The object of this chapter is to inform the reader that the global economy relies on growth, and it was that growth that put us in this new world. From my experience, opposers to climate change regulations and policies will talk about how it will impact our economy and eliminate jobs. What they say is true, and that is because the only way to halt climate change is to change our country’s economic outlook. Bill McKibben summarizes this idea by saying “we’ve assumed that more is better, and that the answer to any problem is another burst of expansion”. To those that do think that way, I pose this question, what happens when we cannot expand and find new resources to save our economy? It seems ridiculous that nobody has posed this question, and the reason that there is no answer is that there is none. There is no alternative to solving this issue, or else it would have been voiced.
I think the biggest flaw in our society that McKibben points out in this chapter is the reluctance to look ahead. Everyone is concerned about the effects that would take place immediately after making changes. A recent example of this would the supreme court stepping in and shutting down obama’s coal emissions bill. Their reasoning for it was that it would have too harsh of impact on the economy. Considering the fact that rising sea levels would displace millions, it makes me wonder what kind of effect that would have on our economy. Just the threat of that event is enough to make one wonder if the economy taking a blow right now to secure a future for our economy is worth pursuing. As of right now, it does not seem to be the popular idea, and it is disappointing to see those who have a mindset for the future get shut down by those who only focus on the now.
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