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>An inevitable step is human progress it to realize that there is no controlling the planet's climate. That’s an odd thing to say, we’re controlling it right n
by simonh 4y ago
>An inevitable step is human progress it to realize that there is no controlling the planet's climate.
That’s an odd thing to say, we’re controlling it right now. We’re about half way through pushing up global temperatures by several degrees over a hundred years or so. We didn’t set out to do that, but we’re doing it nonetheless.
It’s not a question of whether we can significantly change the climate, we know we can, the question is how we should choose to do that going forwards.
- ysavir 4y agoWe're affecting it, yes. But we aren't controlling it. There are no intended effects and outcomes that satisfy those intentions. Quite the opposite, actually: We're trying to affect it less and finding it very difficult to do so. > It’s not a question of whether we can significantly change the climate, we know we can, the question is how we should choose to do that going forwards This I agree with. What the GP and I are trying to say is that, in our opinions at least, we should choose to do it by adopting practices that minimize how much we affect the climate.
- simonh 4y agoOk, so it's a position opposed to active measures? I can certainly see the argument, there could very well be negative unintended consequences. Ultimately I suppose it's a matter of balancing the risks. If controlling emissions proves unrealistic, or if a feedback effect kicks in like melting oceanic methane or tundra melting, then active measures may be the only option left.
- alpaca128 4y ago> we’re controlling it right now Does it look like we have the climate under control? No, quite the opposite. We're not controlling the climate, we're the climate equivalent of toddlers who just set the house on fire.
- simonh 4y agoWe know what effect emitting CO2 has, we have a choice how much we emit, and we're choosing to emit a lot of it. OK, we've decided we have other objectives that take priority, and to an extent that makes some sense, but we have choices in this. We can't just throw our hands up and say we have no control over this, and therefore no responsibility. Yes we do have choices we can make, and yes we do have responsibility for the consequences.
- alpaca128 4y agoNo control doesn't mean no responsibility. Though we're definitely behaving irresponsibly, which seems to be a universal trait of large groups of people. You could argue that theoretically we can control it, but in reality that would require humans to not behave like humans for once.
- simonh 4y agoThe "she made me do it" argument ;)