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Another day passes, another day nowhere near enough is being done to get on top of this situation. If the US government had any brains, they'd be setting up a

Another day passes, another day nowhere near enough is being done to get on top of this situation. If the US government had any brains, they'd be setting up a WW2 style mobilization against climate change and moving towards almost immediate decarbonization. This is an international effort working with NATO allies. It would only benefit everyone. New industry, safer economic outcomes long term, nicer world to live in. Lastly, it would be a sign that America are capable of leading the world into the future. IMO the longer the US drops the ball on this, the less competent it's starting to look. If China didn't follow suit, it would look equally weak, especially to it's own people so it would also need to respond. I'm picking on the US here because they're happy to be leaders in war, arms, tech and economics, but in this case, we're hardly anywhere to be seen and showing pretty much zero meaningful leadership. If we don't, who will? Looking what is going on around the world, I really can't even imagine a functioning economy in 20 years. Looking at how many heat records have fallen this year, it's really hard to even imagine what the world will look like in 2043. Look at parts of Europe, they seem pretty much uninhabitable during summer now. Phoenix, AZ... yes it's a hot place to being with but I mean, will people just be living there in the 130s?

myshpa 3y ago
The worse the situation becomes, the less will be done. We could have taken action even 10, 20, or 40 years ago, but so far, we have done nothing significant to prevent it from happening. The longer we wait, the more expensive and complicated the solutions will become. Politicians are often reluctant to make unpopular moves that might anger their base, so they tend to focus on short-term goals rather than long-term sustainability (though Bernie might have been an exception, imho). We are searching for solutions that maintain the status quo. One of the most significant issues is the exponential growth driven by our financial system's need for constant growth. Yet, we have not even begun to start discussing that. https://futureearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/great_accel-12graph-SE.png https://futureearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/great_acc... > If we don't, who will? Those few who'll somehow manage to stay alive.
- basisword 3y ago
  >> We've so far done nothing to stop it from happening. That is completely untrue. We’ve certainly not done enough but the world of 40, 20 and even 10 years ago was much worse. Unfortunately most of the changes have been ones forced on individuals while businesses and governments continue to pollute and cause damage.
  - myshpa 3y ago
    You're right that the system is set up in such a way, that it often prevents meaningful changes on the individual level. However, the individuals are still consumers of those businesses, and our habits are driving their profits and further destruction. The change has to come on both levels. Let's not use it as an excuse to do nothing. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding... Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth
- throwanem 3y ago
  > the exponential growth of the human population driven by our financial system's need for constant growth. Yet, we have not even begun to start discussing that Probably a good place to begin that discussion would be with some sort of demonstration that this is actually a thing that's happening. It seems like a difficult [1] argument to construct, so you should probably get on that. [1] https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/world-population-by-year/ https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/world-populat...
  - myshpa 3y ago
    Thanks ... you're right, I was thinking ahead, that should not be there. "the exponential growth driven by our financial system's need for constant growth" I've updated the original comment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Acceleration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Acceleration "In tracking the effects of human activity upon the Earth, a number of socioeconomic and earth system parameters are utilized including population, economics, water usage, food production, transportation, technology, greenhouse gases, surface temperature, and natural resource usage" https://futureearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/great_accel-12graph-SE.png https://futureearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/great_acc...
candiddevmike 3y ago
Republicans have made climate denial part of their identity. The US isn't capable of doing anything federally until the nation is reunified.
- ChatGTP 3y ago
  This is a good point, but is much being done while a democrat is in charge? Seems like Joe has squandered the best part of another term. Amendment: I didn't mean he is doing nothing, or a bad job, but he could even just address the UN or NATO and actually explain that while his hands are tied, he could offer support in any other way possible until America gets his head correct.
  - PartiallyTyped 3y ago
    This shows an enormous amount of ignorance over how the US works. Because of gerrymandering, republicans own the House of Representatives, no legislation can pass from the legislative branch if the Congress and the House don’t agree. The executive branch can not “just” make new legislation. It’s not part of its power or job. You can’t blame Joe because Marjorie Taylor Greene and every so and so lunatic has decided to screw everyone else and shove their head into the ground.
    - jhgfjhgfjhfgjhg 3y ago
      This shows an enormous amount of ignorance of how federalism works. Nothing is stopping Californians from banning fossil fuels.
      - danny_codes 3y ago
        Man I would love to see us go 100% nuclear. Just slap 50 power plants down and we'd be done, 10 years, in-and-out. It'd only cost like 100 billion or so, basically free.
      - PartiallyTyped 3y ago
        The chain is specifically about federal level. Nobody denies that things can be done at the state level. > The US isn't capable of doing anything federally until the nation is reunified.
fragmede 3y ago
Thankfully, China has already been making large investments in solar power and batteries. Might not be enough to save us, but it's enough to note.
oezi 3y ago
I think it wouldn't even require so much as a WW2 mobilization. It needs 3-6% of GDP (globally) to replace fossils fuels and get to net Zero.
zingababba 3y ago
The intellectual energy in the US is entirely beholden to economics at the present. There are plenty of intelligent individuals who could be mobilized on this issue but by and large they are subjugated by the language of economics into chasing teh dollarz. Like you mentioned, mobilization is possible, look at WW2, intellectuals were entirely captured to serve military efforts during that period. Then w/ the neolib period it shifted to being captured by the language of economics which is where we are currently. It really is on the precarious cognitariat to break the shackles of the current burden of working inside of the stagnant linguistic framework of economics. Economics is anti-science.

