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That is a very common screed that probably feels good but has no tangible effect. Can you be more specific? Which lifestyles need to be reduced? What specific

That is a very common screed that probably feels good but has no tangible effect. Can you be more specific? Which lifestyles need to be reduced? What specific action are you demanding specific individuals take?

esalman 5y ago
It very much depends on personal experience. I lived in SE Asia for the first 30 years of my life, then moved to the US. There are so many things that Americans and first world people take for granted what would be considered luxury in the other side of the world- and you have to live through that experience to come to that realization.
- Wiseacre 5y ago
  So you're saying the western world needs to experience something drastic like third world poverty in order to actually change?
  - djbusby 5y ago
    No but the "West" would need to give up a good bunch of luxurious wants. Less trips to the bowling alley, less meat, less drive to the store to get just one thing.
    - Ekaros 5y ago
      Maybe start thinking type of consumption. A bowling alley where you walk or bike might not be too bad. I don't think they have very massive carbon footprint. On other hand car trips to skiing, or nature should be right out. And tourism in general outside immediate local vicinity. And then in general consume less, like electronics. Do we really need to replace them every other year or should once in five to ten be enough? And what do we serve with them? Could we start spending more effort to optimize energy consumption and transfer of data?
  - esalman 5y ago
    Not change your whole like in a drastic manner, but maybe at least live in the 3rd world for a significant amount of time- should be enough of an eye-opener for a lot of people.
djbusby 5y ago
Stop buying out of season fruit/veg for your area. That stuff gets shipped 1/2 way around the world to get to your table. Some dietitians also claim the seasonality of edible plants helps our gut biome (but I can't find that source again) Also, local-in-season is, IME, lower cost. One small, kinda easy, step
- wingworks 5y ago
  It would have a bigger effect of the Govt set these things up, to increase incentives for local produce etc. Doing it on the individual level is a losing battle. Most people don't care (or don't understand the implications), so long as they get there xyz to eat.
- ehnto 5y ago
  It won't help. The majority of emissions are industrial and commercial. If you want to look at actions like that I would see them through the lens of local sustainability which is a fantastic goal. Unfortunately a single cargo ship idling in the dock would probably erase the carbon savings of every good willed vegetable purchase. What you as an individual can actually do is contact your delegates, your ministers, your officials, your industry partners, whoever you have access to, and tell them exactly why it's their problem to solve. You not buying bananas is a good gesture, but a carbon tax that makes out of season bananas unprofitable is where we need to implement the change.
  - BLKNSLVR 5y ago
    Downvote first paragraph, upvote second :) Those things are still worth doing because en masse it has an effect, and if the single cargo ship is idling in the dock, then that doubles the negative effect, so offsetting counts for... something, at least.
    - ehnto 5y ago
      That's fair, I am a little bashful in this regard sorry. We are decades beyond the pail at this point is why. There is of course reason to change your own behavior, but we need rock solid actionables from industry to change emissions at the scale we need.
amusedcyclist 5y ago
Stop eating meat, stop flying, stop driving, stop buying new clothes (for starters). Its not "feel good", its reality.
- Wiseacre 5y ago
  As we have already seen this pandemic, you can't always guilt or shame people into action.
  - amusedcyclist 5y ago
    Sure thats why the commenter said we're going to fry the world for our comfort. There are lots of straightforward steps we can take to reduce emissions, the issue is a lack of willingness
    - Wiseacre 5y ago
      Again a non-answer. What exact steps should be taken and by whom?
      - amusedcyclist 5y ago
        I gave you a very precise set of actions that you personally can take, it can also function as a set of broad goals for governments to set tax policies (tax meat). I'm sorry that you don't like them
- Bancakes 5y ago
  Stop producing meat, stop international flights, stop selling cars, stop producing clothes. That's the only way people will abide these policies. What's the point of saving the planet if you destroy your life?
  - amusedcyclist 5y ago
    Instead of "stop", the more realistic approach is tax those things to reflect their damage to the environment and watch consumption patterns change. Unfortunately most governments won't do that either
disambiguation 5y ago
Pretty much every person on earth has to start living like the Amish.

esalman 5y ago

It very much depends on personal experience. I lived in SE Asia for the first 30 years of my life, then moved to the US. There are so many things that Americans and first world people take for granted what would be considered luxury in the other side of the world- and you have to live through that experience to come to that realization.

