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Climate change: do more now or risk catastrophe

30 points by rmbryan 7y ago

wufufufu 7y ago
Isn't it "do more now and deal with catastrophe"?
- mac01021 7y ago
  Do more now and still deal with catastrophe or deal with circumstances grossly more catastrophic?
thorwasdfasdf 7y ago
I see a lot of climate change articles that talk about what should be done, but none of them talk about why we should do anything. Considering that a vast portion of the population still doesn't believe it's a huge problem, they really should explain why climate change is a big problem. they don't give any details at all, only vague references to doomsday: "a catastrophic implications for the climate of this planet". How do they expect people to be convinced to do anything when no reasons or explanations are given.
- pstuart 7y ago
  > none of them talk about why we should do anything Isn't it self-evident that melting the ice caps and acidifying and killing the oceans might not be good for us collectively? As for why nobody is doing anything, it's because we have a culture of kicking the can down the road for tough problems, and this is no different. And lastly, the current President of the United States* is a climate denier and actively working to destroy and destabilize all efforts to address it. And this president* currently has the support of ~40% of eligible voters. Go figure.
- woodandsteel 7y ago
  >Considering that a vast portion of the population still doesn't believe it's a huge problem, they really should explain why climate change is a big problem. Actually, outside the US, Russia, and maybe a few other countries, the vast majority of the population believe the science and know it is urgent to take action.
hdlothia 7y ago
Why are people still pretending that people will change their behaviors. It's time to just start planning for the worst case scenario or hope that we find a scientific breakthrough.
qnsi 7y ago
I dont know why I always click comments under political discussions on HN, but I always regret that
- JohnClark1337 7y ago
  I don't regret it. It's very entertaining
selfishgene 7y ago
What this author forgets is that many young people today are not procreating because having children is increasingly becoming a luxury of the upper middle class. Why should childless individuals care all that much about how issues like global warming and growing economic inequality will affect future generations when they're desperately just trying to hold onto their current jobs in order to service increasingly unjustifiable levels of debt (home, medical, educational,...)?
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  The author is reporting a statement by the International Energy Agency, not discussing procreation, so she forgot nothing. You don't think it strange though, that concern around the climate is so much higher with those mostly childless young? Whether they choose to have children themselves or not they will be around longer than their parents and thus disproportionately affected. No surprise then there are XR demos with all ages, and school strike demonstrations growing all around the globe. Why are they bothering? Shouldn't they be fussing about their student loan or holding down a shitty job instead?
  - selfishgene 7y ago
    Fear-mongering often spreads like a virus. It's not based on scientific fact (because some questions are too difficult to answer) but rather on emotion. Many of these demonstrators (childless or not) would more tangibly benefit from reducing their debt burden by a few grand each month than global temperatures by a few degrees. Will there be flooding in some coastal cites? Maybe yes, but who cares, because it will drastically lower real-estate prices in these highly inflated markets so that the "other 99%" can finally afford to live there. A tall pair of rubber boots and a gondola will be a small price to pay to move on in. Until then, I'll keep driving around town in my twenty year-old 18 mpg SUV.

30 points by rmbryan 7y ago

wufufufu 7y ago

Isn't it "do more now and deal with catastrophe"?

mac01021 7y ago
Do more now and still deal with catastrophe or deal with circumstances grossly more catastrophic?

thorwasdfasdf 7y ago

I see a lot of climate change articles that talk about what should be done, but none of them talk about why we should do anything. Considering that a vast portion of the population still doesn't believe it's a huge problem, they really should explain why climate change is a big problem. they don't give any details at all, only vague references to doomsday: "a catastrophic implications for the climate of this planet". How do they expect people to be convinced to do anything when no reasons or explanations are given.

pstuart 7y ago
> none of them talk about why we should do anything Isn't it self-evident that melting the ice caps and acidifying and killing the oceans might not be good for us collectively? As for why nobody is doing anything, it's because we have a culture of kicking the can down the road for tough problems, and this is no different. And lastly, the current President of the United States* is a climate denier and actively working to destroy and destabilize all efforts to address it. And this president* currently has the support of ~40% of eligible voters. Go figure.
woodandsteel 7y ago
>Considering that a vast portion of the population still doesn't believe it's a huge problem, they really should explain why climate change is a big problem. Actually, outside the US, Russia, and maybe a few other countries, the vast majority of the population believe the science and know it is urgent to take action.

hdlothia 7y ago

Why are people still pretending that people will change their behaviors. It's time to just start planning for the worst case scenario or hope that we find a scientific breakthrough.

qnsi 7y ago

I dont know why I always click comments under political discussions on HN, but I always regret that

JohnClark1337 7y ago
I don't regret it. It's very entertaining

selfishgene 7y ago

What this author forgets is that many young people today are not procreating because having children is increasingly becoming a luxury of the upper middle class. Why should childless individuals care all that much about how issues like global warming and growing economic inequality will affect future generations when they're desperately just trying to hold onto their current jobs in order to service increasingly unjustifiable levels of debt (home, medical, educational,...)?

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
The author is reporting a statement by the International Energy Agency, not discussing procreation, so she forgot nothing. You don't think it strange though, that concern around the climate is so much higher with those mostly childless young? Whether they choose to have children themselves or not they will be around longer than their parents and thus disproportionately affected. No surprise then there are XR demos with all ages, and school strike demonstrations growing all around the globe. Why are they bothering? Shouldn't they be fussing about their student loan or holding down a shitty job instead?
- selfishgene 7y ago
  Fear-mongering often spreads like a virus. It's not based on scientific fact (because some questions are too difficult to answer) but rather on emotion. Many of these demonstrators (childless or not) would more tangibly benefit from reducing their debt burden by a few grand each month than global temperatures by a few degrees. Will there be flooding in some coastal cites? Maybe yes, but who cares, because it will drastically lower real-estate prices in these highly inflated markets so that the "other 99%" can finally afford to live there. A tall pair of rubber boots and a gondola will be a small price to pay to move on in. Until then, I'll keep driving around town in my twenty year-old 18 mpg SUV.