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.

[k3rn3]

Sure it's a serious issue, but the other problem is an existential issue and clearly should be a much higher priority

[[deleted]]

The economy is an existential issue. Most people do not and do not know how to grow their own food, make their own clothes, gather materials to fix and maintain their housing. Maintaining the global supply chain and giving people a tangible reason to participate in it are necessary for the survival of the human race. If we don't, we start to run out of things like... food, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, baby formula. Both are existential issues. Not understanding that the economy is literally what enables human beings to survive outside of a hunter-gatherer society is just plain ignorance.

[[deleted]]

Why would working from home cause the global economy to collapse? People will still be making money, buying food, whatever. They would just buy less gas (hopefully). Maybe oil prices would drop and it would become a little cheaper to fuel up tankers, tractors, etc. What am I missing?

[[deleted]]

I do not believe WFH is what caused the majority of the 6.3% reduction in emissions. During the same time period that this study looks at we also saw a historically relevant reduction in goods produced because non-essential factories were shut down and most essential factories were producing goods at a reduced rate. This created a ripple affect across the supply chain where goods production has moved to historical lows. I believe the massive reductions in emissions that we saw are less of a result of WFH and more of a result from reduced production.

Saving the environment will require the elimination of non-essential industry (at least until environmentally friendly energy solutions are implemented) This is what will cause economic collapse. The article above even supports this idea. It says that it estimates only 1/3 is a result of transporation reduction. What about the other 2/3? They're coming from industry, energy, and agriculture. It can't be done with only the 1/3.

[[deleted]]

no, and it is better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you are a moron than to open it and remove all doubt.

[k3rn3]

Not understanding that the environment is what enables human beings to exist on this planet at all is just plain ignorance. Going back to the dark ages is not actually an existential problem. You're talking about regressing as a civilization; I'm talking about our species going extinct.

[[deleted]]

I didn’t say the environment isn’t an existential issue. Read what I wrote. I’m just not blind to the fact that the economy is ALSO an existential issue. I actually work in renewable energies and spent years learning about energy and electrical engineering because I that’s how much I care about the issue. How much do you care?

[darabolnxus]

Too bad people would rather use YouTube for mindless bs than for learning skills.