Oxygen

[Tim Schmooze]

Well some of you might know I left my cozy corner of Australia and risked Malaysian Airlines to get to Norway. I'll probably post something on the differences I noticed, because we all love a good discussion. However, one of the big differences I noticed was the quality of the air. THe water was supposed to be a big difference from the excessively chlorinated water I'm used to, but I didn't notice it that much. But the air was astounding, even in the middle of the city. I was euphoric, and only after I realised the effect the oxygen had on me could I fairly say that the wedding I went over to be a groomsman for wasn't the only reason I was happy.

http://jameswight.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/co2-hits-390-ppm/

http://www.350.org/about/science

These aren't maybe the best articles o illuminate my thoughts, but my point is this: I was happier in an environment with more oxygen. I was made aware of this on a radio interview with some articulate guy who din't keep mentioning his own importance. His point wasn't about the science, after all, we've all heard about global warming, greenhouse gases etc, to the point that we are apathetic and blase with data. His point was that civilisation is only successful below 350ppm - on an intellectual and emotional level, we are in decline when operating in levels of toxicity above that.

My thought is extending along this theory: as a society, are we waking up grumpier every day from a lack of oxygen? Is it as though we slept in a closed room and deprived ourselves of the very thing that allows thought, consciousness, emotion and will? Is our apathy towards the situation the sign that our eyes have already glazed over from a lack of oxygen in our capacity to reason, as a civilisation? After all, the extent to which we damage the earth is meaningless - existentially, nothing changes if we shit where we eat (our only reasons for ethical behaviour on any humanist level are purely self motivation in any case).

So what next Marcellus Wallace? Oxygen or cultural anoxia? Will we be too stupid to go out with a bang?