Is it too late for environmentalism to make a lasting difference?
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,297
I asked early why global warming is not discussed more here and elsewhere. Now, I feel pressed to ask some other questions:
Is it too late for environmentalism to make a lasting difference?
Can we slow or even reverse the 6th major extinction and will the human species survive the 6th extinction?
What can we do if it is not too late?
I'm very concerned that it is to late and here's why: Environmentalism has always been an uphill battle, butting its head up against unsustainable development, industry, the massive power humans have at our disposal used to wreck havoc, and greed and laziness. In America, when Obama was in his first term, environmentalism, as associate professor Paul Wapner put it, "seems to have found a hearing in Washington." He said that in 2010. Much has changed in 9 years and, in terms of nature, wilderness and wildness, those changes have generally been changing for the worse.
In 2020 we have an opportunity to elect a new president, one that might give environmentalism a hearing in Washington once again. But is that enough, especially, is that enough in a country so fickle as to veer dazzlingly from such as Obama to one such as Trump? And what of this current herd of Democratic candidates that seem willing to only give as little as 7 or 8 minutes out of a 2 hour debate to discuss the most pressing issue of our time: climate change (or as I at least as accurately call it, global warming)?
And I would ask, is there enough of an environment movement in other countries to counterbalance the backwards movement of environmental protection being carried out in America?
Are we going to simply sleep walk as a species to our cumulative grave, or will we decide to not go gently into that horrid night?
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Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
As soon as humans go extinct, then the earth will rebound...hopefully we stay extinct.
Just look at any of the environmental threads...none generate a lot of interest.
But if you start a thread about The Donalds toilet paper show you generate 3000 pages in an hour.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
Random wake and bake thoughts;
You can’t stop climate change, you can only hope to contain it. One of the things I think about most is the “unknowns”, especially as it relates to “acceleration” of climate impacts. I imagine a scene where things just start to spiral out of control at some point. I imagine at some point, and I have know idea when, it’s just going to reach a point when all the soloar panels and electric cars in the world won’t make a bit of difference. The production of green products, in itself, is dirty to an extent, I would imagine. So, anyway, the “unknowns”. Like I’ve heard multiple scientists talk about the different gases, like methane, that will be released under the Artic permafrost or whatever. How will that impact or accelerate the negative impacts? Once the genie is out of the bottle you can’t put it back in.
Im personally just living my life the best I can, try not to be wasteful, and try to be thoughtful about little things, like walking behind
everyone in my house all day to turn off lights they constantly leave on, that’s actually more to do with the electric bill, lol. IDK
Another thing Ive been thinking about lately, as it relates to the environment, is marijuana. Grow lights, chemicals, plastic baggies, plastic containers for wax, ect. ect. That can’t be good for the earth.
Detroit 2000, Detroit 2003 1-2, Grand Rapids VFC 2004, Philly 2005, Grand Rapids 2006, Detroit 2006, Cleveland 2006, Lollapalooza 2007, Detroit Eddie Solo 2011, Detroit 2014, Chicago 2016 1-2, Chicago 2018 1-2, Ohana Encore 2021 1-2, Chicago Eddie/Earthlings 2022 1-2, Nashville 2022, St. Louis 2022
Detroit 2000, Detroit 2003 1-2, Grand Rapids VFC 2004, Philly 2005, Grand Rapids 2006, Detroit 2006, Cleveland 2006, Lollapalooza 2007, Detroit Eddie Solo 2011, Detroit 2014, Chicago 2016 1-2, Chicago 2018 1-2, Ohana Encore 2021 1-2, Chicago Eddie/Earthlings 2022 1-2, Nashville 2022, St. Louis 2022
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
More and more I see this defeatist "The world is fucked anyway" opinion coming from, what I've seen, right winged people.
My theory is, when they no longer with a straight face can go with the "climate change isn't real" and the "the climate has always changed on the planet - it's all a natural" they still can not muster up a "Wow. We were (read: chose to be) really wrong on the climate change thing. Hey left - you were right all along listening to science!" -- so instead they jump to the "the world is fucked anyways? So what does it matter?".
Which funnily enough puts a light on what the right is all about - "me, me and no one else". The world is fucked anyways - so let's keep the status quo and not have me change - and fuck anyone else in the world and future generations who will be affected!
In short:
DAY 1:
"The Left" : Climate change is real. We need to act!
"The Right": Climate change doesn't exist. Let's keep on polluting.
DAY X:
"The Left": Climate change is real. We need to act!
"The Right": Climate change is real. But nothing can be done about it anyways. Let's keep on polluting.
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
“You’re not just adapting to one thing at a time, you’re adapting to everything shifting at once,” said Kristie L. Ebi, a professor of public health at the University of Washington and one of the lead authors of the report’s chapter on climate impacts.
“My view is that 2 degrees is aspirational and 1.5 degrees is ridiculously aspirational” said Gary Yohe, an environmental economist at Wesleyan University. “They are good targets to aim for, but we need to face the fact that we might not hit them and start thinking more seriously about what a 2.5 degree or 3 degree world might look like.”
Detroit 2000, Detroit 2003 1-2, Grand Rapids VFC 2004, Philly 2005, Grand Rapids 2006, Detroit 2006, Cleveland 2006, Lollapalooza 2007, Detroit Eddie Solo 2011, Detroit 2014, Chicago 2016 1-2, Chicago 2018 1-2, Ohana Encore 2021 1-2, Chicago Eddie/Earthlings 2022 1-2, Nashville 2022, St. Louis 2022
Well, you can rule Canada out as a place to move to then. Perhaps Sweden should be on your radar. I hear it is a socialist utopia and 0 pollutions, no plastic...they have even re-engineered the human body so they don't poop...it's just recycled...
Because if the government is sinking money into oil and gas projects then they are environmentally aware...just lip service. I also do not expect the government to solve anything...
Haha. So bitter.
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
There are common sense things government can do like. But I fail to see any of that.