3 ms·
Considering the period of concern over global cooling (from last century), claims of "we've known this, but have pretended not to for a hundred years" are just
by andrewclunn 4y ago
Considering the period of concern over global cooling (from last century), claims of "we've known this, but have pretended not to for a hundred years" are just historical revisionism. When you lie about facts in favor of pushing a "more important truth" you don't convince people. You just give people more reason to doubt other things you're claiming.
- bjt2n3904 4y agoCombined with the apocalyptic histrionics of "we've only got ten more years before it's too late forever, we have to do something now!" And that something being banning lawn mowers...
- throw827474737 4y agoHuh what? It is never too late to do something and try to improve, sure, but it actually is practically already now too late to not crash the 2° goal. I'd really be more empathetic to the ones who will need to inhabit this future and not turn this into ridicule, even if you won't be there then..
- kspacewalk2 4y ago"Just don't talk about nuclear power, it's yucky, we're way past that and on to renewables + unspecified future quantum leaps in battery technology + a complete, multi-decade revamp in how our grid operates, mkay?" (Also known as the 'environmentalist' take on tackling climate change)
- igorkraw 4y agoThe fact is that oil companies have been knowingly sabotaging the discourse and scientific process about this in a similar way that the tobacco companies kept 'having the debate' for as long as possible to not change their business model, externalities be damned. To downplay this is the real historical revisionism and lie
- eej71 4y ago
- random314 4y agoNobody is demanding anything be taken away. Scientists are reporting the results of their computer models. The fix is cheap, easy and will only have a very mild inflationary effect. A carbon tax. The only losers are the oil industry, everyone else gains. This will actually reduce future inflation from crop failures, famines and climate refugee riots. Who are these "intellectuals". Commentors on internet forums like yourself? Or are you one of the proud "ignorants"?
- epakai 4y ago
- carapace 4y agoThere's no "other foot" here: we all want clean air and water, healthy farms and forests, etc. I've never heard "intellectuals" complain about the good things oil has provided: energy, nitrogen fertilizer, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and other useful chemical byproducts, and so on. Those things are not the problem. It's the undesirable consequences that are the problem. We are victims of our own success, so to speak. (Just to give one example of how oil itself is not the problem: biodegradable plastic has been commercially available for decades. We could make e.g. plastic shopping bags that lasted only as long as they were needed, but it's cheaper to use nigh indestructible ones. We could use biodegradable plastic straws.) - - - - In re: "a ready and steady supply of energy", I like to remind people that the Sun is a maintenance-free fusion reactor so powerful that it can burn out your retinas from 150,000,000 km away.