Comments | cheerfulchaotic: Climate change and "treason"

cheerfulchaotic

Climate change and "treason"

Jul 03, 2009 08:53

Paul Krugman's Monday column claimed that climate change denial struck him as a form of treason against the planet. I mostly agree with what he has to say in the column, but something about that strikes me as not quite right ( Read more... )

Comments 6

kensmind July 3 2009, 14:29:45 UTC

Someone sent me this yesterday, it's simple, yet persuasive. It's 20 minutes, but what's 20 minutes compared with the life of a planet?

kanzeon_2040 July 3 2009, 14:55:05 UTC

I don't intend to dispute with you the seriousness of the issue, but I can't view it as a "betrayal" when a majority of the population really couldn't care less about fixing the problem. Betrayal is when everybody is counting on you, and then you intentionally screw them.

cheerfulchaotic July 3 2009, 15:26:24 UTC

I can. I think we're using different definitions of "betray" here. One can deliberately commit actions that break trusts even without intending to break the trust. That counts as betrayal in my book. Whether it is ignorance of or indifference to the consequences of one's actions, it is still betrayal.

People are counting on a planet hospitable to humanity going forward, whether we believe we are screwing that up or not.

k8to July 3 2009, 16:52:49 UTC

I think he's just using "planet" as shorthand for many of the inhabitants of it. Compare to viewing a "body" as a lump of organic chemicals or the life that inhabits it. I think this isn't so uncommn. At the peak of Bomb Afghanistan US Flag fervor, I saw many people raising Earth flags, with just a picture of Earth. I think the meaning was clearer there.

red_haired_girl July 3 2009, 18:25:36 UTC

I know some people who see the whole Green movement as an attempt for "Earth Worshipers" to proselytize their religion. Being a Religion, not a Science, it is BAD, and should be stamped out.

While, like EVERYTHING ELSE, people get facts wrong, mean well when they don't really understand what they're talking about, may even lie, or stretch the truth, to get their way, that doesn't mean that we aren't doing some MIGHTILY STOOPID things that hurt people and animals, and may just destroy any future they, or we, have.

The best we can do is to keep trying to learn what's going on, both scientifically and politically, and let others know those things.

luminifer July 4 2009, 15:20:42 UTC

george carlin: "The PLANET is fine.... The PEOPLE are fucked."