00,360 Speaker 1: it's an excellent question. So you will find the rgument 348 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,639 Speaker 1: that empires do not exist in the modern day, that 349 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:10,159 Speaker 1: instead we are a somewhat uh conflicted global group of 350 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 1: a hundred nineties something countries, right, and that those countries 351 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: maybe nations, They may be civilizations, they are not empires. 352 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 1: We were talking about this off air, However, I would 353 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 1: argue that empires haven't gone away. They have evolved. A 354 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:31,120 Speaker 1: corporation can function the way that an empire does, right, Uh. 355 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 1: Financial institution of a large enough size also functions as 356 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: an empire, So we could almost call them like shadow 357 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:45,040 Speaker 1: empires in some way interesting. And this goes into what 358 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:48,199 Speaker 1: we would define as an empire. And I know that 359 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: there are a lot of pr departments in various corporations. 360 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 1: Uh maybe not in my heart that would object to 361 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:01,119 Speaker 1: being defined as an empire. An empires technically a large 362 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:06,159 Speaker 1: group of states or countries under a single authority. So 363 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 1: the U n is not an empire because it doesn't 364 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: have the powers of action and oversight that a a 365 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:19,479 Speaker 1: single a single ruling force would have. But the British 366 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,120 Speaker 1: Empire was an empire because technically speaking, if the monarch 367 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: said I want to destroy this nation in the Commonwealth, 368 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: or I've you know, I've never been to India, but 369 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:35,640 Speaker 1: they should do what I say, then that's an empire. 370 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: And banks can do that. And there is a great 371 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:44,359 Speaker 1: article you can read on this specific subject. It's on 372 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: foreign policy. It's called Empires with Expiration Dates. Fantastic, creepy 373 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 1: article from two thousand nine. We'd recommend it. But there's 374 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 1: a quote from that article that I don't want to 375 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 1: read right now, which I think applies to all of 376 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: this quote. An empire sick will come into existence and 377 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:10,200 Speaker 1: endure so long as the benefits of exerting power over 378 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: foreign people's exceed the cost of doing so in the 379 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: eyes of the imperialists, and so long as the benefits 380 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: of accepting dominance by a foreign people exceed the costs 381 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: of resistance in the eyes of the subjects. So it's 382 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 1: no mystery there. But just think about it, and again 383 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 1: it makes so much sense. But maybe when we're in 384 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: the midst of struggling for the every day, we forget 385 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 1: this concept that if if the system that's set in 386 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: place of control and power doesn't work for everybody, at 387 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:48,439 Speaker 1: least to an extent, you're gonna have problems with the 388 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: subjugated essentially. And that applies I mean that that's a 389 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 1: macro level view. I would argue it applies to the 390 00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 1: uh micro level of individual human psycholog legy. We are programmed, 391 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 1: arguably hardwired to avoid change until the pain of change 392 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: becomes less than the pain of the status quo. Right. 393 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,440 Speaker 1: That's that's honestly, that's where rock bottom is described as 394 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 1: sometimes and now now the question is, uh, do empires 395 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 1: hit a rock bottom? And I love that you bring 396 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,560 Speaker 1: up this quote, Matt, because it clearly it clearly points 397 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:31,639 Speaker 1: to that cost benefit analysis that happens for every individual 398 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: on any given day and ultimately for every nation, every civilization, 399 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 1: every what do we call it, political unit? There we go, 400 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 1: that's the umbrella. So now that we have this, we 401 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: know that historically there is a correlation, uh a dark 402 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 1: butterfly effect, right of an eruption in a country people 403 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: have never visited, leading to the collapse of their day 404 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 1: to day lives and civilization. We have to ask ourselves 405 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: where are we in media arrests here because we're part 406 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 1: of this story, and that means that it's on us 407 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 1: to figure out what happens as disasters accelerate. What are 408 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,240 Speaker 1: we talking about? We'll tell you after a word from 409 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:30,120 Speaker 1: our sponsor. So back to natural disasters fall of civilization. 