My hot take - climate change is about to hit in a major way!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who else has read The Ministry for the Future? Now when I hear reports about heat waves in India, it's terrifying.

I was in India during the heatwave in March/April. Understand that it was not even the height of summer. Normal life came to a standstill in the middle of the day. Trees, plants and crops wilted. It was the kind of oppressive heat that prevented most of us from leaving the house. Animals and birds were dying. Immense water scarcity coupled with huge amounts of mosquitos. Rancid and putrid smells from many open sewage drains. It was hell. It was horrifying. Temperatures were looming at 110 degree Fahrenheit. Yesterday, when DC was at 90 degrees, I thought it was a normal weather because it was bearable. Otherwise, the air at 105 - 110 degrees felt so hot that it hurts your lungs to breathe it in.

I feel all of us need to plant more trees around our homes. Get rid of lawns. Dig some trenches to do rain harvesting on your property and recharge the ground level of water. Stop using pesticide, weed killers and fertilizers. Plant clovers to fix nitrogen in the lawn. Compost your kitchen waste.

On an individual level, I do everything you state above. My yard is full of trees and no pesticides or insecticides and I compost food waste. I even have solar panels and our next car will be electric.

Unfortunately this is a situation where individual action really does not matter. I still live in a suburban house and drive everywhere because I couldn’t afford something else for my family and deliberate policy decisions created the modern suburb. Governments have to take drastic action to move the needle here.

Yes, it’s going to have to be governmental, but until we get rid of the GOP and their constant hampering of progress, it’s going to be down to the individual.

Native perennials are even better than trees at sequestering carbon. Many people can turn over at least some turf to native perennials and in return start sequestering carbon (and creating habitat for birds and pollinators, since in addition to global warming we’re also killing all our birds and beneficial insects).

I will say that we don't spray and planted native flowers including milkweed on a good portion of our erstwhile lawn, and our yard is teeming with amazing insects. The milkweed alone is an astonishing plant--it attract so many insects and so many varieties I'd never seen before that it's like its own mini-ecosystem.

I'm hopeful that once our species goes extinct in the next century or so, the planet will bounce back and maybe evolve a less selfish and destructive "intelligent" species to replace us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who else has read The Ministry for the Future? Now when I hear reports about heat waves in India, it's terrifying.

I was in India during the heatwave in March/April. Understand that it was not even the height of summer. Normal life came to a standstill in the middle of the day. Trees, plants and crops wilted. It was the kind of oppressive heat that prevented most of us from leaving the house. Animals and birds were dying. Immense water scarcity coupled with huge amounts of mosquitos. Rancid and putrid smells from many open sewage drains. It was hell. It was horrifying. Temperatures were looming at 110 degree Fahrenheit. Yesterday, when DC was at 90 degrees, I thought it was a normal weather because it was bearable. Otherwise, the air at 105 - 110 degrees felt so hot that it hurts your lungs to breathe it in.

I feel all of us need to plant more trees around our homes. Get rid of lawns. Dig some trenches to do rain harvesting on your property and recharge the ground level of water. Stop using pesticide, weed killers and fertilizers. Plant clovers to fix nitrogen in the lawn. Compost your kitchen waste.

On an individual level, I do everything you state above. My yard is full of trees and no pesticides or insecticides and I compost food waste. I even have solar panels and our next car will be electric.

Unfortunately this is a situation where individual action really does not matter. I still live in a suburban house and drive everywhere because I couldn’t afford something else for my family and deliberate policy decisions created the modern suburb. Governments have to take drastic action to move the needle here.

Yes, it’s going to have to be governmental, but until we get rid of the GOP and their constant hampering of progress, it’s going to be down to the individual.

Native perennials are even better than trees at sequestering carbon. Many people can turn over at least some turf to native perennials and in return start sequestering carbon (and creating habitat for birds and pollinators, since in addition to global warming we’re also killing all our birds and beneficial insects).

