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> On the other hand everyone is concerned about the planet's health This whole article rests on this faulty premise. It’s like saying everyone is concerned ab

> On the other hand everyone is concerned about the planet's health This whole article rests on this faulty premise. It’s like saying everyone is concerned about shark attacks. Everyone’s not THAT concerned or the beach would be a lot less crowded. “Planet health” is probably not even in the top 1000 of concerns for most people. They may claim that it is. But then ask what they’ve done about it and they’ll likely say, “I’m just one person what I do won’t matter…”

agentultra 2y ago
Millions of people have been displaced in 2024 due to climate induced disasters. I’m pretty sure there are quite a few people concerned about climate change.
- paulcole 2y ago
  If a person was displaced in 2024 due to climate induced disaster, do they care about the climate or do they care about being displaced by the disaster? If those people hadn’t been displaced in 2024 due to climate induced disasters, what would they be doing today to prevent climate induced disasters? > I’m pretty sure there are quite a few people concerned about climate change. I never said there weren’t. There’s like 8 billion people on Earth. I said for most of them, climate change is not in their top 1000 concerns.
  - gandalfgreybeer 2y ago
    You are drowning in hypotheticals muddied by your own worldview. I can also say that there are 8 billion people on Earth. For most of them, green isn’t in their top 5 favorite colors.
    - paulcole 2y ago
      That would be a great argument if I were refuting something about how many people like the color green.
  - agentultra 2y ago
    We can jump into whatever equivalent of Zenos' paradox this is. Not only has their house been burned to the ground, insurance has refused to cover the cost, and they have no idea where their pets are; but they're hungry because they haven't eaten in hours. Do they care more about being displaced by the disaster or eating? I think it can be said they care about both. Research shows that 3.6 billion people live in areas threatened by climate disaster-induced change. Just because some of them are hungry at any given moment doesn't remove the fact that they can also be concerned that the land where they grew up might be uninhabitable before they retire.
    - paulcole 2y ago
      > We can jump into whatever equivalent of Zenos' paradox this is. I don’t know what that is but OK. > Do they care more about being displaced by the disaster or eating? > I think it can be said they care about both. I don’t disagree but this is also not at all what I asked. People care about the things in front of them. Nobody really cares about climate change until it’s in front of them in terms of a burnt down house or chest-deep flood waters. If they did, they would do something to address it. But they don’t. Because addressing it (for the wealthiest people who have the ability to address it) means making significant changes to their lives. You can tell me that you care about the climate all you want but until you’re willing to sacrifice something from your life as a result, I’m not particularly interested in hearing anything else. Personally, I have never driven a car, live in a small apartment, don’t eat meat, and don’t fly in airplanes. I do those things because I like them. If driving a car, eating meat, and taking cross-country flights were keys to fixing the climate I wouldn’t do them! I care about myself more than I do climate change. The same as essentially everybody else.
anon22981 2y ago
Something being a concern and doing something about it are two different things. I’m concerned about plenty of things, for example regarding my health or relationships, yet mostly fail to take action to address these concerns. The same holds true for the state of this planet; climate change and microplastics all over etc. I’m sure ”planet health” is in the top1000 concerns for most people not denying climate change.
- paulcole 2y ago
  I guess that’s where I see a difference. If you look at a problem and say, “I definitely care about this, I’m just failing to take action,” I’ll say, “Can’t be that big a problem then…”
derektank 2y ago
I mean, the revealed preferences of the voters of Washington State seem to suggest it's a much higher than top 1000 issue to them. About 2% of the state's budget comes from selling CO2 emissions rights in a cap and trade scheme, approved by voters directly as an initiative, all of the revenue from which is earmarked for environmental projects. And that's ignoring the existing gas tax and revenue from other sources invested in CO2 reduction. Obviously YMMV by jurisdiction but I think it's well above the 1000th priority for many people in the developed world. Though you're right to point out that it falls far below things like education, or health, or even recreation, all of which AI could potentially have a hand in improving.
- paulcole 2y ago
  OK I’ll give you that they were concerned enough to tick a box and cross their fingers and hope for the best.
  - derektank 2y ago
    Pricy box tick. It costs roughly $250 per person per year
smartmic 2y ago
That is the problem we have. Saying you are "concerned" is one thing - acting on it is quite another. It would mean leaving one's standard and comfort zone and facing some unpopular realities that are incompatible with the more comfortable devil-may-care attitude: - Not flying around the world for vacations and events - Buying and consuming less of almost everything that is not essential to life. - No more fancy AI-generated images just for fun and useless show-offs. - ... The list goes on, but even acknowledging some of it does not mean acting on it. Hell, yeah, we better leave the consequences to our grandchildren.

