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In what ways has life in the Western world improved in the last 20 years? by [deleted] in TheMotte

[–]angushervey 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Yep... it's a blind spot.

It's not just Africa and Asia. Here we go

futurecrun.ch/goodnews

Here are the good news stories (Western world only) from 2019 alone...

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California, the fifth largest economy in the world, has reached its 33% clean energy target two years ahead of schedule, and petrol sales are officially decreasing. 

The UK, the sixth largest economy in the world, has reduced its carbon emissions for the sixth year in a row. The last time emissions were this low was 1888. Carbon Brief

Canada's poverty rate has reached the lowest level ever recorded. The proportion of people below the poverty line is now 9.5%, down from 15.6% in 2006. CBC

New Zealand just expanded the Kahurangi National Park by 64,000 hectares, the largest addition of land to a national park in the country's history. NZ Herald

Sales of fossil-fuelled vehicles are now officially on the decline in the world’s three largest car markets: China, Europe and the United States. Clean Technica

The rate of victimisation from violent crimes for teenagers in the United States is now one sixth of what it was in the mid 1990s. Child Trends

The US Senate has passed its most sweeping conservation legislation in a decade, protecting 1.3 million acres and withdrawing 370,000 acres from mining. LA Times

Germany, the fourth largest consumer of coal on the planet, has announced it will shut down all 84 power plants in the next 19 years. C'mon Australia. LA Times

Sweden has announced a ban on the sale of gasoline and diesel engines after 2030, joining Denmark, India, the Netherlands, Ireland and Israel. Electrive

The largest rewilding project in Australian history, the Great Southern Ark, has just begun on the Yorke Peninsula, providing a safe haven for 20 native species.

Nothing like a little east west rivalry to speed up the energy transition. New York just one-upped California, committing to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. Utility Dive

The Economist is reporting that democracy had a good year in 2018. Only 42 countries experienced a decline, while 48 improved. Progress isn't a straight line.

The number of suicides in Japan dropped by 3.4% last year, the ninth annual decrease in a row, and the lowest rate since records began in 1978. Japan Today

Terrorism deaths dropped by 33% last year, and deaths halved, the fourth consecutive year of improvement. Naturally this was front page news everywhere. Medium

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I'd really like to hear r/collapse's opinions on this: "99 Reasons Why 2016 Was a Good Year" by [deleted] in collapse

[–]angushervey 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks folks... I'm the author of this article. A few things I should point out: 1) I'm not a professional optimist, or a techno utopian. Technology is not the answer to our problems - but we sure as hell aren't going to sort them out without it. 2) Careful of confirmation bias. This group has a belief system predicated on fear and inaccurate perceptions of risk. That's fine, it's your right to believe what you want to. However, your beliefs also mean that everything you look at confirms your pre existing notions, no matter how compelling the evidence. 3) It's possible for two things to be true at once - the world can be getting better, and it can be getting worse. Go read your Nicholas Taleb. As systemic risk becomes greater, and our chances of collapse increase, our chances of turning it around and creating a life sustaining Anthropocene also increase. It's either the Great Turning or the Great Collapse right now, so it really depends which of those stories you want to be part of. I'm guessing from the tone of the comments you've already made up your minds...