{"id":628676,"date":"2023-04-12T14:11:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T19:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/12\/is-there-a-lighter-side-to-our-possible-environmental-apocalypse-commentary\/"},"modified":"2023-04-12T14:11:00","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T19:11:00","slug":"is-there-a-lighter-side-to-our-possible-environmental-apocalypse-commentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/12\/is-there-a-lighter-side-to-our-possible-environmental-apocalypse-commentary\/","title":{"rendered":"Is there a \u2018lighter side\u2019 to our possible environmental apocalypse? (commentary)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"main\">\n<article id=\"post-267420\">\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Ocean activist and author David Helvarg deals with dark thoughts about the state of the world environment with humor in a new op-ed.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>\u201cAs a professional ocean advocate, I try and see the bright side of environmental and climate impacts such as sea level rise. While the ocean today covers 71% of the planet, it could soon cover 75%. More ocean means more ocean to love,\u201d he jokes.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Today I\u2019m a waterlogged Californian, but soon I\u2019ll be baked dry as a bone. The intensity of extreme drought and rainfall has \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s44221-023-00040-5\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\">sharply\u201d increased<\/a> over the past 20 years, according to a new study published in the journal <em>Nature Water<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Next July \u2013 \u2018Hey kids, I\u2019m putting on my <em>Dune<\/em> vapor recovery suit, is there anything you want from the abandoned gas station?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Next February \u2013 \u2018Hey kids, I\u2019m hooking up the shopping float to the outrigger, is there anything you want from the Interstate marina?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Today, the best available science is creating the worst imaginable scenarios for our immediate futures. Unfortunately, scientists are not always the best communicators of coming disaster. If your house were on fire and your best friend was a scientist, you might not understand her urgent call warning you that a rapid oxidation process was occurring in the living room\u2026 \u2018What?\u2019 you might ask, to which she\u2019d frantically reply, \u2018An exothermic reaction is underway resulting in the evolution of light and heat of various intensities and\u2026 never mind. I got your mother out. She\u2019s still respirating.\u2019<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_267423\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/04\/12181215\/Waterworld-Wallpaper-2-waterworld-39414669-1920-1080.jpeg\" alt=\"\"Waterworld\" is a 1995 post-apocalyptic action film polar ice caps have melted, and the oceans cover nearly all of the planet, forcing humanity to live at sea in floating communities known as 'atolls.' Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\"  ><figcaption>\u201cWaterworld\u201d is a post-apocalyptic action film about a future where polar ice caps have melted and the oceans cover nearly all of the planet, forcing humanity to live at sea in floating communities known as \u2018atolls.\u2019 Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So, when climate scientists warn us that we are crossing dangerous tipping points for the planet most people think, \u2018Tipping points? I could use some. Is 20% really the new minimum for tipping? What if I don\u2019t like the service and why am I expected to tip for take-out? I mean it\u2019s 120 degrees outside. Do they really think I\u2019m going to cook at home?<\/p>\n<p>A number of elected officials understand the cascading disasters these scientists are warning about, but given the deep and oily pockets into which many of them have curled up, Upton Sinclair\u2019s axiom remains salient: \u201cIt is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And of course at least one U.S. Senator from Arizona proves the same is true for women, while a Congresswoman from Georgia imagines physics and science leading to \u2018Jewish Space Lasers\u2019 igniting rapid oxidation of western forests.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_267432\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/04\/12194418\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-12-at-3.43.26-PM-768x512.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of an article published by the media outlet Forward about the statements made by U.S. House of Representatives member Marjorie Taylor Greene.\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\"  ><figcaption>Screenshot of an article published by the media outlet Forward about the statements made by U.S. House of Representatives member Marjorie Taylor Greene.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even such an oblique reference to Marjorie Taylor Greene of course brings us to another relevant question: is there a general dumbing down of the U.S. population under way? These days war seems to be the main way Americans learn geography and a large number of white Americans can no longer read the alphabet beyond the letter Q. Just one example among many is a man named (Senator) Ted Cruz, who attended Princeton and Harvard and as recently as 2016 could understand that 306 electoral votes was a greater number than 232, but when presented the same exact numbers in 2020, he became angry and confused. It seems there\u2019s a regulatory argument to be made that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lied to us and never took the lead out of the paint.