410 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: There's a huge elephant, an enormous badger in the global 411 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: bag or the room, and it's simply this. If we 412 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: have compelling evidence that natural disasters can lead to violent revolution, 413 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 1: then what can we extrapolate from this information in a 414 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 1: world where the frequency of some natural disasters is provably 415 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: inarguably accelerating. So just to kind of break it down 416 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: a little bit, if floods and famine lead to violence 417 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: and instability and floods and famine both seem set to happen. 418 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 1: Then we can assume violence and instability in turn will 419 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:17,760 Speaker 1: accompany it. That is the hypothesis here, and it would 420 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 1: seem it is a correct hypothesis at least based on 421 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: these patterns that we've been looking at. So a topical 422 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 1: paper from the Independent Evaluation of Asian Development Bank. Then 423 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: I do believe you gave this one high marks for 424 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: its awkward name, but high levels of rigor and its research. UM. 425 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: This paper showed that climate related disasters are indeed on 426 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 1: the rise, specifically UM as such, and here's a quote 427 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 1: from the paper, Intense climate related disasters floods, storms, droughts 428 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 1: and heat waves have been on the rise worldwide. At 429 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 1: the same time UH and coupled with an increasing concentration 430 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 1: of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, temperature on average has 431 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:07,360 Speaker 1: been rising. Havn't Temperatures have been rising and are like 432 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: this yes in mashed UH and are becoming more variable 433 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: and more extreme. I think, even just observationally, we we've 434 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 1: all seen that here in Georgia, summers are hotter, winters 435 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 1: feel colder, UM from from year to year. I don't 436 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: think there's any question about that. Just from like going 437 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 1: outside UM, temperatures on average have been rising and are 438 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: becoming more variable and more extreme. Rainfall has also been 439 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: more variable and more extreme. And it goes on to 440 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 1: consider some main risk factors behind these uh these observable features. Yeah, 441 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: one of one of the biggest problems is so many 442 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 1: people live near a coast and when you've got natural disasters, 443 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: many of them being generated you know, out in the 444 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 1: ocean and then making their way in UM. That's a 445 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,680 Speaker 1: problem when there's so many people call it and traded 446 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: along the shores of that ocean. That is a especially 447 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: as in the especially in the case of hurricanes, you've 448 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: got a hurricane generator. It's just out there a little 449 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 1: bit and you're right next to it. Oh yeah, and 450 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 1: then and then consider So there's an important point in 451 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: this examination this paper the phrase more variable and more extreme. Right, 452 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 1: having too much water can be as dangerous as not 453 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: having enough. We we're seeing ongoing transformation of ecosystems, right, 454 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 1: desertification of some areas, but the we're also seen areas 455 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 1: transform in terms of monsoon UH frequency and cadence, which 456 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: is enormously dangerous because these are, to your point, Matt, 457 00:31:54,520 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 1: heavily populated areas historically in the span of human civilization, 458 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,080 Speaker 1: Asian in the first few seasons. Of course, you want 459 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: your characters to live by a coast. There are immense 460 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:09,920 Speaker 1: resources there and now that's coming back to bide us. 461 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 1: So there is rising population exposure. There's also greater population vulnerability, 462 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:22,120 Speaker 1: you know, with if you are listening to this, uh, 463 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:26,960 Speaker 1: the year that we recorded in, then the odds are 464 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:31,880 Speaker 1: that you're going to be alive when regions of Earth 465 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:36,840 Speaker 1: become uninhabitable without technology, and we're going to see a 466 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: rise of a new kind of inequality. Climate change will 467 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:45,200 Speaker 1: not really be an argument. It will be something that 468 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: people all acknowledge, uh, and people who deny it will 469 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 1: be seeing the way that folks look at flat earthers today. 470 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 1: People will be talking more about climate in equality because 471 00:32:56,240 --> 00:33:01,360 Speaker 1: think about this, all right, So the Middle East big, 472 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 1: like the empty quarter of Saudi Arabia inhospitable, already very 473 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 1: very hot, very arid. It's tough to live there without technology, right, 474 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:14,840 Speaker 1: ands tough to live in a lot of places in 475 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:19,480 Speaker 1: the Middle East without technology. Now consider that the temperature 476 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 1: increases that we're reaching, like the what's called the wet 477 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: bulb temperature increases. That means that you're the temperature is 478 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 1: so hot that your insides are essentially cooking and will 479 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:39,400 Speaker 1: and you will be dead within hours if you are outside. 