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[-] AngrilyEatingMuffins@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago

I might lighten you up a bit.

The methods to combat climate change are already there. We already have the means for weather engineering.

The future is inevitable. And so is every step towards it.

[-] 3N1GMA@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Lol people like you that believe humanity will always overcome make me laugh. Talk to any environmental scientist and they will tell you we’re fucked. There’s no secret technology coming to save us.

Yea… I know what some environmental scientists are claiming.

But the earth has seen higher levels of carbon already. It has seen higher temperatures and lower temperatures. And we humans inhabit many climate zones already.

And yes, technology can save us. We have the means to control weather with highly reflective particles. Scientists are currently attempting to make fusion work (even though they are probably using a far too small magnetic field. They should have built it 10x larger in France).

And furthermore environmental scientists do not claim that we are fucked. They only claim that change is coming and that this change comes with a bunch of problems.

[-] prole@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

But the earth has seen higher levels of carbon already. It has seen higher temperatures and lower temperatures. And we humans inhabit many climate zones already.

This is like the "They can just sell their house and move" thing Ben Shapiro said about what people who live on climate change affected coasts will do. Who will they sell their house to, Ben??

Humans can inhabit many climate zones, but several of them will become uninhabitable. The ones that contain the most people. And those people have to go somewhere. And all of the food that used to be produced in that place is gone. All of the ecosystems in those areas die, etc. etc.

This is the "war and famine" part of climate change that people don't often talk about. Most of the death and chaos isn't going to be from people literally immediately burning up to death, it's from the secondary effects of rising temperatures, drought, killing entire ecosystems, and forcing billions of people to leave their homes or die. And the migrant crises that come with all of that. If you thought Syria was bad...

And you're right, the earth has seen higher levels of carbon. The earth itself will probably be OK.

But the earth has seen higher levels of carbon already. It has seen higher temperatures and lower temperatures. And we humans inhabit many climate zones already.

This is like the "They can just sell their house and move" thing Ben Shapiro said about what people who live on climate change affected coasts will do. Who will they sell their house to, Ben??

My family fled several times in the past. During WW2 they fled from Ukraine to Poland, and when the Russians came, then they fled back to Germany. And then years later from east Germany to west Germany. Leaving everything behind each time. Every time was a goddamn reset. So what. It’s all about survival. Rebuilding has always been possible.

Humans can inhabit many climate zones, but several of them will become uninhabitable. The ones that contain the most people. And those people have to go somewhere. And all of the food that used to be produced in that place is gone. All of the ecosystems in those areas die, etc. etc.

So the problem is and always has been overpopulation. Another screw we should have adjusted in the past but refused to do so.

This is the "war and famine" part of climate change that people don't often talk about. Most of the death and chaos isn't going to be from people literally immediately burning up to death, it's from the secondary effects of rising temperatures, drought, killing entire ecosystems, and forcing billions of people to leave their homes or die. And the migrant crises that come with all of that. If you thought Syria was bad...

I know about this part. And it is the only part that concerns me.

And you're right, the earth has seen higher levels of carbon. The earth itself will probably be OK.

As humans, it has always been our responsibility to adapt. Not the other way around. Every being on this world influences the world itself. We cannot live without influencing our surroundings.

[-] prole@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

Wow, how much time did you waste on this one? Keep going, maybe I'll actually read the next one.

[-] UserDoesNotExist@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Wow, how much time did you waste on this one?

Too much.

¯_(ツ)_/¯

You successfully stole a few minutes of my life. Time I could have spent on studying and working further to my ultimate goal: becoming the next German dictator.

(••) ( ••)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■)

Keep going, maybe I'll actually read the next one.

First I need some unrealistic opinions to react to.

(☞゚ヮ゚)☞ Some more of your beliefs will do just fine.

[-] Void_Reader@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

The 'future' is not inevitable. There have been countless collapses in history. Our technology doesn't make us immune. The people of the major Bronze Age powers probably thought the same.

Also we do not have the means for weather engineering. If you're talking about SRM, we have no idea what its consequences will be or how to do it effectively. It's all theoretical. No aircraft we currently have can do this stuff. Sure, we could design it and build one, but then you need global governance to actually implement it properly. Not to mention the risk of 'termination shock' and countless others.

