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Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

reuters.com

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Re: Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

#51

Post by s917 »

cconcepts wrote: post #9

I have no doubt that climate change is a problem. I have kids, I dont want to give them a hospital pass. I've tried to stop living such a carbon dependant lifestyle but I look outside and my efforts feel futile. How do I REALLY do something about this other than a few pretentious yet barely discomforting lifestyle changes and the odd empassioned few sentences at dinner parties? Start pushing for a carbon tax? Start a…

How much stuff do we in the west consume that originates in China, where they don't seem to give a damn about environmental controls?

And exactly how much CO2 and other chemicals are belched out by these giant container ships we use to get it all to us?

We can buy all the solar panels, wind turbines, electric cars and energy efficient washing machines we want, but until China (and probably others) starts playing ball AND we find a way to move vast quantities of stuff around without container ships we're probably fighting a losing battle.

Would it be possible to manufacture goods in the regions they're to be sold in?

edit: wordings.

Re: Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

#52

Post by zafka »

mikekchar wrote: post #46
pif wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I up-voted you because I really appreciated the concept and the form, but... > I would work very hard to learn how to be happy without apples (or at least with a tiny amount of apples). The problem is: with no apples, you can't be as happy as with apples. At least, not until the others are enjoying their apples and share the negative sides with you. It's the usual tragedy of the common, when anybody could be happier…

Actually, I can. Or perhaps not with no apples. But, I certainly use less apples... er energy... than I used to. By a lot, and I'm much happier. Warning, past this point you may think I'm a lunatic. I really am trying to see what works and what doesn't work. I've been really surprised at how much stuff I really don't want once I've gotten rid of it. I don't have a car. I hang my clothes on a line (I even went a year…

I really appreciate what you are doing. Did you have to coax your wife along this path, or was she already of a similar mind?

Re: Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

#53

Post by nathan_f77 »

cconcepts wrote: post #9

I have no doubt that climate change is a problem. I have kids, I dont want to give them a hospital pass. I've tried to stop living such a carbon dependant lifestyle but I look outside and my efforts feel futile. How do I REALLY do something about this other than a few pretentious yet barely discomforting lifestyle changes and the odd empassioned few sentences at dinner parties? Start pushing for a carbon tax? Start a…

I like your thinking. I don't there's much a regular person can do, even if you become an activist. You really have to become a salesman for climate change, you need to build up your voice and try to get CEOs and politicians to listen to you.

I feel the same way about vegetarians and vegans. You're not saving the world by eating salads or sharing the occasional thing on Facebook. You might feel better about yourself and your choices, which is great. But it's only a drop in the ocean, and won't have any effect unless you try to do something bigger. And it's actually going to help with global warming, if the world can start eating less (or no) cows and chickens.

It's certainly too big for one person to solve, but that's why people start organizations. I know it's not much, but you can start by signing this petition: http://www.stopwarming.eu/?petition=signup

Re: Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

#54

Post by hiou »

cconcepts wrote: post #9

I have no doubt that climate change is a problem. I have kids, I dont want to give them a hospital pass. I've tried to stop living such a carbon dependant lifestyle but I look outside and my efforts feel futile. How do I REALLY do something about this other than a few pretentious yet barely discomforting lifestyle changes and the odd empassioned few sentences at dinner parties? Start pushing for a carbon tax? Start a…

Stop or significantly reduce animal consumption.

Stop or significantly reduce driving.

Stop or reduce flying.

That's all there is to it. A quarter of the US does that and we meet all our targets. Stop being a wimp and suck it up and do what's right. It's very obvious and doable.

Re: Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

#55

Post by the_gastropod »

gst wrote: post #40
cconcepts wrote: post #9

I have no doubt that climate change is a problem. I have kids, I dont want to give them a hospital pass. I've tried to stop living such a carbon dependant lifestyle but I look outside and my efforts feel futile. How do I REALLY do something about this other than a few pretentious yet barely discomforting lifestyle changes and the odd empassioned few sentences at dinner parties? Start pushing for a carbon tax? Start a…

IMO the problem is that most sides in the discussion don't propose any viable solutions: On one side there are the climate change deniers (and the people who don't care about it). They are fine to continue business as usual. On the other side there are the people who are concerned about climate change. But instead of agreeing to effective solutions (compromises) that allow us to somewhat mitigate global warming (such…

There's a third that I'm familiar with, and find compelling: construction. Building a new nuclear power plant costs tens of billions of dollars (usually requiring government funding) and ~10 years from start to finish. The efficiency of wind and solar power is increasing rapidly, and in 10 years will likely be a better investment than a nuclear plant.

