Being peak oil and climate change aware is sort of a curse to those of us so informed.  Because we know that our American society running Business As Usual will mean tipping points and thesholds are guaranteed to be reached and different, quite unfortunate realities will result.  What happened in Haiti may be a worst case scenario that few areas in the future will suffer all at once, this is hopefully true.  Nonetheless, human population and economic expansion is reaching the limits of the Earth's ecological capabilities, many things will fall apart all over the place and much will catch people as unaware and vulnerable as a massive earthquake. 

    If people reading this post manage to live to 2050 or 2060, this earthfquake crisis as horrific as it is, will just be another milestone in what is llikely to be the collapse of industrial civilization and the probable destruction of much of the Earth's existing ecosystems.  Not cheerful thoughts at all, but the realistic consequences of the trends we are on now.  I do believe however that our decisions, our efforts, our courage, our creativity and yes, our love and our generosity can and will make positive differences .  We should aim to do what is right for the environment and for our children's and their children's  and their children the best we can.

    Because we can do so easily, I do encourage you to support the aid efforts to help the people of Haiti.  Maybe not the Clinton and Bush fundraising efforts, but there are many other worthwhile charitable groups.  -Joe