Why has the mainstream media continued to ignore the <a href=""http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/03/3774582/record-heat-india/“it’s happening now” climate change crisis during this election campaign, particularly whenever there is a debate between Democrats or Republicans running for office?
My answer? Oh, I don’t know, must be just a coincidence.
Because the media is taking the ‘it’s complicated’ route the various myths, fables and talking points have done some weird switches. Locally, I hear lots of debates that stem from, ‘people have just caused some of climate change, the rest is natural so even if we ride a bike to work or go vegan we can’t have an impact so what’s the point?’
It’s a bit like watching a household of latch key kids raise themselves.
as the generation that fiddled, Nero-like, while Earth burned.
*if, that is, anyone/-thing capable of doing so manages to survive to emerge from our destructiveness
Logic says in a capitalistic society, with a loud mouthed capitalist frontrunner, one would think there’d be a few pennies to be made from advertising based on, “It’s the water stupid” from the World Bank
https:/www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/05/03/world-bank-the-way-climate-chan
ge-is-really-going-to-hurt-us-is-through-water
I think they ignore it for the same reason many people ignore it: deep down there is a growing fear that nothing can be done to stop it. I have friends that admit they can’t directly deal with the issue because they would lose all hope.
I’m not saying this is the only reason, but I think this fear comes from a very primal place, which makes it hard to overcome.
Well count me in on the denial part. Or, at least, I figure extinction and destruction is on its way. I keep doing the small stuff that I can do to “save” the planet – laughably but something (recycling, being very cautious about water consumption, etc).
But I figure we’re screwed bc there isn’t the will do what’s needed. And so, the poor will suffer the worst, but I really don’t want to be among the last survivors, that’s for sure. Sadly, I think it’s gonna get real ugly and real painful. And, at least here in America, there’s going be a lot of blame going on. Not good.
Nothing like a little defeatism. If we’re screwed it’s (in part) because of people like you.
Hardly. We are screwed because people for decades have been ignoring those of us who have been raising the alarm.
We currently lack the technology to change the path forward. We don’t have any options. Period.
Nothing any of us do we make the slightest bit of difference, unless you are willing to abandon the lifestyle you currently have and eliminate a few billion people.
And maybe people like you are just as much of the problem; by continuing to think mankind is smart enough to escape the trap he has created.
Clear enough for you?
No. My objection stands.
I agree with you. While I do think we are past the point of no return I still do as much as I can to prevent further damage. I’m not saying I couldn’t do more, but I try to do the best I can.
What’s really sad is that for the most part, those who have more money are actually in a position to do the most good. But very few do.
Thank you, urd. Things are indeed badly fucked up. But that’s where we are. As somebody said a long time ago, you’re either part of the problem, or part of the solution.
The thing is, whenever I hear people talking about “the public”, and not mentioning special interests and politics, I don’t trust the comment. The public is not a shapeless blob, it’s people and society; special interests are the active players with the public, protected and favored by politics, and they need to be countered by politics and by organizing.
Bernie (and many others, we know ’em when we see ’em) is part of the solution, and whether he wins this battle or not, he’s still part of the solution.
l believe it’s reasonable at this juncture to posit that we are well into the 6th Great Extinction.
whether or not we shall survive our own hubris, greed and over whelming sense of entitlement remains to be seen…frankly, given the massive denial of the problem…l’m not optimistic.
Sorry to bring bad news, but nobody cares. They are not being fooled, they are not being conned, they simply don’t care.
I just spent three days right in the middles of California’s Central Valley. It’s in the midst of a large drought. Yet I passed thousands and thousands of newly planted almond tree saplings, which take horrendous amounts of water when mature. Why would anybody waste water on such a stupid tree?
Because the public does not care.
They want their almonds.
They want their natural gas.
They want their oil.
And no, they do not care one bit how many brown people get blown up overseas.
.
someone I talked to last night did state that it was foolish to keep growing so many almond trees, esp new ones. That said, this person did point out that it probably takes a heckova lot more water to grow beef and maybe even chicken for protein consumption. So in the end, are almond trees that bad? Or are they a better choice than beef and chicken?
That’s a point to be made, but of course, both are done – raising animals for food & almonds – without much regard for the consequences. Gov Jerry Brown has spoken about how much money is made from almond crops.
So: money trumps water. Got it?
As long as water is a commodity to be bought and sold, it will be bought and sold.
The resettling begins
And how long will it take before the usual suspects start blaming the victims for choosing the wrong place to live, so go figure it out and stop being a lazy jerk with your hand out expecting Uncle Sugar to give you a free hand out. Why there’s bazillions of jobs and places to live, so just get up and move and stop expecting someone to pay you to do it.
You can say you heard it from me first cuz I guarantee this will be bellowed, especially by el-Lushbo and the dittoheads.
Humans are not great at long-term planning. Five or maybe ten years out is about the best our systems can do, with few exceptions.
People in the US will only start to pay attention when the observed costs of climate change overcome the benefits of our current life choices. Note that observed costs are not the same as predicted (i.e. future) costs. So, until the water is lapping at the doorways of Miami I don’t expect people to even think about giving up their SUVS.
re:
Fish swimming down the street, even.
Doesn’t seem to have made much difference.
Active denial plays a part, but it only works because people don’t want to acknowledge the serious consequences that we are about to face.