We export around 100 million tons of alfalfa for cattle feed to China in a year. We could start scaling that back.
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Climate Change / Global Warming Discussion
- Thread starter Raffy.Roma
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mspohr
Well-Known Member
Earth is under threat, yet you would scarcely know it | George Monbiot
W hat is salient is not important. What is important is not salient. Most of the time, most of the media obsess over issues of mind-numbing triviality. Much of the world’s political journalism is little more than court gossip: who’s in, who’s out, who said what to whom. At the same time, issues of immense, even existential importance are largely or entirely ignored. With the exception of all-out nuclear war, all the most important problems that confront us are environmental. None of our hopes, none of our dreams, none of our plans and expectations can survive the loss of a habitable planet. And there is scarcely an Earth system that is not now threatened with collapse.
Yet you would scarcely know it. Most of the media, most of the time, either ignore our environmental crisis, downplay it or deny it. The reason is not difficult to discern. Most of the media are owned by corporations or billionaires, who have a financial interest in sustaining business as usual. If governments acted to prevent the collapse of Earth systems, business models would have to change drastically, and these changes would disfavour legacy industries and their investments. To keep the proprietors, shareholders and advertisers happy – or, in the case of public sector broadcasters, to keep the government off their backs – the most important topics of all are neglected.
W hat is salient is not important. What is important is not salient. Most of the time, most of the media obsess over issues of mind-numbing triviality. Much of the world’s political journalism is little more than court gossip: who’s in, who’s out, who said what to whom. At the same time, issues of immense, even existential importance are largely or entirely ignored. With the exception of all-out nuclear war, all the most important problems that confront us are environmental. None of our hopes, none of our dreams, none of our plans and expectations can survive the loss of a habitable planet. And there is scarcely an Earth system that is not now threatened with collapse.
Yet you would scarcely know it. Most of the media, most of the time, either ignore our environmental crisis, downplay it or deny it. The reason is not difficult to discern. Most of the media are owned by corporations or billionaires, who have a financial interest in sustaining business as usual. If governments acted to prevent the collapse of Earth systems, business models would have to change drastically, and these changes would disfavour legacy industries and their investments. To keep the proprietors, shareholders and advertisers happy – or, in the case of public sector broadcasters, to keep the government off their backs – the most important topics of all are neglected.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
America’s hardest-hit communities need Biden to declare a climate emergency
Wildfires, floods, heatwaves, hurricanes and drought are not waiting for politicians to act – the president must step in
www.theguardian.com
President Biden should step into the breach and declare a climate emergency. Mother Nature is not waiting for the president or Congress to declare a climate emergency. She’s showing us in real-time here in the United States — with wildfires, floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, and drought. Long before the recent hurricanes and storms hit Alaska, Puerto Rico, and soon Florida, this summer’s historic heatwaves and strings of record-breaking temperatures underscored the need to act.
By declaring a national climate emergency, President Biden could unlock additional authorities to address these and other climate impacts. This declaration also would set the tone heading into the COP27 gathering in Egypt, which will be focused on the global climate crisis.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
More than 1,700 environmental activists murdered in the past decade – report
More than 1,700 murders of environmental activists were recorded over the past decade, an average of a killing nearly every two days, according to a new report. Killed by hitmen, organised crime groups and their own governments, at least 1,733 land and environmental defenders were murdered between 2012 and 2021, figures from Global Witness show, with Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, Mexico and Honduras the deadliest countries. The NGO has published its report on the killings of land and environmental defenders around the world every year since 2012, after the murder of Chut Wutty, a Cambodian environmentalist who worked with the Global Witness CEO Mike Davis investigating illegal logging. Killings hit a record of 227 in 2020 despite the pandemic..
Mining and extractive industries, logging and agribusiness were the most common drivers for a murder when a cause was known. The report’s authors warned the figures were likely a significant underestimate and do not capture the full scale of the problem, with the deaths often occurring in ecosystems crucial to averting the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
More than 1,700 murders of environmental activists were recorded over the past decade, an average of a killing nearly every two days, according to a new report. Killed by hitmen, organised crime groups and their own governments, at least 1,733 land and environmental defenders were murdered between 2012 and 2021, figures from Global Witness show, with Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, Mexico and Honduras the deadliest countries. The NGO has published its report on the killings of land and environmental defenders around the world every year since 2012, after the murder of Chut Wutty, a Cambodian environmentalist who worked with the Global Witness CEO Mike Davis investigating illegal logging. Killings hit a record of 227 in 2020 despite the pandemic..
