Monday, August 16, 2021

Climate apocalypse

 I do not believe that there is a future for humanity. We are quite a few now who have realized that greenhouse gas emissions will not be reduced. In Asia, they plan to build hundreds of new coal power plants, in the Amazon and Indonesia they cut down the rainforest to raise cattle and grow oil palms, both rich and poor, in all parts of the world, want nothing more than to be able to buy more stuff.

Britain will spend £ 16.5 billion in the coming years, in addition to the previous defense budget, to upgrade its nuclear weapons. Boris Johnson says safety must be a top priority. The United States will spend $ 348 billion to modernize its nuclear weapons. Russia and China are, of course, on the same track. There is no hope for humanity.

If we continue to live in the same way as we do now, the earth's average temperature in 2040 will be 2 ° C higher compared to pre-industrial times. With a two-degree increase in temperature, dramatic changes take place for life on earth. One problem is that the permafrost melts, methane is released and the temperature rises even without our participation.

Climate change is already causing serious problems in many parts of the world, but there is no indication that we intend to change our way of life. Emissions of greenhouse gases continue to increase, despite all alarm reports.

The question is not whether the downfall will come but when. Most people understand that we are in deep trouble, but no one dares to say publicly that our days are counted. The established media and the politicians do not want to deal with the idea that humanity will perish in a not too distant future. They emphasize that there is still hope. If we take sensible measures now, we can reverse the trend, they say.

It is easy to understand why they don't want to talk too much about our extinction. If too many people realize that there is no future for them, they will stop saving in pension funds. And large companies will no longer make long-term investments. If too many people lose faith in the future, then the house of cards collapses at once. Those in power must be very careful about how they express themselves.

Ordinary decent people also don't want to talk about the irreversible climate catastrophe in twenty years. They don't want their children and grandchildren to get anxious and depressed.

The idea that our global civilization and all of humanity will perish is not far-fetched or morbidly pessimistic. All previous civilizations have perished. There are only ruins left of them. And 99% of all species that have existed are extinct. The evolution work like this. There will be other species taking over after us, flies perhaps or cockroaches.

Are there any benefits to be able to see the elephant in the room? Maybe not. But here are anyway two suggestions if you dislike escapism and delusions: You can ignore the rat race when you understand that there is no point with it; You can devote the time that is left to what is important in life. And, you no longer need to set aside money each month for your pension fund.

Maybe there is, after all, still a chance for humanity. Suppose the financial markets and the entire world economy would collapse. Billions of people would lose their income and starve to death before the climate apocalypse is complete. Maybe then, at least some people would survive in remote areas. Maybe we will have another chance. Those who live will see.