One country can't do anything about how the other countries behave.
Tim Send a noteboard - 13/08/2011 11:33:39 AM
If the others are descending into madness, all the more reason to strengthen your own resolve, right?
Food and energy aren't the same thing. They'd be burning plant matter, right? They can either burn it or eat it, but not both. Given the choice, I think you'd rather eat it.
Granted, Thailand's carbon paranoia is probably a little over the top, but they do live behind a groaning sea wall. They talk a lot about how their king from however-long-ago decreed that Bangkok would be saved from the rising seas at any cost, so that probably helps them maintain their enthusiasm for future generations. I think the Buddhist mindset might have something to do with it as well.
Another point to note is that the government is much freer with carbon than ordinary folks are, so it may be that they've terrified people with a lot of propaganda which they know is somewhat exaggerated (this isn't in the book; I'm just speculating here).
And of course, the external explanation is that Bacigalupi wants to show us how careful we ought to be with CO2, so it has to be the way it is in order for the story to get its message across.
I loved the books but IMHO it would have a made a more believable story if the world was being flooded and they were still burning anything that would burn. The way was it is written we are expected to believe a population on the verge of starvation was denying themselves a cheap form of energy in the hope that it would make life easier for future generations because remember it takes decades for the change in carbon usage to have an impact on the climate if you believe the people telling us CO2 is changing the climate. I see know reason to believe our grandchildren will be anymore concerned about their grandchildren than we are with ours.
I am just nitpicking of course and the writing more than makes up such little things.
I am just nitpicking of course and the writing more than makes up such little things.
Food and energy aren't the same thing. They'd be burning plant matter, right? They can either burn it or eat it, but not both. Given the choice, I think you'd rather eat it.
Granted, Thailand's carbon paranoia is probably a little over the top, but they do live behind a groaning sea wall. They talk a lot about how their king from however-long-ago decreed that Bangkok would be saved from the rising seas at any cost, so that probably helps them maintain their enthusiasm for future generations. I think the Buddhist mindset might have something to do with it as well.
Another point to note is that the government is much freer with carbon than ordinary folks are, so it may be that they've terrified people with a lot of propaganda which they know is somewhat exaggerated (this isn't in the book; I'm just speculating here).
And of course, the external explanation is that Bacigalupi wants to show us how careful we ought to be with CO2, so it has to be the way it is in order for the story to get its message across.
Vigilantibus non dormientibus jura subveniunt.
—Nous disons en allemand : le guerre, le mort, le lune, alors que 'soleil' et 'amour' sont du sexe féminin : la soleil, la amour. La vie est neutre.
—La vie ? Neutre ? C'est très joli, et surtout très logique.
—Nous disons en allemand : le guerre, le mort, le lune, alors que 'soleil' et 'amour' sont du sexe féminin : la soleil, la amour. La vie est neutre.
—La vie ? Neutre ? C'est très joli, et surtout très logique.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi – a post-apocalyptic future, 21st-century style.
- 12/08/2011 12:53:36 PM
8218 Views
this is already on my wishlist, been meaning to get it for a while now
- 12/08/2011 02:32:08 PM
1461 Views
not sure I bought all the dooms day stuff but it was a great book
- 12/08/2011 05:50:50 PM
1550 Views
To be fair, we don't know how strictly other countries ration their CO2.
- 12/08/2011 08:26:33 PM
1563 Views
yes but what would be the point of just one country restricting CO2?
- 13/08/2011 03:41:09 AM
1489 Views
One country can't do anything about how the other countries behave.
- 13/08/2011 11:33:39 AM
1629 Views
and how well did that work out for them?
- 13/08/2011 10:06:51 PM
1536 Views
Well, we don't get that much world history, but we do know there was mass starvation in India.
- 14/08/2011 11:33:04 AM
1636 Views
Of course I have read the book or why else would I keep saying I liked it
- 14/08/2011 07:19:38 PM
1403 Views
*NM*