480 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 1: What does this mean for the people who can afford 481 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: air conditioning versus the people who cannot. It is literally 482 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 1: a matter of life and death, and it will happen 483 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 1: within your lifetime, hopefully not to you, hopefully not to 484 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: any of your loved ones. But the math is there, 485 00:33:56,440 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 1: and the math is is frightening. An X quest hid 486 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 1: what does this mean for everybody? Because you might think, 487 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 1: just like the people back during the Late Bronze Age, 488 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,120 Speaker 1: even if they were aware of Iceland, which I don't 489 00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:13,799 Speaker 1: think they were. But you may think, well, I live 490 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:18,040 Speaker 1: in um, I live in Chicago or something. I live 491 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 1: in the interior of Canada, so I don't have to 492 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: really worry about rising coastlines, and if the temperature rises, 493 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:29,279 Speaker 1: it will still be livable because the area where I 494 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:35,760 Speaker 1: live is seasonally very cold. The problem still exists because 495 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:41,440 Speaker 1: if these predictions are correct, then the next several decades 496 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:47,359 Speaker 1: may well be defined by periods of widespread violent conflict. 497 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:49,960 Speaker 1: You know what I mean, you don't have to be 498 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 1: in an uninhabitable part of Florida for your for your 499 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:57,360 Speaker 1: day to day life to be affected by the collapse 500 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:00,080 Speaker 1: of the United States. I'm being very dystopian. I'm not 501 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:03,759 Speaker 1: saying that will happen. Well, you you are being dystopian, 502 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:08,360 Speaker 1: but it's also almost it's almost the cold hard facts 503 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:12,200 Speaker 1: of what will happen if we can we continue to 504 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:17,879 Speaker 1: see a rise in the variability and extreme nature of 505 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:21,399 Speaker 1: the natural disasters that are headed our way. Because we're 506 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:25,080 Speaker 1: not just talking about flooding, We're not just talking about drought. 507 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 1: We're talking about not being able to grow crops and 508 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 1: not being able to feed everyone. And it doesn't matter 509 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 1: if there's a Kroger or a what piggly Wiggly down 510 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:41,120 Speaker 1: the street from you, if there are no suppliers of 511 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:45,319 Speaker 1: food getting food to that piggly wiggly. Um. But why 512 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 1: the the aversion to accepting climate science, like if this 513 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 1: literally means the downfall of civilization as we know it. 514 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 1: Even people in power and giant corporations that seem to 515 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:03,200 Speaker 1: be the ones that are pushing for these kinds of 516 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: deregulations to sell more you know, oil or whatever. Um, 517 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:11,240 Speaker 1: even that seems short signing because if there's no people 518 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:14,960 Speaker 1: that are alive to drive cars, you know, who's gonna 519 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:18,919 Speaker 1: buy their product? Like the whole focusing on today rather 520 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:23,240 Speaker 1: than tomorrow just seems obviously it's unsustainable, but just seems 521 00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:26,960 Speaker 1: short sighted, even in agreed way, like don't you want 522 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:28,799 Speaker 1: to make more money off people? Shouldn't we figure out 523 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: how to sustain this crazy thing we call the human 524 00:36:31,719 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: race so that we can keep selling them the cost 525 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 1: benefit analysis for sure? Because Uh, there's several conspiracies here. First, 526 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:46,560 Speaker 1: many multinational conglomerations knew about this, They knew it was coming, right. Uh, 527 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:48,799 Speaker 1: they even funded some of the studies that proved it 528 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 1: to be the case, and then they just didn't talk 529 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:56,280 Speaker 1: about it. Instead, they quietly began working on new revenue streams. Right. 530 00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: We it's tough because we're asking about self interest, and 531 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 1: whenever we ask about self interest, we have to remember 532 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:11,400 Speaker 1: that every human being is capable of, uh, very dangerous things. 