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> I can think of a number of other issues that pose similar if not more immediate, or greater risks to humanity that have lower economic costs to solve. Cool,
by aaronbrethorst 10y ago
> I can think of a number of other issues that pose similar if not more immediate, or greater risks to humanity that have lower economic costs to solve.
Cool, like what?
> None of what I'm saying is that global warming isn't a worthy cause, just that the enormity and alarmism of the politics that surrounds it is cause for question.
I agree. But that doesn't make it less of an issue. And cutting off your nose to spite your face doesn't seem like a useful solution, so what's the answer?
- whatshisface 10y ago>Cool, like what? Regular environmental damage, for one. We still have lots of forest-burning and toxic chemical exposure around the world. In fact, a major extinction is going on in the Amazon right now because of deforestation. We could also throw in public health crises like heart disease and diabetes - like climate, we may be able to improve those by changing our behavior. It is absolutely the case the case that present human and environmental health is under greatest assault by things other than climate. This is not to make climate less, but to point out that other problems loom a little larger than most people think.
- lancewiggs 10y agoDeforestation is a climate change problem as well as a local ecosystem problem. Solve for both. Life expectancies have risen by a ridiculous amount over the last 150 years. Wide-spread diabetes is a symptom of a wealthy society that is over-indulging - solve for that problem, and, you guessed it, climate change is assisted too. Climate change can destroy our global ecosystem - the one that sustains all life. While these other things may be more urgent, nothing (aside from a large object in space heading to Earth) has quote the same existential gravitas.
- briandear 10y agoSo remove the wealth and thus limit over indulging? Ok, you first.
- Ensorceled 10y agoThis comment doesn't even make sense. A wealthy society over-indulging doesn't need it's wealth curtailed in order to stop over-indulging and the comment you replied to didn't imply that it did.
- the8472 10y agoWe only got one global atmosphere but lots of hearts and forests. It is a single point of failure. And fighting some of those things, like pollution from coal plants, also goes hand in hand with reducing CO2 emissions.