Janne M. Korhonen2d ago
Found this 1969 #Earth Day poster. The message remains very relevant. Our #environmental problems are serious and our societies remain unsustainable. But it also inadvertently shows that we've made A LOT of progress too. Consider the smoke trails. They are not an exaggeration.
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
Here is a 1958 picture of DC-8 jet airliner taking off. It is a bit of an extreme case, because it (like many other jets at the time) used to inject water to its engines at take-off to increase thrust. And soot formation. But jets did carve dark smoke trails in the sky.
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
Us 40+ year youngs may also recall the 80s talk about acid rain. SO2 pollution was so severe that in places, sulphuric acid literally rained from the sky. Killing plants and forests. Even stripping paint from cars. But scientists sounded alarm, activists acted, and politicians regulated. Behold:
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen
Or consider lead. Or nitrous oxides. Or smog. Or the stench that used to waft from numerous polluted waterways. There has been real, measurable, genuine progress in many, many areas. Not enough. Not quickly enough. Not even nearly enough to let us ignore current issues. But progress regardless.
Mar 25 at 8:58amWeb
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
I do not write this to coddle anyone into inaction. Quite the reverse. All the victories and successes for progress have been achieved by people working and often struggling for a better world. Without hope, there is no point in struggling. And it is *so* easy to lose hope these days.
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
Unlike even activists of the past, we are constantly bombarded by numerous warning signals from many sources. Many of them warn of very real dangers and risks. But warnings keep beeping, loudly, until the situation is fixed. Whereas the "bing" of a problem solved sounds once, and often faintly.
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
When you hear the warnings beeping and flashing all the time, it is only a natural reaction to lose focus - and be paralysed by fear and despair. That's why airplanes, for example, have toggles that turn the alarms off. So that the pilots can concentrate better on working the problem.
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
Pilots and especially astronauts are trained to "work the problem." Even, perhaps especially, if the situation seems truly hopeless. Because the only sure way to lose is to not even try. Cynical pessimism and despair are very seductive traps. Been there myself. But they paralyse you. And others.
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
No one can guarantee victory in this or any other important struggle. They wouldn't be important struggles if the outcome was predetermined. But I *can* guarantee a defeat if we don't even try. And hope - realistic hope - really helps people to keep going.
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
That's why remembering and celebrating the wins and successes, even partial ones, is *essential.* Provided we remember things didn't improve themselves: someone had to be concerned about an issue and work the problem hard enough. It maintains the will to fight - and spreads successful strategies.
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
For those who know Finnish or are willing to translate, this here is an excellent opinion piece: a psychologist suggests that activists should limit their social media use and focus on meeting and working with people offline. Because this flood of bullshit tires you out. bsky.app/profile/jmko...

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:l5qgtdxd462q6cz5hbt25edk/post/3mhtatwuvnk2l
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
Here BTW is the same thing as "the only way to lose is not to try" phrased a bit differently :) bsky.app/profile/jmko...

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:l5qgtdxd462q6cz5hbt25edk/post/3llhbcd7ric2d
Show threadJanne M. Korhonen2d ago
One more important point: bsky.app/profile/jmko...

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:l5qgtdxd462q6cz5hbt25edk/post/3mhvdrf3xb22t
Show thread🇨🇦 Shani Komulainen 🍁2d ago
I'll translate it later today, thanks! This article is in the same category: www.404media.co/you-cant-pos...

You Can’t Post Your Way Out of...
You Can’t Post Your Way Out of Fascism

Authoritarians and tech CEOs now share the same goal: to keep us locked in an eternal doomscroll instead of organizing against them, Janus Rose writes.

404 Media
Show threadRiku Mattila  2d ago
@jmkorhonen.fi When I was diagnosed with ALS in 2012, I knew there was no hope. But I kept trying anyway, and eventually the progression stopped. Coincidence? No way to know. But recent research suggests that my hypothesis for the disease mechanism may have been spot on.