Dealing with Climate Change

[codefantastic]

As a person who is the only family member in my family who understands that this is a real issue, I wanted to start a thread discussing the problems and solutions while debunking *clears throat* "Counter Arguments" against Climate Change.

Example:
"This has happened before! It's natural!!"

[DiamondMiner10]

I hate climate change deniers

i have many flame wars located in youtube video comment sections

[codefantastic]

I hate climate change deniers

i have many flame wars located in youtube video comment sections

"Uhhh the Earth's climate is always changing!"
Yeah... BUT THE AMOUNT OF CO2 HASN'T DOUBLED OVER A PERIOD OF 50 YEARS DID IT?

[Darvince]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUWyDWEXH8U

[DiamondMiner10]

rip.

[vh]

rip.

thanks for the great post




on topic -- my personal prognosis:
global warming will be largely ignored, even after poor, low-lying countries have been flooded, because rich cities can build their own seawalls. bangladesh will become the new syria. then, only when climate change has a significant effect on quality of life on the middle/upper class, action will be taken. by then, it's too late to reverse the effects without suffering on the order of the black plague.

[Darvince]

so basically decay on the levels of that movie documentary

[codefantastic]

List of countries that might be flooded(That I can Think Of):
Denmark
Eastern U.S.
Caribbean
Philippines 
Mediterranean countries

[Darvince]

nice country names

Bangladesh
Nauru
Kiribati
Maldives
Marshall Islands
Tonga
Palau
Federated States of Micronesia
United States (gulf coast)
Kuwait
Many other small areas in various nations around the world

[DiamondMiner10]

rip.

thanks for the great post




on topic -- my personal prognosis:
global warming will be largely ignored, even after poor, low-lying countries have been flooded, because rich cities can build their own seawalls. bangladesh will become the new syria. then, only when climate change has a significant effect on quality of life on the middle/upper class, action will be taken. by then, it's too late to reverse the effects without suffering on the order of the black plague.

so u interpreted one word with a whole paragraph or is that just your thoughts on the subject?
because thats exactly what i was thinking when i wrote that rip

[vh]

wow good thoughts

[DiamondMiner10]

lol

[codefantastic]

this was the OG climate change post

[vh]

what does og stand for

[Plutonium]

I have a few unpopular questions:
1. why fight the climate change??
2. who is to blame the most: a) the car company that makes cars with 6.2L engine? b) the consumer who chooses to buy one of those cars? c) the fossil fuel company that provides the fuel?

[Bla]

I have a few unpopular questions:
1. why fight the climate change??
2. who is to blame the most: a) the car company that makes cars with 6.2L engine? b) the consumer who chooses to buy one of those cars? c) the fossil fuel company that provides the fuel?

1: Because the negative consequences of climate change outweigh the positive ones for humanity and the nature our existence relies on, which has adapted to different conditions over millions of years that are now being radically changed over centuries.

2: Among those three options, I'd say the consumer. It's ignorant to think most businesses will act responsibly unless it's for a little cheap story they can write about and use for propaganda ads. However I think it's especially the politicians' fault, who keep letting capitalist anarchy destroy the environment. The private profits of an oil or car company boss are hardly affected by increased floodings or more extreme weather. To stop this kind of exploitation that's blind to what's best for humanity, we need to end capitalism, not just blame some oil or car companies following the demand. But those problems are also largely the fault of the consumers and people who voted for the politicians in the end. The best we can do until then is to be more responsible consumers and buy and use as clean technology as we can.

[Darvince]

now i know what i need to do with my life
   become a citizen of canada
   and colonize the canadian arctic

[atomic7732]

how does one start a town

[Gordon Freeman]

coca cola can stop making unnecessary commercials (everyone knows who they are anyway) and use the saved money to start a project to take the carbon dioxide out of the air and use it to carbonate their soda

of course they need to burn more fossil fuels to do that but research on biofuels is becoming more advanced

[fredetuc]

I believe that the greenhouse effect is happening here.

