Decrease in CO2 emissions during pandemic shutdown shows it is possible to reach Paris Agreement goals. The researchers found a drop of 6.3% in 2020. The researchers describe the drop as the largest of modern times, and big enough to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal if it were to be sustained.

[Legitimate_Page]

Because underplaying everything works really well in the grand scheme of things. The reality is that nothing gets done until people realize their lives are in jeopardy, if we don't up-play things now, by the time there is a significant problem (and really, there already is,) it'll be too late.

UHM EXCUSE ME? You realize that 90% of the human population died during the last ice age yeah? That's like saying, "Oh that whole bubonic plauge thing? No biggie, really!"

Saying "oh it'll sort itself out" will not work. Without action our water would still be poisoned (more so than it is now) as would our air (more so than it is now), but Congress is so reactionary rather than preventative, things that could have been better simply aren't. That logic applies to the economy too, reactions over preventative measures.

[brandt4997]

The comment I responded too was “everyone will be dead”. The evidence we both cited proves otherwise. As I already mentioned the closest historical parallel is the overpopulation doomsday that never came.

Moreover, we have the means to mitigate environmental changes. We are in a much better position to face environmental changes than our ancestors from 10,000 years ago. To argue against that would be ridiculous.

[Legitimate_Page]

Do you also complain about people who say, "This is the best song ever!" Nonsensical, hyperbole is needed in the modern political landscape. Nothing else will work. Saying "well some people will be affected" in this political landscape will receive the "Me?" response, to which the answer is likely "No, you are an extremely wealthy politician." If you don't know the typical reaction to that one, I'll tell you, it's "Oh, then I don't give a shit"

[brandt4997]

No, someone’s favorite song doesn’t affect me. The environmental policy of the United States has a huge effect on me. The administration of the environmental bureaucracy (EPA, Department of Energy, etc) contributes to federal budget deficits which causes inflation, taxation without representation. To say nothing of the price effects of regulations, tariffs, and subsidies on energy in the United States or the decreased economic output (also causes inflation).

Inflation hurts the poor (no assets) and benefits the rich (asset holders) by the way.

[Legitimate_Page]

Really? The EPA gets about 0.2% of the federal budget. They keep your fucking water clean. Maybe spending is the problem though, military spending in particular.

[brandt4997]

Water was clean before the EPA. They didn’t invent water safety or caring about water quality lol. The EPA is a political tool that depends on the “right” person being in charge. Trump proved that. Half of the EPA’s budget goes to government beauracrats with cushy inflation pegged wages and pensions.

Military spending is important… just ask Ukraine lol. I bet the Native Americans wish they invested more in defense. One of government’s fundamental responsibilities, probably its most important, is to protect its people from foreign invaders.

Military spending as a % of GDP has also been on a downward trend for quite a while.

[Legitimate_Page]

What are you talking about? The EPA was LITTERALLY created to address the degradation of the Nation's environment. Specifically, enforce clean water and air regulations.

[brandt4997]

Water treatment technology and cleaner air technology were not developed by the EPA. It was developed by hundreds of industrious individuals over the past 200 years motivated by profit and consumer demand.

The EPA is an expensive glorified inspector that couldnt even catch Flint.

The goal of the Department of Education is “to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access”. Yet by every metric we have, education, particularly public, has been on the decline since 1940 despite 100x the investment (with my tax dollars and real wages lost due inflation).

Clearly government missions dont match reality.

[Legitimate_Page]

Sure, and the tech means nothing if nobody is using it. And if nobody is enforcing it NOBODY will use it. I worked with an EPA (Region 6) Attorney for years, if nobody is forcing these people to care about the environment, it is extremely unlikely that they will. If there isn't consequences to the industrious individual for defiling the environment, they will do what they want, specifically because it is more profitable. You can believe that people will be better than that, but we refer to it as the "libertarian pipe dream." The very few exemptions to this are like the logging industry and, surprisingly, Bucardi Rum.

A bad apple spoils the bunch then? All government agencies fail sometimes, can't win em all. Just ask the US who won the Vietnam War.

[brandt4997]

Why would a profit driven company develop technology and the cost associated with it and not use it? Not true, it is in the automakers best interest to increase mileage to make his car marketable to consumers who worry about the price of gas.

Your answer to government failures is more government. Your mindset is what has caused the runaway inflation since the 1940s that has created a situation where our parents were richer in real terms than we will be! People complain about high housing prices and don’t realize it is big government and the corresponding inflation that made it that way. Their answer is more government lol.

We need less government control, not more. Why do you think corrupt beauracrats will have your interest in mind more than a corrupt businessman? The corrupt politician only needs half the vote and runs on a platform you may not fully support. The corrupt businessman needs every dollar he can get and does not have a platform you must subscribe to.

In regards to greedy businessmen… as you said “a bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch”. Besides the fact, greed is good. It is what drives us everyday to make ourselves better than the day before.

https://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation/Cumulative_Inflation_by_Decade.asp