Scientists deliver ‘final warning’ on climate crisis: act now or it’s too late

[AgeEighty]

I would love to believe otherwise, but our governments do not have the will to make these changes. They're too afraid of the fallout from the public, and rightly so: there will always be deniers among the opposition waiting to tell the public that if they get voted in they'll end all these inconveniences in their lives, and make up whatever lies will get them elected. The anti-truth movement started to happen in exactly the wrong century; it will prevent us from saving us from ourselves. And too many of the public simply will not take this issue seriously until it has started to severely impact their personal lives... at which point it will be far too late.

And the most unjust part of all is that the people most directly responsible won't even live to see how wrong they were. They'll go to their graves believing they were right.

 

[Clefargle]

But I heard Greta took down her tweet that the world was ending this year?!?

"We really are screwed"

 

[squeakywheel]

We love money too much. Nothing will be done until the world is irrevocably screwed and people are rioting worldwide as they start dying en masse.
I wish I can leave a better world for my nephews and nieces because it likely won't be so bad for me in my lifetime.

 

[Banderdash]

I think these reports need to say yep it's fucked.
Here are the actual steps needed to take.
So that politicians can't turn around and say 'we're taking steps toward net zero' without people being able to say step 2 required full solar power conversion, or step 6 needed the end to concrete usage.

Also, carbon credits are straight up hoodwinkery.

 

[Lynchian Anomaly]

The choice to not have kids is looking better by the day.

 

[Sabin]

No doubt that we are fucked. Hopeing that rich would could cut down on anything is a pipedream.

I'm just glad that neither my wife or I will see the worst of climate change since we will most likely be dead before we reach that point but yeah i feel bad for my newphes and nieces. We failed them.

 

[DeepBlueDay]

It blows my mind. It could have been so nice, like a real utopia, but we fucking failed.

We just cannot stop ourselves, as Terence McKenna once said(RIP).

Wonder when it gets REALLY ugly ?

 

[Sunster]

We can't inconvenience rich people. Too bad for us.

Click to shrink...

I just wish our leaders would at least be honest and say this is the reason. Like we ALL know it is. But they still put on this little bullshit show like they are saving the global economy from collapse by continuing to subsidize an energy source from the 1800s


it's not like Americans would actually do anything if they told us the truth.

 

[unknown_nut]

It's been too late, nothing will be done. Our time to act was decades ago.

 

[RedHeat]

Too late it is then. Society isn't going to budge and inch on this until the apocalypse (literally) arrives at their front door, and even then it might already be too late. The best thing you can do is hope you don't live to see any of your younger family members suffer the worst of it.

 

[Vintage]

Good job for trying to raise awareness, but ordinary people like me can't do shit and millionaires don't care.

 

[Brat-Sampson]

The rich:
*proceeds not to act*

 

[Daphne]

We really needed to get rid of the rich as a concept last century, and most certainly their influence on governments to stand a chance.
There's a tragic poetry to the fact our own greed will destroy us.
Hopefully something will still happen but it's an ironic aspect of climate change that so many people rely on science to provide a miracle at the last moment as a means of ignoring science telling us the problem and how we should actually deal with it.

 

[M. Wallace]

I don't think they care

 

[Clefargle]

It's been real y'all

 

[GuitarGuruu]

Yeah we're fucked. The world is gonna be real interesting soon.

 

[supernormal]

We had a trial run with covid, and the ask was to literally wear a piece of cloth on your face and wash your hands and even with government enforcement millions of people died. This will play out just like "Don't Look Up."

 

[Version 3.0]

Mostly I am grieving for all of the animals and wildlife who do not deserve and cannot understand what this will mean for them.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, me too. And for them, that's after we've already wiped them out across the planet. Breaks my heart.

 

[Majin Boo]

As much as I'd like to have some form of hope it just doesn't make any sense at this point. Everyone knows the problem and what's at stake, there are many concepts ready to be implemented to tackle this issue globally that have been ignored for years. What is lacking here is not knowledge, money or innovation/ideas, it is (political-) will. And I don't see a solution for that. Our usual approach of delaying action until the last minute isn't going to work this time around.

