Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

What You Can Do About Climate Change

nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 119 posts

Re: What You Can Do About Climate Change

#71

Post by _rpd »

daxfohl wrote: post #35

Wasn't there just an article here about how the 15 largest cargo ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world? So I don't think the answer to solve climate change is to buy two tons of product that has been transported on those ships. I'd love to know what the real answer is, but it seems not much an individual can do about it.

Sea transport is about 3% of global CO2 emissions, while road transport is about 17%, so it is unlikely that "the 15 largest cargo ships pollute as much as all the cars in the world."

Re: What You Can Do About Climate Change

#72

Post by cperciva »

bitwize wrote: post #67

Since ships are much bigger polluters than cars, a better thing to do would be to buy local exclusively. Governments could impose huge tariffs on imported goods (something Trump would certainly not mind). While we're at it we should probably ban mass production, too, tear down our cities and replace them with farming communes wherein everything people consume or use is produced sustainably from the local environment.…

Ships release more sulphur oxides than cars, but vastly less CO2.

Re: What You Can Do About Climate Change

#73

Post by NickM »

"What can I do to reduce my emissions" is the wrong question to ask, because most people don't care that much about reducing their impact. Even if everyone who cares could somehow cut out 100% of their emissions, it would only make a small dent in the problem. Trying to get everyone to make sacrifices and take personal responsibility is just not going to cut it.

But this doesn't mean the situation is hopeless! Renewables are quickly becoming cheaper than fossil fuels. Battery prices are falling rapidly, enabling cheaper electric cars, as well as cost-effective stationary storage facilities. There are startups that are trying to make plant-based meat substitutes that taste better than real meat and cost less. These are all scalable solutions; even someone who cares nothing for the planet would rather have lower energy costs, or a sexier car, or a cheaper, tastier burger. if we want long-term sustainability, we have to build and promote these kinds of alternatives.

If you want to make a difference, don't worry about what your immediate, personal impact to the environment is: one person's impact is negligible. Worry about what sorts of technological development you're funding.

Or worry about what sort of politicians you're supporting. If all the people who bought a Prius in the last ten years had bought a cheaper non-hybrid, and instead spent that extra money lobbying for better emissions standards, I bet you that would have made a way bigger difference in the end.

Re: What You Can Do About Climate Change

#74

Post by moxious »

bitwize wrote: post #67

Since ships are much bigger polluters than cars, a better thing to do would be to buy local exclusively. Governments could impose huge tariffs on imported goods (something Trump would certainly not mind). While we're at it we should probably ban mass production, too, tear down our cities and replace them with farming communes wherein everything people consume or use is produced sustainably from the local environment.…

While I agree society needs to change, this vision of how it should change -- fewer globalized goods, no mass production, and so on -- well if that's my only option I'll take the climate change thanks. It's going to be dangerous for people, but so is what you suggest, seeing as how modern people owe a lot of their health and life enjoyment to the things you'd ban.

Re: What You Can Do About Climate Change

#75

Post by ThomPete »

jcoffland wrote: post #56
ThomPete wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not driving is not an option in many cases. Starting to bike doesn't solve climate change problems. Not sure how you would plant a raspberry tree in a New York apartment. There is very little the normal person can do about climate change without radically changing the way they live their lives and thats just not an option for most people.

Not driving is always an option. What if fuel cost $10,000 a gallon? Would you still drive? No, you'd figure something else out. You would convince your boss to let you telecommute, you'd take the train, bike or walk. Or you would find another job.

thats the thing though fuel would never be regulated to cost $10k a gallon the economy would get killed along with the political careers of those who voted it through.

Re: What You Can Do About Climate Change

#76

Post by wazoox »

nawitus wrote: post #10

I thought the best single thing was going vegan. Anyway, I sometimes think it's quite funny how my own lifestyle is so much more green than the average "green" person. I don't have children, I don't own or drive a car, I only use public transporation, 99% of which runs on electricity. I'm vegan, I haven't been on an airplane for like maybe 4 or 5 years. I live in a modern, energy efficient and small apartment. I buy…

Actually, I'm pretty sure vegans need many energy-intensive or non-local complements or alternatives to simple, local animal products providing essential nutrients like eggs or butter (avocado, or almonds for instance, are almost everywhere terrible from an environmental point of view). Vegetarian is certainly better for the planet; vegan is probably hardly better if not worse.

For instance having a couple of hens in your backyard may be exploitative in your book, but it provides a rich, free source of food (several hundred eggs every year), while consuming all of your food remains, vegetables peels, rotten fruits etc. in the most efficient way imaginable. And the hens would be perfectly happy and not harmed in any way, as long as they have reasonable space with some grass and a bush to peck around.

Re: What You Can Do About Climate Change

#77

Post by mnm1 »

exergy wrote: post #69
mnm1 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know anyone that wants to live 25 miles from work. But almost everyone I know cannot afford to live closer and wants to. I'd love to live in the city. Too bad it's completely unaffordable, even at 3x the median income. This particular solution you have provided is also a solution only the upper class can employ, just like the one in the article. Wind turbines and nuclear reactors: now we're finally getting so…

I disagree that this is an avenue open only to the upper class [1]. Not everyone can do everything, sure (if you're working two jobs, for example, the climate can rightly go fuck itself) but a lot of people can do a lot more. I also disagree that they are insignificant drops in the bucket. The point I'm trying to make is that "culture" is infuriatingly hand-wavy and difficult to quantify, but it matters. As an exampl…

Great. Give me a 2bdm/2ba apt in Manhattan for less than $1700 and I'll give up my car completely too. You're just proving my point for me.

Re: What You Can Do About Climate Change

#79

Post by badosu »

ThomPete wrote: post #62
badosu wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe you're underestimating how human culture can change in few years, specially when you consider the rising economical impact of climate change...

i dont think i am. humans have mostly changed because technology allowed them to. its those large progresses which gave us new opportunities to change. Edit: why the down vote? care to qualify rather than going trough all my comments you dont like and downvote them whoever you are?

I did not downvote you, but I can point out that your focus on technology as the single most important factor in human behavior change may be oversimplistic.

Re: What You Can Do About Climate Change

#80

Post by toomuchtodo »

ThomPete wrote: post #48
toomuchtodo wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Short comment, but entirely true. The cost decline curve of solar and wind has been stupid : Wind is below 2 cents/kwh unsubsidized, solar still around 6-8 cents/kwh unsubsidized; natural gas is destroying the demand for coal, and renewables are destroying demand for nuclear. As renewable deployments accelerate, they will push out natural gas generation (along with cheaper battery storage). Electric vehicles are here…

storage haven't been solved and a large part of the entire economy is based on debt in the fossile fuel industry. renewables are not destroying the deman for nuclear as the worlds energy demand will continue to rise quite substantially as 1 billion people enter the middle class over the next decades.

Nuclear is ~6-8 cents/kWh, which wind and solar already beat, regardless of capacity factor.
Post reply on HN