(September 25, 2017 at 10:15 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote:

(September 25, 2017 at 9:58 am)TheBeardedDude Wrote: We are the only known species that is aware of the potential for its own extinction, and the only known species that is capable of technologically innovating solutions to problems that might otherwise result in the extinction of a species. We have the ability to make accurate predictions about future outcomes, and if one of those potential outcomes is our extinction, then it is possible to avoid it if planned for.

*Mass extinction refers to the rapid loss of taxa across numerous genera, families, orders, classes, and phyla. So your sentence should read "Why should I think that our species can avoid extinction?"

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I don't know of any "self-inflicted" mass extinctions. 

And even among individual extinctions, I don't know of any species that inflicted an extinction upon themselves through heavy modification of their environment.

Just hang around.

I'd rather be a voice that advocates for us NOT being the first species to cause its own extinction plus the widespread extinction of numerous other species, but we've already killed off quite a few taxa, so we can only really hope to stem the bleeding at this point.

(September 25, 2017 at 10:17 am)TheBeardedDude Wrote:

(September 25, 2017 at 10:15 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: Just hang around.

I'd rather be a voice that advocates for us NOT being the first species to cause its own extinction plus the widespread extinction of numerous other species, but we've already killed off quite a few taxa, so we can only really hope to stem the bleeding at this point.

I don't trust humans to do what makes sense.

(September 25, 2017 at 10:20 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote:

(September 25, 2017 at 10:17 am)TheBeardedDude Wrote: I'd rather be a voice that advocates for us NOT being the first species to cause its own extinction plus the widespread extinction of numerous other species, but we've already killed off quite a few taxa, so we can only really hope to stem the bleeding at this point.

I don't trust humans to do what makes sense.

I don't trust all humans to do what makes sense, but I do expect the intelligent among us to.

(September 25, 2017 at 10:21 am)TheBeardedDude Wrote: I don't trust all humans to do what makes sense, but I do expect the intelligent among us to.

It's hard to accomplish what logically needs to be done when the majority are as dumb as the president whom they follow.

(September 25, 2017 at 10:23 am)Lutrinae Wrote:

(September 25, 2017 at 10:21 am)TheBeardedDude Wrote: I don't trust all humans to do what makes sense, but I do expect the intelligent among us to.

It's hard to accomplish what logically needs to be done when the majority are as dumb as the president whom they follow.

Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. Essential that we overcome it if we want our species to survive ourselves? Absolutely. 

We can't get rid of the stupid people who want to hold things back and ultimately undermine our own chances of survival, but we can try to move on without them. Maybe we will succeed, and maybe we won't, but it seems extremely stupid to not try.

(September 25, 2017 at 10:21 am)TheBeardedDude Wrote:

(September 25, 2017 at 10:20 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: I don't trust humans to do what makes sense.

I don't trust all humans to do what makes sense, but I do expect the intelligent among us to.

Yeah, that stopped two world wars so far.

(September 25, 2017 at 10:26 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote:

(September 25, 2017 at 10:21 am)TheBeardedDude Wrote: I don't trust all humans to do what makes sense, but I do expect the intelligent among us to.

Yeah, that stopped two world wars so far.

Okay, and? Past failures don't predict future failures nor do they prove that we can't stop our own self-inflicted extinction.

(September 25, 2017 at 10:25 am)TheBeardedDude Wrote: Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. Essential that we overcome it if we want our species to survive ourselves? Absolutely. 

We can't get rid of the stupid people who want to hold things back and ultimately undermine our own chances of survival, but we can try to move on without them. Maybe we will succeed, and maybe we won't, but it seems extremely stupid to not try.

I believe I read a scientific article somewhere that stated even if we were to do everything we possibly can to survive in the near future, it will not accomplish anything of major significance. At this point, we've screwed ourselves to the point of no return.

(September 25, 2017 at 10:28 am)Lutrinae Wrote:

(September 25, 2017 at 10:25 am)TheBeardedDude Wrote: Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. Essential that we overcome it if we want our species to survive ourselves? Absolutely. 

We can't get rid of the stupid people who want to hold things back and ultimately undermine our own chances of survival, but we can try to move on without them. Maybe we will succeed, and maybe we won't, but it seems extremely stupid to not try.

I believe I read a scientific article somewhere that stated even if we were to do everything we possibly can to survive, it will not accomplish anything of major significance.  At this point, we've screwed ourselves to the point of no return.

I have no idea what article you're referring to, but it sounds like complete bullshit. 

There is no doubt that some of the harm we done is irreversible (extinctions of taxa) and some of it may even be irreparable (long-lasting ecosystem damage), but that doesn't mean our extinction is now inevitable in the immediate or near future. Our species can't survive forever, but that doesn't give us a valid excuse to throw our hands up and quit. "Fuck it, someone wrote an article saying we are screwed, so let's just go with it."

(September 25, 2017 at 10:30 am)TheBeardedDude Wrote:

(September 25, 2017 at 10:28 am)Lutrinae Wrote: I believe I read a scientific article somewhere that stated even if we were to do everything we possibly can to survive, it will not accomplish anything of major significance.  At this point, we've screwed ourselves to the point of no return.

I have no idea what article you're referring to, but it sounds like complete bullshit. 

There is no doubt that some of the harm we done is irreversible (extinctions of taxa) and some of it may even be irreparable (long-lasting ecosystem damage), but that doesn't mean our extinction is now inevitable in the immediate or near future. Our species can't survive forever, but that doesn't give us a valid excuse to throw our hands up and quit. "Fuck it, someone wrote an article saying we are screwed, so let's just go with it."

I've been searching for the article, might take a while.

In the meantime, I shall leave you with this: color me a pessimistic realist in relation to preventing an approaching mass extinction.