I’m a climate scientist. If you knew what I know, you’d be terrified too
I’m a climate scientist. If you knew what I know, you’d be terrified too
Climate scientist Bill McGuire writes on his conundrum: what’s happening to our planet scares the hell out of him—but if he shouts the unvarnished truth from the rooftops, will that inspire you to act or to give up?
Editor’s Note: Bill McGuire is professor emeritus of geophysical & climate hazards at University College London and author of “Hothouse Earth: An Inhabitant’s Guide.”
There are way too many things going to shit on this planet to single out one that I should be terrified about. It's just a homogenous gray mass of terror wherever I look.
88Okay but... this is the one that legit may end human habitation on this planet. Ukraine, Gaza, even "but muh economy" and world-wide slavery all kinda pale by comparison.
38The difference is that this "may end", while Ukraine and Gaza are killing lots of innocents.
Also, we have the technological means to stop this one if we really want to. We just don't want to.
Aerosol spraying for $1B a year can buy time.
Spending $100B a year for a decade on nuclear power plants built to Chinese/Korean safety standards in addition to current spending on solar, wind and electrification can stop our emissions in two decades.
Which is why it is good that this author is writing this article. We must fight apathy against climate change.
8this is the one that legit may end human habitation on this planet
You mind linking some source for that? Even the worst predictions I've ever seen only talk about some millions of excess deaths. I've never heard a credible person explaining how climate change is going to be a civilization ending event.
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homogenous gray mass of terror
Which metal band's album is this
17
The problem is the fucking dinosaurs running our politics and voting for fellow dinosaurs. Our 80 year old president and the congress/senate with an average age around 60 (with those in high positions generally being well above that age) is dooming us all. Their clinging to power with opinions formed a half century ago doom everyone. The fact that the most effective way to get them out is their literal death is why nothing gets done.
43Their age is less relevant than the way money corrupts politics. The owning class gets to decide who we can vote for through their donations. The parties are entrenched and captured by corporate interest. The only sure way to end such corruption is revolution. The temporary solution is massive taxation.
10The problem is not the age, but their political agenda. Replace them with younger people with the same terrible agenda (there are more people like that than you imagine), and nothing will change. Replace them with people following a good political agenda and things will improve, no matter any of the characteristics of those people. With all the respect, you're just being ageist there.
7sure age may be a small factor but the main cause is bad politics, focussing on age is a divisive distraction https://citationsneeded.libsyn.com/ep-167-the-attractive-anti-politics-of-gerontocracy-discourse
7Yeah, I don't think so. You also have young people coming into power with shitty reactionary and fundamentalist takes. It's not the age that matters, it's whom our leaders answer to.
5Politics has always been this way, b/c of human nature. e.g., look at Rome - surely that worked out well for them? :-P
3History has taught me that human beings, just like every other animal on the planet, are creatures that are born from complete chaos and our very (chaotic) nature will doom whatever great city we build. There will always be a Napoleon to stand in the mirror and say, “Look at you, big guy! You hold the whole world in your hands. It is just waiting for your command, so that it may bend to your will. You’re the best! You’re going down in history, son!”
Big egos seek power. Big egos are corrupt by their very nature. We need folks to take command in order to survive, and those confident assholes can get us in line easily, every time.
But hey, if the whole world was like me we’d never get anything done. There would be no wheel. Why do that when I got two feet and I’m very comfortable with walking? There would be no money. You give me meat, I’ll give you berry. No running water. I mean, the creek runnin’ ain’t it?
Power and prestige won’t ever go away. Maybe we’ll get lucky and prestige will come when some big ego decides to save the world so everyone cheers him on as a hero. Unfortunately, by that time the world will be on fire haha.
We aren’t perfect creatures. For too many of us, if someone says, “Hey, there’s a madman with a gun targeting folks with your specific features just around the corner. Don’t go.” We’d shrug it off and keep walking. Only when the bullet is lodged firmly in our gut do we say, “well, shit. I reckon I shouldn’t have walked over here. Can anyone save me?”
Damn, this comment is all over the place. Sorry about that.
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I believe what he knows. I know that I'm powerless to stop it. I'm just riding it out.
34If you'd read the article you'd know that dealing with and preventing that exact feeling of powerlessness is precisely what the whole article is about.
9I've been beyond powerless. Im about 20 years old and don't have the finances nor the knowledge to do anything about this fuck shit show
2Seems to me the two biggest personal changes one can make are related to diet and transportation.
Realize the destructive nature of the animal agriculture industry, as well as the automobile industry and adjust accordingly.
Go vegan, and swap car for ebike. Hopefully inspiring others to do the same eventually.
2So stop thinking about it. Build a life for yourself. Have fun. Get drunk. Make friends. Go fishing. There's no good reason to obsess over things beyond your control. If it's going to happen, and you're powerless to do anything about it, then it's going to happen regardless of what you do. You might as well enjoy what you can, while you can, and then deal with shit when shit happens.
1
The article gives me zero reasons for why I should be more worried than I already am. Infact I don't even understand what was the point of all that.
31The article recommends collective action. Join a group of people passionate, read terrified, and actively working to make a difference. Find a local group and soothe you're anxiety with the knowledge you're doing what you can. Also feel free to read How to Blow Up a Pipeline if you're feeling spicy.
7Probably to make people recoil and not be alarmed.
3
It's the capitalism.
16Capitalism maybe the cause but climate change is way more terrifying than capitalism itself. Which is to say that climate orders of magnitude worse than something which is very bad.
2No argument there. Climate catastrophe gonna spank the humans awake but too late I'm afraid
1
I feel for the kids, I'll be checking out soon enough.
Good luck.
13I don't need to know any more than I know.
6But have you done anything about what you know? An individual can't have a significant effect but collectively we can. The article suggests people join a local climate change activism group. If you can't volunteer, donate. If you can't donate, talk to your friends about joining. And if you can't do any of that just try to stay alive cause you're in a rough fucking spot right now.
2I just meant I already knew enough to be terrified. And I'm squarely in the "just trying to stay alive" category at the moment, but I try to do as many small things as possible. Even if I can't affect big changes alone, at least I gave a fork.
1
Climate scientists trying to coddle the public and downplaying the severity of the crisis is precisely why we are where we are today.
3@Hanrahan@lemmy.world The people need an action plan.
1Anything I do is irrelevant, the system is too entangled to change and the ones that still care are met with hostility. The people will have the world they deserve in the end. I already did the most net positive thing a person can do, not having kids.
0After COVID are we still doing the "I am an expert trust me" thing?
-39No one is infallible.
0Sure, but when people with zero expertise are correct, and the experts (that we see on the news) are completely wrong, then its more than just being wrong.
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