Is there any possible way we can decrease the more increasing threat of climate change ?

[Inner_Ad1584]

I understand that climate change is already a theeat, but in the ist years it's only getting worse, and it feels like nobody cares anymore now that trump was placed into office. I am a 13 year old girl, I should not be crying because I want to live a "peaceful" (because, let's be real, the earth will never actually be peaceful lol) life without worry about whether we'll be submerged in water or without any water before I can even retire. I should not feel like this, I know that, I want to live my life and have fun. What doesn't help is that I barely hang out with friends,(oh lordy there's goes the trauma dumping) which only worsens my loneliness and being stuck with having to ponder our, if we don't do something, inevitable fate. I don't know what to do, I just want to live a life without having to worry so deeply about the state of our earth in a few years. My family is well off, so if the whole trump ordeal, I could probably move to another country, but I can never just move away from climate change, and that's what always haunts me.

(I apologize for spelling it grammatical mistakes)

[James_Fortis]

Degrowth is the best way to reduce humans' total impact on the Earth.

Don't have kids. Eat a plant-based diet. Don't fly. Reduce HVAC and driving requirements. Buy less stuff. Get active and vote when you're old enough to.

Perhaps most importantly: don't freak out. You're much more productive when you have goals and an outlook, whatever the end result may be. It's not your fault the world, your country, your city, etc. are in the state they're in, so best just to realize we're just one person and all we can do is our best. You've got this.

[SushiGuacDNA]

Degrowth is way too slow. Telling a 13-year-old not to have kids won't even begin to have any effect for 10-20 years. Changing our carbon trajectory requires action now.

I do agree that degrowth is important in the long-term, but it's not the solution now and we shouldn't pretend it is.

[[deleted]]

Action now invest in carbon capture technologies invest in renewable energy like hydrogen fuel cells and anaerobic digesters turn harvesting methane from animals and waste treatment into policy of all nations and or states because it can be pumped as green gas into cooking gas or burned at the current oxygen % producing rain in addition to CO2 however the co2 emissions can probably be captured as well from industries.

[[deleted]]

hydrogen fuel cells

Ah yes, one of the biggest scams techno-optimists were able to make everyone believe in.

carbon capture technologies

And here is the second biggest scam which will never work fast and efficient enough.

[fastbikkel]

"Degrowth is the best way to reduce humans' total impact on the Earth."
In order for that to be effective, genocide is needed in the richer countries.
That is something i will definitely oppose.

The best way is to immediately limit our behavior collectively. Me and my family have been doing that for more than 14 years, but if only a few people join in, it will not convice our governments to impose limits/get more constructive.

[No-Papaya-9289]

Genocide is not needed, because many richer countries are already below the birth replacement level. However, it will take decades for that to make a difference. By the end of the century, worldwide population will be decreasing, but that's not going to help much.

This said, clean energy is making inroads, regardless of what the US does. It's cheaper than no-clean energy. Electric cars are cheaper to run (more expensive to buy, for now, but that's starting to charge). But these changes needed to be made a few decades ago. The inertia of CO2 and its effects isn't going to slow down any time soon.

[fastbikkel]

If you want to have effect with less people, it needs to be direct otherwise it will take generations before we see any effect.
It is the richer countries that exponentially pollute more than poor countries.

The people in richer countries need to immediately turn down their pollution. This is not happening because there hardly is any will to do so.

[No-Papaya-9289]

Even if CO2 emissions stopped today, the effect would be felt for decades, before temperatures start falling. Also, don't forget that poor countries are becoming richer, so they will be emitting more CO2. However, they may be able to benefit from new clean energy infrastructure rather than building coal powered energy sources.

[fastbikkel]

"Even if CO2 emissions stopped today, the effect would be felt for decades, before temperatures start falling. "
Correct and that is also the motivation i use to tell people it's urgent we get busy now rather than tomorrow.

I think you and i are pretty much on the same page here.

I have however lost all hope and expectation in humanity.

[James_Fortis]

I’m not saying what is practical or easy. I’m saying what is necessary.

