this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2024
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People know whats going on and the reactions are numerous to count. Nihilism/apathy tend to win out not because we don't have solutions already on the table to solve it but because those solutions are not consumer based and easy. We are not going to solve this via a magic bullet, fusion power isn't going to solve the underlying problem of consumerism/neo-liberal capitalist economics.
We are not powerless to make the change, thinking that way only empowers those who have no problem with killing the planet for profit. There are millions of people all over the world actively working on changing the economic conversation away from GDP growth and consumerism to something else, however they don't get the broadcast airtime in the US. There is degrowth, postgrowth, environmental socialism, doughnut economics, etc all with different ways/ideas to build an economy without consuming the planet in the process.
Honestly the best action an individual can take is join a group or organization that is actively trying to shift the conversation. Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future are just a small sample of the millions of organizations and groups who are actively trying to build a better future, find a local group where you live and join in-person. The work is going to be long and hard but the hardest part requires individuals to put their own ego in check and do the work not for their own personal benefit but for the benefit of the collective and generations to come. We are powerful together, but divided and stewing in our own misery and loathing about the hand we have been collectively dealt doesn't solve anything. If anything it makes it worse. What works is getting involved with your local community, talking to people, building networks of support and collective activism. The more we do that the better shot we have at staving off the worse possible future.
I disagree, most people I speak to are unaware of the scale of the problem or still hold delusions that it will be sorted out by some kind of future tech by the end of the century. A shot of doomerism gets their attention way more than banging on about positive change and plastic straws.
I am fully aware fusion isn't a magic bullet, that's the reason I provided it as an example. It's about as likely as convincing the world degrowth is the better option.
The solutions are not consumer based, nor are they possible at a grassroots level. Literally everything tried so far has not moved the dial in terms of emissions. Joining groups like ER, whilst commendable, is not going to affect enough change in time.
Millions may be discussing change as you say but there are billions who are too concerned with day-to-day survival to contemplate long-term issues like climate change.
Best things to do are actually to not have kids and vote for green candidates, both of which I'm doing. When we see a global top-down movement via policies and laws that might make any kind of difference then we can discuss individual action in positive terms.