Re: Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

#56

Post by malka »

s917 wrote: post #51
cconcepts wrote: post #9

I have no doubt that climate change is a problem. I have kids, I dont want to give them a hospital pass. I've tried to stop living such a carbon dependant lifestyle but I look outside and my efforts feel futile. How do I REALLY do something about this other than a few pretentious yet barely discomforting lifestyle changes and the odd empassioned few sentences at dinner parties? Start pushing for a carbon tax? Start a…

How much stuff do we in the west consume that originates in China, where they don't seem to give a damn about environmental controls? And exactly how much CO2 and other chemicals are belched out by these giant container ships we use to get it all to us? We can buy all the solar panels, wind turbines, electric cars and energy efficient washing machines we want, but until China (and probably others) starts playing ball…

well, we could have nuclear container ships, I guess. May not be the best idea ever though.

Re: Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

#57

Post by Diederich »

barney54 wrote: post #28

What is frustrating about this article is that no climate scientists were caught off-guard by 2016 bring hot so far. There was a strong El Niño. Everyone saw serious heat coming months in advance.

The amount of heating is what's surprising, not the heating itself.

Re: Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

#58

Post by scarmig »

gst wrote: post #40
cconcepts wrote: post #9

I have no doubt that climate change is a problem. I have kids, I dont want to give them a hospital pass. I've tried to stop living such a carbon dependant lifestyle but I look outside and my efforts feel futile. How do I REALLY do something about this other than a few pretentious yet barely discomforting lifestyle changes and the odd empassioned few sentences at dinner parties? Start pushing for a carbon tax? Start a…

IMO the problem is that most sides in the discussion don't propose any viable solutions: On one side there are the climate change deniers (and the people who don't care about it). They are fine to continue business as usual. On the other side there are the people who are concerned about climate change. But instead of agreeing to effective solutions (compromises) that allow us to somewhat mitigate global warming (such…

I'm all for nuclear. Among people who want to mitigate climate change, there's no more dislike of nuclear than among public at large (which is to say, too much, but not an exceptional amount).

The biggest issue with nuclear is that it, by itself, is entirely insufficient to deal with the problem. And the best policy solutions to climate change--namely, a refundable carbon tax--would themselves encourage the proliferation of nuclear to the extent nuclear is actually helpful.

Re: Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

#59

Post by JWLong »

pmyjavec wrote: post #47
corecoder wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that most of your neighbours and friends would see you as the hippy idealist guy who gave up apples in vain, because while you don't use apples anymore, airplanes full of apples keep flying, apples factories and farms keep producing and consuming apples, and apples provider ads keep showing how cheap apples are. There's a sense of helplessness (learned helplessness, some would say), due to the percepti…

The word hippy and the negative connotations associated with it are fascinating to me, it's amazing how western societies have created a negative connotation to describe a person who is probably more caring, conscious and alternate thinking than your average citizen. Basically a hippy is someone guilty of 'thought crime'. It's an amazing device.

You're more than welcome to continue to be fascinated... and ineffective. Sometimes you need to come down from your moral highground to meet the enemy.

Re: Scientists caught off-guard by record temperatures linked to climate change

#60

Post by r_smart »

pmyjavec wrote: post #47
corecoder wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that most of your neighbours and friends would see you as the hippy idealist guy who gave up apples in vain, because while you don't use apples anymore, airplanes full of apples keep flying, apples factories and farms keep producing and consuming apples, and apples provider ads keep showing how cheap apples are. There's a sense of helplessness (learned helplessness, some would say), due to the percepti…

The word hippy and the negative connotations associated with it are fascinating to me, it's amazing how western societies have created a negative connotation to describe a person who is probably more caring, conscious and alternate thinking than your average citizen. Basically a hippy is someone guilty of 'thought crime'. It's an amazing device.

I used to hold an opinion of hippies similar to yours. Then 1. I watched the documentary on Woodstock and saw the disaster they made out of that place and 2. Spent a lot of time around my cousin and her friends when she was in art school. My conclusion was that hippies aren't any better or worse than other people. They suffer the same flaws as everyone else. The downside is that they seem to put forward this air of high-mindedness that rings pretty false to me.

And they have worse hygiene :)

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