The idea in a nutshell: Over the past 4.5 billion years the Earth has dealt with catastrophes of over 90% extinction rates and recovered––even if we tried, nothing modern civilization could do to the environment could compare. If we screw up now, in a few million years there will be thousands of new species around to fill the niches of anything we regretfully take with us on our way out, and there will still be about 5 billion years left for worse things to happen and recover from before sun goes nova and swallows the planet in a big ball of fire.
The one thing that won't recover when we screw up, is us. So the point of environmentalism isn't about saving the Earth at all. The Earth will do just fine; the climate will recover, whales will be replaced by these guys. The point of environmentalism is self preservation. Modern human civilization needs the environment and it's resources to be stable in order to survive. We ruin it, we die. That's a pretty epic fail. Seems simple enough, but we sometimes lose sight of this or think environmentalism is more about keeping the Earth looking pretty and feeling good about ourselves as we save whales. That's clearly the wrong attitude, because khargras will be more fun, anyway. But we must do what we can to survive long enough to enjoy them.
And here's another post he did about how D&D got him his job!
8 comments:
Dude. Seriously. not to be an ass, but who contributes to the blog and doesn't already know this? Of course humanity is trying to preserve life as we know it! It's always been about the way the world is from our perspective. I think the reason they say stuff like "save the earth" is because if they said "keep the earth from changing into a more radical environment" Protecting the human way of life just isn't enough for most people.
I really believe that. People are lazy/crazy enough to buy the ultraviolet tint screen for their Humvees. They'll complain, and then go back to applying the SPF 200 to their overweight dogs as they drive their Highlander jetskis to Makiki beach.
As a self described Apocophiliac, I've always believed in bringing the ruckus. But then, I also like the types of soft cheese they make off the coasts of Ireland, (I'd also like to see the coasts of Ireland someday). So, I'm gonna recycle, to keep the earth the way I want it, gawdammit. Won't you?
And fiend folio ftw.
I couldn't agree more with this guy -- especially about saving whales to make ourselves feel good. I've spoken to some people I would consider environmental fundamentalists about whales and they're kind of scary.
I've had a hard time asking them questions, especially about Navy sonar and whales, because they get upset very easily if I suggest there may be other ways to view things.
What I find most amazing are the environmentalists who buy dozens of pairs of shoes or drive SUVs. Seriously, I once worked with a woman, a self-professed tree-hugger, who bought a Toyota 4Runner just so she would have a big enough vehicle to hold her surfboard! That monster gets something like 16 mpg! She spent a lot of the rest of her time worrying about endangered species like Hawaiian monk seals.
I have nothing against monk seals. I think they're adorable and would be devasted if they disappered. But a little more self-awareness among people would be nice.
Something tells me Odori has something against monk seals. Call it a hunch.
Call me a pessimist, but I think all this mercury in these burnt out CFLs is probably going to have a lasting impact on life on Earth long after we're gone.
you got me galspanic -- i have joked with a friend about how monk seal sashimi would taste. to be honest, i think not too good. but i've also never eaten seal before.
but, no, really. i love monk seals!!!
Well of course, Panic, you ass. I mentioned this only to point out that many others might not think this way, as noted by Odori's hippie-crit coworker example. I bet 90% of the people at the Kokua Festival would also vehemently disagree either because a) they're too high to think straight, or b) for them it's just about the seals.
And I don't care what Odori says. She fucking HATES monk seals. I've seen her watch the white seal over and over again just for the gory bits with the seal clubbers. When that seal was sleeping out at Lanikai a few months back? She'd go out every morning before work and just scream and scream obscenities at it. You know how it just up and disappeared one day? I say Odori has eaten seal before.
I'd eat a seal. Wait...have I?
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