Welcome to The Collapse Chronicle

A note from the publisher

The Collapse Chronicle is a newsletter documenting the ongoing climate crisis, mass extinctions, and the decline and fall of post-industrial capitalism and its political order. Since the days when I acted as an administrator and contributing writer for the now-defunct Doomstead Diner, one of my purposes has been to inform people about the numerous vectors of collapse headed our way with astonishing speed. Distinguished scientists have made this point since "Limits to Growth" was published in 1972.

William Catton's foundational book, "Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change" states clearly the "human predicament" of overpopulation in a world of finite resources. He contradicts the panaceas proposed by purveyors of hopium who would harvest the seas, harness the winds, and farm the deserts because they ignore the truth that the principles of ecology apply to all living things.

In "The Collapse of Complex Societies," anthropologist Joseph Tainter studied the fall of ancient empires and suggests that collapse is a drastic and persistent simplification of society. People move from highly specialized roles, complex hierarchies, and social systems to generalists, simpler social systems, and more local subsistence. Order breaks down as institutions like police and education fail. 

In a similar examination of failed societies in his bestseller "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed," Jared Diamond suggested that collapse is a drastic, persistent, involuntary reduction in population. He recounts how it happened to the Maya in Central America, the Vikings in Greenland, and the Moai builders of Easter Island. In his view, each civilization collapsed as a result of ecological overshoot.

I mention these books and authors because each has informed my journey.

1. Why this, why now?

One of the things I did every day on the Doomsttead Diner was to prepare a post with doom- and collapse-related stories every day: I became the resident newshound. So I have long been in the habit of surveying the media landscape for news of impending collapse. Worsening climate news in the last few years has made this easier. This is a place where you can measure the increments of collapse bit by bit, vector by vector. I don't purport to be an expert, or to have any particular expertise aside from a keen nose for bullshit, which is why I have a dim view of mainstream media. And yes, I do publish stories from those sources because they employ actual reporters, fact-checkers, and editors, and true and useful stories do come through. These differ from the editorial page, usually wholly in thrall to its owners and corporate masters.

2. Who will find this useful?

You'll find this enterprise useful if you realize that industrial society is doomed. You know we live in dire times. Countless species are going extinct. Microplastics are everywhere, even in the rain and the clouds, on top of Mt. Fuji and lodged in human hearts. The climate? This summer saw droughts, heatwaves, floods, rivers drying and glaciers melting. The energy we use, and upon which our exorbitant lifestyles depend, contributes to climate change. It is also becoming increasingly expensive.

We Americans are the most pampered, cosseted people on the planet, living off the surplus generated by four centuries of conquest, extermination, and slavery. We've grown fat on inherited, unearned privilege and are bloated with expectations and the ongoing demand for MORE. Consider the fundamental assumptions upon which we base our lives: the clean water is available at the tap, that the lights come on when we flip a switch, that the cops or fire department will come when we call. When order breaks down, none of those assumptions is valid.

In a world of finite resources, infinite demands can only be realized (in the short term) by authoritarianism and the black arts of fascism. A nation of Derek Chauvins needs a steady supply of necks upon which to jam their knees, the better to preserve their prerogatives.

3. What you’ll receive

My intent is to prepare and publish a newsletter each day. Some days I won't publish due to schedule demands or the need for a rest. When I take a day off, I will let you know. At this point, all subscriptions are free. This is not nor has ever been a money-making proposition. The cash flow has gone outward to support subscriptions and a publishing platform. My purpose here is to continue the mission of the Doomstead Diner, in which its founder wanted, after a line borrowed from "The Day After Tomorrow," to "Save As Many As You Can."

And on occasion, I will write an article of my own as the spirit moves.