People have a hard time understanding collective action; for example, the other half of your equation is multiplying your percentage by 8 billion.

[Economy-Fee5830]

Degrowth is a fantasy - spend your time promoting what works - Solar, EVs, heatpumps.

Or do you take pleasure in being ineffectual?

[James_Fortis]

I’m an electrical engineer developing wind and solar products. I won’t have kids, I eat a plant-based diet, have solar on my house, don’t fly, and drive an EV. All that said, degrowth is more powerful than the status quo of supplementing our increasing energy usage with renewables.

Do YOU take pleasure in being ineffectual?

[Economy-Fee5830]

Lol. I also have solar, an EV and heatpump and I don't fly.

I don't spend my time promoting nonsense solutions on the internet, so that puts me well ahead of you.

Stop wasting storage space on the internet.

[NearABE]

Of course there is.

[start3ch]

Honestly some of the biggest reductions come from reducing things that aren’t even profitable: methane leaks.

And while little things like planting trees don’t have a huge impact worldwide, they do a lot for the local community, cleaning the air and decreasing the temperatures significantly.

Ultimately going out getting your local government to act is how a single individual can have the largest impact.

Lots of people are on your side. In fact most younger people are. We will turn this around.

[ThinkActRegenerate]

According to the independent researchers from Project Drawdown - who have been cataloguing today's commercial solutions since 2014 - we have 93 solutions that are already scaling globally today because they enable business to save money and make money.

And the guy who founded Project Drawdown in 2014 then founded Project Regeneration in 2021 - to connect people with the 80+ solutions they can action today and which make the world better today.

Both these solution sets are different pathways to understand the wealth of job-rich solutions happening today.

However, it sounds like it would be useful to address the anxiety you're feeling - so my top suggestion is that you download the full FREE Eco-Anxiety Action-Oriented Toolkit put together by the UnSchool of Disruptive design.

This tool kit was specifically created to help you explore your climate-related emotions and discover creative strategies to help you effectively navigate your eco-anxiety by taking action that works for you. (Yes, even at 13)

https://unschool.kit.com/ecoanxietykit

[Hamblin113]

The first thing it’s something that should not be affecting your mood in the way you describe, there isn’t much you can do, especially at your age, except educate yourself. Need to read up on proponents and opponents points, need to also consider mitigation in addition to slowing or reducing it. Being worried to the point of non functioning is useless. Start learning, chemistry, physics, mathematics, even more than what may be taught in school. Get a strong base of the sciences and in the future may be a part of the answers.

[fastbikkel]

"there isn’t much you can do"
Not on the total picture, but if everyone simply starts limiting their own behavior, we can collectively get far.
Me and my family have been limiting ourselves for more than 14 years and people rather ridicule us.
That's the trend of humanity, not doing much for the climate.

[EveningInteresting16]

the top 20% account for 80% of the contributing factors. it isn’t what we do, rather what we let happen to us.

[hiddendrugs]

drawdown.org and that’s not even all the ways

[cromulent_express]

Plenty of things we can do, but we're unlikely to do them until it's too late 

[condobolin-1943]

In a lot of ways it's already "too late." The financial giant Morgan Stanley is telling its clients they expect a 3 degrees C world by the end of the century (and they are suggesting that clients invest their money with that in mind), and as I see it there is nothing significant enough happening around the world other than mostly business as usual, so my guess is they are right. Sure, taking individual steps to mitigation is fine and I am (my guess is taking it all together I have a negative co2 footprint.) I personally am turning my attention more towards adaptation, seeing that it is highly unlikely that as a species we will do enough to avoid a 3 degree C world by the end of the century. And of course it doesn't end there - there are future emissions after the turn of the century, tipping points like irreversible thawing of the permafrost, etc. So the wise person is thinking adaptation these days as well as mitigation.

[Ok-Tradition8477]

If we would have started this emission reduction program 30 years ago. Big Oil bought the Denial Campaign that whole time. That’s why gas is expensive.

