Facing a dire future with good humor

[ItsAGuy]

Had some difficulty finding the right category for this thread, so don't sue me... could have been science, could have been nature. Both apply in part. Now, to minimize argument bit, this thread PRESUMES that climate change is not only real, but agrees with the data that suggests it's worse than originally thought. If you don't see eye to eye with this, that's fine... maybe even pertinent, but it's not the point of THIS thread.

Disclaimer aside, here's the gist: Climate change. Overpopulation. Maniacal resource consumption. All present, and their combined forces probably are going to mean a very MESSY decline in human population over the next hundred years... 90%+ gone in that time... assuming, of course, nothing changes in the near term. Presume that much, and the question becomes, how do you address the issue in a way that makes people WANT to sit up, take notice, and participate in the solution? If you believe in this stuff, that essentially means you also believe one of the reasons it is such a problem is because the majority of people are apathetic to the problem or so self-concerned that they don't know it's even going on. The only solution is to get everyone to bear their small share of the burden, but in bringing up the issue you are labelled a pessimist, alarmist, doomsayer, etc. How do you take the possible decimation of the specie and put a smiley face on it so people won't turn away and perpetuate the problem?

 

[Haphazard]

Enviro-fascism?

That could be kinda cool.

 

[Moiety]

Why are you attributing negativity to this so called annihilation of the species?

Maybe we need to get acquainted with the bottom of the pit to want to climb up.

 

[Stanton Moore]

I don't believe you. LALALALALALA

 

[Haphazard]

I still think people would catch on pretty quick if every time they didn't sort their recyclables they'd get beat with a nightstick.

 

[Lateralus]

Don't forget comets and meteors.

 

[Intricate Mystic]

You have left something out of your scenario- human creativity. We are a smart species... someone, somewhere (particularly with so many people on the planet) is always thinking up/inventing something new. Our world is always changing, adapting, evolving. Humans are brilliant at that.

 

[ItsAGuy]

You have left something out of your scenario- human creativity. We are a smart species... someone, somewhere (particularly with so many people on the planet) is always thinking up/inventing something new. Our world is always changing, adapting, evolving. Humans are brilliant at that.

Yeess and no, I haven't forgotten. We're pushing hard for clean energy now. We're inventing farming skyscrapers. We've found a way to cut the cost of desalinating water down to a quarter what it takes now. LED are dramatically cutting lighting energy costs in some spots (though chicago recently discovered that LED street lights don't get hot enough to melt the ice that is now coating them in the winter!)

Yes, we ARE doing a lot. Problem is, humanity needs to consume biomass in order to survive. There's now so many humans consuming so much biomass that what remains cannot regenerate fast enough to compensate. The best and kindest solutions are to make many small sacrifices in terms of materialism, eat wiser (this'll help other issues too), and agree to cut our breeding rate way down... voluntary 1 child policy (not to be confused with china's involuntary and male-centric version of the same) for 3 or 4 generations.

Problem is, look at what people do when confronted with these suggestions? Who cares if it means the possible near-extinction of the species in a hundred years? "I want what I want, why should I have to do any of that?!?!"

Somehow we have to get people to WANT to contribute to the solution rather than to the problem. That simply isn't the case right now, and when you throw this in their face, the turn away even more. So, somehow we need to turn a frown kind of situation into a smile one so people won't turn away... and I don't know how to do that with all the bad news being thrown at us every day in terms of environment, population, resources, conflict, etc.

 

[Randomnity]

Well a very preliminary step before you can get people to contribute to the solution, you have to make them agree that the problem is as dire as you say it is. I know you said that isn't the point of the thread, but it's kinda relevant. If you study persuasive speaking, that'll be a start. I'd say to study the science, but unfortunately people tend to be persuaded more by emotion (by compelling speeches) than by reason (looking at the science).

I don't think the situation is anywhere near as dire as you do, because I think humans are a lot more creative and adaptable than you give us credit for. Things may change radically from the current situation, but I don't think it's rational to say 5.4 billion people will die of starvation in 100 years before we learn to change in the slightest (barring nuclear/biotech disasters, because who knows...but purely based on resource decline like you suggest). So that may be why you aren't winning over as many people as you like. If you're a little more reasonable in your predictions, you may actually find more support, because people will start taking you seriously.

 

[Intricate Mystic]

Problem is, look at what people do when confronted with these suggestions? Who cares if it means the possible near-extinction of the species in a hundred years? "I want what I want, why should I have to do any of that?!?!"

Most people probably aren't going to change their comfortable habits based on the mere possibility of near-extinction. Situations usually have to reach the crisis stage before people actually start doing anything.

 

[ItsAGuy]

Most people probably aren't going to change their comfortable habits based on the mere possibility of near-extinction. Situations usually have to reach the crisis stage before people actually start doing anything.

Historically speaking, you're probably right. That's what worries me.