UN chief says fossil fuels are "incompatible with human survival" as world breaks temperature records
UN chief says fossil fuels are "incompatible with human survival" as world breaks temperature records
Is this still news?
I like how the first sentence they say the UN chief was 'publicly attacking' the oil companies when he's literally just stating fact lmao
You would be right. If the government were to never get involved. "It'll take decades for the whole country to prepare for nuclear fallout" "It'll take decades for the country to protect itself from HIV" etc. etc. Every public health crisis needs to the government to get involved and mediate, that's what civilization has been since the time of the Greeks.
This sort of rhetoric is absolutely counter-productive. The human species is obviously not going to get wiped out even with the most extreme climate change scenarios.
Further, the tradeoffs of using fossil fuels are not even close to simple. Energy is wealth, and in a very real sense wealth is both health and quality of life. The whole campaign against fossil fuels frequently seems like the ultra-wealthy trying to consign the entire world middle class to poverty in order to keep polar bears pure (not even to save the species, just to keep them from going south and merging into a grolar bear population).
Okay, let's cut through the jargon and keep it plain.
First up, your point about humans surviving extreme climate change. Sure, we won't go extinct, but it's gonna get messy. Imagine more hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. Plus, food could become scarce with messed up weather patterns. You're right; it's not the end of the world. But, it's also not a picnic.
Next, you mention fossil fuels being tied to wealth and quality of life. Yeah, they've helped us a lot in the past. But it's like running your car on dirty oil; it might keep going, but it'll break down sooner. Also, let's not forget, breathing polluted air ain't great for health.
Your take about the rich trying to push the middle class into poverty to save polar bears seems off the mark. It's not just about bears and ice. It's about having a planet that's comfortable for us to live on. Plus, the worst impacts of climate change and pollution hit poor folks the hardest. It's not about making people poor; it's about keeping people alive and healthy.
Lastly, you make it sound like it's fossil fuels or poverty. That's not the case. The cost of wind and solar power has plummeted in recent years. We can switch to renewables without making everyone poor. Actually, making the switch could create a lot of jobs and even save us money in the long run. So, it's not just about hugging trees; it's about green making green.
A few million humans can probably survive huddled together near the poles, but for the billions that will die that's not really distinguishable from human extinction.