533 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:14,359 Speaker 1: And one of the biggest, most dangerous things that every 534 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: human being is capable of is phenomenal rationalization. It's a 535 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:24,720 Speaker 1: mental parkour, right. Uh, No one thinks they're the bad guy. 536 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 1: I'm the you know, like I'm one of those Captain 537 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:32,040 Speaker 1: Planet villains CEO s and I'm saying, well, really, what 538 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: I'm doing is helping everybody if you think about it, right, 539 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:41,120 Speaker 1: and and that's that's exactly That's exactly what happens. And 540 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 1: it only works as long as those institutions are considered effective. Right, 541 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:51,080 Speaker 1: So in terms of a corporation or a company, the 542 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:56,600 Speaker 1: institution is considered effective if it remains profitable. So once 543 00:37:56,640 --> 00:38:01,600 Speaker 1: it becomes less profitable, Uh, For were these kind of 544 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:06,000 Speaker 1: like mad cap adventures to continue, then of course they're 545 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:09,160 Speaker 1: they're going to turn their sales and head to a 546 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:13,400 Speaker 1: different direction. What's what's happening now? To answer your question directly, 547 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 1: in my opinion, this is just my opinion. It's happy now. 548 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 1: As as far as like, denial of climate science is 549 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,719 Speaker 1: a conspiracy because the people who funded the studies that 550 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:26,720 Speaker 1: revealed a lot of these problems went on to fund 551 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 1: Berne's level PR campaigns to uh, to like denigrate anybody 552 00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:36,360 Speaker 1: who was pointing out the facts, or to shift the blame. 553 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:39,120 Speaker 1: At the very least we talked about plastics and the 554 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:42,640 Speaker 1: idea of recycling. This all pr to shift the blame 555 00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:46,160 Speaker 1: and the responsibility to consumers. Yeah, and it shout out 556 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:49,480 Speaker 1: to our episode with Amy Westerveldt where we went into 557 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:53,799 Speaker 1: depth on on this very subject. Check that on and 558 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:55,920 Speaker 1: out if you want to learn more about that. What 559 00:38:56,040 --> 00:39:01,240 Speaker 1: Ben was speaking about the company's knowing and willingly uh 560 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: forgetting that those studies exist, their own studies that they 561 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 1: were funding. Wait, what's that? It reminds you there's a 562 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 1: quote I saw online recently. It was pretty great. It 563 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,120 Speaker 1: was just a fake headline where it said, uh, you 564 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:17,160 Speaker 1: can leave the door open a little bit, according to 565 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 1: new study by mosquitoes. We didn't write that, but that's like, 566 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 1: you know, cats can have a little slammy according to 567 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:29,319 Speaker 1: new study by cats, just for a treat, Just for 568 00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:34,360 Speaker 1: a treat. And that's where we're at. You know, um, 569 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:38,160 Speaker 1: and these conspiracies are there are conspiracies that we can 570 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 1: then logically assume are occurring because the powers that be, 571 00:39:44,239 --> 00:39:47,640 Speaker 1: you're the forces that were aware of this before the 572 00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 1: average Jane or John or Joe or whatever. Uh, those 573 00:39:51,480 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 1: forces are planning in self interest. There are plans to 574 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 1: make sure that these folks or their institutions are the 575 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:03,400 Speaker 1: loved ones have you are able to find a livable 576 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:07,000 Speaker 1: place that they do always have clean water and a 577 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:10,320 Speaker 1: c and I don't think we should have a problem 578 00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:13,239 Speaker 1: with that. I just think it should apply to everybody. 579 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: And maybe that's Pollyanna or whatever. But the truth of 580 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:19,640 Speaker 1: the matter is, we are going to see, we are 581 00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:22,120 Speaker 1: already seen, we are going to see a massive rise 582 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:25,279 Speaker 1: in migration. People like the ones you mentioned, Matt, the 583 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:28,560 Speaker 1: populations living in equator, living on coastlines, are going to 584 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:33,960 Speaker 1: desperately search for an escape from increasingly uninhabitable regions of 585 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:38,520 Speaker 1: the world. And the governments in place, and you know what, 586 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:43,960 Speaker 1: let's throw in. Let's throw in the the the corporations, 587 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:47,879 Speaker 1: let's let's throw in whatever kind of governing structure you want. 588 00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:50,840 Speaker 1: The ones that are in place, many will be rendered 589 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:56,000 Speaker 1: either powerless, corrupt, or ineffective in combating this. And when 590 00:40:56,040 --> 00:41:02,080 Speaker 1: those institutions erode, we're gonna lose faith in authority. Why 591 00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:04,960 Speaker 1: why should I Why should I pay taxes? The world's 592 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:07,440 Speaker 1: burning down? I already got to feel that way. I 593 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 1: don't feel like I get much benefit from the tax 594 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:12,560 Speaker 1: that I pay, you know, in terms of direct impact 595 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:14,480 Speaker 1: in my day to day life. You know, I still 596 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 1: have garbage health care, you know, I mean, I I 597 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:19,600 Speaker 1: don't want to sound like some kind of bleeding heart 598 00:41:19,719 --> 00:41:22,640 Speaker 1: liberal commy or something like that, but I honestly don't 599 00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:25,319 Speaker 1: know where my tax money goes, and it certainly doesn't 600 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:28,040 Speaker 1: seem to go anywhere that actually helps me or my family. 