Mining and extractive industries, logging and agribusiness were the most common drivers for a murder when a cause was known. The report’s authors warned the figures were likely a significant underestimate and do not capture the full scale of the problem, with the deaths often occurring in ecosystems crucial to averting the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
Or he could go through the proper channels like Congress, lawfully.America’s hardest-hit communities need Biden to declare a climate emergency
Wildfires, floods, heatwaves, hurricanes and drought are not waiting for politicians to act – the president must step in
President Biden should step into the breach and declare a climate emergency. Mother Nature is not waiting for the president or Congress to declare a climate emergency. She’s showing us in real-time here in the United States — with wildfires, floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, and drought. Long before the recent hurricanes and storms hit Alaska, Puerto Rico, and soon Florida, this summer’s historic heatwaves and strings of record-breaking temperatures underscored the need to act.
By declaring a national climate emergency, President Biden could unlock additional authorities to address these and other climate impacts. This declaration also would set the tone heading into the COP27 gathering in Egypt, which will be focused on the global climate crisis.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
I believe it is lawful for him to declare an emergency.
Congressional Republicans are obstructing climate action.
ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
No.
Ruling by emergency decree creates incentive to create emergencies to further erode our constitution.
Are you a citizen or a subject?
mspohr
Well-Known Member
While this is true in the abstract, the reality is that at least one party will vote against their own legislation just to prevent a win for the other side. We have multiple examples of that. So, the system has failed. Until we have two parties who are willing to come to the table and compromise, someone has to do the hard work of governing.
ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
That pesky bill of rights getting in the way of globalist authoritarian control by climate zealots who don’t follow their own advice again. Tsk Tsk.
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
Honestly curious. What's the difference between a 'zealot' and someone that accepts the problem and wants it addressed?
mspohr
Well-Known Member
A zealot is someone who ignores science and reality and pushes an extreme ideology... kind of like climate deniers.
ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
A ‘climate zealot’ virtue signals and advocates for something they would never actually partake in.
There would be more respect in a little honesty like: “I like having nice things and if you have less nice things, that’s more nice things for me” — Which is what they really mean when they ask you, the pleb; to conserve.
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
??? How does more solar, wind and EVs result in fewer nice things for anyone? It's not zero sum. You really think Leonard DiCaprio's motivation to fighting climate change is that he wants.... wants what? More 'nice' things? What material thing does he lack that advocating for carbon reduction would some how gain him?
So we should allow the 'zealots' to stop us from addressing the problem? .... why?
If anything it's the exact reverse. Those 'zealots' have the resources to dodge climate fueled storms. Lots of people in Ft Myers that woke up to far fewer 'nice things' if they woke up at all
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Almost seems the insurers and their reinsurers would be very interested in building out to reduce insurance claims. Doesn't it all go back to Lloyds of London or some corporation like that?
ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
More taxes and government forced consensus isn’t going to stop hurricanes from happening.??? How does more solar, wind and EVs result in fewer nice things for anyone? It's not zero sum. You really think Leonard DiCaprio's motivation to fighting climate change is that he wants.... wants what? More 'nice' things? What material thing does he lack that advocating for carbon reduction would some how gain him?
So we should allow the 'zealots' to stop us from addressing the problem? .... why?
If anything it's the exact reverse. Those 'zealots' have the resources to dodge climate fueled storms. Lots of people in Ft Myers that woke up to far fewer 'nice things' if they woke up at all
No matter how much the lady who throws binders at her staff wants you to believe it.
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
Of course not. No one says it would. But....
- making hydrocarbons more expensive with taxes will result in fewer hydrocarbons burned because economics.
- fewer hydrocarbons burned means CO2 levels rise slower because math.
- and lower CO2 levels mean weaker hurricanes because physics.
I'm not sure what the Bill of Rights has to do with bargaining in good faith and at least making an effort.
It may well be that the changes we've made are irreversible and the efforts to effect the course of climate collapse are now a drop in the ocean. But I would argue that the good person makes the best effort they can. Maybe we can put off "horrible" for a few years.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Tax the rich
EcoWatch: Wealthiest 10% Responsible for Nearly 50% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Study Finds. Wealthiest 10% Responsible for Nearly 50% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Study Finds - EcoWatch
“In my benchmark estimates, I find that the bottom 50% of the world population emitted 12% of global emissions in 2019, whereas the top 10% emitted 48% of the total,” the study’s sole author Lucas Chancel of the Paris School of Economics’ World Inequality Lab wrote. “
EcoWatch: Wealthiest 10% Responsible for Nearly 50% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Study Finds. Wealthiest 10% Responsible for Nearly 50% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Study Finds - EcoWatch
“In my benchmark estimates, I find that the bottom 50% of the world population emitted 12% of global emissions in 2019, whereas the top 10% emitted 48% of the total,” the study’s sole author Lucas Chancel of the Paris School of Economics’ World Inequality Lab wrote. “
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