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Nothing is more important than getting our reaction to climate change right. It’s so frustrating that so few genuinely helpful companies are emerging out of our

Nothing is more important than getting our reaction to climate change right. It’s so frustrating that so few genuinely helpful companies are emerging out of our ecosystem. We can and must do better. And quickly.

jacquesm 8y ago
Good luck in the current political climate.
Simon_says 8y ago
Even in the worst case scenario, global warming will not annihilate the human species. AI, nanotechnology, weaponized bioweapons, nuclear war, asteroid impacts, or alien contact could all potentially wipe out humanity.
- fabricexpert 8y ago
  Probably unlikely that those will wipe out humanity, at least we don't have any concrete evidence or examples of them (e.g. we have't built an AI that can do much yet, we don't have nanotech that will self replicate and kill us all, aliens have yet to show up etc.). Bioweapons seems unlikely to end humanity as someone will win the war, and personally I think MAD prevents widespread use. The only thing in your list that does make sense is an asteroid impact, which we don't have much say over. With climate change we know a) it's happening, b) it's going to affect us in some pretty major ways and c) we can do something about it. None of those hold true for your points.
  - Simon_says 8y ago
    > Bioweapons seems unlikely to end humanity ... I was more thinking an infectious agent that's modified to be particularly deadly. I believe that the second law of thermodynamics implies with high probability that humanity will not last forever, so I don't think it's that unlikely that something will wipe us out.
- DennisP 8y ago
  If nine billion people have to compete for enough food to feed one billion people, it won't be surprising if some nukes fly.
  - jacquesm 8y ago
    Then 8 billion people will have to compete for enough food to feed half a billion people.
stephengillie 8y ago
Driving safely is more important than climate change. Don't phone and drive.
- stephengillie 8y ago
  The community response to this is very telling.
fabricexpert 8y ago
> so few genuinely helpful companies are emerging out of our ecosystem. What would a genuinely helpful company look like? Some examples I can think of: - New materials development (e.g. plastic that takes 30% less carbon to create) - New carbon-reduced operation pipelines (e.g. a process for manufacturing cars at 30% less carbon) - A consultancy that focuses on energy reduction across business verticals - ... What else?
- pjc50 8y ago
  Some of those exist, but the problem is externality: so long as the high carbon option is more profitable than the low carbon one, we have a problem.
claydavisss 8y ago
What are you doing? If I must change, why not you? The people telling me to change must also change. People think this is an adolescent response but really, it boils down to us merely sneering at each other and not doing anything. edit: totally predicted...people are reacting with a simple question about actual change by downvoting my comment into Oblivion. You need no better explanation for our fate.
- stinos 8y ago
  edit: totally predicted... Well maybe because of your general tone and because you didn't seem to react to the OP directly. You see, with a question like "If I must change, why not you?" you imply the OP said you must change while he/she doesn't. But the OP came nowhere near mentioning such thing. On the contrary, OP used we.
  - claydavisss 8y ago
    OP states: We can and must do better. And quickly. why is it out of bounds to ask them what they are doing if the need is apparently so dire? or does "we" mean what it always means in these discussions....someone else? will even one person here commit to not flying for a year? the poor don't fly because they can't afford it.
    - marak830 8y ago
      Because it isn't adding to the conversation? I could ask what you're doing, but instead i'm reading and wondering what more i can do personally. Edit: Hell, ill even provide what i am doing. Not only am i trying to reduce my electricity usage in my house (which was really bugger all to begin with), I have convinced the owner of my restaurant, and have been implementing for months, a system where we source our produce locally as much as possible. (it is costing is approx 5-8% at the moment - as of last months check - but advertising this fact has been a ton more profitable than not putting the effort in). So that's just a part of what I'm doing. I'm willing to do more.
    - stinos 8y ago

jacquesm 8y ago

Good luck in the current political climate.

Simon_says 8y ago

Even in the worst case scenario, global warming will not annihilate the human species. AI, nanotechnology, weaponized bioweapons, nuclear war, asteroid impacts, or alien contact could all potentially wipe out humanity.

fabricexpert 8y ago
Probably unlikely that those will wipe out humanity, at least we don't have any concrete evidence or examples of them (e.g. we have't built an AI that can do much yet, we don't have nanotech that will self replicate and kill us all, aliens have yet to show up etc.). Bioweapons seems unlikely to end humanity as someone will win the war, and personally I think MAD prevents widespread use. The only thing in your list that does make sense is an asteroid impact, which we don't have much say over. With climate change we know a) it's happening, b) it's going to affect us in some pretty major ways and c) we can do something about it. None of those hold true for your points.
- Simon_says 8y ago
  > Bioweapons seems unlikely to end humanity ... I was more thinking an infectious agent that's modified to be particularly deadly. I believe that the second law of thermodynamics implies with high probability that humanity will not last forever, so I don't think it's that unlikely that something will wipe us out.
DennisP 8y ago
If nine billion people have to compete for enough food to feed one billion people, it won't be surprising if some nukes fly.
- jacquesm 8y ago
  Then 8 billion people will have to compete for enough food to feed half a billion people.

stephengillie 8y ago

Driving safely is more important than climate change. Don't phone and drive.

stephengillie 8y ago
The community response to this is very telling.

fabricexpert 8y ago

> so few genuinely helpful companies are emerging out of our ecosystem. What would a genuinely helpful company look like? Some examples I can think of: - New materials development (e.g. plastic that takes 30% less carbon to create) - New carbon-reduced operation pipelines (e.g. a process for manufacturing cars at 30% less carbon) - A consultancy that focuses on energy reduction across business verticals - ... What else?

pjc50 8y ago
Some of those exist, but the problem is externality: so long as the high carbon option is more profitable than the low carbon one, we have a problem.

claydavisss 8y ago

What are you doing? If I must change, why not you? The people telling me to change must also change. People think this is an adolescent response but really, it boils down to us merely sneering at each other and not doing anything. edit: totally predicted...people are reacting with a simple question about actual change by downvoting my comment into Oblivion. You need no better explanation for our fate.

stinos 8y ago
edit: totally predicted... Well maybe because of your general tone and because you didn't seem to react to the OP directly. You see, with a question like "If I must change, why not you?" you imply the OP said you must change while he/she doesn't. But the OP came nowhere near mentioning such thing. On the contrary, OP used we.
- claydavisss 8y ago
  OP states: We can and must do better. And quickly. why is it out of bounds to ask them what they are doing if the need is apparently so dire? or does "we" mean what it always means in these discussions....someone else? will even one person here commit to not flying for a year? the poor don't fly because they can't afford it.
  - marak830 8y ago
    Because it isn't adding to the conversation? I could ask what you're doing, but instead i'm reading and wondering what more i can do personally. Edit: Hell, ill even provide what i am doing. Not only am i trying to reduce my electricity usage in my house (which was really bugger all to begin with), I have convinced the owner of my restaurant, and have been implementing for months, a system where we source our produce locally as much as possible. (it is costing is approx 5-8% at the moment - as of last months check - but advertising this fact has been a ton more profitable than not putting the effort in). So that's just a part of what I'm doing. I'm willing to do more.
  - stinos 8y ago