Have a look at the scientific literature: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Stratospheric-aerosol-injection-tactics-and-costs-Smith-Wagner/e4e5a78335eda8c16557b32af915798b06091362#cited-papers

Would you seriously risk the future of life on Earth on something this experimental?

I fear this arrogance will kill a lot of people and cause a lot of suffering.

[-] Void_Reader@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Also

This kind of futurist accelerationist thinking hasn't turned out well in the past: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurism?wprov=sfla1 It always ends up feeding into Fascism. I wonder why.

[-] UserDoesNotExist@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Somehow double posted. So this is now a blank comment.

[-] UserDoesNotExist@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/12/03/asia/china-weather-modification-cloud-seeding-intl-hnk/index.html

It is already done. And the consequences are relatively easy to estimate. Much easier actually than the complex mechanics of world climate change.

[-] Void_Reader@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Firstly, that isn't 'already done'. It's a PR statement from the Chinese government about plans. The stuff they have already done, like reducing hail etc., is nowhere near the same level to what is needed to stop climate change.

Secondly,

Radical solutions such as seeding the atmosphere with reflective particles could theoretically help reduce temperatures, but could also have major unforeseen consequences, and many experts fear what could happen were a country to experiment with such techniques.

This is from your source ^

So is this:

In a paper last year, researchers at National Taiwan University said that the "lack of proper coordination of weather modification activity (could) lead to charges of 'rain stealing' between neighboring regions," both within China and with other countries. They also pointed to the lack of a "system of checks and balances to facilitate the implementation of potentially controversial projects."

Think of the geopolitical mess this kind of thing would create. If it works that is.

Well, there is always the option to use sunsails in orbit. These could also be motorised and adapt to the needed parameters.

There are a ton of solutions. And the weather and climate engineering is just one of them.

[-] Void_Reader@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Sure, I like the idea of space megaprojects. I doubt sunsails in orbit would be profitable though. How would you monetise it? Put massive ads on them? Charge everyone a subscription fee?

Now, governments could probably do something like that, and I wouldn't be against it if safety and unintended consequences were taken into account somehow.

Also, I thought you believed space exploration tech was useless.

I agree there are many solutions. I don't think markets and capital are going to make them happen.

We can probably buy time with tech solutions. Long-term solutions will have to involve major fundamental sociopolitical change.

Sure, I like the idea of space megaprojects. I doubt sunsails in orbit would be profitable though. How would you monetise it? Put massive ads on them? Charge everyone a subscription fee?

Well, a fee could theoretically be possible. Farmers with plants that need shadow could pay for shielding. In the end the end consumer pays the price.

Now, governments could probably do something like that, and I wouldn't be against it if safety and unintended consequences were taken into account somehow.

👍

Also, I thought you believed space exploration tech was useless.

Let me rephrase it: it’s boring. Nada used old ass Russian rockets for years. So there is not much innovation there anyway.

I agree there are many solutions. I don't think markets and capital are going to make them happen.

I think that depends on demand. Some airlines already offer climate compensation packages. An additional payment to compensate your emissions. Such money could also be invested into sun shield projects.

We can probably buy time with tech solutions. Long-term solutions will have to involve major fundamental sociopolitical change.

I agree on the tech solutions. Let’s see them being implemented before chopping on the foundation of our economics.

[-] Void_Reader@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I think that depends on demand. Some airlines already offer climate compensation packages. An additional payment to compensate your emissions.

A lot of those are scams or of questionable value unfortunately

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/04/carbon-offsets-used-by-major-airlines-based-on-flawed-system-warn-experts

I know that some people claim that. But in their mind they would rather stop airlines and flight overall.

And since this is unreasonable, compensation should be the second best step in your mind?

Because I don’t care. But from your standpoint it should be better than no compensation, right?

[-] Void_Reader@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I'm actually in favour of replacing most jet airliners with rail and maybe electric airships. Most short-haul flights can be replaced by rail; it's much more pleasant than flying anyway. Jets can be reserved for long-distance journeys. Being able to hop on a blimp would be cool, even if it's slower. We can make them much better and safer with today's tech.

I don't like the 'green offset' thing because it makes it look like we're 'doing something' when it's actually not doing much at all. If you want to be a utilitarian, it would be much more effective to just donate to an effective charity every time you fly.

this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2023
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