Climate change: just how f***ed are we?

[obsessedwithsleep]

Obviously it's on my mind at the moment and it seems that nothing of any significance is being done. Like we're just watching those juggernaut come down the road and not even trying to the move the car.

Anyway, as the title says: how awful will the future be? What is the most likely degree rise by 2100? What does this actually mean in reality?

Would love to hear people's thoughts and wisdom.

Problem is, us small people walking to the shop instead of driving or being careful with energy / water won't have the slightest bit of difference.

We need to stop flying, petrol / diesel cars need to go. I don't see it happening.

Didn’t the rate of pollution growth slightly fall, but it still went up?

But honestly if this is the case it makes you wonder what can even be achieved? The global supply chain basically broke, factories were not running at full capacity, most people stopped flying, reduced journeys by car substantially… etc etc etc… and impact was bad but slightly less bad than it would have been otherwise.

Thats not what the chart says. What it says is that the mean annual temperature has increased by c. 1 degree since the 1860s.

They will obviously have had warm days and cool days, but in terms of the mean, the trend is very clear to see.

Walking to the shop

And there's another problem....shops. We can't stop flying/driving to fill them up and factories to produce the 'stuff' and all the packaging to transport it etc

I seriously think we’re fucked. DH in the renewable business. Try to get companies to use things that will decrease their fuel and electricity use. One multi national- who I can’t name- claim to use the lasted machinery that is much more efficient. That’s what their website says.

In a meeting with a high up DH was told “we’re still using tier 1, we don’t need to update as our profits are sky high, thanks for coming, sorry you’ve wasted your time”

DH contacted the CEO and the man have been fired, but they still aren’t interested in reducing their use of fossil fuels.

The main crux of the climate change problem is way too people on the planet !

I agree that we’re past the point of reversing the process now. We’ll have to adapt to it. Our children’s’ lives are going to be very very different to ours (not in a good way) but in the UK we’re blessed with a relatively mild climate. The droughts, famines and floods in Africa and Asia are going to be apocalyptic and that will cause huge migration and conflict. Best to prepare the next generation for that.

Thanks for the explanation @Octomore

If pump prices keep going up might be forced to reduce driving.

Yep, we have been told about this in the early 90's! But ignorance is Bliss!
We are not living long enough to actually face the consequences of our own actions.

It's our grandkids and great- grandkids that will reap in the rewards with gusto.

But then some of me thinks that the earth always had hot/ cold periods in the past 1000's millions of years . And we are entering a hot period (granted accelerated by US) with a mass extinction event at the end (- no more mammals and back to lizard & insects or ...)

We were told recycle so we recycled. Get a Diesel. Get an electric Car. Blah blah.
Nothing to do with the average person. Do you think the elites moving around in private jets and motorcades care?

Problem is there's nothing we as individuals can do that will actually make any difference. It needs massive global change, all people in all countries. I can walk to work and use a bamboo toothbrush and grow my own veg. Won't make any difference as long as commercial flights are in the sky 24/7/365, thousands of factories in China are constantly pumping out CO2 and single use plastics, and big corporations aren't held responsible.

I seem to remember Everest was visible from Kathmandu at one point.

I honestly really hope my children don't have children of their own. I don't want them to suffer.

No politician in any country, let alone globally, will take the drastic action needed.

Everytime they talk about growth or this or that, I think what's the point if the planet is going to be burning?

Huge corporations only bothered about protecting their profits.

A lot of species are already screwed beyond hope even at 1.5 degree warming and there may or may not be serious knock on consequences to humans from that alone.

As far as humans specifically are concerned, if we can make a MASSIVE shift away from coal, oil, gas and to renewable energy over the next 30/40 years we can limit the absolute worse of the damage and possibly keep warming under 2 degrees.

But we’re not anywhere near the speed needed for that right now and are on course for 3+ degrees warming by the end of the century - which would have dire consequences for billions of people.

^ that seems to be sort of the consensus from what I’ve read anyway.

If the governments around the world put some funding into synthetic fuel we could still use are cars as normal without the bad emissions. But they would rather is have small electric cars with a relatively small range.

And as others have said the world needs to stop people have so many kids .

Anyway anything this country does to try and make a change is a drop in the ocean . USA, china, India these are the country's that need to do something to make a real change

I agree it is catastrophic but it feels like the majority of people either don't care or are burying their head in the sand. And big companies/politicians/celebrities etc aren't doing anything because they know it won't impact them. The poorest people in the world will be the first to die. There will be mass starvation because we can't grow crops, spread of tropical diseases like malaria, extreme weather events like flooding. And unfortunately as long as the richest people still make their money they won't care how many people die because of climate change.

Everytime they talk about growth or this or that, I think what's the point if the planet is going to be burning?

Same. Anyone who still thinks that continuous economic growth is either desirable or achievable in current circumstances is pretty deluded imo.

Maybe a contraceptive like they are doing with the grey squirrels

There’s an awful lot of talk, meetings, summits with world leaders etc.
Has there actually been any significant action? Anything that’s made a jot of difference?

India, China developing fast. Honestly the world will be screwed by time they reach net zero.

I wonder at what point the super rich do begin to care? I guess when there is no one left to maintain and work on their yachts (which they will need as everywhere else is flooded)

Totally agree. It’s the elephant in the room.