[Plutonium]

1: Because the negative consequences of climate change outweigh the positive ones for humanity and the nature our existence relies on, which has adapted to different conditions over millions of years that are now being radically changed over centuries.

Great answer.
But i am not convinced (please note: I am not questioning the existence of man made global warming).
1. The deforestation has been going on for ages and it continues with far greater pace than the global warming and it is unrelated to the GW.
2. Overfishing has put many spices on the verge of extinction, and it is again unrelated to GW.
3. Habitat destruction for agriculture is threatening not only wild animals but whole ecosystems and again is unrelated to the GW.
4. The Great Pacific garbage patch is as big as Texas (that is the lowest estimate), again unrelated to GW.

So, why are we so fixated on the global warming alone as if it is the cause of all the eco-problems?? Could it be because it threatens those private islands and beach houses where the wealthy live??

P.S. not really millions of years: the LGM was around 24 000 years ago and the Younger Dryas was even later. So at least the Northern Hemisphere experienced several radical climatic changes fairly recently.

[Plutonium]

2: Among those three options, I'd say the consumer. It's ignorant to think most businesses will act responsibly unless it's for a little cheap story they can write about and use for propaganda ads. However I think it's especially the politicians' fault, who keep letting capitalist anarchy destroy the environment. The private profits of an oil or car company boss are hardly affected by increased floodings or more extreme weather. To stop this kind of exploitation that's blind to what's best for humanity, we need to end capitalism, not just blame some oil or car companies following the demand. But those problems are also largely the fault of the consumers and people who voted for the politicians in the end. The best we can do until then is to be more responsible consumers and buy and use as clean technology as we can.

Very good thinking.
The companies do act responsibly if the governments really demand it. Unfortunately, the politicians are short sighted prostitutes and will do whatever for votes, and since the trees and animals or even yet-to-be-born generations can't vote...... So they rarely do anything for a long run.
So the key players are the people... indoctrinated by propagandas... like in the Matrix (only instead of the cord connected to the brain it is the TV or whatever brainwashing machine) living in a manufactured and customized to the personal needs reality...

[atomic7732]

1: Because the negative consequences of climate change outweigh the positive ones for humanity and the nature our existence relies on, which has adapted to different conditions over millions of years that are now being radically changed over centuries.

1. The deforestation has been going on for ages and it continues with far greater pace than the global warming and it is unrelated to the GW.
2. Overfishing has put many spices on the verge of extinction, and it is again unrelated to GW.
3. Habitat destruction for agriculture is threatening not only wild animals but whole ecosystems and again is unrelated to the GW.

These things will all be exaggerated by global warming and will put extra pressure that we really don't need there. For example, habitat destruction will continue when we have to move our main agricultural regions as a result of global warming.

[Plutonium]

1: Because the negative consequences of climate change outweigh the positive ones for humanity and the nature our existence relies on, which has adapted to different conditions over millions of years that are now being radically changed over centuries.

1. The deforestation has been going on for ages and it continues with far greater pace than the global warming and it is unrelated to the GW.
2. Overfishing has put many spices on the verge of extinction, and it is again unrelated to GW.
3. Habitat destruction for agriculture is threatening not only wild animals but whole ecosystems and again is unrelated to the GW.

These things will all be exaggerated by global warming and will put extra pressure that we really don't need there. For example, habitat destruction will continue when we have to move our main agricultural regions as a result of global warming.

So we rather fight the acceleration than the problem itself?? All the listed problems will exist and continue regardless of the GW and will accelerate given the global population growth. And most of them outpace GW anyway (Rwanda doesn't have forests already).

I am convinced that this heavy emphasis on GW is politicaly motivated and is very convinient for them. It is a non-human enemy so they can talk whatever they want, no one is directly responsible, so everyone can point his finger to someone else, they can go and talk about "protecting" people from it, how the poor will suffer from losses, they can continue talking about their usual growth stuff.... etc....etc...

