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> we should not care about our survival on Earth and start looking at other solar systems Wacky thinking. Another modern achievement, some very wealthy people

> we should not care about our survival on Earth and start looking at other solar systems Wacky thinking. Another modern achievement, some very wealthy people literally have more money than neurons. ^_^ > I strongly believe that we have an energy problem There is no doubt that the challenge is now. But our industrial and technical capabilities can solve the problem... if corrupt petrostate kakistocracies don't destroy civilisation first. I also agree that "overconsumption" is a clear failure to scale.

deleted 3y ago
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markhahn 3y ago
surely it's not just an energy problem - but a resource problem. I dislike the "overconsumption" mantra (and its degrowth kin). The problem is waste - fast fashion is a great example. just stop making stupid choices - people still need clothes, and we still need lots of people.
- XorNot 3y ago
  But why even care? You can grow cotton. It's the ultimate bio-degradeable material. The problem I have with "overconsumption" and consumerism people is they never actually seem to have any idea what the problem really is.
- palata 3y ago
  > surely it's not just an energy problem - but a resource problem. It is an energy problem. The modern society is built upon fossil fuels, that's a fact. Remove the fossil fuels, and it collapses. Turns out that "building upon fossil fuels" means "gradually removing them". It's just a question of time, and we are talking decades, not centuries. We will live long enough to see it, most likely. We need to rethink society to use less energy in general, and that includes consuming less of everything.
ska 3y ago
> There is no doubt that the challenge is now. But our industrial and technical capabilities can solve the problem... Of the first part, there is no doubt - the second statement is not nearly so clear (at least, on the necessary timelines)
- palata 3y ago
  I agree. We currently clearly don't have the technical solutions. Just hope that if we put enough people on it we will find some. As an engineer, I know that every project that is fundamentally new always ends up being harder than expected. Hoping that we will find a technological solution to a problem that will kill us if we fail is a bit irrational to me.

deleted 3y ago

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markhahn 3y ago

surely it's not just an energy problem - but a resource problem. I dislike the "overconsumption" mantra (and its degrowth kin). The problem is waste - fast fashion is a great example. just stop making stupid choices - people still need clothes, and we still need lots of people.

XorNot 3y ago
But why even care? You can grow cotton. It's the ultimate bio-degradeable material. The problem I have with "overconsumption" and consumerism people is they never actually seem to have any idea what the problem really is.
palata 3y ago
> surely it's not just an energy problem - but a resource problem. It is an energy problem. The modern society is built upon fossil fuels, that's a fact. Remove the fossil fuels, and it collapses. Turns out that "building upon fossil fuels" means "gradually removing them". It's just a question of time, and we are talking decades, not centuries. We will live long enough to see it, most likely. We need to rethink society to use less energy in general, and that includes consuming less of everything.

ska 3y ago

> There is no doubt that the challenge is now. But our industrial and technical capabilities can solve the problem... Of the first part, there is no doubt - the second statement is not nearly so clear (at least, on the necessary timelines)

palata 3y ago
I agree. We currently clearly don't have the technical solutions. Just hope that if we put enough people on it we will find some. As an engineer, I know that every project that is fundamentally new always ends up being harder than expected. Hoping that we will find a technological solution to a problem that will kill us if we fail is a bit irrational to me.