General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: How will YOU survive global warming? [View all]limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)Both seem to result in no political action. It's clearly going to be hot. But there is a big difference between 2 degrees hotter and 3 degrees hotter. Maybe we should keep some hope than we can mitigate the weather crisis, otherwise we don't have any reason to act for change. I don't necessarily buy into the idea that we are stupid in our collective actions. We are not collectively opening the arctic for oil, We are not digging out tar sands, blasting tops off mountains, rejecting international climate treaties, or scripting the media to avoid the issue.
Those are certain groups and people in positions of some power. If it was really decided by "We", I think we would address the problems very quickly and mitigate the warming. We would go into "war economy" mode and put the full productive power of the United States into building and installing solar and wind power everywhere. Similar to our war production effort in WW II. It would also have the economic benefit of employing people and money.
I think we would do that collectively because it's the clear common sense thing to do in this situation. But something prevents it. And that thing is that we aren't really deciding collectively. Instead the decisions are being made by .... a small powerful elite driven only by short term profit.