But what cost is the transition? Mining interests in the southwest justify destroying entire biomes because we need minerals and material to build the smart grid etc but it's really corporate-speak for "let us do what we want and we'll give you cover as we mine for investors and then sell your resources on the open market for countries that actually have the political will to affect change." (Like China for instance) We should have transitioned in the '80s when Uncle Ronnie was telling us how awesome we are.
I have been ranting about single use plastic water bottles for years. And then the pandemic hit and I started ramping up my deliveries and I saw the idea of putting water and snacks by the door for the delivery people. I hate myself a little every time I buy a flat of them but I want to do good for people who are out there working and deserve it. We always drink tap through the fridge filter but how do I do that to go for random strangers?
What I'm most struck by in the first chapter is how plausible this scenario is, not in 10 or 50 years, but this summer. Wet bulb temperatures over 35C kill reliably, and every place that's already hot is just rolling the dice every year.
I think Robinson does a terrific job of not being too "white-paperish," given the extraordinary amount of scientific literature he clearly had to digest and reiterate in fictional form. I've heard other people complain about those didactic interchapters, but they really didn't bother me either.
Except one remarkable thing about "The Ministry for the Future" - as will become evident later - is the extent to which it is an American novel that does not put the U.S. at the center of things. That's an aspect I greatly appreciated.
In the two cases I know of in my town, one was a nude white man in a coat who exposed himself to three female soccer players, I think 13-15 years old, the other followed a few 8-year-olds as they walked to school. In both cases, the kids used their phones to record the perps and call 911. In the 8-year-olds' incident, their moms were walking behind them about 40 feet away. They sped up to accost the guy who had no business following the kids or talking to them. He ran off. I don't know if he was ever caught, but the flasher was arrested.
YES!! Just reading your post gave me shivers. I had nightmares about that for ages.
Cats are sacred and way more worshipable than a smiting god...
I rather expect nukes as a consequence of a still-growing* global population with essential resources** rapidly dwindling.
* But not for much longer.
** Including land.
But what cost is the transition? Mining interests in the southwest justify destroying entire biomes because we need minerals and material to build the smart grid etc but it's really corporate-speak for "let us do what we want and we'll give you cover as we mine for investors and then sell your resources on the open market for countries that actually have the political will to affect change." (Like China for instance) We should have transitioned in the '80s when Uncle Ronnie was telling us how awesome we are.
Seems like we're fucked either way...
I have been ranting about single use plastic water bottles for years. And then the pandemic hit and I started ramping up my deliveries and I saw the idea of putting water and snacks by the door for the delivery people. I hate myself a little every time I buy a flat of them but I want to do good for people who are out there working and deserve it. We always drink tap through the fridge filter but how do I do that to go for random strangers?
Are you saying the rest of the book offers some optimism? Because I just read the first chapter and now I want to go back to bed.
What I'm most struck by in the first chapter is how plausible this scenario is, not in 10 or 50 years, but this summer. Wet bulb temperatures over 35C kill reliably, and every place that's already hot is just rolling the dice every year.
I think Robinson does a terrific job of not being too "white-paperish," given the extraordinary amount of scientific literature he clearly had to digest and reiterate in fictional form. I've heard other people complain about those didactic interchapters, but they really didn't bother me either.
It's agriculture and industry that drains the aquifers, not you leaving the tap running while you brush your teeth.
Except one remarkable thing about "The Ministry for the Future" - as will become evident later - is the extent to which it is an American novel that does not put the U.S. at the center of things. That's an aspect I greatly appreciated.
You should read the book....
Install a drinking fountain? Put a filter on it if you must. Most domestics water is really fine right out of the tap.
Greta has done a lot for awareness just by sitting on the steps on Fridays at her school.
There's a lot we can do besides voting.
The book is so epic in scope I think it should get big budget treatment from HBO.
In the two cases I know of in my town, one was a nude white man in a coat who exposed himself to three female soccer players, I think 13-15 years old, the other followed a few 8-year-olds as they walked to school. In both cases, the kids used their phones to record the perps and call 911. In the 8-year-olds' incident, their moms were walking behind them about 40 feet away. They sped up to accost the guy who had no business following the kids or talking to them. He ran off. I don't know if he was ever caught, but the flasher was arrested.