2 ms·

This is kind of a refutation of the parent, no? We knew things would work themselves out one way or another with COVID, so it was ok that we messed up. We know

This is kind of a refutation of the parent, no? We knew things would work themselves out one way or another with COVID, so it was ok that we messed up. We know climate change won't work like that, so how then is COVID a good demonstration of our resolve and problem solving ability with respect to climate change?

TeMPOraL 5y ago
> We know climate change won't work like that, so how then is COVID a good demonstration of our resolve and problem solving ability with respect to climate change? It's not perfect. A better test would be a bona fide alien invasion. But the similarities were in: - High stakes - millions of lives are as high as you can get outside an actual existential risk - Global coordination needed for effective response - Cooperation of every individual needed for effective response In a way, COVID was a more pressing situation, and to the degree we've failed at both global coordination and individual cooperation, it suggests we'll do even worse with climate change. Some of the things the pandemic revealed are: - People don't trust the experts and authorities, way beyond the extent of reasonable doubt. - There's an infinite supply of pundits willing to sow doubt about the seriousness of the problem. - We can be staring death in the face, seeing our kin fall left and right, and many of us still reject effective means of mitigating the problem, seeing them as an "attack on their freedoms".