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Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss

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Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss

#21

Post by bloopernova »

throwaway5752 wrote: post #8
bloopernova wrote: post #4

I wish I could adequately apologize to my Stepdaughter about the climate disaster. She's almost 20 and will have to live the majority of her life dealing with the effects of the collective acts of human stupidity over the past 200+ years. I want to sponsor planting trees, but I worry that we're doing far too little, far too late.

"I want to sponsor planting trees" ... why aren't you, then? Taking personal steps towards improving things is by far the best thing you can do for your personal feelings of guilt. It won't solve the bigger issues. But collective behavior is built on lots of independent individual action.

See my response to another comment like yours. It's easy to convince myself I'm helpless, and your comment combined with the other one have smacked me around a bit and made me re-examine what I can do today.

Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss

#22

Post by throwaway5752 »

strooper wrote: post #10

From “Climate Change: How Do We Know” from NASA, mentioned in this article, there is a carbon level rise and fall graph which looks almost periodic. Perhaps the previous cases of cause and effect help us to be aware of the present situation? For example- Do we know what took the carbon dioxide level high during 400000 and 320000 years ago, aftermath and things that brought the level down eventually in next few thousa…

Look at it overlayed with this graphic of ice ages: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age#/media/File:Ice_Age_Te...

Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss

#23

Post by bloopernova »

input_sh wrote: post #17
bloopernova wrote: post #4

I wish I could adequately apologize to my Stepdaughter about the climate disaster. She's almost 20 and will have to live the majority of her life dealing with the effects of the collective acts of human stupidity over the past 200+ years. I want to sponsor planting trees, but I worry that we're doing far too little, far too late.

So it's better to just do nothing? We're fucked, but at least have your conscience clean. Anything helps: eat less meat, plant some trees, start recycling, bike to work, refuse single-use plastic, sacrifice a little bit of your personal convenience for the benefit of the planet. Do anything you weren't doing until today. Nobody will save the planet on their own, but a large swath of people doing one single thing is b…

Thank you. I've been scolded a bit by the replies here, so I know I need to examine what I'm not doing and remedy that.

Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss

#24

Post by test1235 »

CalRobert wrote: post #7
bloopernova wrote: post #4

I wish I could adequately apologize to my Stepdaughter about the climate disaster. She's almost 20 and will have to live the majority of her life dealing with the effects of the collective acts of human stupidity over the past 200+ years. I want to sponsor planting trees, but I worry that we're doing far too little, far too late.

I want to find a way to spend the majority of my time fighting this. That means paid work, unfortunately, because I'm not rich enough to retire. Do you have any idea how I, or anyone else, can do this?

It doesn't have to be a majority of your time - just do what you can, it's better than not doing anything.

Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss

#25

Post by RobertRoberts »

alexandercrohde wrote: post #18
throwaway5752 wrote: post #2

This is a really good article. It touches on the global denial, the gross generational inequality of the status quo, and acknowledges the personal mental health difficulty in trying to accept what the human race has done. It's also pragmatic and talks about what's being done. Very worthwhile reading in its entirety.

Agreed. It really touches on the emotional aspects of it, which I think really need to be discussed. When I picture why certain family members have a hard time accepting the reality of global warming, it certainly comes down to difficulty grappling with emotions, not a hard review of the literature. Recognizing emotions as part of the problem and solution feels like a big step.

>Recognizing emotions as part of the problem and solution feels like a big step.

I think this is actually the worst thing we can do. Science is facts, cold hard facts.

If you want to get rid of the science and focus on emotions, then the solutions to the _real_ problem will get distorted.

Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss

#26

Post by orange-juice »

daenz wrote: post #9

I'm of the belief that the only thing that will accomplish the goals set out by those who care at the level of the author is actual, literal, worldwide fascism. And I also believe that climate-agnostic entities (who don't care one way or another) will be waiting in the wings opportunistically as people start to call for that fascism.

[flagged]

Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss

#28

Post by throwaway5752 »

bloopernova wrote: post #21
throwaway5752 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I want to sponsor planting trees" ... why aren't you, then? Taking personal steps towards improving things is by far the best thing you can do for your personal feelings of guilt. It won't solve the bigger issues. But collective behavior is built on lots of independent individual action.

See my response to another comment like yours. It's easy to convince myself I'm helpless, and your comment combined with the other one have smacked me around a bit and made me re-examine what I can do today.

I have a similar situation, and individual action and contributing to collective action (donations to groups, low level advocacy) has helped with the feeling of guilt. It's how large level change will happen, too.

There is a technical ability to save this. There is a long way to go in a relatively short time to create the necessary awareness and accept the necessary "sacrifices".

Thanks for the reply, and I'm really happy to hear that.

Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss

#29

Post by RobertRoberts »

CalRobert wrote: post #11
daenz wrote: post #9

I'm of the belief that the only thing that will accomplish the goals set out by those who care at the level of the author is actual, literal, worldwide fascism. And I also believe that climate-agnostic entities (who don't care one way or another) will be waiting in the wings opportunistically as people start to call for that fascism.

Why is that? Also, I detest fascism - but devil's advocate - is fascism worse than literal extinction?

Lebensraum ("living space") [0] was an argument used to justify the same thing. We don't have enough room for everyone...

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebensraum

Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss

#30

Post by Mikeb85 »

RonaldSchleifer wrote: post #16

[flagged]

> hold China and India responsible for their wildly outsized levels of pollution once you control for their per capita contribution to humanity

China and India contribute 4-10 times less CO2 per capita than the US.

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