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Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

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Re: Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

#161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Our kids, who will shoulder far more of the effects of this than us, didn't get to choose this. This is their inheritance, generations of neglect for the environment and rampant profiteering culminating in a climate catastrophe.

I didn't get to choose it either. It's what happens when money is power. If you want to fix it going forward, you've got to divorce the two.

If we have to divorce money and power in order to fix climate change then we are completely fucked

Re: Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

#162
post #3

I’m not sure what’s the point of focusing on 1.5C anymore. I think the writing on the wall is pretty clear that we’re going to double that at least. Barring any miracle in carbon sequestration technology anyway. I hope we get a miracle.

Our kids, who will shoulder far more of the effects of this than us, didn't get to choose this. This is their inheritance, generations of neglect for the environment and rampant profiteering culminating in a climate catastrophe.

> Our kids, who will shoulder far more of the effects of this than us, didn't get to choose this

Are today's kids more concerned about the environment than we were? It seems they like to consume as much as anybody else

Re: Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

#163
post #3

I’m not sure what’s the point of focusing on 1.5C anymore. I think the writing on the wall is pretty clear that we’re going to double that at least. Barring any miracle in carbon sequestration technology anyway. I hope we get a miracle.

It is like an imminent impact with your car. Whether you can still make it or not - you want to break as hard as possible to make the impact, if it cannot be avoided, the least violent you still can manage.

Re: Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

#164
post #3

I’m not sure what’s the point of focusing on 1.5C anymore. I think the writing on the wall is pretty clear that we’re going to double that at least. Barring any miracle in carbon sequestration technology anyway. I hope we get a miracle.

A recent piece in The Economist argued that China is doing more to combat global warming than is any other nation, and if America is going to do better then we'll have to become more like China. I agree on both points. And I think that will be the outcome eventually.

> China is doing more to combat global warming than is any other nation

If this is happening, and no reason to doubt that, it is easier for a Nation like China to do this than say the US. Why, Xi can say "Build more windmills now in ..." and it will happen.

In the US, the 'in' is important, people will fight any development with in 10 miles of where they live. So it takes over 10 years for just the plan to be finalized. For a good example see:

https://www.wcvb.com/article/nantucket-residents-lawsuit-to-...

That is just the latest suit, IIRC this has been on-going for like 10 years.

Re: Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

#165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is where I’m at too. At least as far as I understand it today (leaving this comment in the hope that folks can help me expand my understanding) Life on earth is not stable. We are in the final death throes of this planet. Roughly 75% of life on earth is behind us. Life has been here for 4Bn years and we have about 500m left[1] until our carbon cycles grind to a halt due to the earth moving outside of the habitab…

I’m guessing you’re getting downvoted for not expanding on: > Life has been here for 4Bn years and we have about 500m left until our carbon cycles grind to a halt and all life on earth starts it’s final, and ultimate, extinction event.

I disagree, my guess is the downvotes is for the idea that the CURRENT trajectory of industry and technology -- largely focused on converting non-renewable sources into luxuries and trinkets for humans currently alive -- has to continue uninterrupted to be the one shot humans have to go to the starts.

If we had to go to the stars in the next 50 years, sure, current industry would be our best bet.

If we (or whatever is evolved) have 500 million years, why would not environmentalists be RIGHT that we need to focus on sustainability first, and improve the odds of society not getting a huge setback?

Re: Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We have a solution to this problem, it's build more nuclear plants and electrify everything with nuclear and renewables. Unfortunately, we are shutting these plants down instead of building more of them.

It is not the only solution though. There are several choices we can make, but only we choose not to. Simplifying everything to just nuclear power is nonsense.

Except nuclear is the safest, cleanest form of energy we have and it's also zero-carbon and renewable. We know it would solve the problem and we really don't know what else would so why not?

Re: Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about we aim for an achievable goal instead. What’s the point of setting ourselves up for failure? That’s part of effective goal setting. Anything else is fantasy and counterproductive.

There's nothing unachievable about 1.5C It would require sacrifices and global cooperation, but any real solution to climate change will require that

It is though. The Co2 we emit today will only have a greenhouse effect in 20 years.

The average climate we have today is the result of the Co2 we put in the atmosphere in 2003.

Re: Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It would mean half of the country abandoning their homes and rebuilding, which I imagine would end up higher carbon than just using the ICE cars. Bet you it actually wouldn't, the impact of urban sprawl is absolutely massive and continuous as compared to a one-time cost.

Fair enough. I don't think it really matters to be honest, Americans are not moving into even something like my ~1500sqft terraced house en masse. You may as well ask half the country to learn Russian.

The 60% of Millennials who don’t own a home, and the 60% of gen-Z who live with their parents would probably leap at the opportunity to own their own 1500 Sq ft row house.

We don’t need to convince anyone to move into more sustainable housing, we merely need to allow it.

Re: Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Our kids, who will shoulder far more of the effects of this than us, didn't get to choose this. This is their inheritance, generations of neglect for the environment and rampant profiteering culminating in a climate catastrophe.

We have a solution to this problem, it's build more nuclear plants and electrify everything with nuclear and renewables. Unfortunately, we are shutting these plants down instead of building more of them.

That would have helped if we had started 20-30 years ago, but it is too late now. Renewables have become much cheaper, and the installations come online much more quickly; nuclear can no longer compete.

Re: Shell admits 1.5C climate goal means immediate end to fossil fuel growth

#170
For all of the shellacking the fossil fuel industry gets (rightfully so), they have signalled several times that they are willing to transition to lower productions and higher prices and even into green energy. In 2016 oil companies spent the least amount on oil discovery in over 70 years!

It was only after extreme political pressure that oil companies were basically forced into re-expanding capacity again.

The market is willing - the demand is weak.

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