601 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:30,520 Speaker 1: That's interesting that you you say that and old because 602 00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:35,200 Speaker 1: what we we have seen historically through some really interesting 603 00:41:35,239 --> 00:41:39,560 Speaker 1: studies and an article that was published in Ours Technica 604 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:43,200 Speaker 1: about some studies that we're looking at that correlation that 605 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:46,560 Speaker 1: we've been talking about this whole episode natural disasters and 606 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:53,480 Speaker 1: how violence erupts because of or as a partial effect 607 00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:56,719 Speaker 1: of that natural disaster. We've seen that the way a 608 00:41:56,800 --> 00:42:02,200 Speaker 1: government or a governing institution responds to a natural disaster 609 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:05,160 Speaker 1: and the effects of it can have a mab It 610 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:08,279 Speaker 1: can play a major role in the outcome, even if 611 00:42:08,320 --> 00:42:14,320 Speaker 1: there is a violent conflict that begins. That response can temperate, 612 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:18,000 Speaker 1: stop it or full minted. Can we just address the 613 00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:19,799 Speaker 1: elephant in the room real quick? I mean, is a 614 00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 1: is a virus a natural disaster? Mhm? So we're in 615 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:29,080 Speaker 1: this and and and the way the government is or 616 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:32,520 Speaker 1: is not handling this, and the people's positions on how 617 00:42:32,560 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 1: it was or was not handled. Uh is gonna have 618 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:39,200 Speaker 1: an impact. Well, yeah, Matt, Matt brought this up at 619 00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:44,080 Speaker 1: the top with that, uh definition, what is a natural disaster. 620 00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:48,760 Speaker 1: It's always been an epidemic or a pandemic. And again, 621 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:55,480 Speaker 1: the only option that human beings have is generally going 622 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:59,319 Speaker 1: to be to respond an attempt to mitigate. Matt your 623 00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:03,279 Speaker 1: your out brings brings up two examples. I think we 624 00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:06,240 Speaker 1: talked a little bit about this off air. Uh, there's 625 00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:10,840 Speaker 1: an example in ancient Egypt. There's an example in a 626 00:43:11,360 --> 00:43:15,040 Speaker 1: relatively recent US history. Well, you know, all U s 627 00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:20,080 Speaker 1: history is relatively recent. So far h f DR attempting 628 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:26,800 Speaker 1: to mitigate the Great Depression, right, unquestionably did some dictator stuff. 629 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:29,960 Speaker 1: It's just true. It doesn't matter if you love him 630 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:32,880 Speaker 1: or hate him. Uh. He did a lot of good things, 631 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:36,959 Speaker 1: and uh, he did a lot of things that were 632 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:42,439 Speaker 1: governmentally speaking illegal. If we look at older examples, then 633 00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:46,480 Speaker 1: we see a really compelling one in Egypt during the 634 00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:50,719 Speaker 1: forties and the thirties b c. E. We see a 635 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:56,440 Speaker 1: government response to mass starvation, to plague, to run away inflation, 636 00:43:56,960 --> 00:44:03,120 Speaker 1: which people have always hated apparently, and Cleopatra queen like yes, 637 00:44:03,239 --> 00:44:10,160 Speaker 1: that Cleopatra was instrumental in quelling a revolt. She quelled 638 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:15,560 Speaker 1: this revolt that was, you know, inarguably caused in part 639 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:19,520 Speaker 1: by natural disaster. She quelled it not by killing all 640 00:44:19,600 --> 00:44:22,640 Speaker 1: the protesters or something like that. She quelled it by 641 00:44:22,680 --> 00:44:26,440 Speaker 1: going I get I guess we would say she went protectionists. 642 00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:30,320 Speaker 1: I guess we could say, by our modern framework, which 643 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:33,320 Speaker 1: doesn't really apply, we could say that she took actions 644 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:36,359 Speaker 1: that would be described as socialists. So she was both 645 00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:40,080 Speaker 1: with authoritarian and socialists at the same time. You see 646 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:42,279 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, like, it's it's weird to put those 647 00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:46,520 Speaker 1: boxes in. But she offered grain relief, like gave people 648 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:49,400 Speaker 1: free food. And then she banned all exports of food, 649 00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:54,239 Speaker 1: which is cute, Like imagine someone saying that. Imagine someone saying, 650 00:44:54,280 --> 00:45:00,680 Speaker 1: like the US or China, any country, Guatemala, Blaton, whatever, 651 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:05,160 Speaker 1: people wouldn't ban food exports. Well, yeah, absolutely, absolutely not, 652 00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:07,799 Speaker 1: because again you're talking about money coming in and what's 653 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:12,880 Speaker 1: the difference between money and grain, Right, you can eat grain, 654 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:17,239 Speaker 1: you've gotta trade that money for something. And if everybody 655 00:45:17,280 --> 00:45:20,680 Speaker 1: that you have direct connection to is dealing with drought 656 00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:24,160 Speaker 1: conditions or in their in their case, it was natural 657 00:45:24,239 --> 00:45:27,919 Speaker 1: disasters that caused the Nile River to not flood as much, 658 00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:31,920 Speaker 1: so so that those floodwaters generally generally would be used 659 00:45:32,080 --> 00:45:35,960 Speaker 1: to make the ground fertile for growing things. And when 660 00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:39,600 Speaker 1: those floodwaters weren't coming in, it's very difficult to grow things, 661 00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:42,480 Speaker 1: almost impossible in a lot of places. And if you've 662 00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:46,440 