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Rodney · 01-11-2004, 06:19 PM

Yeah, well, keep in mind that the people who are publicizing these coming apocalypti have no reason to be moderate about it.

I'm sure they do believe that the problems are serious, but who's going to sit up and listen if they say, "This is a serious problem, and under a certain set of circumstances could adversely affect all life on earth"? That's not going to get much press coverage. Much more productive, in the short run anyway, to start screaming WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! UNLESS YOU DO THE FOLLOWING RIGHT AWAY..... (and, oh yeah, fund my research program)

So that gets them heard. Problem is that, with so many people screaming like that, in the end people just shut out all of it. Which is not good, either.

I have my disaster portfolio of potential problems which I follow in the media: global warming and sea level rise, ozone layer (getting better, actually, though in the long run), possible collapse of sea ecosystem, collapse of civilization due to energy shortages, asteroid strike, gamma ray burst from nearby supernova sterilizing the earth (possible candidate about 150 light years off), eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera, and so on. Many of them could cause massive damage and misery. But the only ones I see possibly wiping out all of humanity and civilization are the ones we have no control over. So, I am concerned, but I don't dwell on any of it. Here is my article of faith: shit has happened, shit is happening, and shit will happen. People will die or suffer, and people will survive and recover. Life will go on as it always have, barring cosmic catastrophe. And about that there's little that we can do right now (except maybe chart asteroids) so why obsess? Live life.

01-11-2004, 06:19 PM	#7 (permalink)
Rodney Observant Ruminant Location: Rich Wannabe Hippie Town	Yeah, well, keep in mind that the people who are publicizing these coming apocalypti have no reason to be moderate about it. I'm sure they do believe that the problems are serious, but who's going to sit up and listen if they say, "This is a serious problem, and under a certain set of circumstances could adversely affect all life on earth"? That's not going to get much press coverage. Much more productive, in the short run anyway, to start screaming WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! UNLESS YOU DO THE FOLLOWING RIGHT AWAY..... (and, oh yeah, fund my research program) So that gets them heard. Problem is that, with so many people screaming like that, in the end people just shut out all of it. Which is not good, either. I have my disaster portfolio of potential problems which I follow in the media: global warming and sea level rise, ozone layer (getting better, actually, though in the long run), possible collapse of sea ecosystem, collapse of civilization due to energy shortages, asteroid strike, gamma ray burst from nearby supernova sterilizing the earth (possible candidate about 150 light years off), eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera, and so on. Many of them could cause massive damage and misery. But the only ones I see possibly wiping out all of humanity and civilization are the ones we have no control over. So, I am concerned, but I don't dwell on any of it. Here is my article of faith: shit has happened, shit is happening, and shit will happen. People will die or suffer, and people will survive and recover. Life will go on as it always have, barring cosmic catastrophe. And about that there's little that we can do right now (except maybe chart asteroids) so why obsess? Live life.