Chapter 7. "Energy and emissions"

Chapter 7. "Energy and emissions" is the title of the seventh Chapter in the book Transcending Politics by David Wood.

Chapter 7. "Energy and emissions" pages 147 - 171

"What’s the point of extending our potential lifespans (as discussed in the previous chapter), if the planet upon which we are living suffers an ecological collapse? Who cares about extra medicines that could undo the damage of cellular aging, if we’re unable to undo the damage we’re collectively inflicting on our environment, via greenhouse gas emissions and other chemical distortions? Why bother about reducing the build-up of trauma within our biological bodies, if the trauma in our atmosphere, our oceans, and our countryside grows inexorably?
The structure of the argument in this chapter mirrors that of its predecessor. That chapter started by lamenting society’s apparent inability to reduce the escalating costs of healthcare. This chapter starts by lamenting our apparent collective inability to reduce the escalating risks of runaway global warming. In both cases, the answer to the lament should be straightforward. A techno-optimist would say, don’t worry: better technology will take care of things. In both cases, my response is: It’s more complicated than that. Better technology will only work its magic if society actively steers technological development in the right direction. And that will probably be a lot harder than it sounds."

- David Wood, Executive Director, Transpolitica[1]

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One of the main reasons why large-scale real-world action has made such slow progress, over the last decade, is the extent of skepticism regarding the future impacts of climate change. In some cases, the skepticism is made explicit. In many other cases, it remains implicit.

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External linksПравить

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