Human activity has been proven to be the main contributor to climate change. With that being said, many Americans are still not convinced that our actions are to blame. According to the Pew Research Center, two in ten (20%) Americans believe human activity plays not too much or no role at all in climate change (PEW, pewresearch.org/climate). This statistic begs the question: What needs to be done to convince everyone that climate change is not only real, but something all humans can and must work to decrease the effects of? Do you think Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry For the Future has the power to inspire and convince people to take action?
Robinson's inclusion of economics, hard science, and atmospheric and oceanic physics to create plausible and fast approaching scenarios work to instill fear in readers. From the moment the novel begins, we are presented with a very frightening scenario. 20 million people have just been killed from a horrific heat wave in India. Those who were able to make it to a nearby lake were, "poached, slow-boiled" (Robinson, 12). What is even more frightening is considering this scenario as a plausible future in reality rather than in fiction. Considering the implications of our actions and what an increase in temperature of just a few degrees can do to our world is terrifying, but might be the motivation Americans need to dodge a mass extinction event.
When The Ministry For the Future is viewed as a lesson rather than a prediction of the future, it is effective in promoting change. The Ministry For the Future concludes with a rather hopeful and optimistic message. Robinson says, "That there is no other home for us than here. That we will cope no matter how stupid things get… That people can take their fate in their hands. That there is no such thing as fate" (563). Despite the extreme danger presented throughout the novel, Robinson suggests that a good global response could help us avoid a mass extinction event. Humans are resilient and our fate does not exist because no matter what, we will find a way to cope.
I think your question about what we can do to make the rest of the population care about climate change is interesting. This is something that we discussed in class but also something many people think about on a daily basis. One of the things I always find frustrating is that there are people who deny climate change. This is frustrating because there is so much evidence out there to contradict that idea. My strong belief is that climate change deniers are only denying these scientific facts because it is easier to deny that this is an issue than to address the issue. In politics especially there are people who are not willing to address climate change as an issue. I believe that they know this is a serious problem but they also know it will be difficult to do anything about it and most likely expensive. When politicians care so much about votes they are not willing to explain to people that they are going to have to pay more taxes and potentially temporarily damage the economy because no one will vote for them. The consequence of this however is that a lot of the American population will listen to politicians about what issues are most important to focus on at the moment. When politicians say that climate change is a hoax the American population will listen and agree to that statement especially when it is a politician that they trust. The book often criticizes politicians and people who vote for them not realizing that politicians do not have their best interests in mind. “and indeed many of those harmed often vote for politicians who will increase their relative impoverishment. Thus the power of hegemony: we may be poor but at least we’re patriots” (73). It’s frustrating to see people sabotaging themselves because they are ignorant about what these politicians really want which is money. I completely agree with your point that the only way to get people to care about this issue is to instill fear and to reiterate the importance of being environmentally friendly. The problem is that people are not afraid of the future because they are too focused on present issues. We need to properly explain that although this is not just an issue for the future, it is an issue for the present because if we do not act now it will be too late.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that Robinson has written this novel with the intention of instilling fear in readers. The novel is not just meant to inform but to persuade, and it allows readers to consider the possibilities of a future in minute detail. Sandwiched among chapters on economic policy, atmospheric riddles, and examples of progressive states is a compelling narrative of the Ministry for the Future, which gives faces and names to those fighting climate change. With each major event, such as the Indian heat wave at the start of the book, the audience can follow along with characters like Frank and realize that the events that occur are personal and relevant to individuals. More so than any abstract economic lesson, the detailed stories of Frank caring for Indian citizens in the heatwave or a man kayaking through a flooded Los Angeles instill a kind of personal fear in readers. Robinson allows these characters to narrate and relate how climate change is "not like a movie, not at all" (278), but in fact a very real consequence of human emissions. Readers who are not directly affected by global warming and severe weather in 2021 are warned by Robinson's "too little, too late" narrative; especially when pertaining to western countries like America, he portrays a world where "so now one could imagine that the American people might support action on the climate change front. Better than never!" (285)
ReplyDeleteRobinson was able to utilize so many aspects to really open the eyes of the reader to the world around them and the opportunity at hand to make a real difference. The use of fear and hope was especially important to note. In a novel that initially seemed to be mostly doom and gloom with a horrific first chapter, and the constant referral to the event that cost so many lives, to end on a hopeful note as you mentioned was so powerful. For anyone who follows the news on this topic it often seems like a repeat of the feelings in the first chapter. We have this constant reminder that we aren’t doing enough, that something horrible is coming, and we are constantly seeing less than adequate efforts from those in power. For Robinson to show us a world where so much has gone wrong and so many lives have been lost, yet still remind us that it doesn’t have to be this way, that there is a way out was so important. In class we discussed how we are constantly considering if there even will be a world to plan a future in, and Robinson left us with the perfect words, “We will keep going….. Because we never really come to an end” (563). There is a lot of fear surrounding what could happen, but it is important to still have hope- there are better things to come.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your (more optimistic than what other posts and class discussions would expect) perspective coming away from the novel. So much of our talk has been in terms of destruction and despair, and it’s really refreshing to see hope coming out as a result of this novel, rather than gloom. It’s not so fun just being a realist (or a pessimist) all the time.
ReplyDeleteAnd even though one of the obvious goals of this novel is to present the shocking realities of our imminent future as a result of current climate inaction, there is still a high note: “We never really come to the end (563).”
Throughout the novel, Robinson points out the tragic and the preventable, and he says pretty clearly: the victims of climate change will be the people who don’t have the means to protect themselves from it, almost without exception, and those who are able to protect themselves will be the people further damaging the environment. It’s an incredibly grim and astute observation, and it leaves readers with a feeling that nothing will ever change because the people in power are the sole proprietors and benefactors of the destruction — why would they stop doing something that immediately and exponentially benefits them? It could be easy for readers to come away from this book feeling despondent, like nothing can be done, but Robinson reminds us in these last pages that this mindset is one of the things actually standing in the way of change. He knows that we feel like we can’t do anything to stop it, and that’s why he’s telling us, “No, actually, you can.”
I really enjoyed reading your blog and specifically the call to action questions at the end. I believe that this book is too extreme for some to take seriously and also really heavy in science info which makes parts difficult to understand. Our discussions in class prove that it is important for people to be aware of how the world will be affected in the upcoming years. The websites that predict the future of the world and the rising temperatures prove that action has to be taken. By seeing which countries are taking precautionary measures it brings awareness to the changes that need to be made it also influences these companies to do better. Furthermore, I agree with your statement that when Ministry for the Future is viewed as a lesson rather than a prediction this is where it is effective. The prediction aspect of Ministry for the Future is a stretch but the lessons that are taught are the reality of what can happen and are going to. The India heat wave reveals the obvious consequences of what happens if the temperature does rise over 2.5°C as expected to across the globe by 2080
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