I will say that we don't spray and planted native flowers including milkweed on a good portion of our erstwhile lawn, and our yard is teeming with amazing insects. The milkweed alone is an astonishing plant--it attract so many insects and so many varieties I'd never seen before that it's like its own mini-ecosystem.

I'm hopeful that once our species goes extinct in the next century or so, the planet will bounce back and maybe evolve a less selfish and destructive "intelligent" species to replace us.

LOL, some of you really need to go smoke a joint with a friend or something.

The level of self-loathing and, candidly, stupidity is off the charts. You’re romanticizing a milkweed plant and insects. Yet you’re so sophisticated and above it all that you denigrate actual human beings? The people I know are f&cking amazing. Even the ones I didn’t like at first… they have vast reservoirs of thought and emotion and compassion, interests and perspectives to share with others for the MILLISECOND we’re all so unfathomably fortunate to get on earth. We got Mozart and BB King, we got Philly cheesesteaks and toddlers who can’t stop laughing, hot air balloons and California cabs, pontoon boats to party with friends and Arlington Cemetery to remember brave and selfless patriots. But OK Debbie Downer, I’m sure it’s better to just throw your hands up and “hope” for a better next species after human extinction. Sweet use of the gift of life you were given.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who else has read The Ministry for the Future? Now when I hear reports about heat waves in India, it's terrifying.

I was in India during the heatwave in March/April. Understand that it was not even the height of summer. Normal life came to a standstill in the middle of the day. Trees, plants and crops wilted. It was the kind of oppressive heat that prevented most of us from leaving the house. Animals and birds were dying. Immense water scarcity coupled with huge amounts of mosquitos. Rancid and putrid smells from many open sewage drains. It was hell. It was horrifying. Temperatures were looming at 110 degree Fahrenheit. Yesterday, when DC was at 90 degrees, I thought it was a normal weather because it was bearable. Otherwise, the air at 105 - 110 degrees felt so hot that it hurts your lungs to breathe it in.

I feel all of us need to plant more trees around our homes. Get rid of lawns. Dig some trenches to do rain harvesting on your property and recharge the ground level of water. Stop using pesticide, weed killers and fertilizers. Plant clovers to fix nitrogen in the lawn. Compost your kitchen waste.

On an individual level, I do everything you state above. My yard is full of trees and no pesticides or insecticides and I compost food waste. I even have solar panels and our next car will be electric.

Unfortunately this is a situation where individual action really does not matter. I still live in a suburban house and drive everywhere because I couldn’t afford something else for my family and deliberate policy decisions created the modern suburb. Governments have to take drastic action to move the needle here.

Yes, it’s going to have to be governmental, but until we get rid of the GOP and their constant hampering of progress, it’s going to be down to the individual.

Native perennials are even better than trees at sequestering carbon. Many people can turn over at least some turf to native perennials and in return start sequestering carbon (and creating habitat for birds and pollinators, since in addition to global warming we’re also killing all our birds and beneficial insects).

All we have to do is get rid of the GOP, lower our standard of living, and global warming will slow? We can ignore other large carbon polluters like India and China?

In response: 1. GOP not going anywhere and likely in charge in 2022 and 2024. 2. No one ever in history has lowered their standard of living on their own. Why would we be the first? It will not happen. If a government were to suggest it, that government will be overthrown at the ballot box or otherwise. 3. The whole deal is China and India. We all have to do it together. US has little or no impact on its own. What is your next plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's frustrating that climate change will cause such misery in the coming decades and so few people care. I don't understand how even selfish people aren't at least concerned about what their own children will live through. Is it a state of denial?

It's a state of not being totally convinced that it will really be that bad of a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's frustrating that climate change will cause such misery in the coming decades and so few people care. I don't understand how even selfish people aren't at least concerned about what their own children will live through. Is it a state of denial?

I think because it is likely to cause harm to so few people and most of those people are not in the US. hard for people to see. It is really unclear as to impact in the US even in long term.

Fires, hurricanes, eroding sea levels, flooding? It is harming Americans.

But there have always been fires and hurricanes, and the eroding sea levels aren't causing problems that are obvious to the average person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who else has read The Ministry for the Future? Now when I hear reports about heat waves in India, it's terrifying.

