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> There’s another factor that makes the threat of asteroid impacts a unique opportunity for global unity. Unlike some more localized natural hazards, like volca
by golemotron 10y ago
> There’s another factor that makes the threat of asteroid impacts a unique opportunity for global unity. Unlike some more localized natural hazards, like volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, these kinds of impacts are theoretically preventable. “It’s the only natural disaster that we really have the ability to—at least in principle—prevent,” says Barbee. “That creates a certain type of international collaboration that is very unique.”
The desire the unify the world is powerful. It might even be deeper than any surface issues. Sometimes I wonder whether, if we invented some machine that quickly and easily pulled carbon out of the atmosphere, people would adopt it or still continue to push for a global agreement. I think they'd adopt it but then they would look for other ways to unite the world.
- roryisok 10y agoI wish I lived in your world. Mine only seems to be getting more and more divided. None of the leaders of the free (or unfree) world seem to have any desire right now to 'unite' it
- golemotron 10y agoLeaders? No. But many people do.
- kobeya 10y agoGlobal unity sounds like a dystopian nightmare to me. Are you sure you're not projecting here?
- ebcode 10y agoPresent day reality lives like a dystopian nightmare to me. Pretty sure I'm not projecting. (God I hope I'm not!) Global unity sounds to me like world peace. Maybe not every individual would be peaceful, but we could finally put away our silly flags.
- roryisok 10y agoWho rules this global unity? A government in Washington? London? The UN? People in different cultures want different things from their country. Just look at the US right now. Split down the middle between what kind of leadership there should be right now. And the US is fairly simple in that most people are happy to pigeon hole themselves as either liberal or conservative. On other countries things are more complicated. Ethnic groups who hate one another. Opposing Religions. Separatists. Unionists. In many countries there are separatist movements who want to split the country into smaller countries, because they don't feel like they are adequately represented in the majority. It's a lot more complex than ditching the silly flags.
- grkvlt 10y agoIf the present day is a 'dystopian nightmare' to you, then I'm pretty sure you're projecting. Out of interest, if you feel we are in such a situation now, what would you classify the Soviet Union between the fifties and the eighties, or Nazi Germany, as?
- kalleboo 10y agoI thought it was the other way around? Until this year, all the leaders were all in on globalization, more open borders (in spirit if not in name) and huge free trade areas. The people revolted and put nationalism in charge in the forms of Brexit and Trump.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- andrewflnr 10y agosome machine that quickly and easily pulled carbon out of the atmosphere I want this so we can colonize Venus.
- m_mueller 10y agoIt's pretty simple really - just put back all the binding energy we gained from burning up that fossil fuel, minus what earth was able to absorb in the meantime. Hint: Start as early as possible, because the risk for positive feedbacks to nullify your efforts grows every year.
- jp555 10y agoIsn't Venus almost devoid of hydrogen? We're going need a lot of it to make water.