I think you and Ted Trainer are a bit naive.
Yes, perhaps I am. I have absolutely no understanding
of why it is that some people want more and more,
and want huge houses for 2 people, or to drive a
big pig of an SUV when they live in the city where
they don't have to forge their way through snowdrifts
or mud. Or why they would need a $500K RV home with
granite kitchen counter tops and a hot tub which they
will drive several thousand miles to "camp" at an
RV park. And somehow, all of this is good?
Yes, I am obviously naive because none of that makes
any sense to me. I don't see any of this kind
of "growth" and "Super-sizing" as preventing social ills
or war. So yes, you could say I am "naive".
“Growth” cannot continue indefinitely, but to go to something else is not easy.
Did I ever say change was going to be easy?
Or that what comes next will be easy.
I don't see that anywhere in my post.
On the contrary, I doubt most North Americans
have any stomach for what is likely to come
down the pipes over the next while.
If humanity can find a way to adapt to the
conditions which they have created, then they
will probably survive. If not, we shall revert
to the dark ages of feudalism and tribalism,
or perhaps we will just cease to exist -- that
depending on just how inhabitable our "host"
becomes in the future.
All I have said is that the desire for more and bigger
is a like a sickness that will eventually lead to
destruction of the larger system. Like drinking
alcohol or eating fat-filled junk food until the
liver is destroyed. Once the liver is destroyed,
the body dies --- unless perhaps you can acquire
someone else's liver -- but even then your
chance of survival will be touch and go.
In my world, I deal mainly with with biology
and the study of biodiversity. . .
relationships between species, habitat, parasites,
aliens and invasives, vector species, pollution,
disease, destruction or degradation of habitat.
Despite how some people would like to paint
life on earth, humans are not so different than
the rest of the creatures on this planet.
We may think ourselves to be above the laws
that govern all life, but unfortunately for us,
we require clean water and breathable air,
warmth (but not too much of it), food,
shelter.
Unless we find a new "host" for our species
to migrate to -- we must either stop replicating
and consuming our current host, or prepare
to eventually expire when we've siphoned
the last drop of blood out of the one we
currently occupy. We are not like parasitic
larve that will somehow metamorph into wasps
and go flying off looking for a fresh cecropia
caterpillar to lay our next generation of eggs on...
Well, perhaps, the science-fiction writers are
right and some of us will manage to finangle
a space on the mothership when it leaves for
some other solar system.
I suppose that the alternative is for us
to "evolve" into creatures that can tolerate
a good dose of benzene in our water, breathe
filthy air, and perhaps grow a good coat
of mastodon hair to stay warm when we can't
afford or even buy the oil to heat our homes.
Personally, I would think it more practical
to learn how to conserve what we have and develop
alternative and sustainable energy sources...
and for people to say enough is enough and
slow down their replication to a level which
will maintain the health and welfare of our "host".
A bright parasite would find a way to do just that.
~croc |
