World ‘sleepwalking’ to climate catastrophe: UN chief

[Truthseeker]

World ‘sleepwalking’ to climate catastrophe: UN chief

The planet-saving goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 Fahrenheit) is already “on life support”, he told a sustainability conference in London.

Keeping this goal in play requires a 45 percent drop in emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by mid-century, according to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

But even if nations honour newly revised pledges under the Paris Agreement, emissions are still set to rise 14 percent before the decade ends.

God bless Antonio Guterres for keeping this issue before us.

 

[Twilight Hue]

World ‘sleepwalking’ to climate catastrophe: UN chief

The planet-saving goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 Fahrenheit) is already “on life support”, he told a sustainability conference in London.

Keeping this goal in play requires a 45 percent drop in emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by mid-century, according to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

But even if nations honour newly revised pledges under the Paris Agreement, emissions are still set to rise 14 percent before the decade ends.

God bless Antonio Guterres for keeping this issue before us.

Yea and the world will end in 12 years.

 

[stvdv]

I don't call it sleepwalking...people know very well what is going on. But they are not willing to give up their luxury life. Billionaires still try to accumulate more billions out of even covid pandemic, let alone making billions out of non calamities.

As long as the billionaires don't set the right example the masses will never follow

So, there is 1 man who sets a good example, that's Elon Musk, who sold all his mansions and lives in a cheap house now.

But the problem will solve itself anyway. First people die when they pollute Mother Earth too much, and then earth will be able to recover. Probably the best solution anyway

 

[Nimos]

I don't call it sleepwalking...people know very well what is going on. But they are not willing to give up their luxury life. Billionaires still try to accumulate more billions out of even covid pandemic, let alone making billions out of non calamities.

As long as the billionaires don't set the right example the masses will never follow

So, there is 1 man who sets a good example, that's Elon Musk, who sold all his mansions and lives in a cheap house now.

But the problem will solve itself anyway. First people die when they pollute Mother Earth too much, and then earth will be able to recover. Probably the best solution anyway

That is part of the problem, but also the economy can't survive if people don't spend money like crazy. It is built around consumption.

 

[Nakosis]

It is easy to set goals as long as you don't have to come up with a plan to achieve them.

Management does this all of the time. Set unrealistic goals knowing that they'll fail but at least some progress will be made in the right direction.
I suppose that is the way of upper management. They set the goals and hope someone else will develop a plan to accomplish them.

Folks need the resources to do the work they need to do to support the economy. They need to work to support themselves and their family which requires they use energy (fossil fuels).
You can't deny the right the population has for it's own livelihood.

While you worry about global climate change you also have to worry about keeping people employed and the economy. You can't focus on one and forget the other two.
I think there is a lot that can be done but the innovation is not going to be coming from national governments, imo.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Basically, the "solution" involves everyone dropping the current method of "survival" (that being always doing more than "just survive") and get back to real, grass-roots survival. Our cars, computers, cell-phones, fridges and televisions, etc. all guzzle up a whopping ton of energy that is currently being obtained through the usage of fuels that release the types of carbon emissions being complained about. Alternative fuels aren't providing a robust replacement, and probably wouldn't without huge investments of resources and land-mass to put up enough solar panels, wind turbines, wave/tide converters. And without that alternative, it means needing to instead cut back on our usage of technology - which runs on the energy being produced with these detrimental side-effects. Add on top of that the consumerism already mentioned - whereby everyone and their brother is looking to sell you the latest technological device and get you hooked so they can sell you the next one... well... that's it in a nutshell.

 

[Nakosis]

Nuclear power maybe the only viable answer.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/17/bil...its-first-nuclear-reactor-in-a-coal-town.html

 

[Kooky]

Our entire global economic system is geared towards the ruthless exploitation of natural resources while all the suffering, harm and environmental damage it causes is shunted off as "externalities", with the people who caused all of this left blameless - or, at the height of their chuzpe, even blaming consumers across the world for these outcomes which they have minimal control over.

Given that the majority of decisionmakers is tied up in the interests of those who are reaping the benefits of this system, it shouldn't come as a surprise when only the bare minimum is being done, especially when the wealthiest still see it as likely that they will be able to mitigate or ignore the inevitable outcome of anthropogenic climate change.

But the problem will solve itself anyway. First people die when they pollute Mother Earth too much, and then earth will be able to recover. Probably the best solution anyway

Of course it sounds best to you, you won't have to live through the worst parts of it.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Nuclear power maybe the only viable answer.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/17/bil...its-first-nuclear-reactor-in-a-coal-town.html

Shame we do not spend money on this aspect, that can help mankind, instead of where the money is currently being spent.

Regards Tony

 

[F1fan]

Yea and the world will end in 12 years.

