Silent Consent – Page 2 – Prairie House Gallery

Population and Violence?

Spite is a natural behaviour among organisms, just like mutualism and parasitism. Behaviourists define war as a loose-loose interaction in which each party is harmed by the exchange. Among humans, war is typically fought to gain control of resources. The Nazis’ moved against the Soviet Union and waged war in North Africa primarily to gainContinue reading “Population and Violence?”

On Track for a Societal Collapse Soon

One of the things we look for in good science is the ability to make predictions. In 1972, an MIT team modeled twelve different possible scenarios for the future based upon different responses to the environment. Since then, we have followed the BAU2 (Business as Usual) scenario. Based upon our desire for continued economic growth,Continue reading “On Track for a Societal Collapse Soon”

Remembering Ravensbrück

Ravensbrück served as a Nazi concentration camp exclusively for women. An estimated 130,000 women were interned there during the Nazi era, and between 30,000 and 50,000 women died there. It was one of the smaller camps. That did not make it any less horrific. There, women were used like horses, pulling heavy equipment. With sheerContinue reading “Remembering Ravensbrück”

Water Troubles

The Colorado River Is In Trouble. The great river of the American West has headwaters in the marshes created by the snow-melts at La Poudre Pass (Colorado). Soon afterwards, the water diversion projects begin. These water fields and provide life to communities. Before leaving the Coyote Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park (also Colorado), aboutContinue reading “Water Troubles”

How many slaves do you have?

The first national remembrance of Juneteenth has come and gone in the United States. But, if you thought that slavery ended with the Emancipation Proclamation or with the condemnation of slavery by the United Nations, think again. Mauritania had legal slavery until 1981, and after its abolition, it imposed no penalties for it until 2007.Continue reading “How many slaves do you have?”

Derechos

Derechos are massive wind storms that can stretch linearly for hundreds of miles. They can include bands of showers and thunderstorms, and they can spawn tornadoes. Traditionally, for something to qualify as a “derecho,” the wind storm must extend 250 miles (~400kM), have wind gusts that equal or exceed 58mph (121 kM/h) with multiple gustsContinue reading “Derechos”

Oral Histories

Three are lots of oral histories collected from older people before they pass. The stories and events that one generation takes as granted become the history for the next. Here are a few oral history sites–some simple, some more in-depth–that might interest you. Library of Congress, Voices of Slaves Society of American Archivists: Oral HistoriesContinue reading “Oral Histories”

At The Turn of the 20th Century, Women (and others) Struggled for Suffrage and Education.

Mrs. Burk, by Ptera Hunter, includes a section set during the turmoil of the early 20th century’s tumultuous suffrage movement. Her experience does not typify the women of her era. Their experiences were too diverse to be represented by one person. Instead, it gives a possible experience for a single person. The issue of differentialContinue reading “At The Turn of the 20th Century, Women (and others) Struggled for Suffrage and Education.”

Eroding Trust

Corporations and politicians have used lies, misinformation, and deceptive marketing campaigns to erode trust in the data and analyses of science. Tobacco marketers knew this when they weaponized their approach to “science.” They confused correlation and causation to make people doubt the link between smoking and cancer. Many corporations that depend upon fossil fuels wantContinue reading “Eroding Trust”