Civilization Failing in the Face of Climate Change, v2
Attention: johnehummel@diasp.org
Is Civilization Failure the Reason that No Other Society in the Universe Has Contacted Us?
And also, why we continue our global trajectory into #AcceleratingGlobalClimateCataclysm?
One of the things I’ve learned in science and engineering is that (a) some problems are tenable, (b) some problems are not, and (c) some “problems” are not problems (in either the social, personal, nor humanity sense).
(d) Life elsewhere in the universe is beyond my ken, and I view the problem as both (b) and (c).
Why (b) and (c)? | Other Civilizations in the Cosmos?
- Distances are too far to communicate given even the most advanced understandings of communications.
- Distances too far for communications are orders of magnitude too far for travel.
- Marshaling the needed resources for any significant colonization of say a moon of Jupiter is beyond our foreseeable means. And, it’s not clear that would buy us (earth) anything.
- Man has evolved with earth. Any other environment, therefore, will likely be missing key “ingredients” to supporting human and earth life.
- The probabilities and claims of suitable planets are grossly optimistic, and completely colored by the need to garner funding.
- If the planets are unsuitable and improbable for “us” they are improbable and unsuitable to any life form that would communicate with or visit with/by us.
- Too many nerds having read science fiction, and been impressed with things that have come true in these FICTIONAL stories, now believe that all we have to do is imagine something and it can happen.
I believe Carver Mead’s dictum: 'listen to the technology'. You can only make a technology do what it’s capable of. You cannot impose your will on technology. One of the things that has held Europeans back WRT technology is their insistence on what they expect from technology with little or contrary evidence to support their demands.
If you want to look at why civilization fails, my guess is that Jared Diamond’s book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed: Revised Edition has clues. (I have not read it.)
What Will It Take to Survive #AcceleratingGlobalClimateCataclysm?
My guess is that if the US, Germany and Japan developed strict implementation plans for the abandonment of fossil fuels, AND FOLLOWED THEM, that China would go along in some way. Each of these three nations would have to get the buy-in and programs for the mass of voters, and the mass of businesses and institutions. This, in the case of the US, would take the equivalent of FDR’s fireside chats, a prez of FDR’s charisma, and an electorate ready to listen. The closest we have come was Obama.
Earth: RIP!
Personal
BTW, we have a 49 year old daughter and a 20 year old grandson. Both are EEs. Our daughter is an analog EE and is in great demand by defense contractors. She works for BAE. My grandson is in a joint robotics, EE, ME/BS, MS program and already, is in great demand by both the defense and civilian sectors. They’ve got as good a chance of anybody to survive, since their skills will be of increasing importance: war or disasters.
Epilogue
The issue is that the world must agree. What is the only way the world has ever agreed on anything?
Hint: it happened twice, and the second time was largely due to unresolved issues from the first time.
This time, however, the solution (thermonuclear world war) is at least equal to the problem (climate change).
