I find myself thinking in terms of people now living: that is out to ~100 years. These are people for whom I think there is a direct duty of care of current adults holding positions of trust to look out for. If we can do our best for them we will be doing our best for those living beyond then.
As a test of humankind's qualities and capabilities - powers of observation, intelligence, reason, planning, management and of ethics - as individuals and collectively in the qualities and capabilities of our societal institutions, we are falling short. From where I sit, by a large margin.
The penalties for getting F minus scores in this - and extraordinary effort are going into achieving and maintaining minus scores through normalising and institutionalising evasion of responsibility and accountability - are collective punishments visited most of all upon future generations, well beyond the lives of those now living. Effectively, in perpetuity.
The elevation of extravagant self indulgence and of cheating - of corruption - as the pinnacle of human achievement to aspire to is deeply dismaying.
The Paris Agreement called for peaking at +1.5. Scratch that. Next stop, 2100 at ~2.0. Unpleasant as hell, but livable. ~4.0 in 2200? Nothing left here but thermophilic bacteria. After it cools down, the evolutionary process will begin again. Maybe something smarter than us will evolve, or just something that doesn't ever learn how to make a fire.
I find myself thinking in terms of people now living: that is out to ~100 years. These are people for whom I think there is a direct duty of care of current adults holding positions of trust to look out for. If we can do our best for them we will be doing our best for those living beyond then.
As a test of humankind's qualities and capabilities - powers of observation, intelligence, reason, planning, management and of ethics - as individuals and collectively in the qualities and capabilities of our societal institutions, we are falling short. From where I sit, by a large margin.
The penalties for getting F minus scores in this - and extraordinary effort are going into achieving and maintaining minus scores through normalising and institutionalising evasion of responsibility and accountability - are collective punishments visited most of all upon future generations, well beyond the lives of those now living. Effectively, in perpetuity.
The elevation of extravagant self indulgence and of cheating - of corruption - as the pinnacle of human achievement to aspire to is deeply dismaying.
Dean, all our ancestors lived for survival and betterment of progeny. You are fortunate to trace back to mid 19th century.
They didn't know the ppm. Now, we do and don't ( denialists won't admit ). BUT, what do we do?
Is the future a burning planet of could of and would ofs?
I hope people like you keep ringing the bells.. sounding the alarms..
It's better to evolve rather than devolve.
Earth is a terrible thing to waste.
The Paris Agreement called for peaking at +1.5. Scratch that. Next stop, 2100 at ~2.0. Unpleasant as hell, but livable. ~4.0 in 2200? Nothing left here but thermophilic bacteria. After it cools down, the evolutionary process will begin again. Maybe something smarter than us will evolve, or just something that doesn't ever learn how to make a fire.
As the ape touched the monolith he noticed the flint. Also, a Ronson lying next to it. 2201.