And as we see conservatives lead the way in sleepwalking, guiding the rest of the wold over a cliff like lemmings. They will surely blame liberals for not acting sooner when catastrophe happens.

Hey, as long as the wealthy get richer we all win, right?

 

[metis]

Nuclear power maybe the only viable answer.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/17/bil...its-first-nuclear-reactor-in-a-coal-town.html

When combined with forms of green energy, I agree with you, as I simply don't believe the latter by itself would be able to keep up with demand.

 

[Nakosis]

When combined with forms of green energy, I agree with you, as I simply don't believe the latter by itself would be able to keep up with demand.

The issue, imo is that the infrastructure for fossil fuels has already been paid for.
Not that the development of green energy cost more, just that the cost is the cost of the non-existent infrastructure.

Also the government has a tradition of supporting oil. I imagine it is difficult to ween the politicians off of oil.

 

[Truthseeker]

I don't call it sleepwalking...people know very well what is going on. But they are not willing to give up their luxury life. Billionaires still try to accumulate more billions out of even covid pandemic, let alone making billions out of non calamities.

Some are awake, but some are sleeping. There is a lot misinformation out there, mostly paid for by billionaires, specifically oil billionaires. Yes, I have noted, too, that the wealth of the wealthy has increased during the pandemic.

So, there is 1 man who sets a good example, that's Elon Musk, who sold all his mansions and lives in a cheap house now.

Hadn't heard that, but he owns Tesla, which makes electric cars.

But the problem will solve itself anyway. First people die when they pollute Mother Earth too much, and then earth will be able to recover. Probably the best solution anyway

I don't think we want all that suffering, do we? However, I thinks the odds are really slim that that can be avoided.

 

[stvdv]

Of course it sounds best to you, you won't have to live through the worst parts of it

Of course you misinterpreted my words

 

[Truthseeker]

Nuclear power maybe the only viable answer.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/17/bil...its-first-nuclear-reactor-in-a-coal-town.html

Add Bill Gates to Elon Musk as someone who as a billionaire is concerned about more than himself. However, solar and wind power is getting rapidly cheaper over time, and is the better long term solution, though Nuclear power can be a supplement.

 

[stvdv]

I don't think we want all that suffering, do we? However, I thinks the odds are really slim that that can be avoided.

Exactly, I would be very much surprised if it can be avoided

 

[Truthseeker]

Our entire global economic system is geared towards the ruthless exploitation of natural resources while all the suffering, harm and environmental damage it causes is shunted off as "externalities", with the people who caused all of this left blameless - or, at the height of their chuzpe, even blaming consumers across the world for these outcomes which they have minimal control over.

You're right, but people don't have to have the consumer lifestyle they have. They can live more simply, and not buy into getting the latest gadgets.

Given that the majority of decisionmakers is tied up in the interests of those who are reaping the benefits of this system, it shouldn't come as a surprise when only the bare minimum is being done, especially when the wealthiest still see it as likely that they will be able to mitigate or ignore the inevitable outcome of anthropogenic climate change.

I agree.

 

[Harel13]

Yea and the world will end in 12 years.

Roughly 9, actually.
Alexadria Ocasio-Cortez Doomsday Countdown

 

[Nakosis]

I don't call it sleepwalking...people know very well what is going on. But they are not willing to give up their luxury life. Billionaires still try to accumulate more billions out of even covid pandemic, let alone making billions out of non calamities.

As long as the billionaires don't set the right example the masses will never follow

So, there is 1 man who sets a good example, that's Elon Musk, who sold all his mansions and lives in a cheap house now.

But the problem will solve itself anyway. First people die when they pollute Mother Earth too much, and then earth will be able to recover. Probably the best solution anyway

According to the Wall Street Journal's latest report, the billionaire is not really living in a cheap, rented house. Instead, it is currently believed that he is actually staying at a luxurious mansion owned by Ken Howery, one of the co-founders of PayPal.
Elon Musk Quietly Living in His Friend's Luxurious Austin Mansion?

Not that I'm one to begrudge Musk his money but he is really just converting one type of capital into another. At any point in time it can easily be converted back. More of a sound bite to distract the proletariat.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I don't call it sleepwalking...people know very well what is going on. But they are not willing to give up their luxury life. Billionaires still try to accumulate more billions out of even covid pandemic, let alone making billions out of non calamities.

As long as the billionaires don't set the right example the masses will never follow

So, there is 1 man who sets a good example, that's Elon Musk, who sold all his mansions and lives in a cheap house now.

But the problem will solve itself anyway. First people die when they pollute Mother Earth too much, and then earth will be able to recover. Probably the best solution anyway

That's the whole point. You lead by example.

if our leaders do not lead by example themselves, then I will take the matter as being something that's really not all that urgent or pressing whatsoever because they themselves are not practicing what they preach.