Happy New Year
Well, someone was happy the year has turned. Neighbors woke us with their fireworks and fire crackers. I wondered if they had acquired a small cannon.
I saw this first off this morning and my first thought was the old saying: the more things change the more they stay the same. I am a boomer and I heard the same criticism of my generation. I am sure my mother heard that about hers and grandnieces and grandnephews (children of Millennials).
I wonder how many remember (or for those younger than 30 ever learned of) the "Ozone Hole" debate. I found this on BBC which recounts the history of the international efforts to ban HFC refrigerants and describes the results. A few thoughts come to mind. First, clearly concerted international action is possible but it has to be focused and provide help for poor countries to enable their cooperation. Second, enough people must feed that the situation affects or will likely affect them in the short to medium term. Cancer and other such conditions have a tendency to focus people's minds. Third, people can support changes most easily if they don't really have to change. In this case, substitute refrigerants were available so no one had to scramble to find a substitute for the refrigerator or the freezer or the air conditioner. Changing our driving habits is far more difficult when cars are central to our way of life and our self-image. Fourth, it has taken a long time to get the agreements in place, to phase out the original technology (HFC refrigerants), and to see any results from the policy. And the ozone hole won't be fully repaired for a few more decades. We are not patient people. Climate change is a far more complex problem.
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