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thevictater t1_irswns3 wrote

Reply to comment by stonebraker13 in Podcast: the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life is now looking for "technosignatures" like pollution by asbruckman

Most of that could be summed up by what I said earlier, "humans aren't perfect."

We didn't engineer society to work this way, it happened over thousands of years. I don't blame myself and I don't blame them either. We are victims of circumstance, and our ancestors were stumbling in the dark. The effects of climate change are only beginning to be understood in the past few dozen years, and I choose to remain hopeful for the future.

Of course, crooked people will always exist and so nuclear waste will continue to be buried and microplastics will continue to fill our lungs. Fortunately for us, there are also good, very smart people out there constantly trying to crack ways we can begin to fix these issues. Some may be fixable, some not, but all of it will only be discovered by humans. Again, I remain hopeful.

I do so because we find what we seek. If you want humans to be stupid, you're going to find plenty of examples.

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stonebraker13 t1_irsy4wl wrote

I am glad you have the privilege of staying optimistic, and being able to avoid some of the most dire consequences of human ignorance, or folly as you seem to frame it, but those of us who live on the fringes don't get that privilege.

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thevictater t1_irszc6r wrote

It's a combination of folly, ignorance, and willfull ignorance.

I feel deeply sad for people affected, but that doesn't help save them or the earth.

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stonebraker13 t1_irt07q8 wrote

Choosing to not support those who create the problem helps greatly, unfortunately most folks won't "inconvenience" themselves...our society has become selfish and overly individualized. We are our brothers & sisters keepers....

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thevictater t1_irtcd3g wrote

Many people could do better for sure, but I don't fault people as a species and presume us all stupid. I fault them and decide if they're stupid individually. Still, I think there are enough good people that it's not hopeless. It is not easy, and it will take time. In the end all we have is hope.

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stonebraker13 t1_irtwblu wrote

I have hope, but again and here is more ugly truth, people do not act unless there is a threat. Now, interesting enough it seems that we only act to make change when profits are at threat, not health and safety....look at Flint, Michigan and what happened there....and it will likely happen again because there have been little to no consequences for these GOP politicians who CONSCIOUSLY CHOSE TO POISON CHILDREN....and people still can't drink water there.

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