this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2023
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Climate - truthful information about climate, related activism and politics.

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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: Graph of temperature as observed with significant warming, and simulated without added greenhouse gases and other anthropogentic changes, which shows no significant warming

How much each change to the atmosphere has warmed the world: IPCC AR6 Figure 2 - Thee bar charts: first chart: how much each gas has warmed the world.  About 1C of total warming.  Second chart:  about 1.5C of total warming from well-mixed greenhouse gases, offset by 0.4C of cooling from aerosols and negligible influence from changes to solar output, volcanoes, and internal variability.  Third chart: about 1.25C of warming from CO2, 0.5C from methane, and a bunch more in small quantities from other gases.  About 0.5C of cooling with large error bars from SO2.

Recommended actions to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the near future:

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The more I see reports like this the more, hopeless I feel. Sometimes, I get to a point where I'm not even depressed but deeply numb by the catastrophe that is happening. Mass insanity we see, mass insanity.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

“We don’t want this to be interpreted as six years to save the planet,” study co-author Christopher Smith, a University of Leeds climate scientist, said. “If we are able to limit warming to 1.6 degrees or 1.65 degrees or 1.7 degrees, that’s a lot better than 2 degrees. We still need to fight for every tenth of a degree.”

I appreciate the tenacity of these people, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s virtually hopeless at this point. I still try to choose environmentally friendly options, and I act as if things might change for the better, because hey, maybe I’m wrong. I don’t want to be a bigger part of the problem than I already am. Still, though, I’m pretty sure humanity is screwed.

Here’s how I see it: the people who can do the most won’t be motivated to make drastic changes until things get bad. Unfortunately, by the time things get bad, it’ll be far too late. Simple. Depressing, but simple.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I've accepted this harsh reality as well.

[–] MrTolkinghoen 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So... We'll probably be there by 2027 or 2028.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

They should told us 2025-2026 but i dunno if this lie will speed up their action or if they will just enjoy soaking in a bath of banknotes

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

Yeah, same. Just growing numb to the hell that awaits.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Exactly, might as well enjoy it while it lasts

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

We better get to it.

Business as usual will more than likely make WW2 look like a trip to your favorite vacation spots.

The things the we can't do that crowd are worried about will not matter because those things will no longer exist. This will destabilize or collapse every nation on earth.

The can do right now things aren't even huge sacrifices. They will actually save you money:

  • Eat less beef
  • Drive less
  • Cut food faster (eat your leftovers)
  • Buy less stuff
  • Adjust your thermostat

Those things aren't going to come close to fixing everything, but they buy valuable time for big changes that take time to implement like renewable energy to happen.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

In other words: Eat more plant based:

Drive Less:

Cut food faster:

Buy Less Stuff:

No sense in being a doomer when we can at least have a sliver of personal agency. (Of course, large-scale and policy-driven changes will make the most impact)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My knee jerk reaction to this has always been to say that these individual actions are inconsequential compared to what mega corporations and multinational companies are doing to pump the majority of pollution into our environment.

But I no longer think that .... I think you are correct.

If we all collectively did this ... If we all or the majority of us followed through with everything you suggested, it would have a major effect with the economy ... if it has an effect on the economy it would affect corporations ... and if it affects corporations, they lose power and are forced to produce less or even die off.

Corporations exist because of our small collective contributions ... the things we buy, the services we purchase, the things we consume ... if we collectively stop doing all that or cut it down significantly, it would starve the beast. In an economy of perpetual growth, even just a tiny dip caused by less consumption would be enough to destabilize a major corporation.

If we all just simply bought less or just ate less .... it would kill off so many useless corporations.

I've come around to your logic and I eat less, consume less and completely avoid fast food.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/walmartdeals

i think your first line is the most correct. you can prove me wrong by convincing everyone in that facebook group that actually they should do what you said.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I don't have any power over anyone, nor do I want to ... I only have power over myself