Monday, January 6, 2014

Après Nous Le Déluge

To put it another way: The primacy of economics has prevailed. It no longer seems to matter how we're supposed to get through the rest of this century if the world grows warmer by three, four or five degrees Celsius. National economies require an ever-growing dose of energy if their business models are to continue functioning, and, in the face of this logic, all scientific objections to the contrary are just as powerless as the climate protest movements, which are, in any case, marginal.

At this point, we could act as if we've seen it all and argue that in the course of human history many cultures failed because they did not adapt their success strategies to new conditions. The Vikings left Greenland in part because they clung to animal husbandry despite practically having to carry their cows out to pasture in the spring, because the lack of winter feed had left the animals too weak to walk. The Vikings would have just needed to come up with the idea of eating fish instead, but to them that seemed as inconceivable as renouncing the idea of growth does to nations today. The Vikings believed they could not live without cows, just as we believe that a high quality of life rests on expansion.

Those babies in Potsdam are being hooked on this concept from birth. True, babies born today will still get to experience a bit of this wonderful world of fossil fuels and miraculous growth. For two decades, perhaps? Three?
Nothing could make me happier than to know that all human vanity ended when I did.

Don't waste your time reading foolish crap about how we can save ourselves from capitalism or something: Nagonna happen.

2 comments:

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

You're the bluebird of happiness of my mornings, M.B.
~

M. Bouffant said...

Happy-Ass Editor:
Not sure I could go on if I weren't sure it's all going when I go.