I respectfully disagree. Here's my perspective. The issue isn't short termism, which puts the blame on individuals and consumers, it is rather the result of long termism, the plans of supranational bodies and corporations which have engineered the problems and have their own solution: the fourth industrial revolution. Certainly there is short termism, but that is in the desire for profits without shouldering any of the attendant environmental costs. Rather than inaction I see a whole range of disastrous policies from the globalist think-tanks being instituted by captured liberal elites. Net Zero is the green face of a New Deal for Nature which is a monstrous imposition that does nothing for planet or people.
Multinationals = engines of capitalism, so are inherently short-termist; it's an incentive system that prioritises immediate gains over long-term benefits. The corporate long-term view seems to extend to ten years, if that - so the system is caught in a perpetual cycle of preemptive responses to its own self-inflicted crises. Agri-imperialism is one shockingly exploitative example.
I agree that top-down green initiatives are equally rotten, partly because they are riddled with bureaucracy and vested interests; partly because they are govt mandates lacking citizen support, but mainly because they remain predicated on continued economic growth.
Those ushering in the fourth industrial revolution seem to think they can somehow extrude economic growth from artificiality, effectively giving up on Nature altogether, even though the rampant resource consumption of the previous three revolutions is merely refocused to rare earth minerals - see Trump's pathetic overtures re: sequestering Greenland.
Capitalism cannot and will not science its way out of environmental catastrophe. If Hell is enduring an inescapable reality that is so far removed from an imagined ideal as to be utterly devoid of merit, then that's our gift to future generations. Gen Alpha know they're fucked, and this realisation is leading to the nihilism I mention above.
One of the few areas of optimism lies, ironically, in the exclusion zone around Chernobyl where, in the absence of human intervention, the ecosystem seems to be recovering. Therein lies the planet's potential salvation.
Thankyou! The images are made by AI I'm afraid (another facet of the web of convenience and a technology no-one asked for, but - hey - I'm still using it). The images are 'in the style of' Austin Osman Spare (a muse of mine), although that's not entirely evident from the outputs.
I respectfully disagree. Here's my perspective. The issue isn't short termism, which puts the blame on individuals and consumers, it is rather the result of long termism, the plans of supranational bodies and corporations which have engineered the problems and have their own solution: the fourth industrial revolution. Certainly there is short termism, but that is in the desire for profits without shouldering any of the attendant environmental costs. Rather than inaction I see a whole range of disastrous policies from the globalist think-tanks being instituted by captured liberal elites. Net Zero is the green face of a New Deal for Nature which is a monstrous imposition that does nothing for planet or people.
Oh, and you might find some value in https://substack.com/@paulcudenec
Multinationals = engines of capitalism, so are inherently short-termist; it's an incentive system that prioritises immediate gains over long-term benefits. The corporate long-term view seems to extend to ten years, if that - so the system is caught in a perpetual cycle of preemptive responses to its own self-inflicted crises. Agri-imperialism is one shockingly exploitative example.
I agree that top-down green initiatives are equally rotten, partly because they are riddled with bureaucracy and vested interests; partly because they are govt mandates lacking citizen support, but mainly because they remain predicated on continued economic growth.
Those ushering in the fourth industrial revolution seem to think they can somehow extrude economic growth from artificiality, effectively giving up on Nature altogether, even though the rampant resource consumption of the previous three revolutions is merely refocused to rare earth minerals - see Trump's pathetic overtures re: sequestering Greenland.
Capitalism cannot and will not science its way out of environmental catastrophe. If Hell is enduring an inescapable reality that is so far removed from an imagined ideal as to be utterly devoid of merit, then that's our gift to future generations. Gen Alpha know they're fucked, and this realisation is leading to the nihilism I mention above.
One of the few areas of optimism lies, ironically, in the exclusion zone around Chernobyl where, in the absence of human intervention, the ecosystem seems to be recovering. Therein lies the planet's potential salvation.
Beautifully stated. Looking forward to the rest of your words.
Wonderful essay, and thank you for the further reading suggestions. Who is the artist who made the images, which are excellent?
Thankyou! The images are made by AI I'm afraid (another facet of the web of convenience and a technology no-one asked for, but - hey - I'm still using it). The images are 'in the style of' Austin Osman Spare (a muse of mine), although that's not entirely evident from the outputs.