THE L.A. TIMES: Mankind Peoplekind Humanity will need to make some drastic changes if it wants to keep the ‘good life’ going.
In theory, wealthy nations could cut way back on their resource use while maintaining their achievements on the social front. Some straightforward first steps include “switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, producing products with longer lifetimes, reducing unnecessary waste, shifting from animal to crop products, and investing in new technologies,” the researchers wrote.
And in a future world “with very different social arrangements or technologies,” there could be a different equation for converting natural resources into human well-being that allows everyone to enjoy all aspects of the good life, O’Neill said.
“Is this realistic?” he said. “I hope so, because the alternative could be environmental catastrophe.”
Funny how these articles never end with “and that’s why we’re shuttering our publication and its office buildings and air conditioned server farm for the future of humanity,” and/or “that’s why recommend our company town’s chief industry, the entertainment business, to close.”
Meanwhile, back in reality, also in the Los Angeles this week:
L.A.’s Keystone Kops rollout of a new trash recycling program, which has featured a dramatic service reduction at a huge price increase for thousands of customers.
It’s so bad, even the people who supported the plan are ducking for cover, pointing fingers or throwing everyone else under the bus.
Not everyone who spoke at Tuesday’s Los Angeles City Council committee hearing lashed out at council members Nury Martinez, Paul Koretz, Paul Krekorian, Gil Cedillo and Mitch O’Farrell.
Some praised RecycLA or offered hope that the kinks will be worked out to accomplish the city’s admirable goal of diverting trash from landfills and reducing the number of crisscrossing trucks spewing pollution.
But cleaning up the mess may not be easy, given how badly the city screwed up the deal. City officials signed a 10-year contract with seven companies, some of which dispute allegations of overcharging and say they’re just doing what the contract allows them to do.
As The Times has reported, customers are getting dinged for added fees if the hauler has to move a trash bin a certain distance or use a remote device to open a gate. I’m still getting bombarded with calls and emails from landlords who say their bills have multiplied three, four, five and six times.
So it’s the Obamacare of trash pickup. Take a bow, L.A., this is where virtue signaling on top of virtue signaling invariably ends up.