“behavioural economists have shown
that even when we know we would benefit from worrying a bit more about our long-term future, humans are wired for short-term thinking,” the econ analyst sez. “brain scans have shown when we think about ourselves in the distant future, our sense of self fades”; evolutionary tic for short-term survival thus endangers the species’ existence. nonetheless, economists believe “if a potential future plague could lead to complete societal and economic breakdown, it is worth spending a lot to prevent it from happening, even if we cannot be sure if or when it will occur.” the point being it will occur — so will climate breakdown, so it will have to be spent upon . . . if anyone wants to spend & can: e.g., to help tonga & other small island nations getting lashed and swamped by cyclone harold’s wreaking havoc in the s. pacific; or breadbaskets of argentina & brazil basking under deadening heat & up to 65% less rain; or prolonged drought in aukland, where reservoirs fall to 53% capacity; or melbourne, having its wettest 1st Q since 1911, after driest year ever; or sattahip dist., thailand, where water trucks bring 2k L each, 24 hrs/day, 60 km r.t., since the taps ran dry; or somali women, suffering effects of drought after drought: “according to experts, men unable to provide for their families often become more prone to domestic violence. . . . her husband began to abuse her, slamming her against a wall, punching and slapping her”; so now, she goes tent-to-tent, through the dust, at displaced-persons camps: “i tell them to gather in groups when they go out: most of the men are your enemies, so don’t go out alone so you can be safe from the violence and the rape, especially at night.” the catastrophes climate catastrophe causes . . . expert data indicates the phenomena may be evitable, that homo sapiens may prove to be a rational animal yet
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June 2021
Kristin Prevallet Author/Editor
I'm a writer & teacher in Lawrence, Kansas who actually believes the scientists. I wrote a book of poems called Of Some Sky that seems to have something to do with all this. |