I happened across this Robert Reich video today, and I really hope you will all take a minute to watch it, then send a link to your friends who are still in denial over climate change. This is the best brief (2:30) explanation of how to respond to climate change deniers that I have ever seen/heard.
A wise and clear video with all details explained…..However the moment the term ‘Wilfully Ignorant’ turned up…there is the problem! It’s a powerful and loud lobby in its own right.
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It certainly is … and you know what I don’t get? Okay, take John Doe … an average … say auto worker. Makes $15-$20 an hour, has 3 kids, lives in the suburbs and can afford a decent home, car and a short vacation each year, but is by no means wealthy. Wouldn’t you think he would be more concerned about preserving the environment for his kids than the profits of the fossil fuel industry??? I suppose in part the answer is because it is convenient for him to drive his car to work rather than catch the Metro, and it is nice to have the air conditioning set for a comfortable 70 degrees, etc., but still … I just don’t get it! Sigh. People have their priorities mixed up.
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Another facet is; What does their ‘leader’ say? This works both ways. It often gets very perverse and nothing will stop the line of argument. Like the Tea Party supporter I knew, very much opposed to Al Gore and thus his ‘Inconvenient Truth’ video…claiming he was backed by..’Money’…..I mean ‘Money’ backing an environmental issue?
So there’s your problem.
Secondary Issue: Conspiracy Guys; they have done more to allow folk like Trump to slither onto the stage, with their ‘I don’t trust governments’ line. What was once the preserve of The Left has become a Right Mantra too (deep roots too, remember the ‘fluoride in water’ stuff of the 1960s) In consequence any vested interest can hire their own ‘truther’ to blather out that ‘Environmental Issues’ are some sort of ‘conspiracy’ and pow! an instance host following them.
Finally we have a the ‘I don’t like that solution’ argument, where one idea is attacked by another pressure group as being an imposition, while their own idea is attacked by another group for the same reason.
And so on
Flash forward 20 years
‘Hi honey! I’m home…I go you something,’
‘Oh sweetie…’ sounds of unwrapping.
‘Oh my! A Veeetleblitz T-370 respirator…In my colour too! Oh darling, you shouldn’t have!’
‘Nothing but best for my honey-bunch!’
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Very thoughtful, thought-provoking points you make, Roger. You’ve given me some food for thought and an idea for a future post.
I still believe that those who deny climate change … and now I’m not talking the average person, but the corporate CEOs and politicians … KNOW the truth, but turn a blind eye in the interest of profit. But … what good will those profits to them when they, along with the rest of the species, have died for lack of the essentials — air, food & water? Even the conspiracy theorists (oh yes, I remember flouride in water and more recently the vaccines/autism scare that has led to disaster) must know the reality. All the money in the world isn’t going to save them, their children or grandchildren, or even their pet poodle.
I used to wonder how history would treat this period, but I don’t wonder any more, for I figure there won’t be anybody around to write the history books, nor any to read them.
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Jesus Christ makes several pertinent points about the wealthy and hanging onto those riches.
Annnd the allegorical message in Genesis (Genesis is all about allegories and poetical interpretations….not literal guys) like Garden of Eden, The Flood have environmental warning sub-texts.
So fellow Christians…it’s all there.
There are folk out there trying to stem the tide, but its hard work.
Then there’s the Earth History perspective. We have a planet that is 4 billion years old, and has witnessed for one reason or another massive climate change. We don’t control it, if we wish to survive we need to live with it. Simple as that.
‘Come with me. If you want to live,’
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Yep, trying to stem the tide … rather like the little Dutch boy with his thumb or finger (I forget which) in the dike. Best solution I can think of at present is for EMPs to hit every power grid on the globe. All other species will thrive, for none depend on human contraptions other than humans. Bah humbug.
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It gets you like that sometimes.
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Deny or believe, climate change issue is just like religion, both sides have their entrenched positions and nothing ever change. I don’t see BIG OIL voluntarily scaling back production or ppl driving less, abstain from plastics. All this talk about our climate is important but moot. Human nature is stubborn, we need a catastrophe before our leaders wake up. There’s way too much money and greed to allow alternative forms of energy to flourish. 😦
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When the ‘catastrophe’ happens, it won’t wake our leaders up, for it will be too late and the human race will simply cease to exist, along with a million or so other species. This is why we cannot just shrug our shoulders and say it’s a ‘moot point’.
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Jill I could not disagree, for what choice do any of us have? We must do something or collectively perish. My point being, saying moot or not… or saying anything for that matter will not change anything unless action will be taken. At least AOC has a plan with her Green New Deal. Under the Trump administration of course this will never happen, too much vested interest in Big Oil. If our leaders won’t listen or act, then it’s up to us. I’m all ears, if you have any pertinent suggestions I’d love to hear it. I can’t think of anything that hasn’t already been done, how do we transition out of fossil fuels and stop climate change? This will be one of those questions for the ages.
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Other than each of us doing our own small part, which I am trying to do, I have a couple of big ideas, with no idea how to implement them, for I am basically an introverted hermit. I think in every city in this nation, millions of people … men, women, children and the family dog … need to hit the streets in one mass protest. But how to achieve that is beyond me. The second thing is … fix it instead of replacing it. Don’t buy anything that isn’t absolutely essential. Need a new vacuum (yes, I do, as a matter of fact) fix it or have it fixed. Refuse to buy the ‘things’ that are manufactured by greedy corporations polluting the environment. Speak with your wallet. Do business only with companies who have gone the extra mile to do positive things for the environment. Practical? Maybe not, but neither is being dead. Sigh.
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
Robert Reich … a strong reliable voice!! Trustworthy … believe him!!
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Many thanks, dear Horty! Reich is a very smart man … heck, if he ran for prez he would get my vote! Hugs!
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Yes, he is!! I like and follow him. 💞
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He always makes a lot of sense.
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He is, indeed, a wise man!
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They still won’t listen.
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That is true for some people… They still cling to the planetary and sun cycles as their explanation for changing climate. I always counter with, even if that is true, do you not want a world with fewer poisons, cleaner water, and less toxic air? They don’t usually have much of an argument against that… They go silent! 😂
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Probably not, but … we can’t stop trying to get them to listen.
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It’s good, but I wish it had addressed the political supporters of the fossil fuel industry, and climate change deniers everywhere. They are fools, but fools with power. They need to be stopped!
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Agreed, but I think the intent of this presentation was to keep it short, sweet and to the point, for those who would deny climate change have very short attention spans. 😀
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Ahhhhh!
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This is really good…thanks
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I thought so too! I have sent it to all my friends who think the earth is somehow going to miraculously heal itself.
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Good stuff. Thanks for this.
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My pleasure!
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Short, sweet and to the point. It’s undeniable no matter what lies Trump peddles.
Cwtch
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Yep, this is the best sort for making a point that people will remember, I think.
Cwtch
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Well said. Short and sweet.
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Indeed! The best kind for getting a point across.
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