Donate highly effective charities https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/2/13/21132013/climat...
Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?
31–40 of 160 posts
Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?
#32Ignore the crunchy comments saying don't eat meat, don't have kids, and don't drive. You have no impact as a consumer or influencer. What you can do is: * a) find someone working on climate change, and help write software for them part-time as a volunteer * b) brainstorm an idea for a site/app, and build it yourself (and of course post it to HN) * c) quit your job, join an organization focused on climate change, and…
Not having kids would help a lot in reducing future emissions and pollution though. Would reduce consumption. Bill Burr put it quite succinctly: “that’s not a family photo; it’s an environmental disaster and you’ve framed it!” [0] --- [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wq_edHqpdA
The tough part with these arguments is that's it's not "if you didn't have kids", rather, it's "if a very large number of people didn't have kids".
If a small group of like-minded people decide to not have kids in the name of the planet, the effect would probably pale in comparison to the masses that don't hear and/or don't care about these climate change messages. I imagine the "real" solution would have to be one that doesn't require people to willingly change their way of life.
Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?
#33I don't think my skills are super applicable to working on climate change directly, so instead I work for big tech and donate to charities from this list. https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/12/2/20976180/climat...
If you're not totally set on doing direct work for climate change, you could consider a similar strategy. In my case, I think it's probably more impactful than I could be if I tried to pivot into a climate-related career.
Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?
#34To those who suggest "don't have kids": if everyone who cares about saving the planet followed your advice, what would the voting population look like a couple decades from now? I say instead, have children and raise them to be the kind of ethical, courageous, well-educated leaders our future so desperately needs.
> To those who suggest "don't have kids" I would also accept "pay people to not have kids", similar to how some countries pay people to have kids [1] [2] [3] [4]. Not having kids has value, and hence those who choose not to should be compensated appropriately. EDIT: @EForEndeavour: People who have children receive tax credits and benefits simply for having them (US centric) and their future impacts are externalities.…
In a way, people are already "paid" not to have kids, since kids consume enormous amounts of time and money.
Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?
#35don't procreate. stop eating meat. vote.
> don’t procreate This is stupid. Choosing to not have a kid will have absolutely no effect on climate change and would make life less fulfilling.
The data shows children don't necessarily make life more fulfilling.
https://ifstudies.org/blog/does-having-children-make-people-...
Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?
#36You'll probably make the biggest impact by working at a hedge fund and use your excess disposable income to lobby for change
True but nobody wants to hear it.
Hell of a lot more effective than punishing yourself to reduce global meat consumption by .00000001% .
Or just come to terms with the fact that for good or bad you just don't matter and try to live your life without doing unnecessary excessive harm.
Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?
#37To those who suggest "don't have kids": if everyone who cares about saving the planet followed your advice, what would the voting population look like a couple decades from now? I say instead, have children and raise them to be the kind of ethical, courageous, well-educated leaders our future so desperately needs.
what about heavily promoting contraception?
Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?
#38Stop eating meat, eggs, and dairy. No ocean cruises. Limit flying. Look up "effective altruism" and find some recommended charities to donate to.
Eggs, really? How does a significant portion of my food coming from grazing backyard chickens, and not transported thousands of miles, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions?
Do you think that is the case with the overwhelming majority of people?
Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?
#39Climate change can't be fought on a personal level. That's just propaganda to shift responsibility onto the individual consumer and there are plenty of bleeding hearts out there that eat it up and conjure up guilt for something out of their control on a macro level
Fine, but a cultural shift away from eating meat for 3 meals a day would have a big impact and how does that happen except at an individual level?
Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?
#40The comments here seem to think that children raised by what appears to be an intelligent, service-minded individual will not be a net asset in addressing the problems the future holds. I disagree.