agentultra 2y ago

Millions of people have been displaced in 2024 due to climate induced disasters. I’m pretty sure there are quite a few people concerned about climate change.

paulcole 2y ago
If a person was displaced in 2024 due to climate induced disaster, do they care about the climate or do they care about being displaced by the disaster? If those people hadn’t been displaced in 2024 due to climate induced disasters, what would they be doing today to prevent climate induced disasters? > I’m pretty sure there are quite a few people concerned about climate change. I never said there weren’t. There’s like 8 billion people on Earth. I said for most of them, climate change is not in their top 1000 concerns.
- gandalfgreybeer 2y ago
  You are drowning in hypotheticals muddied by your own worldview. I can also say that there are 8 billion people on Earth. For most of them, green isn’t in their top 5 favorite colors.
  - paulcole 2y ago
    That would be a great argument if I were refuting something about how many people like the color green.
- agentultra 2y ago
  We can jump into whatever equivalent of Zenos' paradox this is. Not only has their house been burned to the ground, insurance has refused to cover the cost, and they have no idea where their pets are; but they're hungry because they haven't eaten in hours. Do they care more about being displaced by the disaster or eating? I think it can be said they care about both. Research shows that 3.6 billion people live in areas threatened by climate disaster-induced change. Just because some of them are hungry at any given moment doesn't remove the fact that they can also be concerned that the land where they grew up might be uninhabitable before they retire.
  - paulcole 2y ago
    > We can jump into whatever equivalent of Zenos' paradox this is. I don’t know what that is but OK. > Do they care more about being displaced by the disaster or eating? > I think it can be said they care about both. I don’t disagree but this is also not at all what I asked. People care about the things in front of them. Nobody really cares about climate change until it’s in front of them in terms of a burnt down house or chest-deep flood waters. If they did, they would do something to address it. But they don’t. Because addressing it (for the wealthiest people who have the ability to address it) means making significant changes to their lives. You can tell me that you care about the climate all you want but until you’re willing to sacrifice something from your life as a result, I’m not particularly interested in hearing anything else. Personally, I have never driven a car, live in a small apartment, don’t eat meat, and don’t fly in airplanes. I do those things because I like them. If driving a car, eating meat, and taking cross-country flights were keys to fixing the climate I wouldn’t do them! I care about myself more than I do climate change. The same as essentially everybody else.

anon22981 2y ago

Something being a concern and doing something about it are two different things. I’m concerned about plenty of things, for example regarding my health or relationships, yet mostly fail to take action to address these concerns. The same holds true for the state of this planet; climate change and microplastics all over etc. I’m sure ”planet health” is in the top1000 concerns for most people not denying climate change.

paulcole 2y ago
I guess that’s where I see a difference. If you look at a problem and say, “I definitely care about this, I’m just failing to take action,” I’ll say, “Can’t be that big a problem then…”

derektank 2y ago

I mean, the revealed preferences of the voters of Washington State seem to suggest it's a much higher than top 1000 issue to them. About 2% of the state's budget comes from selling CO2 emissions rights in a cap and trade scheme, approved by voters directly as an initiative, all of the revenue from which is earmarked for environmental projects. And that's ignoring the existing gas tax and revenue from other sources invested in CO2 reduction. Obviously YMMV by jurisdiction but I think it's well above the 1000th priority for many people in the developed world. Though you're right to point out that it falls far below things like education, or health, or even recreation, all of which AI could potentially have a hand in improving.

paulcole 2y ago
OK I’ll give you that they were concerned enough to tick a box and cross their fingers and hope for the best.
- derektank 2y ago
  Pricy box tick. It costs roughly $250 per person per year

smartmic 2y ago

That is the problem we have. Saying you are "concerned" is one thing - acting on it is quite another. It would mean leaving one's standard and comfort zone and facing some unpopular realities that are incompatible with the more comfortable devil-may-care attitude: - Not flying around the world for vacations and events - Buying and consuming less of almost everything that is not essential to life. - No more fancy AI-generated images just for fun and useless show-offs. - ... The list goes on, but even acknowledging some of it does not mean acting on it. Hell, yeah, we better leave the consequences to our grandchildren.