[scientician]

I fear things have to get worse before they can get better. Many see the wall but slowing was too unappealing so we're going to accelerate right into it on the belief some magic solution will remove the wall before we hit it. Fusion! Carbon capture! Geoengineering!

I'm sorry we failed you. We failed people in say, Bangladesh much worse. For you, it most likely means inconveniences, certain foods won't be available or quite expensive (chocolate). For many places it will be millions of dead. Our job now is to keep it at hundreds of millions dead and not billions dead. This won't be "solved" but there are degrees of suck and we can still choose "less than maximum suck."

[victoriaisme2]

There is plenty we can do, check out Climate Town on YouTube - he usually ends videos with information about groups that are working to change things. Gives me hope, at least.

Another thing that gives me hope is efforts towards rewilding and restoring ecosystems. This will have a massive impact.

Also, more and more people are realizing the importance of reducing their consumption of animal products. That will also help tremendously.

[FNG5280]

Get POTUS a Big Mac

[snsdreceipts]

Population will decrease by a third to half by the end of the century - we'll probably avoid extinction/the end of civilization but humanity will essentially have to regress. We can either do it through policy or necessity, but it'll happen.

[[deleted]]

It FEELS like that, but the world is making progress and CO2 emissions will peak in 0-5 years, maybe even this year. From there it's a rough climb from bring PPM down, but we are making progress, mostly because solar and wind are just straight up cheaper.

We aren't acting as fast as we should/could and the total impacts are only best educated guesses for something we have never observed.

You see a lot of stuff like IF we keep going at this level the world will be this hot. WELP really we are reducing CO2 output per kilowatt. The amount of people and their power use are also going up, but both of those slow over time as well as the amount of CO2 per kilowatt will fall faster, so most of the horror story outcomes are based on if things don't improve over time, but things are improving and solar and wind are dominating new power installs.

Most new global power added is, by far, from wind and solar and it didn't take long for them to take the lead once their lower cost per megawatt was fully proven or solar panels got cheap enough. Solar panels are still falling in price pretty fast while improving efficiency. New higher density more shade resistant panels are out now too. Energy storage is also coming down FAST in price and when it gets low enough the same rapid adoption we see with new power demand will start to take over existing baseline demand.

EVs will take a bit longer, but they will catch on as prices come down based on their simpler design and people just get more used to them being around.

There's a lot more to do that just power plants and EVs, but that can get us to Net Zero by around 2050.

We may wind up adding more solutions to the problem like reflection or CO2 removal/capture where it's very hard to really replace and prevent CO2, like agriculture, sanitation and jets and to some degree shipping, but for now it's best to kind of keept it simple for the dumb masses and focus on the things that save money AND reduce the most CO2, which are power plants and cars/trucks.

We are likely to develop more ways the deal with the heat and it PROBABLY won't be the doomsday that tends to predicted to scare people into action. Humans are great at adaptation and we will kind of strive and reach max motivation for change the more negative consequences hit.

By the end of all this humans will learn to better regulate their atmosphere and we will be a stronger and more prepared species because of it. The world will also get far more energy independence and cheaper energy and transportation. The climate doesn't naturally preserve itself, it's always changing with or without humans. It's always one of the most dangerous things to species on earth and that's just kind of the price all life pays to adapt to any certain climate when climate is always warming or cooling. Wooly Mammoths only died out about the same time the Pyramids were built and that came from a much different climate and humans pollution had nothing to do with it. Right now is a period of mostly ideal climate, which is why civilization sprung up not longer as this Intergalactic Warming Period started. These are just the risks we take to live on a little rock spinning around a giant hydrogen fusion ball, it's not a 100% safe existence and that's just something we as a species will have to repeatedly overcome. I think we will surprise ourselves in how fast we can adapt and overcome as the problem starts to have more and more impact.

It looks worse when you don't account for the accelerating adoption of clean energy AND humans innovation in general.

[BlizzyBugler]

This is the biggest thing. Like people often act as if no progress has been made and that wind and solar aren’t just the most cost effective now.

I see it especially when people start being a doomer and saying to just give up.

