How Will Climate Change Affect You?
This is an important, but extremely complicated matter. There are large sections of the globe that will prosper as a result, e.g., cold regions that will enjoy longer growing seasons. However, this will be more than offset by the enormous amount of suffering from displacement due to sea-level rise, super storms, droughts/heat waves, increases in disease associated with insects, etc.
As far as how this will affect you personally, that’s a function of three things: a) your life expectancy, b) the degree to which you care about other people, especially those in future generations, and c) your net worth. Regardless of the increase in the overall population’s level of suffering, there will always be dry land, air conditioners, high-quality steaks, fancy cars, country clubs, fine clothes, and attractive members of the opposite sex.
I’m reminded of what Flaubert said: To be stupid, selfish, and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost.
Craig,
“Regardless of the increase in the overall population’s level of suffering, there will always be dry land, air conditioners, high-quality steaks, fancy cars, country clubs, fine clothes, and attractive members of the opposite sex ”
Why is it that whenever I read a statement like that, I get the feeling the authors angst, is not really about the first part of the sentence, but bitterness at not being a participant in the second ?
Sermonizing and puritanical tirades against those enjoying affluent lifestyles is an ineffective method of persuading people to pursue a more environmental lifestyle.
Doomsday prophets have been ranting about pestilence and plagues of locusts since time immemorial with little effect. Only ten years ago, the same doomsday alarmist were making films and prophesies about “peak oil” ending our way of life, the film, “Gasland” came with much fan fare about the catastrophic effect of “fracking”, but rapidly disappeared from public consciousness and gasoline prices dropped to the lowest level in 50 years.
The fashionable Californian trendy left, rally against sea level rise and climate change induced bush fires, but still persist in living in expensive beach-side residences.
Sermonizing about “Climate Change” can also be an excuse for not actually doing anything positive to distract from poor policy decisions.
“Climate change” is not responsible for the recent catastrophic fires in California. In 1936, fires statewide burned 756,696 acres in California five times the size of Camp Fire. Fires in 1934, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1950 and 1963 also vastly exceeded Camp Fire’s size.
The problems stem from population growth, inadequate planning, neglected forest management and a host of other factors competently unrelated to climate change.
(Oh, by the way, I think preaching against people seeking “attractive” sexual partners, is a bit of a forlorn quest!)