Scott Alexander examines the increasing use of 'justice' framing in social and environmental issues, exploring its implications and potential societal impact. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the trend of framing various social and environmental issues as matters of 'justice,' such as 'economic justice,' 'climate justice,' and 'racial justice.' He argues that this semantic shift from 'helping' or 'saving' to 'justice' carries different implications and connotations. The post explores how the justice framing might suggest current conditions are unjust, imply an obligation to pursue justice, and potentially conflate sophisticated philosophical concepts with criminal justice connotations. Scott also posits that this shift might reflect a transition from utopian to dystopian thinking in society. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander maintains a list of significant mistakes in his blog posts, providing corrections and updates in reverse chronological order. Longer summary

Scott Alexander maintains a list of significant mistakes he has made in his blog posts, providing corrections and updates. He acknowledges errors in data interpretation, misunderstandings of studies, incorrect predictions, and instances where he changed his mind based on new evidence or reader feedback. The list is presented in reverse chronological order and covers a wide range of topics including medicine, economics, psychology, and social issues. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the fate of 1990s environmental concerns, finding a mix of solved problems, exaggerated issues, and ongoing challenges that have faded from public attention. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on the environmental concerns of the 1990s, examining what happened to issues like air and water pollution, acid rain, rainforest deforestation, endangered species, landfill space, peak resource, and whale conservation. He finds that some problems were solved, some were exaggerated, and others continue but receive less attention. The post explores why certain environmental issues fade from public consciousness, considering factors like problem-solving, alarmism, shifting focus to climate change, and changes in societal attitudes. Shorter summary