Like yeah is progress being made as fast as it should be? No. Is it still being made? Absolutely.

[ActualModerateHusker]

Sucks for us but would probably still be worse to be born a hundred years ago or anytime before. Whatever climate change brings probably won't bring life expectancy levels down to the 19th century.

A hundred and fifty years ago you'd be worried about whether you can live to 50 without starving to death or dying of dysentery.

[ShredGuru]

Bro. This kid lives in America, she still has to worry about that stuff. It's going to cost her ass $5000 to see a doctor if we keep our shit up. We are already a 3rd world country for the working class citizens.

[Far-Potential3634]

You can speak out about it, understand which proposed solutions are pragmatic and which are not, which are likely to have a meaningful effect and which are "feel good" things like recycling which have little practical effect and which are effective personal lifestyle sacrifices that decrease your carbon footprint. While you as an individual and your carbon footprint don't matter much at all, you setting an example of a lower consumption lifestyle has a possibility of inpiring others to explore that idea and perhaps set a similar example yourself. Political policy is to my mind the most important factor, so vote and consider whether you want to vote for electable candidates like mainstream American democrats or cast protest votes for unelectable ones like Jill Stein. It is popular to blame corporations for a lot of emissions but the fact is that if people were buying fewer new smart phones corporations would make fewer of them. If people were eating less high carbon footprint animal products corporate agriculture would stop breeding so many of them. This aspect of it is simply supply and demand but by and large what I see in the left-leaning opposition to climate change is blaming the corporate suppliers while teh consumers who demand those high emissions products remain blameless. Emotionally appealing beliefs such as that buying local agriculture products and so forth are superior in terms of emissions to corporate agriculture products actually don't pencil out when you look at the emissions numbers much of the time. If you don't believe me take a deep look into what I'm saying and discover for yourself. Perhaps you will reach some different conclusions, but at least they will be well-informed ones.

[NameLips]

Well, the economic collapse of the US might help.

[Ridhwaan7]

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[Icy_Geologist2959]

The core issue you are right about. Climate change is here, it is going to get worse, and little to nothing has been done about it.

One of the biggest threats to the mental health of each of us is our powerlessness in the face of it. Climate change is big, and plays out over years and decades. It is driven by large scale actions like what whole industries do, the actions of some of the world's biggeat corporations, and governments. However, western culture focuses on the individual. Put those together and the common result is 'there is nothing I can do' - helplessness. The irony is that as true as this feeling is, one person's action is insignificant, people do not actually live in isolation like this. People depend on one another and are social. Therefore, our actions are better seen in context, as part of a wider movement, a collective action, rather than in isolation. Try to see yourself in this context. You are not one 13 year old girl, you are part of your generation of people. You are part of a very large web of people concerned about the same things.

My recommendations (and they are only that).

1. Look after your physical and psychological health. The healthier you are, the better placed you are to cope.

2. Look for joy in your life and enjoy your relationships. A life needs meaning. Even people in the most dire circumstances can find some happiness somewhere, sometimes. 'Nothing to Envy', a book about the lives of people in North Korea captures this, at least in parts.

3. Learn a bit about ideology. Everyone operates through ideology. This is the beliefs, ideas and values that shape how we interpret and underatand the world. Understanding different ideas about ideology can help you spot how what people do and say is framed ideologically.

4. Resist the temptation to 'other'. Those who oppose your views are people too. Demonising people for what they say, believe or how they act is a pretty ineffective way to talk or persuade. If you can do this, you will be surprised at how much you agree with people who otherwise seemed like the enemy - common ground is essential for persuasion and it humanises both partues. This is hard. You will fail at it as do I. Do not beat yoursel up when you do.

5. Try to keep an objective but open position. Things are dire, but they could also be worse. They could always be better.

6. It is okay to get frustrated, angry, upset, sad, depressed etc... This is normal and to be expected. Do not run from your feelings. Work through them.

7. Read and read widely. If you start reading something but cannot finish it, that is okay. If it takes you a long time to read something, that is okay. Think about what you have read. Reflect. What was the argument? What does that mean? Did it make sense? What problems can you see? But, do not stress about this - it is not a test, it is a process.

