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It doesn’t matter. Literally nobody can afford climate failure. Once you’ve got a realistic threat of civilisational collapse on one side of the equation, thi

It doesn’t matter. Literally nobody can afford climate failure. Once you’ve got a realistic threat of civilisational collapse on one side of the equation, things look different. Not everyone being able to afford a car, or having to eat veggie burgers... These aren’t real problems in comparison. Quite apart from the fact that we shouldn’t all need cars in the first place. I live in Europe, with kids, and I’ve never felt the need to even get a license. Trains are far more convenient. Cars being a luxury means public transport will need to improve everywhere. Which is great for everyone, and for the economy.

roenxi 8y ago
> It doesn’t matter. Literally nobody can afford climate failure. That is a sweeping overgeneralisation and literally false. There are going to be large communities of people who will suffer more from giving up cars than from climate change. Maybe you don't have an poor people living in your part of the world, but wishing a peasant lifestyle on the poor because you don't want to engage with their problems is neither constructive nor pleasant. What people can afford does matter, and it is worth considering how much the poor are being asked to give up versus how much we expect their sacrifice to help.
- incangold 8y ago
  It’s fair to point out that I was being hyperbolic. Depending on exactly where we fall in the range of bad to catastrophic possible futures ahead of us, it may be hard to find too many people who would be more affected by giving up cars than climate change. I am clearly not wishing a peasant lifestyle on the poor, that is a straw man. I am wishing working public transport on everyone. Your final paragraph I absolutely agree with. I over-egged my comment for effect. The general lack of alarm and urgency surrounding climate change is frustrating.

roenxi 8y ago

> It doesn’t matter. Literally nobody can afford climate failure. That is a sweeping overgeneralisation and literally false. There are going to be large communities of people who will suffer more from giving up cars than from climate change. Maybe you don't have an poor people living in your part of the world, but wishing a peasant lifestyle on the poor because you don't want to engage with their problems is neither constructive nor pleasant. What people can afford does matter, and it is worth considering how much the poor are being asked to give up versus how much we expect their sacrifice to help.

incangold 8y ago
It’s fair to point out that I was being hyperbolic. Depending on exactly where we fall in the range of bad to catastrophic possible futures ahead of us, it may be hard to find too many people who would be more affected by giving up cars than climate change. I am clearly not wishing a peasant lifestyle on the poor, that is a straw man. I am wishing working public transport on everyone. Your final paragraph I absolutely agree with. I over-egged my comment for effect. The general lack of alarm and urgency surrounding climate change is frustrating.