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The solution to climate change is not using less energy. That would doom us as a species. The solution is to take that energy without impacting the environment

by nickpp 6y ago

The solution to climate change is not using less energy. That would doom us as a species. The solution is to take that energy without impacting the environment too much. Zero foot print, not zero movement.

Cthulhu_ 6y ago
> That would doom us as a species. Doubtful; it would slow down / reverse the economy and probably cause population decline (which would be horrible because it would be through famine and the like), but I don't see how we'd end up gone.
- nickpp 6y ago
  Time is not on our side. Cosmical accidents, our own idiocy or even exhaustion of natural resources could wipe us out. I believe we have a very small window of opportunity to become a multi planetary species, which would greatly reduce our current "all eggs in one basket" situation. But fast technological progress is the only way to get there.
joelthelion 6y ago
We don't know how to replace fossil fuels. Even if we started building tons of nuclear plants and other sources of clean energy, we'd have to reduce our energy use to efficiently mitigate climate change. We need to act on both fronts: become more sober AND produce more clean energy.
Someone 6y ago
If you’re heading, at speed, for a concrete wall that has an opening that might just be large enough to go through, you may opt for working on precision of steering, but the prudent also will decelerate until they’re through that opening. Only fools would floor the acceleration pedal.
- nickpp 6y ago
  The thing is, if we miss that opening it doesn’t matter how fast we’re going, that wall will forever limit our species. So if accelerating increases our chance of going through the opening, I say go for it.
- aeternum 6y ago
  The only way out may be to leverage technology such as carbon capture where advanced engineering skills and companies will be required. It makes sense to floor that pedal if the opening is slowly closing.

by nickpp 6y ago

Cthulhu_ 6y ago

> That would doom us as a species. Doubtful; it would slow down / reverse the economy and probably cause population decline (which would be horrible because it would be through famine and the like), but I don't see how we'd end up gone.

nickpp 6y ago
Time is not on our side. Cosmical accidents, our own idiocy or even exhaustion of natural resources could wipe us out. I believe we have a very small window of opportunity to become a multi planetary species, which would greatly reduce our current "all eggs in one basket" situation. But fast technological progress is the only way to get there.

joelthelion 6y ago

We don't know how to replace fossil fuels. Even if we started building tons of nuclear plants and other sources of clean energy, we'd have to reduce our energy use to efficiently mitigate climate change. We need to act on both fronts: become more sober AND produce more clean energy.

Someone 6y ago

If you’re heading, at speed, for a concrete wall that has an opening that might just be large enough to go through, you may opt for working on precision of steering, but the prudent also will decelerate until they’re through that opening. Only fools would floor the acceleration pedal.

nickpp 6y ago
The thing is, if we miss that opening it doesn’t matter how fast we’re going, that wall will forever limit our species. So if accelerating increases our chance of going through the opening, I say go for it.
aeternum 6y ago
The only way out may be to leverage technology such as carbon capture where advanced engineering skills and companies will be required. It makes sense to floor that pedal if the opening is slowly closing.