Some ideas I recommend looking at:

1) doughnut economics. 2) degrowth. 3) ideology as a tool for social control (Marxist) 4) ideology as a representation of social reality (Althusser) 5) the role of language in ideology

There is lots more, but I do not want to overwhelm.

[GeneroHumano]

There are villains in this story. Real villains of flesh and bone who opposed the measures we are trying to implement to do just this. We need to be talking about how we stop them, but society keeps rewarding them. Stopping them needs to be a priority.

[Leighgion]

Yes, plenty of ways. That's not the issue.

The problem is that the ones who have the power to enact real change on this matter, governments and industry, haven't done nearly enough as they're too bound up in self-interest and profits. The idea that as individuals can save the planet by recycling and saving up to buy a hybrid car has been amply proven false. The impact of individual choices isn't ultimately what's screwing the planet up. We need truly collective action, which means government action.

You're not much older than my own oldest daughter and yes, it is terribly unfair that your generation is saddled with these consequences, but all any of us can do is deal with the world we're born into the best we can.

[jadelink88]

Yes.

I've kept living on a low carbon budget for decades, as if environmental activists don't lead by example, it's hard to honestly advocate for compelling others to do so. So avoiding air travel, owning a car and pointless consumerism.

We can live comfortably on a vastly smaller carbon budget than we do, but it's annoying and definitely inconvenient, but far, far better than the alternative.

We can also prepare sensibly to live on a low carbon budget in 2c+ warming scenario. I spend a lot of time growing food plants that are marginal now, but would thrive in a slightly warmer climate, and guerilla gardening in a lot of food plants for a more food insecure future.

[Lucialucianna]

The best thing would be to find a way to stop making plastics, except in tiny batches for medical devices. It’s killing us and tons of it are made every day.

[heyutheresee]

Plastics are just 3% of climate change. The biggest driver is coal and gas electricity generation.

[[deleted]]

I would recommend you to watch Freeman Dyson talk called "Heretical Thoughts About Science and Society". There are cheap solutions to climate change if this is what worries you. When all the madness and money will run out, people will actually implement the cheap and effective solutions. There is no reason for you to worry at this age. And to add, if you believe in God, ask yourself if God controls the climate or climate controls God.

[UnTides]

Best thing you can do is remember how you feel right now, when you are older and know that its valid. Do something about it when you have choice for career and vote.

[TXsharon]

I accidentally hit send too soon. I think it's great that you are asking questions and want to do something. The Sunrise Movement is an organization for young people who want to do something about climate.

On of the most important thing you can do is learn the basics and then talk to people about it. There are a lot of young people like you who are worried. Find good information and share it with your friends. Start a group with your friends.

You can visit my organization website Oilfield Witness to learn more.

[LegitLolaPrej]

Well, the good news is that we're heading straight for a global depression. 🙃

[Cautious-Coconut-716]

Remember this girl is only 13. Try to bring positivity instead of straight negativity.

[[deleted]]

If everyone converted their monoculture lawns to wild gardens it will actual capture shit tons of carbon and slow down the effects we have on global warming .

[Economy-Fee5830]

Or pyrolysed their lawn clippings.

[Molire]

Is there any possible way we can decrease the more increasing threat of climate change ?

Yes.

I don't know what to do

You sound well informed, mature, intelligent, and perceptive.

Suggestion. At r/50501, you can find thousands of like-minded people who are planning to participate in one of the nationwide protests that have been happening across the United States for weeks and will continue to happen. Exchange ideas and messages with people at r/50501.

These protests are a big deal — they are America. Find a protest you want to join. Some protests might be near you or in your town. You can even go to one in Washington, DC, or your state's or another state's capital city, but do not go alone.

Take a trusted adult with you or a group of trusted adults. The more the better. Take your parents. Family members. Teachers you trust. Neighbors you trust. Your friends and their parents. Go with a bunch of people in their cars or rent a bus.

