35 ms·

I don't understand why govt's aren't tasking their militaries with using their considerable resources to find solutions to climate change - they have, at minimu

I don't understand why govt's aren't tasking their militaries with using their considerable resources to find solutions to climate change - they have, at minimun the following skills: science, tech, manpower, organisational ability.

ForHackernews 8y ago
Because there's no political will and nobody cares. https://www.vox.com/2016/10/4/13118594/2-degrees-no-more-fossil-fuels https://www.vox.com/2016/10/4/13118594/2-degrees-no-more-fos... Honestly, we're just going to keep sleepwalking into catastrophe.
- cmrdporcupine 8y ago
  What makes you think that the powers that be are sleepwalking? They know it's coming and they want to be out on top when it does. Hence the anti-refugee, anti-immigrant talk -- might as well start early and get people in the mindset to deal harshly with mass migration caused by climate change. Hence the continued military build-up and the consolidation of armed forces in hot-zones (multiple meanings to 'hot') Hence the rise of protectionism (free trade won't mean much in a climate crisis world anyways) Hence the rise of nationalism (what's "mine" is mine) There are too many advantages to being the last to do anything, and it's too late to do anything without a major revolution or civil war. The whole world economy goes into a tailspin over a relatively minor increase in the barrel price of oil -- imagine what it will do if oil goes up by 1000%, which is what it would need to do to stop its rampant consumption... I love my kids, but sometimes wish I hadn't had any.
  - ForHackernews 8y ago
    Yeah, maybe. I don't buy it. As far as I can tell, there's not some big global conspiracy of "the powers that be" -- there's just a bunch of random stupid humans doing the best they can. The problem of climate change is just too big and happening over too long a timescale for us to address. None of our personal or political systems are evolved to deal with it.
    - cmrdporcupine 8y ago
      I didn't say it was a conspiracy. It's a net, systematic effect caused by individual decisions in their self-interest. The concentration of power is an aggregate effect of the method of economic production we have. That said, don't kid yourself for a minute that the people with large amounts of capital don't meet and discuss these things amongst themselves. They have both public-facing institutions (political parties, etc.) and private ones for this purpose.
      - ForHackernews 8y ago
        Ok, but so what? BREAKING NEWS: Rich guys also hope their families survive the water wars.
        cmrdporcupine 8y ago
        The point is that 'rich guys' have the ability to make sure they survive 'the water wars' while you do not. And also it's in their interest to stay rich before then. And to stay rich, that means continuing to do what we're doing. Which results in the 'water wars'. Not sure what/why we're arguing about here.

ForHackernews 8y ago

Because there's no political will and nobody cares. https://www.vox.com/2016/10/4/13118594/2-degrees-no-more-fossil-fuels https://www.vox.com/2016/10/4/13118594/2-degrees-no-more-fos... Honestly, we're just going to keep sleepwalking into catastrophe.

cmrdporcupine 8y ago
What makes you think that the powers that be are sleepwalking? They know it's coming and they want to be out on top when it does. Hence the anti-refugee, anti-immigrant talk -- might as well start early and get people in the mindset to deal harshly with mass migration caused by climate change. Hence the continued military build-up and the consolidation of armed forces in hot-zones (multiple meanings to 'hot') Hence the rise of protectionism (free trade won't mean much in a climate crisis world anyways) Hence the rise of nationalism (what's "mine" is mine) There are too many advantages to being the last to do anything, and it's too late to do anything without a major revolution or civil war. The whole world economy goes into a tailspin over a relatively minor increase in the barrel price of oil -- imagine what it will do if oil goes up by 1000%, which is what it would need to do to stop its rampant consumption... I love my kids, but sometimes wish I hadn't had any.
- ForHackernews 8y ago
  Yeah, maybe. I don't buy it. As far as I can tell, there's not some big global conspiracy of "the powers that be" -- there's just a bunch of random stupid humans doing the best they can. The problem of climate change is just too big and happening over too long a timescale for us to address. None of our personal or political systems are evolved to deal with it.
  - cmrdporcupine 8y ago
    I didn't say it was a conspiracy. It's a net, systematic effect caused by individual decisions in their self-interest. The concentration of power is an aggregate effect of the method of economic production we have. That said, don't kid yourself for a minute that the people with large amounts of capital don't meet and discuss these things amongst themselves. They have both public-facing institutions (political parties, etc.) and private ones for this purpose.
    - ForHackernews 8y ago
      Ok, but so what? BREAKING NEWS: Rich guys also hope their families survive the water wars.
      - cmrdporcupine 8y ago
        The point is that 'rich guys' have the ability to make sure they survive 'the water wars' while you do not. And also it's in their interest to stay rich before then. And to stay rich, that means continuing to do what we're doing. Which results in the 'water wars'. Not sure what/why we're arguing about here.