Nobody mention population.
Do you propose reducing the population to zero over the next twenty years? If not then you don't solve the problem.
Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss
91–100 of 225 posts
Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
No. We will only change faster once the situation becomes dire (crop failures, heat waves you can’t fight with AC, roads and bridges failing from the heat), and there will be much suffering due to the delay. Prepare yourself if you can.
I don't blame you for this because you're probably in the US, and probably not in agriculture, but we are having crop failures. In the US. Massive ones. It's not just heatwaves, but increased thunderstorm sizes (hail) and increase rainfall during vulnerable planting and harvesting periods. A lot of this spring was washed out in parts of the US Midwest. Globally, it's much worse. People are showing up from Central Ame…
I should’ve been more specific. Crop failures where middle class Americans start to starve. Society is nine meals away from revolution. Keep a close eye on US grain reserves and other ag indicators.
I agree with your points that crops are already failing. It just hasn’t impact the first world middle class yet.
Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss
#93I'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.
I'm much more worried by that kind of extremism than by climate change itself. Climate change could well kill us all, but at least we'll die free.
Being dead is permanent. Being unfree can be changed.
Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss
#94Nobody mention population.
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Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss
#95I'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.
Instead of fascism you could opt for any ideology that leads to conflict and war that has a gigantic death toll. Fascism isn't really known for sudden deindustrialization and everyone becoming flower hippies though. But at that point I would opt for letting climate change hit. In the absence of catastrophic events we will need more energy today than we needed yesterday. So either we find a solution to increasing need…
”In the absence of catastrophic events we will need more energy today than we needed yesterday.”
In developed economies, this hasn’t been true in recent years.
Energy use (electricity, gas, coal, etc) peaked during the 2000s and has been mainly in decline since, despite economic and population growth.
Through improved technology, we have been able to extract more economic value from less energy. Hopefully this trend will continue.
Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss
#96Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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.
> China and India contribute 4-10 times less CO2 per capita than the US. And rising, fast. Besides that, the planet doesn't care about per capita numbers.
The planet also doesn't care about countries. Per capita seems to be the fairest comparison that one can make.
Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Science is facts, cold hard facts. How do you figure?
How I "feel" about a scientific result is irrelevant to the result. (ie, if I am mad or happy, it doesn't _affect_ the result) Therefore feelings are irrelevant to both the scientific process and the results found from using it.
It does not follow, for either result or the process. For example, whether or not a scientist or you feels like a result is relevant or interesting is crucial to the scientific process.
Have you ever met a scientist in their element? They are passionate, mercurial creatures who will bitterly feud as well as sing the highest praise about their work. This seems to be integral to the process. Curiosity is a feeling, too.
I think you're idealizing science and I don't even think your ideal is a particularly useful aspiration for scientific activity.
Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss
#98I'm sure the emotions are genuine, but articles like this leave me with a sense that those concerned are waiting for others (especially "leaders") to make something happen. They want electric cars to be mandated so they can continue their addiction to the automobile despite the severe environmental effects of car culture regardless of the fuel source. They want government to force companies to develop carbon neutral…
The trouble is, making sacrifices for yourself, as a voluntary moral choice, and just expecting other people to do the same is not going to be a successful strategy, because you're up against human nature itself.
Any pragmatic strategy to reduce the impact of climate change must start with international cooperation. From the point of view of the USA, this must start with a new administration. Then, with this cooperation we could find actions not strictly rooted in dreamy idealism, including enforcing the changes in lifestyle you mention at scale. (Through agreements, tariffs, etc.) A real global strategy also needs to involve some very bitter pills and compromises, e.g. taking a fresh look at nuclear, geoengineering research, and having the hard conversations about global population growth in emerging countries, and what people will do in the vast regions of the world which won't be habitable for much longer.
Any other strategy is just wishful thinking, and avoiding the cold hard facts. And the facts on this will catch up. All the trees you can plant or the most frugal lifestyle you are capable of will make precisely zero difference if it isn't based on global cooperation. Andrew Yang in the most recent democratic debate was right: a lot of the damage is already done and some of the discussion needs to be about how we can move to higher ground.
Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss
#99Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm much more worried by that kind of extremism than by climate change itself. Climate change could well kill us all, but at least we'll die free.
Being dead is permanent. Being unfree can be changed.
Yes, by moving to another planet for the opponents, good luck with that...
Re: Yes, I’m Feeling Bad About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss
#100I'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.
I think a huge cultural change is definitely possible. Residents of India, for example, eat 3% of the meat that people in America [1]. A lot of it is because India is poorer, but a lot of it is due to cultural differences as well.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_meat_cons...