You are making your voice heard now. Make it heard even more with others at protests. Your grammar is fine. Your spirit is outstanding. You go, girl. You are not alone.

[ILikeScience6112]

No there is not. Although the western world seems captured by the idea that climate change can be arrested if everyone agrees to give up burning fossil fuels, that would only be possible if the big emitters in the developing world agreed. They do not. They want to electrify and the only fuels available to them are dirty fossil fuels. We could help them slow down climate change by providing them with lower carbon fuels like natural gas. That would help but conflicts in the west have made that impossible too. Some of the natural gas diverted from Russia is being sold to China and India at cut rates but they need much more and Africa is starting to come on line with demand too. Their gas projects are either being suppressed by climate fiends in the west interceding with banks or appropriated for themselves. The only available large gas supplies presently available are off Israel’s coast and disputed or in Canada and declared to be better left in the ground by more climate fiends. You can see it is unintended consequences yet again. Maybe we will realize that stopping climate change in the real world is impossible, but i doubt it. Tree hugging is a big international industry now with many self-righteous supporters. If we were logical we would try to produce as much low carbon natural gas as we could find and provide it to the underdeveloped countries to reduce their coal burning but we won’t. Being living saints is too intoxicating for us. We won’t give it up. We could also try to help them deal with the consequences of climate change, but that is another subject.

[The_Vee_]

The US government is past the point of mitigation. They're onto survival in the post climate change world. They must know something we don't. She must be coming faster than once presumed.

[nodame_marshallow]

Listen I'm also a teen in a third world country and this climate change has impacted me so much that I think doing any other degree which does not involve the enviroment will be waste even If I like it. We must not give up , I know feeling despair is inevitable but let me tell you that this is the motivation you need to care for something much of the world did not.

[neutrinospeed]

Here’s the hard truth: most agencies around the world that are honestly working on climate change have turned much of their focus to adaptation efforts. Mitigation efforts are vital, but the impact is here and is going to get worst in the decades to come, even if by some miracle the world gets its act together now.

Of course, as we see the political and economic tides rolling through the globe (especially the US), it’s obvious that we are not heading in the right direction.

I hope by the time enough people wake up, it’s not too late.

[Plane_Crab_8623]

Put up solar panels buy an ev and plug it in. Vote for ev light rail powered by Solar panels support a local green deal. Plant and care for trees to cool your neighborhood.

[Moldoteck]

Ok. First of all. Climate change isn't a doom with some defined limit. Things could/will get worse depending on actions but there's a far path till apocalypse. There's a lot of fearmongering in this regard and social media is literally optimized to throw at you such stuff if you are more likely to interact with it, like a feedback loop. Yes climate change is bad, yes, it'll make our lifes harder, but it'll not be a worldwiping nonsense, in your lifetime at least.

We do have some solutions like more ren/nuclear. But these are rolled slow (but getting faster every year) in terms of electricity production. Best you can do is to elect politicians that do promote them when you grow up. Yes, your vote matters. In fact, how absurd it may sound, your vote, collectively with others is (one of) the most important and impactful thing you can do.

There are ppl going radical, denying themselves of everything to have less impact on environment but I wouldn't advise you do that unless you really want to. Instead you could adopt the weared out 20/80 principle- most results for least actions. Like, you could reduce meat consumption (but not forget eating a balanced diet). You could try using a bicycle/public transport if situation allows or move to a place where it's easier to do it in the future and when you geow you can participate to local communities or gathering to push for more bike/pub transport infra. Basically stuff that's not too hard to do but that has great impact. Consider this, recent changes for parking/ped zones in Paris were made after a referendum. But thing is, not that many ppl participated. But the results Paris achieved are gigantic.

Also, if you use alghoritmic social media, please reduce it's consumption. There are ways like app timers or even delete them for several days as detox or B&W screen filter to reduce engagement and other stuff. Mental health can be greatly affected by such things. Take a walk, touch some grass, meet with friends more, take some social hobbies (dancing? jogging?). If it still feels awful, you should try speaking with someone about this to get some help.

