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<p>I read quite a bit of existential-threat/remediation non-fiction
as well, and sometimes it is hard to tell the difference because
while the non-fiction (technical) is generally accurate to the
details, it is always describing "a spherical cow", thus the
"plausable on the surface" answers. I worked a few years on a
critical infrastructure protection modeling project (more from a
resiliency to terrorism than to climate and other change, but
focused on cascading failures). I also worked among
hurricane/disaster response teams as well. It gave me a
disturbing view of just how *systemically* vulnerable we all
are. <br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Of course, the wealthy (really, currently middle-class and above)
are fairly insulated from the (current) effects, but the threshold
of who is affected and how deeply seems to be rising. I think it
is part of the reason that many of the well-off tend toward
policies like building border walls and voter suppression... they
see the stresses on the infrastructure putting their (our)
privileged position at higher and higher risk as the overheated,
hungry, etc. masses start to roil more (domestic and from the
global south). This is easier to think about than actually
addressing/mitigating the deeper causes... and the results tend to
be quicker, more obvious and therefore more satisfying in the
moment.<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Overshoot in several dimensions is already underway and the
inertial properties are easy to underestimate.</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>I feel like THIS forum has become more open/supportive of
discussing these topics than even 2-3 years ago... probably too
small, too little and too late, but better than nothing.</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BYAPR11MB3830EFF43E0A9A0B0005BC07C5219@BYAPR11MB3830.namprd11.prod.outlook.com">
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Steve,</div>
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<br>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
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In the Bay Area, and in other places there is a trend toward
electrification. It sounds plausible on the surface, but to go
all the way means solar for water and for electricity. Most
houses within financial reach for most people don't have the
square footage to support all that. Consider that a smaller
electric on-demand hot water heater could draw 75 amps flat
out. There's no reasonable way to get lithium batteries that
can absorb that kind of load. That would be $50k just to even
start on the batteries never mind the panels. If not that,
then one must give up (often limited) lot space for the tube
style solar, which really isn't all that efficient.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
The "freedom from the utility" is just not going to happen
except in the posh South San Francisco type areas. Meanwhile
the utilities want to penalize individual solar producers
because they stress the grid. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
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<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Meanwhile, if the price of gasoline goes north of $5 / gallon,
people are screaming bloody murder. Why isn't it $20? No,
these folks (which is mostly everyone it seems) aren't going to
be joining the 2000-watt society. And then there's the Manchin
types holding out to keep <b>coal</b> afloat? Don't we just
deserve to suffer at this point? At least we could try but fail
to develop and deploy replacements. That non-fiction would be
interesting reading.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
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<br>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
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Marcus</div>
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<br>
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<hr style="display:inline-block;width:98%" tabindex="-1">
<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font style="font-size:11pt"
face="Calibri, sans-serif" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> Friam
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:friam-bounces@redfish.com"><friam-bounces@redfish.com></a> on behalf of Steve Smith
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:sasmyth@swcp.com"><sasmyth@swcp.com></a><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 27, 2022 12:15 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:friam@redfish.com">friam@redfish.com</a> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:friam@redfish.com"><friam@redfish.com></a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [FRIAM] Cautionary Tales: CliFi</font>
<div> </div>
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<div>
<p>Marcus -</p>
<p>Thanks for your feedback on KSR's writing style... it really
sobered me to realize how much of an obsessionist I am on this
topic and what I will ignore to feed that obsession.</p>
<p>I tripped over (thank you Google News Feed) an interesting
article in Grist:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a
href="https://grist.org/climate/with-the-world-on-fire-climate-fiction-no-longer-looks-like-fantasy/"
class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext moz-txt-link-freetext"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://grist.org/climate/with-the-world-on-fire-climate-fiction-no-longer-looks-like-fantasy/</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>that resonated with my reflections. While I do feel a
little obsessive on the topic (not just climate but all the
convergent "endogenous existential threats" coming at us), I
feel somewhat balanced about it, especially as I graze on the
buffets that books like MotF and Stephenson's Termination
Shock and Amithav Ghosh's "Great Derangement" offer. I also
found William Gibson's Jackpot Series:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a
href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/william-gibson-agency"
class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext moz-txt-link-freetext"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.wired.co.uk/article/william-gibson-agency</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>refreshing (for a dystopia) with our myriad existential
threats (climate, species, pollution, finance, civil unrest,
fascism, etc.) converging on a bit of a (nasty) wet-fizzle of
an apocalypse he sardonically dubs "The Jackpot".</p>
<p>The Grist article describes (somewhat) the value of keeping
one's eye on the dystopian/apocalyptic future threatened by
our short-sighted habits and (overly optimistic?) conceptions
of the future generated by our materialistic pop-culture.<br>
</p>
<p>Someone here (Marcus, Glen, EricS ?) mentioned Musk and the
idea that he might be pursuing the canonical "Good Old
Fashioned Future" coined in the Golden Age and refashioned in
the Modern Era of Science Fiction. We boomers (and Xers?)
who went into Sci/Tech likely read at least a lot of Marvel/DC
comics (if not the Science Fiction without pictures) of our
era and I claim it heavily shaped our image of what was
possible/desireable. I don't think it is serving us (Gaia
of whom we are her most precocious children?)<br>
</p>
<div align="center"><img alt=""
src="https://theretrofuturist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/1958flyingcar.jpg"
moz-do-not-send="true" width="600" height="772"></div>
<div align="left">- Steve<br>
</div>
<div align="left"><br>
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<blockquote type="cite">
<div class="x_moz-cite-prefix">On 1/25/22 5:58 PM, Marcus
Daniels wrote:<br>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
color:black">< </span>It might not surprise
anyone here that I have become a CliFi obsessionist
with Kim Stanly Robinson's stuff well represented
("Ministry for the Future" standing out well above the
others). His Red/Green/Blue Mars series is a good
complement with the social/technological/spiritual
implications of Terraforming there. ></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Huh. I found MftF drawn-out and
boring with distracting little nonsense chapters
interleaved. I don’t see why it is popular. A few
good ideas here and there but couldn’t care less about
the characters. It could be massively compressed.</p>
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</blockquote>
<p>That would be *all* of KSR's novels I'm afraid... my
obsession with the ideas (unanticipated problems as well as
unanticipated responses) trumps any need I have for being
entertained by the characters or even plot.
<br>
</p>
<p>It really read to me (as you point out) as a series of
loosely connected vignettes of specific interest. To the
extent that *some* of the MoTF characters did get under my
skin, it was as an irritant as much as anything. I
probably read Red Mars when it was new as my introduction to
KSR and did not go back to his writing until as little as 5
years ago when I found his topics more relevant than I had
acknowledged before... He seemed to me to be a lot preachy
and I guess now I'm enough of the choir to be able to hum
along with his sermons now.<br>
</p>
<p>Stephenson also gets very tedious for me, but I find his
depth of research and quirkiness of characters and technical
surprises worthy of my attention through his gruelingly long
and seemingly careening storylines and characters.</p>
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