Discussion of climate, how it is changing, activism around that, the politics, and the energy systems change we need in order to stabilize things.
As a starting point, the burning of fossil fuels, and to a lesser extent deforestation and release of methane are responsible for the warming in recent decades:
How much each change to the atmosphere has warmed the world:
Recommended actions to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the near future:
Anti-science, inactivism, and unsupported conspiracy theories are not ok here.
For better or worse (definitely worse), we're going to stroll right into the horrors that global warming is going to give us. We won't start making necessary changes until it's way way past any tipping points.
The people that care have no power. The people in power are driven by capitalist profit motives.
If you're a sci-fi nerd like me we can hope aliens or a true AGI will take over and save us lol. Short of that I have no confidence, mad max dystopia by 2100 or sooner.
It doesn't take aliens or a true AGI; it takes stopping fossil fuel use, ending deforestation, and phasing out a few trace chemicals. Do that, and we end the rising temperatures
Making that happen is a matter of seizing power from those who profit from the current system of extraction and burning.
Oh I totally agree with you, but
a matter of seizing power from those who profit from the current system of extraction and burning.
This is the problem. To say this wouldn't be easy is a huge, gargantuan understatement.
The power and control is so far reaching and deep into the foundation of our society, I can't help being cynical. By using politics and propaganda techniques huge portions of the population have been convinced that global warming either isn't real, isn't important, or is actually a good thing. And this is only one hurdle to overcome along with many others.
The question is how do we seize power back.
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
I'm a bit dubious that revolutions can be effective nowadays against a well organised oppressive state with present tools (propaganda, police, surveillance, corruption). All revolutions have failed over the last few decades (Iran, Venezuela, Syria, Tunisia then Arab Spring, etc.).
And the odds of any of that actually happening? How exactly are you going to regulate the growth of industries internationally in a way that doesn't just end up offshoring the pollution to poor countries like it already has been for centuries?
Dudes right, we need a dues ex machina to save us. We won't make meaningful changes until it's profitable to do so. So expect to see a lot of companies transition into cooling and environmental control. Because they won't address the core problem, just sell you bandaids for the symptoms. The next advancement won't be "less emissions", it'll be "this new coolant cools 35% better".
Look at heat pumps. Its literally just an AC unit that can swap the hot and cold side with a valve. It's nothing new. But it's the new "miracle cure" to all your heating and cooling needs. Just run your electricity that most likely comes from a coal power plant and smugly think about how you personally aren't using gas to do it!
We won't fix it ourselves without major intervention.
Realistically, you couple domestic regulation with a carbon tariff, assessing incoming goods a fee based on differential pollution in their country of origin.
Most studies say it's already too late to stop a lot of it. There's tons and tons of studies and models that say if we magically cut off all sources of climate forcing we'd still see an increase from the damage already done for centuries. We can obviously make things a LOT better for ourselves by stopping or limiting ourselves right now but a lot of damage is already done. Plus any significant changes will most likely take a decade plus to really get momentum and actually take place anyway.
That's why now you're starting to see a lot more research into mitigation rather than prevention cause we're starting to move into the "well how are we going to fix this" phase rather than the "we need to stop this from happening phase"
The biggest indicators are the oceans. Just take a gander at oceanic temperatures over the last like 25 years. since they absorb something like 95% of our thermal extremes we're seeing some bonkers changes out there...
we need both to cut emissions and to heavily invest into carbon sinks. It's doable. But would require coordinated effort where some of the money spent on mindless consumption and cars will have to go towards climate. And ain't nobody cares enough for that!
I'd gladly vote to send my tax money to infrastructure, Medicare, education, and climate. I don't want to subsidize other shittier states anymore, and I sure as shit don't think the militaries need more money.
The great filter is upon you.
Whenever I thought about the great filter, I never considered greed, but it makes a lot of sense.
The great filter is ~~upon~~ you.
Exactly. Does anyone care? It's more like I'm done caring.
If nobody gives a damn, me doing so will only harm myself.
Might as well enjoy commercial aviation in its prime while it lasts. And when in 10 years we will shut it down cuz the world is falling apart, I'll be happily not traveling anywhere, knowing it's for the common good.
