The 5th Empire - Emergency

Rulers up through the ages have recognized the value of emergencies to cement support for themselves. War has been the emergency of choice. However, ever since World War 1, which resulted in conscripts being massacred in the millions, there has been a growing preference for other types of emergencies. It is therefore convenient for the ruling class that climate change is currently perceived as an existential threat.

From superficial analysis, it appears that the threat of global warming can only be countered through the introduction of draconian laws dictating every detail of our lives. However, this ignores the fact that the biggest hurdles to reduced waste and pollution are governments themselves. The entities with the largest global CO2 footprints are the armed forces, yet not a single ruler has suggested that we should dismantle the military to save the planet. Instead, rulers want to regulate the number of flights we can take, the size of engines in our cars, and all sorts of other aspects of private life.

In contrast, we have concerned 5th Empire citizens who will do anything possible to reduce their negative impact on the environment. Even the not-so-concerned citizen will gladly save on expenses by reducing fuel consumption and waste. We are all interested in reduced waste. There is no need for big governments to make this happen.

On the other hand, big governments are often the very reason for rampant pollution. The interests of small communities are often ignored by bureaucrats. They let favoured parties mess around as they please. Was it up to local communities, big polluters would have to pay up or clean up. No free license to mess around will ever come from a community of 5th Empire citizens.

New Orleans flooded

By Commander Mark Moran, of the NOAA Aviation Weather Center, and Lt. Phil Eastman and Lt. Dave Demers, of the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, all commissioned officers of the NOAA Corps, flew more than 100 hours surveying Katrina’s devastation. Eastman piloted NOAA’s Bell 212 Twin Huey Helicopter from August 31 to September 19. All three men took dozens of aerial photos from an altitude of several feet to 500 feet. - http://www.katrina.noaa.gov/helicopter/helicopter-2.html, Public Domain, Link