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We fail to care because I expect most people are resigned to the fact that we aren't going to do a damn thing about it. Climate change is real. Humans are cau

by zzalpha 11y ago

We fail to care because I expect most people are resigned to the fact that we aren't going to do a damn thing about it. Climate change is real. Humans are causing it. And we're not going to stop. It's as simple as that. So why waste emotional energy on the issue? What I find odd is that folks find that odd. It's actually a pretty rational reaction to the situation. Far less rational is to think you can convince 8 billion prisoners to solve a dilemma bigger than any of them can possibly imagine.

zck 11y ago
> And we're not going to stop. It's as simple as that. I think that people who are using emotional energy, as you put it, disagree on this point.
- zzalpha 11y ago
  I think that people who are using emotional energy, as you put it, disagree on this point. And, to be blunt, they're wrong. There is literally no reason whatsoever that humans will all agree to curb greenhouse gas emissions. That would require that everyone 1) agree climate change is happening, 2) it's their responsibility to address it, and 3) it's worth the "cost" to try and address it. The vast majority of nations that contribute the lion's share of greenhouse gas emissions are developed western countries. The vast majority of nations that will bear the brunt of the consequences of climate change are poor, eastern and African nations. So those nations that could have the greatest impact have the least motivation to do anything. Thus we will continue to pump CO2 into the atmosphere until the immediate opportunity cost of doing so outweighs the immediate opportunity cost of not doing so (since humans are primarily driven by short-term economic needs). That basically requires non-CO2-producing resources to be cheaper than CO2-producing resources, and that won't happen for a long time, particularly in the transportation sector.

by zzalpha 11y ago

zck 11y ago

> And we're not going to stop. It's as simple as that. I think that people who are using emotional energy, as you put it, disagree on this point.

zzalpha 11y ago
I think that people who are using emotional energy, as you put it, disagree on this point. And, to be blunt, they're wrong. There is literally no reason whatsoever that humans will all agree to curb greenhouse gas emissions. That would require that everyone 1) agree climate change is happening, 2) it's their responsibility to address it, and 3) it's worth the "cost" to try and address it. The vast majority of nations that contribute the lion's share of greenhouse gas emissions are developed western countries. The vast majority of nations that will bear the brunt of the consequences of climate change are poor, eastern and African nations. So those nations that could have the greatest impact have the least motivation to do anything. Thus we will continue to pump CO2 into the atmosphere until the immediate opportunity cost of doing so outweighs the immediate opportunity cost of not doing so (since humans are primarily driven by short-term economic needs). That basically requires non-CO2-producing resources to be cheaper than CO2-producing resources, and that won't happen for a long time, particularly in the transportation sector.