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Interestingly, many of the things that we've though would be huge problems in the future turned out to be non-issues or much less of an issue than we thought.

Interestingly, many of the things that we've though would be huge problems in the future turned out to be non-issues or much less of an issue than we thought. A few examples: -Population crisis -Peak oil & oil crisis -Global cooling concern in the 1970s -Ozone crisis -Rainforest crisis -Worldwide food shortage

rdm_blackhole 8y ago
You mean to say that we have stopped cutting down entire rainforests??? Do tell me when this miracle happened? How about the fact that we are going to be 10 billion by the end of the century? And the only reason that we have managed to avoid a food shortage has been the increase in the use of fertilizers which in turn is depleting the soil at a faster rate than ever before turning arable land into dust bowls and rivers becoming so polluted by the chemicals that there are massive extinction events in the population of fish all around the world? Same for the oil crisis, the shale oil has stopped the crisis in its tracks but only for a short amount of time as the demand keeps on rising and inevitably the price per liter/gallon is going to be back to what it was before the GFC. Also, fracking is polluting the soil more than ever before. In short most of the crises that you mentioned have not been solved, but simply delayed. Eventually, they will catch up with us and somebody is going to have to pay? But who? Most likely taxpayers as always. What I find baffling is what are you going to say to your kids/ grand-kids when they ask you where the forests went? Why is the air so polluted? Why are the rivers so toxic and completely empty? Should I go on?
- aeternus 8y ago
  I'd highly recommend checking out "Enlightenment Now". Lots of interesting points in there but one of the most eye-opening is that many environmental problems are best solved indirectly. People generally don't want to live in smog/pollution if they have a choice but will do whatever it takes to survive even if that means harming the environment. For example, no amount of lecturing or rainforest protests are going to stop people that depend on slash & burn for survival. Best option is to open up trade, provide GMOs & fertilizer, and provide economic opportunity so they have options other than slash & burn. You also see this with China, they've made huge progress environmentally, mostly because they can now afford to.

rdm_blackhole 8y ago

You mean to say that we have stopped cutting down entire rainforests??? Do tell me when this miracle happened? How about the fact that we are going to be 10 billion by the end of the century? And the only reason that we have managed to avoid a food shortage has been the increase in the use of fertilizers which in turn is depleting the soil at a faster rate than ever before turning arable land into dust bowls and rivers becoming so polluted by the chemicals that there are massive extinction events in the population of fish all around the world? Same for the oil crisis, the shale oil has stopped the crisis in its tracks but only for a short amount of time as the demand keeps on rising and inevitably the price per liter/gallon is going to be back to what it was before the GFC. Also, fracking is polluting the soil more than ever before. In short most of the crises that you mentioned have not been solved, but simply delayed. Eventually, they will catch up with us and somebody is going to have to pay? But who? Most likely taxpayers as always. What I find baffling is what are you going to say to your kids/ grand-kids when they ask you where the forests went? Why is the air so polluted? Why are the rivers so toxic and completely empty? Should I go on?

aeternus 8y ago
I'd highly recommend checking out "Enlightenment Now". Lots of interesting points in there but one of the most eye-opening is that many environmental problems are best solved indirectly. People generally don't want to live in smog/pollution if they have a choice but will do whatever it takes to survive even if that means harming the environment. For example, no amount of lecturing or rainforest protests are going to stop people that depend on slash & burn for survival. Best option is to open up trade, provide GMOs & fertilizer, and provide economic opportunity so they have options other than slash & burn. You also see this with China, they've made huge progress environmentally, mostly because they can now afford to.