Thread

1. HelloUsername · 1790689443 · focus · HN ↗

   Besides, there is nothing wrong with the planet, the planet is fine… the people are fucked! Compared to the people, the planet is doing great: been here four and a half billion years, we’ve been here what? 100,000? Maybe 200,000? And we’ve only been engaged in heavy industry for a little over 200 years, and we have the conceit to think that somehow, we’re a threat? That we’re going to put in jeopardy this beautiful little blue-green ball that’s just a-floatin’ around the sun? The planet has been through a lot worse than us: been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drifts, solar flares, sunspots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles, hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages, and we think some plastic bags and aluminum cans are going to make a difference?

   The planet isn’t going anywhere… we are! We’re going away!

   1. altmanaltman · 1790689807 · focus · HN ↗

      The planet has not been through anything, it doesn't experience things or has memories. It literally cannot care if we survive or go extinct. This is why environmentalism focusig on "mother earth" or "the earth is suffering" is so annoying. Focus on humans and what we will face in the future, what our kids will face. Environmentalism should be a humanism and focus on them instead of having broad goals like fixing the whole planet.

      1. chneu · 1790691100 · focus · HN ↗

         What an insanely selfish take.

         This attitude of humanity first is exactly what got us here and what will wipe us off the planet.

         1. altmanaltman · 1790709893 · focus · HN ↗

            Selfish in what sense? Like how every other animal is?

            Yes I am humanity first. That is not selfish to me (in the sense we use the word). It is not humanity at all costs but it is always humanity first obviously. If you disagree you should go live with animals for a few days and see how they interact. The only thing is that you can't tell a chimp he's being selfish while they rip your arm off. Nor would he care.

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