Agreed that abandoning hope is not a good idea - in part because climate change is not binary. Every effort we take regarding mitigation and adaptation may make the future better than if we do nothing.
I hear a lot of warranted frustration in your “voice”, John. Should this post be better categorized under Transition Issues? I think so, but not important. I think (hope) that this is a case of the darkest hour is just before the dawn. Thoughthere is every reason to despair, I think we can face the truth without abandoning hope. COP26 will be telling, but even discouragement there will not mean all is lost. I am hearing hope from our CCL Congressional liaisons. I am hearing hope from a very dedicated group of scientists at the Clean Air Task Force, and at other nonprofits working hard on solutions. I am even hearing hope from Adam Schiff that democracy here in the U. S. will be fine. I think what we can do now, that will have an impact, is to move those that we know care - to act. I heard Rep. Mark Pocan (co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus) say recently, “When people lead, eventually the leaders follow.” Those who care are still in the majority.
It seems we as a species are in a kind of pinchers - we are unwilling to use less energy (mostly fossil fuel sourced) because that seems to most like it would require us to lower our standard of living - or forgo a future higher standard of living. At the same time, our refusal to change energy practice pretty much guarantees that our standard of living is going to lower as a result. Probably drastically lower.
I was on a zoom last night with a guy who is clearly highly knowledgeable about the possible futures of our energy supply. A scientist who speaks from a solid fact base. Part of his point was the near impossibility of supplying world energy demand with just wind, solar, and hydro. Offering nuclear as a reliable source to augment the variable sources. Progressives for the most part shut down at the mere mention of nuclear, seldom if ever take the time to take a hard look at either nuclear or the consequences of of thinking that demand can be met with just variable energy sources. It's like a religious belief and contradicting that belief is enough to get one excommunicated. In a sense I think we are nearly all in lala land regarding our climate future - we have settled on our favorite opinions and goals without ever knowing how likely it is that they will work or not work, and we have a difficult time thinking any other way.
Add it all up, and as a species we don't do anything meaningful to address climate change - and entertain ourselves by squabbling.
Quote from Greta recently: Making Cop26 a success, Thunberg suggested, requires unflinching honesty about “the gap between what we are saying and what we are actually doing … That’s not what we are doing now. We are trying to find concrete, small solutions that are symbolic in order to make it seem like we are doing something, without actually confronting the problem at all. We are still not counting all the emissions when we are announcing targets. We are still using creative accounting when it comes to emissions cuts, and so on. As long as that’s the case, we will not get very far.”
Agreed that abandoning hope is not a good idea - in part because climate change is not binary. Every effort we take regarding mitigation and adaptation may make the future better than if we do nothing.
I hear a lot of warranted frustration in your “voice”, John. Should this post be better categorized under Transition Issues? I think so, but not important. I think (hope) that this is a case of the darkest hour is just before the dawn. Though there is every reason to despair, I think we can face the truth without abandoning hope. COP26 will be telling, but even discouragement there will not mean all is lost. I am hearing hope from our CCL Congressional liaisons. I am hearing hope from a very dedicated group of scientists at the Clean Air Task Force, and at other nonprofits working hard on solutions. I am even hearing hope from Adam Schiff that democracy here in the U. S. will be fine. I think what we can do now, that will have an impact, is to move those that we know care - to act. I heard Rep. Mark Pocan (co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus) say recently, “When people lead, eventually the leaders follow.” Those who care are still in the majority.
It seems we as a species are in a kind of pinchers - we are unwilling to use less energy (mostly fossil fuel sourced) because that seems to most like it would require us to lower our standard of living - or forgo a future higher standard of living. At the same time, our refusal to change energy practice pretty much guarantees that our standard of living is going to lower as a result. Probably drastically lower.
I was on a zoom last night with a guy who is clearly highly knowledgeable about the possible futures of our energy supply. A scientist who speaks from a solid fact base. Part of his point was the near impossibility of supplying world energy demand with just wind, solar, and hydro. Offering nuclear as a reliable source to augment the variable sources. Progressives for the most part shut down at the mere mention of nuclear, seldom if ever take the time to take a hard look at either nuclear or the consequences of of thinking that demand can be met with just variable energy sources. It's like a religious belief and contradicting that belief is enough to get one excommunicated. In a sense I think we are nearly all in lala land regarding our climate future - we have settled on our favorite opinions and goals without ever knowing how likely it is that they will work or not work, and we have a difficult time thinking any other way.
Add it all up, and as a species we don't do anything meaningful to address climate change - and entertain ourselves by squabbling.
Quote from Greta recently: Making Cop26 a success, Thunberg suggested, requires unflinching honesty about “the gap between what we are saying and what we are actually doing … That’s not what we are doing now. We are trying to find concrete, small solutions that are symbolic in order to make it seem like we are doing something, without actually confronting the problem at all. We are still not counting all the emissions when we are announcing targets. We are still using creative accounting when it comes to emissions cuts, and so on. As long as that’s the case, we will not get very far.”
Welcome to the pinchers.
Love this part: ”…developing a ‘prosocial hormone‘ oxytocin pill so people might finally give a damn.”