4 ms·

A ridiculous and uninformed article. This is a great example of the type of magical thinking we often see when it comes to issues like this. The reality is that

A ridiculous and uninformed article. This is a great example of the type of magical thinking we often see when it comes to issues like this. The reality is that changing the behavior of superemitters is not nearly enough to make a difference, compared to the sum total of the emissions of ordinary people. Let’s redo the headline: - People driving their kids to school is driving the climate crisis - People having enough to eat is driving the climate crisis - People taking nice vacations with their families and friends is driving the climate crisis The problem doesn’t seem too easy to solve now. Just as we can’t fund a robust welfare state by taxing the rich alone (everyone must pay high taxes for it to be enough), we will do nothing about climate change by focusing only on superemitters (most aspects of life must be decarbonized if we’re going to stop climate change).

timeon 3y ago
> Let’s redo the headline: - People driving their kids to school is driving the climate crisis - People having enough to eat is driving the climate crisis There is huge range between excess and shortage. There are people in developed world who do not drive their kids in SUVs. There are people in developed world who walk their kids to school. Good urban design / spatial planning is better for live and environment. > we will do nothing about climate change We will do nothing. This attitude is just looking for excuses. CO2 emissions per capita in Austria are half of those in USA.
DueDilligence 3y ago
[dead]
mistermann 3y ago
[flagged]
- dang 3y ago
  You can't post like this to HN. We ban accounts that do. Please don't do it again. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html Edit: we just had to ask you the other day to stop posting unsubstantive and/or flamebait comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36857356 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36857356. I don't want to ban you but if this keeps up, we're going to have to—so please fix this.
  - mistermann 3y ago
    See my replies under the other post, which I had originally missed.
lcnPylGDnU4H9OF 3y ago
> - People driving their kids to school is driving the climate crisis - People having enough to eat is driving the climate crisis - People taking nice vacations with their families and friends is driving the climate crisis By my count, two out of the three are reasonably considered “excess” and are seemingly not being questioned as claimed by the headline.
Dig1t 3y ago
It does seem to be the conclusion that people arrive at but don’t really want to say out loud. If we really want to save the climate we should all just kill ourselves.
- beanjuiceII 3y ago
  or we do nothing and just let the earth do it? then things will correct themselves for awhile again, see cheapest and simplest option!
ttonkytonk 3y ago
"...if the top 10% of global emitters were to cut their carbon footprint to that of the typical EU citizen... that alone would cut global emissions by around one third." - p.208 The Climate Book (Greta Thunberg)
- yowzadave 3y ago
  so...a decent start, but obviously not enough, given that we should be aiming for zero emissions?
  - timeon 3y ago
    Yes decent start. We need to start.
- kdamica 3y ago
  In other words, if 780 million people were to cut their emissions to the levels of some of the world’s most advanced and densely populated economies…
johnrob 3y ago
For better or worse, the wealthy are the thought leaders of society. Their values trickle down to the middle and lower classes. When we see them consume at a high rate (per capita), it sends a message that “what I can afford to consume is ok to consume”. So the masses end up throwing away hoards of cheap single use plastics because it’s convenient and not expensive. The issue with mass consumption by the wealthy is how it influences the behavior of the more impactful middle and lower classes. In the Steve Jobs biography I was originally shocked that he and his wife had hours long debates about whether or not to use a drying machine (vs hanging laundry outside). For a long time I never saw what he was fighting for, but now it makes sense to me.

timeon 3y ago

> Let’s redo the headline: - People driving their kids to school is driving the climate crisis - People having enough to eat is driving the climate crisis There is huge range between excess and shortage. There are people in developed world who do not drive their kids in SUVs. There are people in developed world who walk their kids to school. Good urban design / spatial planning is better for live and environment. > we will do nothing about climate change We will do nothing. This attitude is just looking for excuses. CO2 emissions per capita in Austria are half of those in USA.

DueDilligence 3y ago

[dead]

mistermann 3y ago

[flagged]

dang 3y ago
You can't post like this to HN. We ban accounts that do. Please don't do it again. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html Edit: we just had to ask you the other day to stop posting unsubstantive and/or flamebait comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36857356 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36857356. I don't want to ban you but if this keeps up, we're going to have to—so please fix this.
- mistermann 3y ago
  See my replies under the other post, which I had originally missed.

lcnPylGDnU4H9OF 3y ago

> - People driving their kids to school is driving the climate crisis - People having enough to eat is driving the climate crisis - People taking nice vacations with their families and friends is driving the climate crisis By my count, two out of the three are reasonably considered “excess” and are seemingly not being questioned as claimed by the headline.

Dig1t 3y ago

It does seem to be the conclusion that people arrive at but don’t really want to say out loud. If we really want to save the climate we should all just kill ourselves.

beanjuiceII 3y ago
or we do nothing and just let the earth do it? then things will correct themselves for awhile again, see cheapest and simplest option!

ttonkytonk 3y ago

"...if the top 10% of global emitters were to cut their carbon footprint to that of the typical EU citizen... that alone would cut global emissions by around one third." - p.208 The Climate Book (Greta Thunberg)

yowzadave 3y ago
so...a decent start, but obviously not enough, given that we should be aiming for zero emissions?
- timeon 3y ago
  Yes decent start. We need to start.
kdamica 3y ago
In other words, if 780 million people were to cut their emissions to the levels of some of the world’s most advanced and densely populated economies…

johnrob 3y ago

For better or worse, the wealthy are the thought leaders of society. Their values trickle down to the middle and lower classes. When we see them consume at a high rate (per capita), it sends a message that “what I can afford to consume is ok to consume”. So the masses end up throwing away hoards of cheap single use plastics because it’s convenient and not expensive. The issue with mass consumption by the wealthy is how it influences the behavior of the more impactful middle and lower classes. In the Steve Jobs biography I was originally shocked that he and his wife had hours long debates about whether or not to use a drying machine (vs hanging laundry outside). For a long time I never saw what he was fighting for, but now it makes sense to me.