Live data from Hacker News

Advocates want to name heatwaves like hurricanes to raise awareness of dangers

cbc.ca

121–130 of 161 posts

Re: Advocates want to name heatwaves like hurricanes to raise awareness of dangers

#121
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not like covid can continue at this rate... there are only so many people with comorbidity or otherwise compromised health. In the year 2030 we will look back and say: "Over the past 10 years, covid killed (on average) X people per year, and the flu killed (on average) Y people per year" Do you predict X or Y will be the higher number? Because I predict Y will be the higher number. And if not in the decade timef…

So, "it's just fat and sick people that are dead, and they'll all be gone soon enough, who cares"?

These are the people who always die from diseases and yes people don't really care.

Re: Advocates want to name heatwaves like hurricanes to raise awareness of dangers

#122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure this is a particularly constructive line of debate, but predictions in the 1970s from [sources well known and accepted by mainstream press, if not reputable in hindsight or by other definitions] are pretty numerous. Here is one from Paul Ehrlich in April 1970: "Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make...The death rate will increase until at leas…

In the 1970s, people were dealing with things like Acid Rain and large hole in the ozone layer. Things probably were much more dire looking at that point.

More to the point, we acted decisively as a society to remediate these conditions and those efforts succeeded. To look back now and ridicule those predictions without considering the actions taken to prevent them is folly.

Re: Advocates want to name heatwaves like hurricanes to raise awareness of dangers

#123
post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the 1970s, people were dealing with things like Acid Rain and large hole in the ozone layer. Things probably were much more dire looking at that point.

And people were worried about catastrophic global cooling

Some were, yes, but they were in the minority. Curiously, folks are still predicting global cooling, but the proportion of such papers continues to dwindle.

https://skepticalscience.com/ice-age-predictions-in-1970s-in...

Re: Advocates want to name heatwaves like hurricanes to raise awareness of dangers

#125
post #21

Are we going to officially name every tornado? Every earthquake? The article leads with “we need more drama...” - I think we have enough, thank you. We need to consider the psychological affects of these things. We already stir people into collective panics for so many things. Do we need to add another? People need less anxiety in their lives.

We ABSOLUTELY need to make people panic about heatwaves. We need to make people lose sleep about it. Get distracted by it. Feel sick about. Climate change is going to kill millions if we don't act hard, and fast. We need a global, coordinated, war-like effort immediately to prevent the displacement of billions and a new world war. Coronavirus lockdown is not even going to be a blip on the radar compared to life on th…

I'm honestly not sure if you are being serious. Children around the world are suffering eco-anxiety over climate change, and it is not clear that their (or anyone else's) anxiety will result in better outcomes.

Re: Advocates want to name heatwaves like hurricanes to raise awareness of dangers

#126
post #5

Half-jokingly: let's give them some scary sounding, hellish names. Hurricane Benedict sounds like a friendly neighbour. Heatwave Astaroth - that's some serious stuff right here.

Name them after oil and coal companies. "Death toll of Heatwave Exxon rises".

Re: Advocates want to name heatwaves like hurricanes to raise awareness of dangers

#127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We ABSOLUTELY need to make people panic about heatwaves. We need to make people lose sleep about it. Get distracted by it. Feel sick about. Climate change is going to kill millions if we don't act hard, and fast. We need a global, coordinated, war-like effort immediately to prevent the displacement of billions and a new world war. Coronavirus lockdown is not even going to be a blip on the radar compared to life on th…

How exactly does climate change lead to a world war? I can understand that there will be many climate refugees, but refugees don’t form armies that can stand up to a standing Western army. I’ve always understood the biggest threat to be mass displacement and starvation, leading to closed off borders, and poverty and death in severely impacted countries like Bangladesh. But world war? Not so sure. The world powers wil…

The thinking is probably more like, look at how the EU is infighting over who takes the refugees.

Re: Advocates want to name heatwaves like hurricanes to raise awareness of dangers

#128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We ABSOLUTELY need to make people panic about heatwaves. We need to make people lose sleep about it. Get distracted by it. Feel sick about. Climate change is going to kill millions if we don't act hard, and fast. We need a global, coordinated, war-like effort immediately to prevent the displacement of billions and a new world war. Coronavirus lockdown is not even going to be a blip on the radar compared to life on th…

Quit being a fear mongering alarmist. While it is measurable and real, there is zero evidence to show that climate change will necessarily kill millions. Humans have adapted and overcome, we will again. The farce of climate alarmism is starting to show its cracks. For example, well known, long-time environmentalist Michael Shellenberger wrote an entire book on how unhelpful alarmism and panic is to really find soluti…

I recommend Michael's book,it's great.

I'm not sure if *everything he says is 100% correct, but many points he raises make total sense, and just by bringing up some of his concerns in a normal conversation, I would be put into the same box with the flat earthers.

Science is not as clear cut as most people would like to think, especially in regards to very complex systems. Simulations and models are just that, simulations and models.

Re: Advocates want to name heatwaves like hurricanes to raise awareness of dangers

#129
post #3

I am not a fan. We’re heading to naming all the major weather which happens often and is just going to desensitize people. The NOAA already doesn’t recognize winter storm names and I would expect them to use the same rationale for not naming heat waves, cold waves or any other extreme weather events that don’t bring destruction. (Not arguing against the danger of heatwaves).

> I am not a fan. We’re heading to naming all the major weather which happens often and is just going to desensitize people.

I have to concur and the prospect of some small town having a welcome Heatwave Karen parade is one that will sadly only go to normalise attitudes towards climate change and may even become counter productive. More so as the demographic they are going for that would warm to naming such weather events are equally more inclined to be less believing of climate change.

Re: Advocates want to name heatwaves like hurricanes to raise awareness of dangers

#130

While we are at it, can we change some vocabulary used for sensitising climate change from ' For the planet ' to ' Your children will die soon, your grandchildren sooner '?

People will be able to smell the bullshit. The idea that climate change will be apocalyptic (for first world nations) in your grandchildren's time frame is just as loony-toons as denying it exists at all. The scientific consensus is nowhere near that bad.
Post reply on HN