Ignoring Existential Risk in Practice

I’ve been reading The Precipice by Toby Ord and it’s funny when you’re reading and the exact same thing plays out in real life.

A government leak has resulted in Rishi Sunak’s plan to role back on net zero commitments reaching the public eye. Don’t worry though he’s said that we are still on track for the UK’s 2050 net zero target and that the UK has done enough and it’s time for other countries to play their part. Except we haven’t, no one has.

I’m sure that the reasons are to strengthen the economy and focus on getting the country back on its feet, but we already know “cutting the green crap” does exactly the opposite and has resulted in energy bills being £9.8 billion higher over the last decade; that’s billion with a B.

The issue with politics is the longest anyone can look ahead is to the next election cycle. The idea that we can look even a single generation ahead is out of the question. However, we are in the privileged position that our actions will decide the future of all subsequent generations. We need to take our place in history seriously. Like any risk — particularly when we do not have history to look back on — we undervalue existential risk. Not only that, but action on climate change affects the whole world so we discount it further. The UK makes up around 1% of the global population so any climate action it takes will be undervalued by a factor of 100.

Education on climate change is introduced at primary school, since I have been able to vote it appears politicians can’t make the right decision that a 5 year old would. Frustrated doesn’t do my feelings justice.

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