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> developed countries lowering their quality of life I seriously disagree with this framing. Developed countries have been artificially inflating their quality
by titzer 5y ago
> developed countries lowering their quality of life
I seriously disagree with this framing. Developed countries have been artificially inflating their quality of life through cheap energy available from burning fossil fuels. This is an unsustainable practice that will a.) come to end due to exhaustion of said fuels b.) have significant, compounding externalities that are subject to incredible levels of reality distortion from entities benefiting from the economies they intentionally structured to be dependent on said energy sources.
The truth is that western countries have developed too fast through the planetary equivalent of roid rage. We've gone massively into debt, dug into a huge reservoir that is emptying, and the waste products produced by our flagrant exploitation of dirty energy reserves are very bad for the planet.
So yeah, I completely disagree with the "lowering their quality of life" framing. It's true that if you've been going into debt your whole life, and suddenly stop spending like a drunken sailor, your quality of life might go down.
- endisneigh 5y agoFraming aside it’s a fact that the quality of life will be lowered for some. What you’re saying isn’t wrong, but it is what it is. This is a political issue, acting as if switching entirely to renewables will not result in some short term sacrifices is well, disingenuous.
- titzer 5y agoI will still challenge these assertions. Lowering quality of life....to only a bazillion times better than a couple generations ago. When in reality the things people would be giving up are gluttonous wastes of energy like private jets and affordable vacations in the Caribbean (a new thing!).
- titzer 5y agoI'll even go further to say that reducing fossil fuel usage for transportation (cars) and heating (natural gas) will improve quality of life for many. Air pollution is majorly bad for people's lungs, brains, and overall health. Not to mention the complete waste of time that rush hour represents.
- endisneigh 5y agoSure that’s true if it were free to do so. Tell me, how do you do so in practice without lowering the quality of life for some? Trivially you could just ban those things. I think we’d agree in saying that would be very bad for many.
- Reimersholme 5y ago