Troubleshooting 101

When I'm faced with a network issue at home, I start with the fundamentals.  I like to start with what I call "number zero".  Because counting doesn't start at one.  It starts at nothing.  (Yes, I realize that the OSI Model starts at layer 1, but humor me for a moment.)

0.0  is it on?  Is there power?
0.1 are all the plugs connected?
0.2 are all the activity lights blinking?
0.3 try rebooting one device at a time.

The whole exercise of troubleshooting is all about isolating the cause of the problem.  You can't figure out what is truly going on if you eliminate multiples variables at the same time.  For example, if you have an engine problem, you can replace the entire engine and it will probably fix your issue.  But no one replaces an entire engine.  They figure out if it's a dead battery.  Then recharge the battery or replace it.  If that fixes the issue only temporarily, then you work backwards and figure out if the alternator is working.  If it isn't, then replace it and see if your engine problems are cured.  It takes time and it takes reasonable, analytical thinking to go through one component at a time in a given system.  You have to know what you're doing.

When I think about our environment and all the arguing and debate about whether the existence of humans and our carbon-emitting vehicles and lifestyles of consumption contributes to the problem of climate change, I think about what single variable we can isolate at a time.  Some possible choices are:
* humans
* internal combustion engines
* plant life (forests, vegetation, etc)
* fossil fuels

Eliminate the existence of each, one at a time and figure out if it improves the situation of climate change.  It's really simple.  (Simple doesn't mean it's easy.)

Well, none of those are viable to isolate in any reasonable time frame.  Then the debate goes back to one semi-viable option: reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.  And then one side says "No. No! No!!  It won't work.  You're wrong.  It's a stupid idea."
But the alternative is to stay on the course we are on without any other variables to isolate.  We can always re-instate the use of fossil fuels.  That's easy.  Rather than having a negative response, how about trying it out and seeing what happens?  I bet the side that wants to eliminate the use of fossil fuels won't be mad if they turn out to be wrong.  They will just have to figure out what the next variable is to isolate.

According to the article below, we're pretty much fucked. 

One day we won't have any other choice but to swap our planet for another one.
Elon and many others think Mars is the only choice.
I wish I could be around in a thousand years to see what we end up doing.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/07/climate-change-earth-too-hot-for-humans.html