Speaker 1: got a stack of cash and no grain and nobody's 663 00:45:46,440 --> 00:45:50,799 Speaker 1: got grain, then you're out. You're out of luck. Um. 664 00:45:50,880 --> 00:45:52,960 Speaker 1: So it's actually a really smart thing to do. And 665 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:55,160 Speaker 1: I love what you're talking about there been just how 666 00:45:55,200 --> 00:45:59,239 Speaker 1: interesting it is to consider it a socialist move, but 667 00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:01,480 Speaker 1: how smart was and how it was really the only 668 00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:04,000 Speaker 1: thing you could do. We've got grains here, it's just 669 00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:08,520 Speaker 1: we the state essentially controls them. And do we hold 670 00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:12,000 Speaker 1: those for future need or power or do we begin 671 00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:17,759 Speaker 1: doling them out and helping everyone? Well, full full dystopian scenario, 672 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:21,520 Speaker 1: like the coasts of the country like fall into the 673 00:46:21,640 --> 00:46:27,000 Speaker 1: sea or become uninhabitable. Uh, and those people start going inland, 674 00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:29,839 Speaker 1: but we can't sustain them. We we we don't have 675 00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:34,120 Speaker 1: enough supplies to sustain them or enough infrastructure to sustain them. 676 00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:38,160 Speaker 1: Do we like wall them out? Like? What? What's what? 677 00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:44,120 Speaker 1: What's the worst case scenario. In that situation, well, how 678 00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:47,239 Speaker 1: how far down the barrel do you want to go? Man, 679 00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:50,759 Speaker 1: It's it's a medium dystopia. But I mean this is 680 00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:54,440 Speaker 1: a thing like we we we can't There isn't another 681 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:58,040 Speaker 1: California to put California in, you know, and if you 682 00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:02,160 Speaker 1: can't live there, where do you? Well? Uh, it would 683 00:47:02,360 --> 00:47:05,560 Speaker 1: in the case of the US, it would require a 684 00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:12,200 Speaker 1: dramatic fundamental change in the policy of the country. Uh, 685 00:47:12,239 --> 00:47:14,600 Speaker 1: and maybe not maybe not a good one because I 686 00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:20,239 Speaker 1: wouldn't be clear with that Egyptian example from thousands of 687 00:47:20,320 --> 00:47:25,319 Speaker 1: years ago. I'm not coming out and saying like socialism 688 00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:27,759 Speaker 1: would be the answer, because God knows, there were a 689 00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:31,040 Speaker 1: lot of a lot of countries that did go full 690 00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:34,680 Speaker 1: socialists and it did not work out. We still haven't 691 00:47:34,719 --> 00:47:38,920 Speaker 1: found the best solution for managing large groups of people. 692 00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:46,439 Speaker 1: Medium dystopian would be something like, Okay, let's say, uh, 693 00:47:46,480 --> 00:47:50,680 Speaker 1: parts of the southwest, parts of the southeast become uninhabitable 694 00:47:50,760 --> 00:47:55,920 Speaker 1: without the constant implementation of technology. You always have to 695 00:47:56,080 --> 00:47:59,279 Speaker 1: have the A C or you will die. Something like that, 696 00:47:59,800 --> 00:48:04,319 Speaker 1: So those people have to move somewhere. Uh. Let's make 697 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:09,239 Speaker 1: it medium high dystopia and say that also the San 698 00:48:09,360 --> 00:48:12,000 Speaker 1: Andreas fault goes, and so we have one of the 699 00:48:12,040 --> 00:48:18,040 Speaker 1: most populous states in the country, uh, turned into a 700 00:48:18,160 --> 00:48:22,680 Speaker 1: chaotic disaster zone. All of those people from those three 701 00:48:22,719 --> 00:48:24,960 Speaker 1: areas we just named, they have to go somewhere. The 702 00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:28,640 Speaker 1: good news for the US is that it has a huge, 703 00:48:29,160 --> 00:48:34,600 Speaker 1: relatively sparsely populated interior. So if we're just thinking like 704 00:48:34,920 --> 00:48:38,439 Speaker 1: rules and red tape aside, where those people go, they 705 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:43,279 Speaker 1: go inland, and uh, they begin to populate places like 706 00:48:44,239 --> 00:48:47,480 Speaker 1: South Dakota or North Dakota, you know, which only have 707 00:48:47,560 --> 00:48:49,839 Speaker 1: a population in the hundreds of thousands right now. It's 708 00:48:49,880 --> 00:48:51,600 Speaker 1: a really good point. Then. I was thinking of that 709 00:48:51,640 --> 00:48:54,280 Speaker 1: in the back of my mind. But okay, well that's 710 00:48:55,120 --> 00:48:57,000 Speaker 1: I like that that. I mean, you know, obviously we 711 00:48:57,040 --> 00:48:59,839 Speaker 1: don't want the fault erupt or whatever, but I like, 712 00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:03,520 Speaker 1: at least people aren't gonna just drown or be walled 713 00:49:03,520 --> 00:49:06,719 Speaker 1: out in no man's lands. But the migrations only half 714 00:49:06,719 --> 00:49:08,960 Speaker 1: the battle. I mean, I keep I hate going back 715 00:49:08,960 --> 00:49:11,480 Speaker 1: to this all the time. But then food and water 716 00:49:11,560 --> 00:49:14,920 Speaker 1: are your priorities. And you know, if you're if you're 717 00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:18,920 Speaker 1: talking about problems with water, we've discussed before, the water 718 00:49:19,040 --> 00:49:22,200 Speaker 1: wars that are inevitable that are headed our way. If 719 00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:25,480 Speaker 1: you look at something as recent as the past I 720 00:49:25,520 --> 00:49:29,960 Speaker 1: think month in a couple parts of Mexico where there 721 00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:34,920 Speaker 1: are disputes between uh water trade. Essentially that's happening between 722 00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:39,040 Speaker 1: the United States and Mexico, where certain areas of Texas 723 00:49:39,040 --> 00:49:41,719 Speaker 1: and water to Mexico, certain areas of Mexico send water 724 00:49:42,000 --> 00:49:46,200 Speaker 1: to Texas. And very recently we're gonna hopefully talk about 725 00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:51,120 Speaker 1: this in an upcoming episode, but a group a group 726 00:49:51,200 --> 00:49:55,839 Speaker 1: of farmers went to a dam in Mexico and took 727 00:49:55,920 --> 00:50:00,520 Speaker 1: over the dam, and they prevented water in the river 728 00:50:00,640 --> 00:50:03,960 Speaker 1: from flowing to Texas so that they could keep it 729 00:50:04,000 --> 00:50:08,360 Speaker 1: because they were experiencing drought they needed water. Black We 730 00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:10,680 Speaker 1: