Washington Post, March 10, 2008: Carbon Output Must Near Zero To Avert Danger, New Studies Say
“The task of cutting greenhouse gas emissions enough to avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures may be far more difficult than previous research suggested, say scientists who have just published studies indicating that it would require the world to cease carbon emissions altogether within a matter of decades.”
“‘The question is, what if we don’t want the Earth to warm anymore?’ asked Carnegie Institution senior scientist Ken Caldeira, co-author of a paper published last week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. ‘The answer implies a much more radical change to our energy system than people are thinking about.’
Although many nations have been pledging steps to curb emissions for nearly a decade, the world’s output of carbon from human activities totals about 10 billion tons a year and has been steadily rising.”
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IT’S THIS CONTRADICTORY DEVELOPMENT: on the one hand the physical sciences want us to know that fossil fuels consumption is a very bad idea. Great many of us have come to accept this by now. On the other hand, however, there is the realization that emissions are steadily rising. And the social sciences don’t want to touch the subject. Why? Probably because it is pretty easy to understand that the original idea of curbing CO2 emissions is going to prove impossible to bring to life. Just think about it: do you think it would be possible to bring the pollution from just one city — for example: the postcard city of Las Vegas (by night) — to zero?! Now, think again. If you’re finding it difficult to think of curbing CO2 emissions from just one city (I’m sure you do), then think about those other millions of similar cities around the world. You’ll be perfectly able to grasp the enormity of the problem.
Chances are, the proposed reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is going to end up as the good and commendable idea that it was, and not much more than that. In the short term it seems to me like social systems are quite ready to allow the whole planet to choke under the greenhouse effect atmospheric carpet which human activity keeps making thicker. In the long term we’re all going to die, and that’s a most basic fact of life and not some doomsayer’s dumb warning. We’re all going to die, and the oldest among us whither away and die, the youngest among us are going to have to deal with a lot of problems as the effects of global warming and manmade climate change are becoming grimmer and grimmer as years and decades go by. And here is the generational dilemma spread out for you, but the social sciences still don’t want to touch the subject of climate change and whatever it may have to do with the different human cultural systems and social structures of ours.
What comes next, then, is a period in which more and more people are starting to realize that it is indeed going to hell. And that there is nothing anyone can do to stop this. At least not so long as fossil fuels consumption is at all legal. The masters of the physical sciences are going to keep telling us that fossil fuels consumption should, in essence, be banned by law. As it is destroying the natural world at a very high speed. And as this fact is simply too stupid to continue living with, I suppose. But the social sciences are still going to stay mute about it. This is not considered to be a social problem, that’s why! It is totally absurd, of course, but it seems to me that the social scientists of this world are all tone deaf. Physical or natural problems have an effect on the social life of the people. Unfortunately it also has the social effect of making most professionals of the social sciences go disinterested. They jump to simple conclusions and decide they’d better not tell.
I think it would be very interesting to study the possible social reasons why things are going all wrong and awry here. I think it would be extremely interesting to investigate — from a social scientific point of view and a cultural/social anthropological perspective — the social reasons why it is proving impossible to curb greenhouse emissions. But it’s a non-starter, it seems. All because common sense tells social scientists not to worry about it. Why? Possible because the most probable conclusions of the said study would be way too gloomy to even publish. As it is: in the face of physical/natural disasters, the world simply doesn’t appreciate social truths. The social, cultural, and civilizational truths concerning manmade climate change is there for politicians and economists to deal with, and not for social scientists to start meddling with. Or so it may seem to an internet idiot like me.
Or so it may seem to an unpublishable author of essays, faction and fiction, prose, plays, and poems like me. A sad thing.
I’m thinking of my space aliens. The extraterrestrial fact finding mission from a different galaxy from ours, here with agents to monitor the situation here, as watching us turn into a species of mammal parasites engulfing and devouring the ecosystems of this whole planet of ours must indeed be extremely interesting to the worlds of extraterrestrial humanoidologists. Watching us knowingly and willingly destroying the planet by use of fossil fuels. And at the same time watching us chop down all rainforests at the highest possible speed, depleting fish resources at the highest possible speed, and destroying the natural habitat of many, many other species as well. And all the while pumping toxic substances straight into the rivers, seas, and oceans of this planet, like the flushing of toilets. And taking a good look at some of these mountaintop removal sites, where the quest for fresh coal to burn is there in the open for everyone to see, and are aw so telling, don’t you think?! — Little green people would certainly be very interested in these things, I can tell you that much. While the family of humanity gladly wants to keep quiet about it and get on with their lives, travelling about from here to there, unmoved and completely unabated. On a planet which, from the outside perspective, might appear like this giant centrifuge in which cars, buses, trains, aeroplanes, bicycles, prams, boats, ships, giant oil tankers, space shuttles and other movable devices containing raw materials, stuff and staff are shifting places continuously. — But oh! Oh oh! Don’t even think about it! There’s not a single thing you can do about it, so. –
Nevermind.
