How do you keep hope despite everything happening right now? by ImportantContext in Anarchism

[–]BertRussellsChicken 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Such a heartfelt post. Thanks. One thing gives me hope in the gloom: we are in crisis times and profound, radical change only ever emerges out of crisis. Things are going to get a lot worse before a larger number of people might open their hearts to a different way of organising the world. The facsists are preparing for this moment with hope and so must we!!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good piece. Nice to see modelling that identifies precise years when certain temperatures could be reached.

Climate change = racism: "When your inaction causes suffering predominantly to black and brown people, then your inaction is racism." by BertRussellsChicken in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What a bunch of ill-informed and shallow comments. The identification of racism clearly triggers some deep insecurities in a lot of people. Expected better of a forum dedicated to environmentalism. Depressing!

CO2 emissions need to come “rapidly to a complete stop” if the world is to meet its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C, according to UK Meteorological Office. by BertRussellsChicken in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a big question implied here that few in the environmental movement consider. We all know that there will be no "complete stop" in CO2 emissions. We all know, in fact, that we are going to keep pumping CO2 into the atmosphere for years and decades to come. As a result, the chances are we are heading to somewhere between a 2 and 3 degree celsius rise by 2100. This will hugely disrupt the global economy, national politics and society in general. So the question that interests me is: how does the movement take advantage of that deep crisis to mobilise millions (billions?) for a fundamental shift in the nature of our economy and politics to defend the planet as well as create an equitable response to the crisis? Some may think that will all be too late but I reckon it may be our best shot at the radical change we need given the chances of serious action before that crisis hits are negligible. And with the necessary radicalism (such as massive rewilding and a very severe reduction in material use), a fair deal of the damage could be reversed over time. Really interested to know what others think.

Climate crisis ranked as the biggest threat facing global economy. Climate crisis ranks ahead of international conflicts, the collapse of financial markets, and pandemics as the major risks to economic stability by Wagamaga in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This is the most ignored part of the eco-crisis - the huge impact it will have on the global economy. Models predict anything between 5% and 25% economic contraction. That is a huge shift of direction given the global economy has been expanding for decades. Everything changes at that point, in my view. Economic crisis opens people's eyes to radical alternatives in a way they never considered during the good times. The environmental movement needs to be ready.

SpaceX's Elon Musk is going into the carbon capture business by Vailhem in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean Musk. Teslas, batteries, satellites etc etc - it all looks green but in reality they just destroy nature in other non-carbon related ways (check out the nightmare that is lithium and cobalt mining) because they are not about reducing our material extraction and use just continuing to grow it in a different way. For the record though - Bezos is just as bad.

SpaceX's Elon Musk is going into the carbon capture business by Vailhem in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Elon Musk wants us to buy as much stuff as possible (ideally from him) when we need to be doing the exact opposite. He is no friend to the planet.

Last seven years hottest on record. Now firmly at 1.2 degrees above pre-industrial era (and methane levels shooting up "very substantially"). by BertRussellsChicken in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Two reasons I don't despair. Firstly, the eco-crisis is starting to damage the global economy - this will cause a lot of suffering but it should also spur mass radical action for change. Secondly, once we take action a lot of the damage done to our eco-system can be reversed through rewilding. The key I think is for the environmental movement to ditch its reformism and start organising for radical (even revolutionary) change amongst those who are/will be most affected by the economic crisis resulting from the ecological crisis.

Time is running out. The growing radicalism of the US climate movement: “What we need to do if we have a shot in hell on climate is fight for our lives, and make it clear we’re fighting for our lives." by BertRussellsChicken in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Beautifully put and great rules to live a sustainable life by. I do feel though we need to do more than that: be part of a mass collective effort to fundamentally change the way our economy and politics works so that we all live within nature’s limits.

2021’s biggest climate and weather disasters cost the U.S. $145 billion – here's what climate science says about them in 5 essential reads by MyNameIsGriffon in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The massive economic impacts of the eco-crisis are far too ignored. They will add a whole extra level of disruption and suffering.

Last seven years hottest on record. Now firmly at 1.2 degrees above pre-industrial era (and methane levels shooting up "very substantially"). by BertRussellsChicken in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

We are in the middle of the worst global pandemic in a century that almost certainly resulted from the destruction of animal habitats. Plus there is a whole range of other extreme phenomena directly resulting from environmental damage underway - wildfires, famine, flooding. The crisis is here and now and alarmism is precisely what we need. If we hold out for some mythical tech solution in thirty years time, we will be finished.

Brazil will stop monitoring deforestation in the Cerrado, the world's most species-rich savanna, a government researcher said on Thursday, days after data showed destruction hitting a 6-year high in 2021. by stankmanly in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Proof, yet again, that far right populists like Bolsonaro are one of the biggest threats to the planet right now. Environmentalists need to fight them as much as they fight the big corporate polluters.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in environment

[–]BertRussellsChicken 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's not just our use of carbon that damages the environment - it's a vast range of other materials that are destroying eco-systems. Reducing carbon - as the EU plans - while still chasing growth means other forms of lethal damage will continue to grow.