Global warming has accelerated significantly • Hacker News Board

Re: Global warming has accelerated significantly

#151

Post by triceratops » Fri, Mar 06, 2026, 3:40 PM UTC

f6v wrote: post #24

xyzelement wrote: post #5

As an observation, global warming has completely disappeared as social concern in the last few years. Great that someone is still publishing research, but it seems like being a climate scientist has gone from hottest field to nobody cares.

The problem is, no amount of climate policies in the West is going to offset burning fuel in the developing counties. It’s a global phenomenon and addressing it locally is futile. That, and you don’t have the luxury of green solutions when energy prices were going through the roof.

So pay for developing countries to go green. If they can get free solar energy they won't spend their money on gas.

Re: Global warming has accelerated significantly

#152

Post by Nevermark » Fri, Mar 06, 2026, 3:40 PM UTC

SV_BubbleTime wrote: post #11

[flagged]

Models point to ranges of scenarios.

When they say worst case, it means it’s possible. And only worst case within a percentage (like 95%) certainly, and based on known effects.

Worst cases are not some obligatory pessimism to scare people into accepting the mean probability case. They are serious warnings.

Given we are playing roulette with our planet’s climate stability, any major unaccounted for factors that reveal themselves are most likely to result in worse outcomes.

There have been people trying to bring attention to this sober information since the 80’s. Welcome to 2026. There will still be people complaining predictions are too dire.

Re: Global warming has accelerated significantly

#153

Post by nyeah » Fri, Mar 06, 2026, 3:41 PM UTC

luxuryballs wrote: post #137

afandian wrote: post #2

This is open access. No need to post a researchgate link. Here's the original: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6079807/v1

I’m out of the loop on researchgate, when you say “No need” is it like an archive.is? Why is it less desirable or, if I’m reading your tone correctly, a “backup option”?

ResearchGate isn't open access.

Re: Global warming has accelerated significantly

#154

Post by bluGill » Fri, Mar 06, 2026, 3:41 PM UTC

bojan wrote: post #109

_heimdall wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Electric cars aren't a magic bullet. We need to drive less, not scrap ICE vehicles and buy new electric vehicles made on the other side of the planet with globally sourced materials and shipped to the US.

Do they have to be a magic bullet? Switching from ICE to electric is a much smaller ask than switching from personal cars to... bicycles?

If there was some investment most of us could switch to public transit. The problems people have with transit are mostly around there isn't enough of it to be useful - when /where it is useful people use it.

Re: Global warming has accelerated significantly

#155

Post by topaz0 » Fri, Mar 06, 2026, 3:41 PM UTC

siilats wrote: post #64

progval wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> India and China burn orders of magnitude more They don't, according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_di... > and they aren't going to slow down. China already did, according to https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/11/china-co2-emis...

yeah all these charts you need to read the footnotes, this wikipedia is co2 from fossil fuels not land changes which probably is some random fraction

Some fraction that will not be enough to produce "orders of magnitude more"

Re: Global warming has accelerated significantly

#156

Post by acdha » Fri, Mar 06, 2026, 3:41 PM UTC

f6v wrote: post #24

xyzelement wrote: post #5

As an observation, global warming has completely disappeared as social concern in the last few years. Great that someone is still publishing research, but it seems like being a climate scientist has gone from hottest field to nobody cares.

The problem is, no amount of climate policies in the West is going to offset burning fuel in the developing counties. It’s a global phenomenon and addressing it locally is futile. That, and you don’t have the luxury of green solutions when energy prices were going through the roof.

This is not only wrong but you are bending over backwards to maintain the state of ignorance which makes it possible to say that. Most of the carbon in the atmosphere did not come from developing countries, and every reduction buys more time to deal with the problem so, yes, local measures matter: as an example, the U.S. transportation sector is so carbon intensive that getting our average efficiency up will reduce global emissions by more than entire other countries produce.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1118464/transportation-c... shows the American trend, then look at which other countries that’s similar to assuming we electrify a given fraction of the transportation sector:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_di...

This is even more wrong when you look at how Africa is electrifying. Unlike the United States, China continued to invest in solar panel production and so they’re now the cheapest option for electrical power for millions of people since solar panels run for decades and don’t require trucking diesel fuel around or building out power grids. Investments in batteries are having the same cycle: richer countries have the research universities and product development but then anyone can buy the product.

https://apnews.com/article/solar-energy-china-imports-batter...

That’s why the fossil fuels spend so much money spreading messages like yours: they grew fat on government subsidies and they need those subsidies to continue or even expand as the basic economics increasingly favor renewables. Trump has to force coal plants to stay open because otherwise the operators would switch to cheaper options.

Re: Global warming has accelerated significantly

#157

Post by lambdaone » Fri, Mar 06, 2026, 3:42 PM UTC

jpadkins wrote: post #133

lambdaone wrote: post #120

This is terrifying, and those fighting against stopping or reducing global warming should at this point be regarded as hostis humani generis

[flagged]

Amazing hyperbole, and a deflection from the real issues. You can fight against wrongdoing without actually advocating people being killed.

Right now, climate change is an undeniable fact, its causes well-known, and the evidence for it now part of everyday life. If anything, its effects have been underestimated to date, and 'non-believers' in it are either fools or acting based on morally repugnant principles.

Re: Global warming has accelerated significantly

#158

Post by nDRDY » Fri, Mar 06, 2026, 3:42 PM UTC

hackyhacky wrote: post #46

f6v wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is, no amount of climate policies in the West is going to offset burning fuel in the developing counties. It’s a global phenomenon and addressing it locally is futile. That, and you don’t have the luxury of green solutions when energy prices were going through the roof.

> addressing it locally is futile. Imagine what could be accomplished if Americans used their global influence to affect global change on climate issues with the same zeal that they pursue manipulative trade deals.

It's a good job Americans are right if they were to start swinging their global weight around.

Re: Global warming has accelerated significantly

#159

Post by latexr » Fri, Mar 06, 2026, 3:42 PM UTC

missedthecue wrote: post #56

latexr wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you based in the US? Seeing how the current regime is doing its best to gut climate protections I get how it could seem that way, but it’s definitely not the case in e.g. Europe where energy from renewables continues to grow.

Most countries including the US are deploying record amounts of renewables. But the climate conversation is definitely reduced, and that's global. Its been a good while since I saw angsty euro teens throwing tomato soup on paintings or gluing themselves to motorways. That used to be a monthly occurance.

The US still produces more than half (58%) of its electricity from fossil fuels. In the EU, it’s less than a third (29%).

https://ember-energy.org/countries-and-regions/united-states...

https://ember-energy.org/countries-and-regions/european-unio...

In the EU I hear of new climate initiatives all the time. From the US every bit of news I know about is how they’re making it worse.

Re: Global warming has accelerated significantly

#160

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Mar 06, 2026, 3:42 PM UTC

bluGill wrote: post #125

unglaublich wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AI is nothing compared to automobiles and heating, construction and shipping. It uses a bunch of energy, but not so much compared to moving yourself around in a car of plane.

It is also much more likely to use renewable energy. Data centers look at the local energy mix when planning where to put one. (though they are perhaps taking energy that would otherwise be shipped to a different city/state)

[deleted]