 

[WereSalamander]

who's using all that energy though?

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https://www.iea.org/reports/key-world-energy-statistics-2021/final-consumption

In 2019 about 26% of electricity was consumed by residential. It's more than commercial and public services (21%) but less than industry (41.9%)

 

[DoubleTake]

We had a trial run with covid, and the ask was to literally wear a piece of cloth on your face and wash your hands and even with government enforcement millions of people died. This will play out just like "Don't Look Up."

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That movie was super on the nose..but hell if isnt exactly how shit will go down.

How much longer until these effects become unignorable? 20-30 years? Gonna suck being old with no retirement savings and watching the world burn like anyone with sense saw coming 30 years earlier.

 

[supernormal]

That movie was super on the nose..but hell if isnt exactly how shit will go down.

How much longer until these effects become unignorable? 20-30 years? Gonna suck being old with no retirement savings and watching the world burn like anyone with sense saw coming 30 years earlier.

Click to shrink...

I mean I've literally seen the effects happen in my life time. I live next to a giant park in a Caribbean island and when I went to high-school in the 03-07 I had to walk through thick fog every morning and it would be cold enough for you to blow out visible vapor from your mouth when you talked. That is non existent now.

 

[Sidewinder]

The richest won't ever scale back, why? Because they're the ones who can escape the consequences of climate change with the most ease.
Will they be able to do so indefinitely? Of course not, but they'll do as long as possible.

"Fuck you got mine" is their mantra after all.

 

[Cats]

We've been very complacent since the 1950s when there was no more global conflict and modern comfort skyrocketed. That era in society is going to be over soon, and we'll be going backwards quite hard. Humans will live on and no, we are not going extinct, but the era of going to walmart and picking from 50 brands of cereal is going to end very very soon.

I'd wager ~50 years and crop failure plus water shortages will cause too much scarcity and famine to support capitalistic empires anymore, it will just be impossible to keep a reliable country wide supply chain going, and we'll move to more local solutions of resources after mass die-offs due to migrations and starvation.

The only outlier is how will wars play out, that's where things get hairy. Countries will be collapsing anyways so will someone push the red button or will we prevail?

As a less grim note, a take I hear sometimes is that once the real unavoidable ugly parts of this begin in maybe say, ~10-15 years, that might really scare the living jeebers out of society and we might actually start dumping mass wealth and effort into reversal technologies, like carbon capture, dedicated desalination, ect. Reasoning being the rich's money isn't going to mean much when their personal experts project to them they can't buy anything and their wealth will dissolve due to the above issues, so yeah. We might get some hope but it's gonna be a kicking and screaming match until the very end.

 

[Deleted member 9305]

We are so fucked, the rest of the world will do some backslips, the US will feast on steaks and hamburgers while driving around in monster pickup trucks.

 

[Cats]

We are so fucked, the rest of the world will do some backslips, the US will feast on steaks and hamburgers while driving around in monster pickup trucks.

Click to shrink...

The usa will absolutely not survive this either. We will outlast poorer countries by an uncertain amount, true, but we too will eventually fall to the devastation of sea rise, famine, lack of drinkable water, and a failed economy.

A ton of our modern lifestyle is only achievable due to the global economy exploiting those poor countries, so their destabilization means our destabilization.

 

[Dark Ninja]

No one who could actually do something is listening. On the plus side eventually the sun will explode and take everything out with it anyways.

 

[Gavalanche]

The problem is that it requires everyone to work toward this, and we are just too selfish and arrogant. Carl Sagan warned congess about climate change almost 40 years ago, and so far as I can tell not a huge amount has been done since then. Its too late, basically. the whole thing is inevitable, and it is the most obvious thing in the world.

 

[Kyuuji]

The only selfish hope I have left is that I won't live to witness the collapse of society. It is inevitable with the current trajectory, and I'm by no means saying I'll give up doing what I can to lower my own contribution, but I fear for where we will be when I'm old and incapable of protecting myself.