have that with in Georgia, with the tri state water 731 00:50:10,760 --> 00:50:13,719 Speaker 1: wars with Alabama and Florida. We've been seeing those conflicts 732 00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:17,160 Speaker 1: for years, only one river. But in this case, we're 733 00:50:17,160 --> 00:50:20,600 Speaker 1: talking about farmers who armed themselves to go take over 734 00:50:20,640 --> 00:50:24,920 Speaker 1: a dam. Well, that's what we're talking about here, though, 735 00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:29,680 Speaker 1: violent conflicts where we're on the individual level. The decision 736 00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:32,799 Speaker 1: is made if I do not act myself or my 737 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:35,920 Speaker 1: family is in jeopardy. That's really what we're getting to here. 738 00:50:35,960 --> 00:50:39,799 Speaker 1: That's when you if the individual is deciding that, and 739 00:50:39,840 --> 00:50:43,520 Speaker 1: there are enough individuals, it becomes an uprising of a 740 00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:47,320 Speaker 1: sword or a revolt or revolution or you know, fighting 741 00:50:47,360 --> 00:50:52,400 Speaker 1: back against something that is seen as uh deciding to 742 00:50:52,960 --> 00:50:58,600 Speaker 1: we two wield control over a group. Right, Um, it's 743 00:50:58,640 --> 00:51:04,400 Speaker 1: just it's scary. We also we also, in this medium 744 00:51:04,480 --> 00:51:10,040 Speaker 1: spicy dystopian scenario, would inevitably see regardless of which country 745 00:51:10,040 --> 00:51:14,760 Speaker 1: that's occurred in, we would inevitably see a rise in militarism. 746 00:51:14,760 --> 00:51:18,719 Speaker 1: Maybe not for the reasons you think. First yes, obviously 747 00:51:18,880 --> 00:51:25,200 Speaker 1: to protect against adjacent countries invading for increasingly sparse resources. 748 00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:32,600 Speaker 1: But secondly, because it's a solid job for people to get. 749 00:51:33,040 --> 00:51:37,520 Speaker 1: It provides shelter, it provides food, It provides a degree 750 00:51:37,560 --> 00:51:43,719 Speaker 1: of safety from whatever crazy social programs will be instituted. Right. Uh. 751 00:51:43,760 --> 00:51:46,439 Speaker 1: And then the next thing we'll see, of course, which 752 00:51:46,440 --> 00:51:51,520 Speaker 1: we're already seeing, is uh de humanization of people based 753 00:51:51,600 --> 00:51:58,120 Speaker 1: on their location. Right. So, like the it has happened. 754 00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:02,080 Speaker 1: It's not some nuts theory, and it's not left wing 755 00:52:02,160 --> 00:52:05,239 Speaker 1: or right wing like think about. I'm sure I'm sure 756 00:52:05,280 --> 00:52:06,880 Speaker 1: many of us listening you had to read the Grapes 757 00:52:06,920 --> 00:52:10,879 Speaker 1: of Wrath by John Steinbeck based on real events right, 758 00:52:11,440 --> 00:52:16,200 Speaker 1: Think about how dehumanized the people from Oklahoma were. The 759 00:52:16,239 --> 00:52:19,319 Speaker 1: whole reason they were treated as less than human was 760 00:52:19,360 --> 00:52:22,000 Speaker 1: because they were from Oklahoma at a time when beaten 761 00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:26,719 Speaker 1: from Oklahoma sucked. They were called Okis not people. It's 762 00:52:26,719 --> 00:52:30,279 Speaker 1: hard to wrap my head around that it is. Indeed, hey, 763 00:52:30,280 --> 00:52:35,640 Speaker 1: shout out to all out there, well, Oklahoma is a 764 00:52:37,120 --> 00:52:40,760 Speaker 1: is a beautiful state. Honestly, I would I don't know, guys, 765 00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:43,279 Speaker 1: I missed traveling. Should we try to get back on 766 00:52:43,320 --> 00:52:47,879 Speaker 1: the road before the collapse of civilization? This is such 767 00:52:47,880 --> 00:52:52,000 Speaker 1: an optimistic episode where past the tipping point, disasters are 768 00:52:52,040 --> 00:52:54,600 Speaker 1: on the rise. The only question now is the same 769 00:52:54,719 --> 00:53:00,000 Speaker 1: question as as ah as the talking head. So it's 770 00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:03,400 Speaker 1: a same as it ever was. How will humanity respond? 771 00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:06,680 Speaker 1: What should we do? We've seen a bunch of different 772 00:53:07,320 --> 00:53:10,120 Speaker 1: I've seen a bunch of different good faith attempts to 773 00:53:10,239 --> 00:53:15,640 Speaker 1: preserve empires, civilizations, community units during times of natural disaster, 774 00:53:15,840 --> 00:53:20,240 Speaker 1: which we are in. Uh, we have not seen anything 775 00:53:20,280 --> 00:53:25,200 Speaker 1: that's ever that's a successfully reproducible. And that counts the 776 00:53:25,239 --> 00:53:29,480 Speaker 1: far left stuff, the far right stuff, the crazy absolute 777 00:53:29,480 --> 00:53:33,600 Speaker 1: power monarch just doing weird things. We don't have an answer, 778 00:53:34,239 --> 00:53:38,760 Speaker 1: and we are standing on the train tracks, arguing often 779 00:53:39,120 --> 00:53:43,120 Speaker 1: semantics in public discourse while the train is coming for 780 00:53:43,239 --> 00:53:47,399 Speaker 1: us and not slowing down. We need a positive note 781 00:53:47,400 --> 00:53:56,080 Speaker 1: to end this on Oklahoma where the wind comes sweeping 782 00:53:55,600 --> 00:54:07,920 Speaker 1: and the way and the rain no dry. That's okay, fine, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, 783 00:54:08,560 --> 00:54:14,919 Speaker 1: okay o perfect, actually perfect? Thank you guys, that made 784 00:54:14,920 --> 00:54:19,320 Speaker 1: my days. If you're listening, if you enjoyed that half 785 00:54:19,360 --> 00:54:22,560 Speaker 1: as much as I did, then I think I think 786 00:54:22,560 --> 00:54:26,400 Speaker 1: this may be a high point of your day. We 787 00:54:26,480 --> 00:54:29,319 Speaker 1: want to know what you think. By the way, are 788 00:54:29,440 --> 00:54:35,280 Speaker 1: you someone who has figured out a response to these things? Again, 789 00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:42,680 Speaker 1: people too often get mired down in um misleading labels 790 00:54:42,719 --> 00:54:48,960 Speaker 1: and discourse. Natural disasters do not care really about any 791 00:54:49,280 --> 00:54:53,439 Speaker 1: your personal information and your beliefs. They do not matter really. 