I really doubt it's microplastics. There aren't a bunch of people complaining of infertility. I would guess it's socioeconomic.
I don't think anyone likes the idea of anyone else telling them how many kids they can have, but they'll probably take that over their kids starving. Probably won't come to that.
Yeah, I see what you're saying, but I think my point still holds. I'll update my analogy. You have some people that'll jump in your raft with you. So now everyone with access to the raft isn't as concerned as they should be about the sinking ship?
Most people don't like the ship anyway. Perhaps the raft can be scaled up so that it's a ship in itself and everyone who wants to can get on.
Great article. I agree with most of the author's points. I find doomers very annoying and problematic. Why even argue that position? Why try to convince people to join you wallowing in misery? I think they just want to confirm to themselves that nothing can be done so they can continue doing nothing.
One other question: It's hard to deny that this problem is hitting the West and Western influenced countries quite hard. What's it like in China? They're building for the future and talking about and working on tech that could help everyone. Are people in China largely optimistic?
Which ethnicity's population are we going to reduce? How will the social mechanisms work to reduce population? Who will hold that authority to dictate things and how will it be enforced?
Interestingly it doesn't seem like those questions need to be answered, since the birthrate is dropping all by itself for some reason.
It's the 'this will get worse before it gets better' position. That does seem rational and I am tempted to prepare for the worst too. One issue I see with that position is... if you build yourself a little life raft you probably aren't as concerned as you should be about the sinking ship.
the Air Force developed an exotic electromagnetic generator that simulated this pulse of disruptive energy without the need to detonate a nuclear weapon. When activated, this device, placed on a portable platform 60 feet above the facility, would gather power until it glowed, sometimes with a blinding orange light. It would then fire a burst of energy that could resemble lightning.
is that technically possible?
what would it take to build one?
We're going to need the damn aerosols back, aren't we
At the individual level: Wealthier individuals pollute more and favor growth; poorer push protection.
I would have guessed the opposite, since higher income people have the time and means to care about the environment. For example they can afford to buy organic and trade in their gas car for an EV while poorer people would be hurt more by fuel taxes and/or higher fuel prices. Wasn't the yellow vest protest movement in France against higher fuel taxes?
How did the authors define wealthy and poor?
At the individual level: Wealthier individuals pollute more and favor growth; poorer push protection.
I would have guessed the opposite, since higher income people have the time and means to care about the environment. For example they can afford to buy organic and trade in their gas car for an EV while poorer people would be hurt more by fuel taxes and/or higher fuel prices. Wasn't the yellow vest protest movement in France against higher fuel taxes?
How did the authors define wealthy and poor?
Said the pot to the kettle. I'm done too.
Brown observes that China has had to commit more money to the project, expose itself to further risk, and has had to become entangled in complex local politics.
That's not how a debt trap is supposed to work.
Right, but it's still 'it's going to get worse before it gets better' and if you're okay and the community you care about is okay, then you may not care if the ship is on a collision course and will sink even though there's a lot of people that don't have the means to get off.