 

[anamika]

This graphic is scary for babies being born now...


View: https://twitter.com/KHayhoe/status/1637875896433385481

 

[Darkstorne]

We won't avert a crisis, because our stupid human brains evolved to only enter problem-solving-holy-crap mode in the event of clear and present danger. Like a tiger running straight towards us.

Climate change lacks a tiger, so the vast majority of humans continue to hear this news, look around, and think "well I don't see a tiger" then shrug and order a double cheeseburger.

I don't think civilization will be over. But I DO think billions will die and the earth will be scarred for generations before we're able to start fixing things.

 

[Captain Smoker]

To the "nothing is done" crew in every thread like this:

• $1 Trillion Green Investment Matches Fossil Fuels for First Time (January 2023)

• Goldman Sees China Nearly Tripling Its Target for Wind and Solar (March 2023)

• "The report finds that renewables are set to account for over 90% of global electricity expansion over the next five years" (December 2022)

• Wind and solar overtake fossil gas to produce record fifth of EU electricity (January 2023)

• 86% of new US electricity additions in 2023 are carbon-free (February 2023)

• Peaking: Why Fossil Fuel Demand Peaked in 2019 (December 2022)

• Germany meets 2022 greenhouse gas emissions target (March 2023)

• Bloomberg upgrades global outlook of solar additions massively (December 2022)

 

[Darkstorne]

To the "nothing is done" crew in every thread like this:

• $1 Trillion Green Investment Matches Fossil Fuels for First Time (January 2023)

• Goldman Sees China Nearly Tripling Its Target for Wind and Solar (March 2023)

• "The report finds that renewables are set to account for over 90% of global electricity expansion over the next five years" (December 2022)

• Wind and solar overtake fossil gas to produce record fifth of EU electricity (January 2023)

• 86% of new US electricity additions in 2023 are carbon-free (February 2023)

• Peaking: Why Fossil Fuel Demand Peaked in 2019 (December 2022)

• Germany meets 2022 greenhouse gas emissions target (March 2023)

Click to shrink...

It's not that nothing is being done. It's that the bare minimum is being done to create an illusion of governments and companies caring to make the changes required. And I don't want to sound like only governments and companies need to act and individuals don't. Individuals are important too, and the vast majority talk themselves into thinking "no, it is okay to keep eating beef / to upgrade my phone every couple of years / to buy the RTX 4090 to replace my 3080 Ti" etc etc.

Most people write internal stories to justify their failure to be carbon neutral or better, and government/companies are a convenient scapegoat. And it angers me just as much as Republicans saying "well what's the point in the US bothering to help the climate when China is worse than us?"

 

[Turnscr3w]

It's not that nothing is being done. It's that the bare minimum is being done to create an illusion of governments and companies caring to make the changes required. And I don't want to sound like only governments and companies need to act and individuals don't. Individuals are important too, and the vast majority talk themselves into thinking "no, it is okay to keep eating beef / to upgrade my phone every couple of years / to buy the RTX 4090 to replace my 3080 Ti" etc etc.

Most people write internal stories to justify their failure to be carbon neutral or better, and government/companies are a convenient scapegoat. And it angers me just as much as Republicans saying "well what's the point in the US bothering to help the climate when China is worse than us?"

Click to shrink...

For fuck sake, dude. This is not the time for moral surperioty. Meat consumption has fallen word wide, because of how expensive it has become.Phones are made with planned obsolescence, in part when the mobile plan ends. And for fuck sake dude, how many people do you think can just freely buy or replace such high end tier cards?
According to steam hardware data, barely 1% own those cards combined.

Steam Hardware & Software Survey

The companies created the problem then lobbied the government. Individual actions are by themselves isolated and weak. We have 8 billion people no level of undividual actions is gonna do a thing. We use institutions for these kind of stuff, but that would require thinking outside of the neoliberal world we live in.

