Destroying our Planet: A Human Specialty
Choosing Trump to Lead Was a Mass Collective Decision toward Climate Self-Destruction
Let's call a spade a spade. Electing Donald Trump for a second term was a suicide note, plain and simple.
From record-breaking wildfires in California to unprecedented flooding in other parts of the world, it's clear as day that our species has a knack for self-destruction. And for a cherry on top, almost half of the American electorate just voted to reinstall a president who cares more about drilling oil and burning fossil fuels than preserving our planet.
In his inaugural speech, President Trump made it clear he intends to double down on his reckless energy policies. With promises to rescind the Green New Deal, revoke electric vehicle mandates, and ramp up oil and gas production, he's ensuring that the U.S. will continue to lead the world in greenhouse gas emissions.
Not to mention the fact that, in his first term, the U.S. was already the top oil and gas producer in the world. So much for taking steps to mitigate climate change.
Now, let's talk about nuclear warheads. It's estimated that there are 12,000 of these ticking time bombs on our planet, many of them more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the 80 years since Nagasaki was almost obliterated, eight countries have joined the U.S. in becoming nuclear powers. And just wait—more will inevitably join the club.
To make matters worse, the U.S. is planning to pour trillions of dollars into modernizing its nuclear arsenal in the coming decades. The modernization program includes new Sentinel ICBMs, a stealth bomber, and new Columbia-class nuclear submarines.
But that's not all. The director of the National Nuclear Security Administration, Brandon Williams, is expected to restart nuclear testing in the U.S. After all, what's a couple of atomic explosions when you're trying to destroy the world?
And speaking of destroying the world, let's not forget about climate change. The effects of our burning of fossil fuels are already being felt. Hurricanes like Helene and Milton have gained strength from passing over the Gulf of Mexico, which has been overheated by climate change. And let's not forget the wildfires that spread across Canada in the spring and summer of 2023—the largest and most destructive in Canadian history.
But don't think that most Americans were beside themselves with concern when electing Trump for a second term. No, almost half of them voted for a man who denies the science of climate change and plans to push for even more fossil fuel production.
So, to sum it up, humanity has discovered two ways to completely destroy this planet. Nuclear weapons and climate change. And to quote the esteemed computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, “I am worried that the overall consequence of this might be systems more intelligent than us that eventually take control."
Get ready for an AI takeover!
- Given the election of Donald Trump for a second term, it's concerning that his environmental-science policies emphasize oil drilling and fossil fuel burning, contradicting efforts to combat climate-change.
- As the U.S. stands as the top oil and gas producer worldwide and plans to modernize its nuclear arsenal, the combined threats of climate-change and nuclear weapons escalate, aligning with computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton's worry about AI taking control.
- The disregard for climate-change science continues to be evident, as almost half of American voters elected a president who ignores the role of fossil fuels in climate-change and plans to exacerbate the issue, further jeopardizing the environment and general-news.
