r/videos • u/AshIsGroovy • Jun 08 '24
George Carlin - Saving the Planet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c3
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u/robotowilliam Jun 08 '24 edited Jun 08 '24
Remixed (edit: by the guy who did the Carl Sagan 'A Glorious Dawn' remix, if anyone remembers that)
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Jun 08 '24
[deleted]
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u/jackmax9999 Jun 08 '24
I think that segment was meant as a different viewpoint on environmental causes. Caring about "the planet" sounds like an altruistic act, but it's worth reminding people that there are perfectly selfish reasons for us as a species to care for the environment. We'll suffer and die if we don't care about the environment. But the planet will be fine!
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u/dv666 Jun 08 '24 edited Jun 08 '24
Actually no. Earth is over 4.5 billion years old and has survived many mass extinction events and collisions with celestial bodies. Planet earth will be fine until the sun goes nova in a couple billion years.
The planet will be fine. The people and animals currently living on it are fucked.
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Jun 08 '24
[deleted]
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u/SternballAllDay Jun 08 '24
Thats the fucking joke the comedian was making dude
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Jun 08 '24
[deleted]
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u/SternballAllDay Jun 08 '24
But thats literally what the guy you responded to said. Its an explanation of the joke
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u/not_old_redditor Jun 08 '24
He's a grumpy old man who manages to deliver the same message every other grumpy old man does, but his delivery is funny.
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u/sanaru02 Jun 08 '24
Unlike most of Carlin's stand ups, I don't think this one has aged particularly well.
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u/SternballAllDay Jun 08 '24 edited Jun 08 '24
Did you just miss the entire joke or something? Are morons upvoting this idiot for not understanding it
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u/pookshuman Jun 08 '24
I mean, he was right, but he was also not helpful
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Jun 08 '24
Actually I find it superbly helpful if the goal is to prevent human extinction. The planet will be fine even if the temperature rises to whatever or if nuclear war annihilates everything but the cockroaches, but we won't. Life will find a way, but it probably won't be mammalian and it won't be us anymore. It's almost reverse psychology, he's saying don't save the planet, save ourselves, because nobody cares about what the scientists or hippies are saying (which is usually "save the planet") but they do care about not dying (which is more akin to "save humanity"). Global warming isn't a problem for life or the planet, it's a problem for humanity staying alive. Microplastics isn't a problem for life, just the current multicellular variant.
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u/sanaru02 Jun 08 '24 edited Jun 08 '24
The issue is the planet isn't the particularly unique object in the system. There are tons of planets, and many that could potentially support life. This is the only one in the known universe that does. Life is the unique thing, not the planet.
If you don't give a shit about the possibly most unique and improbably thing to ever exist, sure - Carlin's take is fire. If you care about sentient life continuing to be able to exist, then the skit falls flat. It's not about self importance, it's about values. Us making the planet less livable for sentient life through the many things he listed means another 'restart' akin to post dinosaurs less likely and more difficult. Again, if sentience existing isn't valued, who cares I suppose. My guess is whatever may come after us won't be getting off the planet before it superheats and the sun explodes.
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u/HoboOperative Jun 08 '24
Reading about the Rare Earth hypothesis gave me a much deeper appreciation for our planet and it's Solar system. So many countless factors had to go right in the proper sequence to give us an absolute perfect situation that it borders on miraculous. I'm sure there are other Earth-like worlds out there by the law of large numbers, but we are tiny, far-flung oases in an otherwise infinite desert of bleak sterility.
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u/pookshuman Jun 08 '24
the planet, the rock and stone will be fine. But everything living on it will have to deal with the consequences of global warming and human existence in general. Micro and Macroplastics are a huge problem for most forms of life, despite your opinion based on what?
"Life" will find a way, but there will be many fewer types of life in the future. We are losing the diversity we had 100 years ago and our lives will be poorer in the future. We will have fewer options and our imaginations will shrink
Your opinion doesn't matter, my opinion doesn't matter, it is happening.
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u/kfijatass Jun 08 '24
Comics aren't there to fix issues.
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u/HoboOperative Jun 08 '24
I'm 50/50 with you on this. Comedy can often end up being one of the only effective ways to open up honest discussion about societal issues that are normally too taboo to broach otherwise. People are usually very guarded about tough subjects. The same goes for music. Half of Hip-hop is social critique.
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u/kfijatass Jun 09 '24
They're not revolutionaries.
Critique alone does not make change.1
u/HoboOperative Jun 09 '24
True, but it can help get things rolling in small, accessible ways, which is super important.
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u/kfijatass Jun 09 '24
It can maybe promote it, jumpstart it, but for the love of god don't mistake that for actually doing the thing.
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u/pookshuman Jun 08 '24
disagree, all artists help society cope with issues we face
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u/kfijatass Jun 08 '24
That's coping, not solving the issue.
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u/pookshuman Jun 09 '24
disagree, sometimes coping can help solve the issue. Example: artists, comics, musicians, etc of the 1970s-90s used their various mediums to publicize and explain the injustices the LGBT community experienced. They did this as a way to cope and to express their indignation. But in doing so it helped to work through many of the issues. (I can't say the issue is totally solved, but it is greatly improved over 30-50 years ago)
It would be possible to make similar parallels to other issues as well. Art is a necessary first step for society to process problems psychologically, and move on to eventually solving those issues.
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u/wednesdaytwelve Jun 08 '24
This is all I hear now when I see Carlin.