AIBU to be really scared of Climate Change

[MagnificentDelurker]

Everything seems to have accelerated with heat dome in pacific causing 1 billion creatures dying to the floods in Germany, etc.
We are running out of time and stuck with politicians that will not lead.

www.motherjones.com/environment/2021/07/heres-what-climate-scientists-are-really-saying-about-this-catastrophic-summer/

Silveroak

Just wow!!

I also find it interesting that China gets the blame for global warming. Surely per capita pollution of China isn’t the worst and considering that a lot of it is for western consumption our holier than thou attitude is a bit laughable. Specially if we look at cumulative effects of CO 2 in the atmosphere, the Chinese contribution will be minuscule if compared to Western countries.

Blame game is useless, we have to make sure that our needs are taken care of sustainably without wanting to have the upper hand

@TheABC - yes, salvagable for the millions, not 7 billion.

Yep I've lived and worked in China, specifically manufacturing and have witnessed environmental policies being implemented with frankly astonishing speed and the subsequent improvements in local ecology.
You must remember that pollution, climate change etc is hurting them too. They are extremely good at acting collectively when needed.

That is really helpful @TheABC thank you, exactly the positivity I want as it's all so much doom and gloom. I've just subscribed!

@TheABC

/unfortunately, its not salvageable, its damage limitation and one that will transform our climate and the way we live, if we can live!

All the things you name are admirable but will make SFA difference because already, people are blaming others... China India!

The damaging has been done and cannot be reversed, probably not even slowed.

I used a date a Swedish scientist in the late 80s, early 90s, he said it was too late then, as the oceans currents had changed forever (due to ice melt, caused by warming) and that would lead to a tipping point where the ice caps will all be gone inside a generation and that is happening as predicted.

As Ken says, we voted for this!!!

theABC

Thanks for your post. It is very encouraging.

Humans deserve it. We aren't clever enough to outsmart nature. We are too greedy, and will be dealt with by nature in the same way every other creature that exploits it's environment.

I’ll be dead before it all kicks off so I don’t care anyway.
And this is why we have the problem
We can’t even persuade people to wear masks to benefit those who are currently alive. So why do you think those same selfish people will change their entire lives to benefit people who haven’t even been born yet?

If you want a picture of the future, read Ben Elton's first novel (written in 1989!) Stark. Think he had a crystal ball - billionaires escaping into space...

Humans deserve it

But in reality its the poorer, already disadvantaged ones that suffer more.

YANBU. I've been worried for many years, and I'm worried now. As is my DH.

We've switched energy suppliers to one that exclusively uses renewable sources - Bulb, if anyone is interested. We exclusively buy second hand, hang on to our old technologies until they die (the phone I am typing this on is six years old and works just fine), repair or upcycle instead of throwing away and shop at a zero waste independent food shop. I've also been vegetarian for all my adult life, my DH has kindly (his own choice) followed suit and we make our own oat milk instead of buying cow milk from the supermarket.

Of course, the biggest contribution that DH and I are making for this planet is, both being second generation only children, choosing not to continue our family. We will never be parents*.

*This also has rh2e advantage of enabling us to see other people's children through rose tinted glasses. We'll turn this around for them.

People need to stop relaxing kitchens and bathrooms too. All that stuff adds up! Cope with your avacado suite and shower that has no water pressure to save the planet.

We can’t even persuade people to wear masks to benefit those who are currently alive

Don't you mean some people? Plenty of people including myself have worn masks to protect others.

So why do you think those same selfish people will change their entire lives to benefit people who haven’t even been born yet?

Getting rid of the "their not so why should I attitude is a good place to start".

@DynamoKev

What can we actually do? Anything effective enough to make a difference basically means shutting down vast amounts of economic activities.

There is lots that can be done but it won't be popular and will require trampling on rights. For a starters there is a whole section of this site dedicated to larger families adding people massively contributes to emmisions. Then there is curtailing travel and immigration (covid has shown us that you can emmigrate but they still need to travel to visit relatives) travel is not cheap environmentally. Finally food production and shipping, personally I don't buy cheap Chinese crap shipped over from the other side of the planet and we need to buy less and to turn our backs on globalisation and consumerism. Good luck selling that to everyone. I'm sure someone will object to at least one of them.

Of course, the biggest contribution that DH and I are making for this planet is, both being second generation only children, choosing not to continue our family. We will never be parents.

Was this the only motivation for not having dc?

Already if it wasn't for immigration the population for most "rich nations" would be shrinking.

@properg

Unfortunately people aren't willing to give up luxuries and will continue to have more children than is necessary.

Population growth in the west is not to do with having more children than necessary.

I never said anything about the west's population growth.

The human population is growing at an unsustainable rate because your average person has more children than necessary.

Dropping global birthrates would be a huge help.

Was this the only motivation for not having DC

No, of course not. There were personal reasons as well: how could there not be for such an important decision? It was certainly a reason that I considered for a long time, though. A contributing factor.

Silveroak

A lot of time when we accuse others of being uncaring is justification for our own indifference. In general, China and India have a right to bring their people out of poverty. Earth is not there for the sole consumption of western countries.

The human population is growing at an unsustainable rate because your average person has more children than necessary.

Who is the average person? Define more children then necessary?

AutistGoth

I have had children and now I cannot say I have done the right thing. My heart breaks for them.

@silveroak the US has 4% of the world's population but is the second biggest contributor to CO2 emissions globally. It's not about population size.

The UK is a global leader - if we set an example, others will follow.

@MagnificentDelurker We'll do it for them. We have to. 💚

But I think the population growth is slowing considerably in many countries and not just the developed nations

@properg

The human population is growing at an unsustainable rate because your average person has more children than necessary.

Who is the average person? Define more children then necessary?

The average person being if you took all the adult humans in the world and looked at how many children they had and then worked out the average number of children per person...

More children than necessary = more than the replacement rate required for your offspring to reach adulthood and reproduce themselves, which causes a growth in population. In developed countries, where childhood mortality is low, this is two per couple or one per individual, for example. You are only replacing yourself, you are not creating a net surplus of people.