Ask HN: How can I, a programmer, help with the fight against climate change?

#1

Post by narush » Mon, Aug 09, 2021, 1:41 AM UTC

Hey HN. I'm a (somewhat) competent programmer looking to put my free time to better use then watching whatever the YouTube algorithm decides to feed me. Specifically, I'd like to do my part in taking active steps to help fight climate change.

I do stuff outside of programming for the environment (not as much as I'd like, but that's a bit of a separate issue), but I'm wondering if anyone here has thoughts on ways I can use my skills to contribute a cause that is matters a bit more.

I've considered contributing to OS projects - but I have no idea what might be impactful and useful to the world generally. Anyone have thoughts on projects / specific ways I can put my free time to use programming in this direction?

Thanks for any thoughts :)

Re: Ask HN: How can I, a programmer, help with the fight against climate change?

#2

Post by smt88 » Mon, Aug 09, 2021, 1:49 AM UTC

Only governments can stop climate change. Individuals can't and for-profit businesses won't.

The most impactful thing you can do is help political organizers pressure politicians to make better decisions.

Unfortunately, it's very hard to do this part-time as a volunteer. Very few orgs will accept free help from part-timers.

You could try to get a software job with a pro-environment lobby or with a legal group like Environmental Defense Fund.

Re: Ask HN: How can I, a programmer, help with the fight against climate change?

#3

Post by spenrose » Mon, Aug 09, 2021, 2:02 AM UTC

Consider getting a full-time job at a climate focused company. There are literally dozens of good ones. climate base.org is a good starting point.

Re: Ask HN: How can I, a programmer, help with the fight against climate change?

#4

Post by spenrose » Mon, Aug 09, 2021, 2:04 AM UTC

smt88 wrote: post #2

Only governments can stop climate change. Individuals can't and for-profit businesses won't. The most impactful thing you can do is help political organizers pressure politicians to make better decisions. Unfortunately, it's very hard to do this part-time as a volunteer. Very few orgs will accept free help from part-timers. You could try to get a software job with a pro-environment lobby or with a legal group like En…

This comment is refuted by the dozens of clean energy and clean XXX companies currently doing great work and hiring.

Re: Ask HN: How can I, a programmer, help with the fight against climate change?

#5

Post by josephcsible » Mon, Aug 09, 2021, 2:30 AM UTC

You can reduce the electricity that computers need by pushing back against the trend to use the bloated resource-hog that is Electron for every new desktop app, and writing actual native apps instead.

Re: Ask HN: How can I, a programmer, help with the fight against climate change?

#6

Post by unearth3d » Mon, Aug 09, 2021, 2:31 AM UTC

XR, Greenpeace or Sea Sheppard would be valuable routes. You need something with scale otherwise you have no effect.

Re: Ask HN: How can I, a programmer, help with the fight against climate change?

#7

Post by paulcole » Mon, Aug 09, 2021, 2:38 AM UTC

Get involved politically. This is the only way to change anything, but it’s extremely unlikely you’ll have any effect.

Next, as an individual who’s likely richer than average (as a programmer on HN) and has the ability to do these things:

1. Don’t have biological children.

2. Don’t eat meat.

3. Don’t drive a car.

4. Don’t fly in planes.

5. Don’t buy things you don’t really need.

6. Live in small/dense housing.

Re: Ask HN: How can I, a programmer, help with the fight against climate change?

#8

Post by aiscapehumanity » Mon, Aug 09, 2021, 2:39 AM UTC

I put it like this, >>the emergence and quality of electric cars >>the proliferation of nuclear technologies(fission, fusion) >>the rise of solar, hydro, wind >>Nearly anything related to space in a way that isn't just telemetry but exploration, production, transportation, infrastructure(because, say if you wanted to make orbital solar array, thats one way, or generally move things that may exploit/pollute the earth off-world to much more sterile environments) >>enrivronmental chemistry technologies (co2 scrubbing, or oceanic deacidification etc). If you can find a computational niche there i think that is a way to bring coding to the table.

Re: Ask HN: How can I, a programmer, help with the fight against climate change?

#9

Post by runawaybottle » Mon, Aug 09, 2021, 2:45 AM UTC

I don’t think people know how to count carbon footprint the same way we know how to count calories. We’d need a database for every food, social activity, economic activity, etc.

Buying this device = 100 calories (you get the idea).

Then once we can measure that, we all have to go on a serious diet.

AR can’t come fast enough, as I’d really love just see this data by looking at something.

Re: Ask HN: How can I, a programmer, help with the fight against climate change?

#10

Post by foobarbaz33 » Mon, Aug 09, 2021, 2:46 AM UTC

Programming is especially well suited for remote work. Avoiding a commute in your car is likely the most impactful contribution you can make in relation to your software skills.