Right on. I hate being cynical and pessimistic but why struggle hard when the majority are either working against a positive goal or don't care at all.
I'm gonna enjoy the little things while I can.
But, if a time ever comes... I personally volunteer for the job of guillotine operator...lol. Although at some point this position might be very competitive.
I'll accept an unpaid internship with a sawzall.
I prefer enjoying rail travel and bicycles. I am not going to participate in this madness, just because the others do.
2100 is conservative. That's our world in 2040 at the latest if we don't change.
by capitalist profit motives.
I wouldn't say it is about profits anymore, I think it's more about their own security. Looks like we're in the start of WWIII, so cutting down carbon dioxide sources by the US/EU would mean that China/Russia will have great advantage because they won't cut their sources and because people in the US/EU will not be happy with that decision en masse.
Nah, more oil drilling, more trucks and SUVs.
They're just so big and safe!*
*not for the other drivers, or the pedestrians who get nailed by a rolling wall of a frontend.
or in the case of parents buying SUVs to make their own children safe, children are 8 times more likely to die when struck by an SUV versus a passenger car. (ie: in their own driveway) And that's not even factoring the added risk of blindspots for children too small to be seen from the driver seat!
children are eight times more likely to die when struck by a SUV compared to those struck by a passenger car
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022437522000810
They also have significantly higher rollover risk which is why the best deaths per million kilometer stats belong to big sedans and wagon not SUVs.
"I like driving in a higher position, it makes me feel safer"
Well, technically we'll reduce out emissions. Just, it'll likely be after a mass extinction event.
"The planet is fine. The people are fucked."
Will the rotting corpses cause a spike in carbon emissions or would it immediately drop?
Rotting corpses can't order scop from Temu that ships on old bunker fuel ships, oddly in private jets that account for hundreds of cars worth of emissions per flight.
I think humans are mostly carbon-neutral, but decomposition might release gasses that are worse than just CO2. Burning them directly would probably be better.
Stupid rolling stone.
It's SO FAR. Fixed
As in "We haven't cut emissions to zero yet." We can, and will. It's a question of whether we do it quickly enough to preserve a civilization-supporting climate.
Likely not. The next years will be hell. Then, after 10 years or so - maybe sooner -, 2024 will be remembered as one of the more pleasant years with still bearable temperatures and comparably few catastrophes. We even still had affordable coffee and olive oil.
We should probably start with reducing the rate of increase first. Then talk about reducing emissions per year. As for zero emissions, I fail to see how we have a civilization of any sort without some emissions. Maybe that's the point. Was "Net Zero" a hidden word for collapse all along?
Emissions have been falling in the US and EU since ~2005 or so, and look to be about to start falling in China, which means that they'll be falling worldwide after this year.
But...they'll likely be falling slowly, rather than rapidly, which is a problem.
Did you just homer simpsoned a headline? 😅
Yes. But it makes the second sentence make more sense.
And for the answer, the Jurassic Park "see, nobody cares" meme would fit in well.
we truly fucked ourselves huh
We're at the point where we've stepped into a minefield, where each step forward risks losing major ecosystems. We need to take immediate steps to stop walking further into it.
no 😞
Jokes on you tho. I've been desperately sick and stuck inside with air conditioning and cats🫅 battling that deadly virus that shut the world down a few years ago which scientists expect may happen more and more often bc climate change (pfff... whatever nerds). It was nice and cool in here, so I don't know what the crying is all about. Just burry your head as deep as possible and the most dense and tightly packed sand you can get ahold of and, voilá, problem solved once and for all!
I absolutely care. It's why I bought acres in place that had a high of 56f yesterday.
I'll note that moving into the boreal forest is also a high-risk decision; those are all burning, burning more intensely, and burning more often.
I don't think mature California coastal redwoods are boreal.
Don't you need a permit to cut a single one down? Having property where those grow always seemed like a nightmare.
Why would I cut them down? I bought the property because of them. 200 ft tall trees, some in rings around the mother stump. It's beautiful and fun.