792 00:54:53,480 --> 00:54:57,799 Speaker 1: The only thing that matters immediately is your location. But 793 00:54:57,920 --> 00:55:00,840 Speaker 1: then as we see past a certain threshold, your location 794 00:55:00,880 --> 00:55:04,160 Speaker 1: does it super matter either. You'll still be affected. So 795 00:55:04,239 --> 00:55:07,000 Speaker 1: what are what are the answers we're asking for? Help? 796 00:55:07,880 --> 00:55:15,359 Speaker 1: Help us save you know, humanity? Okay? Um, you can 797 00:55:15,480 --> 00:55:17,799 Speaker 1: find us and write to us and give us your 798 00:55:17,840 --> 00:55:21,640 Speaker 1: thoughts in many a place across the internet, Firstly, we 799 00:55:21,680 --> 00:55:26,640 Speaker 1: are on Facebook and Twitter at Conspiracy Stuff. On Instagram, 800 00:55:26,680 --> 00:55:29,960 Speaker 1: we are at Conspiracy Stuff show. Yes, and you also 801 00:55:30,040 --> 00:55:32,280 Speaker 1: could find us on our favorite place on the internet, 802 00:55:32,320 --> 00:55:34,600 Speaker 1: the Here's where It gets Crazy Facebook group, where all 803 00:55:34,640 --> 00:55:37,919 Speaker 1: you have to do is answer a simple question, which 804 00:55:38,000 --> 00:55:40,320 Speaker 1: is the naming one or two or three or anybody 805 00:55:40,360 --> 00:55:43,120 Speaker 1: associated with the show? Uh. Then always says you can 806 00:55:43,120 --> 00:55:44,560 Speaker 1: also just make us laugh, and I say, you can 807 00:55:44,600 --> 00:55:46,400 Speaker 1: make a reference to something, let us know you're not 808 00:55:46,600 --> 00:55:49,600 Speaker 1: a Russian bot um. Whenever we approve people coming into 809 00:55:49,600 --> 00:55:53,040 Speaker 1: the group, these go away, and occasionally we'll all screenshot 810 00:55:53,400 --> 00:55:56,760 Speaker 1: the ones that we think are noteworthy. This one here, Uh, 811 00:55:56,880 --> 00:56:01,040 Speaker 1: Matt Bennell security should be fixed. I was using Spanish 812 00:56:01,080 --> 00:56:03,319 Speaker 1: knowing that Matt's wife is Cuban and that it might 813 00:56:03,320 --> 00:56:08,880 Speaker 1: be indecipherable to a hacker or bought Wow nice, How 814 00:56:08,880 --> 00:56:11,640 Speaker 1: did how did you know that? Dave? I talked about that? Actually, 815 00:56:12,239 --> 00:56:15,000 Speaker 1: how much do people know about my life? Too much? 816 00:56:16,400 --> 00:56:18,239 Speaker 1: Are you not on the blog? Do you not read 817 00:56:18,280 --> 00:56:23,480 Speaker 1: the blog anymore? I see it sometimes. I tried to 818 00:56:23,480 --> 00:56:26,000 Speaker 1: stay off of Facebook, as I hope you do. But 819 00:56:26,280 --> 00:56:29,000 Speaker 1: if you don't and you do like Facebook, then go there. 820 00:56:29,239 --> 00:56:32,480 Speaker 1: That's the right place to go. The blog is watch Matt. 821 00:56:32,600 --> 00:56:37,040 Speaker 1: Sleeping dot Org is a nonprofit brought to you by 822 00:56:37,160 --> 00:56:40,279 Speaker 1: simply Safe Home Security. I mean I knew there were 823 00:56:40,280 --> 00:56:43,600 Speaker 1: cameras all over the house. Uh my phone was bugged, 824 00:56:43,840 --> 00:56:47,400 Speaker 1: but cheeze, you didn't know about this one, did baby. Guys, 825 00:56:47,480 --> 00:56:50,759 Speaker 1: it really means a lot. Yeah, man, Yeah, we just 826 00:56:50,800 --> 00:56:53,080 Speaker 1: wanna keep an eye on you. The n s A 827 00:56:53,160 --> 00:56:56,960 Speaker 1: intern Steve gave us that idea. Uh, so shout out 828 00:56:57,000 --> 00:57:00,800 Speaker 1: to him. Uh. And if you don't want to, you uh, 829 00:57:01,480 --> 00:57:05,880 Speaker 1: interact on social media. As Matt said, we get it. 830 00:57:06,200 --> 00:57:09,839 Speaker 1: You can give us a call toll free. I don't 831 00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:12,560 Speaker 1: remember when people used to say toll free, back when 832 00:57:12,840 --> 00:57:15,960 Speaker 1: there were tools like that. Anyway, we're toll free. We're 833 00:57:16,040 --> 00:57:20,760 Speaker 1: one eight three three st d w y t k Uh. 834 00:57:20,800 --> 00:57:24,800 Speaker 1: Speak your peace, speak your mind. Give us suggestions for topics. 835 00:57:24,880 --> 00:57:29,880 Speaker 1: React to this topic. Uh, you know the time is yours, 836 00:57:30,120 --> 00:57:33,040 Speaker 1: conspiracy realist. The only thing we ask is that you 837 00:57:33,120 --> 00:57:35,200 Speaker 1: let us know whether or not you are comfortable with 838 00:57:35,280 --> 00:57:37,360 Speaker 1: us using your name or your voice on the air. 839 00:57:37,560 --> 00:57:40,560 Speaker 1: That's right, hey, And guess what I have the best 840 00:57:40,600 --> 00:57:45,560 Speaker 1: news for you all? Uh. The YouTube channel is going strong, right, 841 00:57:45,560 --> 00:57:49,000 Speaker 1: now you will see new videos posted there all the time. 842 00:57:49,400 --> 00:57:51,920 Speaker 1: And by the way, this weekend, as we're recording this, 843 00:57:52,000 --> 00:57:56,760 Speaker 1: we realized that our documentary short, one called Etched and 844 00:57:56,840 --> 00:57:59,800 Speaker 1: Seeker at the Georgia guide Stones, was just hanging out 845 00:57:59,800 --> 00:58:03,280 Speaker 1: on the old YouTube channel, and guess what, we published it. 846 00:58:03,840 --> 00:58:05,960 Speaker 1: And if you want to watch that, you can head 847 00:58:06,000 --> 00:58:09,640 Speaker 1: over to YouTube dot com slash conspiracy stuff right now. 848 00:58:10,040 --> 00:58:14,640 Speaker 1: You can watch knowles Face talk about the Georgia guidestones 849 00:58:14,840 --> 00:58:19,000 Speaker 1: and you can hear Ben's sweet voiceover that you've been missing. 850 00:58:19,040 --> 00:58:21,600 Speaker 1: You can hear it right now. Just go to YouTube 851 00:58:21,600 --> 00:58:25,200 Speaker 1: dot com slash conspiracy stuff, dare we say, Bearded Face 852 00:58:25,240 --> 00:58:29,880 Speaker 1: and dulcet tones. And while while you're there, I'll tell 853 00:58:29,920 --> 00:58:32,080 Speaker 1: you what's been making my day on that in particular, 854 00:58:32,440 --> 00:58:36,360 Speaker 1: is the all the crow comments, all the corvid dot 855 00:58:36,360 --> 00:58:42,280 Speaker 1: covid stories from from our weird news piece, which was 856 00:58:42,320 --> 00:58:46,160 Speaker 1: really just an excuse for me to talk about crows. 857 00:58:46,240 --> 00:58:50,040 Speaker 1: But cherry crow stories, you guys. I speaking of crow stories. 858 00:58:50,080 --> 00:58:52,960 Speaker 1: I dropped my son off at school this morning and 859 00:58:53,000 --> 00:58:55,440 Speaker 1: as I'm leaving, I'm going through a little neighborhood to 860 00:58:55,480 --> 00:58:59,880 Speaker 1: get out of the school area, A massive group of 861 00:59:00,080 --> 00:59:03,520 Speaker 1: rows corvids. They were hanging out in the middle of 862 00:59:03,520 --> 00:59:07,520 Speaker 1: the street here a ton I'm gonna estimate three dozen, 863 00:59:07,520 --> 00:59:11,200 Speaker 1: four dozen, and they were all it looked to be 864 00:59:12,080 --> 00:59:16,040 Speaker 1: gathering food of some sort on the street. Because you know, 865 00:59:16,200 --> 00:59:19,320 Speaker 1: we've we talked about this before, but there's an awareness 866 00:59:19,360 --> 00:59:22,280 Speaker 1: of that when a car's tires drive over nuts or 867 00:59:22,400 --> 00:59:25,480 Speaker 1: certain things, they can get that meat out of there, 868 00:59:25,640 --> 00:59:28,440 Speaker 1: so they'll drop it onto a street so that the 869 00:59:28,520 --> 00:59:30,320 Speaker 1: cars can do their thing and they can get their food. 870 00:59:30,840 --> 00:59:35,680 Speaker 1: They were doing that. This more amazing, amazing. You found 871 00:59:35,680 --> 00:59:39,520 Speaker 1: a crow convention. You went to crow con accidentally? Do 872 00:59:39,640 --> 00:59:44,480 Speaker 1: you know you sent them? Ben, don't be well? Uh, 873 00:59:44,840 --> 00:59:49,360 Speaker 1: speaking of speaking of sending things. If you don't care 874 00:59:49,480 --> 00:59:53,200 Speaker 1: for phones, if you don't care for social media, uh, 875 00:59:53,240 --> 00:59:55,880 Speaker 1: and your religion board is broken or whatever, never fear. 876 00:59:56,040 --> 00:59:58,520 Speaker 1: There is one way that you can always contact us 877 00:59:58,760 --> 01:00:01,840 Speaker 1: twenty four seven. Send us a good old fashioned email. 878 01:00:01,920 --> 01:00:24,120 Speaker 1: We are conspiracy at i heart radio dot com. Stuff 879 01:00:24,160 --> 01:00:26,040 Speaker 1: they don't want you to know is a production of 880 01:00:26,080 --> 01:00:29,040 Speaker 1: I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 881 01:00:29,200 --> 01:00:32,040 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 882 01:00:32,120 --> 01:00:33,400 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.