this is usually an interesting discussion to have, and there are a lot of interesting questions to ask in this field–so let’s ask and talk about a few. feel free to answer as many as you want, or ask your own of people in the comments. here are two groups of three that i think are good to start:

  • Do you suffer from anxiety about climate change and its effects?
  • Have you ever made significant individual lifestyle choices because of climate change?
  • Have you ever thought of leaving where you live because of potential future climactic effects? Have you actually moved already because of them?
  • Do you think the world can limit global warming to 1.5C or 2C? Where do you think we’ll “level off” in terms of warming–especially if you don’t think we’ll meet either of those goals?
  • What do you think of proposed technologies like carbon capture? Do you think they’re useful, or a technocratic waste of time? Can they be viably used at large scale on any reasonable timeframe?
  • Do you support something like climate reparations either now or in the future? Do you think such a thing is even viable?
  • gyrfalcon@beehaw.orgEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    Do you suffer from anxiety about climate change and its effects?

    Suffer from is a strong way of phrasing it, but yeah it’s one of the things that makes me a little nervous about the future along with US politics 🙃

    Have you ever made significant individual lifestyle choices because of climate change?

    Yes. I drive a Prius when I have to, I work from home, I’m moving from a rented duplex back into an apartment complex for energy efficiency and walkability in no small part, and I try not to eat too much meat.

    Have you ever thought of leaving where you live because of potential future climactic effects? Have you actually moved already because of them?

    I mean I don’t love where I live currently, it’s too hot already and doesn’t have a lot of the cultural stuff that I like, plus the state politics are the kind that make me nervous. Planning to move in a few years when I am able to somewhere more amenable in all of those ways.

    Do you think the world can limit global warming to 1.5C or 2C? Where do you think we’ll “level off” in terms of warming–especially if you don’t think we’ll meet either of those goals?

    Can, absolutely. Will? Maybe. Technology is getting crazy and it’s only set to get crazier, and largely the cost battle has been won in favor of renewables already. Failing that, I think the hearts and minds of young people are already broadly on the right track, it’s just going to take longer for them to make a difference.

    What do you think of proposed technologies like carbon capture? Do you think they’re useful, or a technocratic waste of time? Can they be viably used at large scale on any reasonable timeframe?

    On one hand, I think we’re at the point where we’ve got to consider everything. If things turn out to be worse than we expect, and they look like they’ll be pretty bad, then we have got to have some tools like that to try and salvage things. On the other hand, carbon capture especially I think is used to justify more fossil fuel use now, with the thought that the carbon can just be captured later, which I don’t love.

    Do you support something like climate reparations either now or in the future? Do you think such a thing is even viable?

    I don’t know really. I think wealthy countries should absolutely help poorer countries leapfrog fossil fuels and get directly to clean energy, but I’m not sure that’s the same thing.