this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2023
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questions about climate change (beehaw.org)
submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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this is usually an interesting discussion to have, and there are a lot of interesting questions to ask in this field--so let's ask and talk about a few. feel free to answer as many as you want, or ask your own of people in the comments. here are two groups of three that i think are good to start:

  • Do you suffer from anxiety about climate change and its effects?
  • Have you ever made significant individual lifestyle choices because of climate change?
  • Have you ever thought of leaving where you live because of potential future climactic effects? Have you actually moved already because of them?
  • Do you think the world can limit global warming to 1.5C or 2C? Where do you think we'll "level off" in terms of warming--especially if you don't think we'll meet either of those goals?
  • What do you think of proposed technologies like carbon capture? Do you think they're useful, or a technocratic waste of time? Can they be viably used at large scale on any reasonable timeframe?
  • Do you support something like climate reparations either now or in the future? Do you think such a thing is even viable?
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)
  1. Yes, but its relatively minor on the scale of things that give me anxiety. Not to suggest that climate change is in any way "minor", I just have more pressing and immediate concerns.
  2. I've made minor changes here and there, but nothing I'd qualify as a "significant lifestyle choice".
  3. No. My area isn't that affected (yet).
  4. I don't know enough climate science to have a truly informed answer, but I'm inclined to say yes. Realistically I don't expect us to level off until its far too late.
  5. Climate change is an existential threat, so we should explore all possible ways to control it. But once again, I don't know enough science to comment on carbon capture specifically.
  6. Maybe in the future, but its way too soon. That's a conversation for after we've solved the crisis, not before. Side note: I'm skeptical of the linked chart. Everything I've read suggests that China has a severe problem with air pollution, but the chart claims that China is actually doing better than many other nations. Maybe I'm missing something, but that doesn't pass the sniff test. I'd appreciate an explanation if I'm wrong or missing something.
[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

Everything I’ve read suggests that China has a severe problem with air pollution, but the chart claims that China is actually doing better than many other nations. Maybe I’m missing something, but that doesn’t pass the sniff test. I’d appreciate an explanation if I’m wrong or missing something.

i believe it's heavily factoring in per capita emissions and historical emissions, in which case China still lags well behind developed western countries for obvious reasons. it does have a big problem with air pollution though, yes--the country has been the biggest raw producer of greenhouse gases in the world for awhile now. (also for all of the green things it's doing, the country is simultaneously expanding coal power and not drawing down its coal use generally which categorically needs to not happen.)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

oh, the paper (linked downthread) is also open access, so you can read it here in full without running into a paywall or an institution wall

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Ah that makes sense, thanks!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Ha ha, it literally doesn't pass the sniff test! My first question is... where did we get China's numbers from? China themselves? Then they're probably under-reporting to make themselves look better. That's what they did with their Covid numbers, after all.