Monday, June 16, 2008

Affects of climate change looking forward

One of Bob Parson's (Godaddy.com) 16 rules to live by talks about not only accepting the worst thing that can happen, but actually quantifying it. Very seldom will the worst thing that can happen be as bad as a cloud of undefined consequences. Check out the government's latest attempt at quantifying climate change over the next 25-50 years:
http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-3/final-report/default.htm

While it looks scary....I usually imagine these changes happening much more rapidly. It makes sense that they would take a long time to fully unleash their consequences. There's no denying we need more action as soon as people can take it, but it's just a better life to imagine we do have hope and that we're not irreversibly destroying the planet right now. I sometimes think the people who truly believe we're completely doomed are as much a part of the problem as people in denial about the whole thing.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"I sometimes think the people who truly believe we're completely doomed are as much a part of the problem as people in denial about the whole thing."

Indeed & the attraction to feeling doomed is not just because people feel helpless (tho that's part of it), it's also because being doomed is *easy*. If one is doomed then there's no need to think of solutions, to work hard for results, to hope and act nobly.
Being doomed is unpleasant, but hey at least we won't have to clean up the messes we've made-- may as well just keep driving the hummer & not worry about it.
Thing is, tho, in my opinion, there's a lot more joy to be had from in living as consciously & lovingly as we can & I'll take joy over easy resignation any time :)