Agree with so many suggestions here.

Also, stop buying and idling Tahoes, Yukons, Suburbans, and other giant gas guzzling SUVs, just as a start. Reduce meat. Vote. Write/call your reps. Reduce single use plastic and let manufacturers know packaging matters to you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course those indoor options will just accelerate the problem.

I sort of feel like anyone that is not studying science to solve this is probably wasting their education. I haven’t convinced my kids of this yet though.

I also feel like we need a major shift in societal norms. 100 years ago, it was considered totally okay to spit in the street: smoke; wear furs from endangered animals; kill elephants for their tusks; make little children work in your factories; use racist terms and openly segregate based on race…..all of these things would more or less make you a social pariah now.

When is it going to be considered social suicide to air condition your office to 68 degrees in the summer; to fly to Paris for a weekend trip; to rip out your whole kitchen and replace it because you got bored of the style; to eat cheeseburgers every day; to drive to work solo in a car daily?

I admit I do at least some of those things or am tempted to do them. But most of them are honestly worse than wearing an ivory necklace or a tiger fur coat, ethically speaking. I’m sounding more radical and judgmental in this post than I actually am, but I am surprised at how slow the shift in social norms has been.

I have a good friend who is one of the authors of the second part of the IPCC report (it hasn’t come out yet) and it’s about policy changes and things that can be done to mitigate climate change. What she has been telling me for years is that we should do individual things to be good stewards of the Earth, but we are so far gone that the only really change can come for corporations and governments. Not to put a damper on an already sad thread.

I posted above, but I feel like this is actually the biggest problem. We live in the oldest democracy on earth, yet everyone seems to think that the government is some separate entity from them. If you want better policies, don't get depressed on DCUM. Start talking to your elected representatives and demand better policies. Yes, Congress is dysfunctional...but some of the most important decisions have nothing to do with Congress. Do you know if your city has a climate action plan? If so, is it any good? If so, is your city meeting its goals? If everyone doom and gloom person worried about climate change in America explored these questions and demanded the necessary changes, it would actually move the needle.

I am PP and I hear you about advocating for policy change but I was responding to the post above that changing your thermostat to 68 won’t really do anything at this point. Not saying not to, but it has to be governmental action.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course those indoor options will just accelerate the problem.

I sort of feel like anyone that is not studying science to solve this is probably wasting their education. I haven’t convinced my kids of this yet though.

I also feel like we need a major shift in societal norms. 100 years ago, it was considered totally okay to spit in the street: smoke; wear furs from endangered animals; kill elephants for their tusks; make little children work in your factories; use racist terms and openly segregate based on race…..all of these things would more or less make you a social pariah now.

When is it going to be considered social suicide to air condition your office to 68 degrees in the summer; to fly to Paris for a weekend trip; to rip out your whole kitchen and replace it because you got bored of the style; to eat cheeseburgers every day; to drive to work solo in a car daily?

I admit I do at least some of those things or am tempted to do them. But most of them are honestly worse than wearing an ivory necklace or a tiger fur coat, ethically speaking. I’m sounding more radical and judgmental in this post than I actually am, but I am surprised at how slow the shift in social norms has been.

I have a good friend who is one of the authors of the second part of the IPCC report (it hasn’t come out yet) and it’s about policy changes and things that can be done to mitigate climate change. What she has been telling me for years is that we should do individual things to be good stewards of the Earth, but we are so far gone that the only really change can come for corporations and governments. Not to put a damper on an already sad thread.

I posted above, but I feel like this is actually the biggest problem. We live in the oldest democracy on earth, yet everyone seems to think that the government is some separate entity from them. If you want better policies, don't get depressed on DCUM. Start talking to your elected representatives and demand better policies. Yes, Congress is dysfunctional...but some of the most important decisions have nothing to do with Congress. Do you know if your city has a climate action plan? If so, is it any good? If so, is your city meeting its goals? If everyone doom and gloom person worried about climate change in America explored these questions and demanded the necessary changes, it would actually move the needle.

