4 ms·

I wonder if there's some game theory at play where people know it's happening but if you can get by sacrificing the least while the majority sacrifices just eno

I wonder if there's some game theory at play where people know it's happening but if you can get by sacrificing the least while the majority sacrifices just enough to fight it then you've successfully optimized for minimal effort in a victory condition. I know misinformation is a driving factor for non-believers but I still get stumped why people who believe in climate change are not always environmentally friendly.

lovich 8y ago
You're describing something like the tragedy of the commons. We have a shared resource so it's in everyone's personal interest to use as much of it as they possibly can, while trying to get everyone else to use it sustainably
jl2718 8y ago
This is what virtue signaling is all about. Magnify your tiny sacrifice so you won’t be asked to do more. It’s hard to calculate your personal global warming impact directly, but luckily economists have found that there is an incredibly reliable 100% correlation between monetary velocity and natural resource usage. So if you want to calculate your impact on global warming, just multiply your spending times your PPP. Spending more on virtue-signaling brands has the opposite effect your going for. Sorry. So if you want to actually do better instead of feel better, just spend less. It’s really that simple.