I was in India during the heatwave in March/April. Understand that it was not even the height of summer. Normal life came to a standstill in the middle of the day. Trees, plants and crops wilted. It was the kind of oppressive heat that prevented most of us from leaving the house. Animals and birds were dying. Immense water scarcity coupled with huge amounts of mosquitos. Rancid and putrid smells from many open sewage drains. It was hell. It was horrifying. Temperatures were looming at 110 degree Fahrenheit. Yesterday, when DC was at 90 degrees, I thought it was a normal weather because it was bearable. Otherwise, the air at 105 - 110 degrees felt so hot that it hurts your lungs to breathe it in.

I feel all of us need to plant more trees around our homes. Get rid of lawns. Dig some trenches to do rain harvesting on your property and recharge the ground level of water. Stop using pesticide, weed killers and fertilizers. Plant clovers to fix nitrogen in the lawn. Compost your kitchen waste.

On an individual level, I do everything you state above. My yard is full of trees and no pesticides or insecticides and I compost food waste. I even have solar panels and our next car will be electric.

Unfortunately this is a situation where individual action really does not matter. I still live in a suburban house and drive everywhere because I couldn’t afford something else for my family and deliberate policy decisions created the modern suburb. Governments have to take drastic action to move the needle here.

Yes, it’s going to have to be governmental, but until we get rid of the GOP and their constant hampering of progress, it’s going to be down to the individual.

Native perennials are even better than trees at sequestering carbon. Many people can turn over at least some turf to native perennials and in return start sequestering carbon (and creating habitat for birds and pollinators, since in addition to global warming we’re also killing all our birds and beneficial insects).

I will say that we don't spray and planted native flowers including milkweed on a good portion of our erstwhile lawn, and our yard is teeming with amazing insects. The milkweed alone is an astonishing plant--it attract so many insects and so many varieties I'd never seen before that it's like its own mini-ecosystem.

I'm hopeful that once our species goes extinct in the next century or so, the planet will bounce back and maybe evolve a less selfish and destructive "intelligent" species to replace us.

LOL, some of you really need to go smoke a joint with a friend or something.

The level of self-loathing and, candidly, stupidity is off the charts. You’re romanticizing a milkweed plant and insects. Yet you’re so sophisticated and above it all that you denigrate actual human beings? The people I know are f&cking amazing. Even the ones I didn’t like at first… they have vast reservoirs of thought and emotion and compassion, interests and perspectives to share with others for the MILLISECOND we’re all so unfathomably fortunate to get on earth. We got Mozart and BB King, we got Philly cheesesteaks and toddlers who can’t stop laughing, hot air balloons and California cabs, pontoon boats to party with friends and Arlington Cemetery to remember brave and selfless patriots. But OK Debbie Downer, I’m sure it’s better to just throw your hands up and “hope” for a better next species after human extinction. Sweet use of the gift of life you were given.

If you could get rid of the insane Rs that would make life a lot more bearable for the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

I think we're going to see a big push to geoengineering sooner rather than later. Carbon sequestration but also solar radiation management. It definitely comes with its own risks, but I don't see how we don't at this point.

[Anonymous]

Follow the science. Climate changes - always has and always will.

You all are crazy to think that we can change what has been naturally occurring for millions of years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Follow the science. Climate changes - always has and always will.

You all are crazy to think that we can change what has been naturally occurring for millions of years.

Yes, the cycle goes on. Earth has been really hot, and really cold. There were times when there was NO ice on the planet at all, and now we have ice on both poles. There were also times when Earth was inhospitable to human life. Ho hum, right PP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we're going to see a big push to geoengineering sooner rather than later. Carbon sequestration but also solar radiation management. It definitely comes with its own risks, but I don't see how we don't at this point.

It's too late. The permafrost is melting and letting out more greenhouse gases than humans are creating now. That raises temperatures so more permafrost melts, more gases are emitted etc. So even if we go back to pre-industrial revolution times, global warming will continue without us anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who else has read The Ministry for the Future? Now when I hear reports about heat waves in India, it's terrifying.

