In "No Good Alternative: Volume Two of Carbon Ideologies," William T. Vollmann explores the implications of an uncertain future shaped by environmental concerns and the inevitability of death. He suggests that as long as the grim realities of our existence remain obscured by distractions or ignorance, we can avoid confronting the harsh truths surrounding climate change and mortality.

Vollmann's quote highlights a human tendency to ignore uncomfortable realities until they become unavoidable. The hot, dark future he envisions symbolizes the consequences of inaction, while the hidden presence of death serves as a reminder of our mortality and the urgency of addressing the issues we often choose to overlook.