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Fair point. But convincing the entire population of the world to set their thermostat 1 degree higher during the summer months would have a 1000x multiple impa

Fair point. But convincing the entire population of the world to set their thermostat 1 degree higher during the summer months would have a 1000x multiple impact on a 40x shorter time scale than if every one of those people planted a tree. The spirit of my comment is that in general people LOVE the path of least resistance. Ask the average person about combatting climate change and their response is "plant more trees". Because that's easy, shit you can pay the gardener to do it or donate $10 to a plant the tree collective and feel instant gratification with no sacrifice. Vs the highest possible impact solution which is cutting personal consumption - even a little bit!

OJFord 7y ago
> But convincing the entire population of the world to set their thermostat 1 degree higher This confused me for longer than I'd care to admit, but now that I get it, I'd just say that a much smaller proportion of 'the entire population of the world' - even the developed world - has AC than it might seem to an American perspective.
NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Trees can keep running for 40-100 years using your figures. Governments can compulsory purchase and designate regions as wilderness or reserve, and require region appropriate planting. Perhaps to resemble former natural forest. You can't ask people to set their thermostat 1 degree warmer every year for that 40-100 years. You can expect there to be scope for continued tree planting for decades. Neither is a sole solution, but both are part of a holistic, reasoned and coordinated journey to carbon neutrality.
deleted 7y ago
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rabidrat 7y ago
You can easily plant 1000 trees to cover some of the people who won't bother, but setting your thermostat 1000 degrees higher in the summer won't do anything more.
- ijpoijpoihpiuoh 7y ago
  This is all well and good, except that you cannot easily plant 1000 trees and ensure they continue to exist in mature form forever. At least, you cannot for most values of "you." Maintaining 1000 mature trees is not a trivial matter.
  - tunesmith 7y ago
    I wonder about this too - all these charities for planting trees or renting carbon scrubbers or buying carbon offsets, they all have a certain level of capacity after which they'd be sold out. So buying carbon offsets don't really offset all your carbon.

OJFord 7y ago

> But convincing the entire population of the world to set their thermostat 1 degree higher This confused me for longer than I'd care to admit, but now that I get it, I'd just say that a much smaller proportion of 'the entire population of the world' - even the developed world - has AC than it might seem to an American perspective.

NeedMoreTea 7y ago

Trees can keep running for 40-100 years using your figures. Governments can compulsory purchase and designate regions as wilderness or reserve, and require region appropriate planting. Perhaps to resemble former natural forest. You can't ask people to set their thermostat 1 degree warmer every year for that 40-100 years. You can expect there to be scope for continued tree planting for decades. Neither is a sole solution, but both are part of a holistic, reasoned and coordinated journey to carbon neutrality.

deleted 7y ago

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rabidrat 7y ago

You can easily plant 1000 trees to cover some of the people who won't bother, but setting your thermostat 1000 degrees higher in the summer won't do anything more.

ijpoijpoihpiuoh 7y ago
This is all well and good, except that you cannot easily plant 1000 trees and ensure they continue to exist in mature form forever. At least, you cannot for most values of "you." Maintaining 1000 mature trees is not a trivial matter.
- tunesmith 7y ago
  I wonder about this too - all these charities for planting trees or renting carbon scrubbers or buying carbon offsets, they all have a certain level of capacity after which they'd be sold out. So buying carbon offsets don't really offset all your carbon.