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The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

economist.com

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Re: The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

#91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What did Luigi accomplish? If nothing, then why the comparison?

There’s an interesting study to be made on whether there was a reduction in insurance claim rejections in the aftermath, and what the morbidity/mortality impact was.

We know now that it changed nothing other than ruining two families’ lives forever.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/04/health/insurers-prior-authori...

Re: The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

#92

I recognize this is deeply cynical and definitely doomerist. What can I as an individual actually do to stop this? Why should I even bother reading articles like this at this point? I can't do anything. I can't action it. I can collect my recycling, pop solar panels on my roof and be the most carbon footprint conscious person and it wouldn't move the needle an atom's width. Politicians don't care, and the ones that d…

There is nothing you can do as an individual, unfortunately. You can reduce your own impact, that’s something that personally makes me feel better and I would highly recommend (vegetarianism is the simplest way to do so). And if you’re motivated you can join advocacy or activist groups. But it’s a collective issue, individual have no actual power here. We need to act as a group to make meaningful changes.

Though, obviously do not vote for the pro fossil fuel parties (which is pretty much all right wing parties in the west)

Re: The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

#93
post #68

I recognize this is deeply cynical and definitely doomerist. What can I as an individual actually do to stop this? Why should I even bother reading articles like this at this point? I can't do anything. I can't action it. I can collect my recycling, pop solar panels on my roof and be the most carbon footprint conscious person and it wouldn't move the needle an atom's width. Politicians don't care, and the ones that d…

There's very little to do in Europe. South Korea, Iran, Thailand, Egypt or South Africa e.g. put out significantly more CO2 than say the UK or France (which are towards the top). India and China are higher than the whole EU and are only continuing to pollute more as their standards of living improve. Essentially the only way to stop it is to keep the 3rd world impoverished (in Africa, people often argue that green en…

> There's very little to do in Europe.

Plenty to do. We don’t have oil or natural gas so relying on fossil fuel to power our economy is stupid.

Re: The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

#94
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you live in a western democracy your politicians are held very accountable to the opinion and will of the people who vote. They are not kings or inherited aristocracy, they do what the people want (roughly) or get voted out. The people who vote by-and-large don't believe climate change is real, don't believe it is serious, or are not willing to tolerate the level of discomfort necessary to solve the problem. At le…

If you live in a Western democracy your politicians are very accountable to media owners and corporate donors. Voters are a very long way down the influence list, because media owners and corporate donors have sophisticated and very expensive - but high ROI - ways to shape voter opinion. Some are simple censorship - like X and FB throttling the reach of unwanted content and promoting the reach of the opposite. Others…

That's mostly a feature of elections with single-member districts or other winner-take-all mechanisms. Every successful politician must have a wide coalition behind them, and marginal groups that could back either major candidate determine the winner.

Proportional elections have different dynamics, especially if elected candidates are determined by personal votes (and not by predetermined ranks on the party list). A successful politician mostly needs to find a niche and maintain their visibility and support within that niche.

Re: The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

#95
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you live in a western democracy your politicians are held very accountable to the opinion and will of the people who vote. They are not kings or inherited aristocracy, they do what the people want (roughly) or get voted out. The people who vote by-and-large don't believe climate change is real, don't believe it is serious, or are not willing to tolerate the level of discomfort necessary to solve the problem. At le…

Here in America we love to blame the politicians (they do indeed suck). All the while voter turnout is a complete joke. Perhaps this is actually helpful, because we are rife with various subcultures that openly celebrate ignorance, so, yeah. Blame the shitty politicians, speak not of the ignorant and unbothered masses.

> All the while voter turnout is a complete joke.

To be fair, the US electoral system is designed to discourage or outright disenfranchise most voters:

* First-past-the-post, winner-take-all elections ensure that anyone who isn't living in a swing state/district may as well not bother.

* Heavy gerrymandering exacerbates this effect.

* Voter suppression tactics like attacking mail-in ballots and closing voting locations makes it more difficult for those people who still want to vote. Note that Voter ID laws are included in this because there still live today people who were denied birth certificates due to segregation-era hospitals refusing non-white mothers delivery care.

* Holding elections on non-holiday weekdays makes it harder for those living paycheck-to-paycheck and working hourly jobs, though this is blunted somewhat by states which allow early voting.

Re: The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

#96
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nonsense. This is defeatist talk. This is the logic folks use when they make dozens of small actions that add up, like buying more plastic cuz "it doesn't matter". The honest truth is people who use this logic have made the decision and just don't want to say, "I don't care." Small actions make big differences at scale. 8 billion people all making hundreds of decisions a day make a difference. Once an individual star…

Capitalism enables too much material wealth. Astounding.

It’s not a novel take, in some ways capitalism trades comfort for externalities. Now that we have to pay for centuries of externalities, nobody wants to give back an ounce of comfort.

Re: The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

#97

I recognize this is deeply cynical and definitely doomerist. What can I as an individual actually do to stop this? Why should I even bother reading articles like this at this point? I can't do anything. I can't action it. I can collect my recycling, pop solar panels on my roof and be the most carbon footprint conscious person and it wouldn't move the needle an atom's width. Politicians don't care, and the ones that d…

> What can I as an individual actually do to stop this? Short of becoming the Luigi of the environmental movement, there is nothing an individual can do. You have to take part in some kind of ongoing collective action. This can include joining a campaign against the oil and gas industry, going door to door for candidates who will reverse climate change, or engaging in direct action against environmentally destructive…

I didn’t know the Luigi reference. Google has led me to either Luigi Galleani or Luigi Mangione, as strangely similar options from different eras.

Re: The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

#98

As long as there is no accountability for politicians, we will always have at least as much time as the next guy plans to stay in power.

Hard to blame this on politicians when raising gas prices is one of the most reliable ways of making voters mad.

Re: The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

#99
post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's very little to do in Europe. South Korea, Iran, Thailand, Egypt or South Africa e.g. put out significantly more CO2 than say the UK or France (which are towards the top). India and China are higher than the whole EU and are only continuing to pollute more as their standards of living improve. Essentially the only way to stop it is to keep the 3rd world impoverished (in Africa, people often argue that green en…

> There's very little to do in Europe. Plenty to do. We don’t have oil or natural gas so relying on fossil fuel to power our economy is stupid.

Europe does have oil and gas (Russia, Norway). But your overall point stands

Re: The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change

#100

why is it that for the ozone layer we got together and undid the damage but for climate change we don't? is it too politicized, are the required changes too damaging to the economy to start agressively implementing them?

> why is it that for the ozone layer we got together and undid the damage but for climate change we don't?

If you want the honest, brutal take it is because I remember, at least in my country, that for the ozone stuff there was a lot of scientific people taking lead roles in educating the masses. Especially those with credibility who were otherwise not media savvy.

Climate change on the other hand, whenever I think about the words, I can only get Greta Thunberg and her antics in my mind. Even for someone who believes in climate change I can't help but feel these crazed lunatics have only caused massive damage to what should have otherwise been a wake up call. It is like how COVID got associated with Fauci and Gain-of-function.

> is it too politicized, are the required changes too damaging to the economy to start agressively implementing them?

Ofcourse it was politicized. It became a party vs party, an ideology vs ideology thing. Science took a backseat.

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