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We are addicted to consumerism, and we’re terrified of living as humans instead of as human resources. Time to wake up, okay?
Saving the planet and our children’s future won’t hurt us. It really won’t. It won’t “cost too much” — whatever that means in this context. The whole “it’s too expensive” claim reminds me of the old Jack Benny joke:
Jack Benny is approached by a stranger who pokes a gun into his ribs. The stranger demands: “Your money or your life!”
Jack doesn’t move. He says nothing.
The impatient gunman says: “Well?”
Jack (who’s character persona as a comedian was a very cheap guy) answers: “I’m thinking! I’m thinking!”
Not only shouldn’t we focus on the cost of preventing climate collapse. We should also be aware that it won’t cause unnecessary mass suffering. Oh, we are gonna have some unnecessary and now unavoidable mass suffering. Sadly, we’ve been okay with unnecessary mass suffering on this planet for a long time. But the coming mass suffering was caused by decades of conscious but unconscionable abuse of the planet by Big Oil (and others) with our passive assistance.
It’s just that THIS time, people in rich countries, and even rich people will be unable to avoid it. But that’s not caused…
