MHEM to Save the Cosmos From Modern Humans
The Modern Human Extinction Movement (MHEM, traditional IPA ɛm.hɪm) calls upon all potentially right-thinking modern humans to seek out the condition now that will come anyway — that of the extinction of all modern techno-industrialized humans and/or their culture (other than those confined to three megacity-state enclaves).
“What is the general answer? Eject economic expansionism, stop growth, use available energies for cultural conversion to steady state, seek out the condition now that will come anyway, but by our service be our biosphere’s handmaiden anew.” — Howard T. Odum, Energy, Ecology, & Economics, 1973
The Modern Human Extinction Movement is the outcome of the above answer. Period. Full STOP (i.e. there are no political/religious/ philosophical/ideological foundations). Seeking out the condition of living within limits will end modernity and may have extinction of the human species as outcome. Not seeking will have human extinction as outcome, whether in 50 or 50k years.
As we moderns are in overshoot, there can be no transition to a steady state, but only a rapid degrowth, whether managed (intended) or by chaotic collapse as usual (unmanaged, unintended). Our first and last global collapse event may not result in modern human extinction, but in persistence of one or more remnant populations that, after 500 years or so of environmental recovery, repeat the pattern regionally until game over.
The “repeat the pattern” outcome will merely delay modern human extinction while continuing to degrade the Gaian system until complete human extinction is achieved, ending the Anthropocene. The extinction of modern humans within 50–500 years will likely have a better outcome for life on Earth than if we persist for another 5k-50k years. Ending the modern human presence in 50 years could involve greater harm than taking 500 years, so a “sooner is better” dictum cannot be assumed, though it is a likely generalization.
To live a modern life, the 50 million moderns will depend on 96,000 kilowatt hours per person per year (640 energy slaves each*) that (post fossil fuel) can only be provided by combining the output of regional hydroelectric dams (in 1–3 locations where this is possible).
Smaller remnants of modern techno-industrial (MTI) society, with a population less than 10 million, cannot support life as modern humans know it, and so those who would so live must seek to join one of the three megacity states which, while they are independent sovereign states, are too far apart, and will lack surplus energy, to war upon each other.
There would not be energy for cars, passenger planes, nor space travel, so their self-imposed dependency on high energy and high technology will confine them to their city. If new technology gives them access to new energy sources on a scale that could allow for a fourth megacity (and so on and on), then their involuntary extinction will be needed if they cannot limit themselves to three megacities.
If they cannot prevent themselves from expanding on Earth, or into the solar system and beyond, then we supporters of life on Earth will seek to exterminate them. If they were to seek to expand their megacities because they could (they figure out how to make fusion work at scale or something), they would turn Earth into a Trantor-like planet of the humans where all oceans (and land area) have been built over with floating cityscapes kilometers thick (any sea/land life would have their genomes preserved as data should humans ever want to animate them again apart from those in zoos or food factories).
Moderns would become Borg-like expansionists who would seek to turn the Milky Way into more like unto themselves before expanding into nearby galaxies. We of MHEM would seek to destroy them before they could leave Earth to infest Cosmos. Saving Earth from moderns may not be enough. The hyper human culture that may develop to live within the three megacities must also understand its limits — must not mutate back to an expansionist form of human.
The potentially expansionist r-culture of the hypercity ones will be confined to less than 10% of Earth’s habitable land. Should they develop fusion or come to develop another source of energy (PV, wind, geothermal) that could supply 96,000 kWh/person/year to support 10 or more million humans/megacity needed to provide modern services (e.g. organ transplants, 110 energy slaves — 875 kWh/year each — working 24/7 per person) in other megacities, then any attempt to expand, to found other megacities, will be opposed with extreme prejudice unto annihilation of the megacity that attempted to multiply its form, with the support of the two megacities not attempting to expand.
If all three megacities conspired to expand — to create a fourth, then all would have to be exterminated. Otherwise, if one or two did not so seek to expand, then they could perpetuate modernity within their self-contained megacity. Otherwise, be it known that life on Earth cannot coexist with any form modern techno-industrial society. Even a hyper-modern form of human living (for a time) within limits may be too modern to persist.
But maybe humans can come to have technology without being had by it.
In 100 years where will the red line be?
Is 0 billion possible?
How high will it have gone?
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For involuntary change, join the Or-not MHEM. The belief that you are a free agent, with free will to choose your future (or get modern humans to choose their future), is error floating on a sea of ignorance in a thick fog of illusion.
[Note: MHEM membership excludes politicians and the recently (<1 year) politically active, including environmentalists. Otherwise, with the exception of the San, Hadza, and Pygmy, all other humans are Modern humans, and acknowledging that such is who and what you are is the requirement for being MHEM. MHEM includes members who celebrate Modern human life and favor the extinction of all life that humans do not value (aka “Hypers”). Hyper MHEM supporters may prefer to join Hyper MHEM. A minority faction views the condition of being a Modern human the way AA members view the condition of being an alcoholic — i.e. non-viable. The author is obviously one of the “Or-nots” after breakfast (but a Hyper before) who seek to “just say no” to the Anthropocene.]
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*Energy slave:
Per Tourane Corbière-Nicollier: “An energy slave works to produce energy 24 hours a day. He produces an average power output of 100 W (876 kWh per year).” 96,000 kWh/year = 110 energy slaves working 24/7.
*For the number of healthy human slave equivalents:
Per Bucky Fuller: a healthy individual working 40 hours a week (or 3 kWh per week, at 75 W, 150 kWh/year assuming 2 weeks sick leave. So 96,000 kWh/year needed to live like an average European = 640 fit rural energy slaves.
Based on speed of average bicyclists on flat ground, a modern healthy human could be made to generate maybe 50 W of mechanical work (e.g. turning a shaft). 96,000 kWh/year = 960 modern human energy slaves if only worked 40 hr/week, or to equal fit rural slaves, work them 60 hr/week average (or until they meet their quota).
Modern life (e.g. average European), without hundreds of energy slaves per citizen, is not possible. If not living within one of three megacities, you will seek to enslave as many animals/humans as possible if unable to adapt to a low energy society of enough, and if you don’t seek to possess slaves, figure you’ll be one. Or not.
In 2022, global per capita energy consumption averaged 21,039 kWh, i.e. the average modern human is served by 33 energy slaves (so there are currently about 266 billion energy slaves on Earth — for a time, and 82% are fossil fueled, with most of the rest, except biomass, dependent on the fossil fueled industrial-growth hegemon, e.g. mining, transportation, manufacturing, supply chains…).
