My 4th grade science book (a mid 70's edition, as might be expected) explained in no uncertain terms how the world would be completely out of oil by the year 2000. I remember that one because my science teacher made a point of laughing at it and used it as an example of how a person shouldn't necessarily believe everything he reads. Later, by the time I was in middle school we were being fed propaganda "science" videos which vividly illustrated how we'd all be breathing out of air tanks and how natural plants and trees would be a mere distant memory by the time we were old enough to have our own children/grandchildren. Ridiculous--just scare tactics.
The environmental movement can be its own worst enemy. Its constant tendency to do "boy who cried wolf" impersonations and constantly hype worst-case doomsday scenarios--while continually moving the goalposts when said scenarios fail to happen--virtually ensures that by the time it's actually right about something nobody will be listening anymore. On top of that, some very real and serious problems, like the amount of plastic winding up in the oceans, doesn't get much notice because plastic in suspension doesn't have the same visual shock appeal of projecting a Mad Max post-oil wasteland. I agree with the notion of taking care of our home so it pains me to watch that movement constantly shoot itself in the foot with its inability to treat things rationally.
As a species, best thing we can do is invest in research and figure out a way to get off this rock. We can have all the environmental preservation we want but as long as we're stuck here we're just a single good asteroid impact away from extinction.
Danth
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