[Darvince]

Deforestation is directly related to increasing clearing of land for agriculture. To combat these problems will require other solutions entirely unrelated to those being used to solve global warming, such as urban farming and less meat consumption for the high amount of land used for farming.

Overfishing is another problem that is only a real issue because of global warming and ocean acidification. Sustainable fishing practices are far easier than ending the world's fossil fuel industries, and are already largely being implemented.

[Plutonium]

Overfishing is another problem that is only a real issue because of global warming and ocean acidification. Sustainable fishing practices are far easier than ending the world's fossil fuel industries, and are already largely being implemented.

WWF doesn't even mention GW in the causes of overfishing. Instances of overfishing can be found in pre-industrial societies as well (but not on a global scale).
Sustainable fishing implementation is happening because of the pressure from concerned organisations. It would have been faster if these topics got a little more attention.
GW is on everyones mind but how many people know about the rest of the story??

Deforestation is directly related to increasing clearing of land for agriculture. To combat these problems will require other solutions entirely unrelated to those being used to solve global warming, such as urban farming and less meat consumption for the high amount of land used for farming.

Half of the food produced is thrown away- "Something is rotten in the State of Denmark"

[Darvince]

You're right, they are the enemy. We should all organize on them and revolt. In fact, they made up global warming in the first place, because it doesn't exist. It is a lie by them to make us sheep and enslave our every thought.

[Plutonium]

You're right, they are the enemy. We should all organize on them and revolt. In fact, they made up global warming in the first place, because it doesn't exist. It is a lie by them to make us sheep and enslave our every thought.

Oh, thanks for not tellin me to put on my thin foil hat. Simple answers to complex problems never worked well.

FYI: I am a long time supporter of WWF, Greenpeace, LWC, Amphibian Ark, The Black Fish and a few more, I have contributed to them way more than an avarage Joe usualy does. Being a certified diver I have collected more garbage from dive-sites and freed more entraped fish than most people here. I have even been a member of a political party for half a year))) As a job requirment I've frequently met members from different environmental organisations, in fact my best friend is a senior oficer in one of regional WWF ofices. The view that GW's role is exagereted is shared by many more people than me. If you want to know most of these people don't believe in happy ends and confess that they think the root cause of most environmental problems is the presence of humans- more humans>more damage.

[Bla]

Great answer.
But i am not convinced (please note: I am not questioning the existence of man made global warming).
1. The deforestation has been going on for ages and it continues with far greater pace than the global warming and it is unrelated to the GW.
2. Overfishing has put many spices on the verge of extinction, and it is again unrelated to GW.
3. Habitat destruction for agriculture is threatening not only wild animals but whole ecosystems and again is unrelated to the GW.
4. The Great Pacific garbage patch is as big as Texas (that is the lowest estimate), again unrelated to GW.

So, why are we so fixated on the global warming alone as if it is the cause of all the eco-problems?? Could it be because it threatens those private islands and beach houses where the wealthy live??

P.S. not really millions of years: the LGM was around 24 000 years ago and the Younger Dryas was even later. So at least the Northern Hemisphere experienced several radical climatic changes fairly recently.

Thank you. The issues you brought up, except for habitat destruction (the polar bear is an obvious example here), are largely not very related to global warming either, I would say red herrings. But when you quickly change the climate, you change the local conditions all kinds of organisms around the world have adapted to, which will cause trouble for a lot of species that can't live under the new local conditions, causing habitat destruction. But take for example the oceans getting more acidic as CO₂ is dissolved in the oceans, damaging coral reefs, or the sea level rise damaging low-lying areas (you seem to acknowledge it threatens the private islands and beach houses where the wealthy live, but that's not all that is along the coast, we have millions of people living in cities along the coasts, including Copenhagen where I go to every other day, which also needs to spend huge amounts of money on upgrading its sewers and infrastructure to cope with the increased amounts of rain we risk getting during the summer), the more extreme weather increasing the probability of many natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and drought depending on the area.

Global warming isn't the only big ecological problem for humanity or the cause for all ecological problems, but it definitely is a big problem with a lot of negative consequences.