4 ms·

Where's that American aim of being #1 ("exceptional") in ways like "ethically good" or "world leader taking the world into a better future"? Why is it now "well

by yboris 6y ago

Where's that American aim of being #1 ("exceptional") in ways like "ethically good" or "world leader taking the world into a better future"? Why is it now "well, others are doing bad things, we may as well pollute the shit of the planet too"?

jinkyu 6y ago
really? America is far cleaner than it was in the 70-90s. but I'm sure giving a bunch of money to folks in Paris and Kyoto while they allow developing nations to dump smog like it was going out of style will fix this problem right up!
calvinmorrison 6y ago
> Why is it now "well, others are doing bad things, we may as well pollute the shit of the planet too"? Why is the burden on me? That's never been explained by all the climate religionists out there. When the west does something it's bad. When everyone else does it, they get a pass? We already did the industrial revolution. We already went through the long process. They have free wins - they don't need to design new processes or methods - they have plenty of money. They have the wrong priorities. Instead we can sit here and pat ourselves on the back for not using plastic straws, because save the turtles or some absolute crock, while 4 or 5 countries in asia produce almost ALL of the plastic trash in the oceans.
- yboris 6y ago
  The per-person consumption of electricity and oil - along with the CO2 emissions due to our lifestyle in the US is higher than just about every country in the world. WE are the ones that need to cut back.
  - calvinmorrison 6y ago
    It's due to many reasons, and Americans are cutting back. Our CO2 emissions have steadily been dropping for decades. the US and Europe have been solving environmental problems. Since the US has started to lower global CO2 emissions have more than doubled. That's mostly due to Asia. Their per capita emissions continue to rise and rise and rise, that's even with their booms in population.
- coryrc 6y ago
  For how much we spend, we can easily afford (aka minimal change to our lifestyle) to make electricity carbon-free in five years of we wanted to. We could charge trucking their true cost of road destruction and it would save us money and reduce CO2. We could allow dense housing neighborhoods (not force, just allow!) There are many things we could which even save money, make people some happier, and help the climate... but we don't.

by yboris 6y ago

jinkyu 6y ago

really? America is far cleaner than it was in the 70-90s. but I'm sure giving a bunch of money to folks in Paris and Kyoto while they allow developing nations to dump smog like it was going out of style will fix this problem right up!

calvinmorrison 6y ago

> Why is it now "well, others are doing bad things, we may as well pollute the shit of the planet too"? Why is the burden on me? That's never been explained by all the climate religionists out there. When the west does something it's bad. When everyone else does it, they get a pass? We already did the industrial revolution. We already went through the long process. They have free wins - they don't need to design new processes or methods - they have plenty of money. They have the wrong priorities. Instead we can sit here and pat ourselves on the back for not using plastic straws, because save the turtles or some absolute crock, while 4 or 5 countries in asia produce almost ALL of the plastic trash in the oceans.

yboris 6y ago
The per-person consumption of electricity and oil - along with the CO2 emissions due to our lifestyle in the US is higher than just about every country in the world. WE are the ones that need to cut back.
- calvinmorrison 6y ago
  It's due to many reasons, and Americans are cutting back. Our CO2 emissions have steadily been dropping for decades. the US and Europe have been solving environmental problems. Since the US has started to lower global CO2 emissions have more than doubled. That's mostly due to Asia. Their per capita emissions continue to rise and rise and rise, that's even with their booms in population.
coryrc 6y ago
For how much we spend, we can easily afford (aka minimal change to our lifestyle) to make electricity carbon-free in five years of we wanted to. We could charge trucking their true cost of road destruction and it would save us money and reduce CO2. We could allow dense housing neighborhoods (not force, just allow!) There are many things we could which even save money, make people some happier, and help the climate... but we don't.