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> I think if you're going to be against something, it's really important to understand it. As someone who considers themselves an environmentalist, and thinks
by freedomben 2y ago
> I think if you're going to be against something, it's really important to understand it.
As someone who considers themselves an environmentalist, and thinks we are doing some terrible things to the Earth right now that we're going to be paying back for generations, I couldn't agree more. I used to love the passion, but having seen first-hand how counter-productive it can be (when it's coupled with low information), I wish people would hear and accept that message.
When it comes to disagreements, especially political (which the Earth/environment should not be a political issue, but here we are), the people you are trying to convince are going to pay attention the worst representatives, and they will suck all the oxygen for the debate away. Some of that is done in bad faith, but mostly it's just human nature.
Please people, for all that is holy:
1. Stop treating the other side as enemies that just hate the planet and want to kill it. Virtually nobody believes that. It's a different set of priorities. Many people on the other side have their priorities in the wrong order, but you won't be able to help fix them if you don't understand them. (also you may be the one who is wrong! don't be the arrogant person you believe them to be. Stay humble, and stay true to the truth, even if it's not what you want it to be).
2. Educate yourself before you make a decision. If you care about the Earth (which you very well should!) learn about it! Don't make dumb arguments out of ignorance, as that will just push intelligent/informed people away.
3. Build trust and bridges, not wedges. Most people in the oil industry (or whatever issue it is) do care about these things. If you demonstrate trustworthiness by being fair and accurate, they will listen to you. You may not convince them immediately, but I promise it will make a difference. If you make an ass out of yourself though, you will never, ever change their minds, and you make it harder for the next person to do so because you pollute the water (an intentional metaphor).
Getting this right may very well determine how long humanity gets to live on this planet, so this is serious business. We need to change, and we need to change soon, so the time for games is over.
- bbor 2y agoLiterally no one in the oil industry cares enough to quit the oil industry. Also: environmentalism will always be politics. Our opponents don’t have “different priorities” as in philosophical differences, it’s a matter of profit and control and freedom to litter when they feel the urge.
- exabrial 2y agoPart of the problem with the oil industry is we use the hydrocarbons in the most wasteful/dumbest of ways: Burn them. I'd be happy to never see hydrocarbons burnt again in my lifetime. However, they still have important applications: everything from textiles to medicine to structural components to the insulation your the ethernet cables that transferred the data you're reading this post on. My opinion is we need to get rid of the "burning things" industry but keep the capacity to extract this useful natural resource in a way that doesn't add C02 to the air, doesn't harm the environment, and benefits us and leaves something for future generations.
- bbor 2y agoWow GREAT point actually, I am a huge fan of plastic. It’s impossibly tough to know how to support plastic without supporting the combustion industry (Miltary-Incendiary Complex?), but that’s life for everyone who can afford to choose their job. I have a friend who’s struggling with how to use his ChemE degree to help create lifesaving medicine without giving his career to some of our most cartoonishly evil corporations, and I personally struggled with the desire to work on LEO satellites without supporting the US military directly. A good lesson to never deal in absolutes :). I’ll say this instead: most people working in oil and gas aren’t doing it because they considered the facts and decided that it was a good future. They’re just there because it pays well and they figure the earth will prolly be fine. I mean, it’s huge! And I’ve never seen a climate apocalypse…
- kmbfjr 2y agoMaking plastics still generates carbon dioxide, and their existence has their own problems. Some of them, are apparently quite bad such as microplastics.
- exabrial 2y agoYeah, disposable plastics for instance. Thats why I qualified it, because burning them is dumb, throwing them away is just as dumb, especially when people don't throw them away properly and they end up in the ocean.