Jonathan Franzen is not an expert in the possible effects of climate change.
He's an expert at writing novels in which everyone sounds like they have a Creative Writing MFA from Swarthmore.
This is silly.
What if we stopped pretending the climate apocalypse can be stopped?
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Re: What if we stopped pretending the climate apocalypse can be stopped?
#22Alongside this is a story celebrating how more people are using 100 - 200 grams of internationally-shipped and hand-delivered plastic on the equivalent of a 256mb usb stick to distribute music instead of the internet.
Most of us can't wait to replace our massive-carbon-sink computer with a new one and put the old one in a cupboard.
Sacrifice was key to beating this and we didn't do it and we might be getting worse.
Re: What if we stopped pretending the climate apocalypse can be stopped?
#231. Even if we can't completely prevent it, we can stop it from being much worse.
2. Regardless of the climate changer factor, polluting the air causes cancer, damages ecosystems, harms our food supply, etc.
The mentality of "we can't prevent it, so why bother trying" is like accidentally shooting yourself in the foot, and when finding out it'll have to be amputated, proceeding to shoot your other foot because "what's the point?".
Re: What if we stopped pretending the climate apocalypse can be stopped?
#24"Some climate activists argue that if we publicly admit that the problem can’t be solved, it will discourage people from taking any ameliorative action at all... But the impending catastrophe heightens the urgency of almost any world-improving action... these are all meaningful climate actions" 1) Argues that giving up hope does not mean the end of attempts to ameliorate warming. 2) Proceeds to define 'climate action…
I think no-hope talk might have a paradoxical motivating effect and in a way conveys how bad it could be if we get anything south of a median scenario.
Re: What if we stopped pretending the climate apocalypse can be stopped?
#25It appears that we have already given up. Efficient, low-carbon-emitting natural gas power plants have been replacing coal-fired plants in the USA, largely due to cheap and abundant fuel extracted via fracking. If that were important, we would not be discussing bans on fracking.
Re: What if we stopped pretending the climate apocalypse can be stopped?
#26To stay sane of course. Dying from climate change isn't that different from dying of old age. If every day you remind yourself that you are going to die one day then you are putting yourself under mental stress. If it is hopeless as the title implies and there is nothing you can do to stop it, then thinking about climate change will just make your life worse than it already is.
I'm actually optimistic that it's possible to prevent the worst effects of climate change from a technological standpoint but I have no hope that we can resolve the prisoners dilemma. Making a quick buck is simply too easy.
Re: What if we stopped pretending the climate apocalypse can be stopped?
#27There are measures we can take against climate change, they just go against the structural needs of the capitalist system. If governments continue to put the continuation of the system above the needs of the environment, then of course we won't see serious action. The author accepts that this is a permanent state of affairs and attributes it incorrectly to "human nature" when in reality it reflects the present weakness of the anti-capitalist movement. There is hope, but it's not in liberal politicians and eco startups, and I get why you'd be hopeless if that's where you're looking for change to come from.
Re: What if we stopped pretending the climate apocalypse can be stopped?
#281. Even if we can't completely prevent it, we can stop it from being much worse. 2. Regardless of the climate changer factor, polluting the air causes cancer, damages ecosystems, harms our food supply, etc. The mentality of "we can't prevent it, so why bother trying" is like accidentally shooting yourself in the foot, and when finding out it'll have to be amputated, proceeding to shoot your other foot because "what's…
Did you read the article? That's not what it's about at all. The author is saying that we aren't going to "stop" climate change. So instead we should be strategizing how to proactively invest in systems (both natural and man-made) to make them more resilient in the face of changes to come.
Re: What if we stopped pretending the climate apocalypse can be stopped?
#29Really disheartened that it will hit during my lifetime. Had hoped to dodge it, really. How do you, as an individual, prepare for this?
There are many ways to prepare for climate catastrophe, but here's one you could try:
1) Read Paul Ehrlich's book "The Population Bomb". If you don't have time, just watch the movie "Soylent Green" to get the gist of it.
2) Look around you for any sign of planet-wide famine.
3) ???
4) Profit!
Re: What if we stopped pretending the climate apocalypse can be stopped?
#30Really disheartened that it will hit during my lifetime. Had hoped to dodge it, really. How do you, as an individual, prepare for this?
I’ve been thinking lately that starting a commune might be one way. Think about this: a commune counts as a nonprofit entity. So you don’t have to pay taxes. If you own your land, there is no rent. The commune can run a business, and there’s no payroll tax and no boss, so all the profits can directly be spent on food and supplies. So you can live super cheap. You can have a little fleet of cars and bicycles, free for use, other facilities- and now, you’re not going to lose your job, you’re not going to become homeless because of a medical bill, when things go south you have mutual defense and support. Sounds better than going it alone, doesn’t it?