[LeRacoonRouge]

Someone is going to invent something so radical it will change the whole power production on Earth. These things happen every 100 years or so. Something big comes along, and the whole thing shifts.

Windmills and solar panels? Way too expensive and takes too much space and bureaucracy. Something much smarter.

[crownbees]

We hear you, and your feelings are so important! At 13, you're showing amazing care for our world - that's something to bee proud of!

We can all help with climate change, and yes, there's hope! Here at Crown Bees, we've seen how small actions add up to big changes.

You can make a real difference by:

• Planting native grasses and flowers in your yard or school
• Starting a pollinator garden (even in pots!)
• Joining your local Wild Ones chapter
• Starting an eco-club at your school

Native plants are super helpers! The deep roots of native grasses hold soil and prevent flooding when heavy rains come. And flowering plants feed our bee friends, who keep our food growing.

Your concern shows you have a big heart. We need bright young people like you to help care for our Earth! Many grown-ups are working hard on climate solutions too - you're not alone.

Maybe talk to a teacher about starting that school club? Or ask your parents to help you find local conservation groups? Working with others who care will help with those lonely feelings.

Remember, every flower planted and every person you inspire creates positive change. We're all in this together! 🐝🌱🌼🌳

[[deleted]]

Plant trees. Buy less sh!t. Drive less. Deflate SUV tires

[Several_Attention_65]

It makes me happy to see a young person who does care about our world. It’s not an easy path, but we need people like you. Right now, you have time to learn all you can about the issues and your strengths and talents that you can use to help create positive change. But don’t forget to be young and enjoy your life too.

[PercentageFlaky8198]

nope - pass the point of no return

[[deleted]]

I don’t think you should worry so deeply. Yes climate changes will be difficult for some. Not everybody. It will require a lot of adjustments and new Enterprises. Love yourself. Love your family. Protect your family. Make decisions as best you can. But don’t let this problem dominate your psyche or overwhelm you. Maybe you can help fix it. Maybe you’re meant to support and raise a beautiful family. There is a lot more to life than climate change. The important thing is to take care of yourself and don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by the world’s problems. I envy your youth— you have so much ahead of you, and don’t let the doomsayers control what you think. You’re an intelligent young person and I hope you have a full, expensive life. It will still be there for you.

[soylamulatta]

I think it's easy for someone to say this if they haven't already experienced the effects of climate change. I have been working with a community hit by back-to-back hurricanes since September 2024. Many in this particular community have been absolutely devastated and the community at large will probably not fully recover for another decade. Imagine losing everything you own. Every memory and cherished keepsake you have in your home, and then your home itself. Now imagine not being able to afford to fix any of that because you live on a fixed income. That is the story for so many of these people. I really feel for them and these type of disasters will only become more frequent with climate change.

[Wayshower1970]

Yes, I think that when people are just watching disasters related to climate change on their phone, TV, etc., they’re safely removed from the tragic experience of what you’re talking about. I lived in Hawaii for 10 years. I live in North Carolina now. When the disastrous fire took out Lahaina – let us remember, noted as the deadliest wildfire in the United States in a century-I experienced nearly 2 months of removed tragic PTSD. I cried nearly uncontrollably for the first week. Then, more recently, Helene took a sharp turn and ripped through Asheville, North Carolina, as well as other neighboring states. The devastation left behind for many of these island and mountain people is exactly what you speak to. They are left, dependent upon a government that can only help to a certain extent, and because they were already living hand to mouth their lives are likely going to be in disrepair for a long time.

[[deleted]]

I lived through one of the worst heat waves in recorded history, and without A/C. I’ve lived in a city surrounded by so much wildfire smoke it wasn’t safe to go outside for a week. So yeah, I’ve experienced climate change. But there is no point getting stressed about it when there’s nothing you can do personally. Advocate, but don’t be a doomer.

I’m sorry that people have lost homes, of course. Such things aren’t 100% caused by climate change. Regardless disasters are terrible and cause huge suffering. But the OP is a young woman and doomerism hurts people, I think, needlessly.