Anonymous wrote:Of course those indoor options will just accelerate the problem.

I sort of feel like anyone that is not studying science to solve this is probably wasting their education. I haven’t convinced my kids of this yet though.

I also feel like we need a major shift in societal norms. 100 years ago, it was considered totally okay to spit in the street: smoke; wear furs from endangered animals; kill elephants for their tusks; make little children work in your factories; use racist terms and openly segregate based on race…..all of these things would more or less make you a social pariah now.

When is it going to be considered social suicide to air condition your office to 68 degrees in the summer; to fly to Paris for a weekend trip; to rip out your whole kitchen and replace it because you got bored of the style; to eat cheeseburgers every day; to drive to work solo in a car daily?

I admit I do at least some of those things or am tempted to do them. But most of them are honestly worse than wearing an ivory necklace or a tiger fur coat, ethically speaking. I’m sounding more radical and judgmental in this post than I actually am, but I am surprised at how slow the shift in social norms has been.

I have a good friend who is one of the authors of the second part of the IPCC report (it hasn’t come out yet) and it’s about policy changes and things that can be done to mitigate climate change. What she has been telling me for years is that we should do individual things to be good stewards of the Earth, but we are so far gone that the only really change can come for corporations and governments. Not to put a damper on an already sad thread.

Of course those indoor options will just accelerate the problem.

I sort of feel like anyone that is not studying science to solve this is probably wasting their education. I haven’t convinced my kids of this yet though.

I also feel like we need a major shift in societal norms. 100 years ago, it was considered totally okay to spit in the street: smoke; wear furs from endangered animals; kill elephants for their tusks; make little children work in your factories; use racist terms and openly segregate based on race…..all of these things would more or less make you a social pariah now.

When is it going to be considered social suicide to air condition your office to 68 degrees in the summer; to fly to Paris for a weekend trip; to rip out your whole kitchen and replace it because you got bored of the style; to eat cheeseburgers every day; to drive to work solo in a car daily?

I admit I do at least some of those things or am tempted to do them. But most of them are honestly worse than wearing an ivory necklace or a tiger fur coat, ethically speaking. I’m sounding more radical and judgmental in this post than I actually am, but I am surprised at how slow the shift in social norms has been.

Alas, it's a function of evolution. Too many people on earth. Too much progress. There's a balance in nature and we've made it so that's gone. You can't save everyone. You can't cure every disease. You can't make everything so convenient the energy it takes to maintain that convenience is overwhelming. All this is self inflicted yet why wouldn't we naturally want these advances? I think people are nuts when they talk about our ability to get climate change under control. If we could have we would have. It's not about spending 100 trillion dollars to do it differently. It's about the fact we are totally out of balance. I personally wouldn't want the lifestyle change realistically it would mean in order to impact the change required to slow down the damage. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't either. Easy to say use less, eat this not that and all- but the difference in lifestyle would not be pretty. We wouldn't each of us be able to travel as much as we do. We wouldn't be using so much i on do the conveniences we do daily. I think the answer will likely be either toms of people dying and a reset in civilization, space travel to export some folks out of earth or if we are lucky we build infrastructure that will shield us from weather. Essentially not be outside anymore - technology to keep us safe but I don't know that we can manipulate Mother Nature so while we can survive, that life is all about staying indoors. Virtual reality experience of the outdoors I guess. It's a matter of time.

Here is my solution: First, invest 10 trillion dollars on fusion. Once you have working fusion reactors, populate the entire Sahara with fusion-powered CO2 capture plants and sink that sucker gas deep in the Earth (wells also powered by fusion). All done! Humanity lives.

OK, humanity is not a bunch of idiots only. We went to the Moon. We have iPhones! We understand general and special relativity! We may have quantum computers soon! Are we really going to let a little CO2 ruin the big party? I say no! Stop being so pessimistic and let's find ways to fix what we've broken! Let's capture the carbon. Let's green the Sahara. What are we ants? We can do this humanity!

It won't take a thousand years, unfortunately.

