7 Thought Experiments for Earth Day

Recorded April 22 2024

Description

For this Earth Day in 2024 Frankly, Nate walks through 7 thought experiments geared towards imagining scenarios and outcomes for ourselves, society, and the planet. While not rooted in reality, thinking through hypotheticals can be a valuable way to reflect on our ethics, ideals, and future decision points. From the perceived quick-fix of solar panels to magic solutions for infrastructure and governance, how might human cultural values impact outcomes for the biosphere? How do humans and the climate shape each other, and what does that mean for the less stable climate we’re headed towards? If they knew what we do today, could humans from hundreds of years ago have avoided the carbon pulse – and what opportunities do we have today, living in the future’s past?

Show Notes

01:44 – Solar panels themselves are 10% of the cost of installation for a house

02:52 – Ecological cost of solar panels, lifetime of solar panels, intermittence of solar panel energy

03:54 – 2 million known species, 10 million estimated total species

04:21 – We’re using 100 million barrels per day and we’re losing 1,000 species per year

05:11 – Pre-agriculture humans

05:37 – How a stable climate brought the agricultural revolution and led to human diaspora

09:21 – 2021 Earth Day Life Ethic

11:38 – Cocaine Bear

11:52 – Kardashev scale

12:01 – Geological Monkey Trap

12:09 – La Brea Tar Pits

13:45 – Jeff Bridges, Living in the Future’s Past