@elaterite @the5thColumnist @504DR @chris_hayes @mike the recent commercial manned ~spaceflight is mostly about conspicuous consumption, but a civilizational capacity for living in space can support much more. The science in freefall we can do in the ISS is a start. The ecosystem knowledge we’d need to make an orbital habitat that doesn’t need constant resupply would have applications in almost everything.
@ShadSterling @elaterite @the5thColumnist @chris_hayes @mike
If we had unlimited time, and resources, that would certainly be a possibility.
Unfortunately, we have neither at this point.
@504DR @elaterite @the5thColumnist @chris_hayes @mike there’s no meaningful time limit on learning to live in space. Not even as a race with destroying lifesupport ecosystems on Earth; if we can’t muster the political will to stop doing that, we also won’t be able to sustain lifesupport ecosystems in a pod. It’s not the amount of resources that limit us, it’s the deciding to let reckless destructive people control them
@ShadSterling @elaterite @the5thColumnist @chris_hayes @mike
True.
The predicament is this - those reckless, destructive ppl are in charge, and have been for decades.
We're on the brink already.
No amount of tech, wishful thinking or an omnipotent sky fairly can save us now.
The credible climate scientists say we have 5 years to make drastic changes, bc negative ecological feedbacks are now starting.
Four of those five years will be under reckless, destructive ppl who either don't believe in climate change or think it's inconsequential.
I don't see much progress made towards the climate crisis problem. If anything, their policies and actions will worsen it on all fronts; from emissions to deforestation to increased pollution to more mining/drilling, etc.
Counting on those who intentionally made the problem to fix the problem isn't the answer; especially when they're in charge and making money off it.
We live in an oligarchy now, where the rich own our politicians.
For some odd reason, they'd prefer to keep making money rather than save the planet, and us.
@504DR @elaterite @the5thColumnist @chris_hayes @mike while that’s true, I’m not sure how it fits with the question I was trying to answer, about what rockets are good for; they’re not causing those problems any more than solving them.
And while climate change might kill billions of people, civilization won’t end. If they can muster the political will, our descendants will still have the potential to do good things with rockets
@504DR @elaterite @the5thColumnist @chris_hayes @mike (I don’t like things like “we have 5 years to fix it” because there’s nothing special that happens at 5 years, the more we do sooner the better, but it’s never too late to reduce the harm. Even being above +1.5C now, that means we missed one ~arbitrary political goal, but it does not mean we can’t reduce harms by reducing fossil fuel extraction now.)
@ShadSterling @elaterite @the5thColumnist @chris_hayes @mike
There is certainly nothing to like about these predictions, but it's inescapable that they are facts backed up by real world evidence.
The only errs made was their timelines were much longer than reality proved.
Most every climate prediction has come be true, and much sooner than predicted.
That's not to say there is nothing to do; rather a shift in what we do - on a personal level only; bc no one in roles of leadership will be shifting away from the current directives of destroying the planet in the name of profits.
The current climate "solutions" pursued by govts; "electrical everything!", carbon capture, seeding clouds, seeding the ocean, build more renewables - all of that is chasing money for investors while continuing the same harmful practices that created this crisis; ravaging the planet for the resources to fuel these projects.
Destruction of the natural world is the third leg of the climate crisis, as important as CO2 emissions and overshoot.
All three of these need to be addressed, together and equally.
Currently the only focus is on CO2 emissions, which hasn't seen any success, as emissions rise every year.
If your car isn't running correctly, will it help to put new tires on it?
That is what we're doing towards the climate crisis predicament.
That doesn't bode well for the future of us or the planet, whether we like it or not.
@504DR @elaterite @the5thColumnist @chris_hayes @mike that doesn’t address my point at all, which was that framing something as a deadline makes it sound like missing that deadline means no more good can be done, but there is more good that can be done
@ShadSterling @elaterite @the5thColumnist @chris_hayes @mike
You're correct there; there's always something that can be done, lots to work on.
As long as the work is something that's actually fixing and making things better.
Regarding space exploration, unmanned vehicles and space telescopes are good things.
Manned space flight is a waste of time, money and resources, imo.
It's a dead end road.
Bc of that 3C deadline.
There won't be anyone around to reap any benefits from it.
@ShadSterling @elaterite @the5thColumnist @chris_hayes @mike
The issue of rockets becomes moot on a dying planet.
If you think there will be descendants after us, a deep dive into a 3C world may change your mind.
We've surpassed 1.5 already.
That trajectory won't be changing anytime soon.
3C means an unliveable planet for most life forms currently on the planet.
Billionaires in their bunkers may survive a short time longer than the rest of us, but even they will succumb to a barren planet unable to support life systems above the level of microbes.