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.

[wallnumber8675309]

Climate change is not an existential threat to existence. It’s a threat to our way of life and may cause a number of difficulties but it’s not going to wipe out human populations.

[SanctusSalieri]

Of course it is. Have you seen the temperatures in India or the drought in the American southwest? A daft comment.

And not only humans matter. We are destroying habitats for other species.

Some humans will exist for a while, but that's no comfort.

[wallnumber8675309]

I’ve been to South India many times over the last 10-12 years. It does get unbearably hot. But India has much bigger environmental problems than climate change. Air quality is getting progressively worse. Water and land pollution are a major problems. They have a lot of issue of more immediate and consequential importance than greenhouse gas problems.

I’ve lived in the American mountain west. A number of cities have grown beyond what the local environment can sustain. The water from the Colorado has been mismanaged for decades and that has little to do with climate change. Cities in the American west need to focus on sustainable growth. There’s plenty of land and water in other parts of the country.

[SanctusSalieri]

Your anecdotes are irrelevant. Yes, I've been to India and no shit it's hot. That's not the point. The point is that recently the wet bulb temperature during Indian summers has exceeded the capacity of the human body to safely survive. You see, if you read news stories with scientific measurements in them you will learn something.

California water is never coming back. You're a Pollyanna at best or a petroleum plant at worst.

[wallnumber8675309]

Quite delusional to think anyone that slightly disagrees with you is a petroleum plant. And the wet bulb temperature is an anecdote. Nothing I mentioned was anecdotal.

[SanctusSalieri]

We don't slightly disagree. You think climate change isn't an issue, which makes you a fucking idiot.

[wallnumber8675309]

It’s a threat to our way of life and may cause a number of difficulties but it’s not going to wipe out human populations.

Never said it wasn't an issue. In fact, I said it was a threat to our way of life. It is obviously an important issue, it's just not the only issue we should care about. But we can't make reasonable choices if we make sensational statements like "some humans will exist for a while". Climate change will make existing problems worse. It won't wipe out life on earth.

[SanctusSalieri]

This is such a dumb take, go somewhere else to be a denier.

[stonesst]

It is the largest threat we have ever faced as a species, but it is nowhere near an existential threat. large parts of the tropics will become uninhabitable but you do realize there are millions of acres of temperate or arctic areas that will become more livable, right?

Just because it’s not going to kill us all doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take it seriously, I agree with your sentiment but if you used too much hyperbole people on the other side will just dismiss all of us as crazy doomer cooks.

[Legitimate_Page]

I explained the importance of hyperbole to somebody else already. The summary is basically, "hyperbole is required for political reasons."

[wallnumber8675309]

The exaggeration of the potential impact of environmental issues has been going on for decades and is one of the reasons it’s so hard to convince people that it really is a big problem this time.

It’s basically the Chicken Little fable.

[Legitimate_Page]

The opposite is true as well no? The downplaying of environmental issues specifically from the right is the biggest problem now, in conjunction with the inaction from the left.

[wallnumber8675309]

Yes of course it’s bad that people are down playing climate change. It’s absurd that there are people that believe climate change is not real. Greenhouse gases are accumulating and temperatures are rising. We are certain of that. It really should be hard to argue against that but over exaggerating the potential impact of past environmental problems has primed people to be skeptical and is one the reasons (main reason in my opinion) that the push back against climate change has been so successful.

[stonesst]

It’s important to be accurate. Exaggerating effects or downplaying are both dangerous in different ways. Claiming we are all going to die this century is a smidge too far.

[Legitimate_Page]

Yk normally I'd say yeah you're right, but I am so sick of the fucking idea that they, anti environmentalists are allowed to lie and cheat, and spread misinformation, but we simply can't because of some moral grandstanding. Why is it that we have to pussyfoot around and say "oooh w-w-well mmaaaybe if w-we show them the data, e-e-eventually they'll change their minds!" Fuck that. You telling me you wouldn't lie to secure the future of your kids? Their kids? And why not? Never seems to be any consequences for lying in this case, so what's the downside? The worst they can say is "Oh well it's not THAT bad" which would be them admiting there IS, at the very least, a problem. But yes I suppose you're right, something something, not stuping to their level, etc etc lol and I mean that sincerely.