Comments on: The Age of Stupid http://www.sindark.com/2009/10/21/the-age-of-stupid/ Temporarily Torontonian Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:08:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: . http://www.sindark.com/2009/10/21/the-age-of-stupid/#comment-100176 . Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:55:49 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6598#comment-100176 And that is the focus of the film: the inability of our present society to join the dots between fighting climate change and wanting cheap flights, or hating wind farms. It is a moving and at times darkly amusing film, but the apocalyptic framing which grabs your attention also proves somewhat distracting, since the full devastating effects of climate change are left largely unstated. There is a brief discussion with Mark Lynas (author of the widely-read Six Degrees) and a couple of other hints (passing references to food riots, for instance), but the shape of the threat that could conceivably lead to the archivist's world is largely unspoken. Perhaps this was for the sake of time, or perhaps to avoid the charge of fear-mongering, though I think that a rational discussion of the genuine threats identified in the scientific literature is far more responsible (even if initially more terrifying) than a few apocalyptic images and a heavy dose of post-apocalyptic regret. Once again, <a href="http://nothing-new-under-the-sun.blogspot.com/2010/10/age-of-stupid.html" rel="nofollow">the film was stronger on the diagnosis of the problem than on offering plausible paths to how we might indeed "save ourselves"</a>, or (what might now be more realistic) offering healthy ways of salvaging what we can from a disaster that is now unavoidable, but whose effects can still be significantly reduced. And that is the focus of the film: the inability of our present society to join the dots between fighting climate change and wanting cheap flights, or hating wind farms. It is a moving and at times darkly amusing film, but the apocalyptic framing which grabs your attention also proves somewhat distracting, since the full devastating effects of climate change are left largely unstated. There is a brief discussion with Mark Lynas (author of the widely-read Six Degrees) and a couple of other hints (passing references to food riots, for instance), but the shape of the threat that could conceivably lead to the archivist’s world is largely unspoken. Perhaps this was for the sake of time, or perhaps to avoid the charge of fear-mongering, though I think that a rational discussion of the genuine threats identified in the scientific literature is far more responsible (even if initially more terrifying) than a few apocalyptic images and a heavy dose of post-apocalyptic regret.

Once again, the film was stronger on the diagnosis of the problem than on offering plausible paths to how we might indeed “save ourselves”, or (what might now be more realistic) offering healthy ways of salvaging what we can from a disaster that is now unavoidable, but whose effects can still be significantly reduced.

]]> By: Milan http://www.sindark.com/2009/10/21/the-age-of-stupid/#comment-86138 Milan Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:36:41 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6598#comment-86138 The role of lawyers is to represent one point of view, come hell or high water. There are already plenty of people playing that role in debates on what should be done about climate change. It is not a role that has any place in the scientific process. The role of lawyers is to represent one point of view, come hell or high water. There are already plenty of people playing that role in debates on what should be done about climate change.

It is not a role that has any place in the scientific process.

]]> By: Antonia http://www.sindark.com/2009/10/21/the-age-of-stupid/#comment-86137 Antonia Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:33:07 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6598#comment-86137 Apparently in the UK there are now ever more strident calls that for 'certainty' legal standards of proof must be applied to scientific findings - Lord Lawson has called for an independent inquiry into global warming predictions. <cite>Arguments and conclusions that can resist detailed cross-examination by a skilled lawyer are much more likely to stand the test of time than conclusions approved by peer review. ... it is not enough to leave them to the scientific community. </cite> (Admittedly from a letter in the Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/7104596/A-hole-in-the-evidence-that-puts-the-value-of-the-Chilcot-Inquiry-in-doubt.html but summarising the stupid line of reasoning that predictions of risk should be assessed by the standard of proven actuality. ) Apparently in the UK there are now ever more strident calls that for ‘certainty’ legal standards of proof must be applied to scientific findings –
Lord Lawson has called for an independent inquiry into global warming predictions.

Arguments and conclusions that can resist detailed cross-examination by a skilled lawyer are much more likely to stand the test of time than conclusions approved by peer review.
… it is not enough to leave them to the scientific community.

(Admittedly from a letter in the Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/7104596/A-ho le-in-the-evidence-that-puts-the-value-of-the-Chilcot-I nquiry-in-doubt.html but summarising the stupid line of reasoning that predictions of risk should be assessed by the standard of proven actuality. )

]]> By: Milan http://www.sindark.com/2009/10/21/the-age-of-stupid/#comment-84537 Milan Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:46:15 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6598#comment-84537 A 1989 film had a similar message and approach: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0334827/" rel="nofollow">After the Warming</a>. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=16E277DDB6723CC0&search_query=burke+After+the+Warming" rel="nofollow">It is on YouTube</a>. A 1989 film had a similar message and approach: After the Warming.

It is on YouTube.

]]> By: Sasha http://www.sindark.com/2009/10/21/the-age-of-stupid/#comment-84536 Sasha Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:33:06 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6598#comment-84536 Just watched this with my roommate. I found the bit with the British wind-turbine farm resistance very bizarre. Overall, good film, relate-able and informative. Just watched this with my roommate. I found the bit with the British wind-turbine farm resistance very bizarre.

Overall, good film, relate-able and informative.

]]> By: Wind farms and NIMBY syndrome http://www.sindark.com/2009/10/21/the-age-of-stupid/#comment-84220 Wind farms and NIMBY syndrome Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:35:25 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6598#comment-84220 [...] same issue was discussed in the film The Age of Stupid. There, it seemed pretty clear that the primary objection people had was local wind farms [...] [...] same issue was discussed in the film The Age of Stupid. There, it seemed pretty clear that the primary objection people had was local wind farms [...]

]]> By: Milan http://www.sindark.com/2009/10/21/the-age-of-stupid/#comment-82942 Milan Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:07:35 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6598#comment-82942 What you need is the sunlight that plants converted into biomass millions of years ago, and which subsequent processes turned into petroleum and then kerosene. What you need is the sunlight that plants converted into biomass millions of years ago, and which subsequent processes turned into petroleum and then kerosene.

]]> By: Milan http://www.sindark.com/2009/10/21/the-age-of-stupid/#comment-82941 Milan Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:06:14 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6598#comment-82941 The Solar Challenger had a maximum speed of 64 km/h. Want to go from Toronto to Vancouver in one? The simple fact is that flying quickly takes way more energy than the sunlight hitting the wings and fuselage of a plane can provide. The Solar Challenger had a maximum speed of 64 km/h. Want to go from Toronto to Vancouver in one?

The simple fact is that flying quickly takes way more energy than the sunlight hitting the wings and fuselage of a plane can provide.

]]> By: Tris http://www.sindark.com/2009/10/21/the-age-of-stupid/#comment-82936 Tris Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:50:44 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=6598#comment-82936 There is certainly a kind of air travel that could be part of a climate change mitigating future: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Challenger There is certainly a kind of air travel that could be part of a climate change mitigating future:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Challenger

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