Democratic solutions would only work if people cared. Most people don’t care that much. How many people are willing to give up meat? Or even beef? Or even pay substantially more for it to internalize the environmental cost? How would people feel about politicizes that substantially increase the cost of air travel or home heating/cooling, or driving?
Also, have you seen the threads on solar panels—all people care about is whether they will pay for themselves in a relatively short time frame.
Or all the posts mocking people who get Tesla’s as self absorbed d-bags. Feel how you want about Elon Musk but people buying Tesla’s are paying more to provide a social benefit in the form of decreased fossils fuel consumption and increasing the supply lines for EV generally. But people don’t seem to appreciate the fact that will help bring down costs of EV for everyone.

This all also makes me think of that show Occupied….the truth is no one is really willing to make the sacrifices necessary.

Maybe in 1000 years the human population will be “right sized” for the planet and a new balance established.

Anonymous wrote:Imagine if Biden or Obama mobilized their millions of supporters to get out in the streets and demand immediate action on climate change.

Because that’s what we need: a mass civil action. Sadly, until we’re in the streets demanding this be dealt with, nothing will change.

I think we're long past demonstrating in the street. What needs to happen is that people need to educate themselves (there's tons of information available), and then they need to work to implement solutions. This means getting active in local politics where many significant decisions are being made and ensuring that the decisions are sound. Building codes need to prioritize reduction in energy use and the use of sustainable materials. Planning decisions need to account for the impacts of rapidly changing climate (e.g. flooding, fires, etc) and promote walkable/bikable communities so we can reduce our day-to-day reliance on vehicles. Water utilities need to promote conservation. Electric utility policies need to promote renewable generation and efficiency. In the US, exactly none of these things are federal issues...so there is plenty of opportunity for people to get involved and actually implement changes.

We are all conditioned to feel so helpless when it comes to policy decisions, but the strength of democracy is that we are not really...unless we choose to be.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We deserve the coming catastrophe. I tried. I did my part. But not enough people did. Hopefully my DD won’t have children, and hopefully she’ll be able to live a normal lifespan before things really descend into destruction. But I’m not hopeful.

Same. My 16 yr old DS said that his generation is doomed. I wanted to cry. I wish I had not had kids. I wish my kids were not sentenced to this future.

Yes, same here. I feel so bad for my kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We deserve the coming catastrophe. I tried. I did my part. But not enough people did. Hopefully my DD won’t have children, and hopefully she’ll be able to live a normal lifespan before things really descend into destruction. But I’m not hopeful.

Same. My 16 yr old DS said that his generation is doomed. I wanted to cry. I wish I had not had kids. I wish my kids were not sentenced to this future.

I'm the PP who said on page 1 that I wouldn't have kids if I could do it over again. I'm 54 (my children are tweens/teens). One thing that gives me a little hope is remembering how we thought about the future when we were kids. I remember thinking I would never grow up because the world would end in a nuclear war first. But that didn't happen.

Maybe there will be some extraordinary global Manhattan Project.

Your last sentence gives me a sliver of hope.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We deserve the coming catastrophe. I tried. I did my part. But not enough people did. Hopefully my DD won’t have children, and hopefully she’ll be able to live a normal lifespan before things really descend into destruction. But I’m not hopeful.

Same. My 16 yr old DS said that his generation is doomed. I wanted to cry. I wish I had not had kids. I wish my kids were not sentenced to this future.

I'm the PP who said on page 1 that I wouldn't have kids if I could do it over again. I'm 54 (my children are tweens/teens). One thing that gives me a little hope is remembering how we thought about the future when we were kids. I remember thinking I would never grow up because the world would end in a nuclear war first. But that didn't happen.

Maybe there will be some extraordinary global Manhattan Project.

Anonymous wrote:We deserve the coming catastrophe. I tried. I did my part. But not enough people did. Hopefully my DD won’t have children, and hopefully she’ll be able to live a normal lifespan before things really descend into destruction. But I’m not hopeful.

Same. My 16 yr old DS said that his generation is doomed. I wanted to cry. I wish I had not had kids. I wish my kids were not sentenced to this future.