Uniting to Avert Climate Disaster Borders on the Impossible

A while back a philosopher said humans lack the strength to be weak. That failing is beginning to catch up with us. Climate change is not proceeding on a linear path, it is accelerating. Our reaction is to do almost nothing. The strength we human need is to accept that we cannot dominate natural forces in order to have the comforts we want. We need the strength of reject the false promises of unending abundance through prosperity and technology. 

Here in the Middle West we are dealing with flooding from large rain and snow events. These, with insurance, makes climate change at least somewhat manageable. Less manageable and so expensive it's hard to conceive is the migration. Cities in the U.S. along bodies of water will need to evacuate just as Fargo and Grand Forks have done on a tiny scale. Perhaps a few hundred have moved elsewhere. It looks like the numbers nationwide will be millions. This migration will be funded with public money, there is no other choice. Those of us living on higher ground do not want homeless people at our door. We will agree to pay the taxes. 

Unrelated with the link, I was given a Christmas gift of a book about the economics of bicycling. The author is about 40 years old and was not born when I first became interested in societies that use bicycles as their primary vehicles of transportation. I gave a few talks to community groups about this. The new book I was given goes through the same case I and others have made for decades. If bicycles instead of cars were the most-used vehicles the cost of living in cities would be much lower, perhaps 30% less. 

Of course, most people will resist replacing one car or two for bicycles. It involves discomfort with weather and physical exertion. We avoid discomfort and achieve environmental harm. It borders on the impossible to change harmful behaviors if pleasure or avoiding discomfort is the price. As said above, we lack the strength to be weak--passing up comfort. 

The size of our houses is another part of the same comfort. I live in a space bigger than we "need." We are part of those seeking needless comfort. 

The reckoning is coming. Maybe in a generation the standard of living will be different. My guess is people will get along just fine.