Humanity likes to identify future potential problems that aren't today's problems and then develop solutions for the potential problems and the "solutions" create real problems that lead to more problems.
Carbon Emissions:
If the goal is to minimize carbon emissions from Earth, then eliminating humanity could accomplish that, to some degree. But, most common sense minds would agree , that doesn't mean that we should eliminate Humanity to reduce carbon emissions.
Life expectancy
To eliminate deaths, all one needs to do is eliminate life, but again, that would appear to be nonsensical.
Waste
To eliminate waste, all production should be eliminated, but that is not really a solution, it creates a problem.
Social differences
To eliminate differences, we could homogenize humanity, remove gender, and force conformity, but not only is that ridiculous, but it would eliminate science and the search for what we di not know.
There's a lot that we could do, but does that mean we should actually do it?
What's the imaginary purpose?
What is the end result sought? Is it perfection? Is it holiness? Is it sameness? Is it econonic power? Is it control? Solving imaginary problems without a real purpose is hardly science or beneficial to anyone other than the one seeking funding to fill one's time with imaginary purpose.
Creators of problems creates purpose:
I believe we (humanity) identify potential problems, and we then create "solutions" for those pretend problems, and it is the "solutions" themselves that become tomorrow's problems, and that is what has given purpose to so many humans, an imaginary purpose of ficticious value, based on the ability to identify problems that don't exist, create "solutions" for the non-existent problems, and then the "solution" becomes the next problem.
Some call this iterative experimentation.
Some call it filling a meaningless life with imaginary purpose between life and death, without ever appreciating life itself.
Just a thought to ponder.
Have a great life!
Humanity does to identify future potential problems, and as our technology has improved, has been fairly successful at preventing them from evolving into existential crises. Despite all the apocalyptic narratives of the mass media through modern times, collectively the human race has done really well by all significant indicators ( spend some quality time moving the time sliders on https://ourworldindata.org/ ). Our ability to identify problems, even the most minor, has vastly increased, along with modeling to extrapolate future trends. You don't give an example of an 'imaginary' 'pretend' problems, but all interventions to a system create side effects, sometimes negative ( unintended consequences ), but progress on the real ones has been evident. As to generating any 'meaning', human beings are social animals at all scales, so aside from psychopaths and sociopaths, generally feel a sense of well being when adequately provisioned at all levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs ).
The "paradox of solving problems" refers to the idea that while solving problems is generally seen as positive and beneficial, it can also lead to unintended consequences or new challenges. This paradox highlights the complex and interconnected nature of systems, where addressing one issue can sometimes give rise to new problems or exacerbate existing ones.
Here are a few aspects of this paradox:
To navigate this paradox, it's important to adopt a holistic and systemic perspective when addressing problems. This includes considering potential long-term effects, analyzing interactions within systems, and being prepared to adapt solutions as conditions change. Additionally, collaboration, interdisciplinary approaches, and careful evaluation of possible consequences are essential to minimize the negative aspects of the paradox and maximize positive outcomes.