November 30, 2016 - 20:47
One idea that Latour proposes is “how can we simultaneously be part of such a long history, have such an important influence, and yet be so late in realizing what has happened and so utterly impotent in our attempts to fix it”(1). He emphasizes how unware of how rapidly our environment is changing and how puzzled people are at trying to come up with solutions.
Another idea is how people live in denial. “[Scientists will be] condemned to remain silent by all those who are in denial about the behavior of the Earth”(2). Furthermore he discusses how so “many people are now ridiculing the discovery of the new- also very old- agitated and sensitive Earth, to the point of being in denial about this large body of science”(3).
Lastly, Latour writes, “The slightest movement of any one planet has immediate effects on all the others, whose reactions act unhindered on the first… the Earth comprehends, in a way, the point of view of the other bodies since it must reverberate with the events of the whole system”(6). Any event can have a significant impact on Earth which is why people must learn to treat the Earth with care.
It does not really sound as if Latour is offering advice to fix this so given all the points he has made what can be suggested to fix this issue?