4 ms·

I'm sorry the non-sustainability of your lifestyle puts the world at risk.

by whytaka 8y ago

lainga 8y ago
What are you suggesting, that everyone north of Prince George move to Surrey?
- jedmeyers 8y ago
  Now, they should just stop existing. Because “the world” is apparently at risk. As philosopher Carlin once said: “the planet is fine...”
  - rglover 8y ago
    For the uninitiated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c
  - pilsetnieks 8y ago
    Even if you're fine with human civilization dying, this reasoning isn't right. It is possible that some processes could be started that cause positive feedback loops that eventually do hurt the planet as a whole, and Earth could eventually look like Mars. If you include the biosphere in your definition of the planet, it is already very much hurting. Think of overfishing, the species we've led to extinction, places where people have caused desertification, and so on. Yes, the rocks will still be here. I don't think that means the planet is fine.
    - soupbowl 8y ago
      Human civilization will not being dieing if the small province of BC does not quit using gas for a few more years. BC is doing well with our greenhouse gas emissions. We can and will do better but we are a very small part of the problem, quit being dramatic.
      - pilsetnieks 8y ago
        The Carlin skit was not limited to British Columbia.
rayiner 8y ago
Unless you’re a subsistence farmer in Bangladesh, your lifestyle is unsustainable. The average Canadian or American produces 15-20 tons of CO2 annually. Even assuming electric generation is CO2-free, buying a Tesla instead of driving your current car another 7 years will put out 11-16 tons of CO2 per year. Ditching the car might get it down to 10-13, but only if you don’t replace that with Uber, food delivery, etc. In the Netherlands, a country of dense walkable and bikeable cities, the average person puts out 10 tons of CO2 annually. You know what really cuts emissions? Poverty. The average Bangladeshi puts out just 0.5 tons of carbon Per Capita. EDIT: Apparently BC is mostly powered by renewables. Edited math above to subtract CO2 from producing electricity, but add in cost of producing new car.
- whytaka 8y ago
  You’re right. But I support legislation that aims to remedy that.
  - Gpetrium 8y ago
    The way your comment came out made it sound like you don't know how the world works and that you would jump into supporting legislation that can have strong negative unintended circumstances (e.g. Farmers and miners in BC lose their jobs because they are not competitive due to the legislation you supported). That does not mean you shouldn't look for legislation and solutions to ameliorate the issue, it just means that if you haven't done it already, you will need to think a lot harder with regards to the consequences.
- chollida1 8y ago
  > In a place like Canada, where electricity primarily comes from natural gas, Come on, you don't just get to make up your own facts on the spot:) https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/facts/electricity/20068 https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/facts/electricity/20068 > Total electricity generation in Canada in 2016 was 648 terawatt hours. Hydro has the highest share of generation at 59%, followed by nuclear at 15%, coal at 9%, gas/oil/others at 10% and non-hydro renewables at 7%.
- beached_whale 8y ago
gpm 8y ago
The "non-sustainable" non-urban lifestyles are essential for our society. How else do you expect to get food, minerals, lumber, hydro electricity (heh), and so on. By all means, price in the externalities, use a carbon tax or something. But the idea that we shouldn't go to the middle of nowhere because it requires a CO2 emitting vehicle is ridiculous.
mikestew 8y ago
It's likely that your lifestyle requires mineral extraction workers to live in BumPhuck, B. C., along with those that support them. They're not necessarily living out there just for the wide open spaces, that's where the valuable rocks live. We all play our part, and we're in this together.
sctb 8y ago
We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19646040 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19646040 and marked it off-topic.

I'm sorry the non-sustainability of your lifestyle puts the world at risk.

lainga 8y ago

What are you suggesting, that everyone north of Prince George move to Surrey?

jedmeyers 8y ago
Now, they should just stop existing. Because “the world” is apparently at risk. As philosopher Carlin once said: “the planet is fine...”
- rglover 8y ago
  For the uninitiated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c
- pilsetnieks 8y ago
  Even if you're fine with human civilization dying, this reasoning isn't right. It is possible that some processes could be started that cause positive feedback loops that eventually do hurt the planet as a whole, and Earth could eventually look like Mars. If you include the biosphere in your definition of the planet, it is already very much hurting. Think of overfishing, the species we've led to extinction, places where people have caused desertification, and so on. Yes, the rocks will still be here. I don't think that means the planet is fine.
  - soupbowl 8y ago
    Human civilization will not being dieing if the small province of BC does not quit using gas for a few more years. BC is doing well with our greenhouse gas emissions. We can and will do better but we are a very small part of the problem, quit being dramatic.
    - pilsetnieks 8y ago
      The Carlin skit was not limited to British Columbia.

rayiner 8y ago

Unless you’re a subsistence farmer in Bangladesh, your lifestyle is unsustainable. The average Canadian or American produces 15-20 tons of CO2 annually. Even assuming electric generation is CO2-free, buying a Tesla instead of driving your current car another 7 years will put out 11-16 tons of CO2 per year. Ditching the car might get it down to 10-13, but only if you don’t replace that with Uber, food delivery, etc. In the Netherlands, a country of dense walkable and bikeable cities, the average person puts out 10 tons of CO2 annually. You know what really cuts emissions? Poverty. The average Bangladeshi puts out just 0.5 tons of carbon Per Capita. EDIT: Apparently BC is mostly powered by renewables. Edited math above to subtract CO2 from producing electricity, but add in cost of producing new car.

whytaka 8y ago
You’re right. But I support legislation that aims to remedy that.
- Gpetrium 8y ago
  The way your comment came out made it sound like you don't know how the world works and that you would jump into supporting legislation that can have strong negative unintended circumstances (e.g. Farmers and miners in BC lose their jobs because they are not competitive due to the legislation you supported). That does not mean you shouldn't look for legislation and solutions to ameliorate the issue, it just means that if you haven't done it already, you will need to think a lot harder with regards to the consequences.
chollida1 8y ago
> In a place like Canada, where electricity primarily comes from natural gas, Come on, you don't just get to make up your own facts on the spot:) https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/facts/electricity/20068 https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/facts/electricity/20068 > Total electricity generation in Canada in 2016 was 648 terawatt hours. Hydro has the highest share of generation at 59%, followed by nuclear at 15%, coal at 9%, gas/oil/others at 10% and non-hydro renewables at 7%.
beached_whale 8y ago

gpm 8y ago

The "non-sustainable" non-urban lifestyles are essential for our society. How else do you expect to get food, minerals, lumber, hydro electricity (heh), and so on. By all means, price in the externalities, use a carbon tax or something. But the idea that we shouldn't go to the middle of nowhere because it requires a CO2 emitting vehicle is ridiculous.

mikestew 8y ago

It's likely that your lifestyle requires mineral extraction workers to live in BumPhuck, B. C., along with those that support them. They're not necessarily living out there just for the wide open spaces, that's where the valuable rocks live. We all play our part, and we're in this together.

sctb 8y ago

We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19646040 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19646040 and marked it off-topic.