We underestimated climate change, study says

[whore 11,447]

Thank you @PunkTheFunk for contributing to my climate change essay that’s due tomorrow! I feel like we’re spiritually connected 

[Guest]

12 hours ago, Luc said:

Soooo because in the end we're responsible ourselves for what happens. World leaders can raise taxes on emitting greenhouse gases but that means that even when world leaders take action, we are responsible ourselves. So to make your carbon footprint smaller:

- eat as little meat as possible. I've cut it down to 1 time a week now. Becoming vegetarian is the single biggest step you can take to reduce greenhouse gases. All the cows in the world need food (for which they grow soy and for that they cut the rainforests), lots of transportation, heating in winter, their farts pollute soooo much and they just require a lot of resources in general. 1 kg of beef requires 1000 litres of water. Biological meat emits more(!) than cheap meat.

- Use public transit when possible, or try to get a bicycle or electric scooter or just reduce driving times in general by finding a job closerby. Transportation is a big part in emissions.

- Buy local. e.g. If you're from the US, buy stuff made in Mexico, Canada or the US (preferably your own state). This avoids transportation costs.

- Going by car is much better environmentally than by plane, so if you can avoid travelling by plane, do so.

- Get double-glass and other isolation and turn off your heating at night if possible. Try to find a 'green' electricity provider. If you have the money, get solar panels on your house or get a 'green' mortgage to be able to do so.

- Don't buy too much new stuff. If you don't go by car that much, no car is much more environmentally conscious than an electric car. Only in some cases, like a fridge (huge differences in how much energy a fridge from 5 years ago vs. now uses).

- This also makes a small difference, but vote: and let the environment be an important part of your decision to vote for a candidate.

Let's be honest, the real major change will come from world leaders. When in reality it can come from us, but that would require the whole world to agree on certain behaviors to adopt, and to protest against meat, against driving cars, demanding electric instead, not buying clothes from Zara and other fast-fashion stores etc etc But some people don't care and still want their meat, it can be very warm during wintertime and they'll say damn this is so nice, i can go to the beach now! I think sadly once it will become too late and some of us will die bcs of a big tsunami, tornado, or worse, and there will be a lot of deaths, sad to say it, but maybe that's when people will join together and demand real change. Right now we are only procrastinating meanwhile Trump and that new freak Brazilian president won't think twice about polluting our planet further more. It's so sick but ive kinda gave up on the idea that we can save this planet (which doesnt mean I don't adopt new behavior and try to do my best as little small me to not damage Earth any further. But it feels depressing at times, cus that won't really make a big impact that could save us, the only way would be to change the way our economy is. We would have to change every system that we've adopted since forever. And people of power, well most of them, only care about money). How I see it at this point, we will lose a lot and we will try to pick up the pieces but we'll end up with a planet that just wont be the same anymore 

[Luc 4,776]

10 minutes ago, kyanewest said:

Let's be honest, the real major change will come from world leaders. When in reality it can come from us, but that would require the whole world to agree on certain behaviors to adopt, and to protest against meat, against driving cars, demanding electric instead, not buying clothes from Zara and other fast-fashion stores etc etc But some people don't care and still want their meat, it can be very warm during wintertime and they'll say damn this is so nice, i can go to the beach now! I think sadly once it will become too late and some of us will die bcs of a big tsunami, tornado, or worse, and there will be a lot of deaths, sad to say it, but maybe that's when people will join together and demand real change. Right now we are only procrastinating meanwhile Trump and that new freak Brazilian president won't think twice about polluting our planet further more. It's so sick but ive kinda gave up on the idea that we can save this planet (which doesnt mean I don't adopt new behavior and try to do my best as little small me to not damage Earth any further. But it feels depressing at times, cus that won't really make a big impact that could save us, the only way would be to change the way our economy is. We would have to change every system that we've adopted since forever. And people of power, well most of them, only care about money). How I see it at this point, we will lose a lot and we will try to pick up the pieces but we'll end up with a planet that just wont be the same anymore 

My view is this: we can wait for world leaders to start taxing meat more so we'll automatically eat less of it, or we can in the meantime try to lower our consumption ourselves. World leaders can incentivize getting solar pannels on your roof, but we can in the meantime get it ourselves too. In the end a large chunk of the CO2 emission reduction is down to us, consumers. We can wait for governments to vote to incentivize us, or we can take small steps ourselves. If only 10% of individuals in the world were to reduce their emission levels by half, we would have the same emission reduction as the whole of India stopping their . It's the most we can do until a new generation of politicians steps up and takes proper action. And if we as consumers incentivize producers to green their production processes, they would be incentivized to sell more durably to all. If we buy less meat and more vegetarian alternatives, that incentivizes supermarkets to have a larger space for vegetarian products rather than meat and that also subconsciously motivates other people, who would normally eat meat, to buy less of the product. So yes, our impact is small, but it's there. Motivate others to be durable and we'll there for a part. If we show politicians that there's demand for a progressivist green platform, they'll try harder to enact green policies.

