Scientists who put faith in technology less likely to take climate action

The headline seems bleedin' obvious really. But the Graun is excited by it: Fabian Dablander, the lead author, said the belief that technology will largely solve climate change and its consequences, labelled “techno-optimism”, can lead to an over reliance on unproven solutions at the expense of the far-reaching socioeconomic transformations needed to address the climate and nature crisis. I blame Timmy for pointing this piece out.

Anyway, two things on top of Timmy's point: firstly, notice how the tech-fork gets a label, techno-optimism, which I think is meant to make you think such people are naive and simplistic in their beliefs, and the headline dig at "faith"; whereas the socio-trans fork doesn't get a label, because that's just common sense, and slips in the word "needed" because that is simply obvs to all right-thinking people.

Secondly and more importantly, notice that the tech-fork ideas are "unproven" whereas the unproven, unknown and unspecified socio-trans ideas are not so labelled. This is bizarre.

In tech terms, we have a number of things - mostly solar panels, maybe more wind, could be nooks if only the idiots would allow them to be built - that offer a fairly clear path to solving GW. Together with some rather more speculative ideas - iron fertilization, solar geoengineering - that are probably only emergency measures¹.

In socio terms, we have no real ideas what we would be aiming for, and no idea how to do it, and little to no idea of how to change society², beyond vague useless hand-waving images of peasants singing around maypoles.

And Kevin Anderson can fuck right off.

Notes

1. And which are "unproven solutions" only because the clowns won't allow them to be researched or tested.

2. Somewhere, not long ago, I read an article - possibly at ACX - pointing out that changing society is really hard and that we end up solving lots of problems with tech; but I can't find it right now. I should also note Popper's cautions regarding revolutionary change and his arguements for piecemeal social engineering.

3. My picture is a detail from - I think - a crucifixion scene; and is certainly in the OldMasters museum, Brussels. Do tell me exactly which painting, if you know; like a fool I forgot to note it.

Refs

* A Sentiment Analysis of Cowen, Hanson, Caplan, and Krugman.

* Britain’s Greens are now a hard-left, antisemitic party.

* Nobel Peace prize goes to Navi Pillay, promoter of the Israeli genocide blood libel.

* US imposes sanctions on International Criminal Court.

The Fall of the Rebel Angels and Friends

To Belgium, to G(h)ent and surrounds, to see the wonders thereof.

This is by Bruegel the Elder, not Bosch, wiki will tell you all about it. I saw this many moons ago in 2007, but thought less about it then. Here is a close up of a fragment.

It is all very wonderful, down to the strange frog-like thing aching to pull open her swollen belly and release her spawn. It is dream-like; similarly, in the Massacre of the Innocents, there are some dogs playing in the background, while in the foreground the hard men kick down doors.

I had thought that Milton made this up; but obvs not, this is too early. And wiki tells me it is in that reliable source, Revelations.

There's some Boschish too.

Refs

* Art for art's sake.

* Christ Carrying the Cross (Bosch, Ghent).

* Compendium of Writings on the October 7 War and Related Issues.