I was in India during the heatwave in March/April. Understand that it was not even the height of summer. Normal life came to a standstill in the middle of the day. Trees, plants and crops wilted. It was the kind of oppressive heat that prevented most of us from leaving the house. Animals and birds were dying. Immense water scarcity coupled with huge amounts of mosquitos. Rancid and putrid smells from many open sewage drains. It was hell. It was horrifying. Temperatures were looming at 110 degree Fahrenheit. Yesterday, when DC was at 90 degrees, I thought it was a normal weather because it was bearable. Otherwise, the air at 105 - 110 degrees felt so hot that it hurts your lungs to breathe it in.

I feel all of us need to plant more trees around our homes. Get rid of lawns. Dig some trenches to do rain harvesting on your property and recharge the ground level of water. Stop using pesticide, weed killers and fertilizers. Plant clovers to fix nitrogen in the lawn. Compost your kitchen waste.

On an individual level, I do everything you state above. My yard is full of trees and no pesticides or insecticides and I compost food waste. I even have solar panels and our next car will be electric.

Unfortunately this is a situation where individual action really does not matter. I still live in a suburban house and drive everywhere because I couldn’t afford something else for my family and deliberate policy decisions created the modern suburb. Governments have to take drastic action to move the needle here.

Yes, it’s going to have to be governmental, but until we get rid of the GOP and their constant hampering of progress, it’s going to be down to the individual.

Native perennials are even better than trees at sequestering carbon. Many people can turn over at least some turf to native perennials and in return start sequestering carbon (and creating habitat for birds and pollinators, since in addition to global warming we’re also killing all our birds and beneficial insects).

I will say that we don't spray and planted native flowers including milkweed on a good portion of our erstwhile lawn, and our yard is teeming with amazing insects. The milkweed alone is an astonishing plant--it attract so many insects and so many varieties I'd never seen before that it's like its own mini-ecosystem.

I'm hopeful that once our species goes extinct in the next century or so, the planet will bounce back and maybe evolve a less selfish and destructive "intelligent" species to replace us.

LOL, some of you really need to go smoke a joint with a friend or something.

The level of self-loathing and, candidly, stupidity is off the charts. You’re romanticizing a milkweed plant and insects. Yet you’re so sophisticated and above it all that you denigrate actual human beings? The people I know are f&cking amazing. Even the ones I didn’t like at first… they have vast reservoirs of thought and emotion and compassion, interests and perspectives to share with others for the MILLISECOND we’re all so unfathomably fortunate to get on earth. We got Mozart and BB King, we got Philly cheesesteaks and toddlers who can’t stop laughing, hot air balloons and California cabs, pontoon boats to party with friends and Arlington Cemetery to remember brave and selfless patriots. But OK Debbie Downer, I’m sure it’s better to just throw your hands up and “hope” for a better next species after human extinction. Sweet use of the gift of life you were given.

Meh, I'm with PP. If the last 2 years have cemented anything for me, it is that the vast majority of people are selfish, mean-spirited, wasteful, ignorant a--hats. And your post sort of fits that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Follow the science. Climate changes - always has and always will.

You all are crazy to think that we can change what has been naturally occurring for millions of years.

You are correct. What you are leaving out is that HUMAN induced change is causing the current heating faster that our ecosystems -and clearly our politics and collective sense- can adapt to it.

[Anonymous]

Actually, we are likely on the cusp of a 60% reduction in solar activity that will usher in a mini ice age: https://www.science.org/content/article/there-mini-ice-age-horizon

Things always tend to work out.

[Anonymous]

I’m closing on a house in Maine next month. It’s not really for me, but for my kids as a place to escape the heat. I ideally would like to purchase another property on Moosehead Lake so they can both have a house with a significant fresh water source.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, we are likely on the cusp of a 60% reduction in solar activity that will usher in a mini ice age: https://www.science.org/content/article/there-mini-ice-age-horizon

Things always tend to work out.

That's fascinating.