If there is, and if I was Satan, I'd be worried to be evicted when that guy croaks.

Someone started a single player game and decided to hand over control of his civilization to the adviser?

Facts mattered? Must've been a long time ago.

Money matters. And I don't even want to solve whether the money from those industries that don't want to face expenses to deal with stricter environment laws matters more than that from industries that want to sell the stuff that makes the former compliant with stricter environment laws.

In the old days there may have been some scientific process to determine who's right. You know, with thesis, antithesis and discussion. Today it's way easier: Whoever contributes the most campaign money is right.

Yes, and we're hell bent at making sure no matter what they'd try they won't get out.

You know how to not only kill a joke but bury it and hold the funeral speech...

Yet still our best telescopes can barely make out its shape.

Damn right, with a silly name like that. Like Hades already said, "what do they wanna call me in Rome? Pluto? I wouldn't even call my dog Pluto!"

But sure, I love elections! Great shows with lots and lots of entertainment value. Only thing that bugs me about them is that I'm asked to choose without having a choice.

And this is where the whole deal breaks down, because there will never be such a thing. Nobody will be forced.

The only ones that could enforce something like this are the politicians, leaders of states that can create laws. Such laws will not come into existence, though, since that would require a global consensus because one country doing such a move alone will invariably cripple its economy. Global treaties that are supposed to be more than a stack of paper with letters, i.e. treaties that will be enforced and heeded on the other hand require the backing of industries that have an interest in such treaties coming into existence.

And industries have no interest in such a treaty. Quite the opposite. So if anything, we'll see a lot of resistance for such an international treaty taking place. Hence ... well, it's nice that we might know the world is fucked, but nobody who could give a shit gives a half of one.

I'm generally detached about things I'm powerless to influence. I'm usually the only calm person in a plane flying through a hurricane. Is there anything I can do? No. Why bother getting worked up about it?

Believe me, if I had to fly that plane, I'd be nervous as hell, but in the passenger seat... lean back and enjoy the roller coaster ride.

Well, that all depends on whether they are right and whether your property is close to a coast line.

In 50 years, NONE of the current heads of state will still be alive, let alone in power. Yes, they will pay lip service to the problem. No, they won't do jack shit about it.

Really. I can't help but laugh every time there's a climate change bickering here on /.

It's absolutely stunningly awesome. You have two sides, zealous in their quest to convince everyone and their dog that they're right. Both sides have various "studies", produced more likely than not in a dark, rather warm but also quite smelly place and pulled out of there with little ceremony. Both sides accusing the other side of shilling, resorting to name calling and whatnot.

And neither side has any idea what to DO if they're right.

That's the actual joke here. Let's say, just for argument's sake, that there is global warming and that the whole sky-is-falling scenario will happen (which, I will freely admit, I think actually will happen). What now? Does anyone where really think there will be anything REMOTELY close to global consent on laws to lower the impact? Seriously? Fuck, we can't even get international consensus on stuff that presents an immediate and direct danger rather than a maybe-kinda-could-be-sorta danger in half a century. Even if we DID know for a fact, no doubt about it, 100% sure, proven FACT, that in 50 years life on earth as we know it would be impossible, you would NOT get any kind of international law going. No chance, no way.

But hey, keep talking. If nothing else, it's entertaining.

Hush! I have real estate at 1000+m above sea level, once the coasts are flooded I get to cash in!

Look around yourself. I don't know about you, but I can't say that losing this failed system we call civilization sounds more like a chance for a reboot than anything else.