"Convenient scapegoat" how dare we criticize the people creating the problem, lobbying against regulations and the people in power"

Here's a nice read

Carbon Billionaires: The investment emissions of World's richest people - World

Analysis in English on World about Climate Change and Environment; published on 7 Nov 2022 by Oxfam

reliefweb.int

 

[Fleck0]

It's weird to live in a world where I hope I'll die before shit really hits the fan.

 

[Captain Smoker]

It's not that nothing is being done. It's that the bare minimum is being done to create an illusion of governments and companies caring to make the changes required.

Click to shrink...

It's not an illusion. Solar and Wind literally outpaced analyst predictions every year, even the most optimistic ones.

Here's a good example of the global solar output that Bloomberg expected and revised in the span of one year, it's up by 50%: https://abload.de/img/wer0aehg.png

Another real life example: The leader in renewable energy in the USA is Texas. So even the most backwards Republicans couldn't stop this trajectory, for the simple reason that renewables are the cheapest form of energy now and money talks.

And I don't want to sound like only governments and companies need to act and individuals don't. Individuals are important too, and the vast majority talk themselves into thinking "no, it is okay to keep eating beef / to upgrade my phone every couple of years / to buy the RTX 4090 to replace my 3080 Ti" etc etc.

Click to shrink...

Putting the burden on individuals isn't efficient, that said, it doesn't hurt if someone takes care of his CO2 footprint.

What's important is what utility companies build as power sources (and that's mostly renewables at the moment), that the transport sector accelerates it's transition to EVs (also happening, albeit still getting stifled here and there) and that other sectors like manufacturing, agriculture and buildings are transitioning their path to electrification (which they're also doing, but this will take more time).

It's also very important what China does as they're responsible for 30% of global emissions at the moment. Luckily, they're also the largest green tech investor and builder in the world. They're also still building a shitton of coal plants, but these are getting cancelled at an accelerating pace (Global Coal Plant Tracker), as their wind and solar output outpaces the predictions of analysts and the chinese government itself.

 

[Darkstorne]

For fuck sake, dude. This is not the time for moral surperioty. Meat consumption has fallen word wide, because of how expensive it has become.Phones are made with planned obsolescence, in part when the mobile plan ends. And for fuck sake dude, how many people do you think can just freely buy or replace such high end tier cards?
According to steam hardware data, barely 1% own those cards combined.

Steam Hardware & Software Survey

The companies created the problem then lobbied the government. Individual actions are by themselves isolated and weak. We have 8 billion people no level of undividual actions is gonna do a thing. We use institutions for these kind of stuff, but that would require thinking outside of the neoliberal world we live in.

"Convenient scapegoat" how dare we criticize the people creating the problem, lobbying against regulations and the people in power"

Here's a nice read

Carbon Billionaires: The investment emissions of World's richest people - World

Analysis in English on World about Climate Change and Environment; published on 7 Nov 2022 by Oxfam

reliefweb.int

Click to shrink...

It's not about moral superiority, it's about everyone having to change their lifestyles and consumption patterns. We don't need to wait for governments to force us to live sustainably, and when most people are still choosing not to, that's still a problem. I'm NOT saying companies and governments don't need to change too, just that I find it distressing to see a common trend of people pretending there's no point in them changing when governments and companies won't.

 

[Katamari]

The real threat to the world is the radical Left's woke agenda. That and immigrants.

 

[Turnscr3w]

It's not about moral superiority, it's about everyone having to change their lifestyles and consumption patterns. We don't need to wait for governments to force us to live sustainably, and when most people are still choosing not to, that's still a problem. I'm NOT saying companies and governments don't need to change too, just that I find it distressing to see a common trend of people pretending there's no point in them changing when governments and companies won't.

Click to shrink...

If you don't think institutions matter in any of this then this talk is over. Everything you described is created by our right wing neoliberal policies.
You are also very nicely ignoring the amount of propaganda that has been created and spread worldwide about climate change not being real.
Here in Bulgaria, Lukoil and Gazprom have payed millions to politicians and media to not talk about climate change or if they do is to blame the population.
Don't talk me about personal responsibility. I've haded with these dumb neoliberal takes.
Fuckin, people allergic to slightest thought that the people with power or resources might be at fault.

