Earlier quoted context omitted.
Northern latitudes will be less affected.
Hundreds of millions in the southern latitudes will (understandably) move north.
Thank God for Brexit
1500 Private Jets Fly to Davos for Climate Talks
51–60 of 168 posts
Re: 1500 Private Jets Fly to Davos for Climate Talks
#52Unpopular Opinion: There is no viable solution to climate change through policy or political action. No one wants to give up their own personal comfort or lifestyle for the sake of "the planet." Even people I know who are self-described ardent environmentalists still fly in planes frequently to all manner of touristy destinations so they can keep "collecting experiences." Shit, look at Paris. They champion this clima…
There's a pretty simple, viable solution.
Carbon taxes.
Yes, it's hard to get 195 countries to agree to implement a carbon tax, but you could have said the same thing about the ozone layer / CFC problem.
Re: 1500 Private Jets Fly to Davos for Climate Talks
#53I don't feel that articles like that contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way. Sure it's fun to point out that politicians are all hypocrits, but it doesn't help anybody at all. There are two possibilities: a) Private Jets are an important source of pollution. Then we should complain about private jets all the time, not just when we want to smear the people who use them to travel to climate talks. b) Or priva…
Though I agree with your quantitative impact approach, there is also a “do as I say not as I do” attitude at stake that I find hard to swallow.
Re: 1500 Private Jets Fly to Davos for Climate Talks
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
I thought to myself: "Someone who cared could probably have got a train from most of Europe to Davos!" Then I thought about the sort of people that go to these things, and how long the train takes. They're oh so terribly important (sarcasm), that they simply cannot afford the time lost by traveling in anything other than a jet. And that I think is the problem - from the Davos-attendee right down to you and I with our…
Many companies bought a security and business continuity review and as a result the CEO must fly personal jet.
They must? But who decided, exactly? Should they really be in charge if their decisions are bad for everyone? Shouldn't the people have the last word on such matter -- in a democracy at least?
Re: 1500 Private Jets Fly to Davos for Climate Talks
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
We need systemic change because there’s demand for what these companies are producing. For example there can be subsidies, or at least an end to oil subsidies!
Are there oil subsidies? I thought there was a Federal tax on gas...the opposite of subsidies?
Depending on what you consider a direct subsidy, the US subsidizes fossil fuels to the tune of $5-15 billion per year. There was a study that came out claiming that around half of US oil production is only profitable because of these subsidies.
Re: 1500 Private Jets Fly to Davos for Climate Talks
#56I don't feel that articles like that contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way. Sure it's fun to point out that politicians are all hypocrits, but it doesn't help anybody at all. There are two possibilities: a) Private Jets are an important source of pollution. Then we should complain about private jets all the time, not just when we want to smear the people who use them to travel to climate talks. b) Or priva…
This sounds like a variation of the "individual actions are too insignificant to matter" excuse for personal irresponsibility.
All the small categories of climate sins can be trivialized when considered one by one, but they make up the whole.
Re: 1500 Private Jets Fly to Davos for Climate Talks
#57Unpopular Opinion: There is no viable solution to climate change through policy or political action. No one wants to give up their own personal comfort or lifestyle for the sake of "the planet." Even people I know who are self-described ardent environmentalists still fly in planes frequently to all manner of touristy destinations so they can keep "collecting experiences." Shit, look at Paris. They champion this clima…
It won't be an extinction event, it will be a gradual decline where the global poor suffer and die by the millions. "People will need to move" is not a realistic solution for massive amounts of people; they will starve, and drown.
It's not happening because your friends fly to Burning Man, it's happening because global corporations are seeking profit above all else. Climate change cannot be combatted while capitalism is tolerated; we would need a global state that dictates what industries are allowed to do. So in that sense, you're right. It's never going to happen. Enjoy your life and don't have kids.
Re: 1500 Private Jets Fly to Davos for Climate Talks
#58Also: "Just 90 companies caused two-thirds of man-made global warming emissions" https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/20/90-compa... Individual behavior obviously matters but it's a drop in the bucket compared to corporate polluters.
Aren't the customers of those companies also culpable?
YES.
I really dislike the insinuation that all those companies could voluntarily change their behavior and stay in business. There's no incentive for them to eat the cost of that negative externality, and their competition would immediately come along and take their customers by offering the same products at a cheaper price. We are the ones buying the cheap crap. It's cheap, we want it, so we buy it. Those companies might be enabling us, but if they didn't provide it, another one would step in.
This is why regulation is so important vs. pure advocacy and technology solutions. Consumers are buying things without paying for the harm that product inflicts on the environment.
Re: 1500 Private Jets Fly to Davos for Climate Talks
#59Unpopular Opinion: There is no viable solution to climate change through policy or political action. No one wants to give up their own personal comfort or lifestyle for the sake of "the planet." Even people I know who are self-described ardent environmentalists still fly in planes frequently to all manner of touristy destinations so they can keep "collecting experiences." Shit, look at Paris. They champion this clima…
[deleted]
Re: 1500 Private Jets Fly to Davos for Climate Talks
#60Unpopular Opinion: There is no viable solution to climate change through policy or political action. No one wants to give up their own personal comfort or lifestyle for the sake of "the planet." Even people I know who are self-described ardent environmentalists still fly in planes frequently to all manner of touristy destinations so they can keep "collecting experiences." Shit, look at Paris. They champion this clima…
There's a pretty simple, viable solution. Carbon taxes. Yes, it's hard to get 195 countries to agree to implement a carbon tax, but you could have said the same thing about the ozone layer / CFC problem.
Simple yes. viable, no. Tyrannical, yes.