3 ms·

Yes, it’s hard; it will probably require greater mobilization than WWII and the Apollo program combined, but the longer the world waits, the harder it’s going t

Yes, it’s hard; it will probably require greater mobilization than WWII and the Apollo program combined, but the longer the world waits, the harder it’s going to be and the faster that mobilization will need to occur. http://folk.uio.no/roberan/t/global_mitigation_curves.shtml http://folk.uio.no/roberan/t/global_mitigation_curves.shtml (BTW those scenarios are now extremely optimistic based on leaked drafts of the upcoming IPCC report) But people should understand that this degree of mobilization is mostly necessary because we insist on subjecting ourselves to a capitalist mode of production based on endless growth. A much easier alternative is simply to shutdown large parts of the economy and transition the lost jobs into land conservation/stewardship and geoengineering, while providing a basic income for everyone else working only a couple of days per week. (See Degrowth.) No, this will not create “profit”. Yes, this will require a mass redistribution of wealth. The sooner people acknowledge that The Party is Over, the sooner they can move on to real solutions.

chrisco255 7y ago
Capitalism works better than anything else in history. Party isn't over. Let me ask you something: of the warming that is occurring now, what percentage is due to humans and what percentage is due to natural fluxes in climate? If we were to disappear off the face of the planet tomorrow, what would happen to the climate? Would it cool or would it warm?
- youareostriches 7y ago
  Why don’t you do the research yourself and find out? Unless you think you know the answers, in which case go ahead and cite your sources. The truth is generally: humans have contributed to most of the warming since the beginning of the industrial revolution considering the near-doubling of CO2 in the atmosphere and that climate sensitivity is between 3.5 and 5.5°C. (https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GL083574 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019...) If humans disappeared tomorrow, three things would happen: 1. The surface of the planet would immediately warm by at least 1°C due to the lack of pollution-sourced atmospheric aerosols (such as sulfur) from planes, ships, coal plants, etc. 2. The temperature would decline, but do so very very slowly due to CO2 remaining in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. (https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2018/10/SPM1_figure-final-e1541758557589-947x1024.png https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2018/10/SPM1...) This is why some sort of long term geoengineering involving carbon removal will probably be necessary even after halting all emissions. 3. Wild plant and animal populations would immediately begin to recover as their native habitats re-grew. And yes, I agree: Capitalism is the best system for destroying our natural environmental as efficiently as possible — what some would call “the externalized costs of economic growth”. This system has clearly proven itself unworkable. Sure, maybe with enough regulation we could have equilibrated capitalism within the bounds of our ecosystem, but those changes would have needed to been made decades ago. Now, no more time remains even for reform.

chrisco255 7y ago

Capitalism works better than anything else in history. Party isn't over. Let me ask you something: of the warming that is occurring now, what percentage is due to humans and what percentage is due to natural fluxes in climate? If we were to disappear off the face of the planet tomorrow, what would happen to the climate? Would it cool or would it warm?

youareostriches 7y ago
Why don’t you do the research yourself and find out? Unless you think you know the answers, in which case go ahead and cite your sources. The truth is generally: humans have contributed to most of the warming since the beginning of the industrial revolution considering the near-doubling of CO2 in the atmosphere and that climate sensitivity is between 3.5 and 5.5°C. (https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GL083574 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019...) If humans disappeared tomorrow, three things would happen: 1. The surface of the planet would immediately warm by at least 1°C due to the lack of pollution-sourced atmospheric aerosols (such as sulfur) from planes, ships, coal plants, etc. 2. The temperature would decline, but do so very very slowly due to CO2 remaining in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. (https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2018/10/SPM1_figure-final-e1541758557589-947x1024.png https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2018/10/SPM1...) This is why some sort of long term geoengineering involving carbon removal will probably be necessary even after halting all emissions. 3. Wild plant and animal populations would immediately begin to recover as their native habitats re-grew. And yes, I agree: Capitalism is the best system for destroying our natural environmental as efficiently as possible — what some would call “the externalized costs of economic growth”. This system has clearly proven itself unworkable. Sure, maybe with enough regulation we could have equilibrated capitalism within the bounds of our ecosystem, but those changes would have needed to been made decades ago. Now, no more time remains even for reform.