4 ms·

Nevermind the global warming

smt88 9y ago
> "Steven Pinker, the Harvard psychology professor, explores the gains in a terrific book due out next month, “Enlightenment Now,” in which he recounts the progress across a broad array of metrics, from health to wars, the environment to happiness, equal rights to quality of life." No one is going to agree on assigning value to each category, but peace, health, and quality of life (despite the threat and effects of global warming) are on an upward trend.
- lotsofpulp 9y ago
  Just like spending your savings, it's very easy to sacrifice tomorrow's resources to make today's quality of life better. I believe the other posters are simply pointing out the uselessness of celebrating this when the consequences are easily foreseen and highly undesired.
  - ZeroGravitas 9y ago
    For global warming, the correct analogy is probably sacrificing tomorrow's resources in order to make today's quality of life worse, which is doubly dumb. Many of the scare stories of "solar PV can't support a modern civilization" are just lies put about by the people who can benefit themselves (not society as a whole) in the short term.
jcbrand 9y ago
or the species collapse, ocean acidification, disappearing coral reefs or ocean gyres full of plastic
- Clubber 9y ago
  Way better than 1917, and much, much better than 1918. History is pretty horrible.
- graphitezepp 9y ago
  Increasing teen suicide rate, skyrocketing expenses going towards mental health resources ...
  - ZeroGravitas 9y ago
    The mental health expenditure one isn't that clear cut. Like e.g. reported rapes rising, you have to seperate out whether it was always happening (possibly much worse) and people just ignored the problem.
  - refurb 9y ago
    This may be depressing to you, but there will never be a point in time where there are no problems to be solved. You better enjoy the small wins when you can.
    - graphitezepp 9y ago
      I probably shouldn't be so negative. But on the other hand I think its important to not get too caught up in celebrating our success and pay attention to what we lose to what is generally considered progress. Their are clear social problems that come from the nature of our technologically advanced society that need acknowledged.

> "Steven Pinker, the Harvard psychology professor, explores the gains in a terrific book due out next month, “Enlightenment Now,” in which he recounts the progress across a broad array of metrics, from health to wars, the environment to happiness, equal rights to quality of life." No one is going to agree on assigning value to each category, but peace, health, and quality of life (despite the threat and effects of global warming) are on an upward trend.

lotsofpulp 9y ago
Just like spending your savings, it's very easy to sacrifice tomorrow's resources to make today's quality of life better. I believe the other posters are simply pointing out the uselessness of celebrating this when the consequences are easily foreseen and highly undesired.
- ZeroGravitas 9y ago
  For global warming, the correct analogy is probably sacrificing tomorrow's resources in order to make today's quality of life worse, which is doubly dumb. Many of the scare stories of "solar PV can't support a modern civilization" are just lies put about by the people who can benefit themselves (not society as a whole) in the short term.

jcbrand 9y ago

or the species collapse, ocean acidification, disappearing coral reefs or ocean gyres full of plastic

Clubber 9y ago
Way better than 1917, and much, much better than 1918. History is pretty horrible.
graphitezepp 9y ago
Increasing teen suicide rate, skyrocketing expenses going towards mental health resources ...
- ZeroGravitas 9y ago
  The mental health expenditure one isn't that clear cut. Like e.g. reported rapes rising, you have to seperate out whether it was always happening (possibly much worse) and people just ignored the problem.
- refurb 9y ago
  This may be depressing to you, but there will never be a point in time where there are no problems to be solved. You better enjoy the small wins when you can.
  - graphitezepp 9y ago
    I probably shouldn't be so negative. But on the other hand I think its important to not get too caught up in celebrating our success and pay attention to what we lose to what is generally considered progress. Their are clear social problems that come from the nature of our technologically advanced society that need acknowledged.