myshpa 3y ago

The worse the situation becomes, the less will be done. We could have taken action even 10, 20, or 40 years ago, but so far, we have done nothing significant to prevent it from happening. The longer we wait, the more expensive and complicated the solutions will become. Politicians are often reluctant to make unpopular moves that might anger their base, so they tend to focus on short-term goals rather than long-term sustainability (though Bernie might have been an exception, imho). We are searching for solutions that maintain the status quo. One of the most significant issues is the exponential growth driven by our financial system's need for constant growth. Yet, we have not even begun to start discussing that. https://futureearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/great_accel-12graph-SE.png https://futureearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/great_acc... > If we don't, who will? Those few who'll somehow manage to stay alive.

basisword 3y ago
>> We've so far done nothing to stop it from happening. That is completely untrue. We’ve certainly not done enough but the world of 40, 20 and even 10 years ago was much worse. Unfortunately most of the changes have been ones forced on individuals while businesses and governments continue to pollute and cause damage.
- myshpa 3y ago
  You're right that the system is set up in such a way, that it often prevents meaningful changes on the individual level. However, the individuals are still consumers of those businesses, and our habits are driving their profits and further destruction. The change has to come on both levels. Let's not use it as an excuse to do nothing. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding... Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth
throwanem 3y ago
> the exponential growth of the human population driven by our financial system's need for constant growth. Yet, we have not even begun to start discussing that Probably a good place to begin that discussion would be with some sort of demonstration that this is actually a thing that's happening. It seems like a difficult [1] argument to construct, so you should probably get on that. [1] https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/world-population-by-year/ https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/world-populat...
- myshpa 3y ago
  Thanks ... you're right, I was thinking ahead, that should not be there. "the exponential growth driven by our financial system's need for constant growth" I've updated the original comment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Acceleration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Acceleration "In tracking the effects of human activity upon the Earth, a number of socioeconomic and earth system parameters are utilized including population, economics, water usage, food production, transportation, technology, greenhouse gases, surface temperature, and natural resource usage" https://futureearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/great_accel-12graph-SE.png https://futureearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/great_acc...

candiddevmike 3y ago

Republicans have made climate denial part of their identity. The US isn't capable of doing anything federally until the nation is reunified.

ChatGTP 3y ago
This is a good point, but is much being done while a democrat is in charge? Seems like Joe has squandered the best part of another term. Amendment: I didn't mean he is doing nothing, or a bad job, but he could even just address the UN or NATO and actually explain that while his hands are tied, he could offer support in any other way possible until America gets his head correct.
- PartiallyTyped 3y ago
  This shows an enormous amount of ignorance over how the US works. Because of gerrymandering, republicans own the House of Representatives, no legislation can pass from the legislative branch if the Congress and the House don’t agree. The executive branch can not “just” make new legislation. It’s not part of its power or job. You can’t blame Joe because Marjorie Taylor Greene and every so and so lunatic has decided to screw everyone else and shove their head into the ground.
  - jhgfjhgfjhfgjhg 3y ago
    This shows an enormous amount of ignorance of how federalism works. Nothing is stopping Californians from banning fossil fuels.
    - danny_codes 3y ago
      Man I would love to see us go 100% nuclear. Just slap 50 power plants down and we'd be done, 10 years, in-and-out. It'd only cost like 100 billion or so, basically free.
    - PartiallyTyped 3y ago
      The chain is specifically about federal level. Nobody denies that things can be done at the state level. > The US isn't capable of doing anything federally until the nation is reunified.

fragmede 3y ago

Thankfully, China has already been making large investments in solar power and batteries. Might not be enough to save us, but it's enough to note.

oezi 3y ago

I think it wouldn't even require so much as a WW2 mobilization. It needs 3-6% of GDP (globally) to replace fossils fuels and get to net Zero.

zingababba 3y ago

The intellectual energy in the US is entirely beholden to economics at the present. There are plenty of intelligent individuals who could be mobilized on this issue but by and large they are subjugated by the language of economics into chasing teh dollarz. Like you mentioned, mobilization is possible, look at WW2, intellectuals were entirely captured to serve military efforts during that period. Then w/ the neolib period it shifted to being captured by the language of economics which is where we are currently. It really is on the precarious cognitariat to break the shackles of the current burden of working inside of the stagnant linguistic framework of economics. Economics is anti-science.