[Woolfsmck 2,763]

 

13 hours ago, Luc said:

Soooo because in the end we're responsible ourselves for what happens. World leaders can raise taxes on emitting greenhouse gases but that means that even when world leaders take action, we are responsible ourselves. So to make your carbon footprint smaller:

- eat as little meat as possible. I've cut it down to 1 time a week now. Becoming vegetarian is the single biggest step you can take to reduce greenhouse gases. All the cows in the world need food (for which they grow soy and for that they cut the rainforests), lots of transportation, heating in winter, their farts pollute soooo much and they just require a lot of resources in general. 1 kg of beef requires 1000 litres of water. Biological meat emits more(!) than cheap meat.

- Use public transit when possible, or try to get a bicycle or electric scooter or just reduce driving times in general by finding a job closerby. Transportation is a big part in emissions.

- Buy local. e.g. If you're from the US, buy stuff made in Mexico, Canada or the US (preferably your own state). This avoids transportation costs.

- Going by car is much better environmentally than by plane, so if you can avoid travelling by plane, do so.

- Get double-glass and other isolation and turn off your heating at night if possible. Try to find a 'green' electricity provider. If you have the money, get solar panels on your house or get a 'green' mortgage to be able to do so.

- Don't buy too much new stuff. If you don't go by car that much, no car is much more environmentally conscious than an electric car. Only in some cases, like a fridge (huge differences in how much energy a fridge from 5 years ago vs. now uses).

- This also makes a small difference, but vote: and let the environment be an important part of your decision to vote for a candidate.

This.. 

Point fingers and blaming big oil or the us or the Republicans doesn't solve anything.

 

Demand for environmentally damaging products and transportation needs to be reduced to make any difference 

[Economy 53,059]

11 minutes ago, Woolfsmck said:

 

This.. 

Point fingers and blaming big oil or the us or the Republicans doesn't solve anything.

 

Demand for environmentally damaging products and transportation needs to be reduced to make any difference 

I think we need to focus on stuff where we get most environmental benefits for our buck to minimize economic damage

 

Some stuff like public transportation investments, green energy that is no longer as expensive as it used to be etc are great examples of stuff that can be done

 

Carbon taxes can also be done with minimal economic damage. If the money raised with carbon taxes is offset with lowering of other taxes it can be revenue neutral and not increase overall taxation in the economy but by concentrating more cost in emission intensive activities it could help alter habits and change where people choose to spend more of their money

 

Environmentalists and economists need for the love of God to work together in finding ways to meet both goals rather than butt heads and that's a real issue causing dysfunction both economically and in our fight against climate change and I'm sure @Luc would agree

 

For example this extremism to stop every single oil pipeline is causing Canadian Oil to sell at $26/barrel (was as low as $20 last week) and forced the government to spend over $5 Billion to buy a pipeline to try to build it themselves (tho it's back in court anyway)

 

Those $5 Billion could have gone to more green energy or even more rebates for electric cars. And stopping pipelines is forcing more oil by rail and trucks making the transportation itself of the product more carbon intensive. Not to mention the lost tax revenue could find further green projects now instead US refineries just have fatter profit margins instead

 

When environment and economy fight, both loose. If we focus on stuff that makes the most difference in relation to money spent, practice solutions that help the environment without destroying our economy can be found

 

As a moderate, I hate that there's a side that only cares about money and not our planet, but I also hate the other extreme. If both sides could work together in co-operation everyone would be better off

[Woolfsmck 2,763]

19 hours ago, Economy said:

I think we need to focus on stuff where we get most environmental benefits for our buck to minimize economic damage

 

Some stuff like public transportation investments, green energy that is no longer as expensive as it used to be etc are great examples of stuff that can be done

 

Carbon taxes can also be done with minimal economic damage. If the money raised with carbon taxes is offset with lowering of other taxes it can be revenue neutral and not increase overall taxation in the economy but by concentrating more cost in emission intensive activities it could help alter habits and change where people choose to spend more of their money

 

Environmentalists and economists need for the love of God to work together in finding ways to meet both goals rather than butt heads and that's a real issue causing dysfunction both economically and in our fight against climate change and I'm sure @Luc would agree

 

For example this extremism to stop every single oil pipeline is causing Canadian Oil to sell at $26/barrel (was as low as $20 last week) and forced the government to spend over $5 Billion to buy a pipeline to try to build it themselves (tho it's back in court anyway)

 

Those $5 Billion could have gone to more green energy or even more rebates for electric cars. And stopping pipelines is forcing more oil by rail and trucks making the transportation itself of the product more carbon intensive. Not to mention the lost tax revenue could find further green projects now instead US refineries just have fatter profit margins instead

 

When environment and economy fight, both loose. If we focus on stuff that makes the most difference in relation to money spent, practice solutions that help the environment without destroying our economy can be found

 

As a moderate, I hate that there's a side that only cares about money and not our planet, but I also hate the other extreme. If both sides could work together in co-operation everyone would be better off

It seems like both extremes take over the argument tho...

Big money = global climate change is false

Greeny meanies = stop all oil now

 

Neither is good or right