5 ms·

Yeah we've done that and look where it got us. Those kids from the 80s and 90s who were taught about greenhouse gasses, global warming, animal and plant extinc

by Jenk 5y ago

Yeah we've done that and look where it got us. Those kids from the 80s and 90s who were taught about greenhouse gasses, global warming, animal and plant extinction due to our actions (I'm one of said children). We were taught/asked to love our planet and the inhabitants (human and others) like family. It did diddly to change anything. Now that generation are the ones in power at MegaPollutingCorp, but nothing is changing. This is just yet another inactivism propaganda piece.

Quarrelsome 5y ago
> It did diddly to change anything. This generation helped push renewables to the spot they're in today.
naydien 5y ago
> Now that generation are the ones in power at MegaPollutingCorp, but nothing is changing. Please look at the CEO, President, and Board of Directors of MegaPollutingCorp. Are they kids of the 80s and 90s?
- ehnto 5y ago
  Prefacing this with the fact that I'm still thinking about all of this, so I'm trying not to be absolutist. But I was thinking that as well. There is a few ways in which the older generations have not left room for the upcoming generations to flourish in general, including when it comes to governance of companies and governments. That said, it's probably a fallacy to think that there is any precedent for the world we live in now. People live longer, stay active longer, and we're all so steeped in "What's mine is mine" individualism that the idea of making way for the younger generation may as well be egocide.
  - jimbokun 5y ago
    I find it strange to anthropomorphize a "generation". Old people want to be engaged and do something meaningful and influential as long as they can. I imagine the majority of them would agree in principle that younger people should have more of a role. Just that someone other than them should be the person to step aside and make way. Do you honestly think that when you are the same age, you will be willing to end your role as a productive member of society for the sake of the "younger generation"? Even if you don't have enough to retire and maintain your current lifestyle? What will you do with your remaining time after that?
    - ehnto 5y ago
      Oh I imagine I would be the same, I empathize and understand. I don't really know what the solution is. Do we just adjust our expectations for "success"? Should people stop expecting to be where their parents were at 30 and start expecting it to happen at 40 or 50 instead? There is also a difference between continuing to participate, and shutting the door behind you so no-one else can participate. That's what we are getting in property markets in various places right now and it's not necessarily malicious. Young people can't afford homes even with well paying jobs, because the property game was rigged to build wealth for those who got in early and now the bar of entry is too high. I think sport is a good example, a natural ageing out process means there's constantly room for up and coming talents, and importantly people can see that there is room and so they know they can invest the effort to aim to take that spot. In various ways right now, it feels like there's no room, and there may never be room. Why invest the effort? Why save money for a house if prices are always just continuing to climb? Why work hard when the wages are too low to progress because the c-suite hoovered up all the cash?
totetsu 5y ago
I feel like we who were raised with this consciousness in the 80s and 90s we're in the minority. And there was suddenly a turning point in the 2000s when I felt like everybody was paying attention to these things that my parents had been talking about all along. I remember arguing with my teacher about it as an 11 year old. We're probably not the ones went on to become geologists working for big oil. But it also seems we did diddly to change anything.
jnmandal 5y ago
Couldn't agree more. I'm a bit younger than you but was also sold a narrative of rainbows and sunshine. Lot of good that did me...
hippie_queen 5y ago
I can see your point, but it seems to me that today's youth might be different. Arguably, climate activism and the general frustration of nothing changing is a much bigger thing than before. I do agree that spreading doom and gloom is problematic/often ineffective (and dangerous because of hopelessness, self fulfilling prophecies and all that). However, it can also instill a very justified sense of urgency that motivates one to action. But yeah... It's a hard and sad topic, and I'm generally naive and don't know shit. Maybe it could be helpful to focus more on creativity & solution-oriented futures that don't deny the shittiness of climate change, but still seem livable enough (e.g. solarpunk or something like that).

by Jenk 5y ago

Quarrelsome 5y ago

> It did diddly to change anything. This generation helped push renewables to the spot they're in today.

naydien 5y ago

> Now that generation are the ones in power at MegaPollutingCorp, but nothing is changing. Please look at the CEO, President, and Board of Directors of MegaPollutingCorp. Are they kids of the 80s and 90s?

ehnto 5y ago
Prefacing this with the fact that I'm still thinking about all of this, so I'm trying not to be absolutist. But I was thinking that as well. There is a few ways in which the older generations have not left room for the upcoming generations to flourish in general, including when it comes to governance of companies and governments. That said, it's probably a fallacy to think that there is any precedent for the world we live in now. People live longer, stay active longer, and we're all so steeped in "What's mine is mine" individualism that the idea of making way for the younger generation may as well be egocide.
- jimbokun 5y ago
  I find it strange to anthropomorphize a "generation". Old people want to be engaged and do something meaningful and influential as long as they can. I imagine the majority of them would agree in principle that younger people should have more of a role. Just that someone other than them should be the person to step aside and make way. Do you honestly think that when you are the same age, you will be willing to end your role as a productive member of society for the sake of the "younger generation"? Even if you don't have enough to retire and maintain your current lifestyle? What will you do with your remaining time after that?
  - ehnto 5y ago
    Oh I imagine I would be the same, I empathize and understand. I don't really know what the solution is. Do we just adjust our expectations for "success"? Should people stop expecting to be where their parents were at 30 and start expecting it to happen at 40 or 50 instead? There is also a difference between continuing to participate, and shutting the door behind you so no-one else can participate. That's what we are getting in property markets in various places right now and it's not necessarily malicious. Young people can't afford homes even with well paying jobs, because the property game was rigged to build wealth for those who got in early and now the bar of entry is too high. I think sport is a good example, a natural ageing out process means there's constantly room for up and coming talents, and importantly people can see that there is room and so they know they can invest the effort to aim to take that spot. In various ways right now, it feels like there's no room, and there may never be room. Why invest the effort? Why save money for a house if prices are always just continuing to climb? Why work hard when the wages are too low to progress because the c-suite hoovered up all the cash?

totetsu 5y ago

I feel like we who were raised with this consciousness in the 80s and 90s we're in the minority. And there was suddenly a turning point in the 2000s when I felt like everybody was paying attention to these things that my parents had been talking about all along. I remember arguing with my teacher about it as an 11 year old. We're probably not the ones went on to become geologists working for big oil. But it also seems we did diddly to change anything.

jnmandal 5y ago

Couldn't agree more. I'm a bit younger than you but was also sold a narrative of rainbows and sunshine. Lot of good that did me...

hippie_queen 5y ago

I can see your point, but it seems to me that today's youth might be different. Arguably, climate activism and the general frustration of nothing changing is a much bigger thing than before. I do agree that spreading doom and gloom is problematic/often ineffective (and dangerous because of hopelessness, self fulfilling prophecies and all that). However, it can also instill a very justified sense of urgency that motivates one to action. But yeah... It's a hard and sad topic, and I'm generally naive and don't know shit. Maybe it could be helpful to focus more on creativity & solution-oriented futures that don't deny the shittiness of climate change, but still seem livable enough (e.g. solarpunk or something like that).