this post was submitted on 21 Feb 2024
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Climate - truthful information about climate, related activism and politics.

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Discussion of climate, how it is changing, activism around that, the politics, and the energy systems change we need in order to stabilize things.

As a starting point, the burning of fossil fuels, and to a lesser extent deforestation and release of methane are responsible for the warming in recent decades: Graph of temperature as observed with significant warming, and simulated without added greenhouse gases and other anthropogentic changes, which shows no significant warming

How much each change to the atmosphere has warmed the world: IPCC AR6 Figure 2 - Thee bar charts: first chart: how much each gas has warmed the world. About 1C of total warming. Second chart: about 1.5C of total warming from well-mixed greenhouse gases, offset by 0.4C of cooling from aerosols and negligible influence from changes to solar output, volcanoes, and internal variability. Third chart: about 1.25C of warming from CO2, 0.5C from methane, and a bunch more in small quantities from other gases. About 0.5C of cooling with large error bars from SO2.

Recommended actions to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the near future:

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One Simple Change to Reduce Your Climate Impact? Swap Out Beef (www.bloomberg.com)
submitted 8 months ago by silence7@slrpnk.net to c/climate@slrpnk.net
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[–] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 21 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I’m FUCKING sick of being told that the issue is what I eat

Not just that.

  • we're at fault for pollution (the Italian guy playing the native american trash on road commercial from the 70s which was really an ad campaign to deflect from industrial polluters)
  • we're at fault for poisoning our water (trisodium phosphate was removed from all home dish/laundry soaps rendering the machines less effective, while industrial/restaurant industry, the larger users, still use it to this day)
  • we're at fault for watering lawns when industrial agriculture consumes 97% of the water in areas of the US where it makes no sense to grow crops (yes, lawns in environments where they are not natural make no sense, but when you look at the scale and they use a fraction of the remaining 3% that also includes businesses that aren't agriculture, and homes...)
  • we're at fault for bags at stores (why don't they offer reusable tubs as part of being a customer? no, let's start a war between plastic/paper/reusable bags and get the customers infighting)
  • we're at fault for not buying $70,000 electric cars to reduce our carbon footprint (even though replacing something that exists with something new causes a bigger carbon footprint, and grid collapse would immediately occur)
  • we're at fault for pollution, smog days because we drive to work when the rich employers claw back working from home and public transport (in the US at least) is hampered by the same people that want us to buy those over-priced cars instead of removing the need for them
  • we're at fault for the carbon we generate by flying (specifically a US issue) even though there are not options connecting large swaths of the US that make any sense (Amtrak is overpriced, semi-unreliable on some routes, and can add days onto a trip, if you can even get to the last mile by train; Greyhound is trying to enshittify themselves by making bus terminals hard to access; driving is conceptually a bigger carbon creator than flying for longer distances; driving an electric car is too slow with the addition of limited range and charge times and lack of charge stations on a cross-country trip)

Those in power (of the media, of business, of government) make sure to make us feel like everything that is out of our control and broken is our fault, and we should feel responsible for it. This is by design, keeping us feeling bad and infighting amongst ourselves makes us lose sight of the real problem: those very same people pulling the puppet strings.

[–] set_secret@lemmy.world 20 points 8 months ago (1 children)

  1. Individual Action Matters: Despite the grossly outsized role of corporations in environmental degradation, individual actions are not just symbolic; they can cumulatively lead to significant impacts. Reducing meat consumption, minimizing waste, and choosing sustainable transportation options can drive demand for more eco-friendly products and services, influencing market trends. if people stop buying and using their products they'll have to stop or change.

  2. Power of Consumer Demand: Companies respond to consumer behavior. By choosing environmentally friendly products and services, individuals can signal to companies that there's a market for sustainability, encouraging them to innovate and reduce their environmental impact. We love in a capitalist system, this is the reality of how to change this.

  3. EVs and Energy Transition: The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is a critical component of reducing transportation-related emissions. While the current energy grid isn't perfect, the shift towards renewable energy sources means that EVs will become increasingly cleaner over time. Plus, advancements in battery technology and infrastructure are addressing concerns about range and charging times.

  4. Personal Responsibility and Education: By taking personal responsibility for our environmental footprint, we contribute to a culture of sustainability. Educating ourselves and others about the impact of our choices can lead to a greater collective effort to combat climate change.

  5. Grassroots Movements and Policy Change: Individual and community actions can lead to policy changes. Grassroots movements have historically been powerful agents for change, influencing local, national, and global policies on environmental issues.

  6. Sustainable Practices are Accessible: While not everyone can afford an EV, there are many other accessible ways to reduce one's carbon footprint, such as reducing energy consumption, supporting local and sustainable businesses, and advocating for green policies.

**tldr its obviously important to recognize the role of evil corporations and demand systemic change, however underestimating the power of individual and collective action can be a missed opportunity. Each level of action reinforces the other, creating a more comprehensive approach to tackling climate change and environmental issues.

[–] stabby_cicada@slrpnk.net 9 points 8 months ago

Individual Action Matters: Despite the grossly outsized role of corporations in environmental degradation, individual actions are not just symbolic; they can cumulatively lead to significant impacts.

This is very important and widely ignored. Think of how many people you'd have to convince to, eg, ban private jet ownership, in order to take the billionaires' jets away. Then think of what the impact would be if you convinced the same number of people to stop eating beef.