So, What Is Greta Thunberg Accomplishing?

Just because you can't conceive of how we might succeed, it doesn't mean the rest of us have to give up.

Doing nothing or very little may in the end be the more expensive choice. Abandoning or protecting coastal cities is a big deal.

Yeah, like the MAGA crowd cares about poor people.

We can get people in poor countries to have fewer children if we agree to help them take care of their elderly.

Biotechnology and nanotechnology may be an even larger threat.

 

1) There are millions upon millions of 'greenies' on the planet. All it would take would be for each of them to stop their profligate lifestyles tomorrow, and no more would need to be done. F350's could continue in peace. Let those who say they care, volunteer themselves to the cause, and those who don't, can do their thing.

2) The standard defense of the actual virtue signaller "I don't buy plastic straws" (but I eat out three times a week). Any idea what goes into food services? Road transport, air miles, industrial refridgeration, staff transit, many non-consumable goods, etc etc. Add recreational travel to that list of sins, and you have a gargantuan footprint.

3) So compel yourself - and those you know who say they care - to stop consuming immediately. That's literally all it takes.

4) Go ahead. But when you've spent almost 30 years not travelling, not using grid power or water, not buying newly manufactured clothing, footwear, furniture, cars, or machinery, not using air conditioning or clothes dryers, not using new building materials, and not purchasing 100% of your food from a supermarket ... you'll might even earn the right to choose the tune.

 

1. The trouble is YOU can't conceive of how we might succeed. That's actually the point. You fight a forest fire with a garden hose and believe you are going to succeed.

2. I never said to do nothing or very little. But, the left want to waste all of their time, energy, and money fighting a losing battle. We need to work on carbon capture technology and infrastructure to handle the ever increasing temps. Temps are not going to decrease.

3. Yeah, that sounds like an admission to me that the tools you use to fight Climate Change hurt the poor and your only comeback to that is "Yeah, like the MAGA crowd cares about poor people."

4. What? I'm missing something there. Whatever you're trying to say not only wouldn't work but will cost the US yet more money to add onto our 30 trillion dollar debt.

5. Looks like we finally agree on something here. We are wasting our time on fighting Climate Change when there are several bigger threats that may get us far sooner than the environment is. Let me ask you this. If the world is mostly wiped out by a nuclear WWIII, Biotechnology and nanotechnology, another pandemic, or a comet with our name on it, doesn't that mean we completely wasted our time fighting Climate Change when maybe we should have been working on the other things instead?

 

It happened twice, and HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE KILLED relative to the amount of electric power nuclear plants have provided?

 

What solutions do you claim Trump provided?

 

Don't we need the problem before we need a solution?

 

So, we know you don't care about the environment?

 

What will you do if people reject this nonsense and impose restrictions on your consumption?

We may have to compel you.

 

I'm not disagreeing with your post but this is not entirely accurate. I live in a third world country and the rich also have a lot of kids because it makes them feel spunky for lack of a better word. It is true that for the poor having kids equates to providing for your old age but for the rich it is to show proof of virility. That is shifting but slowly.

 

Who is We?

 

The people who will always consume and pollute that want others to make the sacrifices that aren’t even necessary to solve the “problem”.

It’s not about the planet. It’s about control and profits.

 

Succeeding in the shorter term may be delaying the worst of it long enough for technological advances, some we might anticipate like new types of nuclear power generation and improved batteries, to have an impact. I can't see us preventing a disastrous human population collapse without taking concerted action.

This is all part of mitigating the problem and they all cost. Someone has to pay.

The tools Democrats use.... not me. I'm opposed to carbon taxes.

We would have to raise taxes.

I think the greatest threat from technologies of mass destruction and/or death will come from peoples desperate to avoid the consequences of global warming.

 

With the onslaught of the China flu he really didn't have a chance to do much in one term.. Be realistic!

 

Same thing you will do, spend more and do with less.. Are you exited?

 

We still haven't had the big one. Might happen in Ukraine.

 

There's a difference between caring and stupidly thinking you can put out a forest fire with a garden hose.

 

Well, I have to admit, that's a new one. Fight a loosing battle now in an attempt to delay things long enough until we have a better plan through future technology that might actually work. At least you're admitting that we can't do it now. That's some progress all in itself.

Oh, by the way, raise taxes? No. Whenever you lefties want to raise taxes it is only because you want to spend more. If you want to talk about raising taxes to eliminate the national debt and spend less, my ears are wide open.

 

Cultural norms I think would change in many countries if the people were moved to accept help for their retirees. I can't say, of course, because there is so much variation in countries and peoples.

 

You made the claim that Trump had done so many things right. What? And what problems were solved?

 

Or might never happen at all.

 

You projected too much current leftwing politics on to my position.

You look dumb when you call someone who supports school and medical vouchers, the Keystone pipeline, opposes carbon taxes, etc. a leftwinger.

We need to pay higher taxes to cover spending on healthcare (new treatments, more seniors), national defense, climate change R&D, etc. We're seriously damaging the economy by borrowing to maintain services we've decided we want.

You "spend less" types need to identify where to make cuts. Are you intending to stop putting indigents in need to skilled nursing into care homes? Cut Medicare? Cut national defense?

 

No, you said he put band aids on a lot of problems, and I asked you what problems that would be. You don't seem to have the list with you.

 

"We" would be a majority of voters who support pols who decide on a course of action.

 

So "We the People" only refers to the faction that wins the last election? Hmm, Not how I thought it was.

 

No, absolutely not.