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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/01/climate-disaster-resilient-societies-love-technology-human-survival>
"When things look especially bleak for humankind, it’s worth reminding
ourselves who we are – what makes us such a special species. Beyond our
machines and our buildings, beyond our fiery conquests, beyond all of it, we’re
exceptional creatures because we are capable of love. And not just one to one
and within our families, but on a massive scale.
This is especially pertinent as we face the climate crisis. It’s easy to get
caught up in the excitement of our technological transition, which dominates
the climate adaptation narrative. We are the technological ape, and our
technologies will be vital in solving this crisis: windmills to decarbonise our
energy systems, flood defences against rising seas, and air conditioners to
survive brutal heatwaves. We will need many more technological fixes, and much
faster.
Just as essential to our survival, however, are social fixes. Love is often
seen as a charming but irrelevant characteristic in our species’ story – an
evolutionary quirk, relegated to a footnote for poets and playwrights to
ponder. But love is what draws us together to forge the strong, caring
societies that make us so successful as a species. And it is what will,
ultimately, save us from this crisis.
For citizens of rich countries, the climate crisis is primarily a social crisis
– and we have not begun the social adaptation required. Indeed, we’re not even
discussing the extent of the problem. We face a catastrophic failure of our
social systems to protect the most vulnerable people from the devastating
impacts. The biggest issue will be poverty, and the solution is not
technological but social."
Via Robert Sanscartier.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
