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I used to not worry about climate change. Now I do [video]

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Re: I used to not worry about climate change. Now I do [video]

#661

Post by trimethylpurine »

ianai wrote: post #649
zug_zug wrote: post #637

Just a contextual note -- one thing Sabine says is: AI won't help because we know the exact solution, we just aren't willing to do it. Presumably she's referring to her first proposal -- a carbon tax. It's my understanding that there's nearly consensus among economists that a carbon tax is the most efficient solution to global warming, but political consensus that it would never happen when framed as a tax. If you do…

It's finding a way to input the external costs of consumption of emissive products into their final price(s). In reality, a gallon of gas causes significantly more damage than the price paid at the pump - it was like $16/gallon when I saw a figure for it around 2010. Imagine how much differently a world with $20/gallon gas would look. There'd probably be massive pressures from all corners to move away from oil.

Gas was just under $4 a liter every time I've been to Europe. That's about $16/gallon. People were driving to work, and sitting in traffic, just like they do in the US.

Re: I used to not worry about climate change. Now I do [video]

#662

Post by RGamma »

zb3 wrote: post #586
lukan wrote: post #557

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, but that sounds like a starting a suicide cult. Life will go on.

How was my comment related to suicide? I was talking about the process that will take place - and since it will - then at THAT time it still shouldn't be painful. Life might or might not go on, but I don't see any reason to make our lives more miserable just to make sure even more people can experience those miserable lives. That's why I don't care about preserving resources or living conditions for "future generatio…

Thinking that reducing living standards to more ecosphere-compatible levels (at current technological sophistication no less) would result in "miserable lives" is an unfortunate consequence of the consumerist programming of the late 20th century.

We're consuming a lot of pointless shit that could be cut without much consequence. Stop ads and you will find out what some of that is.

Another big problem being throwaway culture. Even in 2024 people still change smartphones like their underwear (I mostly see this with Android users though, not that I'm surprised).

Re: I used to not worry about climate change. Now I do [video]

#663

Post by ianai »

kylebenzle wrote: post #647
vegetablepotpie wrote: post #566

You can do something about this. I got involved in climate advocacy in 2021. Since then I’ve successfully lobbied my local government to start an energy resources study, which will look at ways for my community to quickly transition to renewables. A small thing. But if we all do small things, it will add up! Still though. My state, Arizona has really terrible people writing awful laws. This legislative session they’r…

I disagree, strongly. I think the next phase will be people like me, not climate change deniers but climate change doomers. The US could go carbon neutral tomorrow and it wouldnt make a dent because of China, India and Russia. 3 Billion people pumping pollution into the the air like their is no tomorrow vs. a couple hundred million reducing their footprint isn't going to make a lick of difference. I think people have…

That's assuming the situation follows your specified path.

In reality, an economy transitioned to tech beyond fossil fuels probably enjoys much greater production dynamics. For instance, the US could build out nuclear power to satisfy base board power and then grow that base by which ever rate it decided per year. At some point, mass desalination of sea water becomes affordable because electricity drives down the price. There, too, sea water is a huge resource for literally every mineral we could need (lithium, gold, uranium, you name it). Further, any co2 removed from the ocean will then be scrubbed from the atmosphere-provided the removed water eventually finds its way back, and it would. With more water and more electricity, more of the land is usable for things like habitation, commercial/industrial, and agriculture purposes. (The US and globe has a ton of unproductive land which can be productive with some combination of water+fertilizer.) There's a relationship between the growth of power produced by an economy and its yearly growth of gdp.

The above will also take place with solar. Eventually we will have the tech to power things off whatever sun they get through the paint/coating on their surface.

At some point, the other national players will see those benefits going to other nations and change accordingly. Or they will be left in the past.

Re: I used to not worry about climate change. Now I do [video]

#664

Post by ianai »

trimethylpurine wrote: post #661
ianai wrote: post #649

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's finding a way to input the external costs of consumption of emissive products into their final price(s). In reality, a gallon of gas causes significantly more damage than the price paid at the pump - it was like $16/gallon when I saw a figure for it around 2010. Imagine how much differently a world with $20/gallon gas would look. There'd probably be massive pressures from all corners to move away from oil.

Gas was just under $4 a liter every time I've been to Europe. That's about $16/gallon. People were driving to work, and sitting in traffic, just like they do in the US.

For there, that'd be 32/gallon with the old figure I used.

Re: I used to not worry about climate change. Now I do [video]

#665

Post by eximius »

It's extremely frustrating to watch our world deteriorating because politicians aren't willing to actually do their jobs and govern.

I'd go even stronger and, for the US, pass regulations that all emissions of all kinds must be captured or the company will be fined double the cost of environmental remediation as executed by contractors employed by the government (scaling from 1% of the fine to 100% of the fine over X years).

Re: I used to not worry about climate change. Now I do [video]

#667

Post by weatherlite »

ben_w wrote: post #531
weatherlite wrote: post #467

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No, it will still suck, but it'll be the kind of suck you can survive without fleeing Still. Moving now to North Europe because maybe 30 years from now you'll have to move? Why not wait it out and see if you have to move? The whole thing is one huge speculation. There's no telling if Finland will be secure since its quite weak militarily. And we we don't really know what's gonna happen - we have models with very di…

> Still. Moving now to North Europe because maybe 30 years from now you'll have to move? Why not wait it out and see if you have to move? The older you are when you move, the harder it is. New language, new culture, new laws, disconnection from your old friends who took a different path. And less time to contribute to a state pension — a skilled 30-year-old can be a welcome addition to a workforce, a 60-year-old migh…

> That said, the economics may radically change over the next 30 years;

I think you're optimistic, I think we'll see mass layoffs 5-10 years from now for white collar work, and 5-10 years after that for expensive manual labor (like doctors etc). I think the gap between "solving" white collar work (e.g something similar to AGI) and solving humanoid autonomous work will be narrow, but that's just my hunch.

Re: I used to not worry about climate change. Now I do [video]

#668

Post by pineaux »

matt-attack wrote: post #605
throw_pm23 wrote: post #480

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please don't talk like that about Sweden. They are bad, but don't quite deserve this.

What’s wrong with Sweden? I thought they were generally regarded as a sane well run country. Has that changed?

Real nasty bunch. Used to burn whole parts of england only a few centuries ago. They'd probably still do it if it weren't for the might of the British Navy.

Re: I used to not worry about climate change. Now I do [video]

#669

Post by [deleted] »

wredue wrote: post #595
textbookrental wrote: post #529

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All the climate modelling is based on correlation, so I thought that's what we were doing. Is there another approach we should be taking?

Dude no. We know that the gasses we are releasing cause warming and we know the ratio of those gases naturally occurring vs human pollution.

[deleted]

Re: I used to not worry about climate change. Now I do [video]

#670

Post by dublinben »

nradov wrote: post #648
zug_zug wrote: post #637

Just a contextual note -- one thing Sabine says is: AI won't help because we know the exact solution, we just aren't willing to do it. Presumably she's referring to her first proposal -- a carbon tax. It's my understanding that there's nearly consensus among economists that a carbon tax is the most efficient solution to global warming, but political consensus that it would never happen when framed as a tax. If you do…

In order to be politically acceptable, a carbon tax should be phased in gradually and coupled with a reduction in income tax so as to make it revenue neutral. That way it can't be framed as just another government tax grab.

Offsetting income tax would be a massive handout to the rich, who have been and continue to be the greatest contributors to carbon emissions.

Instead, it should be paired with a dividend which makes it revenue neutral for the median household. Lower income families, who are more impacted by but less responsible for climate change, would be paid a benefit.

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