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, at the time the EPA was founded, the world\u2019s human population was 2.5 billion, but now it\u2019s approaching eight billion and continuing to rise. Luckily many other species have gone extinct in order to give us more room. Thank you, river dolphins, for your service. Also, our meat animals have proliferated. Today, there are more chickens in the world than wild birds of all feathers. So why did the chicken cross the road? Because there are more roads than ever \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/nerdist.com\/article\/road-networks-size-comparison-countries-all-over-world-video\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\">some 40 million miles<\/a> \u2013 resulting in some <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Roadkill#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20over,to%20over%202%20billion%20annually\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\">two billion road-killed animals<\/a> per year, no doubt including many chickens.<\/p>\n<p>However, as a professional ocean advocate, I try and see the bright side of environmental and climate impacts such as <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/list\/sea-levels\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">sea level rise<\/a>. While the ocean today covers 71% of the planet, it could soon cover 75%. More ocean means more ocean to love. Sure, it will also be warmer (which is kind of hot) and more acidic (which is a trip) with less dissolved oxygen, but it\u2019s not like anyone can breathe underwater anyway, except maybe Jason Momoa.<\/p>\n<p><em>See related: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2021\/12\/can-a-new-wave-of-climate-fiction-inspire-climate-action-commentary\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Can a new wave of climate fiction inspire climate action?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_267422\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/04\/12180123\/hero-poster-aquaman-jason-momoa-820.jpeg\" alt=\"Actor Jason Momoa starred in the 2018 movie \"Aquaman.\" Image via Warner Brothers Entertainment.\" width=\"768\" height=\"427\"  ><figcaption>Actor Jason Momoa starred in the 2018 movie \u201cAquaman.\u201d Image via Warner Brothers Entertainment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Plus, not all of our present challenges were fully foreseen. At the first Earth Day protests in 1970, people carried signs reading \u2018Mother Nature Bats Last.\u2019 We just didn\u2019t realize actual bats would be involved.<\/p>\n<p>Still, when I meet and speak with the outraged and committed youth of Gen Z (the kids behind them will be assigned letters from the Greek Alphabet), their passion for change makes me want to act more boldly, which is why I\u2019m considering getting my eyebrow pierced.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m particularly drawn to the young journalists, writers, bloggers and online influencers whose unique social media skills are allowing them to report on what I never could \u2013 the end of the environment. I only wish I were around to see what they might accomplish in the emerging new media of cave scrawling.<\/p>\n<p><em>David Helvarg is the Executive Director of ocean policy group <a href=\"http:\/\/bluefront.org\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\">Blue Frontier<\/a>, co-host of Rising Tide\u2013the Ocean Podcast, and an author.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:<\/strong> \u201cDeregulated\u201d depicts men in suits playing in a children\u2019s playground and is part of a series of 300 sculptures by Jason deCaires Taylor installed in the sea near the Canary Islands.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Related audio from Mongabay\u2019s podcast:<\/strong> Top journalist and activist Bill McKibben discusses how climate movements continue to push for real change in spite of dithering by world leaders, listen here:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>See related features here at Mongabay:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote data-secret=\"TP3QXp69g3\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2023\/03\/hope-is-action-david-suzuki-retires-into-a-life-of-determined-activism\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">\u2018Hope is action.\u2019 David Suzuki retires into a life of determined activism<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote data-secret=\"GzzsDw56ai\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2023\/03\/sea-level-rise-looms-even-for-the-best-prepared-country-on-earth\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Sea level rise looms, even for the best-prepared country on Earth<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2023\/04\/is-there-a-lighter-side-to-our-possible-environmental-apocalypse-commentary\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Clora Stoval<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ocean activist and author David Helvarg deals with dark thoughts about the state of the world environment with humor in a new op-ed. \u201cAs a professional ocean advocate, I try and see the bright side of environmental and climate impacts such as sea level rise. While the ocean today covers 71% of the planet, it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":628677,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[534,39314,46781],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-628676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-financial","category-lighter","category-side"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=628676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=628676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=628676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=628676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}