 

[Laughton]

The fact that most people can't even give up beef means we are fucked. You can blame capital all you want, but they're not going to stop unless laws change or people stop buying. And good luck to any politicians trying to take hamburgers away.

 

[RailWays]

Made me think about that RDC video right away.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCo3XwTRg9o

Click to shrink...

Yep

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

If you don't think institutions matter in any of this then this talk is over.

Click to shrink...

it's about everyone having to change their lifestyles and consumption patterns.

Click to shrink...

I'm NOT saying companies and governments don't need to change too

Click to shrink...

No offense, but your so determined to maintain your current lifestyle and absolve yourself of any wrong doing that you're not even able to comprehend what the person you're arguing is saying, he said it TWICE and you still started off your post with that sentence?

 

[Fallout-NL]

The choice to not have kids is looking better by the day.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I'm kind of second guessing myself on that one. I moved away from the ocean though. I guess that's something...

 

[Deleted member 128704]

Nothing will be done

Click to shrink...

Agreed. I'm fact more coal and oil projects are in the pipeline worldwide including Canada and the US.

 

[Turnscr3w]

No offense, but your so determined to maintain your current lifestyle and absolve yourself of any wrong doing that you're not even able to comprehend what the person you're arguing is saying, he said it TWICE and you still started off your post with that sentence?

Click to shrink...

What are you talking about ? I'm poor my dude and not even american. What am I absolving myself exactly from, my dude?
Having a critical eye on how we ended up here is not absolving myself.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Elections in the Netherlands last week proved yet again that the situation is pretty much hopeless when large swaths of the population voted for the latest flavor of the week dumbfuck rightwing party that wants to roll back plans to curb nitrogen emissions AND reduce the amount of nature reserves because those apparently just cramp the style of the Dutch eater-of-worlds livestock industry.

It is absolutely infuriating.

No offense, but your so determined to maintain your current lifestyle and absolve yourself of any wrong doing that you're not even able to comprehend what the person you're arguing is saying, he said it TWICE and you still started off your post with that sentence?

Click to shrink...

You could walk past the beef section in your supermarket for the rest of your life and we'd still be fucked. We need legislation and for politicians not to be compromised by capital so that they're in a position to pass that legislation. Anything else is, yeah, commendable, but good for nothing other than one's own conscience.

 

[Captain Smoker]

Agreed. I'm fact more coal and oil projects are in the pipeline worldwide including Canada and the US.

Click to shrink...

Even chinese coal plants can't keep up with renewables by a factor of 2 and a lot of planned coal plants over there get cancelled as solar/wind outpace expectations.


Here's the outlook for the USA in 2023, 86% of it is carbon-free and no coal at all (and this doesn't include the rising additions in residential solar)

 

[Fallout-NL]

Even chinese coal plants can't keep up with renewables by a factor of 2 and a lot of planned coal plants over there get cancelled as solar/wind outpace expectations.


Here's the outlook for the USA in 2023, 86% of it is carbon-free and no coal at all.

Click to shrink...

Here's another one for you:

Source (article based on latest IPCC publication).

Those are projected emissions and their effects.

Blue line is what we need to do to stay within 1.5 degrees, green is 2. Red is where we're at...

 

[Hrodulf]

Guess we'll just stay the course, then.

Click to shrink...

Basically. Companies like BP are pushing their oil production reduction plans due to record profits, people are buying big gas guzzlers more than pretty much any other vehicles, and politicians that are against any kind of action are consistently being voted into office, among numerous other issues.

We can try to keep passing the buck to the average citizen, like you see in a lot of these threads, but that's largely unreasonable and only helps the issue so much. The ones that really need to be working to make change are either dragging their feet or just outright don't/won't.

 

[Art_3]

And i thougt Krypton's government was stupid