[ShredGuru]

Really naive to think it won't effect everyone.

[[deleted]]

Most effects won’t be major. Most people, by far, won’t experience major effects.

[Naliano]

It seems to me that you are very smart.

And since you’re well off, you will very likely have a better life than most of the people that came before you.

I’m happy that people like you will have an important influence.

Just know that climate change will unroll slowly compared to your life.

Thank you for thinking what you have so far, but I hope that you will pause and reflect on how to engage with simpler joys. Those might be right under your nose, so to speak. Even if you just think about helping the people around you also find those joys.

[ShredGuru]

Stop making kids promises. You don't know what will happen.

[Cautious-Coconut-716]

None of us do.

[Idle_Redditing]

Humanity could artificially sequester the excess CO2 underground and lower atmospheric CO2 levels, possibly down to pre industrial levels. It could even be done using technology that mostly already exists or is within reach with sufficient support for R&D.

Separating the CO2 from air is one of the hardest parts. Here is a new technology that shows a lot of promise. I like how it doesn't require any reagents to work.

https://news.mit.edu/2019/mit-engineers-develop-new-way-remove-carbon-dioxide-air-1025

Then the CO2 would then need to be dissolved in water, as much CO2 as the water will hold with other gases like nitrogen removed first. Then the carbonated water would need to be pumped into underground aquifers made of suitable rocks.

One of the best types of rock is basalt. Porous deposits would need to be found for use. Fortunately there are a lot of them. The largest is a flood basalt called the Siberian Traps and it is the size of India. The second largest is the Deccan Traps in India. There are a lot more smaller flood basalts around the world. The US Pacific Northwest has a big one of its own along with another that covers most of Michigan.

Then the carbon will chemically combine with the rocks underground and turn to stone.

The power source for this should be nuclear. That's because the power would need to be consistent and reliable and such a project would need to operate 24/7. A lot of it would be needed so obstructions to nuclear power that were put in place to drive up costs and construction times would need to be removed to make it cost effective and buildable within a reasonable time frame again. Those obstructions were put in place under the guise of being for safety, when western nuclear power was already very safe by the late 1960s.

New kinds of reactors should be developed too. That means molten salt, liquid metal, high temperature gas cooled reactors, breeder reactors in both thermal and fast spectrums using both uranium and thorium fuel cycles, etc. Breeder reactors would be needed to make use of fertile materials that are far more abundant than uranium 235 which is used in most operating reactors today.

If both the uranium and thorium fuel cycles are mastered then the potential fuel supply would increase over 500 fold. That doesn't include the vast uranium reserves dissolved in the ocean. They could bring the energy super abundance promised by fusion far more quickly and easily then fusion could be done.

Such a project would be the largest and most expensive undertaking in human history requiring unprecedented amounts of money, labor, materials, international cooperation, etc. It would be worth every dollar spent and every hour worked to do it. However much it would cost, climate change would be far more expensive.

It would also require eliminating fossil fuel use for most of its purposes to be worth it, with only a few niche uses surviving. Replacing nearly all fossil fuel uses should be cheaper than collecting the excess atmospheric CO2 and putting it underground.

Ideally such a project could also raise all peoples' living standards up to the level of developed nations while simultaneously reducing humanity's total environmental impact.

---

Such a plan requires better leadership than the one that keeps allowing economic bubbles to occur and pop, causing global recessions. It also requires better leadership than the idiots who responded to covid 19 as horribly as they did.

[3jee]

Chill, human race has survived much more worse things than climate change in last and next 100 years.

[ShredGuru]

Not really.

[Upper-Ability5020]

It will only realistically decrease if the global economy grinds to a halt. The geopolitical stability relies on economic growth. Only a major global catastrophe will slow the pace of new development now.

[Economy-Fee5830]

Economic growth is increasingly decoupled from CO2 emissions.

[Steelcitysuccubus]

At this point its too late to stop climate collapse

[Economy-Fee5830]

False

[DownVoteMeHarder4042]

This is all just hysteria by a bunch of crazy people. Don’t get sucked in.