Wiseacre 5y ago
So you're saying the western world needs to experience something drastic like third world poverty in order to actually change?
- djbusby 5y ago
  No but the "West" would need to give up a good bunch of luxurious wants. Less trips to the bowling alley, less meat, less drive to the store to get just one thing.
  - Ekaros 5y ago
    Maybe start thinking type of consumption. A bowling alley where you walk or bike might not be too bad. I don't think they have very massive carbon footprint. On other hand car trips to skiing, or nature should be right out. And tourism in general outside immediate local vicinity. And then in general consume less, like electronics. Do we really need to replace them every other year or should once in five to ten be enough? And what do we serve with them? Could we start spending more effort to optimize energy consumption and transfer of data?
- esalman 5y ago
  Not change your whole like in a drastic manner, but maybe at least live in the 3rd world for a significant amount of time- should be enough of an eye-opener for a lot of people.

djbusby 5y ago

Stop buying out of season fruit/veg for your area. That stuff gets shipped 1/2 way around the world to get to your table. Some dietitians also claim the seasonality of edible plants helps our gut biome (but I can't find that source again) Also, local-in-season is, IME, lower cost. One small, kinda easy, step

wingworks 5y ago
It would have a bigger effect of the Govt set these things up, to increase incentives for local produce etc. Doing it on the individual level is a losing battle. Most people don't care (or don't understand the implications), so long as they get there xyz to eat.
ehnto 5y ago
It won't help. The majority of emissions are industrial and commercial. If you want to look at actions like that I would see them through the lens of local sustainability which is a fantastic goal. Unfortunately a single cargo ship idling in the dock would probably erase the carbon savings of every good willed vegetable purchase. What you as an individual can actually do is contact your delegates, your ministers, your officials, your industry partners, whoever you have access to, and tell them exactly why it's their problem to solve. You not buying bananas is a good gesture, but a carbon tax that makes out of season bananas unprofitable is where we need to implement the change.
- BLKNSLVR 5y ago
  Downvote first paragraph, upvote second :) Those things are still worth doing because en masse it has an effect, and if the single cargo ship is idling in the dock, then that doubles the negative effect, so offsetting counts for... something, at least.
  - ehnto 5y ago
    That's fair, I am a little bashful in this regard sorry. We are decades beyond the pail at this point is why. There is of course reason to change your own behavior, but we need rock solid actionables from industry to change emissions at the scale we need.

amusedcyclist 5y ago

Stop eating meat, stop flying, stop driving, stop buying new clothes (for starters). Its not "feel good", its reality.

Wiseacre 5y ago
As we have already seen this pandemic, you can't always guilt or shame people into action.
- amusedcyclist 5y ago
  Sure thats why the commenter said we're going to fry the world for our comfort. There are lots of straightforward steps we can take to reduce emissions, the issue is a lack of willingness
  - Wiseacre 5y ago
    Again a non-answer. What exact steps should be taken and by whom?
    - amusedcyclist 5y ago
      I gave you a very precise set of actions that you personally can take, it can also function as a set of broad goals for governments to set tax policies (tax meat). I'm sorry that you don't like them
Bancakes 5y ago
Stop producing meat, stop international flights, stop selling cars, stop producing clothes. That's the only way people will abide these policies. What's the point of saving the planet if you destroy your life?
- amusedcyclist 5y ago
  Instead of "stop", the more realistic approach is tax those things to reflect their damage to the environment and watch consumption patterns change. Unfortunately most governments won't do that either

disambiguation 5y ago

Pretty much every person on earth has to start living like the Amish.