Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
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millennial hope S 159<br />
assumptions that <strong>the</strong> Earth is a machine and that it can be fi xed by<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r machines, a variant <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> kind <strong>of</strong> thinking that got us in <strong>the</strong><br />
mess in <strong>the</strong> fi rst place. As with earlier technological fi xes, <strong>the</strong>y will<br />
incur unanticipated consequences that will create still o<strong>the</strong>r problems<br />
<strong>to</strong> be fi xed by still more machines, at a great pr<strong>of</strong>i t <strong>to</strong> large<br />
organizations that will bear no part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> liabilities arising from<br />
consequences <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir making. Geoengineering, salvation by gadgetry,<br />
rests on <strong>the</strong> belief that we are incapable <strong>of</strong> better behavior,<br />
learning, foresight, sacrifi ce, or exercising wisdom about <strong>the</strong> longterm<br />
consequences <strong>of</strong> what we do. In <strong>the</strong> words <strong>of</strong> one analyst,<br />
“No one knows <strong>to</strong>day whe<strong>the</strong>r geoengineering could ever make<br />
sense” (Kunzig, 2008, p. 55). It is clear, however, that at best it is a<br />
temporary patch on a deeper problem whose solution begins by<br />
changing <strong>the</strong> way we harness and use energy.<br />
Even in <strong>the</strong> most optimistic scenario, however, no known<br />
technology could be deployed on <strong>the</strong> scale necessary in <strong>the</strong> time<br />
available <strong>to</strong> avert <strong>the</strong> ga<strong>the</strong>ring s<strong>to</strong>rm. The conclusion is unavoidable:<br />
a great deal that we have long taken for granted, like <strong>the</strong><br />
Sunday drive, <strong>the</strong> trip <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> mall, <strong>the</strong> SUV, cheap food on wells<strong>to</strong>cked<br />
s<strong>to</strong>re shelves, or even <strong>the</strong> transition from one season <strong>to</strong><br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r, will likely become intermittent, or perhaps even distant<br />
memories. As <strong>climate</strong> destabilization bears down on us, <strong>the</strong>re will<br />
be a lot less talk about economic growth, progress, individualism,<br />
empire, and defense <strong>of</strong> “<strong>the</strong> American way <strong>of</strong> life.” These concepts<br />
will some day be no more useful <strong>to</strong> us than <strong>the</strong> ghost dances once<br />
were <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Plains Indians in halting <strong>the</strong> tide <strong>of</strong> white civilization<br />
sweeping across what was once <strong>the</strong>ir land.<br />
Given <strong>the</strong> evidence is that <strong>the</strong> road ahead will be longer<br />
and more diffi cult than our leaders have been willing <strong>to</strong> admit,<br />
and likely longer and more diffi cult than <strong>the</strong>y understand. But our<br />
immediate steps are clear: preserve soil and forests, save species,<br />
use less, deploy solar technologies, throw <strong>the</strong> rascals out, demand<br />
accountability in government and business, elect leaders with <strong>the</strong><br />
courage and intelligence <strong>to</strong> lead in <strong>the</strong> right direction, and shift