the Venus project [pic warning]

[Marin85]

A few weeks ago I came across a very interesting and somewhat futuristic project called Venus project, which aim it basically "the redesign of a culture". It offers various technological, social, environmental and economical concepts based also on current state of knowledge and science. It´s definitely worth a look through their website

Marin

PS: I believe the project gets aslo extensively mentioned in the second part of the "Zeitgeist" movie.

[beGi]

Well, although it sounds like very noble idea, it is impossible (for now)...

I don't know but "Redesign of a culture" term reminds me of eugenics, and we all know how that ended...

How exactly would this be implemented, we all wake up one day and do what? Oh wait:

1. Donate to our non-profit organization, Future By Design. Dedicate your efforts to build the Research Center Circular City needed to bring a Resource Based Economy to world attention. Donations are tax deductible.

2. Purchase a copy of The Best That Money Can't Buy: Beyond Politics, Poverty & War by Jacque Fresco. Purchase additional books for your family your friends, your schools, and libraries.

3. Purchase one or more Videos and share them with your friends. Show the videos at civic clubs and schools in your town.

4. Arrange speaking engagements at local libraries, radio stations, colleges and universities for The Venus Project speakers

One of the basic premises of The Venus Project is that we work towards having all of the Earth's resources as the common heritage of all the world's people.

And this reminds me of something what my people once tried, and there was no happy ending...

World beauty is in it's diversity... And I don't like to be redesigned...

And to live in something like this (or even close to one):
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/8099 ... 107jj6.jpg

No thanks

I would rather choose this (or something similar):
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5628/h588sg7.jpg

I really like renovated old stone house...

MHO

EDIT: Link repair...

[ajkula66]

Many philosophers of 19th century, but most notably Kirkegaard, Marx and Nietzsche have had their own visions of re-designing anything from ethics/morality through culture and on to society in general...

Twentieth century has shown us, in blood sweat and tears, what it looks like when humanity starts re-designing these most important aspects of itself by force...even when fueled by the noblest of ideas...

Thanks but no thanks...

[goofyGAguy]

beGi, links no worky.

[Marin85]

Well, yes, I have to agree designing the future look of a society has never been a great idea, and most of that stuff is quite utopical anyways... What I found interesting, was the attempt to combine philosophical, economical, social, political and environmental ideas with some industrial design, and for that matter I haven´t seen something similar before. I´m not into industrial design at all, but I found some of the "machinery" ideas very nice (not sure if most of this technical stuff is really doable though...), and especially the concepts of implementing clean energy technology. Having that said, here in Munich there is an ongoing project for utilization geothermal sources to an extent that it will be probably possible to build a power plant and to connect the heating system of the city to such a source. The interesting part is that it´s not just some university project but it´s been worked on for a year and some from side of the city. So, maybe, in 4-5 years we won´t be anymore that dependent on Russia and Ukraine for gas... (it doesn´t dance anyway, but it will when the project is accomplished ). So, apart from the philosophical bloat and the slightly commercial flavor (as beGi pointed out) of the Venus project I would say it contains some interesting and maybe even somewhat pragmatical ideas though

Cheers

Marin

[beGi]

Strange, I'm sure links were fine before posting...

Edit: reedited embedded pics into links...

[Marin85]

Yup, they were ok, I´ll add a pic warning. Are you sure your pics comply to the pic rules of the forum?

EDIT: your links work perfect now

[BillMorrow]

well, ok..
interesting utopian view of what could be a future for mankind..

the only problem is.. uhmm, ok the only problems ARE:
1. generally, man(kind) is venal..
2. the best thing mankind does without exception is to procreat without discipline..
only a selfish desire for satiation or offspring, never considering a furutr beyond the next few minutes or enough children to support the parents in their old age..

aside: if al gore were to really pin down the root cause of global warming (or climate change as they now call it) he would get on the birth control bandwagon that the chinese have been running for the last (what?) 20 to 30 years..?

3. sounds like communism to me..
and we all know what happens in a communist society..
no one except the rulers has enough..

4. so everyone sits around the campfire (whoops, there goes the carbon footprint, gotta pay up for that pollution) and sings joan baez songs..?
it only works until those florida mosquitos start to bite and the jusl rains kick in..
they everyone retires to their buckminster fuller dome and turns on the air conditioning..
(whoops, here comes al gore again with his hand out so you pay for your increased power (read carbon footprint) and off al goes in his gulfstream 5 private jet..
point is it all sound just fine until reality comes up and delivers a hard kink in the posterior regions..

i could go on but i am out of time now..