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Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?

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Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?

#101

Post by bluedevil2k »

kstenerud wrote: post #41

The main issue now is how little time we have left. We're already past the tipping point, and there's about a 30-50 year horizon before it's too late to do anything at all. This means that the following are going to take too long: - "Doing your part", i.e. the regular "don't eat meat", "consume environmentally friendly things", and all those things that will only work over a horizon of 100+ years. - Accumulating a to…

I don’t think you deserve downvotes, but you’re giving the human ingenuity and technology gains too little credit to fix this in the future with your “it’s too late” apocalyptic prophecy.

Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?

#103

Post by bluedevil2k »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #35
bluedevil2k wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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-... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5222535/ https://www.pnas.org/content/111/4/1328

I was framing it in the “I want to have a kid but won’t because I want to help stop climate change”. Those people will be un-fulfilled because their individual action will not have any effect on climate change, but would affect their life tremendously.

Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?

#104

Post by probotect0r »

villmann wrote: post #94
wsc981 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

People who are consious about climate change are the kind of people who should have kids, and propagate those values. The world will be worse off if filled by mindless drones instead.

It's possible to adopt kids and still pass on those values.

Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?

#105

Post by caeril »

worstestes wrote: post #11
andrewljohnson wrote: post #9

Ignore 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…

Yeah, all of this but also — stop eating meat

I would slightly amend this:

Eat meat, but only meat that is sustainably raised. Depending on the size of your lawn, you probably can raise a couple meat or egg chickens on the natural flora/fauna in your yard and table scraps. There are CSAs that raise only pastured eggs/chicken/hogs/beef without fossil-based grain inputs.

Meat is healthy, but yes, it is fossil-intensive in the modern era. But it doesn't have to be. There are zero-fossil options.

Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?

#106

Post by eappleby »

davidjytang wrote: post #79
eappleby wrote: post #48

I feel the same way. My current company almost runs itself, so I've been spending a lot of time exploring ways I can help with climate change. Here is what I have been doing: * Reading a lot! I recommend Bill Gates' "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster" and Paul Hawken's "Drawdown". The path to zero carbon emissions seems impossible, but the more I read, the more the solutions seem intertwined, which gives me hope. * Wri…

My cousin installs solar panels mostly for SMB's manufacturing plants or warehouses with large roof space. His company pays them either 1) rent for the roof or 2) share the revenue on electricity sold. This kind of business is popular in my country where we get lots of sun shine and lots of SMBs. Interested in hearing more about the idea you are vetting.

In some states, there are solar farms that people and businesses can "subscribe" to that allow them to purchase solar credits that they can use to reduce their own energy bills. The way these credits are passed are through something called virtual net metering.

My idea is to allow homeowners to sell their excess inventory using virtual net metering. At least in NY, energy companies buy the excess solar inventory from homeowners at the end of the year, but it is at slightly more than the wholesale price of the energy, which is less than half of the true cost on someone's energy bill.

My hope is that if a homeowner could capture 100% of the value that their solar panels generate, they would be encouraged to maximize the number of solar panels they add to their home. Otherwise, homeowners tend to limit the number of panels they add to the amount of energy they expect to use, which adds complexity since the amount of energy someone uses can vary over time.

I still need to understand a lot more on how virtual net metering works, but that's the crux of it.

Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?

#107

Post by throwacherry »

bluedevil2k wrote: post #100
birksherty wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> in comparison to the masses that don't hear and/or don't care about these By that logic anything you do is useless. But personally not having own kid is the single most effective thing anyone can do. People can just adopt instead.

This is SUCH a stupid comment, man. Not having a kid will do absolutely NOTHING to change long term climate change. You’re falling for the PR and lies of the big carbon producing industries that make you believe that you, as an individual, have any impact on climate change at all. You don’t. Sorry if that hurts your “I can change the world” attitude. Adopting a child is totally different than having your own kid(s) a…

1800: 1 billion people

2021: 8 billion

2050: 10 billion

Resources are finite. The world is not only ours, what about the animals and plants? Are we giving them enough space to thrive? Killing them will kill us, and our children too.

What PR and lies have you fallen for, to say individual actions don't matter? Actions have consequences. Each action is a vote. One vote doesn't matter, a lot of votes do. What are you voting for?

Giving love and safety to children who need it now is a noble act. Totally different? Maybe. But love is love. All humans come from the same source. No need to discriminate, let's spread love to all.

Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?

#108

Post by daxfohl »

Read up on biology and engineer a virus that creates a worldwide pandemic. It'll shut down cities, keep people from leaving their homes, decimate air travel industry, shut down manufacturing, and create an international supply chain crisis.

If that doesn't work we're fucked.

Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?

#109

Post by daxfohl »

invalidname wrote: post #85
worstestes wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, all of this but also — stop eating meat

Yes. Parent commenter effectively says votes don't matter. Sure they don't individually, but they signal. If enough people reduce their meat, dairy and egg consumption this will change the market. Fewer industrialized farms, greater scale in vegan alternatives which brings to price reductions which further increases the popularity of vegan alternatives. Individual action matters a lot. Yes corporations are those that…

And moreover, certainly don't get on message boards where people are genuinely looking for things they can do, and say "don't do crunchy". A few misplaced comments like that can result in a huge missed opportunity.

It even rings a bit hypocritical if subsequently you say support organizations that put the onus elsewhere.

Re: Ask HN: What can I do to actively fight climate change?

#110

Post by vimy »

daxfohl wrote: post #108

Read up on biology and engineer a virus that creates a worldwide pandemic. It'll shut down cities, keep people from leaving their homes, decimate air travel industry, shut down manufacturing, and create an international supply chain crisis. If that doesn't work we're fucked.

Emissions only 8 % lower last year. Yet everyone still seems to think behavioral change will solve this. Nope.

Geo-engineering, co2 capture and other tech are the only solution.

The strange part is that even on HN people seem to think technological solutions are immoral. As if humans need to be punished for their ‘climate sins’ by lowering their living standard and comfort instead of just fixing the problem with our brains.

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