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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]

#221
post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never understand this argument of overpopulation. How can you be OK with reducing population but at the same time worry about global warming? To have that position you basically need to reconcile two positions that to me aren't really compatible, unless someone explains it to me. Either it's fine for Earth to not have humans and just exist peacefully with the rest of the ecosystem until another lifeform takes over.…

Who ever suggested to kill humans? Your whole comment does not make a lot of sense. Population is already naturally decreasing in a fair number of countries. Let's embrace this instead of panicking and trying to reverse the trend.

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

#222

@dang Is it just my impression that HN is drifting rigtwards on this topic? I remember HN being more in favour of proactive action against anthropic climate change. This thread feels dominated by attitudes reflecting inaction.

I think it's the time. I've noticed the comments change tone at the weekend.

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

#223

Weird. I used to worry about climate change and now I don’t. I guess the world has a way of finding its equilibrium. I do however worry about the accidental introduction of invasive species and diseases, which seems to be accelerating (see: citrus greening disease).

You won't worry about citrus greening disease soon either.

You'll worry about something else, then you'll stop worrying about that too.

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

#224
post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think extreme doomers like this create a shitty world to live in where you're surrounded by people that adopted an extreme "nothing matters the world is doomed soon" perspective that is depressing.

Ok, but are they wrong?

They are correct:

Daily Sea Surface Temperature (notice the new paradigm started in 2023 and extending into 2024):

https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/sst_daily/

Daily Surface Air Temperature:

https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/t2_daily/?dm_id=world

Daily Sea Ice Extent (click on "Show Southern Hemisphere", also showing concerns of being low in 2023):

https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/seaice/

The most shocking is the sea surface temperature, but we see rising temperature in all layers of the troposphere. A factor that has dampened global warming for very long, since the last ice age, is the ocean's capacity for absorbing heat. If this gets saturated, and since surface waters don't mix much with deep waters.. If the same surplus heat equivalent to 15 hiroshima bombs per second today hits the surface, and rising. All that goes into heating air and surface, it's going to accellerate warming going forward. Early projections are in fact showing accelleration already.

That most people are incapable of emotionally processing this, is part of the problem.

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

#225
post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not really taboo, it's just straight-up a racist right-wing talking point. Treat it as a software optimisation problem - should you go after a large number of very minro problems, or take an axe to the single large problem that dominates your metrics? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/20/richest-...

From my observations the current rightwing meme is that women in rich countries haven't had sufficient numbers of children and measures to drive increased population should be put in place. This is congruent with removing women's bodily autonomy, banning abortion and banning or restricting birth control of all types.

> From my observations the current rightwing meme is that women in rich countries haven't had sufficient numbers of children and measures to drive increased population should be put in place.

When you get to the far right wing, it's not just about "are there sufficient numbers of children?" but "Is my favoured population subgroup having sufficient numbers of children?"

i.e. racism

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

#226

@dang Is it just my impression that HN is drifting rigtwards on this topic? I remember HN being more in favour of proactive action against anthropic climate change. This thread feels dominated by attitudes reflecting inaction.

I'm not interested in "fighting" climate change while the entire western world is busy burning gasoline and trading with China.

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

#227
post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

> When you're dead 25 feels the same as a few million years from what I was told. Not if you have children.

I'm starting the question chaotic climate happening in my lifetime - 37. "Not being around" is something geriatrics get to enjoy, so basically all of our politicians.

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

#228
post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think extreme doomers like this create a shitty world to live in where you're surrounded by people that adopted an extreme "nothing matters the world is doomed soon" perspective that is depressing.

Ok, but are they wrong?

Yes, because it isn't so expensive to turn things around. An estimated 100-200% in global GDP is needed to reach carbon net zero by 2050. Annually we need to spend 2-6% of GDP to solve this.

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

#229
post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think extreme doomers like this create a shitty world to live in where you're surrounded by people that adopted an extreme "nothing matters the world is doomed soon" perspective that is depressing.

Ok, but are they wrong?

Not wrong the science, but on the doomerism, that was my comment. I have a few friends on this extreme-depression-due-to-climate-change and it's not helpful to their health.

Think of it like this, death is unpreventable and we still live our lives. So even if the world collapse was totally unpreventable (I think we can still turn it around), it's still better to go down fighting and living life.

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

#230
post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The places with high birth rates are economically undeveloped, so the people there consume very few resources, produce very little pollution and have negligible impact on the environment. One person in the US produces the same amount of CO2 as 150 people in DR Congo. That disparity is broadly similar for metrics like land use, water use, soil depletion, waste production etc. The number of people being born in very po…

Or we could target the whole world population living in wanton profligacy. The goal here is something like maximising median living standards. Ideally we'd all be living even more decadently than the best US lifestyle. If that means nobody feels like having kids - great.

You’ve missed the point of the video if you think the goal is maximising mean living standards.
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