this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2023
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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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‘Climate Optimism’ Is Dangerous and Irrational (www.currentaffairs.org)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Overly-confident math models based on unrealistic assumptions are used to avoid crisis-consistent climate policies and to protect global elite privilege, while abandoning our duties to the planet’s most vulnerable.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I completely agree with you friend. We're not helpless - we can do things here and there and build skills - but we're also just a tiny cog in a massive machine that doesn't stop even if we do. It's a weird thing, trying to do harm reduction and lifestyle changes (which I am too) while also knowing it doesn't change much. There's a friction, a cognitive dissonance, that I think is hard for most people paying attention and trying to be good people nowadays.

I do value truth and realism over tenuous hope though, so yes the more accurate the models the better. I just see so many different narratives about how we're "supposed" to feel about climate change and I personally think that causes emotional stasis regarding activism. I know I certainly struggle with that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

@gothicdecadence I feel you too, friend! I have definitely spent many days (years?) feeling paralysed and helpless. It’s definitely hard watching what feels like everyone else in my country/part of the world/social media just continuing to live as if the future will remain as luxurious and comfortable as it is today. For my own sake I’ve decided to just focus on what I can do—it’s not a lot l, but I have the privilege of being able to learn a little here and there to better put myself in a position of contributing.