Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
thewalrus.ca
Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
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Re: Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
#2My favourite phrase for a “new normal” moment is the borrowed Simpsons joke:
A: “This is the hottest summer ever!”
B: “This is the coldest summer of the rest of your life!”
Re: Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
#3I think all the alarmist language is doing a massive disservice to environmental concerns for the reason the author is portraying but also a much different reason where a lot of people tend to greet hysterics with absolute doubt and discern. When environmentalists decided instead of having a real public conversation and resorting to what a lot of people perceive as the people screaming on the corner about the end times - they began getting met with people who will disregard everything they say and then decided to double down by labeling people who disregarded them as heretics. If I was more cynical I'd honestly believe that the climate change activists are agit-prop by groups that would be subject to a lot of the more reasonable environmental changes by letting/getting very loud and passionate people to tell middle and lower class people they can't own cars, eat certain meats and have their right to travel impeded in order to get a portion of the population to disregard any environmental legislations.
I guess, a large portion of climate change activists give the same effect as flat-earthers do with some legitimate conspiracy theories but to the people trying to enact straight forward environmental legislations. A sort of, shitting-in-the-pool effect.
Re: Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
#4The point of phrasing like "the new normal" is to frame the debate in the correct manner and focus on the actual issue at hand rather than people who attempt to exploit crises.
In the pandemic we had a whole bunch of sweeping changes to society, some of which stuck for reasons wholly disconnected from the matter at hand.
Some of us really care about climate change and environmental destruction, but at the same time don't want to throw out the baby with the bathwater. It's not worth "saving the planet" if we come out of the other side living in anthills unable to even enjoy the nature we have.
Re: Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
#5Disasters are normal! In past 10,000 years global sea level has risen by 100 meters.
Re: Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
#6Disasters are normal! In past 10,000 years global sea level has risen by 100 meters.
Extinction is normal, but we probably don’t want to go extinct either.
Re: Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
#7How about not calling something a crisis if it isn't? A crisis is usually short-lived, not a permanent state.
Re: Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
#8What happened in Alberta was just a couple weeks of warm weather after a fairly cold winter. The timing was right when new growth hadn't had a chance to take hold so all the dry grass and tinder was perfect fuel.
The rap attack helicopter crews were dismantled in both BC and Alberta to save a few millions at best. Easily doubled the size of the burn area not having this capability.
This is normal but not new. Alberta has had larger amounts burned and the trend is down. The 1920's to 1940's were the worst in recorded history. Accurate measuring of what was burned has improved each decade too. Earlier in the record much was not included.
Re: Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
#9While I support the efforts to prevent and reverse the environmental damage we're causing, personally I don't believe they'll really succeed. It seems that human society is fundamentally incapable of acting in a coordinated way against a global, long term threat. So at a certain point convincing people to take the bus instead of a car, specifically because that will save the planet, starts to seem like a lie. It's not unreasonable to start thinking in terms of preparedness, rather than just prevention.
Re: Stop Calling Each New Disaster “The New Normal”
#10Disasters are normal! In past 10,000 years global sea level has risen by 100 meters.
Accuracy, please.
During the peak of the last Ice Age (~20,000 years ago), sea level was ~120 m lower than today. As a consequence of global warming, albeit naturally, the rate of sea-level rise averaged ~1.2 cm per year for 10,000 years until it levelled off at roughly today's position ~10,000 years ago. [1]
All our established patterns, infrastructure, agriculture, etc. risks being upended by relatively drastic change as a result of our activity as humans ... or not, if we recognise the causes and take action to mitigate.
[1] https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/grantham-i...