No animal would choose not to do what it needs to survive. No animal is that stupid, except human beings. The failed COP26 climate conference provides more proof that we’re too stupid or lazy to stop killing the planet’s environment we need to live by transitioning to sustainable energy sources.
Survival of the Fittest
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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The Tragedy of the Commons: If my family grabs a big slice of a shared resource, say fish in a lake, we will have a survival advantage. If every family grabs as much as possible, the fish population in the lake will crash and everyone will suffer. In such a situation the local people or government needs to set a limit on what is an acceptable catch limit and keep an eye out for rule breakers and there has to be some way to shame and punish rule breakers.
The Air:
If I use fossil fuels, I can heat l my house without a investing funds (which I may not have) into electric heating , live in places not well served by public transit and still commute to my job, buy more consumer goods. I try and go extra green I won’t be able to afford a electric vehicle, so we will have to dump the house in the outer suburbs for a pricy urban apartment. Will I have the funds I need for healthcare, to educate my children, will I have the funds to retire?
My family will have a better chance to survive the bumps and twist of capitalism if I still use dirty fuels and everyone else cuts back. If that can’t be the rule makers and inspectors have to set limits, how much will the voters stand for…? I can’t see them standing for too much as long as the upper 1% are flying around and wages for the poor and middleclass can’t keep up with inflation. Many people will need higher wages and/or government assistance to go green.
The same thing happens internationally every country thinks, the other countries needs to cut back before we can pass laws that my cause large segments of the people to turn against the greens in office, so you end up with lots of agreement that are voluntary with no serious enforcement clauses .